‘Da bomb’ leads!

This drama came highly recommended and it’s all over the internet and such. Thus, I decided to catch it! Plus, I’m a fan of grown up Wu Lei after watching him in The Long Ballad. He was cool and manly! I really liked watching him.

What I loved about this drama:
- Wu Lei as the male lead, Ling Bu Yi/ Zi Sheng. So manly. So strong. So omg my heart.
- The female lead is cute in this drama. She is unconventional and a “breath of fresh air” compared to the stereotypical damsels in distress.
- The couple have chemistry and are adorable together.
- The Cheng family members are close-knit and there is no internal rife.
- The acting is top-notch in this drama. All the actors and actresses acted so very well.
- The plot is riveting. (To me, some parts are kind of confusing, but the plot is definitely engaging and interesting.)

What I didn’t fancy:
- The bloodshed but I guess it’s kind of inevitable for such dramas.
- Some “scene to scene” were kind of disjointed / jerky … I think due to the cutting of scenes. As a result, some “scene to scene” parts were abrupt.

Overall, this drama is a Must Watch. It’s excellent. It’s wonderful. It’s very re-watchable! WATCH!

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Truly Destined and then, Appreciation and Affection Follows

I wanted to watch this drama and I am mighty glad that I did. I highly recommend this drama to others.

What I love:
- Acting is top-notch from almost everyone.
- ML and FL look good together and have chemistry.
- The wedding scene is the absolute grandest that I have ever scene in reel life (and for me, maybe even in real life).
- This drama is full of intriguing ups and downs. There are parts where things are hilarious, e.g. when FL went to get ML back with a super huge sword, and there are parts where I feel deeply sorrowful e.g. when Gu family's loyal guard died guarding their Gu mansion, when the very nice merchant died while protecting ML and FL, when the Qin female general died protecting the Zhou family. This drama is certainly full of intrigue and full of moments which tug at the heartstrings.
- I also love the good people in the drama e.g. ML's two loyal friends, the very nice merchant who felt indebted to and was immensely grateful to FL, Gu family's loyal workers, Gu family's mother/ FL's mother-in-law (who is the best mother-in-law yet), Zhou Ye, Fan Xuan. . .
- I love how ML is deeply secure and that he recognises how very competent his wife is and he does not dismiss her or tamp her down. He is all right with "eating soft rice" which is cute and endearing.
- I love how ML and FL make their marriage work and the trials and tribulations that they go through to be a real and loving couple who lives and dies for each other.
- I love how competent and talented FL is in earning a lot of money which she freely gives and uses to benefit others.
- I love the happy ending at the end.

What I hate:
- The bad people e.g. Fan Yu, FL's second mother and her daughter who was just like her, Wang Shan Quan, Wang Rong. . . incompetent and immensely wicked people who committed heinous deeds and who were tremendously selfish.
- So much bloodshed. So many good people e.g. ML's good friend, ML's loyal Gu family's guard, Gu family's loyal soldiers, Zhou family's innocent women and children. . . died (when they should not have). Such pain and sorrow!

All in all, the acting is top-notch. This drama production is high-quality. The plot is riveting. Thumbs-up!!

I recommend this as a must-watch (especially for more mature viewers who may find school-age type of dramas kind of unrelatable due to generation gap or just plain boring). It is a pretty breath-taking drama!!

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Appearances vs Reality

I really enjoyed this short drama which was extremely fast-paced. Everything went so very fast that it felt as if I would blink and miss something important.

What I liked:
- Fast-paced plot that was suspenseful and intriguing.
- Plot had sweet moments and funny moments too. It was not all bloody and scary and manipulative throughout.
- I liked the growing fondness and love between the General and the real Shi Qi (with Shen Qin's face). It was pleasant to see their relationship blossom based on true affections for each other.
- I liked to see that the General was a smart person who found answers and was sincere in his affections towards the real Shi Qi.
- The little girl, Yuan Bao, was adorable. She also acted well for a little lass.
- The acting of this young (and fairly new) cast was good and I think that they will go far as fine actors and actresses.
- The characters were complex and showed changes in emotions based on the circumstances that they were in. Everything felt very heartfelt.
- I really loved seeing General and real Shi Qi together. They were so endearingly cute. *aww*

What I didn't like:
- Crazy bitch in the form of real Shen Qin (who was not actually the real Shen Qin either).
- That strange fellow with a bandaged face and all scared me. The stabbing scene was horrific IMO.
(But, I understand the purposes of the above despite not liking them.)

