Meh-drama: Lackluster Plots, One-Dimensional Characters, and a Blatant Maturity Gap

This entire drama was such a meh, and I definitely have lots of complaints about it. First of all, literally nothing happens for the whole duration of the drama, yeah it has fluff (cringe fluff) but its kinda boring seeing the same thing happen three times. The main CP have a very large maturity gap, it gives 19 and 30 yr old, for the most part its just blush blush tee hee I've never been in a relationship before but it's very noticeable and I kinda really got sick of it really quickly. The characters are also very 1D and lack depth, MQC's only personality traits are doctor, chef and voice dubber and it's all based of their careers. MQC is a very unrealistic character who is magically good at everything and there are no challenged whatsoever in the relationship. The 2nd and 3rd Couple were also very forgettable and it kind got to the point where I really just did not care about them. I watched this whole drama on 1.5x speed, and I only finished it because I am a big fan of TJC. I do not recommend this to even people that like romance and fluffy, overall I rate it a 5/10.

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A Drama of Missed Opportunities: Snowfall’s Flawed Execution

I've been anticipating The Shadow/Snowfall for about three years, especially because this is Winwin's first drama, and I would say it wasn't really worth the wait and was quite disappointing. It started off really strong—I was hooked and intrigued by the storyline, and I found the cinematic shots to be really nice. However, the low budget tends to stand out from the middle to the end of the drama. Mi Lan, portrayed by Ouyang Nana, was quite well done, but I found her character to be extremely childish. I understand that within the realms of her abusive and sheltered childhood, she wouldn't have matured, but she doesn't have much character development. The romance aspect was also poorly portrayed; it's evident that the FL and ML have feelings for each other, but nothing really happens between them. Shen ZhiHeng takes on more of a caregiver role instead of a partner role, and I feel like their massive age gap didn't help at all. Their vampire abilities seemed to only be present for their convenience, but when it seemed logical for their abilities to assist them in their troubles, somehow they were absent.

There are also a lot of plot holes, and many things were skipped over. The ML and SML never really properly mend their relationship; they just go back to being best buddies, and I felt like the mythology of all the vampire clans was also hastily done. The antagonist, Li YingLiang, only has one goal, and that was to take down SZH, which literally dragged on for the entire duration of the drama. A very one-dimensional character. The ending was horrible and rushed. It makes little sense and just kind of leaves us hanging for nothing. Overall, I would say although Snowfall brings something new to the table in terms of C-drama themes, it's very skippable and forgettable, thus 6.5/10.

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Snow-Covered Romance: A Look at 'Amidst a Snowstorm of Love

Amidst a Snowstorm of Love for me was a slightly above average watch, I definitely feel like if not for the two main leads this would of been definitely rated way lower. Wu Lei and Jin Mai's performance was of course very good, they had great chemistry as a couple, and for the most part they were very mature and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. On another note I really liked the side characters, they were all a positive contribution to the main leads and some of them including Meng Xiao Dong, Jiang Yang and Wu Wei were kind of cutee. The filming locations was absolutely majestic, especially all the snow lol, it gives this drama a bit of a special touch as it's out of the ordinary for a typical romance Chinese drama. Also I enjoyed the sports aspect, even though I don't know the slightest thing about it but incorporating the competition and practice made it really interesting, and I did learn some things about nine ball, and the other types of sports they played. Overall, I wasn't really that engaged with the drama however those that enjoy a sweet candy romance will enjoy Amidst a Snowstorm of Love!

