Short lived...but it's better than nothing.

That was too short!!! They should've added "A Glimpse" on the title of this extremely ephemeral special episode.

Anyways, I am still grateful that they took some time to give us this brief yet meaningful quick peak of XFF and XH marriage life. It brings me joy just seeing them casually enjoying their day to day marriage life like a normal couple. Not to mention how they even gave us some of their typical "Flirting" skits. I will miss them so much!

P.S. I will forever have this longing towards Xiao Heng's jealousy moments. He's rarely jealous and we seldom see it so I am glad they included tiny bits of it as an introduction of this special episode..

Read More

The Lovesick Queen Maker and his peace-loving & compassionate Wife.

This would have been insane if they made it longer and if it was handled by a better production company with sufficient budget. The main idea and how the story was set up is something that has been attempted for years and I truly feel bad that a potentially good story like this went to a mediocre company who turned it into something underwhelming—disappointing.

Although the entire show is full of plot holes, like literally left and right, I can really see that this type of narrative could have been built into a more comprehensive and detailed platform where it can be given a chance to elaborate and incorporate the real message of the story with more precision. The way it was created and ended felt so rushed, that I myself started feeling bad that it was treated and squandered like that.

Something I initially like about this drama is its phasing—It went by so quickly not wasting any episodes throughout its first half but ended up ruining the other half eventually. All I can say is that their idea of putting up the story like that escalated pretty quickly which causes it to backfire at the very end. I still find it crazy how they leaped through the most important events like it was nothing important. It genuinely felt like the climax was skipped over just so that they can end it—which is a very dumb decision to be very honest.

Another thing I find ridiculous is the fighting and martial arts scenes. They tried so hard to make it look great at first but I guess they gave up on it as the story goes on because the way it was executed on the succeeding episodes was simply terrible you won't even have to think twice to say it's really that bad. It was too evident and crystal clear like they didn't even try hiding it. Hahaha!

Lastly, I just wanna say that the way they depicted women here with resolute resolve is something I truly like. However, the execution is where it all went wrong... such scenes could have ended great and inspiring but for some reason it looked prematurely done. The power and determination is there but the lack of conviction and weak representation made it feel and look like a literal staged play—an act.

P.S. The ML (Yuan Hao) is an expert in playful-cuddly-romantic scenes. I swear! He makes my heart leap countless of beats everytime he acts like that.

Story - 8.5, It is promising and is actually good, however, the people who directed and created it is disappointing otherwise. How I wish it was handled by a better director, script writer and production company with sufficient funding.

Acting/Cast - 7.5, The acting is very inconsistent! I had to pause multiple times and mentally consider a lot of things i.e. dubbing, voice syncing and all because I thought the problem may have been caused by that. But at the end of the day, none of those are the reason why I was bothered. The problem really lies on the facial expressions, emotions and overall body langauge of the actors'. Most of the time I think they do not even know how to act their scenes and is just doing the best they can do and as a result it turned out pretty awkward and bad. Yuan Hao did great though!

Music - 9.5, Music is Good. There's this one song they used I believe on Ep.8 that I can't find the tittle of which I really love and I will surely hunt that one down. For sure!

Rewatch Value - 8.0, It was not that bad for me not to rewatch it. I would say it's worth my time and as I mentioned, is a potentially promising production and could have been more, with better team working for it.

Overall - 8.5, I contemplated so much with this rating. I was set to give it a 9.0 - 9.5 however the unexpected ending made me retract on how I feel about this drama. I understand that they lack the resources and all but I cannot accept that they chose to off screen most of the exciting scenes and eventually ruling all the commotions they have started from the very beginning to a draw. Like, did you all just wasted your entire effort from the very beginning for nothing? Hahaha!

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

Went a little below expectation...

I had high expectation since I've been waiting for this for years and simply because its prequel with Neo Hou is one of my fave among all the adaptations. All in all I must say that I started it with the mindset "I'm used to them changing Wu Xie and Zhang Qilin so lemme just enjoy it" so I watched it with my usual clean slate adoration and expectation.

I basically LOVE the idea that this sequel finally happened and even when the plot changed a bit compared to how we were left with the cliffhanger on The Lost Tomb 2; I was still able to pick up the pieces after several episodes and allowed me to enjoy it like how I always do. But my most OUTSTANDING SCENE is on EP.18, probably the most GAY-ISH SKINSHIP we've ever get between WX & ZQL throughout the entire series'. I died with so much flatter and joy with the camera focused during those moments and also I love how WX addressed some annoying issues about WPZ (I like him and got used to his character all this time and I love the Iron Triangle but WPZs behaviour has been bothering me since then and finally it was addressed and highlighted this time).

Things I dislike are mostly the underwhelming production and story/plot. I feel like they could've done better in terms of plot twist and some effects but it simply never happened. As always I got used to JUMPY scenarios with The Lost Tomb Series but something just didn't sit properly with me while watching it. It also felt rushed at the end and a little bit too dragging at the middle part of the story. I feel like they could've done better. This is probably my 2nd least favorite installment right after Lost Tomb 1 with Li YiFeng.

Story - 8.0, As i mentioned It felt dragging and rushed and they seriously could have done better to make it WORK!

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I never got issue with WX & ZQL character changes but they felt a little distant in this series. I felt like they went a little less closer but the skinship made up for that— In terms of acting Bai Shu did his best and I LOVE that he has some expressions/views that look exactly like Neo Hou and he look like him countless of times as well same thing with ZQL since he reminded me of Arata Mackenyu and Suho of EXO so I was satisfied watching them the entire time. Their acting itself felt a little different but is still pass-able!

