I was glad I gave this tropey drama a chance, as I'm not into ISWAK vibes (cold but smart man, warm but clueless woman). But their story was too sweet (without being too saccharine) to pass up. Miles Wei does justice to his character, an upright, socially-awkward and emotionally-stunted university professor. And so hot too boot! Xu Ruo Han manages to portray the naïve, "unfortunate" student without pissing me off, by being too whiney or clingey as other "dumb FLs" ought to come across. Together, they make an adorable couple who navigates through their contractual marriage and growing feelings for each other. Their marriage of convenience is mostly due in part of the ML's grandfather (a great supporting character!) whose dying wish is to see his grandson happily married, and circumstances led to Yun Shu as the chosen wife. Other supporting characters are also well-fleshed out, including the secondary coupling of the ML's Best friend and FL's sister. The love rivals in this drama weren't hateful and even the "villain" of the story (FL's cousin) served as a catalyst to bring the two MCs together. All in all a cute Rom-com that includes steamy kisses.

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I was interested at first until the actions of the FL towards the second half of the drama irked me. Her self-righteousness became overbearing, and I don't think it's the fault of the actress. Just the way the characters are written are mostly one-dimensional, particularly the side characters. Towards the end I have very little love left to what could have been a good drama. Loose ends are forcibly tied and I didn't like the way how the "bad" characters ended up getting redemption, and some even receiving praise for the necessity of them being mean. I guess I should be more forgiving and carry with the thought that there are no bad people, just bad decisions made by people, but somehow this didn't fly with me in this drama.

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This is the second drama I've seen of Rosy Zhao; her popularity as a young and up-coming actress is solidified by her acting prowess. She fits the bill of the female character who can be quirky and serious at the same time. Ryan Ding tries his best to catch up with the female lead and plays the love-lorn villain-turned hero decently enough. I like the well-roundedness and multi-dimensional characters in the drama, despite some of the show's plot holes that try to pin them down.

Not sure what I need to say more about this drama, except that it is a delight to watch and I am excited to see the sequel if it is the same cast. Hopefully, this time set in the modern era.

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I would have given this drama a lower score if it hadn't been for the amazing chemistry between Xing Fei and Tang Xiao Tian who carried most of the show. The premise of a boy crushing on a girl for over 20 years despite not having been together for most of their lives was interesting; however, it was less credible for me IRL. But keeping in mind this is a drama after all, I had to suspend disbelief, like I did with Wen Rang and Cheng Cheng's relationship. The episodes could be cut in half and still convey the same story. A lot of filler scenes especially towards the last few episodes.

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Another drama about a celebrity and a commoner. Not necessarily an anti-fan but a non-fan. Add to this a dash of the supernatural, body-swapping and you get a tropey drama. Stephen Zhang and Liang Jie were brilliant as the aloof idol Jiang Yi and the spritely entertainment reporter Yu Sheng. Their meticulous performance continues when they were purportedly inhabiting the other's body. What made me give this drama less than a full mark are a variety of factors. For one, the pacing is uneven, very slow in some parts, and quick to escalate on others. Secondly, the supporting characters had their own backstory and also, their own selfish agendas where I cannot feel for any of them, aside perhaps from Yu Sheng's parents. The second pairing is not a pairing at all, and it seems the writers tried just to grasp at straws to make the 2nd couple feasible. And finally, the most glaring error is the last 5 minutes of the drama, which threw the whole narrative into whack, and hence unforgivable in my eyes.

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I thought that no C-drama that would rival my fave, The Untamed, but WOH is giving The Untamed a run for its money. The world building may not be as complex as The Untamed, but there's no shortage of duplicitious and intricate plot twists. Secondary characters are also well-fleshed out and are important figures in their own right. Fighting scenes and cinematography are also breath-taking. But I think what pushes this drama to the top are our Male leads.Soulmates Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xing have an adorable push-and-pull kind of relationship, and magnified by the flirtatious gestures of Gong Jun and the stoic expressions of Zhang Zhe Han. I am amazed at these productions adapted from same-sex works, how they were able to skirt Chinese censorship but yet manage to drop hints, whether by slight touches, lingering eye contact or subtle references to source material. But also because of the censorship, tension between two characters needed to be nuanced and left to the imagination. It is a great way to bring mainstream and BL viewers under one roof.

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Story: I was pleasantly surprised at how much content was packed into such a short film: there were elements of romance, drama, tragedy, family, youth, and also along with it a message to boot. The dynamic between the mother and the two men were palpable, and although conflict arose between the two men and the mother and son, they were tackled in a realistic manner.

