Slow burn romance of a Kickass Power Couple with decent chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I have not watched “Princess Agent” for obvious reasons (the ending sucks), so I went into this drama without expectation from Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin. I am not looking for a continuation of their previous romance. I wonder if that’s the reason why I don’t feel that their chemistry is amazing, but still good.

The big selling point of this drama is the two leads. The majority of the drama focuses on the romance and relationship, before going into the real plot towards the second half of the drama. I am a die-hard romance lover, so I am not going to complain (much) about it. It’s really lovely to see their interaction and romantic development when they’re in the mortal world. Their conversations are full of subtle and not-so-subtle sarcastic remarks, which help with building their attraction for each other. I enjoy the not-in-your-face and not-second-hand-embarrassment comedy. I feel like you need to pay attention to what’s going on to fully enjoy it, otherwise, you’ll miss a subtle dig here and there. However, I do think the drama spends way too much time setting the stage for this slow burn romance in the first half of the drama. As much as I enjoy their conversation, I also am missing the plot. This is a xianxia drama, so I am sure there’s a villain out there plotting against the ‘good’ guys.

I’m glad to see another kickass power couple as we really don’t see that many in C-dramas. From the top of my head, I could only think of the leads in “Who Rules The World” and “Wonderland of Love”. But Sheng Li and Xing Zhi are on a whole other level. They are the best of the best, the top 2 of the 3 realms. I am glad Shen Li remains intelligent, cool-headed, and powerful from beginning to the end. In a way, we have a reversal of gender. As the drama says, a reversal of who is the yin and who is the yang. Xing Zhi is also an interesting character. He’s being held in such high regards, has the whole world on his shoulders, yet he’s petty and jealous. He also is a know-it-all and doesn’t communicate much out of necessity for the most part. It’s also hilarious that once he’s given up restraining himself, he has such a love brain. He’s more clingy and emotional than Sheng Li and it’s both frustrating and fun to watch.

On the other hand, I am greatly moved by the romance between Feng Lai and Liu Yu. They have very limited screen time. Even though their romance is not unique, it leaves a more lasting impression on me. They are both such pure and kind-hearted people, but they break my heart. I might be partial as I am a big fan of Xu Hai Qiao, and his portrayal of Feng Lai is impeccable. The other romance that receives an awkward amount of screen time is with the sultry Ms Jin, the serpent. More on that at the end of the review.

The acting is solid but not exceptional. The veterans are great - Zeng Li as Shen Li’s godmother Demon Lord, Liu Guan Lin as the Heavenly Emperor, Zhou Xiao Chuan as General Shang are all great veterans. Comparatively, Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin did fine. There are moments when I thought ZLY did a really good job. I also feel that LGX’s acting is a little uneven. There are times when I feel that he could emote really well with subtle microexpressions, but other times I feel that he’s very wooden. Maybe that’s why I don’t quite feel the chemistry between them to be as great as other reviewers have said. Xin Yun Lai sorta played a dual role as Mo Fang and along with He Yu as the Heavenly grandson. They both deliver average acting. My favorite is Xu Hai Qiao as Feng Lai. His screen time is limited but XHQ never disappoints. He is such a scene stealer.

This is obviously a pretty big budget production. A large amount of CGI and green screens are used in this production. The very first fight sequence in ep 1 sets the CGI tone for the rest of the drama. However, I do find that fight scene shot like a video game. But throughout the drama, I really enjoy the special effects of the different light/power blasted during any battles. Sometimes production runs out of money and they start to fade out the special effects towards the end of the drama. Not this one! The final big battle was amazing. Despite my praise of the fight scenes, there are quite a few very fake-looking green screen shots.

Costumes and set designs are quite nice. Zhao Li Ying looks absolutely stunning in all of her different costumes, hair and make up. I love her simpler getup in the mortal world, but also enjoy her more girly looks with flowy hair. Some of the Heavenly Realm sets remind me of “Ashes of Love” and “Ancient Love Poetry”. I guess they all look the same to me after watching so many xianxias. “The Legend of Shen Li” also has a beautiful OST. However, they are played quite loudly and at times I couldn’t hear the words spoken very clearly. The drama also likes to blast this suona background music (it sounds like the suona song played in “Small Town Stories”) whenever something exciting comes up. It gets annoying after a while. One thing I am a little disappointed about is that the main leads are all dubbed. None of them uses their own voice, and at times the words don’t match the movement of the lips.

Another thing that annoys me is the large amount of inner monologues by Shen Li. There are times I wonder if these are words spoken, or all in Sheng Li’s head. Zhao Li Ying doesn’t really open her mouth wide when she speaks, so I got confused at times.

Let’s talk about the ending. I think the drama should have ended at ep 38. Ep 39 is more of a side story or an easter egg episode. It’s cute and I enjoy it, but this filler and fan service episode somewhat changes how I remember the ending of this solid drama. The kiss scenes at the end are definitely for the fans, and this fan did not enjoy the kisses. They seem awkward.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable watch. The pace is decent despite a little slow down with too much time spent on the set-up of the romance in the beginning. The power couple is fun to watch and I enjoy their interactions and conversations. The romance is slow but mature. Acting and production are solid, though not exceptional. I like (not love) this drama and will recommend it to those who enjoy xianxias and great CGI battles.