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A Subtly Crafted Revenge: The Double Review

The Double excellently captures the entire revenge trope and does not sway throughout its 40 episodes, which is what makes it really stand out. Xue Fangfei carefully executes both her own and Jiang Li's revenge in a subtly planned way, taking out all her enemies one by one. However, I do feel like her revenge was slightly underwhelming. Xiao Heng served more looks than actions and rather acted as a support to Xue Fangfei, magically appearing exactly when she needed him. Nevertheless, he and his fan are absolutely iconic. Their romance is a nice slow-burn with romance not being the main focus, and their relationship slowly falls into place with mutual trust and respect. There is one word to describe Shen Yu Rong: pathetic. At times, I do feel bad for him, but at the end of the day, I feel like he lost the most. When given the opportunity to turn things around, he rejected it due to his pride and lack of courage. I really liked the side characters, especially Tong Er and Lu Ji! The OST is really beautiful, and I actually never skipped an opening or closing song. The reason for my lower rating is because I feel like it dragged and got boring waiting for their revenge to finally happen, and when it did, I feel like it could have been done better; as I said, it was underwhelming. The ending arc was done well and was quite exciting, leaving me with a better impression of the drama. Overall, I rate it 7.5/10!

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A Drama With Great Potential Ruined By Censorship

Romance On The Farm was pretty good for the most part, however I feel like due to censorship the adaptation was kinda affected. In a sense, its your typical comedic historical drama and its really good, with exciting events that are normal to these genres. In the drama, it is framed as a game, which isn't really touched upon only in the first and last episodes, which makes the drama seem unrealistic, however in the book, it is framed as an isekai. Ignoring this, the episodes in between are really good, I would say there is romance but it isnt heavily focused on, more so a sub genre. I did find Man'er and ShenNuo cute, but their relationship didn't really develop much. I didn't really find the family annoying but there are a lot of scenes with yelling, fighting and drama between them, which I found to be a big part of this drama. I think this was quite a worthwhile drama, that is interesting, overall I rate it 7.5/10!

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Tan JianCi and YangZi: A Dynamic Duo in an Enchanting XianXia World

I'm going to be straight up and say that I watched this for Tan JianCi (and we got fed well). I'm actually not really a fan of XianXia dramas but I really thoroughly enjoyed this! The storyline for the most part is very well written and the CGI is pretty decent. YangZi did such a good job at being XiaoYao, and the other actors as well did such an amazing job in their role! I can't wait for Season 2 and I will be definitely watching it. At times, I was a bit confused on the actions of the characters for example, XiaoYao would have very confusing relationships with people as in best buddies to sworn haters in the span of seconds. In terms of her romantic relationships, OMG, literally everyone and their mum was after her, like literally every male character? In her relationship with TuShan Jing, I found her to be a bit immature, and I didn't believe that she actually liked him. The kiss scenes with him also felt kind of random. Their story was very cute in the beginning but it went downhill towards the end because bro cannot keep his promises for the life of him. I would recommend this drama, and say that is a must watch 2023 drama!

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From Adolescence to Adulthood: Exploring Life's Journey in Love Endures

Love Endures was unexpectedly an enjoyable watch for me, at the first I thought it was a typical romance drama but it's actually so much more than that. The raw emotion of nostalgia, reminiscence associated with adolescence and growing up is so relatable on many levels and this drama perfectly capture all the details and feelings of this. This drama explores both the past and continues onto the future, with their memories interwoven into the episodes and I never felt confused or that it was abruptly shoved in for convenience. I really enjoyed the romance in this drama, and that's really rare for me to enjoy a modern day romance but it was just done so well, and I feel like everything just eventually fell into place. Honestly, their friend group is just goals, and their ability to rekindle their love for each other despite the years they've been separate was so heart-warming. I really didn't expect to enjoy this drama so much, and I really like Fan ChengCheng's performance in this, however all the other actors really delivered in Love Endures. Overall, I definitely recommend to give this drama a chance as it was a really well-done emotional masterpiece.

