This review may contain spoilers
LIFE
This drama is completely different from typical modern dramas. We are presented with characters who have real life problems and are dealing with them. We are given a broken family and the daily dealings of those in it. Moral of the story: life isn’t always how we plan it!We make plans to graduate school, get into a univer of our liking, graduate and join the workforce, meet someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with, marry them, advance in our careers, have children, etc… But tomorrow was never a guarantee.
For Lin Tuo his diagnosis was a sudden and inevitable change to those plans, but as the fate would have it also for the people around him.
I will be honest I didn’t want to give this drama a shot. I like to use C-Drama Land as an escape from reality, and this drama did just the opposite, however I am a huge Lin Yi fan and after only getting one drama from him last year I chose to give Angels Fall Down Sometimes a shot in between watching Everyone Loves Me which was simultaneously airing and also had Lin Yi in it. To say the least, it quickly became the other way around as ELM became my ray of sunshine after the many deep emotions AFDS made me feel. I cried in most episodes and related one too many times with at least one of the characters. It truly is a blessing to have people who love us and chose to stick by our side through the thick of it.
My takings from this drama, live the life you will be proud of every single day, because tomorrow is uncertain and also be the friend/ family member that sticks it out despite the storm raging on.
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If You're Going To Watch This, Be Prepared, And Even Better, Have Tissues With You.
The story takes a very simple approach, About two strangers met, Fell in love and living peacefully. Everything is going well in life, Career-wise you are finally living your dream, And the girl you love is with you and you are living happily. Everything is going well but for how long?This is not a normal romantic story, They also knew that they can't be together till the end, But if there still time left they will live it to their fullest.
Now let's talk about its elements
1. Beautiful and well written storyline, there are no scenes that don't make sense, they are not dragging the story or making it fast paced, everything is at a good pace.
2. Everyone's acting is great, Especially the four leads.
The first lead Lin Yi and Li Landi gave the emotional side of the drama and did it very well, The Second lead Sun Tian Yu and Lee Xin Ran holding the funny and chaotic side of the drama which is balancing the episode, And I'm glad because I can't stay emotional for the entire 45-50 minutes of an episode.
3.I would also like to appreciate the fact that they didn't used disease for a small part that has happened to male lead, It seems that they want to give us knowledge about the disease. Even the doctor is not an actor he is a real doctor who has experience with ALS.
4.The best thing I like about this drama is its OST, And how good it is, It's just the actor's acting and music which is enough to make that scene beautiful.,..
The Drama Ended Very Well And You Can Say It Ended Beautifully....
The 2 years of wait and it didn't disappoint at all.
If you are in doubt whether you should give time to watch it or not, then definitely watch it and yes, take care of your emotions now, you will need it as the story progresses.
EDIT-
I have given 10 star to its rewatch value but it is not so, Because I can't resist shedding in tears every time rewatching it, And I don't want to get emotional again and again...
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This review may contain spoilers
Life Imitating Art In Amazingly Realistic Detail
Tissues, tissues, and more tissues. This show absolutely blew my mind. I knew the premise but still the acting and accuracy were unforgettable. I wasn't familiar with the leads, just a few of the support but they took this show to a whole other level. For me it was life imitating art in amazingly realistic detail.Pros: I know ALS well as one of my great aunt's had it and ironically I diagnosed her a day before her doctor did at the nursing home. But she was in her early 80s and it was her leg for 4 out of the 5 years. We lived in different countries so by the time she was diagnosed, she only lived several more months. But here was different; you had a young guy and taking on something so devastating just absolutely broke my heart. I love how they handled it with professionalism and grace. Both lead actors did a superb job as did most of their loved ones and coworkers. Plus bringing in an actual ALS specialist as opposed to just an actor to play the part was very smart.