Completed: 5/12/2024 - Review #438

Leer más

Turn off your brain and you will enjoy this cute and fluffy ride!

If you can watch this drama without thinking too logically and critically, this will be a fun and cute ride. I was having a hard time in the beginning to just let loose and enjoy, thus I found the first half not as enjoyable. The first two points listed in my dislikes below explain more about my criticism. However, I finally found my groove and enjoyed the second half of the drama a lot more, and felt that the drama finished strong. If you are looking for a fluffy and cute romance without any angst, this is the drama for you.

What I Like (quick bullet point version)

♦︎ Great chemistry. Both couples are different but chemistry is good.
♦︎ Great acting between the main leads - they make me smile when they’re so cute together, and also make me cry when they cry. Chen Zhe Yuan and Shen Yue exceeded my expectations especially with the emotional and conflicted scenes.
♦︎ I like the secondary romance as well. It offers a good contrast to the main romance. I like seeing how the second male lead matures but doesn’t lose his quirky self either.
♦︎ Love strong and independent female leads. Both are go-getters professionally and romantically.
♦︎ FL’s mother is the MVP. We need more mothers like her in C-dramas.
♦︎ No annoying character.
♦︎ Like the two male leads’ outfits - they both look great in suits and long coats.
♦︎ It has one of the best, most heartfelt wedding scene.


What I don’t quite like or have mixed feelings about:

♦︎ My biggest dislike is the characterization of ML as someone who came from 500 years ago and transitions to the modern world without much trouble. He adjusts to the modern world too quickly, just because he’s supposedly smart and can read books at the library. I am not used to characters like that without time to adjust to the real world.
♦︎ Even if this is a fantasy drama, the plot just moves along to the romance and ignores the interesting and fun part about ML’s development.
♦︎ Initially, I had trouble with ML’s evil personality as it seems to have disappeared after a couple episodes. I want him to be the anti-hero for longer. I think the drama tries to explain his personality towards the last few episodes with the “twist”.
♦︎ FL needs a better wardrobe. Her outfits are horrendous and the worst of everyone in the whole drama.
♦︎ Not enough plot wise in the first half of the drama aside from the developing attractions.
♦︎ I forgot all about FL’s best friend and her boy toy until they showed up again in the last episode. Even then, I didn't recognize them until her name was called.


Completed: 10/17/2022

Leer más

I can't t urn my brain off to enjoy this. William Chan is not enough to keep me going

Subjective Rating - 7.0
Objective Rating - 7.5-8.0

I tried to like this drama but I don’t think this is for me. I am a fan of William Chan, and especially his modern dramas since who doesn’t like a handsome guy with cute dimples and a hot body. But he’s not enough to keep me going.

Is this the worst drama ever? No, it’s not. Just not for me. From a personal enjoyment level, this would be a 7 but from an objective drama watching experience, I’ll give this an 7.5-8. So, an average of 7.5 will be my final score.

Here are some quick thoughts:
1. I realize I am not a fan of girl-chases-guy plot. This doesn’t warrant a low rating, just a preference.
2. I do not like how stalkerish and clingy Xu Lai (FL), CEO Huo Yan Zong (2ML), Firefighter Lu Fang Qi (3ML) and Actress Yu Shi shi (3FL) all are pursuing their love interests. If you like them, you can say they are persistent in love and are really the perfect match for their spouses. If you don’t like them, they are annoying stalkers. FOUR such characters in the same drama is just way too much.
3. Though I don’t like how stalkerish FL was in the beginning, she actually isn’t so bad later on. I actually think Zhang Ruo Nan did a pretty good job.
4. How could the police let irresponsible reporters into the crime scenes? One too many in this drama.
5. A civilian, no matter how trained they are, cannot put on fire fighter gear and just run into a burning building to save someone. Where are all the other 20 fire fighters on sight?
6. There’s skinship, but it’s a waste of William Chan’s kissing talent. Kisses are meh.
7. I’ve watched 24 episodes and never saw the supposedly playboy best friend with any woman. He seems to be more of a decent guy than all the others (except ML).
8. A mature and responsible fire captain took a day off from work to trespass and do illegal things with his girlfriend. Total love brain fart.
9. I can’t stand a mature, rational, logical male lead totally turning into a love sick puppy. Not that ML stops being a responsible person, but his constant thoughts of his girlfriend has influenced some work decisions and actions.
10. Guys thinking they know what’s best for the ladies and making decisions on their behalf. One too many in this drama as well.

Overall, I have a hard time turning my brain off to enjoy this drama. For the romance, once you get past the first 7-8 episodes of a stalkerish FL, their relationship is quite nice. They act appropriately, have enough fluffy scenes and do communicate for the most part. I also enjoy watching a different side of a firefighter story regarding other non-urgent duties they have to do, and the dog training.