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Love, Mystery, and Redemption: Derailment's Intriguing Plot and Character Growth Shine

Derailment is such a interesting drama that kept me hooked with every episode, and now I feel so sad after finishing it. The ML and SL were absolute eye-candy to start off with, like QL was a red flag to start off with but then progressed into a green flag idk. Watching the character development of JXY from an arrogant person with a sense of superiority to a genuine person who works hard was very worthwhile. I also enjoyed the aspect of how romance was rather a side focus, with mystery/thriller which made it very exciting. By unravelling all the mysteries as to what exactly happened to the FL, and who is behind it all with limited clues, while meeting many people to form her the support system JXY never had, easily gives this drama a 9/10. I didn't feel like this drama dragged or that any of the arcs were unnecessary, and I feel like this was quite well put together. The only minor issue I had was with the expression of emotion and relatability in the actors, I feel like some scenes came short of what they were supposed to make the audience feel. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Derailment and rate it a 9/10!

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A Medical Romance Gem: Exploring the Layers of 'Oath of Love'

I would say that Oath of Love is better than the average romance drama. It is realistic and a good reflection of how life, and real relaitonships should be. The ennding is very bittersweet, and I love Lin ZhiXiao's parents, mainly the Dad more lol. I feel like they were an important part of the story with many emotional moments. XiaoZhan pulled off his role so well. Eventhough I typically don't enjoy romance focused drama I quite enjoyed this! The medical themes were also intresting and really adds to it, and I liked the focus of family love too! The OSTs were one of the best features, espiclaly because it's between YangZi and XiaoZHan. Now, at times I found both Lin ZhiXiao and Gu Wei very annoying, and very immature. ZhiXiao's friends were kinda eh, as they encouraged her to stupid behaviour, and I just really don't like them. Overall, it's a pretty good drama with its shortcomings, but as I said I'm not a fan of romance driven dramas.

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Familiar Faces and Fresh Surprises: A Solid Drama That Is A Good Watch

I literally do not understand the hate this drama got, because its actually pretty good? The voice dubbing doesn't really pose a problem to me, however at the beginning I really thought that the ML and FL weren't compatible, because of how old he looked. But as the drama progresses, I begun to really enjoy their chemistry and interactions. The other characters also pulled of their roles really well, like I was fooled until the villains revealed themselves. Zhou Yiran has improved so much in this drama in terms of acting, and he really needs to keep expanding his roles and experience. I also really enjoy how this was filmed and the OSTs were pretty nice as well. My favourite character was Zhijian, do not ask why his just hot. Also throughout this drama, there was soo many familiar faces from dramas I've watched before. The storyline has a solid foundation and I like how the drama ends, its satisfying and there is really no need for a continuation. The second couple is absolutely adorable and I've been shipping them since day one. Zhuohua is such an amazing female lead you definitely won't be disappointed! Anyways, I really enjoyed The Legend of Zhuohua, so I give it 8/10.

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A Symphony of Morality and Power: Joy of Life Season 2

Joy of Life Season 2 is such a masterpiece and a great continuation of the first season. The storyline is very captivating while brining back old favourites and continuing to following Fan Xian on his journey. In this season, Fan Xian has shifted into a more morally grey character which I really enjoyed as he follows or more so discovers his mother's footsteps, balances his moral beliefs and navigates the political mess between the princes. Wan'Er and Chen Ping Ping had less prominent roles in this season while allows us to really focus on Fan Xian and his evident shift in attitude, thinking and the way he reacts to the situations that are quite literally thrown at him. He literally could not catch a break not even on his wedding night. I also really liked how they reused the original soundtracks from S1 and it really feels nostalgic. However, the opening and closing songs did not disappoint at all, already added to my playlist! I really liked them and feel like they definitely have that JOL feeling to them. My only problem was the recasting of Ye Ling'Er, which I feel does not represent her role properly. From S1 to S2, the dynamic of Ling'Er has completely changed and it doesn't even feel like the same character. Overall, JOL has a very special place in my heart when it comes to CDramas, and this might (is) a biased rating but 10/10.

