This review may contain spoilers
Had really high hopes for this drama. This drama is a gender bender which the female lead acts a male as a physican/doctors in hopes to find who killed her parents. Reasons why i didnt like the show as much
1) it took way too long for the male lead to figure out she was a female total eps 28 i think he found out more towards the last 10 eps
2) The storyline has potential but it developed in all kinds of different ways
3) after i have watched it still didnt figure out why the evil dude was evil ? like what relation did he have in the story ? he felt out of place , just inserted randonmly lol ( or maybe i missed it because I skipped some parts)
4)although she is a doctor she didnt not do much healing/ seeing patient
5) the story behind her family's death was also weakly developed
6) they ridiciously inserted the show's sponsor in the drama ( its a beauty mask sponsor... felt it really stretching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Started watching serial thinking it would be a bubbly not-so-taxing series. But boy was I surprised. Up to episode 20 everything about the drama was top-notch. I liked the general and tian qi's gradual interactions while low key pining for Marquiz Marvel to win it all (happiness, girl, you know the typical whole yard for the second male lead)... But boy o boy from ep 21 things went so weird....so weird that the final happy ending felt a blasphemy and an irritating slap to viewers. I can't go onto describe every single detail that went wrong but I will still list a few
1. Tian Qi's revenge is nothing but a joke. She does literally nothing at all to take revenge except dressing up as a boy to enter J mansion. From then on viewers can see next to no effort of her getting any revenge done. The sorry excuse that we see in the name of revenge here comes through the intervention of the J brothers who punishes the culprit for things the villains did in general and not for tian Qi or her grievances.
2. The actual villain of the drama goes Scott free by the end of it all. The perpetrator of tian Qi and Marquiz Marvel's suffering aka General J's mother is never given any punishment or confrontations at all. The woman is just portrayed a product of her surroundings which excuse me??? Is not a good enough reason . Just to pave her son's way to become the next general and to solidify her position... she goes on a spree to kill her husband, his consort ( Marvel's mother), and tian qi's parents. And her punishment?? She becomes a Nun!!!! Like yea right that is some next level writing bullshit If there was ever any...
3. General J the character at best is wishy washy and at worst downright selfish. His selfishness begins when refuses to give tian qi to zheng even though he can't accept his homosexual feelings. And from then on his obsession with tian qi was cringe to watch (not cute). It's like he can only love tian qi if she is a girl. And he won't hear it or let his brother hear it if there is any homo matter. Now some people will argue that zheng knew tian's identity. But for those people I would say... A guy who's mother was murdered by the woman he was "made to love and respect", a guy who has every reason to bring down the family still forfeited his everything including the girl he loves to his brother because of his obligations (but more like his big heart) ... I don't think a guy like him would have chickened out like the General because of the word homosexuality thrown in. But then tian qi is not the only flaw in the general's character. His character in itself comes out as this overbearing personality who only knows how to command and be served every time no questions asked and two pivotal points in the drama proves it. a) where he tried to punish marvel according to family traditions when the later lost his temper in front of him .b) when he shouted at marvel instead of humbling down and apologizing sincerely for what his mother did to zheng . Nowhere in the entire serial do I find this general-mother duo ever feeling sincerely sorry to anyone except for themselves.
4. Tian qi. My god where to start? I would just say the writers did a very bad job here. From beginning to end it's all about her.. there is no room in her thoughts for any person other than her. In a way she is like the general too.. selfish and self centered till the end. She had no business going for that revenge if she was going to produce children with the enemy's son anyway. I mean who comes up with these plotlines??? Also she never really thanked zheng for all he did... Bollocks she never even acknowledged it except to say thanks as lol service!!! And what about her lie to the made she almost married?? Did she ever say sorry to her??? Nope
The only good character in the entire drama was Marquis Marvel aka Zheng's but he was also the only character who was made to unjustly suffer till the end. Which was one of the cruelest moves of the writer's ever.
The overall problem of the whole drama lies in its tone. For the first 20 episodes viewers are made to think it's a bubbly drama with no major brain jerkers. But from ep 21 this light hearted cute as a rainbow drama takes a 180 turn. The story gets so dark with the mom and general and everything involved that there is no turning back from there except a sad or at least bittersweet ending. But nope the writers just had to ruin even that probability of saving the drama it's grace by forcing a happy ending. As an audience I didn't feel happy with the comedic happy ending. Nope respected writers (sarcasm) not even one ounce.
