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Anushka
Winden
Rational life.... unexpectedly with much pleasure!
"You've never asked me why I like her. I like her because of how special she is. Her ability and strength, everyone can see that side of her. But her cuteness and softness, only I can see that."First of all, this show is for a mature audience, it's slow-paced doesn't have heavy romance. Rather Character-driven and Female-centered and revolves around how characters achieve their goals.
The story dynamics, structure, characters, and their personality development it's just in the perfect place. Romance isn't the center of attention or big aspect small yet beautifully done. Characters are three-dimensional, realistic, having their own pros and cons. And not trying to get perfect but just trying best to be themselves.
It has some coincidences but as its name isn't unreasonable.. everything has its own reason. If we take Ruoxin's mom's character she is possessive but it's her past what made her like that, she is controlling in many places but I found her cute too, and that what makes this drama special every character has different shades as if they are a real person.
It doesn't make a big issue or taboo of the age gap or revolve around that but it's handled so carefully. The drama focuses on their life, work, how they chase their goals. This is proper office drama.. where they actually work no hard work and the office doesn't become a dating spot.
Dylan Wang finally got a role, where he shines! and shows brilliant acting skill. His expressions, liveliness is very natural as if it's not acting its real self. Qi Xian is energetic, charming, confident yet so mature. His smile, sometimes weird expressions are just cherry on the top. Though being a chocolate boy he is different from most of the stereotyped leads. He has dreams, plans for the future... and he always gives his 100%.
"When he smiles at me I feel… I feel like this cold world, this world that is full of rules and restrictions has become so warm. I don’t know if it’s love or not. Because I don’t know what the definition of love is. But I know one thing for sure. In all these years, he’s the only one... Who came into my heart."
Shen Ruoxin definitely one of the best female lead characters I have ever seen. She has her own charm that made me fall for her. While she may look cold on the outside and only cares about her own interests, she’s actually a soft-hearted person. Her compassion for work, competence, smartness. She is rational, logical, and careful ready to face any problems and difficulties without wavering, a perfect definition of 'Strong Female Lead.' But aside from this, she has a different side where she can be very cute.
I don't think without Qin Lan and Dylan Wang I can imagine this drama. Even having 19 years difference in real life. There's a process we get to experience, why they fall for each other. Not out of nowhere or because of physical appearance, they like each other as a person. Their relationship progress is natural.. which is slow but realistic and pleasant, the way they look at each other, small, small gestures.
It's not a perfect drama it has many problems too, some annoying characters (But there are many characters whom I adore a lot), a bit draggy in some parts. But with leads sizzling chemistry, comfort with each other's presence is a great pleasure to watch.
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"Who's the leading man of my life?" -There is no such person for that role.
Dramas never failed to deliver fairytales... with happily ever after themes, fantasies that could never come true in real life, with the most perfect characters without any flaws, and even upside-down character development that the lead might be a jerk at the beginning but till the 16th episode he's an angel.To think of it, it's really hard to find something in dramaland, that we could relate to.. or even say, "ah this has happened with me." "Oh, I've been in this situation"... "I know how does it feel." This is why Yumi's Cells is different, it never tries to portray something picture-perfect or flawless... rather shows how things-relationships-emotions work in real life, well realistic portrayal? is it sound boring? don't worry we've got a lot of cells to keep you entertained.
It lives up to its name 'Yumi's Cells' is only about her... her cells, her life, her relationship, it never distracts or goes on the wrong path. We see this story from her narrative from her cells narrative. It's almost 50% animation... I never imagined I would love drama with a cocktail of animation, but I did.. way more than what I imagined, Cells are the stars of the show, they are everything. I love how accurately it managed to show how the brain or our emotions work.
Kim Go Eun did an amazing job. Honestly, this role was challenging. Curious, why? Just think of it we're watching a normal drama... any incident happens we get to know how that person feels through his/her reaction-expression, we can never guess what's happening in their head (unless we already getting to know due to storytelling or know their exact thoughts) so at the end of the day, it depends on actor.. and their acting how emotion gonna covey to us. But here it's a different case coz we exactly know how she's feeling... what's her mood and what's happening in her brain (literally). So she has to show every emotion that we do know from her cells with her expressions. And she did it! even a slight change was visible through her micro emotions, she lived Yumi.
I usually talk about characterization in my reviews, but I feel this is insignificant here, leads are just like any normal person... like me, like you, like us. Facing normal real-life problems, real difficulties in the relationship, without any dramatization-cliches-tropes. We don't need something grand to happen to start or end any relationship... it happens with time, with small things. And this is the essence of it. It happens, it's okay! not the end of the world... as loving only one person is not the only purpose of life itself.
For those who might feel some characters are one-dimensional, like Sae-Yi, Ruby, and even Woong sometimes... it's not even the point here, coz we never get to explore any of them in real, we see them from one perspective which is Yumi's so how are we supposed to know every shade of them. This is not lazy writing but it wasn't intended to start with.
