If I want you, true love will take its course

"And in the end we're all just humans, drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness", Fitzgerald.

This was by far the best cdrama I've ever watched. I usually don't do reviews of dramas - I just comment under an episode if I have to say something - but it felt like it was needed here.

Now, it has been some time since I've finished it, so pardon me if I forget something.

I'm a huge fan of these youth dramas, set in high school and college days and whatever, so of course I couldn't miss this one. First impression? Too cool. We finally have a female lead who isn't stupid and weak, I immediately fell in love.

The first episode was a prolepsis (flashforward) until half of the second one, where we return to the present - seven years before. At first I didn't understand anything, I remember I was so confused that I tried to read some comments but most of them were even more confusing, so I just gave up. Until the second episode, where I officially started the journey with Zhu Yun and Li Xun.

I couldn't loved it any more.

It's the first day of college - I suppose - and they're waiting for their books. It's so casual that made me resent watching it - I mean, it made me want to watch some light romance dramas again.
Zhu Yun and Li Xun don't get along well at first - one is doing her best to please her mother's wants, the other is living life like an arrogant young boy, which he is btw - but they slowly start to feel something for each other. Zhu Yun is attracted by his weird personality, his strong abilities and his intellingence, meanwhile Li Xun is confused and attracted by her stubborness, the way she treats him and the fact that she isn't afraid of getting close to him and dare him.

These college days are the best, but as usual, after the sun comes the storm. Li Xun ruins his life by committing a crime. If only it ended here, Zhu Yun would've stayed by his side no matter what. However, this mf (sorry, I had to, I hated him in these moments) lied to her and broke her heart. This led to her leaving him and changing country - literally.
(Don't tell anyone else, let's keep this a secret, but I skipped these episodes. If you don't wanna cry your heart and eyes out, skip episodes 21 and 22)

They "reconcile" several years later, both knowing what they feel for each other. Li Xun keeps trying to push her away, but Zhu Yun knows he's lying.

And this is the most beautiful thing about this drama: their relationship. There's something Zhu Yun tells Li Xun: "Choose me, I won't betray you". It seems a normal sentence, but if you've watched the drama you know how important and touching this is.

'Cause no matter what happens, they are committed to each other, they believe and understand each other so profoundly that it breaks my heart knowing I won't ever have a relationship like that.

They are powerful, not only because of their abilities and intelligence, but mostly because they're ready to risk it all for their significant other. They're for sure the best cdrama couple I've ever seen.

And I believe I should say someting about Gao Jian Hong. This mf (#2) betrayed his best friends 'cause he couldn't accept that there's always someone better than us. I hated him until the very end, but at the same time I understood him: I know it's frustrating having someone who outshines you in everything you thought you were good at, still you should prove you're mature enough to understand not only your limits, but also the other's and the moral limits. Gao Jian Hong actually represents those who can't accept their own boundaries and push themselves to the limits, until they reach the ultimate stage of their miserable lives.

Unfortunately, Gao Jian Hong didn't stay loyal to his friends and suffered for that. I believe that his end was perfect, even though that illness prevented us to see how well our protagonists would've handled the revenge plan.

Another character that I should mention is Zhu Yun's mother. Just gonna say I hate her. I in general hate parents who want their children to live a life already decided by them. I mean, once a person turns eighteen (or whatever age a person is considered adult in your country) the parents have no right on their child's life: they can only advise them, but not decide for them. So yeah, I hated her mom 'cause she first chose her major and then tried to choose even her boyfriend/future husband.

Actually her presence wasn't that prominent in the last part of the drama, so I didn't feel her efforts to couple Zhu Yun and Tian Xiu Zhu that much, but it was still nerve wracking.

Overall, Lighter&Princess is a 10/10. I feel like I shouldn't rate everything about this drama a 10, but it is what it is. The story with its tropes was amazing, original and touching. The cast was perfect and so was the acting - just a little reminder of Chen Fei Yu's eyes 'cause that man didn't portrayed Li Xun, he IS Li Xun - : most of the cast is new with few years of experience so it was really refreshing seeing these young people acting so good with so hard characters to depict. And let's not talk about the soundtracks 'cause I'm literally obsessed! They complete the drama in a way that is really hard to see nowadays (I'm a musician so I have ears for these things).

And of course, the rewatch value. Useless to say that I'm literally on my way to rewatch it. It's too good to discard after being watched just once.

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This is my number one cdrama

Up until now, I think I've watched more cdramas than kdramas, and I've never once changed GH's position as the number one.