Dropped: 6/25/2023 - Review #322

Leer más

Interesting & Complicated Plot but falls short in Writing/Execution. Could have been better!

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25 (0.25 bump for an interesting plot)

“The Sign” started off really strong with a lot of fun scenes while the characters are in training. The action scenes are fun, and the interaction between the characters are interesting. The flirting and naked men took over the feeds when the drama first started airing.

The biggest selling point should have been the very interesting plot. It’s quite uncommon to find a Thai drama that mixes folklore, action/crime investigation, past lives and romance all in one. This is a very brave attempt. If the writing and execution are done right, this would be a winner. Unfortunately, I feel that the drama falls short. I wonder if the novel is a lot better.

Instead, the best thing about “The Sign” is the chemistry between Phaya and Tharn. Of course, romance takes center stage in the plot, and it’s not a bad idea to have strong chemistry between the leads. Initially, I thought Phaya would be the cool and cold-on-the-outside character. I was quite surprised when he became clingy and totally smitten. Not the direction I anticipated or liked, but it sort of works out since Tharn has been the more cautious one in this relationship. Billy (Phaya) and Babe (Tharn) deliver great scenes together. Their kisses are passionate and believable, while their intimate scenes do feel very intimate and romantic (give me “I Feel You Linger in the Air” vibes).

Acting is average (at times above average) all around. Even for the leads, there are some scenes that call for more subtle acting but I don’t think the actors quite deliver. It’s Babe’s first role and for that, I think he did a really good job. I do think the acting gets better as the drama goes on. I’ve seen some pretty bad acting in Thai dramas but at least no one sticks out like a sore thumb, just a few below average (Doc and Dao). It’s also a nice change to see Akk/Captain not playing an evil character. I’ve seen Akk in other dramas before and his acting is always pretty good. He’s solid here as well and looks mighty fine in uniform.

I was hoping for more action and police work, especially when the drama started off strong with all the training and missions. So, I am a little disappointed in that respect. The middle of the drama has a lot of talking, and not a whole lot of action. It’s probably also because the folklore/past connection takes more of a center stage. It’s interesting to see how Phaya and Tharn are truly connected together and Babe looks quite pretty as a girl/Naga. I am still a little confused about the Naga, and not quite sure what Tharn has done in the past to warrant being ‘cursed’ in the present time with people trying to hurt him. The writing is weaker in the second half. It either glosses over certain things (e.g. why Doc is so obsessed with Tharn, or how someone could be saved so easily), or when the drama decides to tell us instead of show us (e.g. the last episode and what happened between Tharn and the Doc). If the drama is longer, maybe it can really show us and explore the background story all characters in

Overall, I applaud the attempt to create such a drama with an interesting and complicated plot. Although I wish it had been better executed, I still had an enjoyable time watching. Babe/Tharn’s first role and he did quite well. I wish to see more of him in future.


Other Random Observations:
1. There are also many shower scenes of men posing naked with blurred out butts in weird positions.
2. The blurred butts also take away the very romantic feel I get from the intimate scene.
3. Thai dramas have the best grandmas! We have 2 in this drama. Thai dramas have the worst parents, and luckily we see none of them here.
4. The classic music played is a little too much during the art case arc.
5. I like Yai. I thought he would be a useless sidekick, but he ended up being the better cop than the leads. Tharn was so strong at training camp and seems to lose the ability to fight later. Yai beats him big time!
6. In C-dramas, you know to expect your fav supporting character might not survive till the end. With Thai dramas, it’s harder to tell which way it will go.

Completed: 2/24/2024 - Review #407

Leer más

Too long but Good leads chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75

For some reason, the lakorns that I picked all have a similar plot of sibling rivalry and fighting to be the heir of a company or family fortune. Not sure if it’s me or it’s just a very typical/common plot. “My Lovely Bodyguard” is no different. Our ML has to fight off the villain to protect the company that he was asked to oversee, and in doing so, his life's in danger. Therefore, he employed our female lead to be his bodyguard. Of course, our female lead needs money to support her family (cliche) so she took the offer.

What I Like:
1. Good chemistry between the leads with a slow burn romance and pretty good kisses.
2. Good-looking cast. ML has a gorgeous smile and his eyes smile with him. FL is beautiful no matter what she wears.
Smart, independent leads who are good people and easy to root for. The secondary leads are likable characters but not super memorable.
3. Lovely relationships between uncle & nephew, grandmother & granddaughter. These foursomes brought some much fun and sweetness to the show.
4. The child actor and grandma are both adorable!
5. Enough comedic moments here and there to lighten the mood, but not typical slap kiss, over-the-top humor.
6. Acting is pretty good all around. I enjoy the villain’s acting the most.