Where I said life imitated art was because I've got a chronic illness though without an expiration date; when LT's disease was getting bad I felt like he was living my life. I was bedridden for 2 years, it nearly killed me, I know wheelchairs, ambulance trips to the ER 6 times a month, crawling on your hands and knees to the bathroom, falling, tremors, all of that. Even now when I've had a setback and when he had given up all hope and rolled into the river and AZQ stopped him, it was like my mom and me. Her yelling at me not to give up and me saying I want to meet my grandfather in heaven because like LT, I lost my grandfather over 3 years ago but to a tragic accident that every first responder in my city still remembers; it was the catalyst for this setback. Like LT, my grandfather raised me so he was a father and grandfather though I have a great mom unlike LT who's mom needed tweaking. So many similarities, you can imagine how hard watching this was but at the same time, it was too beautiful not to. When the setback occurred I had just finished all of my classes in my PhD program, was/am an honor student and was set to start my dissertation; now I've spent 4 years nearly trying to get back to school to finish my degree without success...yet. Just like LT having to see his dreams go down the drain; it's too much. In case people are interested, the illness I have is called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME for short; I've got a slew of others but this one is the life/death sentence without treatment or a cure and affects 20 million people worldwide (for further information please visit www.MEadvocacy.org). Enough about me.
It was refreshing to see how LT's company and boss stood behind him and with him every step of the way. The OSTs were wonderful and LY's perfect portrayal of LT especially towards the end as I saw a lot of Stephen Hawking's mannerisms in his performance. I would absolutely give him some best actor award. LLY (AZQ) was super woman; her quiet grace was so poignant even when she was constantly quietly crying; she would be the voice of reason even towards adults. Wise beyond her years. I'm so glad how parents evolved and understood their negligence or their children's strength. Also CGP, I mean my lord, this man had to shoulder his best friend's secret for so long, I was afraid he was going to have a mental breakdown. He shouldn't have ever been given this burden, which I'll talk about in the cons.
Cons: This story would have gotten a rare 10 from me though I wouldn't be able to rewatch it, but a few things I feel just could have been changed. For starters, I understand not wanting to be a burden to your loved ones probably better than many but when you're living on borrowed time and you can see things getting worse, those loved ones like your girlfriend deserve the choice of staying with you or not. That breakup was so unnecessary and than the best friend has to shoulder it all, isn't fair to people. LT wasn't given a choice with ALS but then he turns around and shuts out the one he loves the most? Is there a difference? Everyone in his life was devastated when they found out and angry and they deserved to be. He should have said something. Because they could have mitigated things 6 months earlier. He wouldn't have worsened so fast as the doctor said, mental stability is everything in these kinds of situations. I don't agree with his choices then. If it was an illness like mine, ok sure, time is all we have even when our bodies spiral out of control but ALS is a ticking clock, no luxury of time.
Secondly, I'm sorry but I couldn't take XHD. She never spoke normally, not once. She was either whining, yelling, or acting like a self righteous know it all; that time she blamed LT for cheating and CGP threw her out of the restaurant and told her to get lost was the best thing he did. She was out of line and just a mess. Than throwing them together romantically was unnecessary and zilch chemistry between the two to boot. They made her character way too over the top and it was jarring. Couldn't our FL have a sane friend?
Lastly, this was small but it would have been less confusing if they posted the time jumps on the screen. No need to make a big deal out of it but just subtly noted because it was confusing where we were especially once LT was diagnosed.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely; just with a whole stock of tissues. It's like one of those artistic films that just takes a place in your heart forever. I know it did in mine.
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Just Perfect!
I usually don’t watch much cdrama since I find them too draggy. This is my first cdrama that I’m giving a perfect 10 rating. This drama was perfect in every way, cast, story, acting, scenes, ost. I usually give ff to many dramas but with this one never did.You will cry so much but it’s so rewarding! Their love, strength, forgiveness, joining forces and acceptance will help you grow, learn, understand and believe that love beats death.