Music - 9.0, Like what I always say on my reviews 'We can never go wrong with music' (that often lol) It has decent set of music that fits the scenes and it never bothered me. I gave it a 9 since I'm just not a big fan of suspense, creepy type of music and i usually prefer ballad and pop. Nonetheless I enjoy the music accompaniment on this series.

Rewatch Value - 7.5, I probably won't rewatch it unless i have decided to watch the entirety of The Lost Tomb Series when everything has been completely adapted. But till then nope, I won't rewatch. But hey!! this series is decent.

Overall - 8.5, I really wanted to give it a higher Mark but the most important factor for me is Plot && Production and I felt like they lack so much in that area. Nonetheless this is a decent adaptation; probably not the best but certainly not the worst as well.

IF you find my Review helpful please let me know.

Read More

The Ultimate Wuxia of this Generation | Unyielding swords of the Youth | Accurate Powerscaling

I'm so thrilled to write this review simply because I'm overflowing with positive words to say. So, shall we start then?

Hey! I don't mean to compare but this is like the 'Nirvana in Fire' of the new generation... but in a more lighter and peaceful take.

If I were to describe this drama in 1 word or 2 I would probably use Brilliance and Accuracy.Brilliance in a way that it was able to convey the story in a smooth and flawless manner without spoiling and/or tainting the entire narrative and plot; and Accuracy for delivering well-balanced, highly satisfying and strictly accurate powerscaling that I've always yearned for years now. Damn! This story just got it all right on the proper places and it feel so good to watch it cause I never felt disrespected by any ridiculous made up scenes.

One of the best selling point of this drama for me is their subtle yet deep kinship and brotherhood. At first, I only felt it with the 3 main leads (Xiao Se, Wuxin & Lei Wujie) but as time passes by I've also started to include Tang Lian on the line up. The way they effortlessly broadens this circle of people without throwing me off is beyond me and I'm just glad they did, cause it added more color to their group.

Chemistry and overall synergy of the characters are insanely good. They're like the perfect match handpicked by heaven for their specific roles. Xiao Se/Xiao Chuhe may have been the main protagonist of the story but you'll never feel that he outshined anybody. Probably because he was always surrounded by the other characters which also made the ambiance booming with their crazy antics and entertaining interactions.

CGI, Settings, Mood and Color of the drama is considerably and exquisitely done. One thing this production never went wrong is how they nailed each and every scene that requires skilled editing. Background, effects and positioning is always on point and I will never ever stop praising them for giving us such quality drama that showed us how it is when properly done and directed. It was beautiful—gorgeous and stunning more so. and Hey! Just wanna mention Xiao Se's spacious carriage that looks like a hotel room inside but is normal size looking from the outside. That cracked me up so bad. Hahaha!

And even when I find this drama to be extremely great in almost all aspects. I still have some expectations and discontentment they failed to meet but with a justifiable reason. First is how Wuxin got manipulated by Night crow's Blood manipulation scheme but it was all reasonable because he's fully aware of it and even took precautions by teaching Lei Wujie & Xiao Se the Secret Arts to free him eventually. Second, the way the original new set of Tianqi 4 Guardians never get to meet and bond completely. Not to mention how Tang Lian was replaced by tang Ze during the showdown between Yan Zhantian and the 4 Guardians. He was robbed off of that momentum he greatly deserved for doing his utmost best since Ep1 and was killed in the middle of the show. Gosh! One of the most unexpected yet rational death. Third and Last is the Tragic love stories. Above all I was really shocked on how they've decided to kill Zhao Yuzhen right after his Wedding with Li Hanyi. I honestly saw it coming but it still hurts when they finally concluded it that way. Thank god we got several new pairings afterwards.

Lastly, I just wanna reiterate how this drama is a combination of everything nice mixed all together. And I almost forgot to mention how truly spectacular, exquisite, well built and elegant the swords play execution of this production. Hoping to see more of its greatness on the 2nd Season. ♡

P.S. I will leave and comeback with a Wife - Zhao Yuzhen — I was traumatized by this because he never came back and was dead right after.

Story - 10, I'll boldly say the BEST Wuxia drama of this new era. Story pacing is great. It was like a flowing river... constant, unbothered and smooth sailing. I never felt disgusted by any random leaps of the plot and the entire journey of the protagonists felt so right in every direction.

Acting/Cast - 10, Excellent set of Actors/actresses. I'm familiar with 3/4 of the actors' in this production but I never expected them to perform this GOOD!! This drama is oozing with chemistry from the cast, not to mention their impeccable synergy that resonates one another. A perfect match. P.S. I've always adored Li Hongyi & Liu Xueyi but this drama made me love them even more.

Music - 10, I initially wanna give it a 9.5 simply because I wasn't vibing with the opening theme but then after deliberate consideration and looking back on how they utilized the overall sound and music. I've decided to straight out give them the perfect score they clearly deserves. Sound utilization, placement and timing are always on point and I just love all the instrumentals they used in this drama.

Rewatch Value - 10, No question needed. I'm glad and more than willing to watch this show right away or whenever. I will forever regard this show as one of the best Wuxia drama of this generation.