Additionally, I think what this drama wanted to convey was that: one's appearances is just superficial. It is one's good character and one's good heart that shines and that instead of simply being hung up about appearances like King Ning, one should be like the General, Xiao Han Shang, and love as well as recognise the person for who he/she truly is.

I quote: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince & “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince.

Overall, I'd rate this drama as a "must-watch" little gem. It's very fast-paced and super action-packed. So many things were happening in a short frame of time. It was a riveting watch! Very exciting, interesting and suspenseful! Enjoy! :)

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Entertaining short drama!

I found this drama engaging and entertaining. There were 3 episodes of close to 1 hour each.

What I liked:
- FL and ML have good chemistry. I liked that they were very adult in their behaviour. The last part in which they fought each other and then, made up with each other with kisses and a romp in bed was too cute.
- The supporting characters are generally likable and aren't too annoying or villainous.
- Despite being hired killers, the FL and ML are inherently good people who do not go after the innocents.
- Plot is very fast-paced and action-packed.
- The visuals are very pleasant.
- I found the plot meaningful. (i) To avoid conflict and misunderstanding with the other important parties/ persons in our life, we should be honest with them and not hide/ have secrets; (ii) All of us have different facets. We show some sides and we hide some sides. But, they are all us. All our facets, whether shown to others or hidden from others, make us who we are; (iii) We need to understand that there are sides that others wish to hide from us and they have their reasons for doing so; (iv) We should try to accept our significant other's true personality and preferences. We should try to be open and accepting.
- Happy ending!!

I truly enjoyed this drama because it is 'short and sweet'. I'd say: Watch It! It's a cute and fun ride! :)

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Just an okay drama.

I chanced upon this drama and yup, I decided to watch it after reading the excellent reviews shared.

However, I was kind of disappointed with this show as I have definitely watched better dramas than this.

I’m going to share my honest review with my frank thoughts and feelings.

Watch because:
- Easy and mindless show with very little angst.
- Leads are easy on the eyes.
- I don’t find the male lead particularly handsome but he is tall and young and well-built.
- The female lead grows on you and as you watch, she seems to become more attractive.
- The main songs in this show are sung by excellent female singers irl with powerful vocals; I really enjoyed listening to the songs and I’m listening to the OST!
- Ending is quite happy.

But,
- there isn’t much plot or suspense.
- the other actors and actresses are kind of annoying especially the ‘second’ female lead of sorts called Ma Shan Shan in the show; she was, to me, insufferable because she was totally trapped in the past due to a pointless past relationship that didn’t make sense to me at all. Get out of the rut already! She was a pain to watch and she wasn’t attractive either.
- some parts of the show did not make sense to me: the female lead is a big star but there are hardly any paparazzi.
- the online game that they play in the show isn’t exciting and is honestly, quite a bore to watch them in the game.

On the whole, I’d give it a max score of 7.5/10. My partner says that 7/10 is the max he’d give.
There are other much better shows with more exciting storylines.
Tip/ Advice - watch this on 1.25 speed.

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So good that I’ve rewatched and I’m rewatching

This drama has got to go down in K drama history as one of the best K dramas out there.
I came to this drama late but well, better late than never.
I highly recommend this drama to all drama lovers!

Watch because:
- female lead is goddamn pretty ( I’m a fan of the female lead )
- chemistry between male lead and female lead is awesome and natural
- there are many sweet moments
- there are many cute moments
- there are many suspenseful parts
- everything is explained very nicely and the whole plot ties up well
- the supporting cast acts well - many characters are cute and adorable especially, the character Tae Oh
- I liked the link between the past and the present - well played / well done
- story is well-written and very interesting
- rewatch value is high

I don’t have reasons for u not to watch.
It’s really one of the best K dramas and perhaps at this point in time, can be sort of considered a Classic Must Watch.

Lovely!

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I love it! I love it! I love it!

I love this drama and I want to shout it out loud and proud! This drama is by far one of the best dramas that I have watched and I have watched many. There are some wonderful dramas that one will remember fondly for a long time to come and this drama is one of these beautiful and memorable gems!