LinYi acting has evolve so much. He sure gave it all. LandyLi was superb. She is the star of this drama. His friend TainYu was wonderful he sure was a true friend.
Last year I was over a month in a hospital I thought I would die as how I felt. Thanks to my wonderful family who took care of me day and night I can relate some things to this drama. After this my love for my family has overgrown. I am soooo grateful for having them in my life. To live one extra day is a gift that I’m grateful for and when time comes I understand and accept that this is how life is, just as LandyLi said in this drama.
This drama will put your feet’s in the ground. Will open your heart and will show you what life is about. The conversations in this drama are powerful specially LandyLi. She was outstanding. Will be watching her in other dramas.
Let’s share our love to others, never know who might need it. Hope you decide to watch, you won’t regret it!
Live, Love, Laugh!
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Fluff meets tears
To be clear I have a lot of issues with this drama but it also has a lot of good and worthy of watching parts making me settle for an 8 star rating while there are a lot of parts in here that should have made me drop this the parts that where good where good enough to keep me going.So here it goes the leads are amazing they have great chemistry and what starts of as a pretty decent respectful mutual relationship built on making each other grow, almost to good to be true and are what many would call couple goals. admiering abs, kisses, fluff... the works.
Then stuff happens and well all that pretty pretty much goes down the drain and never fully comes back, along with that we get a whole lot of typical macho type of decisions as well od a completely unrealistic use of terminal illness as a magic cure for pretty much anything (but the illness)... There is this well meant theme to this, look he can still do good even if he is disabled... which could have been great if they did not go down a path of over doing it turning him to some kind of emotional porn, inspirational crap... Whiles robbing our male lead of his male leadness...
They did balance it out with some real shows of emotion but the over all feel was... just ask for help and people will comply... just make a decision and there wil be a spot in a nursing home the next day... and so on... While there are moments where difficulties are mentioned they are not really taken seriously and more or less swooped under a rug, focusing on the positives just a little to much...
While the drama has a lovely found family and great show of community and friendship there is also the typical over the top annoying best friend, give it the girl got some of the best lines. And we also get the typical China rocks propaganda that was probably there to make sure this passed the censorship prossess smoothly.
While I will admit that it did have me shad a tear or three.... Having seen a few other dramas with theme I would say the J.- drama Boku no Ita Jikan is a better choice for those looking for a powerful story about ALS and an outlet for tears.
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One of the best dramas I have watched in the few years
I cried for 14 episodes but could not stop watching. A heartwarming drama depicting the reality of how a disease impacts a patient and the people around them. There is so much to take away from this - love, friendship, selflessness, dedication, family, brotherhood, what being a boss truly means. Lin Yi was really impressive in his role as Lin Tuo.As my family is also going thru a similar crisis, this drama gives me hope & strength to go on.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tearjerking, wholesome, and educational drama of the year.
Angels Fall Sometimes is a melodrama not for the faint of heart.The plot is mainly focused on Lin Tuo, the male lead, who started this drama as a healthy, intelligent, young man. Until his mobility began to waiver each day and everyday.
He was diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Lin Tuo ( played by Lin Yi) if you watched 1 Litre of Tears back in the mid 2000s, this is somewhat familiar. Similar yet different diagnosis. Honestly, I have not watched Lin Yi's dramas since his first one, Put Your Head On My Shoulder. I must say this drama has showcased how much his acting has grown, it really tugged on my heart when he finally cried out and accepted his diagnosis. His struggles, and determination to try and be able-bodied instead of fully accepting himself was quite relatable and understanding. His will to live and or to just end it is incredibly heart retching. The amount of tissues you need for this drama is crazy honestly.