The amount of second-hand embarrassment I've got from this drama is insane. It's cute-sweet-cringey-heart fluttering-emotionally heavy-embarrassing-realistic at the same time, that's the specialty of it. And of course, the cells are show-stealer there wasn't a split second where I was bothered by animation... I loved watching them, arguing-fighting with each other. Helping each other while deciding important decisions snd being there for each other... they were like important characters of the show having their own persona. Ah the cameos of different cells were amazing lol
This isn't a conventional and normal drama story that follows the path that every drama has, it's different, it's unique, and quite refreshing.... but watch it to try something new, it never promised of being extraordinary.
Lastly...
Who the heck was the stylist?
It took me forever to get warmed up for their hairstyle -_-
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What a fun ride!
I never enjoyed any drama as I enjoyed this from the very first episode till the last episode. It was a roller coaster ride for me filled with so much laughter. I don't think so that any drama can be this hilarious with perfect execution, script, cast, and everything, I loved every aspect of it and surely Mr. Queen has become one of my most favorites.I was hooked from the first episode. It didn't leave its track even for one episode. It was consistently good and hilarious until the very end. It was a beautiful journey which I enjoyed very much. I guess it had set up pretty much high standards for Korean historical for me.
Hat's of for the Shin Hye Sun I don't think that anyone could have done a better job than her. She was perfect for this role she nailed it. The whole cast was amazing everyone did a great job portraying every character, the acting was excellent and top-notch. It couldn't be this better without this cast. All dynamics of every character were great and three-dimensional even the villains did a great job as I hated them with whole my heart. The King's character was really great though it was a bit confusing in the start things got clear later The changes we did see in Queen in every episode her journey was phenomenal. The chemistry between leads was amazing it was the perfect pairing. I also loved side characters and their interactions as well.
The story was indeed well written and executed. The soundtrack and ost were perfect and the cinematography was brilliant.
Overall it was wonderful drama though it's not everyone's cup of tea if you like historical and comedy then definitely give it a try. It was a wonderful experience.
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Run On isn't race it's journey.
We always run towards our goals, desires, and our dreams to find happiness and satisfaction and Run On represents the journey of it. It's not the drama that has a lot of drama, extraordinary plot, thrill, action, or suspense but still, it's special for its realisticness. It's so sweet that you might get diabetes and pain in the muscles of the chin because of smiling. It's like a very sweet white chocolate with 99% without bitterness and that remaining 1% is Seon Gyeom's Father.The plot: As I stated earlier that it doesn't have an extraordinary storyline that'll impress you but still it's refreshing and different It just goes with the flow without major twists, turns, and surprises but still it's unpredictable cause you don't know what'll happen next. The writing is the strength of drama well-written script and characters even the flaws of character were perfect and hats off for the conversations, each conversation has its own value and meaning. For me, this has the best conversations and dialogues. But still, the story is not a strong point cause it doesn't have one.
Characters and cast: The best of this is its a character with all different personalities, backgrounds, and with different backstories just blend when they are together and the more admirable thing is each supporting character has its own value it's like joining all pieces of a puzzle together for the perfect picture. We see character development in each episode. The writer did a great job in writing characters it's indeed a key point of this. The cast couldn't be more perfect than this all were perfect for each role. I would really appreciate I'm Si Wan especially for me he did the best job portraying Ki Seon Gyeom his expression and acting were just amazing he was the best for this role. Now I'm head over heels for him and his killing smile. The visuals of all actors are great with their great acting skills.
OST/ Soundtrack: The ost and soundtrack both were good and at the perfect moment. I really loved 'Sorry' especially.
Conclusion: Overall it was refreshing, unique, and unpredictable which also going to be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the show and smiled a lot but it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's a slice of life and a character-driven plot. The ending is perfect but I guess it's too much perfect and overflooded with sweetness. 'Run On' not only entertain but it's much more than that.
P.s. - It does have many weird + funny + hilarious moments and that candy movie was great!
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This review may contain spoilers
Warning: Beware of Diabetes, it includes so many sweet moments. Wanna have some good laugh, a full dose of fluff with adorable pairing with excellent supporting characters? Falling into your smile definitely won’t fail you… to fall for its charm.
The story isn’t magnificent itself (it offers nothing new) but I fancied its pace, progress, relationship dynamics, the portrayal of friendship, how characters are written and their interactions happen. I wouldn’t consider it as fully plot-driven drama, it focuses more on the characters’ life-development-problems they face. There isn’t a specific evil antagonist here but it portrays the cruel reality of how social media, obsessive fans can play the role of antagonist with being so much toxic to the extent.
It’s not necessary to have information or have much interest in gaming to watch it, you can take it just as an individual romantic comedy.
