Completed
DramaAjumma Flower Award1
59 people found this review helpful
May 14, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 6
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Fantasy Healing Fable

I will preface this by saying that this is in all likelihood the best drama I’ve seen all year. By a strong margin. It’s certainly one of the best I’ve seen in the last 12 months. Until Shards of Her, I hadn’t watch any Taiwanese dramas in several years. Yet in the last couple of months, I’ve discovered a treasure trove of good shows. This is perhaps the best one with the widest appeal. While it has whodunit elements, there’s no gore or violence to deter the faint-hearted. It’s a gloriously perfect blend of coming-of-age, fantasy, a touch of horror, detective and family drama. The weakest part I’d say is the police procedural side of things occasionally played for laughs (which doesn’t help especially from the perspective of a seasoned watcher) but all is quickly forgiven because this show is driven by great storytelling and is imbued with plenty of heart. It’s the kind of show that the Koreans call a “healing drama”. Which usually results in an outpouring of eye water once the waterworks are turned on. Good grief. I don’t remembered the last time I cried this much in a drama.

The star of the show is Pu Yiyong played by Tseng Jinghua, an underachieving high school graduand whose only talent is calligraphy. It’s hereditary. His grandfather is a renowned calligrapher and a teacher in the art. But that distinct family trait has a habit of skipping a generation. Calligraphy however is a dying art form, quickly being superceded by technology. On the other hand Yiyong’s only ambition is to be a comic book artist after completing high school. One day on his way to a calligraphy competition, Yiyong, his father and grandfather board a bus which unfortunately falls prey to an incoming airplane. The lad survives but wakes up after being comatosed for over 2 years. His grandfather barely makes it and is still unconscious in hospital even after all that time. It is left to Mother, Ye Baosheng (Cheryl Yang) to pick up the pieces.

While time has moved on and everyone else with it, Yiyong is lost at sea with no paddle. Or map. Metaphorically. He has no idea what’s next for him until he becomes entangled with supernatural beings who insist that they need him to settle unfinished business on their behalf. So an almost 20 year old unemployed Yiyong reluctantly takes on “cases” that contain at their heart a riddle that needs to be unravelled. Enter Chen Chuying, a junior police officer (Vivian Sung) to lend him a helping hand and takes the lion’s share of the credit for clearing up these mysteries in front of her colleagues. Still cracking these cases is a team effort. Along for the ride is former schoolmate and med student Cao Guangyan (Peng Cianyou) who coincidentally moves next door with his dad (Mario Pu) when Dad’s days in publishing comes to an abrupt end.

Yiyong becomes a reluctant sleuth as he wrestles with his own future and the loss of his father which has left a gaping wound with guilt at the centre of it. He has nightmares that he can’t make head or tail of. There’s also a shadowy figure in the background determined to test his mettle at every turn. Unlike others who have come before, Yiyong is a reluctant superhero. He would rather get on with life and not be haunted by beings that only he can see. Until he starts drawing them that is.

On a deeper level, like many crime shows, this is about the forgotten people in our communities. Those who have suffered loss. The lonely. The homeless. The victims of crimes. This where the show tugs at the heartstrings effectively. The rollercoaster of emotions that I feel in this comes only very rarely. Beautifully intertwined with all of this is also the message that everyone has something that they’re good at. Even a designated “loser” by current social standards can contribute in unexpected ways. Academic smarts aren’t the be all and end all. Everyone has a part to play in the social engine regardless of social status, education, smarts or rank.

This journey of course isn’t Yiyong’s alone. Chen Chuying and Cao Guangyan, his so-called “superiors” who accompany him have a lot to learn from him as well as these out-of-this-world experiences. Chuying understandably is desperate the climb the ladder and break glass ceilings in the police but is forced to confront her own motives for wanting to a respected detective. And Guangyan, for once in his life doesn’t have all the answers regarding his future.

