What I enjoyed:
• Themes: good vs evil, loyalty, selfishness vs selflessness, mob mentality and group think, justice vs revenge, exploitation and corruption of power, privilege, justice, forgiveness, relationships (familial, romantic, friendship, brotherhood, siblings, parent/child)
• Music: I loved the soundtrack. I enjoyed the instrumental soundtrack more than the character songs
• Locations and sets: I loved the whole aesthetic behind different sect/clan principal residences. Especially Cloud Recesses and Lotus Pier
• Love story: It was a joy to watch their beautiful, but tragic love story unfold
• LWJ looked fresh, beautiful, and ethereal during second half of the drama
• Costumes: The different colors made it easier to tell the different clans apart

What I didn’t enjoy:
• Majority of the female characters were killed off and there weren’t many to begin with. I think only 3 female characters with lines survived
• WWX looked terrible in the second half. I’m not sure if it was a director’s choice, but he looked sickly, unwell, and deathly pale
• LWJ becoming chief cultivator. This just doesn’t make any sense. LWJ has shown zero interest in leadership roles. He outright ignores the other cultivators so it’s unbelievable that he’d have any capital to procure the chief cultivator position.
• It took forever to wrap up the JGY arc. Seriously, just kill him already. I totally agreed with WWX when he blurted, “Can we stop talking and just start fighting?”
• Plot: plot was confusing for the first two episodes
• Extra long flashback: When the flashback ended, I couldn’t recall what happened in episode 1 and 2
• JGY has the most punchable face and his dimples did nothing for me. He was also hammy in several scenes
• Wang Yibo looked dazed, sleepy, and unfocused in early flashback scenes episodes. It was a bit distracting
• Styling: I wished the director would have styled WWX differently after his resurrection. But he essentially had the same hairstyle, same look, same feel
• LWJ appearance: He looked ethereal and beautiful, but I felt that Wang Yibo should have bulked up for the role. His character is supposed to be more muscular and stronger than WWX.
• Noticeable continuity/editing errors. On repeated watch, the errors will become more noticeable
• The Ending: Initially, I was so confused by the ending. Did they end up together? Did they go their separate way? After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that they did spend some time apart, but reunited after some time.

Overall, I LOVED The Untamed. After watching the drama, I read the novel, watched the Special Edition, watched BTS videos, watched interviews with the actors, read up on all The Untamed content I could find, and watched fan made music videos. This is the only drama that has captivated me (I've seen several dramas)

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What I enjoyed:

Lan Sizhui: He has grown more capable and stronger since The Untamed, but remained true to his character.
WWX: I enjoyed the WWX references and cameo
Wen Ning's song: nice to hear his song at the end credit

What I didn't enjoy:
Subtitle: the text was white which made it difficult to read
Wen Ning: He didn't seem like the same character from The Untamed. He's definitely more mature, intelligent, and serious in the Living Dead, but there wasn't much of an explanation about how his development.
Lan Wangji: There were many WWX references, but only 1 for Lan Wangji. I was expecting Lan Sizhui to mention him at least once.

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I picked the movie for Xiao Zhan, but it was not his best work. The character seems like a water down Wei Wuxian. I really didn't understand what was going on in the movie. Did the movie ever answer the mystery of who murdered all the people in his village? The plot could be summed like in this sentence: Cook finds a magical stick and may turn into a demon king. There were several scenes where he was so close to kissing his "sister" but he ends up kissing a different woman and saves her. The only cool thing was thousands of kung fu fighters flying on their swords. Not really worth a watch unless you're a hardcore Xiao Zhan fan.

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What's with the coffee looking stained shirt? And other gripes

Seriously, what is with the coffee stained long sleeved white shirt that Xiao Zhan wore over and over again? It was very distracting and would be considerable unprofessional in an office setting if the shirt indeed was stained. I have no idea what the budget was for wardrobe, but the ML essentially cycled through the same 4-5 set of clothes for half the series. Just borrow a few items from Xiao Zhan's own closet, I'm sure he has plenty to spare.

