Breath of Fresh Air
Rainless Love in a Godless Land is an urban fantasy drama which main premise revolves around kakarayan (him), kawas (gods), humans and nature.The narrative of the drama is straightforward and uncomplicated, enabling the audience to know the background and past incidents that shape the present. At the beginning of each episode, there is a short folktale regarding kakarayan, kawas and more, enabling audience to grasp the background story more easily. With its relatively little number of episodes, the plot unfolds at a fast pace. In the first episode, the drama was already telling us that there is the creator of the world (kakarayan) and gods (kawas) in this world. However, kakarayan will stop giving blessings to the world because of human’s ignorance and negligence.
The main storyline and characters build up are taken from Amis People culture, one of Taiwanese indigenous culture. The concept of kakarayan, kawas and everything originated from the Amis People. And the drama has also portrayed their culture in correctly, such as their chest covers, skirt, the colour scheme (red, black, green, white). They definitely did justice in portraying the Sikawasay (medium for communicating to Kawas and Kakarayan) through the vivid and bright coloured clothes.
Rainless Love in a Godless Land has a captivating and refreshing storyline, with a progressively and engaging pace. The drama storytelling is executed near to perfection, there is not a single dull moment or cliched plot devices. In addition, the drama also uses a lot of different plot devices and themes that work harmoniously well together. The drama manages to blend comedy, romance, fantasy, tradition seamlessly. With it, it makes you entertained and engaged.
Rainless Love in a Godless Land also has a wide variety of complex and realistic characters with strong and fleshed out performances from the casts. The female lead of the drama, Xie Tianti is acted by Joanne Tseng. She has acted in many remarkable dramas and you definitely do not need to worry about her performance. Meanwhile, the male lead, Orad (the rain god) is acted by Fu Mengbo which has also delivered a stellar performance. But Alice Ke as Toem (Cloud god) definitely steals the show. How she portrays her role is definitely *chef kisses*!!
The drama also has a beautiful and mesmerizing production and cinematography. You can just see how the big budget is allocated into impeccable cinematography, exquisite set, beautifully shot landscape, and more. Every shot of the drama is of high quality, there is also some breathtaking panorama scenery. This drama also uses minimal CGI, mostly relying on a real set. Such as, the void space (on xie tienti's dream and more), it is all made from real sets and props. The use of vibrant and bright colour palette also makes the drama a pleasant viewing experience. In addition, I also love how the drama does not use any airbrush or skin smoothing filter on their faces. It has also a really pretty yet simple outfit, the outfit is what one would wear every single day, but its outfit mix and matched very well done.
Another commendable aspect of Rainless Love in a Godless Land is its music scoring and OST. The OST is made up of different songs with different genres, yet everything is so compatible with the drama. My personal favourites are 最後一秒鐘 (the last second) by九澤cp and 想對你說 (Too Much to Say) by 原子邦妮 Astro Bunny. But still, every single of the OST are enjoyable and good to hear.
All in all, Rainless Love in a Godless Land is an excellent produced drama that definitely deserves more attention. The urban fantasy genre drama makes the drama a refreshing drama in the current market.
Was this review helpful to you?
An epic fantasy immersed in island lore and mystery
I am basking in the afterglow of this drama as I write this review but I shall try to be impartial or as impartial as I can be considering I have given it a perfect score.So with no further ado, here are the reasons why I loved RLIAGL:
1. It has a mix of genres: fantasy, mystery and romance seeped in mythology.
2. The leads are working adults. (I am old and if you are too you know why this point is a good thing)
3. Great script writing and intriguing story board. Every episode brings a new meaning to the overarching storyline and keeps you hooked. The format of the episode also lends well to the mystery and keeps it interesting.
4. Good acting by everyone involved. Also, leads are cute eye candy.
5. Amazing score! The OST for this show is really really good.
6. Production quality is high and the visuals are also good. I loved the cinematography of this show.
The reasons why you may not like RLIAGL:
1. The romance is a slow burn. Its slower than a sloth climbing a tree. Its so slow that you might think there is no romance. And that would be because the romance is not the main part of this show, it's the mystery of why it ain't gonna rain in this land no more.
2. The story also starts of slow. It takes the first few episodes for this show to grow on you and while it does it might bore the socks out of impatient people.
3. The female lead could have done certain things better (a lot) . But that is no fault of her own it's because of the script writer.
