Love you till the end of the moon?

The light to my darkness,
To my night you are that fallen only star,
Dearest Yin to my Yang,
I’ll stay with you, Till the End of the Moon.

I’ve been through the journey of TTEOTM from the time it was announced that Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu will be pairing up together once again and that too for a Xianxia. For all the ‘Love is Sweet’ fans this is more than a treat. I shall rightly say, I trespassed my time with the flow of this drama. The day I knew it was an adaptation of a novel, I read it ardently which only made me more and more impatient to witness it with my eyes. This drama is not completely the same story but I’ll say, the pleasant changes will only please. The drama version took me into it irrevocably deeper. All the clips of the efforts that went into this drama only made me feel like this is my child. I just wished that this succeeds and it did. The talk is real. TTEOTM deserves it.

“You alone, livened up the entire world~”

To the audience now entering into this whole new world of Tan Tai Jin and Li Su Su, this might be a story of a Devil God who was once fragile and a Heavenly immortal who is up for making all the wrongs right. But what you are going to experience is their world of love. A love that’s deep, filled with care and concern, filled with hate and resentment, heart wrenching, miserable, toxic yet still being its own tonic to that toxicity.

“This is the world that loved you, loved by you~”

If not because of Li Su Su, the world might’ve ended in the hands of Tan Tai Jin. It’s his love for her that took away the devil in him. Being born with the Devil Bone was not his choice but how to lead his life, to some extent, was. It was a very difficult path as it’s not easy to change fate. But he was resolute to change it for the good and Li Su Su was the catalyst. TTEOTM depicts how love can make this world beautiful.

The story moves fast, it doesn’t loosen the grip. I watched it while it aired and couldn’t resist myself for the days but as you watch it now, I bet you’ll binge watch the whole thing. This one gets you sleepless.

However, I do wish that it could’ve come a while early before all these censorship issues. I would’ve been too happy to watch it for a longer time without all the cuts that this drama has to go through. Which was pretty brutal to say cuz it, sometimes, feels rushed and ended abruptly. How can I complain it on the drama when I know that it’s the biggest victim here. Anyway, TTEOTM still wins for me.

“I wanna borrow the moon that’s about to fall from the edge of the sky. I wanna hang a glittering butterfly there~”

This beautiful love story has so many many good things to talk about and to name a few, they are…..

Story. Fast. Not at all boring. Unique. I love the connection of all dots from here and there which runs through all the three supposed worlds. It’s an intelligent writing in my opinion. Moving away from the the original novel also brought in fresh changes which are, I think, satisfying. The story gave a lot of scope for debate and discussion of Why? What? How? This is worth binge-watching.

Closure. Something that I really appreciate in this drama is the closure. Misunderstandings do happen, more often a lot. Characters change but the fate seems the same. There is immense love hidden deep in their hearts but constantly their trust is broken. Yet they try to hang on and still stay with each other. However, when question arises, “Until when?”, this beautiful mirage they created for themselves breaks. Albeit, they realise. The do’s and don’ts that would’ve been done and avoided and the forces that led them to the way they ended up. The story ends but with a licit knot. Properly wound. Closed. I hate dramas with a lot of misunderstandings and more if they were not solved. Here, though misunderstandings exist, they are realised and an effort is made to stop from the repetition and I appreciate it a lot.

Characters. Here, the characters possess the story. The story creates the characters. A perfect blend.

I’ll not tell more about Tan Tai Jin and Li Su Su. I’m emotional. I have no words. They have my heart. A world was made for them, I got a free ticket to that world and I’m not coming back. No way. I just wanna stay here with them. That’s it. Rest, you watch!

One character that stole my heart would definitely be Pian Ran. That little fox demon is no less an angel. Be it the best partner for Ye Qingyu or the best friend for Ye Xiwu or the best assistant to Tan Tai Jin or the best Cupid for the latter two…. All of her acts were as beautiful as she is. Pian Ran deserves Ye Qingyu. Not me, but a majority has fallen for her through this drama. I wish she shines brighter in the future.

Ye Qingyu. A righteous man till his end. He is smart, handsome, and not someone who lets unworldly principles to rule over good. He stays obedient but also knows the line and extent. At the end, all he wants is goodness. He strives, he strides, he succeeds. Family is his responsibility, love is his passion, valour is his strength. An impressive unshady character. Ye Qingyu deserves Pian Ran.

P.S: I wished that I could see more Pian Ran and Ye Qing Yu.

Like the majority, again, we agree upon who is that one character which was a sore to the eye and no doubt it is Ye Bing Chang. She deserves the ‘Bitchang’ title! In all the three lives with all the three names, she was always the thorn and the real devil. How I wished that I could punish her with all the worst punishments in the world, I swear I’d become a devil to bring her down. Hate her.

Xiao Lin. Sigh! A character with great potential but completely ruined. He is one character I felt like was the writer’s fault. He was portrayed to be this unconditional lover, a pure Pearl like character who is so patient, so heavenly. For a while that was still believable. I think the leniency he had towards Ye Bing Chang irrespective of her acts made his character less interesting. And this is only about the mortal realm era, mind that! Cuz in the dream arc and immortal realm, his character was just negligible. At least as Sang You he seemed sweet and good irrespective of the less screen time but as Gong Ye Jiwu, he just made me angry. What was Gong Ye Jiwu’s character even? A Fool? I guess! All of his actions were just so foolish. His intelligent image seemed fake. Boy was ruined. I think it is the character I have complaints about in the whole drama.

I loved Zhao You and Qu Xuan Zi. Their little bromance was cute. I love how great of a father Qu Xuan Zi is. He let Su Su live her life the way she wants. He believed in her and knows that she is an adult enough to take the right choices. And I love love love Zhao You. The best master! After Su Su, It was only him who trusted Tan Tai Jin and gave him a new beginning as Cang Jiu Min. He was not that conventional master. He was funny and sweet.

Si Ying, Jing Mie. Devils but cute ones. Though their unnecessary efforts in the name of bringing the lord back were making me frustrated, I shipped them together. Haha. They came like wind, vanished with the wind.