The moral of the story is if you want to make a happy drama make one like (meng feng comes across) and if you wanna make a sad drama then legit make it sad (like goodbye my princess) . But please don't make a sorry mixture of both and end up writing one so utter bullshit that it only wastes viewer's energy and time... just because you can. Cause I take my dramas seriously and whenever I see a potentially good drama with a stellar cast ruined because of writers/directors experimentations with their creative licenceing, and that too with a half hearted attempt... It's feels like an insult too close to heart and damn melancholic :/
Was this review helpful to you?
romantic and funny drama with a decent story
The story has a lot of funny moments that I often laugh out loud, and they aren't slap stick humour, which I dislike. Its not a bad story, and doesn't drag on. One that I hardly need to use the forward button and enjoyed each episode. Some dramas have very badly written ending or very badly directed endings, but the ending of this story doesn't feel too rush and finished and addressed all aspects of the story quite well. The only thing is the acting is only mediocre, they are not bad, but doesn't take me very deep into the moment and often time I can tell their tears are very much eye drop with a face expression.While I have seen much more impressive acting by other actors and actresses than by the lead roles in this drama and there are room for improvement for them, but they are still acceptable and nice to watch with an entertaining story that has many funny moments. The romance in this drama is warm and sweet, which was nice without too much heartache. It also finished on a sweet note that the ending actually left me smiling. It has a good detailed ending that isn't rushed nor draggy. Just the right length and details covered. Overall, a nice entertaining, light hearted, sweet, and funny drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This is a MUST SEE drama if you want to laugh out loud throughout the story. It is great medicine for now that we have locked down from corona virus. I got depress from being at home for over 30 days now.
This drama is a good medicine to release depression and isolation. We need to laugh and this will make you laugh because it is hilarious every episodes. The girl is not pretty but she is sure a real comedian. I never watch her before. This is definitely good drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Revenge has many faces
This series can be seen on YouTube with English subs. The heroine is Zao Er, a cute but spunky girl who’s revengeful and endearing at the same time.Synopsis
Zhao Er decides to crossdress as a male doctor to enter the house of the prestigious Family Ji to find out who was responsible for the demise of her parents. Her father was once the respected family doctor, but when she was still young he was wrongly accused for poisoning a concubine, and soon after murdered together with his wife. When Zhao Er finally makes it into the Ji manor under the disguise name of doctor Tian Qi, a series of murders and conspiracies unfold. Will she be able to revenge herself?
The Cast
I’ve seen actress Sun Qian in Take my Brother away. She was a cutie then and now, really expressive in her facial features. Huang Jun Jie is more than just handsome. I’ve read some complaints about his stiff acting, but I disagree. He has to play a stickler-for-the-rules kind of guy, so it’s kind of fitting, and they both are more compatible that way. Of course there are others at the cast, but I tend to forget them since I’m completely absorbed by the fluffy romance of the leading couple.
The Story
I know it’s silly to watch a girl playing a boy, and a boy who doesn’t recognize her at all. Imagine this boy is a bully too, and you’ve got all the drama cliches bound together from the past ten years. Still I love this stuff, knowing she’ll have her revenge later on.
The Music
This drama has some catchy tunes, but not too memorable. Thank g*d they didn’t fade out the songs due to copyright issues like some other series on YouTube.
Verdict
The good thing about this drama is there’s each for every one. Some traditional romcom with crossdressing, hate turning into love, a love triangle. Some who-done-it episodes for thriller lovers, and melodrama for couch potatoes with a tissue box aside. Of course, the heartbreaking moment arrives when our leads discover they've known each other from youth, only to be teared apart by their dark past, each on opposite sides. So, will they have a happy ending? Just watch the closure theme, and you'll know.
Was this review helpful to you?
Wonderful Acting by Sun Qian
This is a wonderful little drama out of my expectations. I didn't quite like it when I first started watching with episode 1 because I found it kind of cartoonish. But very quickly, the story moves away from the comical acts and becomes more serious without losing the humors. I was glued to the screen and completed the whole drama as it's aired.The storyline is simple and straightforward with not many twists. Even the twists are easy to follow and the results are satisfactory. Although there are some kind of triangular love affairs, these do not impede the main relationship and doesn't leave a bad taste in the viewers' mouth.