I am new to most of the cast and Tseng Jinghua who leads the cast is definitely brimming with potential. He brings the right balance of confusion, grumpy frustration and a reluctant compassion to the role. Despite Yiyong’s brusque demeanour Tseng Jinghua manages to keep him relatable and likeable.

To give credit where it’s due, I leave my highest praise for the script and by extension the writer. It’s the kind of story that could easily lose its way or get derailed by all the moralizing but unlike many others it’s unusually disciplined by keeping the main thing the main thing. The result is a coherent piece of storytelling which is undergirded by a surefooted direction. Once it takes off it never falters. Furthermore they also manage not to butcher the finale in order to leave the door open for another series. Which is entirely doable if the will (and a decent script) is on the table.

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Completed
Amarilis
34 people found this review helpful
May 13, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Thriller/Comedy with a touch of warmth short drama

This is by far one the best T-drama I've watched in years. It has a touch of comedy, thrilling adventures, warmth feeling and life lesson all in 12 episodes.

I watch this without any expectation and got me hooked from the 1st episode.
The writer of this drama did a great job in depicting each story in all of the episodes.
I love how the characters developments for all 3 main characters were portrayed nicely.
Every actors and actresses portrayed their character very well.
(SPOILER)
I’m surprise that Derek Chang can play a villain as he has that good boy look and often play a good character (boy next door kind).

I love how they made Pu Yi Yong (PYY) become more mature as the story progresses and how he mastered the skill he was given after waking from his coma skillfully. His empathy towards others made him to be a great person despite all the lack of education. He was deemed as hooligans because of this. But he was actually a great person.
As for Cao Guang Yan (CGY) and Chen Chu Ying (CCY), they both became his faithful companion and sidekick ready to defend him anytime.
PYY's mom and CGY's dad were hilarious and make the drama fun to watch too. (of course other side characters were good as well, too many to mention).


Here are some life lessons can be taken from this drama (and maybe apply it in real life):

1. “You are most important” (this is an advice PYY’s Dad gave at the last episode). Although many will interpret this as being selfish, I actually think the dad wants PYY to love himself despite all the weaknesses in his life. One’s compassion and empathy are not a weakness rather it’s a skill that many people lack these days. I love how wise the dad actually is despite his silly actions.

2. “Never give up” This is what I also get from all the “creatures” that PYY help through his writing. Although they are not human but their persistence help them to move on.

3. “Obsession holds others down” This is why most “creatures” PYY encounter existed. A human obsession can be a scary thing just like hatred and jealousy. People blinded from all of these often can’t see or appreciate the things they have in life and beside them.


If you still hesitate to watch, don’t… just go and watch it without expectation. You’ll enjoy it much more. Every episode keeps you on edge (like I did). I’m totally gonna miss this drama every Saturday. I’ve gone attached to Pu Yi Yong character. I will definitely rewatch this drama later on.

Hope there’ll be a second season although Taiwanese drama seldom do more than 1 season.

Wishing other fan of this drama enjoy the drama as much as I did. ^^



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Completed
Kate
15 people found this review helpful
May 16, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

When the episodic format was both the best and the worst part of the show.

This is a drama made for all the fans of friendship, bromance, male and female friendships, discussions on the topic of loss and how to deal with it, presented in an easy to digest manner. For all that love great acting and good on screen chemistry. Viewers who like to accompany the characters on their journey to figure out who they are, what they like, what they are good at and who and what they care about. Do you fit in the group? It’s more than likely you will enjoy it.

The best aspect of the drama was easily Tseng Jing Hua’s performance and Pu Yi Yong’s character. There is so much depth in that performance. The best part? The gaze. Depending on the situation Jing Hua was able to completely change the way he looked at people and things, and clearly show the viewers all the emotions the character was feeling. With all the hardships he had to go through after the coma and newly discovered "skills" - we were presented with a strong, but also vulnerable lead.

Yi Yong, Guang Yan and Chu Ying became one of the most entertaining trio I have watched this year. Distinctive personalities which at first seem not to mash up well, created a mix one cannot resist and ends up loving. Yi Yong being the most empathic, Guang Yan - smart and genuine, and Chu Ying driven and motivated, three characters perfectly fitting into a well known trope of “heart, brain and muscle”, but at the same time being more than the two-dimensional trope.