An Zhi Que (played by Landy Li) The biggest supporter of Lin Yi has to be his girlfriend, An Zhi Que. i LOVE HER PERSONALITY! She's not your typical modern, girl crushing on handsome male and giggly type of female lead. She's like, "You listen to me because this is better for your health, this is what I think is right and logical." Zhi Que aka Xiao Que basically talks like a mother sometimes even to her own father. The way she has to count to 3 to Lin Tuo's younger brother made me repeat the scene more than once. She doesn't play, she's very reasonable! It's not to the point of nagging but just enough to shut people up. You'll have to see for yourself because I love her character so much in this drama. Landy did an amazing job, her acting IMPROVED SO MUCH! Oh my god, I can tell she embodied her character very well, I've watched only two dramas of hers before and her acting never really stood out to me. Like it wasn't terrible nor was it good. In this drama, however, she's definitely done a great job embodying such a strong character.
This review can't leave out the best support character in the drama
Chen Guang Pu (Sun Tian Yu) He was one of the first to find out his best buddy, Lin Tuo, was incredibly ill. And my god, I was crying when he was crying because damn he can freaken cry. He was so heartbroken, and felt very helpless because he just thinks Lin Tuo is going to die and there's literally nothing he can do. However, he was able to help his friend in many otherways and that's a good example of what friends should be. I love him for sticking by Lin Tuo through thick and thin and not judge him or treat him any different! He's also very funny and..loud. LOL I think his sudden proposal with someone in this drama was out of no where. I did not see any romantic sparks, the scriptwriters should've left it as platonic friends.
My only gripe is He Xin Di as a character can be irritating throughout most of the drama because she's incessantly loud, and wants to get in your business type of character. Would not leave the guys alone when she was clearly not invited; and she assumes the worse in people. Did I mention she's a little controlling? She's basically a toxic character despite being a supportive friend of Zhi Que.
There's a lot more I want mention but I don't want this review to be too long or else I will end up spoiling everything. Needless to say this drama is only 24 episodes so if you enjoy watching anything related to medical diseases, crying(ahaha...), melodramatic genres, friendships, and family bonding dramas - I would recommend to try this. It's even better if you have a disease or medical condition of your own because you could definitely relate to Lin Tuo in many ways. I know I did for sure hence the bawling which btw disclaimer: I RARELY CRY WATCHING DRAMAS! BUT THIS DRAMA MADE ME CRY! :( It is about an incurable disease, which I'm sure a lot of people should know about by now because of a viral trend back in early 2010s or so. If not, please go watch it and learn about it!
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Heart Wrenching and beautiful raw emotional Melodrama
This drama is adapted from the Japanese drama Boku no Ita Jikan orTime I Was In, The Hours of My LifeBut it's better than the Japanese dramas in portraying the characters
I've been waiting for this drama since they announced it two years ago, I don't know why China delayed its release until now
but I'm glad they released it ... at the same time as the male lead's new drama airing (everybody loves me)
prepare yourself for depression, anxiety, and crying rivers of tears all that not just because of the male lead's fatal disease only , but for the people around him and how they react to the news of him dying from an incurable disease
this drama focuses on the relationships and the love between the characters not just familial love but also romantic love and best friendships
I didn't imagine this drama would have one of the best brotherhoods and Bromances ,,, it showed how deep his friendship is with his best friend to the point of breaking down on the street crying like a baby for his best friend three times not just one time and helping his best friend with everything he needs even asking his parents to build a hospital for his friend or getting him the best doctor, all that from the superficial free boy who stays by his side as a side character, he became a responsible man after his friend's ordeal and took care of him in his struggle
The romance here is the best also and they didn't break up for long or go into a toxic relationship because of a misunderstanding created by the male lead, the female lead is a gift from heaven for the male lead, and she stays by his side doing everything humanly possible to help him with such love and care
in the Japanese drama, they made the female lead target for the male lead's co-worker and alleged friend but here the co-worker knew about his disease and never approached the female lead again, he stayed by his side to help him too
The parents were as real as any other parents can be strangers at times but when he got sick and reached for them, they surrounded him with love and compassion and also tried to make up for their negligence in the past
his relationship with his dad wasn't good but after what happened to him everything changed for the better, of course, his dad regretted what he did to him and his family
His work was the strongest point in his life outside of his family and friends and to an idealistic world they made his company understand his needs and accommodate for his condition trying to get him the best care and that's kind of fantasy in the real world
because any company wouldn't appreciate one of its employees who was just a junior designer and help him that much
the world of business is cruel, but they made it perfect
Overall this drama is very good drama to watch when you want to cry a lot and release negative energy , you will love every character , there are no evil people here or bad actions
only people love one person who is dying and struggling with his illness
I love this drama so much and despite being it too sad , I can't stop watching it
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Excellent drama and acting from the entire cast. A good tear-jerker drama, highly recommended.