Ye Xiao a great dad, grandma Ye was so cool, Ye Ze Yu… might have been the grey one but grew to be a man, Chuntao… a cutie. The Ye family (ofc except that stupid Ye Bing Chang), though had a very less screen space, saved some seats in the heart.

Nian Bai Yu…. Thank you for the loyalty. Throughout the drama, I kept wishing for good people to accompany Tan Tai Jin and make him feel loved. And all the people who chose to do that are my favourites.

Costumes. Oh my my! What shall I even say about the costumes in this drama? One word- Stunning! The Devil God’s outfits are my favourite! The details on the black outfits are soooooo good! Tan Tai Jin as the Emperor of Jing had another set of splendid outfits. The intricate detailing was so good. Ye Xi Wu had outfits that fit her character very well. The Jewellery needs to be particularly mentioned. How alluring! The chain like jewellery in the mid partition of Ye Xi Wu’s hair was so nice and beautiful on her. Sang Jiu’s wedding dress is so unique but cute which suits her adorable image very much. The Devil God marriage outfit is just out of this world. The BTS shows how much time and effort went into creating so many beautiful costumes and how carefully they are made. All of them need to be put in a Museum or an Art Centre for sure! The last outfits of both of them are chefs kiss?.

Makeup. Very pretty. Perfect. You can argue with the walls if you are not on the same page as me in this. Periodt. The Clam clan makeup in the dream arc is so dreamy and cute. The pearls, the shimmery eye makeup, wow! Very delicate. I just loved the sleek thin winged eye liner on Luo Yunxi so much. His eyes looked more extensive which indeed helped him to portray his minute emotions more through his eyes. And also the different eye lens colours determined the different Devil God versions. The makeup definitely helped in determining who is who. The devil turned Sang Jiu was just so nicely done. Her makeup emphasised the deep hatred and her desire for revenge. Special appreciation is to the Huadian (the art on their foreheads). It made all the complex makeup come together very well. The red detailing on the Devil God, the white on Ming Ye, the white and yellow one on Su Su and Gong Ye Jiwu are so delicately done. Bai Lu as Li Su Su looks so fitting with the ‘Lady of Spirituality’ title. She looks calm and serene as she should. I felt like I was in heaven with a Goddess! The space buns are hella cute! Ye Xi wu also looked so good. The nice airy bangs look very good on Bai Lu. Bai Lu in costume dramas is always so incredible. All in all, just by the makeup and costumes, you can easily determine in which character they are. Each so different.

Weapons. One fact about the weapons used in this drama makes them unique is the dynamism. I like how even the weapons have a character and were so well designed accordingly. The Devil God’s all three weapons and their forms are so unique to the costume drama screen. They are not conventional and the transformations of them is so good. The God Slaughtering cross bow, the devil bone and the Demon God sword woahhhhhh!!! Spectacular! But my favourite is actually Su Su’s Jade sword. Though it appeared very rare, I love the way it looks. I mean, it’s so unique! It transforms into a harp, a pendant, a jade….all hearts!

Sets. Huge! Splendid! Jaw dropping! Just what such a high budget Xianxia requires. The palaces, the war places, the realms are very nicely designed.

CGI: this drama was shot in few months but the CGI took years! Man, look at the drama, every detail…. It’s evident! Turning a green screen into something so amazing is pure art. And more than anything, you believe! I am transported and I don’t wanna comeback. The Devil God’s Spirit thing looked so magnificent. The Demon Artefacts and the visual transformations is majestic. The art of the realms is so elegant. CGI stole the show. Also, respect to the actors for imagining all of this in their heads and delivering such outstanding performances. It is not at all easy!

OST. All those beautiful lines I used in my review are from the Drama’s OSTs. I love them. They gave drama to the drama. I- I- I LOVE THEM! No words, just beautiful and close to my heart. Love the lyrics, love the composition, love the instruments, love the drama in them and I love how each song was rightly played at the right scenes.

This drama isn’t perfect folks. A few rigs and rags are still there. Nonetheless, what’s called perfect if imperfections don’t exist?

The dislikes for me in TTEOTM:
1. The abrupt cuts: ?
2. Bad lip-syncing: is it because of the cuts or was it shot that way? Especially in the Immortals-Devil God world. Idk?!
3. The rush: the story is complicated. It needs to be explained well with its own time. But because of the rush I didn’t understand several parts. I read the novel but the story started drifting away from the novel so it’s new to the ones who read the novel too but it gets very confusing. It goes on so fast that at one point I felt like, “yeah.. let’s see what happens I’ll understand it eventually”and was left confused for a long while. (You’ll understand however!)
4. Chen Du Ling as Bing Chang: it’s true that she made us believe that she is Bing Chang and made us hate the character as it should but…. Sorry to say this honey, your acting needs more polish. Her face, at many parts of the drama, had literally no expression.

Whatsoever, TTEOTM is a brilliant, regal, grand and an epic drama! Flaws can be ignored with the flow. You don’t want to miss witnessing such grandiose for the mere cons. My dislikes are only to be transparent about it but honestly, deep down, I don’t think they even matter to me in anyway. So I recommend you to watch it no matter how fuzzy you feel about this. It’s worth your while.

“In the past, I was a blind man living in the dark. I was trapped in a void for twenty years. Everyone say the sun is bright and warm. But I didn’t know what exactly true brightness means….. until I met you.” - Tan Tai Jin to Ye Xiwu

He was ill-fated, lonely, miserable, misunderstood and mistreated so much that all the little things Ye Xiwu did, sprouted seeds of love in him. In him, who was a desert. So the trees of love that grew in him is his greatest treasure, his only companion, his only faith, his only belief. He won’t let that love go, he won’t let that tree die…. To the extent that he even doesn’t care about his existence.

I can watch a thousand more seasons of TTEOTM with the same cast and never be tired of it.
I only wish that the Chinese industry stops thinking of anything else and cast Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi in another drama together. Their chemistry is just off the bounds. I already feel sad that I won’t have them together on the screen. So just please pair them up for another one!