Overall - 10, Like, mentioned above. This is a combination of all greatness mixed together. I enjoyed their story and the fun and exciting journey that comes with it. It's just unfortunate that it wasn't as popular and mainstreamed in comparison to some other overly clichėd popular romance xianxia and wuxia drama out there. Hoping for it get immense appreciation moving forward.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know

Read More

It's never late to change & make amends. Afterall, Love is sweeter & stronger the 2nd time around <3

Looking once and remembering it for 10,000 years - Cheng Shaosheng

First thing first, I just wanna let you know that this review is mainly about the Part 2 since i've created a different one for the Part 1 respectively. Nonetheless, this will most probably include plenty of this drama's positive points as a whole so please keep an eye for it.

Also, If you're reading this just to get some idea whether to watch the drama or not... Just don't think anymore and simply dive into it. I promise that you'll never regret it one bit.

That was a wrap! This story as a whole truly brought so much happiness and entertainment to me this year. The drama I was able to finish in 6 days considering its whooping 56 episodes. It's been a great pleasure to witness Cheng Shaoshang & Huo Buyi's tireless and relentless pursuit of their love.

I think what divides Part 2 to the earliest part was that it was more on how they deal with their misconceptions, disagreements, lack of trust and understanding for each other— which is mostly on Huo Buyi's side. The Part 1 featured all the tricky, ridiculous and funny scenes while this part focuses on the consequences and challenges they need to face and went through to further strengthen their bond and relationship.

Plot twists of this drama is something very unexpected for me. All this while, I was under the impression that the ML is simply too loving and protective of the FL yet I was proven wrong because of how well calculated and planned all his moves were. It's something I was astounded to witness, at the same time made me realized how well written this story was. It was full of unexpectedly good heartbreaking and emotional scenes that will surely make anyone satisfied as an audience.

Timeskips - There may be a lot of timeleaps but they were able to cover, express, and deliver every single discontentment, pain and sorrow i've been longing to hear and see from the characters all this time. I felt catered and comforted to see how they took extra effort to address all that.

Fighting and martial arts scenes from this drama were overall satisfying. Wu Lei's domineering and proud posture made him very convincing so does impacting the entire time he's performing such combatant scenes.

Overall design and color grading were delicately done which makes it more comfortable to watch. Not even once do I feel ridiculed and bothered while watching this production. I'm just glad that the editor did great in processing things beyond the eyes discernment.

Positive perception and interpretation for the Rulers (Emperor, Empress and Consort). This drama may have been questionable and controversial on how bias they're but for me It passed through all that. The fact that for once, we got to experience loving and tolerable set of monarch is really impressive for me. I love how they are united to actually make everything peaceful and always there to provide support and assurance for the Leads. Not to mention how entertaining they're themselves.

Supporting and Side characters. Another charm of this drama for me is how they created a space for each and almost everyone of the main Supporting cast. It just proves how considerate they're to the viewers and I really appreciate that.

Something I badly wanna mention is how much I feel for Empress Xuan Shen'an. She was the epitome of restraint, virtue and kindness in this story. She was in so much pain and suffering but not even once does she let it overtake her. A truly inspring and motherly character.

P.S. I still need the Wedding Banquet!! I feel like we deserve that after all the setbacks, struggles and challenges the Main leads went through.

Story - 10, I was taken a back on how they managed to alter the part 1 to its succeeding part and I feel like it's something not many production can successfully pull off these days. It was bittersweet but overall satisfying and nostalgic.

Acting/Cast - 10, Strong and Perfect set of casts. From the very major to the most minor characters felt sensible and effective for me. I just appreciate all of them and I love how they all did excellent in portraying their respecting roles.

Music - 10, Music accompaniment were really good and god! the dubbing is great! I don't know if they do it themselves but even Wu Lei's shouting scenes felt in-sync and accurate for me.

Rewatch Value - 10, This drama is a representation of how bittersweet life's journey is and I would love to take that journey again sometime in the future to re-live and realize all the things i've went through to get to where I am right now.

Overall - 10, Extremely satisfied with this production. The drama felt like it went through a lot of intricate discussions and processing; and I just know that they gave their best to make this drama as impactful, touching and heartfelt as possible.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

3 Inspiring women fighting relentlessly for their rights. + Savoury & Mouthwatering kissing scenes.

God knows how this pair drained all the sweetness in me... They're sucking it every coming episode that I was all dried-up and left with no juice to squeeze during the finale. Hahaha!

This drama got tons of positive qualities but something that stands out to me was its plot. It went on in an orderly manner with proper phasing which helped the story not look clichė at all; and the way they fall in love gradually through their simultaneous interactions made their relationship more natural and acceptable.

The outstanding and flawless chemistry the Main leads brought to this drama is simply remarkable. Their casual 'fight-slash-flirting' scenes is too much for the heart. Not to mention the adoration and hearts you can see through the MLs eyes whenever he's looking at FL made it even more romantic— He's too smitten and it resonates. + The FLs clever way of solving things made the story more interesting and fun to watch.

I was full of giggles all the time and my adrenaline felt exhausted from running everytime they're flirting on screen. Like they were created to make me feel jealous and envious. Haha!

Another thing that made this drama standout from the rest is its great production design & beautiful costumes— Their styling is extremely pleasing and god knows how enchanting they all look with proper hairstyle, make up and clothing. I also love the color grading of this drama. Very warm, smooth and comfortable. It helps to escalate a lot of things to great heights specially with the overall look and feel of the drama.