In terms of chemistry, I felt the spark and they are just so cute together. I can’t imagine Chessman or Smiling without Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao. A classic example of a bickering couple, their fights are entertaining, the quintessential foundation for their relationship. The fact the progress in the relationship between them is very realistic surely adds more points. It does have an arc where it becomes more serious but it’s just for short time... it never stops being rom-com.
Tong Yao is just ambitious, hard-working, not to forget soo adorable, though due to her expressions she seems oblivious :’). But her development, the way she reacts to situations is genuine, I would rather say her character is rational plus human-like (The thing many drama writers forgot to make characters who can be considered as humans). Lu Sicheng can’t be considered a cold lead at all, he is just straightforward and honest. He does have different shades in nature...He can make mistakes but also admit when he is wrong. He has flaws as any normal human being can have with being a three-dimensional character. He can be very lovable, warm, tender when he is with Tong Yao but very austere and responsible as a captain of the team. Ah I forgot the important thing he is such a tease lol xD
Loved Xu Kai’s performance, was vigorous, lively. His smile is icing on the cake. I’m not fully satisfied with Cheng Xiao’s acting. As she has almost the same expression (Which looks like she’s confused) most of the time. I’m not so sure about her game ID as she doesn’t seem to be Smiling much (no pun intended). But I can let that slide as most of her previous works are in reality/variety shows and relatively she’s new in acting or maybe it’s her character that doesn’t allow her to have many expressions. Though there are particular scenes where she impressed me. Special mention: Ending scene of 26th episode and opening of 27th episode.
In technical aspects, it doesn’t have any problems when it comes to camera angles, editing, color palate/grading. Though I’m not a very big fan of dubbing and it bothered me here, it is overdubbed (Means without the original voice of actors), Especially with Xu Kai, It’s ME because it’s hard for me to hear three different voices from the same person as I have seen him in Court Lady and ALP very recently. Korean dubbing it all out of place. Sound effects are on the point with being funny many times, really liked the OSTs they wouldn’t have been more adequate. 'Heroes' give me goosebumps with its bg music, 'Follow the light' is my favorite among them with Chen Zhuoxuan's vocals
I really liked the animations of games, it has a different feel and vibe. It’s more satisfying than just listening to the commentary and actually visualizing what’s happening in the game, plus the graphics were good so more than enough. Talking about the cinematography of the show it’s not stunning but definitely decent, and as it’s about gaming it doesn’t need to be very beautiful.
This drama has one character without him… sure it wouldn’t have been this fun, and he is no other than Fatty (do I really have to explain the reason why?) His expressions and reactions are priceless plus he encounters some situations all time where he’s like ‘Is this dream?’ ‘Am I sleepwalking?’ ‘Why me?’ He just makes the drama more funny and enjoyable. He is unquestionably a show-stealer for me, and one more reason to smile. Not just him but I love all team members of ZGDX every character is colorful and with an interesting secondary couple that is like the cherry on the top.
Fun facts: After ages, any C-drama managed to stay on the trending list (on MDL) for a long time.
The end credit song 'Soulmate' is a duet by our leads Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao.
This was the end of the review.
Now if you are curious about different information as drama is facing a lot of dispute from c-netizens (Its douban rating is 3/10) some basic information about it:
It is adapted from the web novel that is implicated of plagiarism, the writer added real-life events without any consent from the people. Professional players spend 16-17 hrs every day training. They don’t really have any time to do other things as they have no time left, let the fact of having a romantic relationship aside. Unreliable portrayals and lots of inaccuracies of professional Esports players, the online gaming community, how things work out there. It is written by people who totally have zero idea about professional gaming. China has one of the largest gaming communities and Esport is becoming more widespread day by day. It has become a delicate topic to handle and for all these causes, drama receiving hate from c-netizens and gaming communities.
But people forgot at the end of the day... Its main purpose is entertainment as it's just a drama.
See you next year ;D
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You have got to be kidding me!
Warning: Don’t watch it while eating or drinking, you might get choked by laughing.Curious about the heading of review? Let's discuss it later.
Very cliche story with many tropes, no brainer as you just have to turn off your brain and not use logic, there are many moments I was having second-hand embarrassment, and drama failed miserably in the portrayal of the lead’s professionalism. But at the end of the day, it is just a rom-com that only focuses on the romantic relationship between leads. It doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining coz it’s super fun and extremely hilarious. I guarantee that you won't get bored even for a single episode.
The acting is the best thing, it's phenomenal. Steven Zhang and Liang Je nailed it, I mean it feels so real that body swap happened, as change is visible.. from facial expression, body language, the way of talking, and even very small gestures. Here Steven Zhang stands out as his character after the body swap is more colorful, energetic. But Liang Je did great too. It's not easy to play a stone-faced, aloof character. Plus leads have great chemistry, not just that, they look very good as a pair it's easy to imagine them as a couple as their visuals match with each other very well.
