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Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Amazingly Better Than the First
After watching the first one; I didn't want to watch this one because that one was a mess. I like Jason Statham so decided why not; I'm bored. I'll give a whirl. Other reason I didn't want to watch it was because though I'm a scuba diver, I have a phobia of octopi and knowing essentially I'd be looking at the kraken with huge tentacles gave me the jeebs. Thankfully, that part of the show was towards the end and minimal. But though things were messy and far from perfect (antagonists were subpar at best but thankfully most were eaten fairly quickly); the comedy and bantering between the characters was amusing even in dire strait situations. It's not a film for everyone but if you want to just relax with some popcorn and have a chill evening, go for it. It is actually amazingly better than the first. That said, I hope they don't make a 3rd lol.
Megalodon: The Frenzy (2023)
Eric Roberts Must Have Needed the Money BAD!
Anyone who's ever seen an Asylum film knows that they are always very cheap and bad. This one was just stupid. And all you could do was just laugh through the entire thing. I feel very bad for Eric Roberts. He's a good actor, but why the hell did he choose this dumb a$$ film to star in? The sharks and their CGI were completely out of sync with the rest of what was going on in the frame. It made me laugh so hard, how there was this massive battleship, and only three soldiers. Where was everyone else? The fact that they kept screaming the chant for the Marines while they were in navy uniforms from the neighborhood thrift store beats the hell out of me. I think Asylum should've gone out of business when it first started so I have no idea how it made to 25th anniversary, but it still makes very crappy films. The fact that everyone was filmed from the waist up at pretty much all times was ridiculous. I don't even think they had a script. It was all improv and bad improv. The actors weren't actors; I don't know where they found these folks, but they should get better jobs or other jobs. Anyways, typical of the production company, but even worse than usual; avoid!
Yun Xiang Zhuan (2023)
Out Scheme the Schemers (8.5/10)
Though I don't play chess, this series was essentially exactly that as the moves were strategized in people's heads and then we as the audience saw the results including flashbacks of how we got somewhere. In general I picked this up as I've seen and liked how Chen Xiao had previously done as well as some other actors. It was really a battle of the schemers in a wuxia-like environment.
Pros: I personally like anything wuxia related so the fight scenes though there weren't a lot of them because that wasn't the premise of the series, were very well executed. From YX, our ML to every other "good" character, what I really enjoyed was that they were all morally gray. None of them were these goodie two shoes protagonists we see frequently on the screen. Each and everyone had secrets, lies, flaws, past experiences that shaped them into who they were and nothing was ever black and white. I'm also glad that the romance portion was profoundly tapered and didn't steal time from the main plots. Was YX really the ingenious one? That's hard to say, he certainly out-witted everyone in the end but he wasn't without flaws or mistakes he made which he did own up to. Originally everyone was a pawn to him, but gradually many became friends and even sworn brothers. He planned his revenge for 15 years but even then, there were many factors he couldn't count on like falling for SYN and even though she was the opposing sect's eldest child, they both broke many of their respective sects rules by having faith in each other and that ended up actually being their benefit in the end. Plus having and trusting friends as mentioned above.
Really liked the characters of SMY, KML, JB, LGC, MBF, and KQ even though we lost the latter two and that was just very sad. Another positive that just about every character stayed for as long as they needed to and then either bailed out or was killed off. Favorite antagonists both survived; one was half evil and half just grey and I feel like he should have returned to round out team good grey in the end. His leaving just seemed kind of odd and like it wasn't properly finished or balanced. NGF was the vicious, best evil schemer half to YX but he should have been offed properly not just had SYN cut off the family jewels (not that I didn't enjoy that very much), but I felt he was just given more of an opportunity to grow his evil, vicious side, with the pirates.
Costumes, scenery, and OSTs were great and on point. All quite appropriate and placed well.
Cons: Here I find that the plot strayed a bit and then took off like a galloping pony towards the end. Plot holes included who the real SYN was and where she was and why did KLY take that name? And the entire mystery surrounding WC; that was just left by the side of the road somewhere. The entire premise of this was for YX to find out who the mastermind and executioners were of his village but by the time that happened, it was kind of just put by the way side as other conspiracies took over. Again, he let NGF live! Though Prince Fu was the mastermind and died a totally copout death by suicide in flames; NGF did most of it, yet sans his meat and two veg he was allowed to live with pirates and grow strong again. A decision YX made! Made no sense to me. Most of this series was about revenge but when it was right in front of him, for a different purpose, he let it go. He was now no longer scheming but would live a peaceful life with his lady love and sworn brothers. That part I was fine with, but the rest was a bit of a let down. Most likely had a lot to do with that race to the finish line where the script took a hit.
The whole revelation of Prince Fu being the mysterious Master of the Yuntai sect was beyond lackluster because everyone knew it by the time it happened. They kept dragging it on for too long and others were ruled out and there was no one else left. SYN's bro was the stupidest, greediest, power hungry moron that killed his own mother and was ready to help NGF to rape his sister, should have been just discarded immediately. The only positive here was the actor that played him did so very convincingly. But glad SYN took him down finally.
Would I recommend it? I would; other when YX forgetting his scheming ways in the last 8 episodes but coming back strong along with everyone who mattered in the last two, the pros outweighed the cons. This is a good, engaging, and entertaining drama to watch.
Wo de ren jian yan huo (2023)
Rollercoaster of Emotions w/a Wicked Witch
Watched this for Yang Yang and the first responder/natural disaster aspect it. I followed this drama as it was filmed last year and was very much looking forward to it. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even had a list compiled for the most hated character.
Pros: Favorite character was SY or ML; his bark was worse than his bite. As a captain at a fire station, he had to be cool and aloof but he was kind and caring to those whom he cared about the most. When it came to FL that was the only time when he could forgo the world. In the beginning, she chased after him and he didn't want to give in because it meant she might find out the truth. The chemistry between the two of them was very believable. Loved the fire station gang, the other doctors and nurses, and was extremely sad when they lost DP closer to the end. That scene really did require tissues. All of the characters were very well evolved throughout. FL's adoptive brother was creepy as heck for his obsession but I am glad he was given that out towards the end so they could remain family. SJ was very important to the series and to the audience and ZBB played him very well. When he left and was replaced by someone else, all those emotions and changes really made it real.
Who could forget the wicked witch of the west aka the adoptive mom of FL as the main antagonist. I have to give the actress props for acting as well as she did; none of us could stand her. Furthermore, she's only 59 in real life but makeup made her look 70. We all hated her so much, I created "The Kill List" in the comments and the other watchers were very creative in how to kill her. We got to 17 ways and as promised I'll post it here:
"The list is back ONE LAST TIME! We need to kill the wicked witch. So, let's see how many more ways we can kill her! Our end list looks like this:
1. Drowning in her own pool
2. Melting her with high pressure water
3. Throwing her in the river
4. Leaving her broke and desolate without any power.
5. Leaving her to suffocate when her office building goes up in flames.
6. Broke, desolate, without power in a sewer line.
7. Leave her in the mountains with lots of poisonous snakes and things.
8. Skin her alive.
9. Alpaca pushes the bookcase on her head in a smelly apartment and runs away while WW starves to death and loses her dignity because no one saves her.
10. Gets accused of treason and tortured then executed.
11. Death by 1,000 tarantulas.
12. Tie her to a chair and drill holes into her ever so slowly until a vital organ is hit.
13. Glue her barefoot to a chair and the floor, let the sprinkler system douse her with gasoline and chuck a lighter at her.
14. Suffocation by firefighter foam.
15. Drink snake venom while being whipped.
16. Send the picture and frame into the wicked witch's head instead of the floor like a missile.
17. Leave her trapped in the tunnel during the typhoon; rescue everyone else."
The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.
The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.
Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.
The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?
Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The story is for the most part well done other than those cons which you can more or less overlook. The cast did a great job, so get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotion with a wicked witch in the center.
Zuo zi ji de guang (2023)
Watered Down Sex & The City w/Lukewarm Romance Centered Around a TV Station & Some Debt
Watched only for LYN's first foray into an ML role in a modern drama and he made me proud. The story itself was a bit trying too hard to fit a lot of things into itself at once. It worked in the parts of being female centric and cultivating the friendship between the three women but I felt it could have easily been a 30 episode series and covered everything as with even 40, it still left many unanswered questions. It was pretty much a watered down Sex & The City w/lukewarm romance centered around a TV station & some debt.
Pros: Though he was the ML and did a great job at it, his role wasn't as substantial as the three women whose plot this really was and their lives. That said I'm still incredibly proud of LYN for tackling this new challenge and his slow but steady growth as a leading character.
I liked the fact that all 3 women were very flawed in their characters and even stabbed each other in the back at work before realizing it really wasn't worth it. Their evolutions came from both the necessity and the fact that they had no other choice like in the case of HH and her runaway husband. In the first episodes she took hit after hit; the disappearing hubby, the mountain of debt, her show's cancellation, her mom's illness and becoming a single mom. Many of us wondered how she would handle it as it was just insane. But out of the three despite all of that, she was the first one to realize how quickly she had to change her outlook and mindset in order to survive and though they weren't yet as close as they became, the other two were very encouraging of her. The tv station was the main base for the entire series.
Looking at it from another perspective, JJH was like a male version of her, starting with being in so much debt thanks to her husband and owning nothing, to slowly building himself and her up as well. HH's new business became very successful because of him. I also liked how they incorporated LYN's real qualities and both former and current jobs as a chef, livestreamer, and singer into the show. It made his character more realistic.
BY and YY both were extreme opposites of each other; one would do anything to get what she wanted even if it was quite shady, while the other was the epitome of Joan of Arc with her righteousness and stubbornness. They butted heads often but only when they really started to stand in each others shoes did they understand where the evolution must happen.
Other great characters were Zimo, the two directors of the tv station, plus main boss, RJ, LL, and HH's parents. The antagonists, I believe there were 4 of them grand total, honestly were an after thought to the rest of the plot. Costumes, OSTs, locations, were on point.
Cons: The show could have just been 30 episodes because there were so many things that weren't properly done or finished. Like did the 3 doofuses who lost money to OKG ever get that money back? Yes HH and him got divorced and the 4 buffoons were arrested for whatever insane illegal activities they did but even that wasn't properly explained. I've got a business background and all of my degrees are in that and I have absolutely no idea what exactly they did, why OKG had to run, why he blackmailed them for 100 million RMB, why he swindled those poor folks out of whatever he owed them. It had to do with stocks and finance but it was so muddled and rushed, that I still don't know. That could have been explained so much better and written into the series.
Also some characters were shoved into the spotlight to make things really uncomfortable for our female leads which I felt quite unnecessary like that Zhang Ke guy who was a borderline stalker of YY and was willing to do whatever it took (like ruining her reputation and nearly getting her fired) for her to date him when it was obvious she didn't like him. And the chick who looked up to HH but did some shady things herself and acted about 12. These were just two of several characters that really just didn't make sense of why they required so much screen time.