I want to recommend this drama to everyone! If you love Crash Landing, you’ll love this too!

This drama is So Good + So Awesome + So Thrilling + So Exciting + So Cute + So Heartbreaking = A MUST WATCH!

All drama lovers, pls watch this!!

Watch because:
- the cast is beyond great; everyone acted so well
- plot is a exciting and has elements of fun and cute mixed with suspense and action
- plot is fast moving enough and things are well explained
- male lead Xu Kai as Gu Yan Zhen is so cute and lovable; my first time watching this actor and I’m rather in love
- other actors are well cast and all act their parts very well
- female lead does a good job as Xie Liang Chen and Xie Xiang; she’s likable throughout
- story builds up well and I really loved Shen Ting Bai and Qu Man Ting; he’s a handsome and capable man cum sincere lover boy and she’s a ‘live in her own world’ but worldly wise lass
- the music is great and I’ve been listening to the OST over and over again
- revenge executed and justice served
- a somewhat happy enough ending

What I didn’t like:
- the villains are really (for the lack of a better word) villainous
- Oda Xian Rong should have died long long time ago; she’s beyond hateful and annoying: hate her smug look and jester-like smiles
- good people die - Huang Song died, General Guo died, Li Wen Zhong died ... like OMG. Heartbreaking.


Overall, this is an Excellent, Remarkable, Outstanding, Well-Made drama that deserves to be enjoyed by drama lovers! If you are considering this drama, stop deliberating and Start Watching it right now!

I’m going to indulge in the OST and the watchable moments all over again! :) :)

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Saved by 颜值 of male lead

I had high-ish expectations of this show after reading good reviews and watching some clips online. But... this show fell flat...

Not a great drama because:
- storyline isn’t meaty in that there isn’t much story to watch or anticipate
- cast is raw in that they really cannot act well
- the other female leads can’t act and were painful to watch
- the little boy actor who acts as Ling Rui’s son is pretty annoying and he doesn’t look cute
- story gets draggy - drama can be completed in way fewer episodes
- female lead is kind of weirdly f up
- the ‘gender bending’ of sorts didn’t keep up
- some parts of the show don’t match up or make sense

I kept on going simply because of the male lead who acted as Ling Rui. He kept the show going because of his good looks and because he played a really good guy in the show.

Verdict: don’t waste time on this show. Watch something else instead.

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Nothing much … after the first slightly raunchy part.

I came here after reading the reviews. The reviews were mainly positive. However, after the first slightly raunchy beginning which seemed to promise excitement, there was none.

This movie was quite a disappointment IMO. I thought that it would be fast-paced and exciting. It was fairly interesting at first… and then, things quickly went ~ yawn ~. Why? There wasn’t much of a plot. There wasn’t much going on that was intriguing or suspenseful or interesting. Things were. I’d say, nothing much.

The acting didn’t really seem to require much finesse or show the actors’ and actresses’ depth or skill. I don’t know much about acting but I do know that I wasn’t impressed.

I yawned a couple of times and wished for the show to end.

I’d say the end is the ‘saving grace’ in that it stated that (and I rephrase) love comes in many forms and it’s what suits us.

That’s about it all, folks. A really ‘nothing much’ movie. There are better movies / dramas out there. You may want to skip this one! You aren’t missing much!

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Pls skip this annoying af drama.

I decided to watch this drama after watching Jin Dong in “The First Half of my Life”. From the beginning, this drama has been a total let down. I’m at 30/38 as I write this. I’ll fast forward and ‘finish’ this show but I must warn others NOT to watch this drama.

Don’t watch because -
- All the characters (save for Xu Guang Ming’s dad who is still fairly decent) are Annoying AF x 100.
- Xu Ting Ting’s maternal grandmother, Lao Qi, has only one goldfish bulging eyes look. Total awful. Plus, she makes the most Horrendous Decisions in the show. I seriously wonder WTF is wrong with her and her mentality.
- The catchphrase in the show is ‘for your own good!’ . I cannot understand and I cannot agree. IMO: I shall decide what’s good for me, not you.
- The second female lead is ugly af and looks like a transvestite. Her teeth are messy and when she speaks, she looks really hideous and witch-like.
- oh, and I must reiterate—the characters in this show are truly Annoying, Frustrating, Blood-Pressure inducing af.