Angels Fall Sometimes is a melodrama dealing with an incurable disease, ALS, and how family and loved ones handle and deal with the ordeal.Synopsis: In the prime of his youth, Lin Tuo crosses paths with An Zhi Que during a summer internship recruiting event in their junior year. Love blossoms at first sight. With graduation approaching, the two embark on their journey from the ivory tower into the real world, taking on part-time jobs, job hunting, and planning their future together. While life doesn't unfold as smoothly as envisioned, they hold each other up. However, just when everything seems to be going well, Lin Tuo receives a diagnosis that changes their lives forever.
Lin Tuo is diagnosed with ALS, bringing an end to his seemingly ordinary but promising life. Future shortened, Lin Tuo is left in disbelief and unable to face his loved ones, so he hides from them one by one, and as time passes and the disease becomes worse, he is forced to tell them the truth. Faced with this new truth, his loved ones rally around him, not letting him give up as life deals him blow after blow. Finally, understanding this, Lin Tuo finds the strength in that love to move bravely forward.
My Reviews:
- It started slowly as it built up the characters and the progression of the disease that Lin Tuo is initially facing.
- It was a tear-jerker drama if you are in for a good cry, especially from episode 11 onward.
- Landi Li and Lin Yi did a great job in this drama. This is their best acting performance compared to other dramas that I have watched them in. Their on-screen chemistry is also great.
- Sun Tian Yu did an awesome job playing Lin Tuo's buddy.
- The entire ensemble acted great, and I enjoyed it. I highly recommend everyone to watch it.
I am giving it a 9.0 for good originality script and excellent acting from the team.
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This is an accuate portrayal of a person with a debilitating disease and the caregivers
I am not sure my words would do justice as to how astounding this series is due to the efforts of the entire cast involved. Lin Yi was simply amazing in this role, as it is so challenging, since it is such a debilitating disease. He was true to it's form of wasting away in stages, which is extremely hard to act as such on its own, but to be filming at different times, if it is out of chronological order, is even more exceptional for the continuity of the story. I watched him in Derailment, and explored his works further, as he is an outstanding and phenomenal actor, who has literally poured his heart and soul into this character. There are just some stories that touch your very heart ❤️ and this is one of them. I have experienced this debilitating disease in my family, along with so many others. Each disease robs you of a full life, but, just like her decision, you can live an entire lifetime in just a few moments, if you have the courage, faith, strength, and desire to be there for each other. Not all people are built for the times of suffering and sickness. It's not for the feint of heart. You have to forgive those who can only handle the happy times. Not everyone is capable of the trials faced with long term care debilitating diseases, robbing you of life, with the wasting away of your body and faculties. For those who can face it together, it is still not an easy journey. The caregiver is weary at times, and the family member is remorseful, or even regretful, of the burden caused by degenerative diseases. When you can see past that, to the beauty of time and conversation, the treasures that will last a lifetime as a legacy of comfort to those left behind, only then can you celebrate every day as a victory that you won over each battle, as it robs you of your dignity and freedom. Each day is a blessing more than a curse. Time is the greatest gift with love. He was struggling with his reality and wanted to not lose anymore of his abilities, as well as not be a burden, releasing them both from this prison sentence. But he could not see that he had so much more to live for, with the help of his friend and technology. He could still be contributing to society, which is something important to a person who is aware while dying a little bit every day. In this story, he has a terminal disease to humble his father, who believed he was a savior but neglected his family, as they paid the price with his absence and overbearing attitudes. His mother was unable to achieve a happy marriage and be the best mother or coworker until she met a challenge they both could not win. Once