4. The audience as well as secondary characters get the drift way quicker than the main leads. A few times I wished people asked the right questions instead of going about in a tangent, but that was the fun of the show and I didn't mind it as much.
5. It's quite melodramatic. Everything has an epic consequence like the world ending or people dying.
6. I was dissatisfied with how they resolved the environmental degradation issue. (You'll know what I'm talking about only if you watch it. :P )
7. It is not a Kdrama. It is from Taiwan and a lot of people don't watch shows from here. On the other hand, I have no idea what you are doing reading this review in that case.
Story/Acting Overview:
A woman believes in the stories her grandmother taught her when she was young and before she was abandoned by said grandmother. This is her journey as she navigates through life, meets & parts with people and begins to question her beliefs.
With a great cast, production and unbelievable scriptwriting, this show has all the right elements to be a blockbuster in my book. I enjoyed the acting by the entire crew. Toem was my favourite actor with Fali coming a close second. Loved the layers in their character.
As mentioned earlier, the story is infused with island lore and mythology with small folk tales at the beginning of each episode which portend some major events which might occur in each episode. The format was great and lends to watching it one episode a time as it feels like each episode is a chapter in the RLIAGL book.
While the romance is a slow burn, I enjoyed it as I never thought of this story as a romance but as a fantasy mystery. I was more interested in understanding the characters and Kawas than I was in Tian-Di & Orad's love story. As we move further into the story line, we also come to understand why their romance is such a slow burn. Past events and future situations play a vital role in their romance.
Overall:
Overall, I enjoyed this show way more than I expected to at the start and by the end it had grown on me. As the story reaches towards its climax the pace also picks up leading to an amazing ending. There are plot twists that I wasn't expecting and therefore, was quite blown over with the revelations.
A perfect 10 from me (9.5 ~ 10 all the same) as I know I will end up rewatching this and it's perfect OST.
Was this review helpful to you?
1Behind every lie is a wish waiting to come true.
Saying I had a mild existential crisis as I was watching the drama could be an understatement. It deals with many themes like environmental issues, free will, destiny, power of belief. difference between truth and lies, the price of responsibility and power. Some presented better than others, but as a whole package, it was truly an amazing journey.Three main plotlines/themes addressed in the show were the romance between the leads, the questioning of free will and fight against the written fate, and environmental issues.
Starting with the romance - quite an enjoyable delivery. It was slow paced and, while ever present, never felt like it was shoved in my face as the main and only focus of the story. On many occasions the relationship between main leads served as an opportunity to explore other themes and ideas. Have to say though, till the end I was a bit more sold on Orad’s side of that love story.
Free will, meaning of existence, fate - that’s the part that gave me an identity and existential crisis. I almost had a philosophical debate with my laptop when I was pausing some scenes to fully grasp the ideas behind them. I also feel like this part of the plot had the best presentation.
Then we had the environmental issues that were addressed in the show. While I appreciate the inclusion of that topic, I cannot stop myself from thinking some of the scenes were extremely on the nose - sometimes it felt like I was watching a promo for kids in middle school. They could have been a little bit more subtle about the message and trust that the viewers are not complete idiots.
I feel like there were some pacing issues too. While I never felt bored, after finishing the whole show I do feel like the middle part was a bit dragging and was not as tight as the beginning and the end.
What slight complaints I might have had about the plot and pacing, the characters make up for them. Xie Tian Di, while flawed, was still truly likable. It was great to watch her learn from her mistakes and understand others’ perspectives when she was faced with similar dilemmas.
Orad was just adorable. What a loyal man. It’s hard to actually talk about his character in more depth without giving spoilers, so just know there is more to his story than just being a guard for the female lead.
Fali, this guy. I dislike him, but I also want to give him a hug. That said, I am still slightly confused about his goals and plans and overall motivations. I think the writers could have done a better job exploring his character.
Toem is the girl you root for even if you don’t want to. She is smart, cunning, brave, flawed in all the best ways.
Talking about flawed characters - Kakarayan… really didn't vibe with him. He had just a few scenes, but it was enough for me to put him on the bottom of the characters I enjoyed.
The performance - no complaints. Not only that, I was truly impressed with some. It’s quite rare when even the supporting or bit roles are well delivered, but this drama gives us all the best, even if someone shows up for one scene and one scene only.