What worked well:
1. Xiao Zhan's acting is very natural in this drama. And he always excels at playing positive, energetic, motivated characters
2. Only a few annoying side characters (ML''s greasy boss and FL's mumbling younger sister)

What didn't work well:
1. Styling including wardrobe, hair, and make up. The styling aged several characters including the FL. FL and her sister had the worst hairstyles. The way FL was dressed was just unattractive. I think I spotted FL wearing dated mom jeans a few times.
2. Soundtrack was forgettable.
3. Too many romantic pairings that added little value to drama. There were ML's parents, ML's coworker, FL's business partner and ex husband, FL's younger sister and her hockey playing friend/love interest, and uncle of hockey playing friend/love interest
4. There was a storyline involving FL's lead sister. I couldn't care less about this character and her romantic interest
5. This is a rom-com so there was no depth to ML and no growth for him at all. His entire motivation was to get into a relationship with FL
6. It was a bit strange for the lower paired romantic couples to kiss before the main couple
7. And lastly, the award acceptance speech given by ML and FL was awkward, cringey, and out of character. Both were super adverse to even sharing the news of their relationship so it's not believable that they give love confessions on national tv and shared an offstage kiss

Overall, I would give the drama 7.5 stars as it is a decent rom com. Worth watching if you're a fan of Xiao Zhan but nothing spectacular

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Not terrible, just average

This was your average military movie. There is a mentor, an under dog, a rival, mentor dies, rivals become buddies, and so on. Movie wasn't terrible, just not memorable enough for a second watch. Acting was fine.

The okay:
1. Acting
2. sentimental moments between a few characters
3. CGI was ok
4. musical score and official sound track
5. fighter jet flying scenes

The bad:
1. very little character development
2. supporting cast is not memorable, i can only recall 3 character names from the movie
3. WYB's character did not need a love interest, but I guess the producers needed to insert a few females into the movie
4. no real connection between WYB's character and his parents

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I loved the The Untamed so, of course, I had to watch the Special Edition as well. The Special Edition is really for fans of the drama. If this is your first exposure to the Untamed and you're looking to understand the plot, this version may only confuse you as things are left out to focus on the two main characters WWX and LWJ. A few scenes between WWX and LWJ are extended in the special edition and the ending is simplified. This version also gives more depth to the character of LWJ. The novel and drama are from the perspective if WWX so it's sometimes hard to get a feel for the character of LWJ. A must watch for fans of the Untamed

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The Forgiving Princess

The drama should have been titled "The Forgiving Princess" as the FL forgives everyone that has plotted, betrayed, and used her in order to gain power.

I was really impressed with Zhou Yi Wei's portrayal of Xiao Qi (the ML). Loyal, faithful, honorable, stoic, and strong. I don't normally cry while watching Chinese drams, but I cried when Xiao Qi wept over the death of Gen Song Huai En.
I wasn't impressed with Zhang Zi Yi as toward 2/3 of the drama, she was essentially wooden and expressionless. The sets and costumes were gorgeous. And the song End Of The World was simply beautiful.

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a good watch, but a bit overhyped

Eternal Love was a decent drama. Just middle of the road. A good watch if you're bored, but nothing spectacular. The issues I had were the two main characters. I honestly just didn't care much for them. The Emperor Dong Hua character, I found myself more interested in him.

Su Su: Mortal identity of Bai Qian. She was extra needy, extra clingy, and cried majority of the time for her man.
Bai Qian: High Goddess in the heavenly realm. She turned into a mean alcoholic in the third act of the drama and she pretty much abandoned her child.
Si Yin: Alias of Bai Qian when she was the disciple of Mo Yuan. Essentially she was a teacher's pet who got a free pass because the teacher had feelings for her.