The character of OKG wasted a solid 2 episodes trying to get HH to go on the run with him. They could have used those same episodes to fortify her relationship with JJH and the other two couples. The romance portion of this drama was almost like an afterthought. I felt like HH turned robotic towards JJH once she found he had developed feelings for her. She treated him better when they were "enemies". And the sudden turnaround when he'd done so much to grow her business and helped with her mom's health and death, could have been a lot smoother. It felt like a whiplash. There definitely were a few plot holes in this series that could have been better explained. It was also quite obvious that many scenes were cut because they appeared in the opening or closing credits but never in the show itself.
Would I recommend it? I would for the female bonding primarily. If you're able to look past the cons, you will enjoy this show.
An Le Zhuan (2023)
80K Di Troops + 30K Naval Forces + "You're the Crown Prince" = Messy Script w/Plot Holes (7.5/10)
I go into each drama I watch without any expectations and that makes for shows like this to be a wise decision because then I'm not surprised or disappointed when things go south. In this case the people I watched for were Reba and LYN both of whom did good jobs in their roles as well as some of the side characters which I'll list below. But the storyline was just a mess in a dress; this series is best watched for entertainment purposes only and to suspend all logic possible. Because it's literally 80K Di Troops + 30K Naval Forces + "You're the Crown Prince" on constant repeat.
Pros: The revenge plot made the most sense and they should have just stuck with that. As mentioned up top FL and SML were convincing in their characters and as were a few of the side characters like LL, An Ning, and WS. But even with them, this wasn't their strongest drama. I really feel the script failed everyone. Both the empress dowager and the emperor were the best villains given their circumstances with this script. Costumes, sets, OSTs were beautiful. CGI was ok, could have been better.
Cons: The script was just ridiculous, you had the FL for about a dozen episodes act like fake gorilla glue towards ML. People surviving things they could only do in Xianxias; like being pierced with a ton of arrows and sail off a cliff. Cliff diving seemed to be a favorite sport of a lot of the characters because 3 did it after being mortally wounded and survived, ML did it twice. The show dragged a lot for only being 39 episodes and many scenes were very anticlimactic. You were just watching going "that's it?"
This was the first time I had ever seen GJ act in anything and I have to say that HY seemed to have facial paralysis. He said his lines but there was no emotion even when it came to sarcasm or announcing something. I don't know if that's how he always acts or they edited him that way because BTS and interviews, it was like a totally different person. I understand playing aloof characters but you need to be able to emote with your eyes at least and I didn't see any of that. It came off as largely robotic to me. Hopefully it's just because of this drama as even those that I listed in the pros, their characters weren't the strongest they've played or were edited weirdly and if I see him in the future, it'll be different and better. There are extra little clips on Youku of the ML and FL's life together that wasn't shown in the show that seems like a different drama. Their interactions there are way better than in the show. They could have put those clips into the last episode instead of keeping the ML on the mountain for 1.5 episodes refusing to go down without any rhyme or real reason.
MB or LB whatever his name was who also played an antagonist was so much of an afterthought that the character went from loyal to who he really was plus they made him randomly weirdly stalkerish when he revealed his "real self" just made no sense. It felt like that whole war plot was created just to kill off AN and send ML off the cliff going blind. What was the purpose of fake DZY and all of her bathing scenes? To make us roll our eyes more? The revenge plot and war/aftermath plots seemed like they belonged to different shows. And how did DZY's hair turn black again? I can't even count the amount of plot holes; I know I forgot most of them. I'll just say, it had a lot of potential considering what novel readers said, but came up ridiculously short.
Would I recommend it? I'll divide this one; if you're looking at this from a good storyline perspective, then no. But if you're just wanting to be entertained and not think, then sure go for it. Anyways, the choice is yours.
Yu Gu Yao (2023)
Big Beautiful Mess w/Fantastic Acting (7.5/10)
Xianxias are my least favorite genre so made myself watch for XZ and hoped that the storyline would hold. Other actors were familiar to me as well and did very well however the plot was a bust. Every actor was commendable in doing their part just wished for a good story.
Pros: Favorite character was hard because there were several that did very well for different reasons. SY as ML had to go through the myriad of emotions and evolutions and he did so very convincingly. XZ didn't disappoint in this role; it was far different than what he'd done before and I like that he doesn't have a box he sticks himself in but tries different characters and styles. Of course, however, it being a costume drama, a flute made an appearance which brought a smile to my face. CM as the 7,000 year old mystical bird was hysterical, sometimes you wanted to smack him, other times hug him. I've never seen the actor before but he did a good job. Alan Feng as ZY, was also very versatile but I did feel his was a tragic character; that said, he did play good and possessed pretty convincingly. Lastly, I have to give it up for Han Dong or High Priest who was our biggest morally gray character in the entire thing. Usually this actor plays crazy antagonists but here he actually cared about someone other than himself and sacrificed himself for that person.
All of the other characters for the most part were there as needed and played their roles well. This was a big budget production so obviously CGI, costumes, sets were stunning as were the OSTs.
Cons: This storyline absolutely threw me; hence the low score. I know the standard operating procedure for xianxias with the baby voiced, talking to yourself, gorilla glue FLs, the misunderstandings, deaths and multiple resurrections, so on and so forth. But this had to have so many subplots and boring portions that didn't make sense that I legit had to skip episodes. Honestly, you had the merfolk/dragon plot, the palace politics nonsense, cultivators and their lives, and if that wasn't enough throw in a Sauron looking character who wanted to possess two rings not one and an ice clan that left midway and returned out of nowhere. Plus the Sauron thing could possess people by jumping them. Only thing missing was Frodo and the fellowship. Those two last episodes looked like they belonged in a totally different series; like something out of a Marvel film; very sci-fi. It was a very big beautiful mess with fantastic acting.
What was up with that ending though? When I saw "BE" trending on Weibo, I wasn't sure what to think but then when I saw it for myself, I understood. So our ML dies yet again, and a year later is resurrected when FL just randomly chucks the petal into the tree where they first met as kids from said petal. But is he real or a ghost because they stand like 10 feet apart just smiling at each other before credits role. Couldn't they at least show them hugging? And couldn't she have sent that petal into the tree earlier so he could come back? It really defies logic.
Would I recommend it? Only if you like xianxias and are a fan of any actors. Otherwise, the story is not worth it though like I said the actors did a fantastic job. I wish better scripts for the actors; with all of their skill and talent, they deserve that.
Xue Ying ling zhu (2023)
Smart Demons + Stupid Humans = Extraordinary Mess (6.5/10)
Watched this to see Xu Kai act but just like in a previous series of his; his and everyone else's acting was great but the story itself was a hot mess. Wish he or whomever chooses for him, chose better. The only reason this even got a 6.5 and not lower was because of the literally only 3 pros. Otherwise, it was like the mighty morphin power rangers and mortal kombat took LSD and spit this out.
Pros: Leads chemistry, the actors hard work which included great fight scenes, and costumes (except for the Halloween store costume lion for Uncle Tang), and good OSTs. No other pros.
Cons: Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for smart antagonists but not when the protagonists are so ridiculously idiotic. Just about everyone was led by the nose by the demons the ENTIRE show. Even when our ML told them otherwise, the Elders still chose to believe evil people. The amount of times the good guys failed to understand something very simple made you want to run your face into the wall. The entire series made a ton of no sense because the bad guys were running the show while the good guys were just walking around like zombies and talking in circles.
Did just about everyone really deserve to die; KYY's death in the last episode was pointless and meaningless. Some really did die as heroes but what made much of it senseless is that if they put two and two together sooner and made it 4 instead of 7, they could have made things happen sooner and survived. It made me feel like whoever the writer was, had no clue how to write a novel or one that's understandable or cohesive. Ji Rong staying alive and even her death at the hands of probably the show's stupidest character, made me feel like I lost brain cells. DXY warned his brother and the two elders something was fishy about her from nearly the beginning and yet both uncles died because of her.
The sets and CGI looked very cheap. The words chucked up on the screen each time a new magic trick was used was eye roll worthy. Welcome to the 90s and not in a good way! Situ Hong's ruthlessness was completely ignored and his death and that of the weird random cultivator that at first clung to XY was completely pathetic. Both were sucked dry for big bad demon God that most of the time sounded like an alien cat that sucked in a helium balloon. We were all expecting a fight between him and XY but yeah, why bother?
Demon Ao Lan turned himself into a psychedelic Venus flytrap to try and kill XY in the last episode and it had me laughing. Little Shop of Horrors that was filmed in the 1970s had better CGI than this mess. I shed a tear for Shifu sacrificing himself at the end as out of all the guardians, he was the only one that infiltrated the demon clan and didn't do too poorly. Yes, happy ending for leads and the maybe 3 other living people but what did I watch for 40 episodes?
Would I recommend? No way. Even if you are a fan of the leads or anyone else, please find something else. Leads chemistry is not enough to hold this thing together.
Chang feng du (2023)
Those Destined Will Go Far (8.5/10)
This drama was on my anticipated dramas of the year list and for the most part it didn't disappoint. I wanted to see BJT in another costume drama and recognized many actors from the TBOY cast here. This must have been a great reunion for them. Those destined will indeed go far.
Pros: The first two story arcs were the most promising and held my attention as both leads and those that became their friends went through literal hell in order to survive. I really liked both leads evolution as they came together due to a misunderstanding that gradually turned into very deep love. BJT can play a lazy rich kid just as well as a military strategist. I loved the fight scenes though there were few of them. Going from one home, then to starting from scratch in a second and yet a third, it was a process we looked forward to. All characters I felt were necessary though I think for being such a ruthless antagonist, LZS didn't get that much screen time. I loved the sworn brotherhoods and sisterhoods around the leads. So it was very sad that in the final 3 episodes, QWZ was killed. Even though that was as many said, in the novel, after so much loss and destruction, this was absolutely heartbreaking and unnecessary. They could have changed that.
Sets, costumes, OSTs were perfect everywhere though I wish they didn't sub them over the lines because it made it nearly impossible to understand.
Cons: The entire palace arc being put into the last dozen episodes seemed like production was galloping to the finish line and I found much of to be too much. So much so, I skipped a few episodes. FY becoming LZS' puppet was obvious and obnoxious but him getting a semi-redemption arc when he was acting like a 12 year old with people's lives made me sick. LZS' demise also didn't seem satisfactory as this nut job killed so many people because of a total misunderstanding was pretty ridiculous. Another one with daddy issues that didn't know the truth. I just feel that these antagonists need more satisfying endings given their brutality.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. For 40 episodes, it had a little bit of everything so give it a go.