While the separate cases of the spirits and their stories were great and had surprisingly a lot of depth and detailed background, I cannot say the same about the overall arc and plot. And that was my biggest issue - I enjoyed the show when I was watching, but I did not feel the urgent need to check the new episodes as they aired.

Most of the longer plotlines were not elaborated and explored enough and the set up to the conclusion was weak. They dropped some information here and there, but they did not diversify the hints enough. You need to literally cut out and paint your own puzzle pieces to truly create a full picture in your head. There are a lot of great revelations in the last episode, but they would be far more impactful if they were spread in time a bit. Instead of dropping all that’s important in the last episode, how about showing bits and pieces in the earlier episodes? Sounds like a more engaging storytelling method.

Basically - they opened with a really elaborate set up for the characters and their backgrounds, then we get close to nothing for most of the show, just to be hit with a tsunami of information by the end…

As I said earlier, Tseng Jing Hua’s performance was one of the best aspects of the drama, but truth to be told, the whole cast did a phenomenal job. Big props to Jack Yao, who played my favorite spirit.

The production was amazing. Brilliant styling and design for all the spirits - all unique in their own way. Everything just created a cohesive and believable picture, which is honestly not that easy to do, when your show has so many fantasy elements.

All the calligraphy scenes? Pure perfection! From the acting of Tseng Jing Hua (again, how the character’s gaze changed each time he picked up the brush just gave me goosebumps), to the design of the whole process, up to the CGI and camera work!

Overall, great drama that slightly missed the target to be an unforgettable beautiful journey.

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Completed
KingC
15 people found this review helpful
May 12, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Hilarious, Tear Jerking, Endearing.

This one is truly a rollercoaster ride. Mainly due to its ability to make me laugh and cry simultaneously within the same episode.
It reminded me strangely of Hikaru No Go, for some reason, though I have only watched the first few episodes of that one. Maybe the bromance and ‘Chu Ying’ being the keys?

Pu Yi Yong, a rowdy highschooler hailing from a family of well respected calligraphers fails to perform well at school and is constantly accused of bullying the star student, Cao Guan Yang. Discovering his talent for calligraphy while on detention, his principal and teachers encourage him to enter a contest.
Whilst on the way to the contest, the bus gets into a freak accident, severely injuring Yi Yong and plunging his family into misery. He wakes up after ‘a long time’ in coma to discover that he has somehow acquired the power of seeing the dead – or rather “things” that are invisible entities. With the help of a traffic cop Chu Ying and the most unlikely ally, his own nemesis Cao Guan Yang, he sets on a journey to piece together the puzzles that will eventually lead to the answers he is in search of.

What makes this drama a highlight of 2023 (for me) is the realistic portrayal of the various relationships in life.
Starting off right away with an inauspicious and ominous scene (although the drama has several funny moments) the major cases or “things” that Yi Yong come across are related to the dark or rather unpleasant aspects of human life. Some of them were genuinely heartbreaking and made me tear up.
There are about 5 or 6 different mysteries within the twelve episodes, and I appreciate how the scriptwriters and crew managed to almost deliver a satisfying conclusion to each one of them.

On the other hand, the shenanigans of Chu Ying, Cao Guan Yang and Yi Yong were to die for. They made a perfect mixture of realistic, dumb and wise all at once. Sprinkled in is also the bromance between Guang Yan and Yi Yong, which I adored. [There is no romance to focus on, so don’t you worry. Or you can imagine a budding romance by yourself.]

Yi Yong was definitely the character whom the writers spent more time and effort on. Guan Yang is much more reticent. Peng Cian You was “really” convincing as a highschooler and a sophomore who barely interacted with human beings. His performance in the final episode was gobsmacking.