It's been quite a long time since I watched it - if I have to write a review I wait, so that I can see if it's actually worth enough to be remained in my memory - but something about it it's impressed on my mind. The plot.

I can't make huge spoilers, but the relationships between every single person inside that family are awesome. And I say relationships because they have different "stories" and connections between each others.

Li Jianjian and her father Li Hao Chao start off as a family of two, due to the loss of Jianjian mother when she was younger, but soon become a family of five. Three siblings and two fathers. And this is something that really touched me: the complete absence of a maternal figure. They didn't imply that a family can't run without a woman and I appreciated it so much.

Every mother in there had a valid reason to leave their child behind: from Jianjian's mother, who died suddenly, to their upstairs neighbour Ling Xiao, whose mother left him 'cause she was feeling overwhelmed after her daughter death - which left her with some mental instability -, and finally to He Zi Qiu's who left him to search for a job and a better life in another city. Now, everyone has their own opinions, but to me they weren't bad mothers. Apart from Jianjian's, Xiao's mom was unstable and, to be honest, if she didn't make a comeback I would've loved her disappearence; meanwhile Zi Qiu's mom just wanted the best for his son (I honestly don't remember what happened but I do know that her original thoughts were rightful).

And the presence of Ling He Ping actually proves that nobody is perfect, but together with Li Hao Chao they made great parents for their children. That showed us how it's important to find equilibrium with someone else in this life, and how this can change our positivity and our impact to the world. If He Ping didn't have Hao Chao beside him, he wouldn't have been such a great parental figure, but instead a father who only cared a lot about his child but couldn't do anything except bringing money into the family. This really really depicted the importance of looking at the bigger picture and not just the single person.

Taken alone, He Ping was a bad parent, especially at first. He then learned how to be present for their children thanks to Hao Chao, but before this milestone the series testified - and I want to repeat this - how imperial is EQUILIBRIUM.

Now, I won't talk about the acting 'cause I thought it wasn't neither exceptional or awful. It was alright, good enough to make me cry during significant moments. As for the soundtracks, they're perfect. And the morals of the series? They made me reflect a lot on what kind of life I want to live.

Overall, this is a 9.5 drama. The only thing that maybe can ruin it it's the sad fact that once you've watched it, it's hard to rewatch it. At least for me, since it had so many important details that are impactful only the first time you catch them, the second time I tried to watch it was quite boring: I couldn't focus and every little plot twist wasn't surprising since I already knew them. I wished I could watch GH for the first time again.

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That kiss didn't live up to its expectations...

Alright, I've just finished watching this second season and I must admit I've shed too many tears. But let me break it down now.

We start the drama with the death of Son Myeong-o, and a bit of explanation of what he did before it happened, and Ha Do-young catching Park Yeon-jin in our Dong-eun apartment. From this moment on, it'll escalate quickly; if you think now that eight episodes aren't enough, you'll get to the end wondering what the heck happened in the middle.

This season is the one where we'll see Do-young grow apart from his ten years wife, getting slowly a better understanding of what happened almost two decades ago. He'll ask himself more and more questions, until finally he'll get his answers once he realizes first-hand how psycho Yeon-jin is. Still, he won't leave her, at least for now.

The plan Dong-eun has been carrying out starts to get finalized in a few details. We discover some important news here: Myeong-o wasn't the one who raped our poor Yoon So-hee, but Jeon Jae-joon. It's our main lead, Joo Yeo-jeong, that first who realizes it when the bastard asks him about an autopsy and what can get unveiled through it. Now, this changes the course of events: it'll be Yeon-jin the one to expose the pregnancy of So-hee through a «press conference», although without saying the name of the rapist.

Also, our Kang Hyun-nam and her secret identity as Dong-eun's assistant gets uncovered by Yeon-jin, that threatens her to get on her side. Of course, our ahjumma isn't stupid and talks to Dong-eun, letting her know she'll now pretend to work for Yeon-jin. Honestly, I have a mad respect for that woman and her courage: I mean, first her husband and then that bitch?!

Talking about husbands... Dong-eun is a genius, and so are the writers lol. We were waiting for that bastard to die, as our main lead promised Hyun-nam, and finally it happens. However, it's unexpected: Dong-eun makes sure the man blackmails Yeon-jin's mother, and through some «adventures»... Let's say the killer and the timing are completely unexpected.