One last thing that made this drama fun to watch is its light yet solid story progression and great character development. It never felt too rushed and forced so the characters got to grow and shine on their own. Although it was not always rainbows and colors for the leads, but they made sure that they improve and learn from all of it; and that made the story more interesting and enjoyable.

Something worthy to mention is the great dubbing. Finally for once. I felt comfortable and satisfied with how their mouth synchronized with the actual sound. So tired of other ridiculous ones.

P.S. The most ridiculous scene goes to the Final Episode when the ML was trying to feed the FL the circular coin-size pill using his mouth. The FL was laying by her chest so how the heck does she even swallow that? Hahaha!

Story - 10, The story was well created with good phasing. A comfortable run I would say. I was never bothered and disappointed of anything. + I just love the positivity and fun it brought to me the whole time I was watching it.

Acting - 10, Flawless and beyond convincing. Chen Xiao look so smitten. Like, was he even acting? I felt like he enjoyed it more than anyone. Hahaha! Also, Liu Yifei's excellence when it comes to controlling her facial expression made her character delightful and eye candy to watch. + All of the actors and actresses really did well in expressing and delivering their roles through their good acting and portrayal.

Music - 9.5, Decent BGM overall. It added lots of emotions and helps the overall feels of this drama. Good choice of songs and proper music placement I would say.

Rewatch Value - 10, Highly Recommended!! I finished it in over 3 days... The fastest since last year considering its 40 episodes. Every bits of it is worth watching.

Overall - 10, I would never have it any lesser. Everything is great. Not to mention how they were able to create this story without staining it with clichė and tropey plot. A drama that's worth every single second of my time.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

A rich & well written script that accentuate Trust, Faithfulness & Equality.

I'm really 'Impressed' I must say. This piece do have some similarity and shares some aspects with other dramas out there but what made it completely different is the way they handle the story and plot itself.

Honestly, when I started this drama and even during the first half, everything seemed and felt like any other dramas out in the market. However the more you watch it and the moment you get expose to how they are trying to tell the actual 'story' you will immediately realize that they have a concrete plan on how they want to present and show this story to their viewers.

I really wanna commend and thank the Writer, Director and everyone behind the scene for giving this drama an 'Identity' and for showing different aspects of the characters' life progression.

Well of course, I can't deny that this drama wasn't perfect and without any flaws but for some reason all of those were drowned by how splendid they created this drama as a whole.

Hmmm, If I would mention something that made me flinch out of minor ridiculousness and awkwardness is with its sudden time skips that somehow covers a lot of juicy details + those moments when they kill & change important characters in a blink of an eye like it's no ones business.

Overall this Drama satisfies and impresses me a lot in terms of Story progression, Plot, Schemes and Costume (Yass!! The costumes are well coordinated and that made the characters look regal and pleasing to the eye. Talk about BUDGET! Haha~)

Story - 10, I would never have it lesser than that. This drama is definitely not perfect but its imperfection has been its main key in making it valuable and watch worthy.

Cast/Acting - 10, I was worried at first because the Main Leads don't really look extremely handsome and Beautiful but their acting skills filled those holes up and that made me love all of them as a whole. + Their Facial Expression deserves an honorable mention.

Music - 10, I'm extremely satisfied and pleased with all the Music used in this drama. It's actually one of the reason why I enjoyed it so much more than expected.

Rewatch Value - 10, A watch Worthy drama that won't disappoint you no matter how much you watch and recomment it to other people.

Overall - 10, at this point is that even a question? My initial rating for this was 9 but it climbed up steadily and constantly thanks to its impeccable story build up and the actors' hardwork in portraying their respective characters.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

An Excellent Surprise!! Exceeding expectation and Serving the Best Quality~!!

DEFINITELY A MUST WATCH!!

This production proves that anyone can create an exemplery drama with minimal and limited funding.

Honestly speaking I got so used to Low-Mid Tier budget drama serving just the bare minimum, something that is created to simply catch it's viewers attention and I never felt wrong about that as it made me enjoy it even more due to the fact that I can avoid unexplainable and ridiculous plot scenes and such.

BUT, this drama is indeed a cut among the finest piece. Almost everything about this drama is well planned and is comparable to those High Budget excellent dramas. So, lemme enumerate them to the best I can.

First and Foremost is the Excellent Writing and Plot allignment. These days most of these are being overlooked and neglected just to cater to the audiences liking but this drama used it in a more favorable way by making sure that they're not only serving what's on-demand and highly sought out but also made sure that it's with 'Great Quality'.

Next, Graphics, Cinematography, Lighting, Costume and Production. It feels like the director and all the people behind this project made sure that they'll never miss a single spot unless out of coincidence and/or inevitability reasons cause the entire time I was watching it, never, even once, had I encountered any distraction and aloofness towards the drama. Instead, I was expecting for more greatness each coming episodes.

Last but not the least is the Artist/Cast. The Main Leads look so good together + their chemistry is on point. While the 2nd Lead has their own charm for being unique, comical and entertaining 99% of the time. Also, our adorable Fei Yuan whose appearances tend be on the sidelines but never failed to deliver consistency with his acting and emotions.

Story - 10, Excellent Writing. This drama really went all out with their Solving Case Scenes and executed to nearly Perfection while making sure that it won't ruin the plot and story even one bit.

Acting/Cast - 10, Spectacular set of Artist who's delivered impeccable performances and emotions. I never felt awkward watching them cause they really felt natural and in-character the whole time they're ON with their respective scenes.