Tou tou cang bu zhu (2023)
Realistic Cuteness Overload; A Breath of Fresh Air
Never expected this drama to be so realistic and light. I watched primarily for CZY because I wanted to see him develop into a mature male actor. I've seen several actors previously so I knew it would be a good cast. It really was cuteness overload but probably one of the least toxic c-dramas I've ever seen. It was a real breath of fresh air.
Pros: Favorite character was ML and I'm very proud of how he's grown from playing younger roles to a mature male who let me tell you, when he turned on those eyes of his, he'd melt women of all ages into a puddle. Other than that, he was also probably one of the most caring individuals on earth. Life dealt him a very cruel hand with what his father did and that stalker chick, but instead of curling into a ball and giving up, he just strove to be a better person worthy of the love of everyone around him especially the only one who truly loved every piece of him, our FL SZ.
Most of the story was very well developed. And honestly, other than the stalker chick, there wasn't a single character I didn't like. She was the main antagonist I guess you could say. FL, her parents, bro and all of their friends were just wonderful. I do have to say that I don't know about China but in the US, if you live as a resident in a quad in college, it's beyond rare that everyone gets along so well. I was never a resident but a commuter but my resident friends told me all sorts of stories back in the day. The fact that SZ lived with and got along so well with her roommates just adds to the loveliness of this story.
This story had you mostly laughing at the antics of our leads and everyone else. But it was also very inspirational and sometimes it even made you tear up. SZ was more mature in some aspects then people gave her credit for. Though I do wish many of her inner monologues came out of her mouth instead, she was endearing, kind, respectful, caring, loving, and fiercely protective of those she loved the most.
Everything had its rightful progression to a point. I have nothing to complain about the settings, OSTs, etc. Their moments together once they start coming together were the best and of course the comedy. But there is a con section though it won't be that long.
Cons: While I understand the misunderstandings as people have that makes them imagine or overthink when they're young; but it shouldn't happen when they're adults in a relationship or even by 12th grade in high school. Miscommunication is a known relationship killer. SZ never asks DJX what he's thinking but goes full steam ahead on her own assumptions which are usually worse case scenarios and completely false. DJX also doesn't open up to her and then they end up finding out through other means and how foolish it looks. But instead of learning and not doing it again, they keep repeating it. Even by episode 24, she still thought he was considering breaking up with her.
Then DJX's not dealing with the stalker as soon as he paid off the debt. Why? Her harassing him just complicated things for him both literally and psychologically. If he didn't find out she went after SZ, would he ever have dealt with her? What if she flew to Nanwu to find him?
The thing I wish there was less of were the flashbacks of SZ's childhood. Like once she became an adult, end those. We know what's going on. It wasn't until episode 3 that this drama picked up for me. But I'm very glad I stuck around.
Would I recommend it? Definitely. From all the ones I'm watching it was the only one that made me laugh and love little moments that I would rewind just to get a little bit more. I'm very glad I watched this drama and you should give it a chance too.
Gong su (2023)
Great Acting; Mess in a Dress Script (6.5/10)
Watched this to see Dilraba taking on a new type of role and recognized 2 other actors from previous series. Also read the article on this as since this was supposed to be based on a true story of an international cybercrime syndicate. So was hoping for something substantial, what I got was great acting from basically everyone but an absolutely lousy hot mess in a dress script.
Pros: Reba should definitely take on more of these types of roles as she was awesome as An Ni. Very convincing be it in her personal or professional life. As I mentioned in the comments, Han Dong is great at playing an antagonist who makes your skin crawl. From the moment he stepped onscreen, you knew something was off about him. The cast couldn't be better and more professional. That however is where the pros end.
Cons: Fire all directors and screenwriters. What happened here? This had so much promise as a based on a true story series and instead it was turned into an alphabet soup of countries where every European looking actor could speak Mandarin and even the courts looked alike, the costumes were either not fitting or too big and the extras couldn't even hold their props. The story took a nose dive in the single digit episodes. I don't even remember how much went wrong but a lot did.
It ended up being about a genius who was abused and abandoned by his mom with massive daddy issues getting revenge on his father while creating a massive cybercrime network that treated its employees like slaves. He himself was the last person one thought would be the one behind it all; but he did show as a narcissistic sociopath who saw nothing wrong with his crimes and whose manipulative behavior made him fall for FL the prosecutor.
The entire thing was like a bad docuseries that should have been made for Chinese law students because whole episodes consisted of speeches about their law system. Just fast forward because no one outside their country understood how it worked. I have a background in law though in the US and the stuff and the speed they spit things out, you couldn't follow. Also their absolute lack of knowledge of other countries laws that seemed to be important to the main case was laughable. Example: to say that a Chinese attorney who got a J. D. and passed the bar exam in California automatically got onto the US Supreme Court was dumb. Firstly he had to be a federal prosecutor, then go through a boat load of nominations from governor, senators to even have a chance. Also had to be nominated/chosen by a sitting president and pass through the senate or congress. It's a huge, complicated process and they made it seem like by passing a bar exam one can get there.
They remembered it was a drama in the last maybe 6 episodes and started just writing lord knows what in. I literally had no words and wasn't even sure I was going to write a review. Some characters that were constant, just up and disappeared and were never seen again with zilch explanation. Even the ending was like someone drunk wrote it. Frankenstein's monster was better put together than this.
Would I recommend it? No way. If it wasn't for Dilraba and wanting to know who A was and the outcome, I would have dropped it long ago. All of these actors deserve better scripts on these topics.
Meng zhong de na pian hai (2023)
Dream a 40 Year Dream (8.5/10)
Only watched this for Xiao Zhan as I'm not a fan of heavy propaganda dramas usually from any country. I also have seen both LQ and LRL in other dramas and knew they were good actors and could handle pretty much any role. When I do these reviews, it's always from not just an audience member standpoint, but also as a writer/author. So I am impartial to everyone and everything. I don't like the new title of the drama so to me it's always been "Where Dreams Began" and here XZ aka XCS dreamed a 40 year dream.
Pros: This series had a great flowing storyline where you didn't have any filler feeling episodes except for maybe the final 2. Favorite characters were tied with the leads; XCS and TXM or LQ. But at the same time they were also in the cons which I'll explain below. XCS was a man who unwaveringly followed his ideals even when more experienced in life people told him that his ideals would make him lose and regret those who felt inferior to him. After he overcame his physical disability post war, he was even stronger mentally. TXM was the epitome of quiet strength. She was his rock, his anchor even when they weren't yet together, before he realized any of it. Women like her are incredibly inspirational. Not only did she push him but herself.
Many people didn't like YGH and HHL due to their selfishness and cowardice but I did because they were the two morally gray ones in this story. Characters can't just be black or white, they need layers, to be able to evolve in whichever direction. We wouldn't necessarily want them in our lives but as characters on the screen, they were fascinating. The rest of the crew of QT, YQ, YF, DL, Amao, the other guy whose name I don't recall, plus certain parents, uncle Dong were all very awesome characters and all of the actors whether I found their characters necessary or should have left sooner, did a superb job. CHJ was actually the best antagonist out of the batch because you saw his corruption over time as opposed to Heizi, who though I liked as a greedy, money hungry character was too repetitive in his crimes and just came off as downright stupid.
Sets, costumes, OSTs, accents all of that was appropriate for whichever time period you were in.
Cons: Though they were trying to portray the 70s and onward over there as best as they could, much was unrealistic. Though I loved both XCS and TXM, as someone else mentioned in the comments, these characters don't exist in real life. They are too perfect in their ideology and no one on earth is flawless. They came off as their own versions of Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Trying to portray that in a slice of life type of story, essentially takes away from that slice of life. LSY was just there for too long and got away with too much. The actor did well but to have him constantly let go or wriggle out of the law while other people like QT who did legal work lost everything wasn't fair. It made the law look useless especially in such a high propaganda filled series. Those two just didn't jive. The constant nepotism became nauseating.
I will speak about the propaganda; I knew what I was going to watch but what--as someone who was also born in a socialist/communist country which no longer exists so I actually know what I'm talking about--kept throwing me off and having the scenes take a hit, was not that it was used but WHERE. In all of the military, government related and whatnot scenes, totally understandable. But when the characters are just having fun together shooting the breeze or being romantic with their significant others and the speechifying starts, it is eye roll worthy because literally no one did that ever in any country. When there are family gatherings or two neighbors meet up or something everyday, propaganda speeches do not happen. You'd sooner ask about a child's health or if they went to the movies, so that's where it was way too much.
The fact that there were multiple time jumps and we never knew where we were. It could be anywhere from a few months to a few years. One viewer had to research and write out a timeline in the comments. People shouldn't have to do that when watching a series; a small note on the screen would have sufficed. The SARS epidemic in the final two episodes was also unnecessary. They could've wrapped it all up nicely around the CNY episodes because otherwise it felt like this plot was just chucked in there last minute and was quite rushed.
Would I recommend it? If you are a fan of any of the actors and like a nice flowing storyline until that end. I think all of the actors did a superb job; very pleased with that.
Zhao Liang Ni (2023)
Who is Your Destiny?
Originally I thought I would give this series an 8.5 but what changed my mind to score higher was the fact that even though it had many flaws of characters and script, it was a delight to watch and made me enjoy it more then the other two series I was/am watching. This made me laugh so much and later it made me cry. I left this series to watch last or save the best for last each day. I'll be finishing the other two today and Tuesday and starting three new ones but this show has gone into my permanent watchlist for rewatching. Let's get into this, shall we? Who is your destiny?
Pros: Favorite character other than Ping'an was the ML or JSC. It was my first time watching William Chan in anything so I had been looking forward to it. I knew he would be dubbed over because of his heavy accent from the get go but it didn't take away from his acting in the slightest and those dimples; each time he smiled, it made you smile. Who knew William was the biggest goofball on set? The BTS were night and day from his character. But I still really enjoyed the evolution of his character. He had to go from an ice cube, to a man in love who didn't understand it, to going through an existential crisis, being there for his girlfriend's, losing another friend and coworker, and being in a coma for x amount of months (wish they gave us the length of each time jump), after which he proposed in an awesome way and got married. Seemed the timeline was about a year within the show but so much happened to just him it was really fascinating to watch. It took the existential crisis and the coma to make him realize he wasn't superhuman but an ordinary person that had to still be able to lead and allow himself to be led and protected by others. William did a great job with all of the evolutions and challenges. I look forward to watching more things from him.
Other favorite characters were FL or XL; granted her gorilla clue attitude for the first 6 episodes made me cringe a lot, what impressed me about her was that she never gave up until her own existential crisis which JSC helped her through. She wasn't your typical FL that's a damsel in distress. She spoke her mind and knew what she wanted from day 1 in everything. She always stood up for others and never allowed herself to be bullied. It was quite refreshing to see. I'm tired of the "woe is me" FLs in c-dramas. XL in her little body was determined to do what was right and if she was at fault, she understood it and apologized. Though she loved JSC since he rescued her 10 years ago, technically they knew each other since they were kids. People can say that she was obsessed with him and that's partially true but he also inspired her to be an international dog trainer for rescue operations as well as a journalist. He gave her a lot of strength even before they met each other again.