the father accepted the change in his thinking, she was able to fix her family with him. What once was chaos and dysfunctional, melted away into an understanding and growth of a family torn apart. As much as the disease was a curse, it was what they needed most to heal for each other. Don't push the ones you love away. Xaio Que lost 6 months of time with Xaio Tao as well. She was blindsided by missing the beginning of his demise. But, if she had not lost him, only to find him again, could she have made the decision that caring for him and being by his side was better than life without him? There were so many wrong decisions, with no right answers, as he stated. But, he robbed her of her choice. I am not sure if she would have had the capacity to follow him all the way through it all, facing every challenge and setback, if she had not lost him once to begin with. This was why she could see him through to the end. Because she had been there before, and chose to be there for him as she loses him again. This way, she went through every stage with him, knowing that the disease robbed her of him, not his decisions robbing her of time with him. Abandonment can be even more cruel than the disease itself. I am glad they ended the story where they did. But, after his demise, I hope he would have asked Senior to be with her and care for her, after he is gone. He could trust his friend to keep her well and safe, after he was gone. That is my only wish after this story ends. I have been the caregiver 7 times. I have outlived so many people. Although they were not all ALS patients, the results are the same. It's not for everybody. Forgive rather than hate. None of my family did what I did, and that's OK. But I was so close to my family that I did take care of while we had the time. Don't waste time on hatred, anger, or resentment. It robs you of precious energy and consumes your thoughts so you miss so much. Accept others and their limitations. You are much better when you know they are not forced to do what they are not capable of doing.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Realistic sad and sweet drama
I like the end part, realistic. Lin Duo hardly able to speak, lied down on the bed when AZQ entered the house. but also has positive part, the medicine for the disease has been found maybe to prevent or stop early symptom. There has been progress in medicationThere wont be a character like AZQ in real life. Sacrifice life journey for a disabled boyfriend.
Overall, this drama is realistic where most of the times Cdrama has cinderella script. All cast acted well.
Chen Guang Pu and He Xin Di gave comedy spark to this sad drama. I like their acting. Solid support roles
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Prepare the tissues
WOW, is all I can say about this beautifully written drama. Love cannot cure illness but it sure can make it bearable. I loved that An Zhi Que did everything in her power to help Lin Tuo understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel.I haven’t cried this much since the K-drama Autumn in My Heart and the J- drama One Litre of Tears. I cried until my eyes were puffy.
I loved how caring An Zhi Que’s father was even though he didn’t want her to suffer like he did, he still loved Lin Tuo very much. He understood that being with Lin Tuo was the best thing his daughter can do without feeling guilt.
As much I hated Lin Tuo’s parents, I loved how they rallied for him and accepted everyone who loves him after they found out. They made me cry so much because as a mother, myself, we never want our kids to have to suffer.
I hope that I can be as strong as An Zhi Que when facing what she had faced. We are all humans and it’s hard taking care of someone with such a disease.
Overall, I can feel the love that Lin Tuo and An Zhi Que have for each other. They are so young but their love is so strong. She was willing to do everything for him despite knowing that the end, he was going to die. And he loved her so much so that the last thing he wanted was for him to be a burden and hindrance to her.
I took one star away because I feel that the ending was incomplete. I would have liked it if he died. I wanted to see her strength through his death as well. If anyone have seen A Walk to Remember, the ending to that was perfect, and I would have loved to see that for this drama. He dies and she spends New Year’s with his family, her dad, Chen Guangpo, He Xindi, and the people from Ji Jia at HW Cafe celebrating his life and the new year.
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