The soundtrack. 10/10 does not do it justice. I am not joking when I say this is the best soundtrack I have heard in dramas I’ve watched this year, and one of the best in my long history of watching dramas. A song that especially moved me was Shi Shi’s Never Ending Rain.
On the production - no idea what the budget was, but they did everything they could to make it an aesthetic feast with what they had. So many beautiful shots, so many visual ways to represent the emotions and ideas behind the story.
Overall, I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s been so long since a drama delivered well written plot twists that I didn't see coming. The last three episodes were just one surprise after another, but it all still made sense!
Was this review helpful to you?
bad writing ruins a good idea
super disappointed. such a cool concept.They get so bogged down in the minutia of this love story that they forget to flesh out the fascinating mythology. the apocalypse is nigh and we're playing house? the environment is one the brink of supernatural collapse? lets go to work at the travel agency! They also spend an absolutely mind numbing amount of time on characters that amount to little more than set dressing with lines. Sometimes these drawn out threads of story or pointless characters intersect with the plot but when that happens it feels less like an intentional choice from a skillful writer or editor and more like "why not use one of the people floating around the office doing nothing?"
few of the characters are compelling. the ones that are lost to bad development- or no development. the villains feel flat and unconnected to their stated motivation.
the acting is....passable i guess.
Alice Ke is the only one who really shines. But she's just doing the best she can with a criminally undeveloped character. she can't act a good character arc into existence. Joanne Tseng is Joanne Tseng. if you've seen her in anything else, you've seen her in this. they are the only two worth mentioning. everyone else just sort of showed up and clocked in.
in conclusion the bones of this are interesting. The mythology is vibrant and will be new to most viewers but it's poorly utilized. Rainless Love in a Godless Land leans too hard on modern Taiwanese romance tropes, a choice that eats away at the magic of the story. Weak writing and acting that ranges from ok to lackluster further dull what should have been a spectacularly different gem of a drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Amazing story with pretty unpredictable twists!
First things first: I'd recommend ya'll to watch this drama without reading any spoilers. Avoid the comment section and don't click on any spoiler buttons. I swear it is so much fun not knowing what's going on, and finding things out slowly. That's why my review won't include any spoilers either, just some watching experiences I had. :)-> I actually didn't really like the first episode. I loved the plot description, but the first episodes were rather slow and lenghty, which I usually don't like. But then, a few more episodes in, I got totally hooked. The drama got better and better and better. I loved it a lot! <3
● THE STORY & ITS TWISTS
The story was really cool, in my opinion. I'm a big fan of fantasy anyway, so this drama about gods/Kawas etc. totally catched my attention. I also liked the short stories at the beginning of each episode! The romance, as well as the pace, felt rather slow in the first half, it got better later tho, and I was ok with it because the story was interesting enough itself.
I especially liked the unpredictability and the twists. Sometimes I found scenes confusing, and sometimes I wondered what the hell was going on. From the very beginning I couldn't really predict how the story would proceed. Especially since I didn't read any spoilers, and because I didn't expected the story to start where it started.
I love it when things are unpredictable and not obvious. Although I admit, some flashbacks and location-changes were a little too confusing. I should have taken notes xD I still have some questions, but I can live with them lol. I'll just interpret them the way I want. ;) The ending was acceptable for me, it wasn't completely perfect for me tho. I'm a little picky, you see.
● CAST & CHARACTERS
Ok, so my favorite characters were 'Orad, Fali, and Kakarayan, haha. <3 I liked Toem and some other Kawas too. The FL was also ok, although in some very few scenes I wished for her to use her brain a little more.
I loved the ML and his acting a lot. He is super handsome, and you could see the feelings on his face perfectly. I would't mind having a guardian angel like that.^^
Let's move on to Joe Cheng lol, somehow I actually never really liked him, but here he was amazing! I was impressed by his acting, this role suited him very well. And then all the guest appearances - So many familiar faces!
● OST & OTHER ARTSY STUFF
The OSTs are all very good. I actually love them all for them being emotional and fitting, but my favourite is clearly "Be Yours" by Astro Bunny, which feels kinda magical. Especially since they used some lyrics in the Amis language, which sounds a little mysterious in my opinion.^^
Also, the short stories at the very beginning were very pretty. I liked the style of the illustrations. And I also enjoy the feeling of listening to some legends.