Anyways, Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, get them their Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Couple awards! I’m now not a fan but an AC to them?. LOVE THEM!

The end……..Season 2? Epilogue? Special cut? I bet there is some sort of drama extension for the way that ended! So, I’m just patiently waiting!

Wow, I wrote a whole book as a review?. I love this drama so much, I think I’ll miss it so much, I think I want another season of it so much…. I wanna cry?
You people better watch this!

Love will always find its way people. Love is the curse, it’s the cure. TTEOTM is love!

“Actually, the sun and moon can shine together,
Light and darkness can overlap with each other,
Love and hate have blurred boundaries~ “

I cried a Mohe river in this drama!

From now on, for me, it’s not “I love you to the moon and back”. It’s “I love you TILL THE END OF THE MOON!”

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When the snow fell, you came... breaking my lucid dream to pull me into yours

~~~***~~~

"Because letting go is the best choice for memories~"

PLOT:

A broken vase of porcelain is always regarded as a bad omen. The shattered bits on the floor are often discarded. But what if this broken vase is her unconfirmed future? You can’t throw it, you can’t keep it. But isn’t what’s gone, gone forever?

She is a person who dwells in the dream like past unknown of the ways to mend it. At the same time, she is scared to be unbothered and let go. The heart can’t get away unscathed. She was left with questions unanswered and her probable future hanging on a cliff fighting to either survive or fall. I was reminded of 'Kintsugi’ while watching this drama. 'Kintsugi’ is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold. Now what’s broken is repaired, even more beautifully so… That is to sum up this story.

Jiang Xuening, a girl with a twisted fate right from her childhood, originally happy-go-lucky, helpful and an enough kind-hearted little girl is raised with an ambitious brain. She does what she can to achieve her aim. In the process, she lost herself. She lost the ones she loved, she lost the ones who loved her as well. Karma is a boomerang. It comes back to you the with the same momentum. She rose, she fell- as ugly as she went up, she came down. But, the writer of her fate has other plans- “give her a chance”. It’s not like she received none, she did- most often used for the wrong purposes but now she was given a chance in her full state of mind; when she was still HER- her 18 year old self.

She now has the chance to resurrect the broken porcelain with the gold in her hand, and more so- carve it even better. She does it! For she had experienced the price of an act. She does her best, like she has to- to begin with. Forming relationships of heart instead of her aim. Tasting the glory of love than power. She weaves this story like a grandma weaving a sweater for her grandchildren- with love and patience, overcoming the hurdles of the inevitable and slowly weaving into a pleasing garment that saves her loved ones from the cold of misfortune. Ning’er weaves and saves, hugs and safeguards everyone!

I hate palace politics. I always skip scenes with the palace drama. All the schemings, conspirations, plan-hatchings are not my forte. BUTTTTTTTTT I was interested in every palace-noise of this drama. It was interesting, not boring and also not too heavy. I love my manipulative Xie Wei and foresighted Ning playing things on their fingers.

A promising plot that wasn't let down.

~~~***~~~

“I really want to ask you, why?
In the plots we missed, was there any sincerity?”~

CAST:

Bai Lu as Jiang Xuening. Bai lu’s acting skills will never be a let down. I can bet on to buy a theatre of tickets, as her expressions sell out every single time. Being the one who remembers the future while being able to re-live a different past, she expresses her every fear, every trauma, every love, every hate, every collusion, every dilemma, every wit, every guilt, every irk, every loyalty, every thankfulness, every togetherness, every naughtiness, every incivility, every pain, every joy with grace and finesse. The story revolves around her, so she naturally has so much responsibility shouldered upon and she doesn’t disappoint a second. Her feelings are evident, her wit is ushered. She still cries making me cry with her, she still laughs making me laugh with her. The villainy side was villainous as it should be, her innocence was innocent likewise. Ask of balance in acting while juggling a whole bunch of different characters in one drama, you can’t find a better cast than her. I saw Jiang Xuening the rise, Jiang Xuening the fall; Jiang Xuening the Empress, Jiang Xuening the Second Lady; Jiang Xuening the forest girl, Jiang Xuening the capitalist; Jiang Xuening the seductress, Jiang Xuening the untouchable; Jiang Xuening the friend, Jiang Xuening the foe; Jiang Xuening the love and Jiang Xuening the regret. I saw Bai Lu as Jiang Xuening.

Ling He as Xie Wei. I saw every minute emotion in his beautiful expressive wide face. That of hate, that of resilience; that of love, that of innocence; that of a human, that of an evil; that of torture, that of patience; that of kindness, that of remorselessness. As Xie Wei, he spew what ran in his brain, at the same time hid his plans monotonously as well. He expressed his valour but also his modesty. Xie Wei is a very wise man who can outwit anyone. He pre-plans. He is quick witted. He thinks, he strides. It’s difficult for a quintessentially fit man like Ling He to seem more brainy than muscular and he nailed it. He looked like an intellectual in every angle, yet seamlessly hiding his monstrous bigger half. His eyebrow lifts were a treat to watch. He expressed his suffering in one scene and in the same scene he switches to show his boiling anger. And in the same scene he acts pitiful while conveying his mountain of love. He despises in the same scene and appreciates as well. In that very scene he daunts his fear while flaunting his courage. He switched his expression accordingly with every line of the same paragraph in the script. Ling he nailed Xie Wei.

Wang Xing Yue as Zhang Zhe. I'm a huge Bai Lu fan, I saw all of her dramas and if you do too, we've already witnessed Xing Yue's phenomenal acting prowess through "One and Only". That was just a trailer! He performed very well here too. He fits like a glove for Zhang Zhe. Zhang Zhe is silent and judicious. He is brave enough to tell what is the truth in a palace full of manipulative liars. He dares to pay the price for sincerity if it requires. A righteous man like a lotus in a dirt pond. Xing Yue did justice.