As for Do-yeong, he finally decides to leave Yeon-jin in the final episode, which lasts about an hour and fifteen btw, and DOES SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY UNFORESEEN!! What you mean my man got his little revenge? I honestly don't understand why so many people say he's toxic, I'd love to have a father like him omg. I also loved how they revealed it was him. But generally speaking, his love for Ye-sol is immense and I'm here for that.

Regarding Ye-sol herself... I just gotta love when she turns her back to her own mother. «I'm not proud of you anymore, mom». That kid's going places, let me tell ya.

And don't let me start with the landlord lady. Just few minutes before the finale we get to see what was their relationship and here's where I cried oceans. «The water is freezing, why don't we die in spring?». «I realized when you said we should die in spring that you meant we should bloom. It's been eighteen springs now and I'm waiting my time to bloom». Those lines were my absolute favorite in the whole drama. That old lady has really got my heart, she's my favorite character now.

Some people also said they would've preferred a finale with the sparkles between Do-young and Dong-eun. Here's what I think: yes, they have very similar mentalities, and yes, they really have that chemistry (especially in the first season); however, Dong-eun got closer to him just for her revenge, she never once thought of «stealing» him from Yeon-jin. Moreover, Dong-eun would've had to live with the constant memory of her past if she dated Do-young. I think her letting go of the gym and the hallways (as she repeatedly said) included letting go of EVERYTHING that came with it; that is also why she decided to leave Yeo-jeong and even herself. And what about Ye-sol? Dong-eun wouldn't have been able to live with the little girl knowing she ruined her family, even though Yeon-jin deserved it doesn't mean her daughter did.

Yeo-jeong's mother. I want her. Can I have her? Where can I get one? She's so freaking cool. She already noticed how her son was barely living through his everyday life, and how he immediately lighted up once Dong-eun entered his life. She's never once tried to stop him, despite his actions could've been considered crimes. She saved Dong-eun because she knew BOTH of them NEEDED each other to live, and her entire purpose/job is to let people live peacefully their lives. There's so much between these scenes actually, I really applaud the writers.

And what about the plot twist of Yeo-jeong always knowing Dong-eun needed him? Like man? First he goes: «I'll be your executioner, just tell me who I have to kill first», «At some point in life you need to decide what kind of person you want to become, and I decided to be your partner in crime» and many more lines, just to find out you haven't take this decision the moment she told you about her story but since the start? Oh, Yeo-jeong, what kind of a man that you are... That was so sexy of him btw, he raised my standards over the sun.

Now. If you've arrived here, you're probably asking about my title. Come on, you've probably already seen the scene. I mean, I understand the main plot is revenge, but you give me such a MAN as the main lead, you build up their relationship FOR WHAT?! That was the kind of kiss you give in middle school! Still, was much anticipated.

Overall, this revenge drama is absolutely the best. Never seen something this good, this well thought in every detail. Even the story of Kim Gyeong-ran, the third victim of the group and also the shop assistant of Siesta, was incredible. I mean, you could've predicted something, but other things were news to me. Or maybe I'm too stupid?

And that was it. One of the best dramas I've ever watched. Fenomenal acting, amazing musics and storyline. Just perfect.

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Not for everyone

Let me start with saying that this drama is obviously not for everyone. Why?

First of all, it has no plot. All they showcase here is the love relationship, by the way only of the main couple; unfortunately we haven't seen so much of the second one, and only a bit of the third. This is something that I too disliked.
So I understand lots of users who said that it's a useless drama. However, from someone who loves this romance no-plot thing, let me tell you why we like watching it: it's easy. It's an easy getaway from real life, from a boring real life, and all we want to do is watch some people fall in love. No love triangles, no enemies, no adversities... Just pure love. And also a mature relationship!

Have you ever had one of those days when you get home from school/university/work and you just want to relax? Well, some of us prefer action, horror or fantasy movies or whatsoever – others prefer a no-plot romance. We just need to sit down with our snacks, and that is all. No braincells, no anxiety, no hatred for some characters that can't keep their toxic love for themselves... It's easy.

This is why I gave it an 8 for the story. Certainly not because of the plot ('cause there is none). I honestly think there should be more dramas like this one.

As for everything else, I don't think I need to explain. I gave an 8.5 for the acting, because it genuinely could've been better but also worse. I enjoyed it, sure, but it wasn't much. By the way, Hou Wen Yuan (Zhou Zheng/Juemei Shayi) deserves more recognition: bro is such a great actor! And he's handsome too! I hope to see him more in the future.

Well, regarding music I have nothing to say. As a musician myself, these soundtracks are perfect for the drama and the feelings portrayed. I loved «Return With You», and whatever song they performed altogether during the pageantry event – when Qiang Qingci finally says goodbye to the stage.

