Present, Is Present (2024)

Astonishing -maybe in another space and time !!!

I think a recreation of this drama in another space and time would be amazing and that c-censor board is the reason for most of things that went downhill !
That being said ...it was surely an interesting watch a lot of cliche's served but also carefully garnished by time and space twists this wasn't a drama I was anticipating to be this enjoyable !

I love space and time interventions and time travel stories and I have had a fair share of them this year -- this drama is nothing fresh out of the oven pie -- but it's surely delicious !

→ STORY -- The lead ziqi crosses path with a girl at his lowest point and every day is a story of keeping her safe and revealing the secrets wrapped around his father's death with carefully entangled past and present the narrative is a space and time mystery of survival among the forces who's greed knows no bounds!

The leads have amazing chemistry and screen presence and tho initially unlikable they have a way to grab you in ...the second couple do not bother you with their not required screen time and the cliche's keep you giggling!

Every episode ends on a high note to make sure you stick around for the next one at the edge of your seats -- and best of it all ..people here know about "communication" !!! they actually tell each other things.

Tho a lot of things come across as brainless --in the spoilers-- but they are needed for the story to progress and your blood pressure to fluctuate -- i mean that's the thing you need to be pissed at times with the characters too lol !

the villains tho disappointingly handled but don't get to a point you start questioning why you even bothered to watch it and least have valid motives for doing things !

For a short drama in the world of cdramas with 20+ hrs of run time ...this 8hr storytelling is pretty much what I needed and absolutely loved.
→The actors did such a great job and the FL wasn't some pathetic loser and did figure out a lot of things on her own with a pinch of damsel in distress but don't we all need her to faint in ml's arms atleast 1000 times lol !

→I hope more people watch it ...and i really look forward to any adaptations of it bec -- c-sensor board I AM ACTUALLY QUITE PISSED with the last ep !!!

---- spoilers ahead---

So anyone who want's to know if it was a dream -- yes bec c-sensor board wouldn't have approved otherwise !
I myself am confused about the end but what i think it was he handled everything by himself (i hate it tho and imma pretend I never saw the last ep) and then they get together and all of the side characters have their memories erased ...whereas FL vaguely remembers ML and then falls for him again --THE WORST WAY TO END !

but we know for the plot to progress we need people dying and more specifically FL dying
what i don't get is why the ML even after knowing he's in danger doesn't keep precautions like man if you are going to some xyz building that has people full of villain's gang then get a grip and take few men with you ...or buy his men ...i don't think you are short on cash

or if in the wedding you are to be stabbed most probably ...then wear something to prevent the damage ...get one for your girl as well ...all of that to collect evidence right so you do not have to necessarily shed blood for it ...call the cops or something !!
---------

My fav lines --

"If I am no longer around please find the courage to move on , don't live in the past for me !
The past was wonderful but we should leave it as that -- i always believe what you remember will surely return - we might meet again in another space and time "

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A mediocre attempt at time travel

This drama took me by surprise when I initially watched the first five episodes. For the first time in a long while, I felt we had a refreshing story with minimal tropes and interesting characters. However, as the drama progresses, it loses its grip on the time travel plot, and what we get in the end is a mixed bag.

The Good

- The acting is solid across the board. While not the best I've seen, the actors did a commendable job given the depth of their characters.
- The chemistry between the leads is excellent, which is one of the main reasons I stuck with the drama. Both characters are mature, responsible, and well-spoken, traits that are rare in other dramas.
- This drama avoids many clichés and misunderstandings. It might seem otherwise at the beginning, but have patience and keep watching.

The Bad

- The plot is poorly written, with numerous flaws, plot holes, and unanswered questions.
- The drama needed more time or episodes, as the ending felt very rushed. While I liked the second leads, their screen time could have been reduced as it didn't significantly add value to the story and felt completely unnecessary in the end.

Personally, a time travel drama should be cleverly written with clear explanations, but this drama made an average attempt at best. The ending was influenced by China's censorship, but they cleverly hid the real ending behind that, so kudos for that.

The drama is not the best, but it's quite enjoyable and short enough to be easily binge-watched. I hope to see more attempts like this in the future, offering a variety of different dramas from what we usually know in C-dramas.

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A beautiful drama

I don’t know why nowadays are not listed in google for reviews like other shows.As a audience be it any drama or content across the globe ,I just loving giving ratings and reviews but alas!.To start with the drama it’s not like some other Cdrama as the length of the episode is usually of 30 minutes and the last episode spanning 40 minutes. Drama is short,it only contains 16 episodes.Still it has great plot but yeah the execution is not so done properly.Some things that are in show still not cleared until the end,though the director or scriptwriter tried to clarify the loopholes but they failed as when it is needed something to clarify it make you more confused.The things that are good in this drama are the performances of each and every actors specifically the leads and 2nd leads,I remembered seeing the actor like couple of years ago on a drama ‘My girl’ and there too he did a great job as 2nd lead.It is my first time see him in a male lead and again he had done his performance greatly.From the other project of our FL ,I can say she has done many supporting cast job and I am really surprised to see this ,I mean she is really a good actress.Background musics ,OST’s are so great to listen and any music it has used provide a aspect to how the drama is tried to executed .I really appreciate it after seeing it.I really hope that I can see this couple and other leads in another drama together like ‘About is love’ as far I know it was the only drama that repeated it’s cast in other shows .So I’m hoping this production or director cast them in another drama?