Zhao Jun Wei as Yan Lin. My favourite! I fell in love with him. Boy looks naughty being a hottie. When he was slaying with his armour on as the Viscount, I could not take my eyes off him. At the same time, when he expressed his love towards Ning Ning not only through his words but also his eyes, I was like- "Ning bae, if you won't have him, I shall^_~" I was squeaking with coy. He legit made me blush. I love his character more than anyone else's. GEM. GEM. GEM.

Liu Xie Ning as the Princess. My sweetieeeeee, my cutieeeeeee... I shall call her with all adorable names cuz she was A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. She was the apple of my eye like Ning's. She looked like a Swan bro. Beautiful as hellll! From a bratty Princess to a reliable friend and a responsible royal kin, she transitioned like water. Was I watching Barbie in any case? I guess. I'm fanning more than a fan (┬┬﹏┬┬).

The whole cast was a tailored pick meticulously embroidered to create a masterpiece.

~~~***~~~

“The abyss is in front of me,
I know I’ll be smashed to pieces if I jump in.
How could I go for it knowing this?” Ning’er pitches
“What if I jump in?” Xie Wei replies.

BONDS:

The chemistry between the mains is lit! Like as soon as you see Bai Lu and Ling He side by side, you see two incredibly pretty people looking like a match of the cupid. They do not need a script to look hot together. Though I was like- "bruhhhhh... I'm sailing the wrong ship" in the beginning, the ship overturns and we sail the right ship. Yeahhhh! LOL. I was not just having a treat, I was having an unlimited buffet seeing them together. The romance starts very slowly but as it starts, the heat is felt!

The friendships are my treasured part of this drama. Ning'er being the center and these awesomesauce friendships she forms around her were UwU. Not just the leads, the whole effin cast has sizzling chemistry duh! I live for these bonds! Especially, Yan Lin-Ning Ning and Princess-Ning stole my heart.

~~~***~~~

"The reflection of light will one day swallow you and me~"

APPRAISAL:

I know that the story is that way but I can’t fathom characters vanishing for half of the drama and then suddenly appearing. It’s like they serve a purpose, but like to talk that they serve a purpose than actually show the purpose they serve. So one moment you feel like a character is no longer important but the very same character pops on screen being the need of the hour. I do like the use of all these many characters but at the end of the day I feel few of them appear so okay-ishhhhh to me.
However great job with the main characters in hand. I love the dynamics, the friendships, the relationships. I love how complex they are, yet have a light airy calmness.

The camera angles were okay. Sometimes though they felt like they focused the wrong things, when I observed it better I see why that happens. This added a lot of depth to the scenes in my opinion. However, sometimes the cuts during the scenes to show different angles were not smoothly videographed. It feels kinda raw. For the time Kunning had in between the filming and release, a lot could’ve been perfected. The transitions were okay. They are not over the top minding that it’s not a high budget god-demon realm fantasy Xianxia.

I really love the makeup. I always feel so triggered with c-drama makeup which only aims towards whitewashing the actors which most of the times make them look pale and that often overshadows the acting and the little expressions that the actors try to make it appear on the camera. In Kunning, I see that the makeup nicely helps in bringing the features of all the actors at the same time being very subtle and minimalistic to go with the theme. There were also scenes and characters that required heavy makeup- like Bai lu in the empress era to show her cruelty or viciousness. Also when Xie Wei wilds out in the snow, a devilish kinda cold makeup is given with a nice red eye shadow to differentiate his emotions better. I not only love the character development arcs but also the makeup transition game that is evident in the drama. It’s nice and clear in the Princess’ case. Her makeup becomes mature as her character does. All those beautiful faces of a starry cast and not one face disappointed either with their expressions or their makeup.

The costumes are so-so. The styling is so-so. There is nothing new and nothing you see for the first time in a historical drama like this one. However I still appreciate the intricacy and the nice jewellery which went well with the theme. A job done is still a job done. I appreciate that it was nowhere seen underdone. Nevertheless, not a high on costume and jewellery drama. There’s nothing that goes par or under par your expectations.

The sets were fine too. Won’t say mediocre as they served the purpose. It doesn’t feel like there was no effort put in as the story doesn’t call out for huge settings. So again, no disappointment.

~~~***~~~

"Looking at the sky
anxiously waiting for winter
reminiscing my memories
I forgot that my four seasons don't have you~"

OST

How to even express my satisfaction that I received through the OSTs? Melodious music with eloquent lyrics paired with worthwhile voices stringing into a harmonious enticement. I heard it for the first time and I guarantee that there will never be a last time.

1. Borrowing Dreams sung by Zhou Shen. All Bai Lu and Keep Running fans are well aware of Zhou Shen and his amazing vocals. Why would this song be an exception? What makes it sweeter to me is the fact that they are good friends in real life too and Bai Lu personally thanked Zhou Shen in Keep Running for lending his voice to this masterpiece in her drama. This is also the closing song of the drama and also my favourite from the list. "Take a willingness to lose to exchange for my other half" is my most favourite part. Whether it played during their romance scenes in the drama or during the end credits, this song didn't fail to make me sing even though I sang it in gibberish due to the language barrier. And the song break where Zhou Shen harmonizes "HaaAAaaaaaaaa... HaaAAaaaaaaaa" .... man, I always transport to the Kunning world.

2. Snow Season sung by Bai Lu. Talk of a multi-talented queen who can act, dance, sing so beautifully! Snow season is a lullaby to the soul. Its like a sweet dessert that satisfies the soul after a scrumptious meal. Bai Lu sang "Entering A Dream" in Arsenal Military Academy along with Xu Kai and I got its vibes with this. I'm telling you, when Bai Lu sings such melodious slow songs, its the end of the world for me. I still couldn't take Entering A Dream out of my mind, now this adds to the list. Not kidding, the moment I listened to her sweet voice, I cried. IT IS SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

3. Three Thousand Worlds Not Meeting You sung by Jing Long. A breath of fresh air. I think this music and Jing Long's vocals drift from the typical Xianxia music to slightly the current R&B side and it's such a refreshing transpose. Yet, it still feels to be within the theme adding to its ambiguity. The main chorus is very catchy and ran in my mind 24/7 during the whole period I watched SoKP.

Honorary mention: Like a Dream sung by Zhou Jun Wei (We hail a multi-talented king too.)

Other OST include: With Love sung by Jane Zhang