At the end, I gave an overrall of 8.5 with a rewatch value of 8 because I would rewatch it. That's it. Everyone has different opinions, as I could see from the comments, so don't come at me lol. I just think this is a good light romance drama, and since I appreciated it so much I'm sure I'll rewatch it.

It reminds me a lot of other dramas like «Put Your Head On My Shoulder», «My Little Happiness», «Once We Get Married», «Time Is Just Right With Him» or «When I Fly Towards You». Yes, some of them have more plot than others, but at the end of the day these are all light romance fictions. Peaceful and romantic.


P.S. The only kiss we got from Juemei and Xiaoxing was the only one that made me feel some type of way... The way he grabs the back of her head and turns her around while walking... yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Also, I liked the end with the voice actor that repeats the same words Qiang Qingci said upon meeting Shengshengman. It's cute.
Didn't like the fact that we still miss the encounter with the parents of both and a more detailed relationship between Fengyasong and Sister Doudou, though. Like, how did those two come together? I know that Fengyasong somehow proposed himself, but that is not enough. And let's not talk about that poor second couple, we don't even see the big revelation of love (rip).

I'm lowering the votes here. Still cute.

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Hatred, romance and hope

With the premise that I was myself victim of bullying (even though not this cruel), I must admit the satisfaction of this drama. From the absolutely relatable hatred towards the bullies to her strength to actually seek revenge, I've loved everything about "The Glory".

The hope that the main character had in her adolescence made me rethink about my life: she was able to get out of that situation, and despite it all she became stronger day by day. I admire her so much, I wouldn't be able to save myself, especially if I was completely alone like her.

Apart from this, she had the mental sanity and clarity to plan a revenge, which even though we can't properly see in this first season, we can foreshadow it'll be fantastic. She remained strong even when confronting her bullies face to face, so strong that didn't snap and kill them right there and then. Even though, my personal opinion, it would've satisfied my need.

Although it was a very difficult journey she stayed loyal to her feelings of hatred and fury.

I love this kind of dramas, where the protagonist's only purpose in life is revenge. It shows that no life is pitiful, just different from ours. It dimonstrates that someone is born to accomplish great things, while others are born to live a miserable life. While the first ones are who, regardless of their dreams, purposes or positive or negative attitude towards life, usually achieve important aims (wether these will be economic or whatever), the latters are those who think everything and everyone own them, that they will conduct a happy life 'cause they have power and money to spend.

Our Dong-eun surely is one of those who are born to accomplish great things: in her case, revenge. There's something else that I love and admire of this types of dramas: the main characters don't have anything else to do after their plans end. Their "main task" is finished, so what do they do now? Either living in regrets for what they've done, or feeling relieved and trying to heal their wounds, or again just surviving until the day they'll die. I think however a character decides to carry on they're heroes nonetheless.

I honestly hope Dong-eun will focus more on her life and how to live as a (approximately, 'cause this kind of wounds will never heal completely) normal person, maybe with Yeo-jeong by her side. This is the kind of happy ending I hope she will get, along with all those people who are living the same hell, 'cause we all know there are more than what we are ready to admit.

Yeo-jeong is that kind of man who makes you feel loved and cared for even in your darkest times, even when you've lost hope in everything and everyone else. He's that kind of man that stays loyal until the very end and will do anything for you and your well-being. But he's also someone who can pretty much relate to Dong-eun's pain, even if for another reason (which is still incomplete in the first season).

They're two broken pieces of a picture, and together they form an artwork, a delightful painting. Maybe with too many dark colors around the edges, but I'm sure when they mix together they create those beautiful lights. They're just perfect for each other and I'm here for it.

Now, apart from the storyline, which is too complex but at the same time satisfying, the acting was superb. Just a look at the cast and I was sure it was going to be perfect. Even Jung Ji-so was amazing: her parts weren't surely the easiest! She portrayed her character so good that she got me goosebumps. It must've been hard...

Overall I'm giving a 9.5. That 0.5? Well, maybe the soundtracks... While they were perfect for the drama, I thought maybe something else would've gotten more effect. And you're asking why the rewatch value is lower than the rest? That's because I wouldn't be able to watch it a second time: too cruel. The first time is already traumatizing, I don't think I need to see it a second time.

And finally, just a last comment: I'm fortunate to have started and finished it when the second season is already out, 'cause otherwise I couldn't have waited that much to see how it would've ended.

One of the best revenge-plot dramas ever!

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