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From someone who doesn't like C dramas, I really enjoyed this one!

I have stated multiple times for my hate/hate relationship with C dramas. I find that they tendto be too long with the amount of episodes they have for a series. I still watch them,though. But due to their lengths, I always seem to loose interest in them.

That was not the case for this series. It had me hooked form the beginning, nearing to the end because of the length of episodes, how the actors portrayed the characters and even the amount of episodes. Would this series have benefitted at finishing at episode 13? Why, yes to me (personally), but it was still good.

I remember seeing the ML from another series 'My Letal Man,' and I think that's why I gave this a shot. This was a simple yet entertaining drama to binge watch and I will recommend it to others as well, especially people who have a hard time in watching cdramas.

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Flawed, angsty time travel romance for Fan Zhixin fans (and the ending is not what you think)

First, I will fully admit that my rating is slightly inflated because of Fan Zhixin. This is otherwise probably closer to an 8 for me, but I also think the current rating of 7.8 is fair too.

Present, is Present is an angsty, yet fun time travel series that starts off with a bang. The future prologue in each episode and the flashbacks to the past work well in framing the "present" that makes up the bulk of each episode. I had pretty modest expectations for this drama, given the lesser known cast, shorter episode lengths, and overall low-budget feel. In that context, I thought the show did a pretty decent job with pacing and keeping viewers entertained, despite some significant story/logic/execution flaws.

The premise itself was interesting, but the driving force behind the story (i.e. the villains) felt a bit two-dimensional and flat. While I genuinely like Tu Bing, I felt she was a bit miscast here as the FL, given her character is supposed to be several years younger than the ML. She is a lovely actress, but definitely felt older and more mature than Fan Zhixin (even though he generally looks older and more mature than his real-life age too). I love my "姐弟恋" (jie-di lian) stories, but this was not supposed to be one, so the chemistry felt a bit off somehow. Even so, you do feel the love the characters have for each other, especially the ML.

If you are a Fan Zhixin fan, he does not disappoint here either. He convincingly pulls off playing a broken husband in mourning as well as the rich obnoxious playboy that's still somehow charming. I only wished he had not been dubbed. Some actors sound so much better when replaced with a voice actor, particularly for certain characters (I am thinking Dylan Wang in LBFD), but Fan Zhixin has a great, expressive voice that did not need replacing. I actually thought it took away from his acting. But I get it, it's just easier and cheaper sometimes for productions to just dub everyone.

(ENDING SPOILERS HERE)

Finally a word on that ending.

It was NOT a dream, guys! I actually found it surprisingly more satisfying than I expected given this is a shorter, half-hour series, and given how hard it can be for Asian dramas to "stick the landing" so to speak. Some viewers seem to think it was "all a dream" to pass censors, but I disagree. I actually thought it was vague enough that it was an effective way to circumvent the *possibility* of censors having a problem with the time travel element without taking anything away. It was also clear enough to me that it was DEFINITELY NOT a dream. Why else would he sleep with his marriage certificate under his pillow every night? The way he panicked looking for it upon waking was not the product of a one-off nightmare. He simply still has PTSD (who wouldn't!) given he carries with him all the memories of every previous attempt he made to save her, including the one where he saw all his physical memories of her disappear in front of his eyes. He finally got his happy ending, but it was not without lingering trauma. (I would also not be surprised if this drama was originally small enough for censors to not care too much anyway -- a lot of the shorter and lower budget dramas get away with time travel, transmigration, steamier scenes, etc. that would never fly with bigger budget, higher profile dramas with bigger names.)

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It's not great.

The Good:
⌲ The cute second couple
⌲ The lack of love triangles
⌲ There are very few annoying things. (unfortunately the same is also true for excitement)
⌲ The beautiful people, everywhere
⌲ It's not very long & as such the pace is rather good until e12.

The Average:
⌲ The mediocre acting
⌲ The mediocre chemistry
⌲ The super shallow romance
⌲ The villains were meh.

The Bad:
⌲ The time travel plot is far below average, it's just really on the boring side & there is even less logic than usual in this genre.
⌲ The lack of comedy is a big problem, since there is no other hook for the romance to remain interesting.
⌲ Even for a low intensity cdrama this one is just lifeless
⌲ The ending follows a basic time travel drama cliche & I don't like this type of happy ending at all.
⌲ There is very little thrilling for a supposed thriller.

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Don't Get Stuck in the Past (or This Drama): A Forgettable Sci-Fi Romance

I really wanted to like "Present, Is Present." I gave it a fair shot, but unfortunately, it turned out to be quite a bore. Despite its promising start and intriguing premise, the drama just couldn't keep my interest.

From the get-go, the show had potential. A wealthy heir in a power struggle, his diligent assistant falsely accused, and a mysterious phone call from the future – it sounded exciting! But as the episodes rolled on, the excitement quickly faded.