I have to say, Tseng Jing Hua managed to convey Yi Yong’s dilemmas, fears and the comedy naturally and is easily a favorite. Aside from him, the supporting actors were terrific, particularly after EP4. The writers managed to somehow circumvent 'plot blockers' and utilize almost every character onscreen.
Even a random baker who appeared by chance had some impact in the story, but I'm not quite convinced by the way it proceeded as it felt out of place.

Yipa, aka Chu Ying was lively, but I felt that she had a more comedic role than Yi Yong. This is my second time watching Vivian Sung after “Our Times”, and it was good to see her back on screen, but for most part, she existed to help Yi Yong with his ‘cases’. We see that she has begun to view her job through a different light by the half mark.
Then, there were times I realized that she really is the elder one amongst them. Her colleagues at the department and Yi Yong’s two buddies were hilarious and never failed to make me laugh.

Setting that aside, several wise and haunting words in the drama are spoken by supporting characters.
Aside from all this, I loved the relationship between Yi Yong and Mom - who for once was a constant part of his life and made an attempt to genuinely encourage him despite his setbacks.

The OST was solid - there was only a single tune that was well emphasized with different renditions for each situation. Plus, a set of cartoonish BGMs were exclusive whenever the “Frenemies” came on screen.
My favorite is the closing song “Painful Hug” by Ozone. It perfectly encapsulates the core theme of the story.

From what I gathered so far, Taiwanese dramas tend to do a better job at plotting stories well if they have an idea.
I found the first two episodes quite slow in spite of all that happens, but I had experienced the same with another Taiwanese Drama, so I decided to stick around. The 'main' or rather the heart of the drama can be a bit predictable, however, it does not feel worn out and had a much more emotional impact.

I will rate this a 9.5/10. It had been a fun ride that I will definitely rewatch. I would not say no to a well developed second season, but sequels usually ruin the memories of it's predecessors. All in all, this was definitely an indelible drama worthy of my time.
I hope that Yi Yong and Guan Yang are still bickering somewhere and driving Chu Ying crazy and that every character finds their happy place.

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Completed
Frost_edelweiss
7 people found this review helpful
May 13, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

Existence as theater doubling as a puzzle

There's so much good to say for this so unusual drama. It balances between various types of relationships, friendships, surrogate sibling love, parental and filial love, but the characters are often making it unexpected, and it could take rewatches to extract the complete flavor of 不良执念清除师 ( Bu Liang Zhi Nian Qing Chu Shi = Unhealthy obsessions clearers).

There are strange happenings and tendrils of heart blood snaking around the wrist that wields the brush as a tool to give closure to ancient but lingering grief. Reminding sometimes of the Zhang Xiaogang "Bloodlines" paintings. But the grief is not grounded in recent History, but in stories that could be ordinary if they did not gain added significance through the excellent acting of the protagonists. The beauty is also that all these stories are connected, through the investigation of course, but also through the relevance they have to young Yiyong's own obsessions. He acts as a magnet drawing to him spirits that are yearning for help, and acquaintances that become friends or assistants. He quickly becomes the center of a trio, with a former classmate and a young woman police officer, who quickly finds that she could consider the young men as her own assistants in the investigation of unsolved cases. The three although almost opposed from circumstances of their past and present, become sort of friends, close enough to be a sort of brother-sisterhood that can share views (literally seeing what others can't! ), food, drinks, even a bedside to ward away fears of the unknown. They are friends after a while, although they can be stinging and wound the pride of each other with carelessly flung utterances (especially the policewoman).

They are like pieces of a puzzle, much like the scraps of charred paper that Yiyong collects after his "missions", which connect together to reveal a benevolent meaning. From the start, their names show how much they are fated together like the four "treasures" of the literary Chinese: 《笔、墨、纸、砚》, bǐ, mò, zhǐ, yàn. (brush, ink, paper and stone)

* Pu Yiyong 蒲一永(played by Tseng Jing-hua 曾敬驊 born 1997)
His family name 蒲 immediately reminds of literary connections with ghost story writer Pú Sōnglíng (蒲松齡 1640-1715),
"yi" is "one" as in "the first" and the most important
and "Yǒng" 永 is the well-known "eternity" calligraphic character;
of course Pu Yiyong is a calligrapher, as well as a budding manhua artist, wielding the 笔 bǐ brush (or pen, when used in drawing or ordinary modern writing).