~~~***~~~

REWATCH VALUE:

I'm really satisfied. Definitely re-watchable. It has a calm feel to this drama (idk), I'll definitely re-watch.

~~~***~~~

RECOMMENDATION:

“Mr. Xie, your ambitions are high
as the clouds in the sky
While I’m shallow and short-sighted
like the mud on the ground.
The sparrow will not know the will of a swan.
A miner’s lady is stranger to the sea.
A mortal hopes for nothing else
but to live peacefully.
Mr. Xie, please have mercy on me.”
⁃ Jiang Xuening to Xie Wei
could Xuening really live peacefully? You gottu watch!

Just watch it y'all. It's worth giving a try. But go with no expectations, you'll enjoy it better.

Also folks, do not miss "As You Wish: Story of Kunning Palace" with few of the cast of this drama. I gushed at every episode with the sultry chemistry between the leads and lovely rapport with the whole cast. It's worth your time.

~~~***~~~

P.S: Was I writing a review or a whole new story? I'm tired X﹏X

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One and Only, certainly!

Every time I see this drama, I feel heavy in my heart. That being said, I haven’t watched it many times. But every time I watch, I feel the same pain, the same emotions. I am tens of dramas old and yet nothing would make me feel the way that I feel right now.

Tragic love stories are never my genre. I pity them. I can't take stories that don’t make me smile at the end. I know many agree and yet we all love Romeo and Juliet. This drama isn’t a Romeo and Juliet. Probably, a lot more than what love could be defined. Shiyi and Zhou Shengchan didn't meet today, fell in love, met at a balcony the next and died on the third. Zhou Shengchan is Shiyi’s only childhood that she wants to remember. She saw him from the palace, and knew her heart saying something unfamiliar. He saw her make her way to him in the way he has never seen anyone else before, he knew that she was gifted with all the things that everyone longed for but only he knew that she is the one who carried millions of stories in her untold heart.

Simply said, Zhou Shengchan is the only person who made Shiyi smile and Shiyi is the only reason Zhou Shengchan would want to return home. Every year he gave her presents but Shiyi never gave one, because with all her heart she gave away the most precious things she could, her first words after being mute and her heart which she was supposed to preserve for someone else.

However, though later Shiyi had the ability to speak, both of them never needed words to communicate between them. She knew all his unsaid stories; he knew all her unsaid words. It was, from the beginning, a match made in heaven, that which even the heaven was jealous of.

There was never a confession from the either side. They never showed any physical intimacy. Their hearts were bound just like that. She never longed for anything from him other than just to stay silently by his side, waiting alone in the library or on the roof top for years only to see a glimpse of him for a moment and keep praying for his safety. Neither did he wish for anything than having her by his side, wanting to return as soon as possible just to see her, to give her all the happiness in the world with all the simple things that he could do for her.

One thing that I would definitely think needed betterment in this drama was definitely Zhou Shengchan’s death. I wish there was a better emphasis on their parting and Shiyi could at least see his dead body. Not being cruel, but I feel sad for her that she couldn’t even get the news and couldn’t see him one last time. Everything, in my opinion, was absurd for me about Zhou Shengchan’s death. Him being caught out of nowhere, being captured and then slayed to death. Like everything happens in a blink of an eye that you can't imagine how someone who could win over the world, surrendered so easily without using any of his extraordinary tricks to save both his people and himself. He just lets himself die.

However, Shiyi’s death is one scene that is written down in the most beautiful way possible. Because it was only Shiyi who could dare to do such a thing. Not only did she sacrifice herself for the sake of her mother, and to avoid getting all those who intended to help her into problems but also protected her pride from being with the man who killed her love and family, not escaping from him but also uniting with her love in death. Though people argue about suicide being a crime in here, I wish people don’t see it that way because it is not suicide, nor it’s a sacrifice. I do not know a proper word to term it well, but I just wish people understand the deep meaning it holds.

Because ‘One and Only’ has a sequel, it makes the tragic end less burdening to the viewer as there is hope that they will end up together in their next life. But it rubbed me off in the wrong way that the sequel has nothing to do with the prequel. It’s good for ‘Forever and Ever’ to be seen on its own but I really wished that the other characters stayed in the sequel with their stories getting completed too. The characters in ‘One ad Only’ are just pure gold. So naturally, I wished that they would be in Forever and Ever too. Also, I really wanted the leads to remember their pasts. And I wished the director didn’t change because the director for One and Only had a very peculiar way of telling the story through thousand emotions without being said. This way, Forever and Ever would be more special to me. However, I still appreciate the same main cast to be the leads and them being married happily.

Coming to the cast. Bailu. I just love her. I have seen all her dramas from the beginning. She deserves so much recognition for the versatility she shows with each and every character. New drama, new her. The amount of conviction with which she plays every character proves the dedication she has for her craft. She feels every emotion that her character has to go through. She lives her character and her character comes to life because of her. Every time a new drama of her comes, I expect a different role and I know that she will live up to all my expectations and that I won’t end up the drama disappointed with her acting. I always wish that I could see more and more of her. A soft Shiyi, a brave Shiyi, she was Shiyi and no one can convince me otherwise.

Ren Jia Lun. What can I even say about this cutie? I just can’t see any other actor potential to play Zhou Shengchan. Zhou Shengchan is a glove made for Allen. Zhou Shengchan is a man of very few words and yet has so much love, affection and emotions inside him. Allen was him. He talked so beautifully through his own language with his face. His eyes ad smile uttered things that no word can be told precisely. Though how soft Allen looks he made us believe that Zhou Shengchan is a no match on the battle field. How better can an actor to justice to the role he plays?