Though the setting is outside of an imperial royal palace, it is very similar but at a very small scale; I would liken it to be an aristocratic manor house with soldiers and guards. To become an imperial doctor, Tian Qi (played by Sun Qian) has to disguise as a man. In most Chinese historical dramas when a woman disguises as a man, I'd roll my eyes for how gullible the public is for not recognizing such obvious womanly features in the disguise. Not in Tian Qi's case. I think Sun Qian has the best disguise ever done in this genre. Her chest is flattened, her demeanor is rougher than a girl during the period. With her chubby face and virtually no make-up (at least not obvious), Tian Qi can easily pass as a young boy with no suspicion. Indeed I want to commend how well Sun Qian has played this role. She's hilarious and authentic. I love watching her whenever she comes on screen. I can't say the same when it comes to Ji Heng (played by Huang Jun Jie). The character Ji Heng is supposed to be a ruthless, cold, authoritative figure feared by all; he's the ultimate superior of his region. Unfortunately Huang Jun Jie has not brought out that personality, or he tries too hard to do so by giving the character a stiff, constipated look all the time. What's worse is when Ji Heng meets the love of his life, all of a sudden, he becomes lovey dovey which is totally out of character. Though very good looking, I feel Huang Jun Jie has not performed as well as the other actors in this series. It is such a pity because this could have had a much higher rating had the character being done correctly.
Overall, I still feel this drama worth being watched for its entertainment value, especially performances by Sun Qian.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I don't usually watch any dramas other than K-dramas, but the trailer for Dr. Cutie was very enticing! I enjoyed the drama, but it definitely isn't perfect. This drama is EXTRA CHEESY and the acting is really not good at all. The silly moments are overly exaggerated (goes beyond slapstick comedy), the crying/tragic(ish) scenes aren't convincing - the facial expressions associated with strong emotions were not expressed authentically by the actors. In this sense, Dr. Cutie felt truly inferior to K-dramas. So why did I continue watching Dr. Cutie when the acting was so lacking? Because in all honesty, I found the plot intriguing, the pacing excellent, the OST enjoyable and well-fitting, and the overall drama to NOT be bloody or violent (which is not a common quality of historicals).
I also found that even though the facial expressions were forced and the overall acting needs sincere improvement, the writers did a good job developing and portraying the development of romantic relations between Commander Ji Heng and Tian Qi. Their relationship was not rushed and the overall change in Commander Ji Heng was well paced.
What I didn't like in regards to the romance was how Commander Ji Heng's brother, Ji Zheng was shoved into their romance to create a love-triangle. I was initially okay with it when Ji Zheng bowed out of the triangle, but then he discovered that tragic secret and decided he too was going to seek out revenge. I don't like being yo-yoed back and forth with plots like this...I actually really appreciated that the brothers had such a close relationship and that he was initially graceful in recognizing and sincerely wanting his brother and Tian Qi to be happy. By forcing the love-triangle a second time in the plot, it ruined his character for me and added an unnecessary squabble which could have been used to deepen the larger villain plot.
Which brings me to my next point - the mountain village villain felt really flimsy. The mountain village survivors had been playing a role through the entire drama, which I thought was great, because it would lead to what I anticipated to be a well though-out overarching villain plot. But by the end, we didn't really get anything specific about what went down at the mountain village to help viewers understand the deep ploy for revenge by their survivors. The time used to shove the love-triangle into the story a second time should have been replaced with these details in my opinion.
While I was dissatisfied with the above criticisms, I really appreciated how Commander Ji Heng's mother was written to be remorseful and NOT inherently evil - she even apologized in the end! She wasn't constantly scheming for her own purposes and she genuinely loved her sons and recognized when her desires could ultimately make her sons unhappy and stepped back to allow them to handle it themselves. This really sat well with me. This is so uncommon to see in any drama that it was refreshing!
In the end, I'm overall disappointed with the ending due to how it was executed. I didn't like how Tian Qi stabbed Commander Ji Heng (which was around the same time Ji Zheng's character also started to deteriorate for me). While she thought she was exacting her revenge with Ji Heng admitting to being responsible for her childhood tragedy, once the truth is revealed in the very end, she doesn't admit to her mistake and betrayal. So in the end, where Ji Heng is essentially trying to win back her affections to make their happily-ever-after, I personally feel like in the least, Tian Qi should have been trying to win him back too. Yes, I know he felt responsible and felt like he deserved Tian Qi's revenge, but at the end of the day, her love was not unconditional for him the way his was for her (you know, for example, when he discovered she was a girl and should have had her reported and executed and didn't).
But again, what kept me watching this drama even though I found the ending execution of plot particularly flawed, was the excellent pacing (even the ending epilogue was not rushed!), the great build up in tension between Tian Qi and Ji Heng, and the overall message that revenge is not something that is necessarily clean-cut as we would like.
I would likely not rewatch this drama, particularly because the acting is so incredibly cheesy compared to having so many other better quality dramas available to steal my attention. But I don't think it was overall bad either. There were definitely moments that had my chest tight with anxiety/sadness for the characters and there were some seriously beautiful fangirl-worthy moments (thank you Huang Jun Jie for being so handsome, especially in costume!).