Not to forget the drama was full of interesting quotes. Unfortunately I forgot to screenshot them, but an example would be: "In every lie there is a wish waiting to come true".
● FINAL WORDS
I also have some opinions and theories about the ending and some twists, but I really don't wanna spoil anyone. I want ya'll to experience it yourself. It's worth it. So I'll keep them to myself for now. ~ Happy Watching! ~
My heart feels heavy now that the drama is over – which is proof of how much I enjoyed it. I felt impressed, I felt emotional, I got surprised, confused and had some nice aww-moments lol. I want more stories like that!
So, if you like fantasy and are interested in myths, are ok with slow paces and want to be shaken by some nice twists, then this drama is definitely for you! <3
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A dream is a wish your heart makes...
Rainless Love in a Godless Land was an ambitious Taiwanese drama that wove together romance, Amis myths, and mind-bending thoughts on truth and reality, memory and emotion. On top of all that the drama brought home humans' responsibility for the blessings of the Earth and our place in stewardship of the environment.*No big spoilers*
"The end of the world is silent. It creeps up on you, you just don't notice."
Orad, the messenger of the chief god Kakarayan, is also the god of rain. He is helping to gather the Kawas, basically spirits of blessings, to send them back to the spiritual realm. Kakarayan is withdrawing his blessing from the planet which will result in a rainless Armageddon. Tien Ti, a local tour guide, crosses paths with Orad and for what turns out to not be the first time. Her fate and the beginning of the world's end are tied together. When Orad chooses free will over predestination it throws the Bureau of Corrections into crisis management mode.
"Behind every lie is a wish waiting to come true."
I will admit to liking the story more than the characters at times. Although there were a few heartfelt moments, much of the more meaningful romance was shown through flashbacks. A couple of the kisses were the guppy kind with eyes open and lips barely touching which felt awkward given Tien Ti's age and romantic history. Because she wasn't invested in the romance I found it hard to invest in it. Tien Ti often treated Orad hostilely, as more of a servant to do her bidding than a possible love interest. Orad kept his emotions close to his vest until he was truly faced with making every day choices that flustered him. Tien Ti would rail against being treated as special and then turn around and ask for special favors. When she was given a taste of power, she found it to be a more complicated thing than she first realized.
"What you see is the deity's will and what god sees as the truth."
Toam, goddess of the cloud, was one of the more complex characters and Alice Ko was magnificent as the morally ambiguous spirit. I found her far more compelling than Tien Ti and a more stylish dresser, too. Fali, head of the Bureau of Corrections, was another character who waffled between good and selfish. A lonely child who had been alone too long, he set into motion many of the characters' actions. Pu Hui was a fun sidekick for Orad though he was a terrible husband.
"When a lie is exposed, what happens to the lie?"
Orad and the Kawas Yaka found out that free will and making your own choices can lead you where you might or might not want to end up. There is a price to pay for freedom. Tien Ti struggled to have free will and make her own choices to alter her fate and the fate of the world. Other times, she was willing to give in to predestination. The drama also showed how emotions and memories are tied together.
"What I wish to see will become what you shall see."
I loved the OST for this drama. I thought the music fit the variety of moods perfectly and truly enjoyed the songs and background music. The drawback for me other than the subdued romance, were the travel office scenes. I didn't mind them at first when they were world building, but as the apocalypse was beginning it seemed surreal to think people were going to want to travel as the water began to dry up and pestilence hit. The use of flashbacks felt repetitive and overused at times. Tien Ti's mood swings could be exhausting as well.
"You are a wish I prayed for"
What is the difference between a lie and a wish? A lie has no future, but a wish might. What is real and what is a dream? Even scientists say it's possible our reality may be an illusion so is it really a lie if we perceive it to be real? Or is it simply a wish manifested? Rainless Love in a Godless Land twisted and turned through myth and perceived reality. I bought into the wish and the lie, hoping that both had happy endings.
9/4/23
Was this review helpful to you?
Is this the real life is it just fantasy... Yep It´s complicated....