What I have mixed feelings and don’t like:
1. Draggy plot about the villain. Not enough happened to contribute to 12 long episodes.
2. Interesting ½ of the drama, but then it slows down in the second half. I lost focus towards the last ⅓ of the drama when the villain and leads keep on going around in circles.
3. Action scenes could be better. I might have watched too many Chinese dramas. I expect fight scenes to be more hard-hitting but our female lead is not delivering.
4. Plot holes and illogical inconsistencies here and there. Just little things that if you use common sense, you would have made a different decision. Nothing major, just minor annoyances to me.
5. Last episode is too over-dramatic with the fight, injuries and hospital scenes.

Compared to a few other lakorns I watched this year, unfortunately, this drama is below average. It was unable to keep me interested and focused for ⅓ of the drama. Just this fact, the drama will get a below 8.0 rating. If not for the good chemistry of the leads and the lovely foursomes, I would have rated this lower. The draggy plot is not exciting enough to fill all these long episodes.


Completed: 7/17/2023 - Review #331

Leer más

Subjetive Rating - 7.75

A collection of short stories that are connected because of the antique store, Good Old Days. Each story is 2-episode long, and not a lot of depth is given to the characters. But enough to tell a simple story. Most of them have a connection to a family member and/or romantic interest. Some stories are better than others.

Ep 1-2: Bond and Relationship - my second least favorite story and almost did not hook me in to continue watching. Luckily, I find Lee (ML) attractive and watched it for him.

Ep 3-4: Memory of Happiness - I enjoy this one. The leads are likable and I think the story is believable.

Ep 5-6: Road to Regret - my least favorite and I only watched the first 10 minutes. I find the three main characters loud and annoying, and did not want to continue on.

Ep 7-8: Our Soundtrack - I like this one as well. The song is catchy (I found it on Spotify!) and the story is easy to follow. Not too deep but enough to keep me interested.

Ep 9-10: Love Wins - the title is the cheesiest but it's my favorite. Their love touched me even though I had a hard time getting into the story in the beginning. But following the couple and their challenges of a long-term relationship keep me engaged for the most part.

Ep 11-12: Somewhere Only We Belong - a decent one to end the anthology. Though it's quite predictable, it is sad to see how it all ended.


Completed: 7/11/2023 - Review #330

Leer más

Good quality, chemistry and acting for a low-budget web drama

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“Provoke” is another well-produced low budget web drama directed by Zeng Qin Jie of “A Familiar Stranger” and “The Killer is Also Romantic“. The production quality is pretty good and I like it just as much as I like the other two dramas. Following a similar format, in twenty-five episodes, 12-16 minutes long, the drama tells the story of revenge, hidden identity and love. I can’t help but compare this drama to another popular web drama “Maid’s Revenge”.

Although I enjoy Dai Gao Zheng’s frequent flashes of his muscular torso and abs in “Maid’s Revenge” more than Zhao Yi Qin’s abs in “Provoke”, I have to say “Provoke” is a much better drama. The story is more coherent with fewer WTH moments. The acting and costumes are better and is also a lot less cringey and trashy.

Actress Daisy Li is beautiful as the sexy Jiang Ying. She is absolutely gorgeous in her various costumes and sexy when she is on stage singing and trying to seduce all the men. Male lead Zhao Yi Qin is handsome, but he is so skinny that when he’s wearing a long coat, it seems like he’s being swallowed. I enjoyed his body-building toned abs but a little too lean for my taste. LOL. Both leads have pretty good chemistry and the acting is pretty good as well.

However, my first reaction to the drama within the first episode is that there are too many slow motion scenes. Why are they walking so slowly? Why are they slowing things down when it’s not necessarily a ‘romantic’ scene? This got better throughout the drama, but I can’t help but also notice everyone speaks very slowly as well. Moreover, whoever dubs the male lead sounds like he’s whispering instead of speaking (a very airy voice). I like the first half of the drama more than the second half. The writing is weaker in the last few episodes.

Overall, if you are looking for a simple and short web drama in the Republican era, I will recommend this. It’s rare to find a pretty well-rounded low budget drama that doesn’t look cheap. Oh, and it has a pretty good OST as well.


Completed: 4/20/2023

Leer más

I wanted more Chemistry between the Leads

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

“Call It Love” is a melodrama through and through. The pacing is slow, the conversations are meaningful, and the romance is slow burn and quiet. South Korea really likes its revenge drama in all genres. However, what differentiates “Call It Love” from other revenge dramas is that love, healing and forgiveness are more central to the plot, than revenge itself.

I had high expectations before I watched this drama. Kim Young Kwang was the main attraction and he did not disappoint. What a versatile and amazing actor he is! From an adorable and sexy CEO in “The Secret Life of My Secretary”, to a psycho serial killer in “Somebody”, and now a lonely and sad CEO, he was just perfect for the lead role. Han Dong Jin (ML) is a man of few words and walks with a sad and slightly crouched posture. He exudes loneliness, yet his caring side shows when he’s with FL. Kim Young Kwang is able to portray subtle facial expressions and looks/eyes that can convey all he wants to say without actually speaking the words.