My best advice if you are trying to decide to watch this: if you like relatively casual historical dramas that include cross-dressing heroines, love-triangles, and aren't too tragic/violent, this will fit the bill, even if not the best acting quality!
Was this review helpful to you?
Let's start with the story. It's not new the revenge plot and falling in love while doing it is not new but I like how it's not cliché. I like how amidst the shift in their emotions their character remains intact. The pacing is good and I like how straightforward the issues in the story was attacked. I loved the dynamics between the brothers. For the most part I just love the script. I never had a good laugh in a romcom historical drama.
For the cast. I don't know much about the leads so I have no expectations and just take whatever they can throw to the viewers which was a good acting in general. My fave character was Tian Qi as Tian Qi and also Auntie Hong.
Conclusion. I'll definitely gonna re-watch it. I love how it covers all forms of love. Love between mother and son, brother to brother and lovers.
Was this review helpful to you?
Dr. Cutie sticks to a simple romantic story. It has two endearing main leads and a few supporting characters.
Sun Quian excels as Tian Xi - she makes her role better than the script. She's bright and sunny despite having lived through extraordinary difficulties. She excels both at portraying her sadness/trauma as well as the sunny, silly resilient parts.
Huang Jun Jie as Ji Heng is a great match as a lonely, precocious young man who took on responsibility too early. Grumpy and unable to sleep, he slowly loosens up and rediscovers the joy of life. The only times he failed as an actor was as a military general. He did better with the more playful action elements (running along roofs, practicing fighting with his brother).
Together they had a ton of chemistry, good at ease moments between the two etc.
The music was fine and went with the mood of the show. There were cute moments to rewatch and I was 100% addicted.
I grade on other criteria as well.
Complex Themes - 5
There isn't so much themes as a point being made. That you deserve happiness and joy - and that if you fight for it you can have it. A grim childhood and a life of difficulties does not doom you forever.
Character Growth - 8
Tian Xi needs to reconcile herself to the past, but otherwise is presented as someone who knows how to live a happy life. Ji Heng however does go through a lot of growth to becoming a more humble and joyous person. You feel like they have lived a lot and learned a lot over the years.
Complex Women/Interaction between Women - 5
Tian Xi is an excellent doctor. Her aunt is also an excellent doctor who has survived and come to terms with living in a brothel. But, Tian Xi does not have strong female friendships, and her relationship with her aunt is more of a plot device than anything else. Ji Heng's mother, while decently acted is a typical stereotype as is his female cousin.
Production design/values - 8
Given the clearly small budget, this is far better done than many shows with 3x the budget. Clothing materials are in colors that flatter the characters and tell a story. Sets are bright and airy and well lit. Fighting scenes are well done with the small budget and no attempt at bad CGI. As it is a shorter series, I didn't even get tired of the fact that there were only 3 or 4 sets and no real out in the world scenes.
.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
First of all, I don't get the rating. 8.0?? That's wayyy overrated. I didn't bother to watch this series until the end because it bored me to death. The plot is not new and it contains most of the typical, cliche troupe in drama.1. FL with naive, stupid and big eyes - check!
2. ML with tsundere personality - check!
3. The unforgettable first love - check!
4. Love triangle between brothers - check!
5. Revenge plot - check!
6. Second lead who has a better personality but the FL still chooses the arrogant, cold-hearted ML - check! check!
And what else new?
Aside from the gender bender troupe which I like by the way (that's why I watched this drama), the execution is terrible. I thought with only 28 episodes, it probably cramped with lots of action but to my disappointment, it fills with fillers. This drama should be 16 episodes only. Nothing interesting happens and I skipped most of the scenes. But this can't win over how bad the actings are.
Female Lead - She is soooo naive and stupid. If you think this is about medical drama (which why the title is), forget about it. There are so few scenes she's showing her skill as a doctor; most is she's running errands for the ML. So I don't get the title. I really dislike the FL. She constantly makes trouble and then let the brothers clean her mess. WTH. This is my first time watching this actress but I dislike it. Her cuteness is over the top and she's not cute al ALL.
Male Lead - Ahhh where do I begin with the bad acting. He triumphed them all with the overboard scowling, the same expression either he's happy, angry or sad. Oh, did he even sad because I didn't feel it. What's the use of good looking face if you can't act? Such a waste. It made me cringe whenever he tried to be annoyed and angry. But what's more important is there's no chemistry between the two of them! Zero!
Color palette - Another problem is the drama use bright and colorful color, so bright it can't distinguish between dreams and reality. While this drama is about revenge, but since it used such palette, it made the scenes less serious. Same with the sad scenes. I can't feel the pain or sadness.