Others were the second leads who were just too cute in general. But ZQ when it came to others always preached the truth. Her timely and honest responses to literally everyone was also so empowering. I thought it was awesome that though LFQ was always chasing after her like a kid after candy, when it came to his own crisis--and kudos to the writers and production team for accurately portraying what PTSD looks like as well as how there different methods to treat it--she was there for him and Ren Hao who played him (redeemed himself in my eyes for a hot mess character from two years ago lol) did a phenomenal job at portraying someone with PTSD. I have PTSD so I know what it looks like; to address something properly like that in this rom-com of sorts was pretty amazing. It also was a reason for the raised score. When health issues I have or know well are accurately portrayed in a cdrama (which isn't often), that'll get an automatic pros mention.
The rest of the fire brigade were awesome and absolutely hysterical because they were like gossipy women. Them teasing each other or other antics in episodes had me roaring with laughter and quickly rewinding to watch again. The death of LX which was foreshadowed very obviously for a while, even though the CGI wasn't great, it had a very "Backdraft final scene" vibe (a classic movie w/Kurt Russell and William Baldwin from 1991), his final video message which was supposed to be for the team when he retired had me in tears as well as JSC waking up from the multi-month coma after that incident and everyone's reactions.
Other favorites were grandpa of JSC, mom and dad of XL (mom was nuts at first but thankfully evolved), chief of the fire brigade as well as of the tv station, and Shishi. I know her voice was irritating but when she appeared and started doing to the TML what he spent 29 episodes doing to FL, I loved her! She was childish but at the same time she knew her own worth and it proved to help a lot with TML. Their open ended ending as the 3rd couple was actually appropriate. The videographer intern was a mini antagonist until he returned to his original self and I liked that about him. OSTs (except in the proposal dance scene where the first song should have stayed) costumes, sets, locations were all on point.
Cons: TML! Dear lord, why just why? For 29 out of 36 episodes, this plum fool and his obsession with FL had everyone in the comments just ready to bury him alive. I've seen the actor before in a much better role but I felt sorry for him here. This shouldn't have gone on for as long as it did. He nearly got FL killed at least once. The script had a lot of problems; this was one of the biggest. Another was the propaganda inserted in the most random of places; you just don't stick that crap into a rom-com. Yes, this series was about firefighters as the main occupation and journalists but the speeches that came out of random characters in the most ridiculous of moments or those that didn't make sense would just knock the scene out of whack.
Making FL seem like essentially gorilla glue in the beginning was just weird. The crazy woman at the tv station was very much an unneeded antagonist. You already had so much going on, she was literally extra. But since she was added, she should have been arrested way before episode 31. It was a bad call on the part of writers and producers; 36 episodes for so much, they need to understand when less really is more.
The unnecessary plot of the FL's existential crisis to get her and ML to the place he rescued her just to be able to stick another natural disaster in. There are other ways to do that. And then having TML go to the disaster area in a suit? How is that even remotely plausible? Because of yet another rejection by FL and Shishi getting hurt, he out of nowhere snapped out of his obsession. It happened too fast. Given what we had seen, there was so much incohesion in all of this. It was a very messy part of the story.
The ridiculous pre-teen kisses amongst the leads were eye roll worthy each time. Only 3 were normal; it made no sense. Even if they were inexperienced, given their ages, it shouldn't have looked so unnatural because they had great chemistry. Though there is a 9 year age difference between the actors, that shouldn't be the reason for such flat kissing in a drama where they act closer in age.
Would I recommend? Despite a varying number of voices, I absolutely would. It was a great escape into silliness and cuteness for me everyday. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. Just enjoy all of it; cringing is ok too. But I promise laughter and some tears. All well worth it.
Desire Catcher (2023)
Pandora's Box (8.5/10)
This Pandora's box of a psychological thriller was something I picked up after a trusted source suggested it and I read the premise. It reminded me a lot of the dynamic of "Under the Skin" only there it was a cop and a sketch artist and here it was a cop and a hypnotist. I've never seen anyone from the cast before, so as always went in without any expectations or preconceived notions.
Pros: As always the dynamic of the two ML's had to develop as one couldn't just blindly trust a stranger especially when law and crime was involved. The cases all early on suggested a very rich and powerful psychotherapist that was also a psychopath was the main villain. Even though the people committing the absolutely horrible crimes had their own reasons, they were essentially vigilantes which goes against all forms of societal justice. Yes you feel bad for some of them and who they were trying to protect, but killing innocent people like Xiao Liu, the officer just trying to do his job, was not justice. It was greed and self pity. Both ML's were struggling with inner demons related to the same case from 10 years back and I did enjoy their back and forth as they tried to figure that case out amongst all of the others. Finding their balance of trust as cop/consultant and friends was often heartwarming and often frustrating.
Everyone on Team Luo was essential even the one they lost and the one that transferred in. They not only formed a formidable task force but their care for one another was just a very bright spot to see even when things seemed to get out of hand. The main villain's true motive didn't come into focus until the last few episodes but it didn't take away from his viciousness nor depravity. Which made him a great and absolutely psychotic antagonist. I wish we got to see more of his psychological disfunction throughout the series; I spent many years researching serial killers like him and he reminds me a lot of Dr. Harold Shipman and Ted Bundy in his ability to essentially hide in plain sight and yet be this series version of Dr. Death. He used others to commit crimes for him never getting his hands dirty until the last one. His ability to manipulate those around him was in line with him refusing to take any responsibility for the crimes that started everything. He played God though he was dying and thought he was in the right until the very last breath he took. Other than needing more time on screen, he was a great big bad wolf.
The OSTs were on point and I also liked the flashbacks as the audience got to understand what had happened or why certain things went a certain way. Everything was placed just right. I was pretty neutral on LFP always having lollipops with him or LF handing them to him later because that was his own psychological way to handle anxiety after the death of his mom.
Cons: Ok I'm getting this out of the way but who's idea was it to give LFP a Hobbit wig? The thing was absolutely atrocious and made him look ridiculous. Was it in order to show him during and after his prison term with a bowl haircut looking somewhat normal, because when he ran or moved fast it was so obvious it was glued to his head, it just didn't help with concentrating on the scene. Wardrobe in general for him was a few sizes too large and just didn't fit his character. Wish they kept him in the tone of less is more.
Why didn't a single officer carry a gun with him unless told to do so? Xiao Liu did bring a gun but LF didn't in the episode Xiao Liu was killed. Wasn't part of being a police officer that you had to always carry your service piece and know how to use it? Go to target practice, make sure you always are up to date with knowing how to use your firearm? Plus, never enter a cave or any other unknown location without backup? That entire part of episode 10 was completely unbelievable in police procedure in any country. I have seen this in a few of their series where the perps had weapons but the cops had zilch. A gun fired for an officer's safety doesn't mean use of deadly force. The perp is trying to stab you, shoot the knife out of his hand. A survivable and light wound for him, but you're alive. Guess they had to kill off Xiao Liu in that one because even when LF called his name in that tunnel, Xiao Liu could have called for help but didn't and that was such a huge loophole. LF always using his martial arts only when others have pipes and knives was just unreal.
I mentioned this in the comments but LFP getting 7 years (served less) for manslaughter. It should have been involuntary manslaughter as the big bad didn't give them a choice other than suicide by cop plus stopping the bomb attached to LY. That should have been probation max. That made a whole lot of no sense to me and I often feel that their criminal laws give a greater punishment to protectors than perps.
Lastly, I wish LFP was shown doing more hypnosis in the series and where we really got an understanding of how it worked on a smaller scale. But that wasn't much of a con.
Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. If you don't look at this from a procedural perspective and can overlook the annoying as hell wig, this is actually a pretty engaging and entertaining series. I'm glad I watched it. There's an extra episode with links in the comments too.
Battle Through the Heavens (2018)
The Boy Wunderkind
I was very surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this drama, even though 2 people I follow are in it and I wanted to see knowing Wu Lei was a child actor and having now seen him in many things as a young adult, was curious how he was as a teen. He met every single one of the expectations and then some for the role. I heard people hated on him at the time this was released; I'd just say they were jealous or had nothing better to do. Many actors that I've seen since in other things, seeing them here was always a pleasant surprise. Obviously, watching a 2018 drama in 2023 is an entirely different ballgame but I go into each drama with literally zero expectations even if it's an anticipated one. Call it a personal pet peeve. Xiao Yan was the boy wunderkind.
Pro: Though called an "idol drama" just for the sheer number of boy banders in it; I viewed it as just another drama. As mentioned above, WL or XY was really great in every scene of his. He was able to hit each emotion and movement on the nose. He was 17 then, 23 now and it was there when he was really angry that I saw a young Ashile Sun or Ling Bu Yi in the making. That smoldering glare of "if looks could kill or at least maim" was very impressive and on point. Am I praising him because I follow him? No. I'm an equal opportunity critic especially since I'm an author/writer myself and know how a character should express their scenes even if I haven't read the material. I know this thing was popular when it aired so obviously he did something right. His evolution was fantastic. I have to praise the author of the IP for the character itself. To go from almost no martial art skills to that of a near God in 45 episodes is impressive to say the least. Truly wish he and many others reprised their roles in the sequel though I know that's not happening. The martial arts scenes were awesome, especially as XY ascended in power.
Had many favorite secondary characters but the one he had the best banter with was Yao Chen or Yao Lo aka the psychedelic-haired genius trapped in the ring. Baron Chen was an absolute riot as him. I would have loved to see more scenes with just them two. They had the best back and forth friendship even though they were essentially Shifu and student. I lost count how many times I was cracking up at their mutual bitching or antics. This relationship was the best tension breaker when Soul Hall was getting out of control with their evil. It was like a grab and release, each and every time.
If I start listing all of the other great characters that molded so well by XY's side, we'll be here all night. But just about every character was an awesome addition, including the antagonists like the Omega (JR Ward BDB novel reference) looking Old Fan, just 86 the evil cackle which always just destroys the credibility of a villain as it makes me think of a Halloween store decoration. I had forgotten Xiao Zhan was in this one way back when he was still a new face on the block. He's one the Yan Sect pact boys I really liked, so it was a pleasant surprise to see his face on screen. Just wish they didn't poof him from 20 episodes only to return him in the last few (but I'm guessing that had more to do with his own filming schedule conflicts). Everyone XY aligned himself with like the snake tribe and its gorgeous queen was awesome. When it came to chemistry and who he was ultimately best with, in part one I couldn't tell because it seemed like Xun'er was the obvious choice and the one he got jealous over, but he played his naïveté so well, everyone's guess is good. Hopefully in part 2, they appropriately address it and have him choose just one and not 471. Head of the academy Elder Mi was more like a father figure to XY than his own father though the latter did everything in secret to protect XY. Also loved his older brothers from the desert. Just too many people to put down, but overall the support from family and acquired friends and allies was pretty outstanding.