* Chen Chuying 陈楮 楮(played by Vivian Sung Yunhua 宋芸樺 born 1992)
Her name Chén 陈 is shared with Chen Zhonglin also known as Xu Zhonglin ( 陈/许仲琳; 1567 -1620 ) a famous Ming novelist who wrote the fantasy novel Investiture of the Gods , as well as being the birth name Chén Yi 陳禕 of the famous monk Xuanzang玄奘 (so perhaps a roundabout hint to another super-famous trio of quasi supernatural literary characters: monkey king Sun Wukong 孙悟空 ; pig Zhu Bajie 猪八戒; and sand demon Sha Wujing 沙悟淨 who accompany Tang Sanzang 唐三藏/ex Xuanzang Dharma name in the epic Journey To The West)
"Chǔ"楮 is the paper mulberry variety that produces 宣纸 "xuānzhǐ "paper (rice, bamboo have also been used to produce it) used for traditional Chinese calligraphy
"ying" 英 means "heroic", "brave", "brilliant" combined with other Chinese characters: (英雄 yingxiong = hero), (英明 yingming = wise, brilliant)

* Cao GuangYan 曹光研 (played by Peng Cian You 彭千祐 born 1993)
His surname "Cáo" 曹, shared with the famous statesman and general CaoCao (曹操 155-220) can also be found in "yincao" 阴曹= the Netherworld, Hell, Hades;
"guāng"光 means "bright" showing his qualities of clearing up the esoteric murk through a sunny disposition and a rational outlook,
"yàn" 研 is the character in the "yàn tái" 研 台 ink stone on which the ink stick made of ashes is ground in water to make the 墨 mò ink. The character also appears in "Yánjiū yuán" 研究员 ="researcher", or "Yányou" 研 友 other word for classmate (making me chuckle about the memory of the name of the Zodiac snake in the xianxia drama "Ashes of love", but that's an unrelated one).

So, tied together with all these heavily laden symbolic names, the puzzling trio can't help "writing reports" and being instrumental in Pu Yiyong's writing of the magic eulogies that will help seekers find solace and closure for their yearning.

The three young Taiwanese actors, as well as their supporting cast, are excellent in their roles, which are non romantic. One key character in the end of the drama is Chanon Santinatornkul, nicknamed Nonkul or Non, born 1996 in Thailand, who has attained fame in China since 2017.

The CGI is well used and the smokey ghost (seemingly bound by destiny to the Pu family) seen shimmering at the bedside of the granddad, is rather striking, as well as the disintegration and flaking off of some ghostly characters.
The urban landscape is quite typically Taiwanese, and the low furniture, as well as the pronunciation in mandarin (with accent, absence of rolling "erhua" -r finals that are typical of northern and Beijing speech, and shift from zh/ch/sh to z/c/s sounds, influence of the 7 tones Taiwanese, where northern mandarin has only 4 tones ) show the differences with mainland styles.

The drama gives at times the feeling of a stage theater play, with the insistence of the protagonists, the staged appearance of the Doll, the Chinese opera quality of the Tatoo... Is it a tragedy? Is it a comedy? Is it a mystery? All of that, of course: living and dying is putting on a show permanently! First : delineate (make a drawing) of the new characters, next, assemble the clues to recreate the puzzle that they represent...

Music: The opening theme music creates a mysterious and obsessive atmosphere. The end credit song : Painful Hug (痛苦擁抱) by Ozone can be found with subtitles here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-z5VWLWsM
The insert song: Extraordinary (不凡) by Chang Ruo Fan (張若凡) can be listened to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su_gTQL093o

Will I re-watch ? Most probably, to better appreciate some dialogues and jokes, since there is also a lot of humor in these "distressing" cases of abandonment, harassment and even murder! I am already appreciating the circular movement of time with the first images and the last event.