Plot - Like I mentioned before, it dragged and fills with filler. So little cases but most are the FL trying to please the ML, enjoying herself, earning money and playing with the SL. If you skipped, you will realize you actually watch 10 minutes of important scenes and while the others are such a waste of time. And I don't get how the so-called intelligent commander took almost 20+ episodes to figure out her gender while his brother in a split of the moment could tell she's a girl.
And so, because of the ridiculous plot and eye-sore acting, I dropped it. I didn't even bother to watch the end to know the mystery of her parents' death. Usually, even if the drama is bad, I will skip to the end to know the ending. At least the opening still tolerable. But with Dr. Cutie, I can't and I won't.
Will I recommend it? To those who like nonsensical plot with good humor (at least the drama made me laugh), you can watch it for a laugh. For those who handsome male lead, you can watch it but bear with the scowling. And for those who expect this drama will be about a female doctor trying to win her boss's heart with her skills and intelligence, while all the way trying to get her revenge in a serious way, stay away from this drama. You will not get a Daejangeum vibe from it. So don't waste your precious time.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's cute alright
I have watched this series twice so far. Read the comments from various people about this series also. I admit, there are many loopholes / inconsistency / "hanging parts" in the series. However, overall the series is actually a very nice and light series to watch with alot of humor and adorableness in the series. I actually watched it because of Huang Jun Jie but I came to really like the series for the funny parts. Yes, like every other series that is existing out there, there are it's flaws but I don't see why should the entire production be shot down just cause of bad writing? Even in books we have shitty authors. I think the casts, all of them, did a good job in this series. As mentioned in the provided synopsis of the series, Tian Qi is an imperial doctor living in the General's house. Yes there are comments out there stating that there isn't much "healing" done. Are you guys expecting the entire series to have a plague or something that the doctor is needed 24/7? There are some "doctors needed" scenes throughout the movie. Also, it is not a healing movie so why should there be exaggerating amount of healing in the series?The music paired to this series is also quite awesome.
If you are looking for something light, not too serious but alot of comedy, I would recommend a first time watch. However, it's up to you - after you complete the 24 episodes - to decide whether is it worth the extra binge / rewatch moments. I have no regrets or rants about this series.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Strong start but disappointing ending; humor and cuteness sustained it but illogical plots ruined it
Crossdressing dramas are always a fun opportunity for a lot of hilarious misunderstandings, jokes, and conflicts to the characters. This was well done between the ML and FL because I laughed so hard at how much the FL used her wits to keep her real gender from being revealed to the ML. She did some funny tricks that was actually pretty smart.This aspect and duration of the drama was the best part. Although a lot of reviewers and commenters complained about how long it took for him to find out the truth, I actually liked it because it allowed them to develop their relationship and characters without it being "oh, he's just giving her special treatment because she's a woman." Nope, the ML was arrogant and cold and the FL endured a lot but then he came around because of her wits, usefulness, and overall comfort she brought to him. He considered her a friend despite their social status. He learns to appreciate her ("him") and so he does his best to help "him."
This plot move is the first that I've seen in the cross-dressing genre. Every other drama is always like "oh he knew from the beginning and he began to protect her silently; starts to get jealous around other men; gets into conflicts with family members/friends because of her" which can get so dragging and boring, so I'm glad they did it this way as it was a lot more interesting and fun.
Because the ML didn't know her real gender from the beginning, all his protection and motivations was, for me, pure when he was protecting her. For example, when the second ML--who already knew her real gender--questioned the ML if he knew anything "off" about "him," the ML sincerely didn't know anything. He just cared about "him." So then, there is no conflict between the ML and second ML about the FL because of their "romantic" feelings toward her. It was about them trying to protect her in their own way, which was much smarter writing. I appreciate that a lot.
The biggest disappointment actually started after he found out her real gender. The drama became so tiresome. The ML was so happy that she was a girl that he disregarded reputation and gossip. Yeah, he's the master of the mansion so "who dares say bad things about the master?" but what the hell???? You're a general??? Also, you're putting her at risk by being all cutesy romantic toward her?? And she was just so happy about getting together with him that she was careless?? Everything after he found out her real gender went downhill real quick. The main villain, the secondary "villain," everything was just so messily put together. I skimmed through the final 5 episodes.
Basically, it feels like the scriptwriter thought well of the romcom part, but the serious suspenseful plot just fell flat. The payoff wasn't worth watching 28 episodes, sadly. However, if you want to watch a funny crossdressing romcom historical with pretty good faces, watch this with relatively low expectations and just enjoy those parts. Once you get to the end, just shrug your way through because it wasn't worth a lot of my own energy investment.
Was this review helpful to you?