Production itself was alright but not super tight; I was actually happy with the less is more concept. Costumes, OSTs, sets, etc were well done and believable for the time. The cliffhanger was pretty well executed even considering audiences 5 years plus are still waiting for part 2. It gave people hope instead of many that just confuse the hell out of everyone. As far as cliffhangers go, it was the best way to do it. I liked it a lot; though I wasn't a fan of Xun'er's betrayal as he's "dying." I hope she gets a crack in the head from him for that.
Cons: As many mentioned, there were plot holes in the series that never were resolved or understood. How did XY's mom stick Yao Lo and a bunch of treasures into a ring when she was so badly wounded and he was already dead? What happened to the Mo Clan after its leader was killed? How did the snake tribe know where to go during that last battle? And the student friends of XY from the academy arrived on scene after everything was cratered, just like "wifey" and her new magical beast. Did some bulletin go out to the rest of the world? Or was everyone psychic and telepathic? Where did his brothers from the desert go? How were they not found before for years but magically when XY is doing that 30 day trial underground, they poof and no clue to whether they're dead or alive. Many, many others. At a time with no limit on episodes, they could have explained a lot of this and better. Didn't like that there were a few episodes without XY at the end just so they could shove in small subplots to make room for the final battle, but it opened the door to even more questions that were never revealed. I also wish they had told him of what happened to his clan sooner, it was very anti-climactic.
Why couldn't they get rid of Han Heng before part 2 because it seemed to me like he possessed more power then even Old Fan and all he did pretty much the entire series was whine, throw his hair around like some cocky Fabio, and try to pin every problem of their lands on XY; it got old quick. How did he even know where the cave was, how to use the spatial ring, etc at the end? It just cut off any logic. The guy was a straight up douche and didn't deserve to outlive other, perhaps better even antagonists. The zombies were just undead people with eye makeup, quite lousy. The camera shook repeatedly and could be extremely noticeable. So I hope in part 2, they bring everything full circle and use better fantastical elements instead of the cheap zombie extras.
Would I recommend it? I would. And am even going to try part 2 despite the change in everything from cast to production. If you want an adventurous, fun, well moving story with great martial arts that's like a blend of wuxia and fantasy, give this a try.
Club Friday 14: Love & Belief (2022)
(3 of Us) There Are Way Too Many Wheels on this Car (7.5/10)
Only watched this for Yin Anan Wong and I have to say from last summer to this miniseries, his acting has improved a lot. I do however in the future wish he would get a role of the protagonist for a change. Not saying Rico Suave here wasn't a delight to see but I don't want him to be typecast as an antagonist before he really had any experience in mainstream entertainment. Because this miniseries is an anthology, my manner of review will be different than usual. Based on a true story usually means that while dramatization exists, the basis is real and therefore I will discuss each character as I saw them psychologically.
Mei - The original 3rd person, played the victim a lot and though I understand different cultures have their roles, she blamed way too much on karma instead of taking responsibility for her own actions. While the start of her relationship with Thiu was anything but consensual, pretty much every other thing she did on her own, had very little to do with bad karma and a lot to do with very poor decision making. She could have taken herself out of both equations at any time instead, she just dug herself a deeper hole. I was very glad that it took the car accident and her dear friend to finally make her wake up to the truth.
Thiu - Master manipulator and I have no idea how he wasn't in jail for sexual assault. If it really happened the way it was portrayed, then he got Mei drunk and forced himself on her when she essentially said no and tried to leave a few times. After that, he kept forcing himself on her even at the office, I had no idea how she felt love towards this man. Was it desperation, a weird version of Stockholm syndrome, you start to sympathize and love your attacker? His actions towards his wife were nothing short of verbal abuse. The man had zero concept of being in the wrong. I would classify him as a sociopath.
Atom - For someone who loved one night stands with random women, this walking STD still had some pride and wherewithal to take care of his own girlfriend though he was jobless. His relationship was salvageable because he and his girlfriend were both equal train wrecks. They both had vices that used other people for their own gain. He and Mei got the most out of whatever they had; they used each other and then it imploded. One could see it coming from a mile away. Would he really change? Who knows?
Khim: One loud mouth diva who made some kind of nasty masks that harmed others and considered herself an online influencer dishing out advice she had essentially no right to give. While Atom cheating on her left, right, and center wasn't a good thing, she could have just broken up with him and called it a day. Instead she turned herself and Thiu's wife into APEX predators by hounding the woman both men were seeing. One bad decision led to many others. Who really needed the confrontations, hair pulling, attacks and whatnot? It was really trashy and could have gotten her in trouble with the law had Mei decided to press charges. One of the reasons I think her and Atom would work out because they were both low class people.
Oil - While in the beginning I saw her and the baby as the only real victims in this story, her introduction to Khim, brought out a very nasty side in her. Who brings personal life to work? Even if it's an affair, get HR involved, don't show up unannounced and start a ruckus. She ended up being no less toxic then Khim. I hope for her sake, she divorces that hot mess of a husband and takes him for everything he owns, then it'll be revenge. She needs to think about her baby not threatening to throw acid on someone. That's a very harmful and unstable threat and makes Mei look like she was the only problem in that situation; when her husband started it all. Three sides to every story; his, hers, and the truth.
The miniseries was obviously very low budgeted because it seemed like actors either wore their own clothing or at least paid for it. Production used cheap locations and surroundings for places like the office or hotels. None of the places looked like real lived in homes. The car "chase" was laughable honestly, they were going no more then 20 mph while Khim swears she's flooring it. While the story itself makes sense as a cautionary tail, it's still very obvious that the Thai entertainment industry is new in comparison to others in the region. I hope for future works, they get more investors and better ones. Wish there was less screaming and yelling in each episode, definitely don't binge this unless you want a headache. This is an interesting miniseries for people studying psychology or psychopathy; you learn a lot about human nature.
Xia Hua (2023)
Everyone Needs a bit of Sexy in their Lives
How to begin this review? This drama wasn't on my radar at all until I saw the trailer and it stopped me in my tracks. Was this c-ent's version of 50 Shades? How were they going to make this possible? I was extremely curious; I'm totally unfamiliar with the entire cast save for the actor of Mr. Han who I saw last year in The Story of Xing Fu. Everything about this drama from the trailers gave off a totally different vibe than what I've previously seen in c-dramas. And for real, everyone does need a bit of sexy in their lives.
Pros: The Bohemian vibe, the rich color palette of the locations, just gave the series this extra richness and made every scene extremely alive as it awakened the senses to exotic surroundings and vibes. I never cared about the age gap as that's what the story is about and how the characters overcome to develop their own love story. The music was probably my favorite part of the series and that says something as usually OSTs are ok or good but not to the point where you want to hear them on repeat. Jerry Yan obviously has a very long and impressive résumé in both acting and music, here he knew when to be aloof, almost wooden and when to let his walls crumble and be taken over by emotion. The little nuisances that could be missed sometimes but were very important to viewers like the significance of the painting and the fact that he started out with a copy and ended up with the real thing.
I didn't understand the FL at first when she bailed on him twice when she started to relapse. In her mind, though she was sharp as a tack, she didn't want him to see her sick. She wanted him to see her happy and healthy. Though I don't understand the logic in it but I'll speak about it below. In her mind, she wanted to not present as weak for better or for worse. Because they focused so much on flowers, paintings, and animals; I'll use the latter as an example. Both cats and dogs do this, when they know they are in the last stages of their lives, they tend to leave their homes and owners, they just want to go on their own quietly. Of course as humans, we want to be there for them and say a proper goodbye. So in that sense, HR was like a cat running away so her human could remember her in her prime, while not really considering or understanding the human's or XH's need to be with her, nurture, and take care of her even when he had no idea what was going on. That's the best way I could describe how I felt about the two sets of breakups. Also though she broke up with him the second time, she still was ridiculously jealous of him even talking to another woman, which showed her internal tug of war with whether to tell him the truth or just keep pushing him away. Thankfully he solved that one for her.
The last two episodes, I think were very beautifully done. Though he had to put the puzzle pieces together himself and we don't actually know how much time passed between the gorgeous wedding he gave her in his hometown and her passing away in his arms in the snow. I'd like to think they had sometime together to live in between. I love how the mom smartened up and gave her blessing and finally just let go. The extra scene after the ending credits I think was his dream where they always meet in that field of his favorite flowers in front of the building he proposed in; it's forever their very special place. I know many people cried but to me death is just the next step that a soul takes in order to return home. And most importantly, she's now pain free and can come to XH in his dreams in the best of health. She's waiting for him now instead as before it was the opposite.
Their chemistry, for me didn't start right away. Though he claimed he already had feelings for her when they met, I didn't feel anything for real until their first intimate scene in Ep. 9. Even after, all the scenes, cut or not, I have to say that real love and the feeling of it came with the cut scene in 17 when he says the words. They cared for each other and the make out sessions were well placed, but it wasn't until he uttered the words himself that I understood, that he understood it himself. I put this in the pros instead of cons because I felt prior to that, it was more on a physical level of things; nothing wrong with that. And I liked the development of his understanding of his own feelings as it builds his character.
Other characters I liked were Mr. Han, Fatty, the hotel chick that was related to SML, I really liked SML, even HR's roommates. Not one person in the entire series made it an issue of the leads many differences and that was beyond refreshing. C-dramas are known to always point out differences like they're the plague and then create an entire show around how everyone has to learn to grow and accept them instead of just being like "yeah, so what?"
Cons: The secondary couple, they were definitely more of a filler as I never really felt from mom the same passion or longing as from SML. It seemed like he put all the effort into the relationship which even didn't quite feel completed at the end. Were they really necessary? This show didn't need to turn the original into an older woman/younger man thing just because that's a trope very frequently used. Should have left well enough alone.
Even though mom explained she suffered from insomnia and anxiety, her symptoms present as PTSD that induces the other two. I wish they explained that more as to the reason she was essentially the jailer of her own daughter in the beginning of the series. As someone who suffers from all three but for different reasons, if you're going to go with the diagnosis, at least do the proper research on it because what she was actually experiencing was totally different from her explanations. You've already got Leukemia in the picture, which I'm unsure they researched properly either, might as well be as realistic as possible.
I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the FL in the beginning at all, though she pursued ML like to the point of almost stalking, she didn't even act 20 but more like a high schooler; the baby voice at times, pouting in others, the way she walked and the things she said, just didn't jive with this very smart woman we saw as the show progressed. I really wish this was one trope they could permanently get rid of in c-dramas.