There are those who write fantasy scripts and then there is Chi Feng Chien whose writing is a completely different level of writing though I do have a few issues (ill get back to those) that take a way a few stars the OST, Twists and over all brilliance of this drama makes up for it.The story is this amazing mix of suspense, spirituality, romance, ETHICS, religion, insanity, culture, environmental awareness, nature... and relevant issues that reflect upon the times. Incorporating elements that remind us of the daily struggles of the early 2020s without letting any part take over. I am nether spiritual or religious and could probably classify as team science... and will admit that it did get a bit to spiritual for my taste at times but over all it was well balanced and by the end of it I came to appreciate those elements as well. I dare say this complete mess is actually pretty well balanced in a way I think only Chi Feng Chien can achieve, because it does have a lot of elements and it does get messy yet stays simple at the same time... while adding touches of humour here and there.
The twist are about 90% unpredictable, the music is just so well fitted and takes part in some pretty amazing scene, not to mention the great cinematography... oh and the relationships are just so sweet. The characters (including side characters) are lovable most of the time, they have all kinds of interesting development that goes all over the place and all but a few scenes show great acting skills. Also the way they incorporate Greg Hsu is just so perfect bringing smiles to who ever has ever seen that guy...
When watching do make sure not to miss the post credit scenes, they may not always be necessary but they are mostly really fun and will add that little extra dash of glitter to make you enjoy this even more.
There is one twist/side character that is a person in need of a heart, the way this was handled really bothered me on several levels, among them the plain miss information about heart transplants that she talked about. So do not take what she said as a truth. They did also show her as a human that is more than just a patient which is a + and there was a voice of reason among the annoying scenes surrounding this, but it still bothered me.
The other thing that bothered me was some over acting by a few side characters, had it not been for these two this would have been a clear 10 star drama and made it up among my favorites.
There are also some confusing parts that may remind you of the intro to Queens Bohemian Rhapsody... lots and lots of rain and umbrellas... So do not trust the tittle... there will ofcourse come a time when the rain stops, but most of drama will show you scenes of rain and umbrellas. lots and lots of umbrellas in all shapes, sizes and colors... but what do you expect when the main character is the god of rain... By the way the main couple also goes thru being sweet, wett, cold and everything in between...
All in all this definitely a drama I recommend you to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
this is a story about love.
i just don’t have anything to say. mostly that i’m bitter from reading lukewarm douban reviews about the show (that site has its merits for sure but i was getting kinda mad). i don’t even know if i can do a fair review of this show anymore because it’s become so personal to me. all i can say is that i love it so much, and so deeply. just from a technical perspective it’s absolutely stunning. the low budget is clear but it does not stop the actors, writers, cinematographers, set piece designers from working to create such an immersive and creative experience.it’s a show thats hard to recommend. it demands patience. and it demands a viewer who is all right with a less structured show. if you’ve watched films from hou hsiao hsien and edward yang (though i would argue this is more like a combination of the speedy, sharp, yet romantic and genre bending writing of johnnie to with the spiritual themes and dreamy colors of apichatpong weerasethakul) you’re likely prepared for this and i think you’ll enjoy it. if you’re tired of traditional idol dramas and the wearisome and irritating tropes they come with, you’ll find something to enjoy here. if you’re tired of conventionally beautiful actors and actresses, you’ll enjoy this as well. if you’re someone who adheres to a religion outside of the western sphere, you will love the way religion is woven into every fiber of this show (i’m a vietnamese buddhist and found so much of the amis religion very similar). if you just want something new and surprising, this is it.
but if you want a show with a clear path, a show that provides clear answers, a show that has a more conventional storytelling path (none of which are bad things, as some people need something more concrete), this is a show that will try your patience, and the payload might not be worth the time.
inevitably, there are comparisons between this show and someday or one day. both are very different. they share similar themes—reality bending, time moving in a strange and nonlinear manner, an expectation for the audience to suspend their beliefs of what they consider reality—but their ranges are different. someday or one day goes inward. “when does love begin and end?”. while rainless love in a godless land extends outwards. “what can love do?” there are themes that rainless love touches on, but refuses to answer, because there aren’t easy answers to them.
at the center of the show: it;s love. it’s always love. it always has been. the gods are love. every day we wake up it’s for love. love carries us. love is a sacrifice. love is regret. love is everything. love is love is love… i can’t. i can’t take it. i love this show.
for those concerned about the age difference + age play, it’s addressed and fixed somewhat when the show wraps up.
below is my review of the show while it aired in november/december. i’d completed about 7 episodes.