On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about Lee Sung Kyung’s portrayal of Shim Woo Joo (FL). I am happy to see her venture out of the rom-com genre and challenge herself to play this role. Shim Woo Joo is another sad and depressed character. However, I find Lee Sung Kyung’s acting one-note throughout most of the drama. She often maintains that one facial expression - a sad and bland look/gaze. I actually like her character in the first ⅓ of the drama. Woo Joo speaks her thoughts with no filter and no reservation. I like her no nonsense approach and doesn’t care what other people say. But then, she seems to lose that straightforwardness and barely utters a few words.

Another reason I want to watch “Call It Love” is because I was craving some angst and melo-romance. I thought this drama would satisfy this urge of mine but I am disappointed. The first few episodes reminded me of “My Mister”. When the romance starts to slowly build up, I was hoping for the angsty, sizzling chemistry similar to Mr. Gu + Yeom Mi Jung in “My Liberation Notes” or Lee Boo Jung + Lee Kang Jae in “Lost”. Unfortunately, I did not feel that tension and longing in Han Dong Jin and Shim Woo Joo. I do like how honest and open they are with each other (in their own introverted way). I enjoy the depth of their conversations. Without really having long conversations, they are able to speak their minds succinctly. But they don’t move me. I wasn’t sad. I didn’t cry for them. I didn’t pray that they could live happily ever after. The chemistry was not bad, but did not live up to my expectations. I am sure many feel very differently and am in love with the leads.

“Call It Love” does explore the message of healing and forgiveness. I do think the drama does a good job by showing the effects of the father’s betrayal and the mistress’ calculated scheme. Oh yeah, I hated ML’s mother but I’ve seen worse parents in K-dramas. However, the secret was so long drawn out. At times, I wanted ML to know the truth already, so we can deal with the aftermath and damage control. On another note, I like the somewhat dysfunctional Shim family and the love/hate sibling relationships. I love what Shim Hye Seong (eldest sister) said to ML that, their family doesn’t know how to comfort each other, and feels awkward consoling someone, thus, they went out to karaoke and party hard instead.

Love triangles technically don't exist in this drama and I’m glad a couple friendships did not turn into unrequited love. Men and women CAN have platonic relationships. I’d rather see more of the bromance between ML and his fellow CEO buddy, than the lukewarm secondary romance. I find Shim Hye Seong (sister) a little annoying in the beginning but I understand why she acts that way once we get to know her. Once the forced smiles are gone, she becomes so much more tolerable. Yoon Joon (pharmacist 2ML) is a great and loyal friend to FL, and I’m glad to see Sung Joon plays this role after being introduced to his handsome guy in “I Need Romance 3”.
Many commented on the pink tone and the use of different colored filters. It doesn’t bother me, nor does it add to how I feel about the drama. It just doesn’t matter to me, but it might to you. I also quite enjoy the OST.

Overall, this is a good melodrama if you are in the mood for a very slow burn and slow-paced romance. I just wanted more in the chemistry department to give this a solid 8.5+ rating.



Completed: 4/18/2023

Leer más

Worthy of all the praises, but still missing some elements to make this perfect.

Subjective/Gut Rating; 8.75

I will add to the many praises that everyone has for “Alchemy of Souls”. It is indeed a great fantasy, action, romance drama. As a veteran C-drama watcher, the story isn’t hard for me to follow but I could see how some can be confused. This drama has all the elements to be a highly rated production. I have an enjoyable time watching this.

What I Like:
1. Top notch production - sets, costumes, CGI. I actually want to see more CGI.
2. Love the OST. Took me by surprise in the beginning with the English lyrics, but the melodies give me all the feels.
3. Veterans Yoo Joon Sang (Leader Park Jin) and Oh Na Ran (Maidservant Kim). These two are hilarious and I love their dynamics.
4. I was worried about the comedy in the beginning because I don’t want a rom-com. But I find that there are enough comedic moments sprinkled throughout the drama, but not enough to make this into a comedy.
5. Bromance - The four actors have very distinct personalities but when they have scenes together, they are funny and have great chemistry.
6. Lee Jae Wook - He is not my kind of handsome, but I enjoy his acting very much. He is still so young and definitely has a great future ahead. I can’t believe I’ve seen all his dramas except “Move to Heaven”.
7. Glad the romance storylines are done well and maturely, and not annoying with evil men/women.
8. Good pacing.


What I want more or with mixed feelings:
1. I want more fight scenes, not enough for an action drama. The few scenes they have are good but not long enough.
2. I wish they could showcase more of FL's badassness. There weren't enough flashback scenes when she's Naksu, and when she's MuDeok, she's a sidekick. I wanted them to show more of her wit, even if she's weak physically.
3. Missing the chemistry between Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min. Jung So Min looks like an older sister to me. Maybe because I am aware of their real life age gap.
4. Jung So Min’s acting is a hit-or-miss. I know she’s a cold-hearted assassin and could be emotionless. But I see bored eyes instead of assassin eyes. Of course, this is very personal and I know many love her.
5. Hwang Min Hyun’s acting could have been better - borderline bland and decent. . He’s handsome though. Each time I look at him, I think he’s Cha Eun Woo and it takes my brain a few seconds to adjust. I think Cha Eun Woo has prettier eyes though


Completed: 1/26/2023

Leer más

Great from start to finish with enough excellent fight scenes to satisfy a wuxia lover

I usually don't watch wuxia movies as they oftentimes let me down due to incompetent writing and crappy fight scenes. After watching so many wuxia dramas that take their sweet time in world-building and setup, it's hard to find a movie that can do all of that in less than 2 hours. I'm glad I found "Brotherhood of Blades" years after it premiered. There's a beginning, middle and end to a full plot, and I was captivated and entertained for the full hour and 50 minutes.