Why was the character of Han Yu even there? That dude lived in his own world literally until the last episode. It was quite funny that even his uncle was like "I don't like him" because he was this narcissistic, annoying as nails spoiled, delusional brat. I never felt sorry for him, I just wanted him to go away. He added a layer to this series it didn't need. I'd rather have the cut scenes over his entire character.
Personally not a fan of characters hiding health conditions from their loved ones and going as far as breaking up. That second break up, I completely skipped over. Some people may agree and that's fine but I don't because I've got a plethora of health issues, one of which if it would relapse most likely then not lead me to seeing my guardian angels early, I would never keep something like that from someone. While I don't want them to suffer, I would want them to have that choice since I decided to make them a part of my life (this could mean significant other, family, or close friends). The fact that she eradicates that choice for him the second time around given their strong love, is something I do not and cannot agree with.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the sad ending, it's a drama that you would most likely see in the west not in c-drama land. Give it a chance, it deserves it. You're basically watching a work of art so don't just look at the surface details, because inside are where the real flowers bloom.
Ting shuo ni xi huan wo (2023)
All Over the Place Drama w/a Hard Nosedive Finish
It had a good premise and started out decent but then just literately took a left and it left. The drama was all over the place. For those who know how I rate and review, I always wait until I finish watching. Well, after episode 31 and the return to Africa things took a nosedive. Anyways, let's do this.
Pros: My first favorite character was the kid! He was smarter than all of them combined. Great child actor and very believable; like a mini old soul. 2nd favorite character was SML, he was the most consistent and even funny. I've seen him in several costume dramas so first time seeing him in a modern and he was the one to watch. His relationship with SFL was goofy and cheesy but a worthwhile watch. I'm very glad he got his own chance to prove himself towards the end; that was great to see. While I enjoyed all the doctors and others as well as their lives outside of the hospital, I wish more of that was explored. OSTs were on point as was chemistry of the leads. It was watchable where you didn't have the need to fast forward or at least not too much. A lot of people had an issue with Xue lawyer guy, but I thought he added humor and care for FL when ML slacked off and even if he didn't win her over, he always took care of her no matter what. If nothing else, he was a fantastic friend and protector. Sadly, other than that this drama had no other pros.
Cons: The African arcs were beyond unnecessary and really poorly done. The blatant disregard for the continent as a whole and its people as third world monsters who could only rely on a certain savior country for peace or treatment was pathetic. One doctor could stop a war? Give me a break. Propaganda wasn't even trying to be realistic. Continuing, the fact that they were neurosurgeons but could only diagnose and treat cancer was laughable. There are many diseases these doctors could deal with but c-dramas have developed a flavor for cancer and that's what medical dramas (unless they are disaster relief) all show. It's like no other disease exists except cancer and they're number one at treating it.
The flashbacks in the beginning though I understood their purpose were very cringeworthy; FL was basically stalking the ML the entire time up until out of nowhere she confessed and wham bam boom they're getting married. It was so creepy. She basically bent over backwards to get him and their marriage was just as weird. This series would have been more then enough with only 30 episodes, with the leads getting hitched before her father passed. The fact that they kept putting it off to add that secondary African arc and his incident not to mention the illegality of a director of a hospital taking an unconscious ML back to China without telling his fiancée and the last 3 episodes of whatever, everyone searching for him as his family who begged her to save them at one point, kept her in the dark for months and 45 minutes of the last episode of him having amnesia and remembering how to be a surgeon but not her? Are you kidding? After everything, that's how this series ends? Just no.
Would I recommend it? Nope. The awful African propaganda, the amount of illegalities and inconsistencies plus that dumb as nails ending. Had potential but almost immediately went haywire. Way better medical dramas out there to watch.
Wonderful Hand (2023)
Republican Era Smorgasbord with a Macaroni Art Script
Can someone please explain to me what I just watched? Only picked it up because WRC aka SML is one of the people I follow and I've never seen him in this genre. This genre is always beautiful but this series had very few pros. It was literally a Republican era smorgasbord with a macaroni art script.
Pros: Obviously favorite character was the reason for watching in the first place and not dropping after the first 7 or 10 episodes. WRC or ZY can play an arrogant person with a gaze that describes "if looks could kill" to a T. I hope he gets the chance to play a serial killer someday, he'd nail it. Republican era genre actually suits him quite well. Here, I was very glad he challenged himself to actually cry in regret, sadness, and it was quite gut wrenching. Him being killed off in the last episode even though we knew somewhere by episode 18 that they were setting up for a second season, was also powerful. He was a tortured soul, hell bent on revenge and after losing his soulmate, that was the only way out for him. He was truly and finally free. Usually, I'm not a fan of SML's getting killed off but in his case plus how bad the script was, I was actually quite glad. His words that he got to reunite with his beloved just as he passed, was literally the perfect ending for him.
Republican era genre is always stunning in visuals, costumes, sets, and colors and this was no exception. All of the acting/actors were very much on point (save for a glaring issue with the leads that will be discussed below) even when everything else wasn't. OSTs were not memorable. That's it for pros.
Cons: I truly hope I can remember every problem with this Frankenstein script. Since I mentioned the leads, let's start there. They were good at their parts, I have no qualms with the actors themselves but why cast an ML that was nearly 20 years older in real life then the FL plus add aging makeup on him when you're claiming they're close in age. Since they met when they were kids and you're clearly showing two children several years apart and then as adults when they reunite, he's in his 40s while she looks barely 20. Because of this, there was no chemistry whatsoever and even when they kissed, it seemed like two friends who were dared to do it. Furthermore, men and women who were clearly younger than him portrayed themselves as teachers and older friends and it stood out like a sore thumb each and every single time.
The script was a choppy mess with loose ends that were forgotten two scenes later and never explained or finished up. This is what I managed to piece together about this series; the antagonists ultimate goal was to create a new world of slaves via a zombie apocalypse by releasing some mutated virus created 16 years ago off of actual doctors who were fighting the plague; all of those doctors and their families were set up to be the reasons the plague happened and massacred. The children that survived were either mercifully adopted or abducted by the very organization that was behind the massacre and turned into trained--in republican era version of Lord of the Flies--assassins through torture and other means with no memories of their lives or even if they had family in the world.
All of the actors were children from that street who were friends at the time grew up to reunite and try to take the organization down one block at a time. Problem was that you never knew whether you were coming or going. One scene had something about gangs and drugs, next scene forgot about the first one and was now looking at mysterious documents that everyone was looking for but what they were and why someone would have them, never explained. One moment a character appeared drugged next moment she was fine, never explained. How did two of the characters end up in the middle of the woods and where?
It literally looked like this as you were watching: Mysterious documents, random assassins, gangs, drugs, cage fights, equally mysterious and random massacre 16 years ago, revenge, partnerships and 3 couples that can't figure Jack out. Though someone said it seemed like the script was created out of bullet points, to me it felt like when you fill a bathtub with water and then open the drain. You get that whirlpool tornado effect; well chuck all those plus a half dozen other things in that whirlpool and send it down the drain. 80% of what happened didn't make a lick of sense even with flashbacks of plans made. And they want a 2nd season? No thanks, hard pass!
Would I recommend it? No I wouldn't. If it wasn't for WRC and this being his first Republican era drama, it wouldn't have been on my list nor even get this high of a score. It was entertaining nothing else. It shouldn't be called "Wonderful Hand" because that's some twilight zone title; instead it should be called "Frankenstein's Macaroni Art Attempt." Stay far away from this.
Jun zi meng (2023)
Spliced Jigsaw Puzzle
This spliced jigsaw puzzle drama was originally only picked up to see Jing Boran in costume as I'd seen him in a modern and he did a great job here. I liked the overall mystery and intrigue. But it definitely had a bunch of flaws.
Pros: Peizhi which was Lan Jue's (JBR's beautiful portrayal) courtesy name was all around favorite character from his line delivery, to his expressive eyes, and as many have mentioned almost effervescent long locks of hair and ethereal clothing. He carried the charm, grace, and elegance of a man more worthy of the nobleman position than those around him. JBR did a fantastic job playing the hallucinations bit, it was very believable and authentic. The only really noticeable bromance in this series was between him and Mowen (an actor who redeemed himself tenfold for me after a drama a few years back that I dropped because of his insanely stalkerish vibes). Here the long, almost like drinking from a waterfall looks between these two characters, the not so subtle backup and care was very good to witness. Even though Mowen went off to fight and disappeared from the story until the ending, he made a huge impression as a man that would have Peizhi's back through thick and thin.
Zhang Ping was like-able though he was just a bit too forceful until faced with adult personal trauma. Mr. Lan as he called Peizhi, would always fuss over him like a mother hen. It felt more like a teacher/student relationship than anything else or an uncle and nephew growing together. Other favorite characters included Chen Chou the best friend of ZP who was literally like a leash to a constantly runaway puppy, Shifu, the emperor who was probably the most forthright and intelligent unlike his ruthless adoptive mother. The empress dowager was a very convincing and great antagonist who you wanted to put out of her misery the moment you met her. The aides of Peizhi were great men too.
The cases started off as open and shut or leading to a greater conspiracy which Peizhi, Mowen, and then ZP as well were trying to solve; absolve Peizhi's father of erroneous treason charges and learn more about ZP's own humble beginnings. However, the deeper into it we got, there were more questions than answers. The jigsaw puzzle grew instead of shrank.
Cons: ZP really had to constantly wear pajamas and walk around like he was either pissed off or stoned. Other emotions didn't exist or couldn't manifest until much later. What was the deal with Shulin? He came out of nowhere and already knew how to find Peizhi. He kept saying he'd been planning his revenge for 10 years. So what about the other 10? His whereabouts were never explained. Where did he get so much money to pull off everything he did. Bringing him into literally the last 8 or 9 episodes with totally new information then had previously been known was a whiplash. Even his supposed shared affinity with Peizhi just seemed off. The man was as ruthless and insane as his biological mother. He turned this mystery drama into essentially a silly Halloween movie.
Which begged another question; when they switched babies; who did the baby that would become the emperor belong to? Was he just kidnapped from somewhere? Why the need for the last minute fake empress gab? Back and forth. They rushed so many things, that it felt like you were running to catch up with a new and confusing development. Not to mention the opening credits were just stuck in wherever without a solid beginning. Though many questions were haphazardly answered, many things were not or forgotten altogether. It did seem like the latter half of the series was more or less just spliced together to find some form of ending balance.
Would I recommend it? Actually depends on how you feel about the genre. I liked the majority of it and it always kept me guessing especially when I was tremendously confused. So try it for yourselves and see what conclusion you reach. Perhaps you can solve this puzzle on your own.
Wu Lin You Xia Qi (2023)
Cute and Quirky Drama, w/a Messy Start and Wonderful Surprise Ending (8.5/10 rating)
While I originally intended to watch this series for ZZJ and QPX, after viewing TBOY, I wanted to see how LHY would handle a romance drama. This series would have gotten a lower score had it not been for the surprising and very cool ending. I'm very glad they deviated from the book because it would have been a confusing mess otherwise, when usually it's better if they stand by the book.