with such a small episode count, rainless love moves fast. the first episode quickly (almost too quickly i think) establishes the premise for us: there are gods (named kawas), and there are people, and there is earth. and the gods are quickly forsaking this world because of human negligence, but some are too attached to it. there's a third player amidst it all too, and everything--the tropes, the actors (zheng yuanchang, fu mengbo, ceng zhiqiao are all actors i at least heard of before starting this drama) --appears familiar while also being shrouded in a thin layer of mystery. an example: our mc tiandi could easily be mistaken for the mary sue-ish, happy-go-lucky female lead from any drama, and yet ceng zhiqiao depicts her so naturally, and so humanly at that.
and i think that is what i love most so far about this drama. it is, essentially, an urban fantasy, but there's minimal computer generated scenes. scenes of the kawas's world, scenes of xie tiandi's dreams are all a combination of real life set pieces, lighting, and only a touch of computer generated effects (but never dealt with a heavy hand). the real world in rainless love blends seamlessly in with the faraway-and-yet-so-near world of the kawas.
there is also a significant degree of respect and admiration for the ami religion and ami people throughout this show. the most important thing to keep in mind when you watch this show is that the gods here aren't science fiction or otherwise fantastical even in the xianxia sense, but are real gods from the indigenous taiwanese ami people's religions, so the exposition does not follow in quite the same way as you would expect from other shows that share a similar but more fictional premise. a part of me did wish that the kawas were portrayed by ethnic taiwanese people rather than famous actors, so obviously the depiction isn't flawless. but the respect for the gods and for the ami culture was otherwise felt throughout so much of the show, and because of this a lot of this show is so unique. there aren't the tropes we are familiar with (or maybe sick of too lol) from the cdrama world, and if there are, they are softened, or otherwise given another dimension, by the subtle realism and careful attention paid to the depiction of the ami religion.
one personal favorite thing about this show for me too is the character design. i am so, absolutely bone tired of the pale, thin, airbrushed, so-much-makeup look that is just inevitable for cdramas. here we see our actors' natural skin colors, their natural beauty, and honestly interesting outfits and styling that feels... down to earth, and super stylish. the cause and effect correction bureau and its gods and employees clad in a modest white; olad in a simple black suit. the goddess of coral, raka, and her bright smile and dark skin and her little taxi.
another addition: the music??? holy shit... i don't often pay attention to the score of a drama (if i remember it, that's often a good sign), and...goodness i am looping the theme song by astro bunny 24/7. the soundtracks throughout the show are playful and modern and wistful all the same too. it's not a cheesy soundtrack, and it's not a forgettable one. i'm really shattered by all of the love that's been put into this production at every turn.
speaking as someone who started watching dramas only after watching chinese new wave cinema, it is truly such a pleasure to watch a drama in this day and age and think: i haven't seen anything like this before. on that merit alone, i think rainless love deserves great praise.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Intricate and interesting storylines, beautiful cinematography and OST
Completed: 1/2/2021 - 8.75 rounding up to 9.0"Rainless Love in Godless Land" is written by the same person who wrote the popular "Someday or One Day" and the less popular "Attention, Love'. The intricate and complicated storylines are reminiscent of "Someday or One Day", especially the last few episodes of both dramas. I find that you really need to stay focused throughout the whole episode. Otherwise, you will miss a detail and then be very confused. The drama was told through stories of the Taiwanese Aborigines, Ami Tribe, passed down by generations through stories told.
What I like:
1. The Amis' animated story - At the start of each episode, the audience is treated to the animated story of the Ami tribe. We learned of their gods, people, and traditions. It also leads into what the actual episode is about. I am not sure how accurate these stories are, but I really enjoy learning and watching the animation. This is an interesting way to give us some insight into the upcoming episode and learning more about the culture.
2. OST - I usually don't rate OST as the second item I mentioned, but I really like all the songs. The lyrics of all the songs complemented the mood and the story. I especially like the ending theme song "雨不停。流" sung by 孫盛希, the opening theme "最後一秒鐘" by九澤CP and the acapella version of "讓我聽見你" sung in Amis when FL was quietly praying for the appearance of Orad. If I remember correctly, "Someday or One Day" has a great soundtrack as well.