Skip. Spend your time on something better. It’s a 1/10 simply because I could not give it a big fat zero.

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till death do us part

I decided to watch this drama because it was a mini-drama. I'm all for "quickies" and as a snack, I felt that this drama did not disappoint much.

What I Liked:
- The ML and FL had chemistry. They weren't sizzling hot but they were full of amorous gazes. They looked good on screen together. Quite a pleasing pair to watch. I liked how manly the ML is. The FL had her charms too.
- The plot had enough intrigue despite being a mini-drama. While many parts were quite guessable, it was still watchable enough and suspenseful enough.
- I liked the cinematography. I liked the slow-motion of the snow and the reflections of light. I found the drama quite artistically filmed. I liked the feel.
- The acting was quite decent for everyone.
- I liked the good people and rooted for them.
- Happy enough ending.

What I Didn't Like:
- The "differently abled" brother was all sorts of "cray cray". He saw the world from his own warped point of view and this resulted in him killing his wife who did love him. Then, he wanted to find a replacement in the form of her twin sister. Hmm...
- Quite a lot of deaths. Even the good people died. Aww...

Personally, I'd rate this as pretty watchable despite the usual tropes. This mini-drama is a light snack that is quite savoury. I'd rate it quite generously with an 8/10 which means that it is OK to watch IMO. I was toying with a 7.5/10 or an 8/10 but decided to be generous since the ending was happy and I always like happy endings and everything tied up rather well.
:o)

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One's Insecurity & Lack of Self-Esteem Leads to One's Downfall

I decided to watch this because (i) there are only 8 episodes which means it's quite easy to finish this drama and (ii) the cast is top-notch.

What I Found Good:
- The acting is top-notch (I reiterate). I think Mike He's transformation to tired working class husband is very convincing. I think he acted the best in this drama.
- The plot deals with very real issues like relationships problems between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, dementia, care-giving and its burdens, the duality of life - Jian Qing Fen wanted her MIL dead as caring for her was so hard but when she finally died, she missed her presence, the challenges of being a working parent, the frustration with the mundaneness of day to day life, the dissatisfaction of simply just living day to day without anything much that's exciting... ...
- Thought-provoking dialogue.
- The child actor who acted as Jian Qing Fen's son was quite endearing. He seemed sweet and was not a troublesome kind of kid.


What I Did Not Find So Great:
- The segue from present to past, past to present was at times, very confusing for me. I tried to make sense and tried to join the parts together. At times, I found the segue to be frustrating.
- The young Rebecca had kind of weird make-up and behaviours. She acted very oddly like a diffident teenager with autism. It was strange to watch. The present day Rebecca was very much more normal.

On the whole, this drama is on the heavy side so if you are looking for a light-hearted and humorous drama, this isn't your cup of tea. However, if you are looking for a drama with good acting, good cast and is quite short, you may want to consider this drama. :o)

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Nothing much about Venus.

The premise of this drama seemed interesting to me and I looked forward to watching it. However, I was let down by the drama.

What I quite liked:
- I have not watched any drama with the ML before and I found him very watchable in this drama. I felt that he carried the show.
- The songs were quite nice.
- There was very little angst.

What I didn't quite enjoy:
- There was hardly any plot. There was hardly any drama in this drama.
- Also, this drama was a romance which wasn't very explosively romantic or "oh my goodness". The ML and FL have hardly any sizzle or chemistry.
- The actors and actresses in this drama seemed as though they were all just delivering lines without much emotion or aplomb. There wasn't anything that made me go "wow". Often, I felt that the acting was fairly stiff and stilted. (An aside: The acting for Dear Missy was excellent and everyone was in character and acted so well that they did not appear to be acting.)
- The ending was happy but I expected more from two adults in a relationship. After all, they weren't little kids.

Overall, my verdict is -- watch as a filler but if there are more interesting dramas out there, it is fine to skip this one. It isn't a bad watch but there is nothing much to it. There is nothing much about Venus.

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The Messiness of Life & That of Differing Perspectives

For me, an 8/10 means that a drama is pretty excellent and so, you can tell that I find Draw the Line quite a great watch. I recommend it!