Pros: Though it claims to be both a wuxia and Xianxia series, it has very little of both. But that's alright because instead of focusing on the fantastical elements you get to see how the actors carry themselves. Favorite characters include the ML or LHY, I already knew from TBOY he could play aloof, arrogant, and narcissistic well, but when he finally began to soften up and reveal his secrets and love it was just melt in place time. Just a heads up, in no way am I comparing this drama to TBOY; firstly because they're completely different genres and secondly because I just never compare dramas regardless. It's a pet peeve and preference that each series even if they are exactly the same genre, gets a proper review.
The FL, I didn't like very much at the beginning because it just seemed like a hamster wheel of mistakes and men she wanted to save. And each time they ended up harming or "killing" her. But as time went on I realized that she was just a lonely girl who would lose her memory but not her nature and extreme penchant for helping people. She would go to great lengths to help a guy out and each one turned out to only want to use her and ultimately take her life. They supposedly fell in love at first sight with her but it was obvious from each one that there was something wrong with them. The only man that went to equally great or greater lengths to protect her was the aloof ML and not until one of her suitors and main antagonist attacked the Fenghua Valley did he finally open up to her about his love.
The entire storyline which I won't get into was as summed up as; a female ginseng root, 4 bouts of amnesia, her hexagram-harem, & the miracle doctor who loved her regardlessly. She didn't have a heart but somehow managed to have a pulse which was pretty funny. The comedy in the series was very tongue in cheek. The other characters in this section, were her BFF and later on flamboyant hubby. Uncle Hui who was always giving the best advice and the ultimate matchmaker for the two even though he didn't know about BY's curse, was heartwarming. I loved how YX would always initiate the kissing scenes and many of the hugs between her and BY as this woman knew who she loved and went after him with much fervor which was always cute and funny to watch. No matter how many times she lost her memory he was the one man that sooner or later she would still remember was her soulmate, her destiny. She could forget everyone else but he would be in first place of recognition.
Even though he was annoying as nails and yet another attempt at a bromance that didn't quite work out after mister purple flamboyant guy, the beyond obsessed emperor played by the very talented ZZJ definitely took the cake. Though we wanted to hit him with a stick and send him back to the capital without anyway to return, what made me put him in pros was just how similar his life before he became emperor was to that of his breakthrough character in CQL (TU) as Jin Guang Yao. It was almost eerie of how both were abused and tortured by their biological fathers, the only difference was that one became a worse monster then his father while the other was obsessive and domineering to the woman he loved but ultimately a good ruler of the people. It was great to see him let go of his obsession at the end (even though his main general helped BY win the bet as it was very obvious to everyone but CQ that his obsession and love was one-sided) and decide to follow the wishes of BY and YX. He definitely brought much comedy and eye rolling to this series.
Costumes were beautiful though this was a lower budget drama, I do wish the FL had better costumes, as only one of her red ones that seemed to have jewels and lots of white was very stunning. The amount of magic used was minimal and that is actually a good thing because Xianxias usually use so much CGI, it may blind you. So I'm glad there was minimum of it here.
Cons: This series had a very messy start. It made very little sense and was one of the many reasons I was looking to give it a lower score but if I decide to stick a series out, I'll wait until the finale before making up my mind. I'm glad that I stuck it out because as we got past the campy confusion, it started to come together and you understood what was happening. OSTs were for the most part forgettable.
I like QPX but casting him in the role of this monster antagonist was absolutely the wrong choice. It was too much and too hard for him. I also got to know him from CQL and there he played a bratty, arrogant, nosey kid that only really wanted to be loved. Those are the roles he should be doing; youth dramas, but not hardcore main villains. He bit off more then he could chew and the character fell completely flat. With the hairdo and facial expressions, he looked like a confused teenager not an adult with murderous tendencies and schemes. Poor casting decision here. I hope his work in the future is better selected.
There were definitely a lot of times where I had to rewind because the segmentation of the subtitles were just too fast to keep up with and wish there was better job done with that. Some loopholes were never explained or if they were, they didn't make much sense. Like how could YX have a pulse but not a heart? One is directly connected to the other; no heart, no pulse. But I guess she is a special root where common sense doesn't apply. She explained that she just wanted a home for herself and to not be lonely, but that didn't explain why she still got into two of the relationships that ended up killing her if she never loved them. Or why she only helped men in need but never women. She'd traveled far and wide and never ran into a single woman in distress? Hard to believe.
Would I recommend it? Actually, I would. If you can get past the messy beginning, you'll have a great time with the funny, nonsensical, and just cute series. This is one of those to watch without expectations and just for fun. The ending is worth it all for sure.
Shao nian ge xing (2022)
Spectacular Wuxia Brotherhood
Didn't think I'd see this day happen when another costume drama got a perfect score from me. I'm notoriously picky so this is only the second one. I think what made me pick it up was that I heard the IP was great from trusted sources and that it was a wuxia. I have never seen any of the cast (save Cao Yu Chen who appeared in maybe 3 episodes as the deity that never left the mountain & when he did, he died) so it would be a totally new experience. A fully worthwhile experience that made me cave and purchase both the VIP & express on the rather crappy Youku international app. This series really was a spectacular Wuxia brotherhood I've always wanted to see fully realized. Let's get into it, shall we?
Pros: The martial arts, special effects especially the explosions were a perfect representation of each character. Each had their very own blend of it. The way they grew and evolved within their styles was worth it in every episode even when there were less fighting scenes. That was by far my favorite part. Favorite character was Xiao Se as even before he regained his quite formidable power, he was a man who thought 17 steps ahead of everyone else and had a contingency plan for his contingency plans most of the time. This character had an aura about him that just screamed leader even when all he did was mumble grumpily under his breath about his best friends being shameless or boring. The actor who played him did so to perfection.
Every character was flawed in one way or another which was wonderful because it made them realistic. Both Wuxin with his comedic smirking and LWJ, the pure-hearted doofus with the open mouth, insert foot syndrome and little tact really combined into a great and complex trio alongside Xiao Se. Add Tang Lian, an intelligent hero except when it came to matters of the heart who acted as big brother to them all, they were a formidable bunch. The two women completed the initial group not to mention every other friend (and LWJ reuniting with his sister) they made along the way.
Usually I can't stand palace politics when introduced into a wuxia or any costume drama but here it was just the right amount without completely overshadowing everything else. The story couldn't really move forward without it. Another usual con that didn't strain this story was the introduction of a plethora of characters simultaneously and you had no idea who was whom and why they were needed. In this series, though the same happened, the characters stayed for as long as they needed to and then left properly. They didn't just vanish, they all had proper exits. This series never once dragged for me, I didn't have to fast forward anything at any time. I wanted to watch everything; in fact I would often rewind to watch a certain scene again and again.
Production was stunning especially the locations and costumes. I mentioned in the comments that Xiao Se's blue with gold or white were my favorite. But just about everyone had costumes that fit their character or personalities and the colors were rich and beautiful. OSTs were perfect everywhere they were placed; especially with Xiao Se's powerful lines, entrances, and exits. It was like "Elvis has left the building."
All of the antagonists were done very well and also were there for as long as they were needed until they got their just comeuppance. My favorite had to be Director eunuch dude that was setup by Chong with dad's help. He definitely didn't see that coming. Even though the emperor was not necessarily a good person all the way around trusting the wrong people and letting 2 out of I don't remember the number of sons he ultimately had, get so badly injured plus killing his own brother essentially, I wouldn't place him in the antagonist pool. He was a power hungry fool but essentially a good emperor for his people.
All of the esthetics were beautiful, the comedy was great, this drama made you laugh, it made you tear up, it made you sympathize with many characters. It had many, many positives and wonderful moments. But it also had cons though not many.
Cons: The only character that didn't get the right costume nor hairdo for the majority of the time was Qian Luo; she looked like a child among adults especially with her giant spear. When looking at her doing interviews, didn't even look like the same person; they could have simplified things so much instead of just draping 7 feet of fabric in-cohesively on her. I also had a hard time with her character in the beginning because though it was understandable that she was young; the whining, know-it-all 'tude, foot stamping tantrums were extremely unnecessary. It was a huge turn off but thankfully they evolved her especially when she met Rou Yi and lost her martial brother. So though I wasn't per se a fan of hers throughout the show, she did show her strength when it counted, her fighting scenes were great but she didn't have much screen time.
Losing Tang Lian was really a blow and though I understand why they did that, I really do wish they had brought him back at the end like the people who read the novel said would happen. Thirdly, Wuxin for being SML spent very little time on screen after he left in episode 7 and than only briefly returned during the Tianqi City arc before becoming a drugged puppet. And just as he's rescued in episode 39, he leaves again in the beginning of 40. His character was so strong and needed especially in the establishment of the brotherhood of him, Xiao Se, and LWJ. There was a real gap of how he and Xiao Se became best friends other than their banter. It would have been more solid had he had more screen time. The entire comment section is filled with people saying how much they miss him and to bring him back.
Lastly, the main antagonist aka Xiao Yu or Prince asswipe as I called him, had the most copout ending ever! After everything he did himself and orchestrated, the amount of people he harmed, killed, etc, they opted for him to kill himself with a knife to the chest? It was a pussy move for such a strong and angry person with a chip the size of the entire world on his shoulder that he himself created but blamed on others. He was a great antagonist and deserved karma on a much larger scale. Perhaps production ran out of time. So that's it.
Would I recommend it? With a perfect score, what do you think lol? This show will go into my permanent watchlist and I will definitely rewatch it over time. This was really a fantastic wuxia and if that's your thing, then you'll love this!
Fei hu wai zhuan (2022)
Welcome to Thunderdome - Challenge Accepted! (9.5/10)
Wuxia, wuxia, wuxia! Score! To be honest, I wasn't even going to pick it up originally because other then Xing Fei a bit, I didn't know anyone in the cast. But the fact that recommended sources told me that if I wanted a real wuxia that was written by someone well known for the genre, this was it. And I'm so glad I did. This was close to absolutely everything I had hoped this genre would be. Welcome to Thunderdome - challenge accepted!
Pros: Though I usually start this section with outlining my favorite characters, I have to begin by praising my favorite portion of the series; the martial arts! Absolutely fantastic and in just about every single episode or every other one. Every character performed very well when it came to those scenes, it made you just want to cheer for our heroes when they bagged another slime ball. I can't say enough about how much I personally loved the physicality of each sequence, each fight, each battle. I'd give those scenes 10s easily.