The action scenes are awesome. There is no wired flying around, twirling and waiting around during a battle and slow motion fight scenes. We have men (yes, men not boys) who put in the effort to train hard and give us realistic and hardcore close-up fights. I love the different weapons used in this movie, and not just a sword or knife. No weak and mindless swinging of the sword but strong and determined slashes and slits of the throats.

A veteran cast (maybe not then but definitely now) delivered a beautiful performance. I've only seen Chang Chen in "Love and Destiny" and I love him in "Brotherhood of Blades" a lot more and he looks much more charismatic in his JinYiWei uniform. I've never seen Wang Qian Yuan (the oldest of the brothers) before and I am impressed. Li Dong Xue is the youngest might not have delivered as memorable a performance as the two brothers, but he's not bad. I like him a lot more in "Love and Destiny". The two female characters and love interests do not have many scenes but they're fine. It's lovely to see great actors such as Nie Yuan, Zhou Yi Wei and Chin Shih Chieh. You know they will be good. Looking back, there are many excellent actors in this movie!

If you are looking for romance, it's very minimal. It's enough to drive the plot but not enough to make a lasting memory. Liu Shi Shi is beautiful as the female lead (that doesn't have many scenes). She reminded me of her role in "Lost Love in Times". There was a scene towards the end that was very touching and gave us the backstory of her relationship with Chang Chen's character.

If I have to criticize, I would have loved the movie to be a tad longer and dive more into how the brothers met and a little bit more of their background. Most of them are explained in a sentence or two. I think another 15 mins would be enough to show us more.

I am quite surprised this movie has such a low rating on MDL (7.5 at the time of writing). I am rounding up my rating from 8.75 to 9.0 to give it a little bump. ? If you love good old-style fight scenes and a strong acting performance by everyone, I
recommend this movie. Only 924 watchers is not enough!


Completed: 12/18/2022

Leer más

Everybody Marries Jiu Ling!

Completed - 11/20/2021

"Jun Jiu Ling" seems to be a pretty controversial drama - either you love it or you hate it. I am in the former and quite enjoy watching this drama. The pacing is good for a 40-episode drama with a good mix of romance, politics, medical practices and battles, to keep me engaged. This is no small feat, as I do get bored usually in the middle of a Chinese historical drama.

Plot - If you can get over the ridiculousness of the first episode - a bad attempted murder, incredible prison break and face/voice changing, then you will be rewarded with a good and fun drama. The general plot is pretty typical - a revenge drama to expose the wrongdoings of the antagonists with the support of your friends. As I mentioned, this drama has many different elements. I am glad that it's not about a bunch of princes fighting for the throne. There's enough romance to go around for the romance lovers (like myself), a little bit of martial arts, some evil court ministers and battle scenes to save the country. This is by no means a perfect drama with a perfect plot. There are some scenes that I did do some eye-rolling, but I enjoy the drama for the most part.

Jin Han/Zhu Zan/ML - Jin Han received many negative reviews for his role as Zhu Zan because he's deemed not "handsome" enough. He might not be your typical, idol-looking ML, but I am very impressed with his acting. I think he fits very well into the character of Zhu Zan - a fun, loyal, upright, hopeless romantic. I hope netizens won't give up on this drama because they don't like Jin Han.

Peng Xiao Ran/Jiu Ling/FL - This is my first drama of Peng Xiao Ran. I avoided watching "Goodbye My Princess" but I heard she was great in it. I can see why everyone praised her as she did a fantastic job as our FL, Jiu Ling. She's beautiful with porcelain-looking skin, and her eyes can convey so much emotions. She has enough acting chops to carry this show on her back, if needed. However, I do think the character of Jiu Ling seems to be a little too perfect. She is so smart in every way possible, brave and beautiful. There doesn't seem to be a flaw in her.

Main Romance - I love the main romance here between Zhu Zan and Jiu Ling. I think it could be considered a slow-burn romance as it took a very long time for them to be officially together. However, you cannot miss the chemistry between them. There's so much emotional and funny moments between the leads. Even with 3 other love interests appearing, there's no reason to doubt the love they have for each other. There's no misunderstanding and they are honest and communicate with each other. When they do get together, there are many sweet and cute moments between them. When Jiu Ling is with Zhu Zan, that's when we see a different side of her... a fun and mischievous side that she rarely shows to others.