Mo Yuan: He was okay, but not really memorable.
Ye Hua: I didn't like how he treated Su Su once she was in heaven and when he reunited with Bai Qian, he just turned into a simpering love struck fool.

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Good movie, worth a second rewatch

This is a gritty movie about espionage during war time.

Good:
1. The fight scene between WYB and Tony Leung's characters
2. the plot twist
3. WYB's acting improved as the story went on. He was a bit wooden in the early scenes.
4. The build up and suspense. It always felt like your favorite character was in danger of getting killed
5. The set design and costumes really made one feel that they were present in that time

Bad:
1. Non linear story telling made it really difficult to follow the plot
2. No linear story telling device also made some of the scenes repetitive for viewers

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Engaging and enjoyable watch so far

I dropped the last 4 dramas I started so didn't have high hopes for this one, but wanted to see Xiao Zhan in a modern drama so I'm giving it a chance. So far, I'm enjoying it. I have not read the book, this review is based on the drama series.

Xiao Zhan plays Gu Wei a surgeon in a gastroenterology center. He is serious, solemn, and emotionally closed off to outsiders. He doesn't crack a smile until the 3rd episode. He has OCD and may be on the Autism Spectrum ; see odd and awkward communication with Lin Zhixiao.

Yang Zi plays Lin Zhixiao a musician who is struggling with parental expectations. She's immature, bubbly, and a bit over the top. She seems too cheerful sometimes for a daughter whose father was just diagnosed with cancer.

Positives: The acting is solid. The song The Greatest Fortune is fantastic, Beginning in episode 3, Xiao Zhan as Gue Wei start opening up and begins showing a range in his expression. Gu Wei and Lin Zhixiao have some cute, but cliche moments.

Negatives: Sometimes the background music is strange and doesn't fit the more serious scenes. The series can't seem to decide if it's a drama or romantic comedy. I find Lin Zhixiao a bit annoying at times. And I really could care less for the 2nd female and male leads. It took me 9 episodes in to finally remember their names.

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Overrated

I loved The Untamed and thought I'd like Word of Honor too. So far, it has not been my cup of tea. The romance between the two ML leads feel forced and unnatural. Just because Wen Kexing is spouting poetry does not make it romantic. I'm not really sure why Wen Kexing is attracted to Zhou Zishu other than for his good looks. And the side kick, Gu Xiang is just loud and annoying. Maybe I'll give the drama another chance after watching other dramas. The CGI isn't that great. Zhou Zishu is supposed to be a master assassin, but his body/build just isn't believable. He looks too soft and delicate to be running an assassin organization.

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Decent drama about life, brotherhood, love, family, and principles

First half is my first impression of the drama.
8 episodes in and this is my first impression. The Youth Memories is about a group of friends in 1970s Beijing navigating life. The main themes are: family. love, friendship, brotherhood, duty, familial obligation, and pursing one's dreams.

The good:
1. It feels like an ensemble cast, and not just the two main leads and a bunch of supporting throwaway characters
2. The main supporting casts have interesting storylines of their own
3. XZ's really suited for optimistic, cheerful, sometimes cocky role who puts other people's happiness over his own

The bad:
1. The music seems out of place sometimes. The character would be saying something sad, and there's cheery background music
2. Some overacting from supporting cast members even with XZ. I don't know if it's cultural or a sign of the times (setting is in 1970s)
3. Bad styling for Li Qin. The pigtail braids make her look older and less attractive
4. Few meaningful scenes between XZ and LQ. There's more interactions between the ML and FL2. I'm assuming that their relationship will develop later on

Neutral:
1. So many men want to be with He Hongling. And so many women are jealous of her.

I'm assuming that the slow burn relationship between ML and FL will develop later on so I may keep watching to see how that love story unfolds.

Edit: final review
Just finished The Youth Memories. Things that stood out to me.