Music - 9.5, Music is decent but I usually have 1 or more songs I truly like out of the all tracks in a drama BGM list yet for this production nothing really stood out the best for me. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it and never once got bothered about it.

Rewatch Value - 10, This drama deserved more views and positive word of mouth to people around the C-drama community because it truly went above and beyond the usual expectation to most Low-Mid budget dramas.

Overall - 10, Anyone who will tell me otherwise is welcomed to fight me. I would never forgive any slander over this drama as it truly went over the 'norm' and usual general expectation. Highly Recommend~!!

If you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

The proper Intro to the Exciting & Thrilling world of The Lost Tomb Series~ <3

PERFECT with its IMPERFECTION~!!

Note: I'm writing this review months after I completed the drama and this is my honest take of the whole show.

First of, I must say that this is the best way to start the The Lost Tomb Series. IF you're reading this, I must inform you that TLT Series should be watch in chronological order cause you'll find yourself lost of everything IF you failed to do so. (Not to mention how confusing it is even watching it in order. Hahaha)

This show solidified the series for me. It was the fiery start who encouraged me to binge-watch the series till the very last adaptation there is.

This is definitely not the most well adapted but it is a great contender when it comes to Story, Graphics, Cinematography, Action and Acting. This show isn't lacking in one bit. There surely are few downplays to this drama and you might feel weirded out and lost most of the time but this drama is probably one of the BEST out there.

P.S. Don't wanna give so much spoilers. But watch out to my additional sentiments below.

Story - 10, This may be very confusing to others who are watching the series for the 1st time but for someone like me who have completed the entire adaptation there is, this is probably one of the most well adapted among ALL. It is jumpy & confusing but all of it is for a purpose. You might even get disapointed by the cliffhangers but thank god the continuation is already up there for people to watch compared to how I suffered back in the days since the sequel's not aired yet.

Acting/Cast - 10, Neo Hou is definitely the Best Wu Xie of all. His portrayal is impeccable and would be hard to be compared to the others as he really owned it. He gave the most coolness, confidence, chick and charm to this character and above all he knew what he's doing. He nailed it. As for the other Characters, Like Zhang Qiling & Pang Zi they also performed well and left a great impact and lasting impression to their characters. A-Ning of this drama is probably my most favorite of all.

Music - 10, I honestly forgot the Music used for this show but I remembered getting so into it watching the scenes with it's thrilling BGMs and the Mellow sound they played during Wu Xie's scene after he went out of the Under Sea Tomb, so does explain my score.

Rewatch Value - 10, I would, DEFINITELY. If there's an adaptation I'm willing to watch over and over again, this would be it.

Overall - 10, Deserved! I started this Journey with the mindset "This is a series so I should expect to feel disappointed with cliffhangers and such" and that made me enjoy the whole show. It is even my most favorite Series of all dramas in general out there. It provided me so much fun & entertainment and helped me cope up with boredness and loneliness. All love and adoration for this show.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

I NEED MORE!!

This is such a breathe of fresh air after getting exposed to the oversaturated confused, indenial and such BL series genre's out there.

It was a take of how same-sex couple deal with various things on their life as they fight to conquer the norm to provide better understanding to their son.

It does have some departments where it's lacking at, but I just love how they emphasized and tackle the most important matters and that what made this drama a cut above the rest.

Story - 10, This type of BL Genre hasn't really been shown to the public's eye that much and does made this piece very interesting and eye-catching. The story itself is good and has captured necessary topics that should've been discussed and highlighted on how same-sex couple deal and struggle to achieve acceptance and understanding.

Acting/Cast - 10, IF i can give 1000 then so be it. I'm labeling this as the BL series with the most kissing scenes that felt so natural you can't help but get drawn to them and feel jealous.Hahaha The Actors & Actresses were excellent and was able to portray their own character the way it should be.

Music - 8, Honestly I'm just so excited to watch the series that i'm doing skips with the intro and outro. ? But the rest of the filler sounds & music were properly assigned I must say since it never bothered me one bit. Sorry about this crappy part of my review. Lol

Rewatch Value - 10, This story just deserves as many rewatch as it could get. Probably will rewatch it once the Season 2 comes out... Hopefully!! /Cross fingers/

Overall - 10, A very worthy story i would recommend to anybody simply because it is that good. It addressed so much concerns and share its own take of values and this made this series super special and unique.

Read More

A fateful mistake which later translates as Heaven's will and redirection—Match made in Heaven!

Sometimes, things works out unexpectedly and everyone finds their rightful match - Qi Tian Lei

This drama got it all right for me. I used to think that this story possesses all the good traits I'm searching for in a drama. However, upon a broader and closer look, I later found out that this production was initially created with overflowing positivity and I'm glad they were able to expound that by reducing the problematic and ridiculous scenes (not that it has plenty to start everything with anyways). It's a story that is full of fun, healthy and admirable moments from the Main leads and the side characters.

I also wanna talk about the efficient utilization of all the characters. This production created multiple pairings that they successfully pulled through till the very end; Which is extremely rare because most of 'extra' couplings are typically left out to focus more on the Main Leads. But for this drama, I have never, even once, felt like they were left out. They were able to create this sequence of events that allowed the characters to shine on their own without getting neglected.