Cast: The mother's acting stood out in this short film for me, but then the story and also the production (though not big budget) helped propped her character up to be a mother who has to choose between her happiness and her son's happiness.

Music: Nothing that stood out.

Re-watch value: I could only because it's short, but I wouldn't as I don't re-watch, and usually move on to the next drama / movie.

One of the lead characters also directed and wrote this short film, which is really something to me. Not that he did something super amazing, but at least he tried and did not end up with a bad film as some bigger productions do. It was even nominated at the local London Film Bunch, a net-working community based in London that features mainly short films. I was mainly happy that this film did not end up like most BL films, especially coming from China.

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I normally don’t like to watch revenge dramas, but after “The Glory”, I became less reluctant to watch this sub-genre. I don’t like time-travelling shows either, unless it is done well. So I went into this drama with not much expectation, except I haven’t seen Min Young since “Her Private Life”, so I thought I should give this a chance, and boy, I’m glad I did.

This drama asks: what would you do with your life, if given a second chance to relive it? Ji Won travels back in time to do just that, after dying not from terminal cancer as she was pre-destined to do, but from an argument with her husband and her best friend about their infidelity. Ji Won uses this second chance to turn her life around, refusing to become the doormat she once was, and using the knowledge she gained from her future, to mitigate her losses and transfer them to somebody else.

It was also during this time travel that she learned about her unrequited boss’ feelings for her. It turns out that Ji Hyeok has been quietly supporting her all along despite her obliviousness.

This drama was filled with so much angst and intrigue that I relished every moment of it. I also liked the brooding Na In Woo when he shoots heart eyes at Park Min Young’s character. It is the first time I’ve seen In Woo as a main lead in a drama and he didn’t disappoint. I’ve loved Min Young since "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" so I already knew what I was expecting and she delivered.

Perhaps the only thing that prevented me from throwing a bottle at the TV is my hope that justice will be served in the end. It was frustrating to see Min Hwan and Soo Min acting so entitled and devious, as if the world owed them something and both blaming others for their misfortunes. Min Hwan’s mother is no better. I wanted to rip her hair out for treating her daughter-in-law so badly.

Despite these frustrations, “Marry My Husband” is a highly entertaining watch.

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Story: Plot is nowhere to be found, just a sea of bodies in tighty whities.

Acting/Cast: I did not even realize that Chris Wu is in this short film, until I saw the credits. What a waste of talent but I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

Music: Head-achy, the same as the strobing lights filtering throughout the short film.

Rewatch Value: Once is enough.

Overall: This short is trying to pass as film noir by interspersing the dialogue with the lines of two poems, but it came across more as a low-budget porn film that does not even satisfy. Please give me back 13 minutes of my time.

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I dropped this once after I watched a couple of episodes. Then I thought maybe I wasn’t giving this drama a fair chance, so I picked it up again. But no, I had to drop it halfway as my first instincts were right about this: It’s a vapid show about two people stuck in the feelings of their teenage years, but the years that passed didn’t add to their maturity (at least on the Female’s part).

Xu Qin is still under her mother’s thumb despite being a hotshot doctor. Also, the push-and-pull games she plays on Song Yan would also make me exhausted, even just by watching. I could not understand how a character, who has so much sass when confronting her colleagues, becomes like a cowardly cat with her tails stuck between her legs when she goes home. It looked like Wang Chu Ran had only two speeds, and I was lulled to sleep with her flat delivery.

And what the fahk are all those coincidences? Am I supposed to believe that after years of not meeting each other, all of a sudden they cross paths like every five minutes??? Really?? Is Xu Qin the only doctor in the city??? Is Song Yan the only firefighter in that area??? And all the safety protocols they seem to abandon, just so they can get a love shot between the two, is just making me shake my head vigorously that I could have suffered from whiplash.

I only stuck around for Vin Zhang’s character, but after he left the Fire Dept, there was no more reason for me to hold on. Even Yang Yang’s pretty boy face could not make me watch this long, drawn out drama which is more like a PSA for the front liners. Yes, it was commendable that it portrays the livelihood of firefighters and doctors, and how they make decisions that save countless of lives. But it wasn’t enough for me to continue the story.

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Disclaimer: My review is a minority. Just because it is not my cup of tea, doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it.
Please watch and judge for yourself.