Favorite character was MRF; he was beautifully written and executed to perfection by his actor. This man was essentially living or existing in self-loathing and torture over the death of his sworn brother and wife. Running all over the world trying to find the truth of who the real killer was, was evident with every slump of his shoulders, every fruitless trip he made; seemed that with every betrayal, his eyes got gloomier and more despair filled. Only when he had his daughter did that ease a little bit but even until his dying breath he was protecting the ones he cared for and swore to protect and executing his revenge on the villain who sadly was right in front of him the entire time. A real man of honor. Didn't hurt that he looked like D'Artagnon from The 3 Musketeers with the long hair and goatee.
HF, our ML was also great especially as they showed him growing and maturing. Do wish he was less gullible sooner but those are small fries. As he traveled around and met more martial artists and just soaked up the knowledge and won each time he was put to the test, it was a cheerful moment, kind of like a goal at a soccer match. Probably the most touching moment for me in the entire series was when MRF knelt down and put his hand on HF's neck before he went to finish off TGN in episode 39. That real connection between sworn uncle and nephew, I wish it lasted forever. HF by that time knew MRF was innocent of his parents' deaths and MRF was finishing his vengeance and honoring the oath he made to HF's mother, to protect him. MRF's ultimate sacrifice to save HF and the others, I felt was a bit unnecessary as they could have escaped together as is. Though perhaps to him, death was actually more suitable to release him from all of the agony he'd lived with mentally and psychologically through the years knowing his daughter had her mother to take care of her. He could literally rest in eternal peace. So that one is a catch 22; what's better for the audience or the character.
Both of the female leads did very well. I really liked that though there were romantic feelings whirling around, romance wasn't forced into this series. It was a sad ending for all in that capacity but it did serve a purpose. I do wish things were written differently and that will be discussed below. If I had to choose, I do wish HF ended up with ZY as they had the most chemistry and there was no need to show sparks and whatnot; subtle love is fine too. Both women had their own strengths and helped HF grow while they were with him. Just like other people he met along the way, he became a hero in his own right because of the experiences ZY and CLS gave him.
Other favorite characters included official Zhou and his brothers; they were very smart when it came to their own self interests and when it was time to come and go; they were quite comical at times. The other sect leaders and brothers HF met along the way who taught him stuff and backed him up. I did like MCH but she really wasn't a smart person. In the absolute plethora of villains, the most convincing ones were vampire poison and TGN, though I do wish TGN had way less screen time.
Production was beautiful; from costumes, weapons, styling, sets and some of the OSTs. Very little to pick apart in this section.
Cons: This series nearly became the second costume drama to get a perfect score if it wasn't for the final episodes. This is where the really awesome pacing of the entire series became a runaway horse of we need to tie up every loose end somehow even if it looks completely bizarre. How did MCH know what was happening that she appeared on the gate tower to keep the gates open only to jump down and get shot with an arrow? They were so determined to kill her that this completely in-cohesive situation was created. Did she grow wings, learn telepathy, manifest a sword? It was so out of left field, one had no words. Also the swords vs rifles scenes just seemed very weird; bullets will kill a lot faster then a sword will unless you're a master martial artist or sacrificing yourself to protect others like MRF did.
Let's backtrack a bit to the idiot father-son duo whose arc took forever to end, the nun who essentially manipulated her disciple aka ZY into following her into becoming a nun too, instead of letting her follow her heart and be with HF. I hope the nun doesn't turn MCH's kids into monks but lets them choose their own paths as was decided by both their father and HF. There seemed too much heavy-handed approaches to situations that didn't need them. TGN and NL had way too much screen time and that was really the only time the drama got slightly boring; though she learned the truth in the end and chose the right path, she was too dumb for too long. Though TGN was one of the biggest villains, he was so annoying and childish, you wanted to shove him off a cliff the minute you met him. You knew immediately he was not a good person and that just snowballed from there.
Returning to the last episode, why couldn't CLS's death be written better? They literally waited until then to have her face off against vampire poison and his puny disciples; then when she starts to save HF who of course intervened to save her, she paralyzes him leaving him struggling, gaping like a fish out of water while she does her final monologue? It was all very inconsistent and haphazard. I think she deserved a better end since they decided on that. Killing vampire poison in a flashback HF has in the final maybe 5 minutes of the show was also very lackluster and unsatisfactory considering who he was and what he had done. Literally the last 1.5 episodes of this entire series botched what would have been a perfect score but otherwise the show was/is really great!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely, 100%! The last 1.5 episodes notwithstanding and a few parts in the middle, this series hit every aspect of a terrific wuxia. As far as I'm concerned, the challenge was met, accepted, and won!
Wo De Fan Pai Nan You (2022)
Sweet On & Simple
What drew me in was the original storyline and my first ever "Sweet On" series. Though very similar to "Dear Diary", this actually made sense. By no means is the screenplay perfect or even close to award winning, but it was sweet on & simple. Never seen anyone in the cast before other then adoptive mom of NX who played a very beloved character in LOF; actress is very versatile in both modern and costume roles.
Pros: Favorite character actually was hard because it was a combo of XWD, mom, and YQ. Each had their own strengths as in the ML was convincing in all of his mannerisms, I even loved how he didn't blame his existential crisis on the FL. He acted very mature about it. Mom was great; she was a supportive parent not an obnoxious/controlling one like SML's dad who wanted to choose who his son was with. She was loving, caring, gave great advice even if she wasn't NX's biological mother. I really appreciated her character and the fact that she was an independent woman, not relying on a man to be happy; 2 couples were enough here. YQ, she was the bomb! Best female boss I've seen since "Master of My Own." She was a bit slow in matters of the heart but I think ultimately she did things her way with the help of those around her. Her relationship with NX was wonderful to see; she wasn't just her semi-boss, but a great advisor, and good friend.
Other favorite characters were the FL or NX though I do have some gripes with her and those I'll discuss below, LZC was the eccentric, immature man whom evolved when he had no other choice but to grow up. The fairy dude was ok...kind of weird though. The story flowed more or less though it definitely had some dragging moments while the leads were trying to figure out how to get together or even kiss. Many people in the comments didn't like the second leading couple but I disagree; I like that we had like this almost kid like attraction and then a more mature adult one with life experience. And yet in the end, both sets taught each other something and were very close. No toxic ex's, no clingy one-sided crushes.
What I also liked about the story was that it incorporated the PTSD/ panic attacks of NX and how XWD ultimately helped her heal but it wasn't rushed or some falseness was created from it. It is a real disorder that takes different ways to heal. As someone with PTSD, I was pleased with how they handled it. The comedy was a hit and miss; when they tried too hard with the slapstick, it didn't pan out but otherwise many things made you giggle. XWD's two disappearing acts were a bit eek-inducing (the first time especially) but there was literally no angst here. It was all about living in the moment and growing both apart and together so once they reconnected fully and neither separation lasted too long, they were stronger together.
Cons: My largest pet peeves in this entire series were, for starters, NX's nonstop talking to herself out loud. Didn't matter whether she was alone in her room or in public or at work; it looked so childish and dumb that it made me cringe. They tried to make it funny when she was caught but it didn't look that way at all. Every other character was equipped with inner monologues, but not our girl, she would just yammer away and I wanted to reach into the screen and duct tape her mouth. The other thing was her clothing; we're supposed to believe this is a college graduate who is working in a corporate environment even though it's for an author, but she goes to work looking like a middle school student. Even if she couldn't wear heels, they could have put her in flats. Standing next to a well dressed leading man like XWD made her look like his sister not his girlfriend. Glad she slowly evolved wardrobe wise later on but still. Production really screwed up there.
The whole childhood friend talking to XWD in his dreams arc was completely out of left field and never explained. Why all of a sudden was this introduced? And if this was all part of making her heal from her PTSD trauma, it could have been gradually brought on. It was thrown into the final maybe 5 episodes and then once he returned the second time, totally forgotten. There were no warning of time lapses in the show though those happened twice; first time was when XWD disappeared after their official first kiss (which by the way, I have no idea how that first kiss even symbolized unforgettable love, but no time to properly flush that out in 24 episodes, I suppose) and the second after they got married. One moment it's their wedding night and they are enjoying married life, the next they have what looks like a 4 year old daughter playing with the second couple's child; talk about a whiplash. Ending shouldn't have been that rushed and the OSTs were all relatively bland and forgettable.
Would I recommend it? If you want a simple rom-com and don't mind the nonstop yammering of the FL, it's an easy yes. This had zilch angst and was very easy on the brain. Watch for simple pleasure.
Are You Safe (2022)
Strong Start that Petered Out in the Middle But Came Swinging for the Fences at the End (7.5/10)
Wanted something cybercrime-CSI-ish and this seemed to fit the bill. Didn't know anyone in the cast save for actor who played ZY and Xu Lu a bit from previous series. Had a strong beginning that petered out in the middle only to come out swinging for the fences in the final 3 episodes. Definitely needs a season 2 with the same cast to properly finish the cliffhanger.
Pros: Probably the first drama ever that I will say had a really catchy opening theme that I didn't fast forward before I get into favorite character and other things. It made you actually anticipate what you were going to watch even when that failed to deliver. Favorite character was the ML or QH; man had the patience of a saint and his straight path towards justice and finding out who wronged his best friend and Godmother were beyond admirable. Next favorite character was Ms. Lin the lawyer; even though she didn't know until pretty much the end that her boyfriend was a class A douchebag, she never changed her morality or ethics towards her partners or friends.
Though I liked CM in the very beginning and once he got on board with QH, his whole arc with MT was very unnecessary. The two ladies who worked in QH's office were alright additions and out of the villains, the only ones that made any real sense were MPC and LB, though the latter needs season 2 to figure out. Had some semblance of comedy here and there and meaningful moments of care between the protagonists.
Cons: This plot took a nosedive in the middle and became very boring and confusing. The MT/CM arc (shoving a relationship into somewhere it didn't belong) just like the MT/General arc were unnecessary and very confusing. We assume it was the General who scammed Godmother in the beginning though there's no real confirmation or admission of that. ZY also an alright character; great in the beginning but then was dumbed down into an arrogant and dumb kid who spilled personal information to complete strangers online. None of it made any sense given the industry he worked in and the responsibility placed on his shoulders. He regrew his brains towards the end.
For seasoned hackers, they couldn't pick up on pretty obvious things and it just slowed the entire show down. When they "killed" the General off, he should have stayed dead. Bringing him back just to give the running of the bulls ending some semblance of action after a lackadaisical middle that was constantly seeing QH getting nailed by one villain after another by pretty much brain dead problems, was honestly laughable. Instead, in the last episode the General nearly beats QH and CM to death and then is just nonchalantly arrested. And still the LB plot was not exposed so the reasoning is that there will be a season 2? Writer and director must have gotten drunk together.
Would I recommend it? I'm not sure to be honest. TJC did a great job as QH, so much so that I want to see him in other, better things. So if you're a fan of his, maybe you'll like this too. The beginning and end were the strongest even with the open-ended cliffhanger finale, the middle could have been totally cut and you probably wouldn't have missed much. So decide for yourselves.