With being so funny, it's written very well and not draggy. Another thing I would like to point out as the whole story only revolves around leads they don't even try to focus on anything other. Especially like the story execution and its development that feels so natural. How leads start with bickering but with time they find trust, found comfort, and start to like each other... It is realistic and pleasing to see, not an abrupt change in the whole process, with lots of little details.
Not in just story-execution-acting vise, it's good, technically too! It has really good cinematography, particularly liked the choice of the color palette. It's not super bright but good for the eyes haha, definitely it's a good quality production. It's my first time giving re-watch this much score, but let me tell you it's a rewatchable drama lol.. perfect when you are feeling down to refresh the mood... Actually, I've already re-watched some initial episodes with my mom coz I wanted her to watch the drama :')
Soundtrack and effects
It's a rare thing for me to mention sound effects in review, but it is so necessary here because they have a really big role. I mean without all those sound effects I couldn't have enjoyed it this much, for some, they might be annoying but for me the reason to laugh more. So there's one scene where we think it's going to be a confession so kinda romantic BGM starts to play.. but that seemed to be a confession that turns out to be different and how they literally made it off tune and it's sooo funny, I died laughing there. It has many wonderful OSTs. They are refreshing, and soothing at the same time.
Fun fact: Two OSTs are sung by our Liang Je (Whisper) and Steven Zhang (My Soul), to be honest, I had no idea they can sing very well. So it was a pleasant surprise to me.
Now here comes the conclusion of the title, WHAT? they did, the story was consistently good. I mean let us live in the fantasy, I don't want something real to happen. They messed up so hard.. initially, it was the best rating possible from me 9.5 but as you can see it's not anymore. I wish the writer didn't try to become super creative in the end and let us have what we really wanted.
Though one thing really bothered me, I can of course let it slide by the fun I had with watching it I'm being so generous about the rating (that rarely happens). So watch it and have a good laugh ;D
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'Finding Happiness Again'
The New Beginning.Not having some great story, relatively some or to be honest many plot holes doesn't mean that drama wasn't good, there's nothing like perfection. Having some cons is a good thing from my perspective. So now let's talk about drama. Fluffy, comedy, sweet, light with mild romance (Don't expect too much even romance is in main genres) ... it's the full package fluff drama but it also gives some messages which make us think about ourselves our life and the decision we made.
The story wasn't perfect but the execution was done well, kind of predictable still a fun and interesting journey. Really like the character development wasn't just about only one character but about every... the journey of learning something and it was for everyone that at the end you can see not phenomenal but at least a good change indeed!
Talking about the cast and acting... for me everyone was perfect for their respective roles and characters really liked Bahn Ha-Ni's both version the younger and the present one it's always great to see two different sides of the same character though I can't say they both are same haha.. the ML was definitely chocolate boy, adorable, liked the chemistry between them but still I won't say we get much romance here.
So overall it was a good show indeed won't say very good, coz I didn't get answers for some of my questions and had some plot holes but it's really good and light show indeed!
“We all do things we desperately wish we could undo. Those regrets just become part of who we are, along with everything else. To spend time trying to change that, well, it's like chasing clouds.”
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You Are My Glory: Living up to the name
'You are already the rabbit who has seen most stars'The love story between a celebrity and a normal person isn't anything new for dramaland. But YAMG is any different? Let's found out.
This is going to be a super long review... if you aren't interested in reading my very long essay, I'll sum up some important points.
↠Great acting from both leads with sizzling chemistry
↠No external problems, stupid misunderstandings, conflicts, the portrayal of a very healthy relationship.
↠The story and characterization are realistic with witty dialogues.
↠Inspirational story giving some important life lessons! but we aren't missing humor too ;D
↠Focused on leads, so screentime doesn't get distributed on supporting roles or any side couple.
↠No overdubbing, actors using their own voices.
↠So many sweet and heart-fluttering moments.
↠No annoying, and unrealistic, over-the-top characters. Very likable leads. But not perfectionists.
↠Many gaming-related scenes in the start and aerospace-related scenes in the middle part of the drama. (in case if you aren't interested in both of them)
↠The flow of the story is very slow in the initial episodes, and it can be boring for someone.
↠And Yang Yang just looks so fine with glasses on, this wasn't really necessary but I wanted to say it lol xD
If I've to use my food analogy again... I would compare it to wine, which needs some ripening to get the perfect taste and treat for all taste buds, a little bitterness in the start is natural but then you experience sweetness that lefts in your mouth at the end, and with time it gets better and better.