1. The character of He Honglin, the writers managed to portray her as sympathetic despite her inherent selfishness. From time to time, she has moments of self awareness and humility.
2. The character of Xiao Chunsheng. He's too perfect, too idealistic, and too forgiving in this drama. His childhood friends betray him multiple times, but he continues to turn the other cheek. It became frustrating to watch him get used over and over again.
3. There's no satisfactory conclusion for the bad guys in this drama. Their final scenes consisted of them being taken in by investigators, but there's nothing about their punishment or outcome.
4. This is one of XZ's best character to date, only second to Wei Wuxian. And like Wei Wuxian, Xiao Chun Sheng stayed true to his values, his ideals, but grew as a person.

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First Impression of The Wolf

I'm up to episode 16. It's your average love drama with alot of angst and misunderstandings.

Male lead-Seriously overkill on the spray tan. Though it is nice to see other shades besides the pasty white skin tone that everyone hero/heroine seems to be. As Wofie, he seems almost simple, naive, and child like. As Prince Bo, he just sometimes cold, often mean, and smirks alot. I don't really like the male lead, especially how he treated his love interest. He was so mean to her and the fake attempted rape, He's suppose to be the hero, but his morals are lacking a bit. He knows that his adopted father is up to no good, and he just goes along with it.

Second male lead-play by Xiao Zhan. Too much like his previous character Wei Wuxian. Hopefully, the character will have some development in later episodes.

Female Lead-She's suppose to be an intelligent woman who uses deductive reasoning, but somehow doesn't bother to look into her family's murder?

The Princess Bao Na-she's just annoying. I hope that her arc is finished, but I guess she's going to stick around for a bit.

Anyways, I may come back to this drama, and I'll update my review when that happens.

Edit: Dropped the drama.

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First Impression

I'm 4 episodes in. So this is my first impression. I have not read the novel. I selected this drama because of the high rating, but so far, it really hasn't lived up to the hype.

-Acting is average at best. And there quite a bit of overracting
-the half brother of the ML, his acting is the worse, maybe he's suppose to be a buffoon?
-Even the ML's acting is off sometimes.
-Music is weird and doesn't seem to fit in
-There are too many characters. It's hard to keep track of who is who
-Other reviewers raved about how funny the movie is, but it's not really that funny to me. Maybe the humor got lost in translation? I'm a non Chinese view so maybe the humor is just over my head
-palace intrigue with a dash of modern social commentary

It's not living up to the hype, but I'm a little intrigued to find out who is trying to kill him, so I'll keep watching

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First Impression of Legend of Fei

I'm 4 episodes in and I have more Cons than Pros when it comes to this drama. This first impression is based on the drama only, I have not read the book.

Cons:
1. FL. Her acting is off sometimes in these early episodes. Like she's going through the motions. Is she supposed to be this wooden and stoic?
2. FL's false eye lashes are distracting. She has rather large eyes to begin with and she doesn't need the extra thick eye liner and fake lashes.
3. Costume for the FL seems too modern. She wears slim black pants and a short robe, which looks almost like a jacket, while almost everyone else wears a calf length robe. The designs of the jacket are too modern, like jackets one would see on boy band performers.
4. Villains have the craziest eye brows I've seen in a C drama
5. A couple of the scenes are too unrealistic. Yes, I get that this is a fantasy drama, but she gets whipped by her mother and doesn't suffer any major damage. While the ML is imprisoned, the two are just having a long chat through a hole in the prison wall. WTF?
6. ML is too much of a baby face. He looks way too young for FL. I'm aware that there is a 10 year age gap between the two main leads.

Pros:
1. I appreciate that the some of the wigs have white hairs. In most of the C dramas that I've watched, it seems that everyone has jet black hair into their 60s.
2. I first saw Wang Yibo in the Untamed and wanted to watch him play a character different than Lan Wangi. Nice to see him play a character different than his real life persona.

This is just my first impression. If I continue with the drama, I may revise my review.

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