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Completed
AAlvarez25
4 people found this review helpful
Jul 17, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This is mild suspense and nice cinematography. I enjoyed watching all episodes. The bromance was minimal but atleast there was a bit of it to enjoy and also the story is interesting, this is the first time I have watched this kind of story line. The music is okay not really the focus, the 1st and 2nd episode was really interesting. I also like that there was a comedic touch to it, I just hope that they could have focus on the 2 male leads all through out because for me this was the highlight of the series as BL fan.
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Completed
mili4B
4 people found this review helpful
Jul 15, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

A good surprise!

This drama is a really good surprise.
When I started it, I didn't expect anything. But it was really entertaining. I liked the story, the play of all the actors.
It's sometimes comical. The relationship between the three main characters is very nice. Their characters are differents but combine well. You can cry sometimes because of the story. I also liked seeing the calligraphy, topic rarely discussed, so it was original. Don't hesitate to watch this drama. Perhaps it will have a second season? I hope.
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Completed
Chatriel
4 people found this review helpful
May 14, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

Far better than I was expecting!

I wasn't expecting much when I started this series, as I'm not much into the horror genre. Truly though, this was horror with heart. It really wasn't that scary, it was more....creepy. (Regardless, I did think twice about watching it alone at night with the lights off.) In addition to the creepy factor, I was pleasantly surprised at the humor. It was never "haha" funny, but it gave us the occasional "chuckle" moments, similar to those that you would experience in real life. This helped to keep the show from taking itself too seriously and gave the viewers a break from the "scare-mare" moments, as well as from the serious, teary moments.

None of the characters are perfect. They all have their own distinct flaws, again helping to make this a much more realistic show. Still, the protagonists were inherently good people, even if their words/actions/motives weren't. In my opinion, this show did a great job at portraying the multiple facets of its characters' personalities.

The actors were phenomenal. The amount of emotion on their faces, the lines delivered realistically, the physical actions and reactions, were all outstanding. I honestly think my favorite thing about the whole show was when the ML would look at someone like they were stupid. LOL. I'm all in for a second season if they can uphold this standard of acting and storytelling.

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Completed
IncorrigibleMe
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 2, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

A Spellbinding Supernatural Thriller

Prepare to be enthralled by this series as it takes you on an exhilarating ride from lighthearted comedy to the realm of supernatural thriller. With each episode delivering an entertaining and captivating experience, this series has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of the year. However, what truly sets it apart and propels it into the realm of awesomeness is the dynamic interplay between its three main characters.

The story primarily revolves around Pu Yi Yong, a delinquent student who possesses an extraordinary talent for calligraphy that he fails to appreciate. At school, he is known for either underperforming in exams or tormenting our second main character, Cao Guang Yan, a studious individual with aspirations of becoming a doctor. However, everything changes for Pu Yi Yong when he meets with a tragic bus accident that claims his father's life and leaves his grandfather in a coma. Upon waking up after two years, he discovers an uncanny ability to attract the deceased and the intense emotions they leave behind, compelling him to help them with the power of his calligraphy. In his journey, he crosses paths with Chen Chu Ying, a policewoman, and together, the trio embarks on a mission to aid these otherworldly entities and unravel long-standing mysteries.

The series thrives on the captivating relationships between its characters. Pu Yi Yong, portrayed as both caring and occasionally foolish, often tests the patience of Cao Guang Yan and Chen Chu Ying, leading to moments of frustration and eventual understanding. Similarly, Pu Yi Yong's bond with his mother is portrayed as one of love and understanding, adding depth to his character. As the episodes progress, the connection between the three main characters, particularly Pu Yi Yong and Cao Guang Yan, evolves from animosity to mild annoyance, and ultimately blossoms into a genuine friendship, culminating in a strong bond by the series' finale.