Bailu and Allen, as a couple felt fresh. I loved how they bring out the chemistry so well though there is no single intimate scene and where they were especially portrayed as a mentor and a disciple. Nothing felt awkward. They looked as if they were meant to be right from the beginning. I really appreciate the one who casted both of them together. Infact, in Forever and ever, I could just see Bailu and Allen. P.s not in a wrong way.

Summing up, One and Only is close to my heart. I return to it every time I want to experience love that is more felt than talked. If given a chance, I would literally force everyone to watch it, especially my future husband (✿◠‿◠).

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A Lesser Known Gem of a Rom-com

I am not writing this review for the purpose of writing a review. I felt the need to share what I feel at this moment. If you care to read an anonymous average girl thinking about life as she sees this drama… you may want to proceed reading.

It is the story of a woman who changes faces and a man who can't recognize faces. There right, they are match made in heaven. Why does she changes faces? We don't know. But one thing is for sure, they are meant to heal and comfort each other like no one else would.

Han Se Gye is really a beautiful person. The directors didn’t try to force that into our minds. She is. And that felt natural. The way she acted, or other actors that played her acted, or how the plot was written or how it was completely filmed- it was a whole. She is truly beautiful, inside and outside and that didn’t feel like she pretended. She can act like a rude one, but she is good; very very good. I was not forced to believe that fact. I believed it, naturally. And maybe that is why, amongst thousands of faceless faces and faces that are not actual faces, he sees her. He acknowledges her. And even her mother did. Because the soul is of the same beautiful person.

When I was in my fifth standard, I did a play on stage. There were many other children of the same age and probably same height as well, and we were all painted in white faces with black makeup since it was a mime skit. The crowd was big, the sun was bright and my mom had a bad eye-sight. That play was special to me. Not just because I loved playing my role but what happened when I left the stage. My mom came running to me after we gave our end credits. I asked amma if she could spot me on the stage. She dearly wiped the sweat on my face and said, “You are MY daughter. I can spot you wherever you are.” I tend to reminisce this scene every time I feel unloved by the world. Because it gives me a reality check- that I’m never unloved. Whatever form I take, how big I grow, how bad I change into someone else doesn’t matter, as the people who love me, love me as I am. They love the person I am inside. And they continue doing it, no matter what.

And it’s just not Han Se Gye in this drama. It’s Seo Do Jae who looks bossy and aloof but doesn’t think a second before jumping to save someone else. It’s Kang Sara who looks like she could kill you, but sincerely cares for you. It’s Ryu Eun Ho who sees past the cold Sara and comforts her or prays for his friends. It’s You U-mi who doesn’t hesitate to hurt herself to protect her friends. It’s Jun Ji Hwan who says that he does it for money but stays with you like your shadow and be like your family in your lowest. Se Gye's mom, Do Jae's mom, dad and grandpa, Eun Ho's family....they are all beautiful souls. Beautiful inside (and outside).

I think that’s the real message The Beauty Inside wanted to give cloning itself into plots like fictional form-changing, prosopagnosia. With a light-aired breeze of romance, comedy, and drama this drama presents itself like any other Korean Romedy. I liked how I laughed, cried and weirded out throughout the drama.

I really want to talk about So Hyun Jin, the actress who played the female lead Han Se Gye. She lives her role. As a bubbly trouble-making actress, a tsundere personality…. She played it all well. Her eyes are so beautiful. There is some kind of warmth in them. Lee Min Ki, the male lead did his role with what it required and in the cutest way possible. He was awesome. He knows what the character wants to be curved like. Lee Da Hee as Kang Sara stole the show. Her presence was powerful and left a great impact. Lee Jae Hyun as Ryu Eun Ho was a pleasant delight. His calm and composed acting was relaxing to watch. My boy Lee Tae Ri as Ju Hwan. Tae Ri is someone I really love watching on-screen. The many roles he takes and the justice he does to all of them makes me want to see him more. Drama Directors are kinda blind to give him only support roles. And… the BEST MANAGER cum FRIEND of on-screen celebrity goes to- (drum rolls please) Moo Ji In as You U-Mi. Cutest. I will ENSURE to include Park Hyun Jung who played a suicidal mother in Episode 9 (?) and Ra Mi Ren as one of Han Se Gye’s forms in Episode 10. Park Hyun Jung did an awesome job emoting like she lived what she played. And Ra Mi Ren the actor she is- proved her potential.

I don’t know why, I always found a pull towards this drama though no-one suggested it to me. Well, I shall blame myself as well for not watching it as soon as I felt that pull. It is not a slow-burn, it is not message oriented as it may seem by the way I’ve written this review. Let’s just say I’m being over dramatic. It’s, as I said, your any other K-drama. However, I will stress upon the fact that I want you all to watch it and appreciate it. It is so less talked about than all other dramas which are all hype and no ripe. If you are in a mood to just watch something that doesn’t have to keep you on the edge of the seat, bite your nails or binge-watch, you are at the right place.

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A weapon that could even turn the deepest revenge, you ‘Call it love’!

When someone is yearning for love, it means that they are lonely. Because love means care, affection, something with which your every pain, sorrow, happiness and joy is shared. When there is no love, you are lonely, even when a million things exist around you, you are lonely. That’s why the story opens up, “to understand the loneliness of others, for me, it’s the beginning of love.”

Han Dongjin and Shim Woo Joo, I don’t know if they were yearning for love at the time they met but they were definitely two lonely beings bearing with the timeless and indefinite unwelcoming fate that’s inter tangled up between them without their littlest acceptance. She spent her days wanting to ruin that woman and he passed those same days wanting to repair those ruins of that same woman.

Hell must be angry on itself for what it has done to the two of them, so it tried to reconstruct the web, this time with love. The woman who made them enemies, is the women who’s the reason who made them mates, is the woman who made them strangers, is the woman who’s the reason who made them soul mates.