Though it seems like that cast is the best part of the show, it's not. The importance lies in the story, dialogue, and execution. I'm a Books-Over-Screen adaptations person (only Hobbit and LOTR would be exceptions), but this would the one of the best adaptations I've seen so far in dramaland. Having the book writer as a screenwriter ensures that writing quality would be par as the novel. In the initial episodes, the pace is slow... not much romantic development between leads: a slow burn. It's natural and realistic, they don't fall for each other out of anywhere for no good reason, through the slow process of getting to know each other with time. The story itself isn't exciting or even grand but it's presented but how it's presented that matters, it doesn't follow any tropes or cliches. Even being 32 episodes nothing feels unnecessary. I loved the fact it doesn't show any external conflict or cause that creates problems but in the start problems are, real, internal struggle, and valid.
Who says it's not exciting so it doesn't have surprises... in the second half its pace changed by 180°... so many heart-fluttering, butterflies moments ahead. The serious ride when becoming full fluff you never get you to know. Prepare yourself for soo much sweetness. Be careful about pain in the muscle of cheeks, I found myself grinning all time ;D
The dialogues are meaningful, and witty too! cherished the small detailing in the bits. For example, when Yu Tu and Jingjing go to watch the movie, they watch 'Coco' and Yu Tu's situation is quite similar to the lead of that movie 'struggle for chasing their dream and what they really want from life.'
When Yu Tu was eating in the canteen, he had conversation with Jingjing that time she said.. she wants to eat at their canteen and when you see Jingjing visiting his research center for first time.. he says we can't go to canteen coz as we don't have much time, I mean see the details.
Yu Tu's name has a special meaning behind it Yutu (玉兔) literal meaning: Jade Rabbit, it was a robotic lunar rover that formed part of the Chinese Chang'e 3 mission to the Moon it had an expected lifespan of 3 months but managed to operate for 31 months on the moon. . So when Jingjing states that he had already seen most stars, it is a reference to this... as Yu Tu having an expected lifespan of 3 months managed to operate for 31 months on the moon.
What to say about the cast, top-tier actors of the industry with their heavenly looks. We've got Yang Yang, Dilraba... Liu Yu Ning oh sorry he isn't there. No actually, he's there coz the drama starts with his voice. The opening song Fireworks and Stars 煙火星辰 is sung by him (ah this guy is everywhere lol).
Oops, I got distracted we're talking about the cast, right? Dilraba looks stunning, beautiful as always.. she always adds that spunk, and charisma in every character she plays that's what makes it special. The only problem would be that her makeup is a bit off :') She did a great job portraying Jingjing as always. Maybe even better as Jingjing is more like she in her real life.
But this time for me Yang Yang outshined or it was Yu Tu... maybe both, due to the complexity of his character, the wide range of emotions and experiences he had to go through. Out of the all works of Yang Yang it's best to date, I wasn't really satisfied by his acting skills yet aside from the great looks he got, but this time he impressed me, his eyes talk a lot... there's no need for words for some emotional scenes, just take look at his eyes and you know what's going on in his mind. Playing as Yu Tu is challenging as he goes through a drastic change throughout the whole process and with every stage, he has to make it visible with his expressions and his acting.. and Yang Yang did it beautifully.
Having extra love for astrophysics and space-related stuff I didn't skip anything related to Yu Tu's profession but you might find yourself skipping those parts as they can be considered boring. The same goes with the gaming scenes, the first few episodes heavily contain them, it was the medium that bought them together after all. I didn't like how Jingjing tricked Yu Tu by calling him to her house, Tbh these are the only problems I found in the drama.. and actually, they aren't really problems as it depends on your preference.
The characters... I love them!
Honestly, when I saw Jingjing first, I got worried oh no not again a cute, innocent female lead. But she proved me wrong. Yes, she is very cute and adorable but quick-witted, smart, a high-spirited person not to forget she has a high EQ (as anyone should have in the entertainment industry). She knows how to talk, how to behave. And she's aware of what exactly she wants. Loved how understanding and considerate she was to Yu Tu.
Again writer surprised me, what was I expecting Yu Tu to be? a successful aerospace engineer living a picture-perfect life. Who would have thought we'll get a struggling male lead.. with low confidence, self-esteem, confuse between a better job opportunity or a dream. It also shows a bitter truth... getting good grades, having a high IQ, great education doesn't mean you can live whatever life you want. Everyone has to struggle for their dreams, desires and on the way to do that reality hits hard, very hard. I would prefer Yu Tu over any perfect CEO lead as he seems so real (Not talking about his looks lol coz that's surreal) I found his struggle, his internal conflicts very relatable. His personal development is the key point of his character, how he starts to believe in his dreams again, belief in himself again. Wait this isn't it... just have some patience and see a new Yu Tu, in a new light. You might argue with yourself is he the one I know before. He's a completely new person, I don't know him anymore xD
Normally for me, when a couple gets together I lose interest, then drama starts to get boring for me but it's just contradicted my belief as it gets more interesting with time. Yu Tu and Jingjing make a perfect couple together with the sizzling chemistry, not just that they look so good but their personalities compliment each other very well (High IQ+High EQ) and both know how to flirt very well, what we need more ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯... they live in two different worlds but it has 0 effects on their relationship, that's what I love, nor external problems, neither silly misunderstandings. Even their small fights are so cute. Most important they behave like they are adults who are in a relationship, not people in their 30s but still behaving like teens lol.