Another thing that truly impacted my watch experience is the actors/actresses effortless chemistry. Everyone fits perfectly with their characters that I never felt awkward watching them. I feel like they all communicated well during the filming that it resonates through their acting performances. Everyone is on the right track executing what is expected of them without feeling any uncertainty simply because they were able to enter their characters flawlessly without inhibitions of whether they're doing it right or not. In short, they have achieved the confidence and comfortability they need to execute their roles perfectly and effortlessly.

Surprisingly, this Production Team was able to deliver intricately in terms of the story line, costumes, designs, settings (filming location) and almost every little details and aspects of the drama you can think of; which is uncommon for an Idol drama. Story line is well constructed and polished, Costumes looked stunning and truly compliments and accentuates each characters beauty, status and personality, designs and settings of each scene is well-themed and greatly decorated to fit the mood. Just watching all those details will make you realise that this is a product of countless sleepless nights, abundant ideas and suggestions, good communication and hardwork from all the people who worked hard in front and behind the scene. Considering all that... the Budget and funding must have been great to make this happen. /Grins/

The only thing that made me feel bad about this drama is the custom of Fixed-forced marriages in the primeval times and the brutal scheming the people has to go through simply because there are individuals who are so ambitious and cunning they will do anything to achieve their goals. Speaking about that, I honestly think that they did excellent in executing those sequences very well. The vicious character remained extremely hateful and I love how they sticked with that till the very end. Kudos to Patrick Quan for delivering above and beyond!

Lastly, I wanna say that I enjoyed this drama so much and I'm really happy to have watched this after stumbling upon dramas that are good but doesn't fully satisfy my expectations.

Story - 10, The conflicts, plot twists and turn of events are smoothly executed, explained and most importantly wasn't over done. I feel like they were able to follow through the original script that's why everything effortlessly fell onto its proper places in accordance to how it was written. I would describe this a smooth sailing and well-constructed drama.

Acting/Cast - 10, Perfection! Oh wow! I don't even know where to start. Everyone has performed and executed their own roles very well—exemplery even. I don't think I have been this satisfied of a production's casts for such a long time. Every single one of them did great that I became speechless right now. I'm just overflowing with praises and compliments for each one of the casts. P.S. This is definitely one of my Fave Tian Xi Wei drama right behind New Life Begins.

Music - 10, I love the soft tone yet fun, playful and exciting opening theme of this drama which truly fits its genre and vibe. + The use of background music and sound is really good as well. The editor and sound engineers must have paid a good amount of attention to it because it was able to elevate the whole mood of the scenes they are used in.

Rewatch Value - 10, One of the dramas I can and will confidently recommend to people. It's just so good that I feel excited to let people know how much I enjoyed watching this drama.

Overall - 10, Well deserved! The whole production is a Chef's kiss and I never even once felt bored and/or conflicted watching it. It's a combination of people crafting their best works to put them together to create this one enjoyable and great drama. I'm just full of good words for this production overall. Extremely satisfied!

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

You don't know me yet, so I will wait patiently until you can recognize me | Satisfying Ending!

I would like to start my review by telling everyone that this drama is all worth it! I will admit that the first few episodes got me thinking "Let's not take this seriously as it's a fictional idol drama after all" however the more it goes on, the more engrossing it became; and from then on, I find myself binge watching it until I ended up finishing it even ahead of my expected deadline.

I also want to take this opportunity to encourage people to just give it a try and ignore all the negative comments you have read on MDL so far because I assure you that this story is more than those negative feedbacks; and that this show belongs to those dramas who started rough but ended to be one of the most satisfying among its peers. It's like the 'Dark Horse' of the typical tropey time travel idol drama simply because it was able to elevate itself from the disastrous and ridiculous path into a level where it can be considered as one of the better—best even, in the genre it categorizes in.

If I were to describe this drama in two (2) words, I think it would be "Unexpectedly satisfying"— First, I have never expected to like, more so, love this drama even a little bit and I was actually on the 'gradually hating' side along with everyone else who already have prejudice and got little to no expectation of this story and is just watching it hoping that the one (1) positive review I read on MDL is accurate about this drama being good. I can even say that I just took a gamble by watching this drama because that specific review got my curiousity, and I'm just glad I did. Because if I didn't, I would have missed this enjoyable and lovely show. Second, the sudden improvement of the storytelling/writing. This drama started really rough...like the introduction is absurd and the following episodes are unreasonable that I even reached a point where I thought of giving it a 7/10 rating right away because it doesn't conform to any of the basic ethics, etiquettes and customs of the ancient chinese times and even though it stayed that way for almost half of the show I suddenly found myself getting more and more entertained and excited to watch the upcoming episodes to the point where I asked myself "What have changed?" and all I can think of is the sudden improvement and increase of quality when it comes to how the drama became comical in an ingenious way. It's like they hired a different writer in the middle of the filming/script writing which made the story direction become more innovative and interesting as the story progresses.

I also just wanna add up that their silly yet amusing antics made this drama extra entertaining to watch. The Zumba dance exercise is my favorite of them all. Like who would even think of incorporating that into a historical drama? to the extent of making the Empress Dowager dance to it and technically breaking some of the etiquettes in the palace? Not to mention how witty her other ideas are with her phone. Like the voice recording, the calculator stuff, camera tricks and even taking pictures using her polaroid. They really went above and beyond their limit with this drama and although it can be considered as an impertinent move, I just unconciously found myself enjoying it more and more. Maybe because at that time I have already accepted that this is not a serious historical drama and I should just enjoy and absorb all the positivity and laughter I can get from it.