Soul mates indeed! His back looks sad and her eyes look gloomy. He never goes down and she gets up every time she falls. They say opposites attract, but Dongjin and Woo Joo aren’t exactly like that or at least, it’s not the reason they get attracted to each other. They are not each other’s missing puzzle piece rather two puzzled up puzzles themselves, who for a long time of their lives, tried putting their own pieces together until they meet each other, now trying to put pieces of each other with their own perspectives, still summing up to be complete. However, both are surviving the present, picking shattered bits of the past with a hope to mosaic a fine picture in the future. She is a 10 but she thinks creating havoc can settle things. He is a 10 but he thinks bearing everything will settle things. Both wrong but a right together.

This is probably still a lot less which explains the emotion that ran through my soul throughout the drama. For it is rather felt than said.

I would only say one thing if you are here and searching the reviews to watch it or not. Do you like a Slow-burn? No? Skip. Yes? You will be here writing your heart out after you complete watching this!

Both Dongjin and Woo Joo’s characters are very unconventional. Not your typical bubbly female lead and the hot CEO male lead. These guys are built different! More human, less k-drama. The story might be, to some extent, unrealistic but these characters aren’t. Fresh air of reality.

Dongjin and Woo Joo breathe air through Kim Young Kwang and Lee Sung Kyung. They hold all of Dongjin and Woo Joo’s emotions in the heart. Eyes speak. Speech conveys. Actions felt. Not one time did I feel what’s reeling isn’t real. I was always a fan of their works, now I’ll be even more.

Joon, Hyesoeng, Jigu, Sunwoo, Minyoung, Heeja, Hyunjoo……. Characters not left but travel together with the story. Simple yet complex, chaotic but pleasant, not the whitest whites but the less greyer greys and the more greyer greys. Not just there but heard, felt. All the actors who played their respective parts, didn’t just play but pleased.

The direction, story, screenplay and cinematography…. One word- Nonpareil. Like no other was, is, will be. They just deepened my love for slow burn shows.

The OST’s wrapped all the beautiful parts of this drama carefully like flowers in a bouquet. Isn’t a necessity but beauty. Beauty that makes you wanna make it a necessity.

Although I might have been too poetic praising it, it still has its flaws. The slow, at sometimes, feels slower. Every so often, I wished I could get in and push a few. Some towards each other and some from the hill! So I bet people who are not interested in the slow pace will be skipping this away from the first episode. This drama is a love story but not your typical one. It is a revenge story but not your typical one. It has the family element but not your typical one. So if you’re looking for some typical stuff, you are on the wrong side of the track.

Anyways, now that you’ve read this much, it means you wanna watch it. So, WATCH IT AND CALL IT OFF AS LOVE!

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A very neo take but the surge for the second season is what takes it to the doom

I just loved this drama so much from the very moment it began. My main reason to want to watch it would definitely be Jung So Min and Lee Jae Wook. I've seen them in their other dramas and is very much knowledgeable of their outstanding performances that they have already delivered. I was naturally drawn to it when I got to know the cast. Also, the hype around AoS was something that made me really curious.

I'll just cut to the chase about all that "I" felt.

It begins with an intriguing plot, with properly explaining what Alchemy of Souls as a spell actually is and how it differently affected both the male and female leads differently in their own stories. Now you are no more confused about the basic concept. Which I think is a great add on to this drama.

Soul shifting might get to become a very clumsy and messy thing when not shown properly but you won't have that problem here. It is very properly depicted.

The show starts off with a great chemistry. It is not your typical romance. Its a love that gradually grows till the point where they are ready to give all that it takes. I was just so happy how the chemistry just shone in the drama.

The comedy is ELITE! There is no dull episode. Even in the serious of the serious episodes it still makes you laugh. This brings out a very light and fresh air to the whole drama that has to happen in the drama, perfectly balancing out the spice.

Every character is a piece of art. Very very very well built as the person who they are and the core character doesn't change until the very end of the drama.

All of the links and relationships between the characters are perfectly woven and tied together. Not a single loose end.

All these perfect characters were given the justice they deserve by the actors who portrayed them. Props to the leads. Jung So Min's switches with her characters being Mu Deok and Naksu in a perfect cocktail..... she nailed it. Lee Jung Wook amazingly showed his naivity, innocence, valour and determination that the character required. All of the other actors aced their roles to a 100%.

The plot was intriguing. It seemed cliche' but wasn't. You'll think you know, but you won't. Yet you are still fully aware of what is actually going on. This explains the quality of the story and direction.

To a fantasy like this to come to life, it needs a solid made-up story which still makes sense. IT DOES! The Writers, Director, Cinematographer, Actors, all the people who did the CGI, the Singers all made their rightful efforts and brought it to life.

OSTs are BEAUTIFUL!

This is supposed to be your regular Wuxia but is not. It takes a modern take to it, which is very newly brought to the world of dramas.

And after all the happiness that I got from 19.7 episodes, I became utterly disappointed with that last 0.3 episode. All the things that should never ever happen, happen in the last few minutes to the end of the drama. Like whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? The answer is to build the story to the next season which doesn't even make sense to me. I am sorry to say this, unlike others, I am not excited for the second season with the female lead change and all. How can Naksu get her original body when it was actually burnt in front of her eyes and not Mu Deok's body? However, its a personal preference. I don't like sequels with the change in leads. Utter Disappointment. This is the reason why my overall ratings fell down. I was devastated and I think it literally took away all the charm of the drama for me. I would've been happy with one season with a proper ending. So in my opinion, the last episode was rushed badly only to give the surge to want to watch the next season and that, for me, brings the doom upon a perfect drama. Again, it's my personal opinion.

If you are okay with this single thing, bro you need to watch this drama as soon as possible. It is a killer!

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The plot hugged the boring scenes longer!

I didn’t really have great expectations on Mr. Fox and Miss Rose maybe because I’m currently having a Drama-dilemma phase. This was in my immediate watch list for so long, especially because I heard people raving about it quite abundantly. I hopped on it thinking nothing and I’m glad that I did that because I’m now pretty sure that even the slightest bit of expectation from this drama might have made me disappointed in it.