One major issue? The pacing. Sure, the episodes were shorter, about 30 minutes each, but even with just 16 episodes, it felt like a drag. By the time I reached the halfway point, the story had lost its grip on me. The twists and turns, which should have added intrigue, only added confusion and frustration. It felt like the writers were trying too hard to keep things unpredictable, but it just made the plot feel disjointed and sloppy.

And let's not even talk about the characters. Wei Zi Qi, our supposed hero, was more of a spoiled brat than a compelling protagonist. His antics were tiring, and his development felt forced. Yuan Xia, the female lead, started off strong but quickly became a one-dimensional character. Her reactions were so flat that I found it hard to root for her. The villains? Completely forgettable.

The time travel element, which should have been the drama's saving grace, was poorly executed. The rules of time travel seemed to change at the writer's whim, making it hard to follow and even harder to care about. And the ending? A rushed mess that left more questions than answers. It was clear the drama needed more time or episodes to wrap things up properly, but honestly, I was just glad it was over.

Even the performances couldn’t save this one. While the male lead had his moments, they were few and far between. The female lead– no reaction, no depth. The chemistry was mediocre at best, and the romance felt shallow and unconvincing.

The only thing I can say is that the show was visually appealing. Beautiful people and nice cinematography, but looks aren’t enough to carry a drama. The lack of comedy, lifeless execution, and overused clichés made "Present, Is Present" a tedious watch.

In the end, "Present, Is Present" was a major letdown. It had the makings of an intriguing sci-fi romance but fell flat in almost every aspect. If you’re looking for a drama that will keep you engaged and entertained, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. This one was just plain boring.

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Not a binge Watch

Unlike many other Cdramas, this one stands out with shorter episodes, typically lasting around 30 minutes, with the final episode extending to 40 minutes. Despite its brevity, with only 16 episodes, the drama boasts a compelling plot. However, the execution leaves something to be desired, as the story continually introduces new twists and turns. Just when you think a twist has resolved, another one appears.

Some plot points remain unresolved by the end, and attempts by the director and scriptwriter to address these loopholes often lead to further confusion. Nevertheless, the standout performances of the entire cast, particularly the leads and the second leads, are a significant highlight of this drama.

This drama took me by surprise when I initially watched the first five episodes. For the first time in a long while, it felt like we had a refreshing story with minimal tropes and intriguing characters. However, as the series progresses, it loses its grip on the time travel plot, resulting in a mixed bag by the end.

The male lead is the standout star of the show, delivering an impressive performance from start to finish. His portrayal of a playboy pretending to be a spoiled brat to protect the female lead was particularly captivating. The female lead was good, but her mediocre acting was disappointing. She reminded me of the female lead from "The Impossible Heir," showing little to no reaction throughout the drama.

It's suitable for someone who enjoys sci-fi. Despite an interesting concept, the plot is poorly written, and riddled with flaws, plot holes, and unanswered questions. The ending felt very rushed, suggesting that the drama needed more time or episodes. A time travel drama should be cleverly written with clear explanations, but this one made an average attempt at best. Nonetheless, it was an interesting watch, with many clichés served up but also carefully garnished with intriguing time and space twists. I didn't expect it to be this enjoyable!

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Past, Present and Future Collide via a Mysterious Cell Phone

Good series with a great cast. Though it wasn't fleshed out, the sci-fi element of the story was interesting and was a reasonable catalyst to drive the story forward.

There were a couple of nice twists, like the SFL being completely psycho and the ML being the mysterious guy in the future trying to change the past via the mystery phone. The power struggle within the business could've been better. I still don't understand what the SFL's father hoped to accomplish by getting the phone that could call the future. How was that going to save his health and subsequently his life? It would've made more sense if he wanted the phone for the financial gain he could generate from the technology, rather than his personal health.

The ML could be a selfish ass, but eventually grew and learned the only way he could save the future -the one he loved was to let go of his own personal desires. The love story was sweet. The leads had nice chemistry and their interactions felt organic. How their story played out in the final episodes was predictable. Yet it was entertaining. This wasn’t outstanding . There were some plot points that made no sense, but it wasn’t bad either. 16 episodes was the perfect number of episodes to tell the story. I wish more C-dramas would do more with less, similar to this drama. Enjoyable series.

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An average drama

'Present, is Present' is a time and space-based drama where a phone becomes a means to connect two different time periods: the past and the present. The phone, developed by the male protagonist's father, allows communication across two years. The father died trying to protect the phone from falling into the wrong hands, and the story begins with the protagonist trying to uncover the truth behind his father's death. In his quest for revenge, he finds himself unable to save his lover. To correct the past and prevent the same mistakes, he attempts to contact his lover from the past, urging her to resign from her job and go abroad. However, as the saying goes, 'Man proposes, God disposes.'While the concept of the drama is intriguing, the execution and direction are lacking. Up until the 8th episode, the drama held my interest, but it gradually became boring. The twist at the end revived some interest, but overall, the drama failed to be engaging. I found the chemistry between the second leads to be more compelling than that of the main leads."

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