I wasn't sure if the drama will manage to show the professionalism of leads, as their jobs are very busy, time-consuming. What a smart way to use time skips.. without even making it feel as they don't have anything to do other than dating with giving a lot of their moments together.. while doing their job properly. It covers a wide range of emotions. With some very emotional, heartbreaking scenes. I shed tears in Yu Tu's conversation with Zhai Liang 'I made mistake, that's why she's gone. She's a good person.' But then it has some peak comedy moments that'll make your stomach hurt. Bitter-sour-sweet-spicey we get a whole set of flavors. Good deal, right?
This is S+ production, so great aesthetics, pretty clothes (maybe this isn't fully), beautiful cinematography, the color palette is as expected. But I'm not fond of the opening sequence I found it a bit cartoonish and in need of good editing, but it doesn't cut any points as it's nothing to do with drama. Not really fond of music. Other than the opening song that's also used as bgm any other ost doesn't really stand out for me as it's the only song used till the 16th episode (so if you are a little sensitive about music, point to be noted)
The opening song: Fireworks and Stars (煙火星辰) - By Liu Yu Ning, I've mentioned it before but it feels like ages now :')
Time Monologue (光阴独白) - By Lala Hsu
Fall in Love (陷入爱情) - By Curley Gao & Mika
Speak To You (说给你听) - By Aska Yang
Born To Be An Eagle (生来是鹰) - By Chen Xue Ran
This definitely a re-watchable drama, you won't get satisfied watching some episodes only one time. And it's binge-worthy!
In the conclusion, I'll say... You Are My Glory is soothing, refreshing, thought-provoking drama. But not everyone's cup of tea/coffee is hit or miss. But if you are liking it from the start.. you'll end up falling in love with it ;) The heck, I did again 9.5 to a rom-com? But not regretting it.
Whoa, anyone reached here!?
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A refreshing journey that won't fail to bring a smile to your face.
What a journey it has been! it initially started with 0 expectations but ended up being one of the most memorable rides. And it actually raised my standards much for fluffy rom-com now, as it has nothing which I truly despair or get annoyed by, but lots of sweet moments and cute fluff that will give you absolute pleasure.. and pain in the muscle of cheeks.If I talk about the plot or the theme of the drama. It's quite simple without any complexity. Bit or I'll say a lot unrealistic coz of the number of coincidences it has.. or should I call 'Fate' that brought our leads together.. not just together but living under the same roof hehe. Having a bit cliche story I actually liked its pace and the direction with perfect execution from character personality development to the story progression. Being 36 episode drama plus rom-com it had the most chances to become draggy or have unnecessary parts but actually, nothing happened like that, it never left its track consistent till the end. So the story is really cleverly written and stick to its main concept until the last moment.
Now let's talk about the soul of the show its characters. Wow, what can I say about them? I liked the characters more than the story itself. Having three-dimensional human-like characters (Which many writers forget almost all the time) who act like humans, can do mistakes, and not fit in the mold of 'Perfection.' Chu Li at first glance you might feel ah another naive, innocent FL are we getting here? I mean drama doesn't have a 'Strong Female Lead' tag not to forget she is such a cutie pie and adorable, but being badass, rude/arrogant, having power, or physically strong doesn't make strong female leads for me. Hardworking, passionate about their work, strong-willed, having their own goals, principles for life and actually working on them this defines a strong character in my opinion and Chu Li nailed it with being cute and having that bubbliness in her what a balance it was!
Zhou Chuan no I'll say, Mr. Fox, okay I love him.. not him his character lol. Mr. Fox was such a sweetheart and MOOD. I mean there wasn't any moment or scene of him that I didn't enjoy or had good laugh at. He just brightens every moment. He can be a jerk for everyone totally arrogant dude but when it comes to his loved ones he becomes a sweetheart lol...His awkwardness, not able to express what he feels in the starting was felt so natural. The writer did a great job in case of portraying his character as a 'Writer'.. like his stubbornness his passion for his work all things were dealt with in the right way realistically.
So when Mr. Fox and Monkey come together it's a perfect match.. they have quite different personalities but they compliment each other. Their bickering, fights, the development in the relationship with being each other's first love it's quite enjoyable to watch. The chemistry rocks, and how can I forget how much they trust each other and form such a strong bond together... Surely the best aspect of the drama.
Talking about second leads... I'm the type of person who actually doesn't care about second leads at all most of the time I'm not even interested, but honestly, I was invested in the plot of the second lead's story too! they had great chemistry having their own interesting plotline which actually doesn't try to overlap with the main concept of the story.. so yeah I enjoyed their screentime too!