The plot is simple as it claims: A sweet girl who is the queen of a secluded tribe that holds some secrets which the female lead doesn’t know it herself. Suddenly her world becomes upside down when a man accidentally falls into her area and the tribe thinks that he should marry the queen because he is worthy enough(?!) as no one really can go to that place alive. The male lead is not really our typical C-drama ML who is straight, rude and spot-less. We see a gray shade of this man; he has ulterior objectives and pretty much deceives the FL and the whole tribe to get what he wants and escapes from that place. Cut to – the FL follows him to this present technological world that is very unfamiliar to her. They meet. Both unaware of what love means, develop feelings for each other gradually and realise them eventually making each other stronger emotionally. The basic plot is done right but the problem arises next - the way this plot furthers. As episodes run, the drama becomes more about the ML’s Jewel hunt background plot rather than the relationships - which is horribly executed. It has no story but is given importance. It is so dragging that you can just fast forward all of those scenes and you can still figure out what happened. Episodes pass but there will be no promotion in what’s happening. Result: you’ll lose interest. Rationally, I skipped all of that unnecessary sluggish sh*t and only halted at the places where the FL is (they are the only interesting scenes worth watching).

Weird comparison, but the first half of this drama seemed very oddly similar to the Korean drama ‘Legend of the Blue Sea’; maybe because I invested myself too much with the concept of the two leads coming from two different worlds, the female lead being absolutely innocent and naïve- completely unaware of the treacherous modern world, and then there is the male lead who is a player - he is slightly twisted (his past background being the reason; especially the mother sentiment element), he is a con man, his aim is to earn… nevertheless, a good kind-hearted young man who decides to save the female lead from all harm which primarily was caused by his own entry in her life as he feels indebted to her in the beginning and later because he loves her. In anyways, this is just an idea that ran in my mind but there is nothing to really compare and contradict here, I kept my eyes extensively to this drama only while watching.

What I really love are the characters of the leads. True to heart, C-drama FL’s can be really annoying with their over-the-top cute acting which is so cringey but thankfully our FL is not like that. She is the cute kind of cute (if that’s a thing). She is never annoying though she had to act like she knows nothing and she is sweet. The scenes that had her are the best ones. I wanted to see her more. The director did a great job with not making her look cringe. Zhang Ya Qin who played the role of Xing Yue did a superb job. She was endearing to watch. Coming to the ML: lovely character. I’m so happy with the fresh depiction of a con man, who is easy going, intelligent, a playboy and not typically your aloof ML impressed me a lot. Ren You Lun playing Gao Zhen He deserves all the praise. He was a natural. His expressions never looked like he tried or acted - he genuinely played Gao Zhen He effortlessly like a ball in his court. He played the dual role of the father too and that too with so much finesse that it almost looked like another person. I had to see twice to confirm that it was the same person. Meticulous job, I enjoyed seeing him! It’s my first time seeing both of the leads, they are good actors and I hope to see more of their works. Jie Bing as Chen Wen Quan showed his expertise buttttttt even his good acting couldn’t save the ambiguity of the character he was given. It was just too absurd for me. Special mention to Chen Xi Jun in the role of Yi Tian, he ate and left no crumbs. He did what was told to do and walked off with grace. But that’s it. I didn’t like any other character; so many unnecessary ones with hazy characters. I didn’t understand what they are like and for some- why they even existed. The actors gave satisfactory performances despite.

The chemistry was persuasive. I won’t say that it was super addictive that I would want to ship the couple; it cannot be left out either. Maybe the plot was at fault. It was simple kinda cute. There was still a sustained spark between the leads irrespective of the plot getting side-tracked from their romance story. The leads are very comfortable with each other. It felt like two friends graduating into a relationship. They looked understanding and the romance appeared simple, innocent, spontaneous and genuine. Nonetheless, it was pretty-pretty and cutesy.

Styling was such a let-down. I couldn’t bear to see the FL’s hair and her costumes – horrendous! 9with few looks being an exception) The FL’s tribe costume has weird black leggings and I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They kept distracting me taking me away from the concept. The other tribe members didn’t wear them, so I assume that they wanted to depict that the queen is reserved or something but that could’ve been done by giving her more exquisite jewellery or clothes and amongst all, the designers chose to give her leggings (┬┬﹏┬┬). Coming to the “western” clothes - The whole mix of modernity and that tribe thingy they wanted to bring out from the costumes was done wrong in every way. The Half and half curly hair and bun drew flames in my eyes with anger. It fitted the concept but not Zhang Ya Qin’s features. C-drama designers fu*k up styling the female leads in most of the modern dramas irdky (especially the hairstyles). Mainly when they want to portray the FL to be a cute one – I expect no good styling at all. Also, special mentions to Xia Na’s styling when they forced RED Beanies on to her head ruining the whole look. However, I’m satisfied by the make-up department. Giving the FL no make-up was genius which added to her image (but I expected a little more tint on her lips and cheeks – that would make her look healthy as she looked pale and ill in some frames with the monotonous colour on her face). The dark lip shades on Li An also was a huge plus to her character’s image. The sophisticated make-up on Xia Na brought her beautiful features into the limelight, she looked gorgeous. The make-up on the boys could have improved though!

I love the colour and art of the whole drama. It has brought the tribe and modern aesthetics really well. The sets were nicely made. I loved the wooden twig houses and that wooden cage in the tribe episodes. Xing Yue’s room with a round bed surrounded by fake plants reminding her of the tribe was cute as it showed Gao Zhen He’s efforts to make her feel at home. The camera angles were okay too. Overall, the cinematography department passed the test.

OST’s okay. It’s not a very memorable one but does the job so I won’t comment more.

The Re-watch value is meagre. I would rather watch fan edits on YouTube if I ever feel like I miss the cute chemistry of the leads. I’m never coming back to watch the series anyhow.

Finally, a one-time watch if you are bored and need a C-drama which is a no-brainer and can cleanse your palette with some cute leads.

P.S: Please watch it with little to no expectations, you’ll be good ?

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