Other Men - The other 3 men really have no chance in being with our FL. She's honest and straightforward with them, and never leads them on. With such a perfect woman in front of them, it's no wonder they would do anything to support her. Aside from one psycho obsessive admirer, the other two are considerate and supportive. However, they are not good enough for me to have second-lead syndrome. I am Zhu Zan all the way!

Supporting Cast - There is a pretty decent sized supporting cast. It's a given that the veteran actors did a good job. But even the younger actors and actresses acted well. I was glad that there's no truly annoying character. You know who the villains are, though they aren't the most despicable I've seen.

Leer más

Predictable but you still root for the Lead Couple!

10/21/2021

This drama shows the challenges that our male lead experiences after he had a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the waist down. I do not have have such an injury and do not use a wheelchair, so I can't really judge whether the depiction of his and his circle of support's experience is realistic or not. However, I feel that this drama does enough for us to know the hardships that they have to go through. It touches on the more common physical accessibility issues, but also the lesser known and more embarrassing challenges. It doesn't shy away from letting us know that a different kind of love from lovers, family members, and caregivers, is needed to provide and support someone with such a disability. This drama also reminded me a little of the C-drama "Crush", a story about the main lead who is visually impaired, and his challenges (great first half of the drama).

It's nice to see that our ML is still quite optimistic in life, is able to climb out of the abyss of despair, and lead a somewhat normal life as an architect. I am happy that he's not a gloomy ML and needs our FL to bring him out of his depression. Of course, he has his moments of weakness and needs emotional and physical support as well. Matzusaka Tori did an amazing job portraying his character. He's charismatic when he's upbeat, but when he's devastated and in pain, I cry with him. I want to hold him in my arms when he's wriggling in pain and protect him from everything. *sigh* I am always wary of FL in Japanese dramas, as they are usually too innocent and naive and are such pushovers. Thank goodness our FL here is not like that. She might be shy sometimes, but she speaks up when needed, and takes the lead in challenging injustices and support our ML. Our leads make a great couple and their chemistry is good. I wish the kiss scenes are a little more passionate =)

With such a great lead couple, we have to have some annoying second leads. I do not personally like them. I understand where they are coming from, especially when they both have been in love with our leads for decades. But I do not like how pushy and manipulative they are, when they know our leads have no interest in them at all. They are too desperate for my taste.

As my title said, the storyline is quite predictable. There aren't any surprises, but that doesn't stop me from binge-watching and wanting to know what will happen. I root for our leads and want to see them live happily-ever-after.

Leer más

9/11/2021 = 8.75 rating

I read many good things about this drama and I like Steven Zhang, so I decided to give it a try, even though I am not a big fan of body-swapping. I was so close to giving this drama a 9.0 rating, but held back because I feel conflicted about the last 2 episodes.

What I like:
1. Plot - I do agree that the body swapping was done pretty well, compared to "Secret Garden". I feel that there are just enough episodes about body-swapping in the first part of the drama to keep me interested and engaged, without dragging on for too long. I also appreciate that the swapping doesn't just end when they switched back. That would be too easily resolved and the whole plot will end and just fill with other side stories. This drama could have fallen into the trap of many common tropes, but instead, it makes fun of them.

2. Acting - I have been a fan of Steven Zhang (ML) and am glad to see him in a different role. The other roles that he's in are usually the happy, outgoing teenager/young adult role. He's a more mature, cool and introverted character here, and he did a great job in portraying that. Of course, he's super funny and in character when playing the "female" character. I've seen Liang Jie (FL) in "Eternal Love" and didn't like that drama at all. I dropped it and didn't like Liang Jie's character. I am glad to wipe that bad taste off my mouth and watch her in this drama. Just like Steven Zhang, she was great in her role. I think as a female playing the male part, audience might not notice her acting as much as Steven's male character playing a female role. But I like the subtle acting and facial expressions, just the more masculine mannerisms that she portrays.

3. Characters - I enjoy watching a drama with no real villains, though I don't like ML's dad. Most C-dramas portray villains in rom-coms to be too cartoonish and over-the-top for my taste. So I am glad we don't have such characters in this drama. Moreover, another pet peeve of mine is innocent/naive/dumb characters. I am also happy to see that almost everyone is pretty smart in their own ways and act their age . Even our leads who are having their first real relationship are acting age-appropriately, and not some 30-year virgins who are too shy to even hold hands. I appreciate a real adult romance. Moreover, we have cute and supportive parents like our female lead's parents, and a great BFF for our FL.

4. Romance - As I mentioned earlier, I appreciate a real adult romance. Once the leads are in a relationship, they are honest and communicative. They are not afraid to flirt or show affection for each other. I find their romance cute but not so sweet that is unbearable or cringey. Their romance is very heartwarming to me. FL is just ML needs to be able to overcome his bad childhood memories. I enjoy seeing such a great supportive relationship.

5. Clothing - For once, not only the male characters dress handsomely, but our female characters are dressed well. I like that the girls are casual at home, but dress nicely and appropriately when at work. I've seen too many overly baggy casual well that female characters wear in C-dramas. Even though this is not a drama about fashion, I am glad to see our leads have a great wardrobe.