Another important factor this drama was able to highlight is the Parental love and how often children misunderstood their parents guidance into something restrictive and confining. I appreciate how this story showcases the hardwork and selflessness of our parents just to keep us safe and sound. I think this is a must watch for teenagers for them to realize the painstaking their parents have to go through for them to live confortably and worry free. I'm genuinely hoping for more people to discover and watch this sily yet wonderful show.

Lastly is the ending... I'm honestly overjoyed and flabbergasted (in a good way) on how they concluded this drama. I extremely appreciate how they gave us an entire episode and a half (1½) of the characters' life back in the modern world and not just some sneak peek but a whole flashback of what had happened, the progression of their relationship and even a reunion of the whole Gang! This drama truly flattered me in the most special and fulfilling way.

P.S. Its sweet how Qi Yan (ML) waited for Li Meng Meng (FL) to finally remember him. This made me realize that patience and diligence will always be paid off. It also reminded me that "Time" is a story teller and that everyone has their own turn and chance in life. So we must wait patiently, endure and persevere until time aligns with our destiny.

Story - 9.5, Some people may raise their eyebrows but Hell! I don't care! This drama is certainly not perfect and has a lot of flaws in it (specially during the first 1-10 episodes) however what I enjoyed and love about this is that they're able to improve as the story progresses and although some of the scenes may seem jumpy, they will never let any part of it unaddressed. And even when most of the ridiculous scenes on the first half threw me off; I just really found myself vibing and cackling to it as time passes by. I'd say it's on the mentality and your view of the show and on how you would treat it. Like...will you consider it as a serious historical drama or will you categorize it accordingly as an Idol time travel drama? You decide!

Acting/Cast - 9.0, for the major roles I'd say I am greatly surprised on how good they are in executing their characters and delivering their emotions and movements. I really thought they are all ready to take on some serious roles on TV dramas. The supporting roles on the otherhand needs more polishing while the Minor roles needs to be send to the acting class immediately. They're so bad I wanna kick them off of the screen. Lol

Music - 10, I'm in love with the BGMs! Their refreshing and lovely tune made me feel so comfortable at the same time giddy. It also helped me go through those outrageous scenes as well as feel the joy and emotions of the lovely and heavy scenes.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, Honestly, I wouldn't mind watching this again. I have watched a lot of Idol historical dramas for the past few years and I would dare say that this is one of the best among all of them.

Overall - 9.5, It's really funny cause I initially wanted to rate it as 7-8 but then after countless consideration, I have decided that this is the most accurate rating I could give this drama. One of my biggest deciding factor is the ending and how the story captured my attention on the 2nd half of the show. They really went 360° in terms of putting quality and structure to the story.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

The aftermath of going against the Emperor's will | The favored river God's illogical death & legacy

"Without a body after death, the soul gains true freedom." - Kang Xi

I want to start this review by stating how dissatisfied and disappointed I am on the path they took to conclude Chen Huang's role and character in this story. I understand that they want him to be viewed as someone who died valiantly and unyielding, however, I want to retort back and say that he was played dirty by the writer instead. His legacy was later set up as monumental worthy of nobel prize but in reality it was their way to make up for their incompetence to develop and expand his characters purpose and abilities. Like, they know he's extremely capable but the problem is that they are not talented enough to cultivate and utilize it properly. Hence his unjustifiable and illogical death.

Also, after scrutinizing this story, I wanted to say that they should have not given this drama the title 'The Long River' and instead come up with something related to the Emperor's ambition and regrets. I feel like the title doesn't live up to the screen time the 'Long River' has gotten. Not to mention how neglected the characters (Cheng Huang & Jin Fu) working on the actual river are.

On the good side, I wanna say that the writer of this story is exceptionally gifted in giving in depth purpose and development to the side characters. Heck! I feel like all of them combined has gotten more focus and screen time compared to the actual protagonists of this show. Which is really annoying because it seems like all his attention was diverted to them to the point where he had forgotten who the real leads are!!

In addition, the writer also seemed to be well-versed to topics related to politics—its structures, components and system. Reason why he's totally engrossed and invested to the political infighting of the story. I can even proclaim that this is heavily centered to that; which is understandable since river construction has to go through such thorough planning, discussions and approvals. The problem is... it's extremely focused on the dramas happening between the 2 different political faction that it has strayed away from the main issue of the story.

One thing I want to sincerely praise and applaud this drama for is its attempt to depict the struggles of the righteous and upstanding officials under the well established and deeply rooted corruption in the government; as it proves that attaining good governance was and will never be easy even to those incorruptible officials; and that it automatically puts anyone on the spotlight that risks their life to an apparent tragic ending.

Just to add up, I had this idea written while I was watching this drama "A nation will thrive and flourish under a good governance" and I must say that it proves me wrong as this story demostrates how even the Emperor was tolerant and susceptible to corruption.

Timeline and phasing - The transition between timelines are smoothly executed to the point where I almost got out of track on how much time/days/months/years have passed since the previous events. lol

Graphics, site set up and design were impressively realistic! You can clearly see that this production was greatly supported through their budget. I mean, even the placards are grandly designed.

Lastly, I just want to mention how everything went south when Emperor Kang Xi's patience and tolerance towards Chen Huang & Jin Fu finally snapped!