3. Acting - The overall acting of the cast is great. Our main leads have to portray many different emotions throughout the dramas. I have to say that both Joanne Tseng (FL) and Fu Meng Bo (ML) were best during emotional scenes. I also enjoy Samantha Ko as FL's grand mother, Alice Ko's gray character as the Cloud God, Joe Cheng as Wind God and the funny Yan Yu Lin as Wisdom God. A special shout out to the child/young actresses in this drama. Oh another shout out to the gods needing to learn a different language. They all sound so believable.
4. General plot - Doomsday + Gods + Human + Special Power + Inter-species Romance + Pollution! That is a lot to unpack in this drama. The drama does a good job in slowly revealing the stories of all characters and how they intertwined with each other. It also reminds us that we have not been taking care of Mother Earth. Even the gods give up on us and leave us to our demise.
5. Guest Roles - This is just a personal preference of mine. I just finished watching "Attention, Love" not too long ago and I really enjoy seeing so many actors/actresses appearing in both dramas (roughly counted 6). This is very likely due to the same team producing both dramas.
What I Don't like as much:
1. Romance - The majority of the romance is shown through flashbacks of when Orad was protecting TianTi before she lost her memory. I would say this is a slow-burn romance. However, I feel that it's lacking intensity (even if it's quiet intensity) to have this romance to be so central to the main plot. I would like to see more about the couple right now, and not through flashbacks. The flashbacks also feel repetitive and not enough variety.
2. Revealing the Lie - As much as I enjoy how intricate the storylines are, and how everything is slowly revealed, I find the last 2 episodes a little confusing. The main reveal was done by the Wind God in the last couple episodes, and he just blurted everything out. I have to really pay attention to what he said, and then think back to all that happened to understand what was the "lie" he was talking about. He kept on using the word "lie" but it wasn't explicit enough for me to understand right away. Of course, it could also be my comprehension problem.
Other Observations:
1. I want to see more powerless adorable Orad. He's so adorable when he becomes human and has to learn about sweating, eating and making choices.
2. Did they just call FL the Steph Curry of the tour company? LOL
3. Fu Meng Bo (ML) doesn't look attractive to me in the beginning. But he grows on me esp. in the last episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
Never Watched Something Like This Before
If you see all the good reviews in MDL ... yes, this series is as good as the other watchers told.Briefly tell, the premise / basic idea of this story is totally a new one. This is the other "Someday or One Day" which will be as a PIONEER idea for another series' basic theme in the future (I just know it, LOL. But, could be harder to imitate than SoOD).
Though it's a complete fresh idea you won't ever watch before, not fended those are quite a lot of plot hole, but will leave only some in the end. I mention this a fast paced series, but the storyline is actually stagnant, BUT won't make the watchers bored since it's actually the plot development. If you've decided to start this one, ENJOY THE PLOT TWIST TWIST AND TWIST ha ha! It's so unpredictable for me. Also, I recommend to watch it in high quality and enjoy the cinematic view. Sit tight, coz it's so complicated.
For the acting, nothing else to worries, the legendary Taiwanese drama's queen and king here, no doubt for their acting skills. Even the young actresses here very good at acting and so adorable! <3
But tbh, how come I got the chemistry between the ML and Toem more than XTD, lol.
The music and OSTs are all suit the series, the one I like the most is the mantra song ha ha.
"Yes, I'm almighty. And because of that, I'm powerless." -Kakarayan
Rewatch value 5:5 according to personal taste.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Gorgeous, mesmerizing fantasy that doesn't stick the landing
This is an incredibly creative, innovative and ambitious drama that ultimately falls short but is worth watching anyway. The drama is based on the mythology of the Amis people, who are the indigenous people of Taiwan. Each episode opens with a beautiful animation illustrating an Amis folktale narrated in their native language and the language is also used in dialogues by the gods.Some of my favorite things about this drama:
> The narrative structure: The show explores memory, loss, grief and time. It makes extensive use of flashbacks, which is something I normally hate. But in this case the flashbacks were the story, like thematically and in terms of what we learn at the end, the entire thing is rooted in the fluidity of time and how what we knows shifts and changes as we move back and forth through the timeline. Sometimes it felt overwhelming and ultimately didn't quite work once I got to the end but I respect that the writing team went for it, it is not easy to create a narrative like this. I love that they Went For It.