I have to admit, I hated this movie. Maybe it's just me, but there I said it and I'll say it again: I hated it. Even that is an understatement and I am being nice already to give it a 2.5.

Story: I normally read reviews before watching any movie or drama, and since this movie is really new and only had 1 amazing review, I decided to give it a whirl.
Bad decision on my part. Good news is: it only wasted less than two hours of my time. The story was so draggy, I fell asleep that I had to rewind again to see what I missed.....nope, I didn't miss anything apparently. It's like watching those daytime soaps where a scene of somebody slapping can run from a Friday episode to next Monday's. That's why I don't watch daytime soaps, and I shouldn't have watched this movie.

Acting/Cast: Despite my bad review, we have some pretty decent acting over here. I was only able to finish watching this movie because of the eye candy provided here. The mother's acting was poignant, and but not good enough to feel her pain.

Music: I fell asleep....was it a lullaby? I couldn't tell.

Re-watch Value: Once is enough. Unless I'm a masochist, I won't watch this ever again. EVER.

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I really tried to plow through this train wreck of a drama but couldn't. Just the gratuitous shots that are inappropriately placed was enough to make me hurl. I don't have a problem with half-naked bodies, but it seems to me that this drama is just an excuse for girls/guys to take their clothes off every chance they get. They shove boobs in front of the camera and some ass-pushing going on that seems forced.

Acting wise, nobody acted naturally and the supposed chemistry between the two men who are engaging in an adulterous affair...was not even there. I felt that the actors especially the one playing Jack is so stiff, as if he didn't even want to be there. And the one who is playing Palm is too flamboyant as if he is playing a one-man orchestra.

The characters in this drama are so one-dimensional and almost predictable and therefore I did even bother to watch the rest of the drama to know where it's headed: disaster.

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Dropped halfway through the series. I'm struggling with this drama, not because it isn't good. But I have never wanted to take so many knives out of my cupboard because of so many characters. Typical dramas have one or 2 hateful characters (usually a spiteful mother-in-law or an annoying SFL). But this!!!!! I wanted to smash the heads of Yeo Joon's so-called-friends who accuse others of leeching when it fact they are the worst ones do so. If there is an award for the worst family, Yeo Joon's parents take the cake. (Maybe tied with the psychotic mother in IOTBO).
And all those girls who are just jelly and abusive toward So Bin because Yeo Joon didn't choose them should just go to hell. Even though they are kids, those who made fun of So Bin for not having a mother are just plain mean. The professor who pilfers her student's work without crediting them, as if it was her privilege shouldn't be teaching. It's like they put every scumbag in one drama and it is making my blood boil!!!!

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Where to begin with this short but gut-wrenching drama? Maybe the premise will help, as we already know from the get-go that one of the main characters is dead. So it’s not like we didn’t expect a sad backstory to color the mood.  

In the beginning, we learn that the female lead was engaged in an adulterous relationship, although I did not see any need for the drama to include such a minute detail. But this incident spurs Konno Mei to move back to her hometown, where the actual story begins. We know her aversion to that place is mainly because of the abundance of memories she had with her childhood friend, who passed away tragically at a young age. But the prospect of the cherry-blossom tree where they had promised to meet, being cut down, was also weighing on her thoughts.  

Once there, she meets her supposedly dead friend who’s stuck at 17. Setting aside the how’s and why’s Kota mysteriously re-appearing after years of his demise; we see Mei being conflicted. Happy that she can see him again once more, but also sad knowing what actually happened to him. She couldn’t seem to grasp the reality of his death, nor could she move on. She distanced herself from her friends and became far from being her happy-go-lucky young self.  

Mei also became awkward upon meeting her friends again. I understand that death will do this to certain people, where they drift away from each other, not knowing what to do. However, this drama shows that life doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom once someone passes away. Kota’s reappearance stresses the importance of leaning on each other for support and is pivotal in bringing old friendships back together.  

While we see justice being served late, with the real perpetrator of Kota’s unfortunate accident brought to justice, I place less emphasis on this revelation. For me, what struck the most is that time CAN heal wounds, if you let it, and it makes you appreciate the value of time with family and friends, no matter how short it is, and that expressing your feelings will help you with the worries and doubts if you rely on the surrounding support.  

All the actors did a great job of making this point across, but also the production team, from the director to the writers, did a commendable job of bringing this drama to life. I also loved the appearance of the old man and his own story about his dead wife. It makes the impact of love and loss more powerful, even though told in this super-natural tale. But the emotions are all still there, and we should not be afraid of them.

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