What I liked:
- Jin Dong. I am quite a fan of his. He acted very well in the show and brought out Fang Yuan very well. I liked how he was so grounded, level-headed and wise. He was a good role model and leader/ mentor as Fang Yuan.
- There were many different cases. Most of the cases were intriguing and they made me want to find out what the final verdict would be based on all the evidence that would surface along the way.
- The acting was top-notch for this drama and all the characters did a fabulous job. I really liked how realistic and slice of life things were outside the courtrooms. Another character that I liked was Wang Xiu Fang. She appeared very real and her struggles as a working mother were relatable.
- I liked seeing the growth of the characters as the show progressed. EG: Ye Xin became more aware of things around her and was less obstinate and "up there". Fang Yuan got his promotion. I think all these "little things" made the drama a good watch with a decent enough "happy ending".

What I didn't like:
- Zhou Yi An was a complete "mumbler". How can a judge mumble his way through? Hmm. I had to turn up the volume whenever it came to his parts because I could not hear what he was talking about.
- Fang Yuan's wife could be all sorts of "cray" and was unreasonable at times. EG: I could not understand why she would take the gift card from her boss and risk sacrificing her husband's job and reputation. As his wife, she should understand the nature of his challenging job. Yes, her job is important too, I don't discount that. Her role as mother to the child who does most of the parenting is exceedingly hard. But, she should not sabotage her husband. Her behaviour and her thoughts were strange and to me, unreasonable.
- Ye Xin's mother was another odd character. Drama tried to provide explanation as to why she behaved as such towards Ye Xin in Ep 39 or 40 but it seemed rushed and unfulfilling.

In essence, episodes 1 to 25 were excellent and then, things watered down from there. Drama became less exciting and less riveting. However, I still recommend this drama as it is well-made and with an excellent cast.

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The Intrigue

This drama is good (!) and deserves to be watched & enjoyed! I chanced upon this drama on YouTube and since I like Xing Fei, I decided to go ahead with it. No regrets! Worth the watch :)

What I liked:
- The cast is generally good in that they are fine actors and actresses. I think that FL is more suited for modern day roles but she is a good actress nonetheless.
- The plot is intriguing and fast-paced enough. It didn’t drag on and on about nothing. FL’s first life happened swiftly from episodes 1 to 3. Then, she spent her second chance righting wrongs done to her and others from episodes 4 to 30. There are plenty of revelations as to what actually happened and why! Plot is suspenseful and engaging. I liked finding out the truth. The truth turned out to be heart wrenching at times and wistful at times. I enjoyed watching the drama unfold.
- I have not seen ML Mu Ze before prior to this role but he’s very fine. He’s a great actor and very manly. He stole the show! I watched the show for him. He made the character one that I loved and yet, detested; felt sorry for and yet, felt angry with. He was a complex character who loved FL so dearly in both the first life and the second life. His love for her was real and deep even though he did use her for his own exploits especially in his first life with her.
- ML Mu Chuan is just so endearing. I loved that although he was more interested in farming and feeding the masses, he was also adept at fighting and protecting himself and FL. I like capable characters! He also truly adored FL. Later on, I liked seeing him fight for what he wanted.
- The people inside the drama are smart people and it’s fun to watch smart people collude and connive! I cannot stand noble idiots or silly oafs.
- Music is pleasing!
- Graphics are nice!

What I didn’t like:
- There were a lot of awfully spiteful and evil people in the show. They were exceedingly pretentious. It was horrifying to see FL’s sister, LXR, cursing her own nephew and just wishing death upon her half-sister. It was bloodcurdling! Xiao Jing Que was another vengeful and wicked character. Appalling! It’s appalling how cruel and wicked some people can be.
- FL’s half-brother was quite insufferable! He was annoying silly and didn’t have a good head on his shoulders.
- Bloodshed - lots of it although the show did try to keep things ‘not so gory’.

Overall, this is a very exciting watch. Perfect to 'zhui xi'.

I’d say watch it! It’s a good one. :) it’s not a 'lovey dovey' kind of show that’s light-hearted and happy-ish. It’s on the ‘heavy’ and 'dark' side. But, the plot is very good and Mu Ze is excellent! Watch! :)

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