How can I forget the sizzling chemistry between our Mr. Fox and Jiang Yu Cheng... I never craved for the screentime of ML and SML together but I actually did here.
In the acting, they did a really good job portraying all characters I don't think I can imagine this different cast.. and yeah another fact I was glad that dubbing was with the original voice of actors.
So I was engaged to the story from the start to end more than that I was much invested in our main leads who never disappointed me or let me down... for me, it was an amazing drama which I loved thoroughly... I don't rate any rom-com 9.5.. actually never lol, but it was worth it!
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With a strong start, it manages to leave a really good first impression (if we just ignore that violin scene).... unfortunately it doesn’t remain consistent enough to continue the pace, as for the middle episodes it loses track and becomes unreasonable, a bit unbearable, losing its charm.
Realistic portrayal, characterization of leads, the story stands out in the initial episodes. Corners of furniture in Nian Qin’s house taking consideration of blind people, having a poster of ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ in the room of an aspiring radio host. Sleepless in Seattle is a Hollywood movie from 1993, radio being the core part of the story. Such detailed writing with beautiful dialogue writing sure left an impression on me. But in the second half, the execution failed and some parts almost felt like filler. Unnecessary situations were added near the end but improperly dealt and some were abandoned in the thin air.
As much I was interested in the main couple, that much uninterest in the secondary couple, skippable parts for me :')
Thinking about the relationship dynamics between Nian Qin and Wu Yan is very natural and pleasing to see, there are some cute moments together, some heart fluttering moments (Special mention: Ending scene of 8th episode, I bet everyone has seen it more than one time lol). And this isn’t just about writing, as Evan Lin and Wen Peng’s chemistry just brightens up everything, plus they really suit each other very well… easier for us to imagine them as a couple. Actually, I didn’t expect much from Evan Lin giving a decent performance in the debut work, his acting is natural, he managed to perform a blind person very well that was challenging as it’s more difficult and detailed oriented work other than playing a fit and fine person and of course his looks also stand out most. Wen Peng is doing a great job as usual. So the acting from both the leads adds more points.
Now if we talk about characters. I found Nian Qin pretty reasonable, having a difficult childhood, with a disability, and no one as considered as his beloved one besides him. He's very stubborn and heavily sensitive nature in the words of dramaland Cold nature is quite normal... If his personality was any kinda different than this then it might have been unrealistic. This is definitely not a typical cold man/warm woman story. Wu Yan is cheerful and energetic with plans, dreams for the future. Still, I’m not convinced that she’s a psychology graduate taking into consideration many of her actions. In my opinion, the personal development of Nian Qin is almost non-existence as he becomes childish with time. Not to forget his stalkerish that almost pissed me off.
Music has a big role in the relationship between Nian Qin and Wu Yan, it’s given that this drama has it remarkable.
Meeting you (遇到你) - Evan Lin Yanjun & Wan Peng
As I believe (苏诗丁) - Juno Su
Fall (沦陷) - Wei Chen
Not just OSTs but the background music is also very suitable. The piano piece is very soothing and refreshing to hear.
Aside from the lazy writing of some episodes, it’s pretty enjoyable, entertaining, and even meaningful and it's also so pretty as well in both visuals and cinematography. The couple is worth everything, as their chemistry rocks!
How to get a man, tip from Wu Yan: "You have to be shameless and nuisance."
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The best execution of opposite attracts. Da Li and Moo Hak are not just different from each other, but polar opposites in almost everything family background, education, nature, personality, the way of thinking, legit nothing is common. Still, they are like two pieces of the puzzle fitting perfectly with each other, their oozing chemistry is worth craving more.
I can't express in words how much I adore Moo Hak, he's one the best characters I've seen in dramaland. He may be loud, uncultured, silly sometimes stupid... but most mature, considerate at the same time most adorable person. A looot better than people who claim themselves high-educated and cultured. I love how many shades he has... and throughout the journey with exploring different parts of his nature. Now one may think its character development is, I strongly disagree. I think it is how he was in first place. The more I go deep into his character the fewer flaws I can see, I respect his perspective and being a realist... And thinking what life he has been through... where he worked hard to get where he is I don't consider him as money-grubber nor stingy, coz he's the person who knows worth of everything, then whatever it is: Money or People. He knows his priorities clearly and behaves as per.
Da Li may be a bit oblivious, idealistic.. and doesn't have much knowledge about how the world works she's definitely not spoiled princess. She's hardworking, she can face every problem with courage, she can take a stand for herself. I love her straightforwardness... she's a girl who can kick ass if it's needed. Finally, someone who acts as per their age lol... and not a teen who's in love for the first time, she's comfortable with physical intimacy as an adult.