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Emotional and Inspirational: 'Destined' Leaves a Lasting Impact

No words can describe how great this was. Definitely one of my favourite dramas. The storyline is just so damn good, every episode I was captivated and wanted to know what happened next. The character growth was insane, especially Gu Jiusi and Liu Yuru, who were such a power couple. In Destined, there was so many inspirational and emotional things that I need to write down. Let me just say, every death had me feeling something, I would say most of them were necessary but it's not like they didn't hurt. So many things happened in this show and when it ended I literally felt empty. And of course, I have to talk about Luo Zishang (Liu XueYi). I know he was a villain but I felt so bad for him but not at the same time. He was hot and had a sad backstory, what can I say? Excellent acting and I was satisfied with the ending, overall I rate it 10/10, so good!

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From Shaming to Seeking Justice: The Resilience of Ru Lan and Meng Wan in Faithful

Faithful is a really emotional drama that is revolves around SA, and getting justice for it in the same of numerous women that have been affected from Wu Lian. I think that this is a really kind of unique drama, because typically these themes are not mentioned, and I think this drama encompasses all the details really well. I felt so sad for Ru Lan, she really did not deserve anything that was thrown at her. as she previously got shamed for seeking justice and was shamed for it. Meng Wan is such as extraordinary friend that is incredibly smart for being able to handle all obstacles and conjure up plans. However. despite the beautiful messages of this drama, I found it for the most part kind of boring. I did watch it because it was short, but I wasn't really entertained. I wouldn't say that it was due to the deep themes, and there was really nothing wrong with the execution or storyline, just maybe not my cup of tea? The character deaths did feel somewhat unnecessary, due to the sheer amount of them passing away due to various events. The OSTS were really good and are definitely being added to the playlist!! I would say my favourite character was Li Chunfeng. Overall, this drama was alright, however, unfortunately I would not recommend it, thus 7/10.

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XiangYi's Legacy Will Live On: The Intricate Layers of Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is such a masterpiece and a must watch drama for 2023. The entire storyline is very engaging and each of the cases kept me hooked, I honestly don't think I was ever bored watching this. All the cases had a lot of depth and they all somehow related to Xiangyi in the end. All the characters, especially the main trio of LLH, FDB and DFS, I feel like when they were together the episodes were really fun to watch, they have good chemistry! I also have so much respect for LXY/LLH as a character, and I feel like Cheng Yi pulled off his role perfectly. His calm demeanour, smarts, and the general change of his attitudes makes LLH/LXY such a great character, which really demonstrated his growth as a person. LLH/LXY also felt very human, although he was originally an arrogant grandmaster, he has many scenes were you can see him as a vulnerable person just like everyone else. Also, the fight scenes were really good, like they did not lack the budget at all and it was always so exciting watching any of the characters fight. I feel like this drama has so much depth that can be missed if you're not paying attention, but if you do pick up on them everything just makes so much sense. The ending I think its okay just the way it is, although I would of loved for a 'they lived happily ever after' that's not always realistic, and XiangYi will always be a legend that lives on. Anyways, MLC is a solid 10/10!

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Half-Baked Revenge: Reviewing Kill Me, Love Me

Kill Me, Love Me started off strong, with promises of revenge and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but it fell short about three episodes in. The male lead, Murong Jinghe, initially seems like a red-flag general, only to later turn into a melting puddle for the female lead, Mei Lin. Although this is one of the better dramas that aired this year, I can't help but feel it was only half-finished. The major character switch-up didn’t make sense to me, as both leads have years of hatred behind them.

The fight scenes were very cool and well-executed, and the side characters weren’t too bad either—most notably Qingyan, Murong Xuanlie, and Luo Mei. However, the village arc and the final arc felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the plot, only dragging it out longer than needed. After the main villain was defeated, I feel like the drama should have ended there.

Mei Lin was essentially conspired against by Murong Jinghe, and I’m not sure why she didn’t just kill him on the spot and move on with her life. Instead, she forms a team with him to take down Xuanlie. This drama is confusing at times, but it’s still a pretty good watch overall. I’d rate it 8/10.

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