> The animations: Absolutely gorgeous, kudos to the artist and also to the writers for conceiving this way to address the mythology of the story. Every single animation tells you something extremely important to the story, including the ending which was telegraphed very early on but of course we only realize that in retrospect. If you're finished watching, read this thread that documents the narration and art in every opening: https://twitter.com/Hoyaanae/status/1455182655524245514
> The cinematography: Absolutely stunning, just on the level of pure beauty this drama delivers.
> The OST: One of the best I've ever heard, it's been on repeat in the car and I've never listened to Mando music before. And it turns out it telegraphs the entire plot and ending of the story only you won't realize it until you're done.
> The acting: Everyone was great but special shoutout to Alice Ko as Toem, the goddess turned evil. Her performance was scary, subtle, nuanced and ultimately heartbreaking. Fu Meng Bo was also perfect as Orad, the god in love with a human. You've never seen someone pine so beautifully.
What I didn't like:
> The ending. It is a gigantic shock and not in a good way because it takes a lot of drama's intricate plot and flushes it down the drain. I was literally screaming at the screen when I realized how it was going to end. Having said that, it was moving to see Orad's joy at the end and how all of the kawas and sikawasay end up so that somewhat made up for the mindf*ck of an ending.
> The main ship: I didn't hate them together but they didn't have the intense chemistry that I felt was needed to sell me on their epic romance. The ending would've been more palatable if the chemistry had been better.
> The ecological angle: this turned out to be a plot device that was abandoned pretty early on which was a missed opportunity.
Despite the ending I haven't been able to stop thinking about this drama. It's truly mesmerizing, like a beautiful dream that you immerse yourself into and allow to take over your mind. Go in with zero expectations about where the narrative will land and you will be in for a drama watch like no other.
Was this review helpful to you?
Ecological and dreamlike fable, philosophical but quite strange.
PLOT: The FL, organizer of customized trips, has a guardian angel who has protected her for a long time, The guardian angel Orla, the ML, is a Kawas (protective spirit, messenger of Kakarayan, god of Taiwanese animist myths). But all the Kawas must leave the land, polluted and devastated by humans. Nevertheless Orla refuses to leave and the spirits will clash : good, bad, manipulative,...PROS:
+ Very good actors
+ I feared that the “meager budgets of Taiwanese series” would be a handicap on this kind of series with Gods, Demons, Immortals, etc. But, despite the small budget, the special effects are not cheap, nor spectacular Marvel style, but appropriate and poetic.
+ Very good OSTs.
+ the Eco-friendly message is recalled in each episode. The animist philosophy (let's respect what nature has given us and still offers us) is very present.
+ The production is efficient, without downtime, and we constantly wonder where this story will take us.
+ Very beautiful costumes (traditional?)
CONS:
- the whole thing is strange, unusual. So not necessarily for everyone (•ิ_•ิ)?
I won't watch this drama again, but I enjoyed this philosophical tale and the performances of the actors (the 2 leads are excellent!!).
***********************************************************************************************
Fable ecolo et onirique, philosophique mais assez étrange.
PLOT: La FL, organisatrice de voyages customisés, a un ange gardien qui la protège depuis longtemps, Orla, le ML, un Kawas (esprit protecteur, messager de Kakarayan,dieu des mythes animistes taïwanais). Les Kawas doivent quitter la terre, polluée et dévastée par les humains. Mais Orla refuse de partir et les esprits vont s'affronter, bons, méchants, manipulateurs,...
PROS:
+ De très bons acteurs
+ Je craignais que les "maigres budgets des séries taïwanaises" ne soient un handicap sur une série avec Dieux, Démons, Immortels, etc. Mais, malgré le petit budget, les effets spéciaux ne sont pas cheap, pas spectaculaires non plus style Marvel, mais adaptés et poétiques.
+ De très bons OST.
+ le message Eco-responsable, est rappelé dans chaque épisode. La philosophie animiste (respectons ce que la nature nous a donné et nous offre encore) est très présente.
+ La réalisation est efficace, sans temps mort, et on se demande sans cesse où cette histoire va nous mener.
+ De très beaux costumes (traditionnels ?)
CONS:
- l'ensemble est étrange, inhabituel. Donc pas forcément pour tout le monde (•ิ_•ิ)?
Je ne regarderai pas à nouveau ce drama, mais j'ai apprécié ce conte philosophique et la performance des acteurs (les 2 leads sont excellents !!).
Was this review helpful to you?