I've seen a lot of secretaries, (I mean ofc everywhere is CEO lol) but Moo Hak's secretary is the best. She's not only a secretary but a very loyal friend, who can even threaten her boss's girlfriend. She's just COOL. And I love his hotel staff too lol... who can work as gangsters but also can give adorable reactions after seeing Moo Hak's fully smitten state.
Whenever each episode ended... I always felt unsatisfied, after thinking I got it why. Though it's not noticeable compared to the rom-com (not the multi-leads ones) this one has relatively less screentime of leads being together but I won't complain coz it's realistic.. people do have things-word to do other than dating, so when they aren't together they are doing work which needs to be done. It does have many.. many, a lot of annoying characters that you would love to FF.
Aesthetically it's simply stunning.. the sets, costumes, cinematography. And finally, both leads have amazing dressing sense, where Da Li legit feels like someone who knows about art.
It's cliche at the same time it's not...the tropes don't feel unnecessary. It does break many stereotypes. I really want to thank how they didn't pull Won Tak to love square. Girl and Boy can be just friends not every time a guy ends up falling for a girl. No stupid misunderstandings.. even if there are any 'Conversation' exist in their world.. and it's noble idiocy free!
As rom-com if fills its purpose fully.. having many peak moments of comedy and couple you want more and more.
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This review may contain spoilers
The good story with weird ending
It was a very refreshing drama, kind of sweet, I love the way of execution of the story and the character development. Even though there is 8 years difference between the main lead but their screen chemistry was very good. but it was very good until the 14 episodes they messed up the ending...I mean they really messed up, It was the weirdest and worst ending ever. It didn't explain anything. So it was 8.5 for me until 14 ep but it's all messed up now ...like all people got a happy ending except the main lead (or they got writer knows it's like an open ending) I am very confused.I will surely recommend this drama but the last 2 episodes are a huge disappointment!
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What a hilarious ride!
So let me tell you first... it doesn't have anything special in the story coz it's pretty much a whole mess. Plus it is a very very low-budget drama so if you like beautiful sets, costumes, and all other things... then it's not the right place to find coz you'll be disappointed at the end of the day. It doesn't have anything which can count as great or amazing.BUT it doesn't mean it's not worth watching. You just have to switch off your brain for a while and enjoy this hilarious ride, it's so funny and interesting. Five brothers what's say about them lol.. the twins nailed in their chemistry, and the kid haha I really liked him. And yeah hats off to FL for her expressions coz they were priceless.
So if you are looking just for fun.... and entertainment nothing more than that, then go for it!
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101 ways to ruin the ending.
After dropping it twice... (in just one episode). I decided to give it try just for sake of my never-ending dropping list. Now at this point, knowing how it ended maybe I should just stop caring for my dropped list.. and let me take it to eternity.Of course... this kinda story is sooo predictable, cliche, having many skippable parts, and garnished with many second-hand embarrassments moments with cringe-worthy scenes. The rich male lead who's arrogant, rude and not knowing many ways of living meets a bit silly, hardworking and poor (this is very necessary) female lead they end up being boss-employee ...fell in love.. then there's character development, some seasoning of every possible trope that any drama can have. I didn't really like some supporting roles, as some were very cartoonish, were some unnecessary.
The problem is not being predictable or tropey, it fails hard in execution. Why make leads in their 30s if their actions are not even near to their age, yeah anyone can have a child in their heart but when behavior is childish... I really can't take it. Plus many times it becomes a real estate commercial, I appreciate seeing well-architectured houses but not in drama lol if I want to see them I can easily watch shows related to it (trust me I've seen many of them lol).
Actually, I liked some aspects of the female lead's character, the main pairing had some really cute moments together and some hilarious scenes that I enjoyed fully. There's nothing wrong with casting as everyone did a great job while portraying their roles. I'll appreciate the camera work too. To be honest, I didn't notice music much, maybe only one ost 'Story Of Us' by Jo Yuri.
It was okay drama till it reached the last stage then it messed up hard... So I'll call it drop-worthy watch the first 14 episodes.. then you can imagine this is the ending.
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If you have lots of patience then you should watch it.
It was good but just good for me cause I'm not fan of slow paced dramas they quite a lot irritate me sometimes and I hate misunderstandings and miscommunication I guess that's why I didn't liked this drama that much.But I do loved the friendship between them! I felt that it could have been executed in the better way, I liked FL's character she was independent and hard working but I didn't liked some of her decisions that's why I was annoyed by it sometimes. But I felt it was kind of realistic that we all do some mistakes in life and we should know when to backoff and correct them .... even if it's late. Aww and I really liked ML I mean he was such a gem and did many things without any expectations.
It's not normal length jdrama it's quite long... but you'll enjoy journey even sometimes it's get irritating but you'll like it's ending... sometimes ending is memorable than the journey itself.
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