6. Comedic moments - The sound effects do add to the comedic moments of the show. There are many funny moments, not only during the body-swapping plot, but sprinkled throughout the drama. I find these moments funny but not over-the-top or slapstick funny. It was quite funny when FL explained why she never gave the love letter to doctor.... that's quite creative and unpredictable.

What I don't Like:
1. Product Placement - I understand PP is a big part of Korean and Chinese dramas, and I accept that. But in this show, I am sick and tired of seeing those snacks. They advertise those snacks in every episode (at least it feels this way). It's a bit much. Also, do we need several characters to suddenly catch a cold to advertise the cold medicine?

2. Music - I like the songs OK, but they play the English song " I See You" a bit much. The worst is that the background music is so loud and makes it hard to listen to the dialog.

3. Ending - I have mixed feelings about the noble idiocy and the time jump. I understand why the leads have to break up and I see where the ML is coming from. I just wish there's a better way to show that. I really dislike the trope where the leads break up before the final episode, then a time jump in the final episode and they reunite and live happily ever after. We know they are going to break up, as it's hinted in the very first episode. I was also a little taken back that all this happened in a novel written by FL. For some reason, I expect her to quit being a reporter and become an author, and then write about her love story.

Want more:
I am interested to see more about Tong Hua and Pei Jia Shu's relationship. They have pretty good chemistry and I wanted to see them get together.

Leer más

Started off sweet and fluffy, then a little more serious

8/25/2021

As part of the Sweet On series by Tencent, it's expected that this drama has a lot of fluffy and sweet moments, and will probably have a happy ending. The plot is interesting since it involves a child psychologist. However, everything is quite predictable, so if you want a comfort watch, this is it. The acting is generally good but the dubbing is pretty bad (for a 2021 modern drama). There are a few impractical things that happened, e.g. how did ML get a picture of him and FL's first kiss for his laptop wallpaper? Who is taking the picture? Why would a mom/FL let a kid play bubbles indoors when it could be slippery and dangerous?

I am a fan of Miles Wei after watching him in "Perfect and Casual" and his character here is quite similar to the other role. He's cuter in in P&C though. He's visually pleasing in his suits and casual clothing. It's my first time watching FL and she did a decent job. The star of the show, as many reviewers mentioned, is definitely the child actor, Lennon Sun. He is so adorable and you want to see him interacting with everyone on screen. The supporting cast did a good enough job, but I am not as interested in their storylines. I am happy that for a sweet drama that we don't have any too annoying and irritating characters.

The show did turn a little more serious towards the last part of the show, when we know more about the car accident. There aren't enough fluffy moments to lighten to the mood. Overall, it's a decent drama if you want something quite easy to watch, with good visuals, decent OST and a super adorable kid.

Leer más

7/18/2021

I was introduced to this drama by a MDL editorial article. I am glad more J-Dramas are recommended, otherwise, I wouldn't know where to find good ones. I am usually pretty picky about J-Dramas because most of them are either an adaptation from a manga or anime, and the acting and storyline are too over-the-top for my taste; or the FL is one of those naive, innocent, shy girls who has never touched a boy in her life. These are not my cup of tea.

Plot: I find the plot summary pretty interesting about a pseudo-romance for a manga. However, after watching the first two episodes, it became quite clear that this pseudo-romance is quite unethical and hurtful. I am glad that after the first initial episodes, the story gets better and it moves a little farther away from this hurtful premise. The plot is quite predictable throughout the show in regards to the development of the main romance, past romance, to the challenges faced by ML as a manga artist. I do enjoy the last episode quite a bit and it's a little less-predictable than I thought.

Characters: I am glad to watch a FL that is straight-forward, independent and not act like a little naive little girl. I've watched so many dramas that a 29-year-old woman acts like she's 16. It didn't happen here. She is quite likable and her acting is not anime-like over-the-top. ML's introverted, anti-social character could be difficult for some to get used to in the beginning. But he has great character development. I especially like his awkward, adorkable smile and grins. Even though he looks hawt int he last episode, his smile seems a little "slimy". I like ML's dorky look more. The child actor also did a great job. He's so cute and I love his shy smile as well. The supporting cast did a decent job and there isn't anyone too annoying.

Romance: The romance of the lead characters is nicely developed though can be predictable. I enjoy their contrasting personality and their funny banter. FL brings out the best of ML through their little fights. I still think the kissing should be a little better, esp. when it's their third kiss and it's not a surprising one. It's 2021 and I hope to see less fish-kissing in J-dramas, K-drams and C-dramas. It took a while for it to happen, but that awkward initial start of a relationship is super cute. I wish to see more of that but those moments were hard to come by. Since J-dramas are quite short, I am glad the secondary romance didn't take up too much of the time.

This is a simple, cute and light-hearted drama. This is the palate cleanser that I need after watching the more intense "Legend of FuYao" (which I recommend wholeheartedly!).

Leer más