Each episode delves into the complexities of human emotions, with supernatural entities serving as vessels for these profound feelings. From tales of love between parents and children to the intricate dynamics between identical siblings, the series explores a range of emotions, leaving viewers with a lingering sense of unease and deep reflection. The exceptional supporting cast deserves praise for their incredible performances, skillfully bringing these intricate emotions to life on screen and keeping audiences captivated throughout.

In conclusion, this is a spellbinding supernatural thriller infused with mystery and a touch of comedy, brought to life by a stellar ensemble of actors. The series boasts memorable plotlines and evokes a myriad of emotions that will resonate with viewers long after the final episode. Prepare to be engrossed in a world where the supernatural meets raw human emotions, offering a viewing experience that is both thrilling and thought-provoking.

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Completed
IT leisure
4 people found this review helpful
Jun 2, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 5.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Lackluster story but good friendship story of the 2 main lead

I like the friendship story between Yi Yong and Guang Yan. Their interaction is cute, natural and well acted (bickering and snipe remarks). I find Guang Yan extremely adorable.

I also felt for Yi Yong loss of his father and his regrets. It is this story that also keeps me watching to the end.

Overall, it is quite a well done show, not draggy and to the point. The individual cast and scripts are appropriate and well acted.

The big problem is flat and shallow story. Yi Yong regrets and final meeting with his father is short-changed. Certain scenes and his actions in the middle of the shows are extremely well done and touching. This is something this show has directed well over most drama. No overtalking. No words is needed, action speaks louder. And it just makes you tear when he does something without explaining. But the final meeting with his father and overall story of his regrets is lacking, not complete, not right and no good closure.

Next, the obsession and loss stories, and the stories' various characters are also dull and shallow. They should compliment it to develop Yi Yong regrets on his father story but no except maybe a little bit. Thus, it become boring and repetitive from second half despite the cast's good acting. And perhaps, due to no idea or research, the story arch was the usual thrilling bad guy plot, its common and not in the spirit of this story. This ending is a let down.

The reason this show scores 5 is because it failed to develop the character nor come out good thrilling plots. Most shows nowadays did not develop character - how they grown and change (except maybe Till the end of the moon which is badly directed). Instead, more thrilling plots or fantasy are used to hype up the story. This show is lackluster on both aspects but it scores on the interaction and relationship between the characters, especially the 2 main leads.

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djohangaon
3 people found this review helpful
Apr 13, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
Due to an accident, Pu Yi Yong (Tseng Jing Hua) now can see and talk to ghosts. He teams up with an old classmate Cao Guang Yan (Peng Cian You) and a cop Chu Ying (Vivian Sung) to help ghosts move to the afterlife, as well as to figure out a bigger mystery surrounding his family and the reasons he gets his supernatural skills.

Oh No Here Comes Trouble takes the theme of people's inner struggle towards loss and how to deal with it. The best part of this series for me was the three lead's friendships; Yi Yong, Guang Yan and Chu Ying. Their distinct personalities which seem to not match well at first develops into an understanding and faith. Yi Yong being the most empathic, Guang Yan - smart and genuine, and Chu Ying driven and motivated, perfectly balance one another and ultimately become the heart of this drama. This only thing I couldn't vibe with them was the deadpan humor that didn't feel that funny to me.

The episodic ghosts stories were entertaining and heartfelt, with good backstories... but this episodic nature becomes a double-edged sword because it takes out my focus to the main overarching plotline, as in I did not feel the angst or the curiosity to know what happen or to watch the next episode. Nevertheless, the reveal in the end was great and it was a beautiful healing journey.

April 2024,
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Completed
kitty
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 22, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Beautiful story

I have only watched a handful of taiwanese series so I was a little hesitant to watch this one but after I got done watching it, I fell in love with the storyline, characters were amazing and the actors did a great job making those characters come to life. it definitely was plot twist of emotions for me and I never usually cry but this series had me tearing up. this one really touched my heart so props to the writers and producers definitely a 10 out of 10 for me! I don’t usually write reviews, but I had to on this one.
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Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (2023) poster

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