Story - 9.0, You will only notice that something is wrong while watching the last 3-5 episodes. Even with my grave rants above, I still wanna say that this drama was well produced and directed. It's just that they focused too much on 1 aspect of the story and was never able to get out of it till the end. The story strayed away from how I expected it to be, which is about the 'Long River'.

Acting/Cast - 10, Perfect set of artists! I'm out of words of how good all the actors are and honestly, this is one of the drama where I don't really have to worry about the acting and perfomance. It's highly visible that they're mostly skilled veteran and even those who are not, acted and blended really well.

Music - 10, At first, I thought it is too 'opera' based but then I realized that the overall music was selected to correspond to the era this story was set on. The music delivers this melancholy vibe and feeling that made me feel the sorrow and pain shown on screen. It depicted and helps hightens the emotions of the scenes.

Rewatch Value - 8.0, I never really thought that something was wrong with this drama until I reached the denouement. I hate how it was ended in a rather loosely manner and that's also the reason why I don't think I can watch it again. This rating is actually more on how good the drama is during my initial watch. It was good but I probably will not re-watch it.

Overall - 9.0, This drama could have been one of my favorite, only if they didn't spend so much time focusing on the political propaganda and agenda of the story. This show was promising but was tainted by how lazy and unreasonable they delivered its ending.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More

The upstanding, straightforward & gullible version of Conan | Teamwork of Noblemen's brilliant minds

I know it's weird to say this, but I find this crime and investigation drama easy, comfortable and exciting to watch. Although there is that one moment when the show went astray of its usual set up (that I will talk about later) I'm glad that they were still able to pull it all together and end it nicely following how it started with a peaceful and cozy vibe to it.

In order not to spoil the good image I have created with the introduction of this drama. Let me start this review by listing down some of the best attributes I like about it.

Plot and story flow is neat and meticulously constructed. I was so indulged that time flew by while I was watching it. The introduction of the characters were smooth, clean and I really love how they started it with a casual yet interesting incident that gradually became a bigger case. The scenes of the story is well connected and I'm glad that they didn't simply threw out cases after cases and instead created a sequence of events that slowly build the relationship between the main leads while working/clashing with each other.

Chemistry of the main Leads including the supporting roles are surprisingly good. I love how they didn't immediately set both of the leads as partners in crime and solving cases after their initial meeting and rather gave us an opposite context of them fighting and competing with each other in a harmless way while showing us their capabilities along with their strengths and weaknesses. In adddition, I just wanna mention how the male supporting roles connected to Lan Jue felt like a great romantic pair for him e.g Wang Yan and Gu Qing Zhang. I even thought their relationship can pass as a side story for a romantic affair of some sorts just base on how they set it up and portrayed it. Lol!

And while we're at it. Let me talk about that one moment this drama took the bland and unexpected route AKA the introduction of Gu Qing Zhang. I was bothered by this for quite some time because I was thinking what has gone wrong that made me feel that empty space in my stomach; and after pondering a lot about it, I realized that it was a result of the sudden mood change of the drama. We're on the 'Rising Action' part of the story where all the conflicts and problems are happening. Then all of a sudden we were given this melodramatic back story, reminiscing of the past and introduction of GQZ and his relationship with Lan Jue. Like, what the hell was that? those moments truly threw me off of my mood and made me feel tasteless about this drama. I get that he's the main villain of the story but was it really necessary to make his back story that dramatic and subtle romantic? Thank god it only lasted for 2½ episodes because more of it would have completely change my view of this drama.

In regards to the entire cinematic experience of this drama. I must say I'm extremely satisfied. I love the balance of the colors, more specifically between the grayness and darkness of the scenes. It gave me chills and somehow has this cozy effect on me that made me feel relaxed while watching it. I even reached a point where even when the tension is high and conflicts are rising left and right I still feel calm, at ease and simply enjoying the whole show.

Lastly, I want to recognize the state of mind and/or behavioral disorder of the characters; specially Lan Jue's episodes of having confusion and anxiety whether to continue taking his revenge in a rightful way or to cheat his way to claim justice. Those sequences are some of my most favorite scenes of this show and has left this significant mark on me that made me acknowledged Jing Bo Ran's acting capabilities. Special mentions are GQZs strong obsession to hear his Mother's regret of abandoning him and getting the acknowledgement as her son and Zhang Ping recovering his memories after going a traumatic experience as a child.

Story - 9.5, The story construction is great! same goes on how they connected each of the scenes. The only issue I have had is the sudden change of mood when GQZ was introduced. That section truly left me hanging for quite some time and made me felt tasteless and bothered inside.

Acting/Cast - 10, This is my first time watching all of the actors casted in this drama; and all I can say is that it created a good impression to me of them and their acting capabilities/skills. Jing Bo Ran is great but Wan Duo and Song Wei Long are equally good too. Not to mention Hong Yao and Guo Cheng.

Music - 10, Overall it is excellent. I love the neutral sounds of the BGMs used. They are nice, harmonious and blended well with the vibe of the drama. I also love that the music didn't overpower any scene of show, not even once! and the sound effects are greatly emphasized. Specially the scene right after the bomb was detonated where it gave them that realistic echoing, defeaning and dreadful silence that we usually experience after hearing a loud explosive noise. Great Job!

Rewatch Value - 9.5, It could have been a perfect 10 only if they didn't caught me off guard with GQZs introduction. Sorry not sorry, but I can never let that pass. Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to people who love watching problem solving and case investigation genre of dramas.

Overall - 9.5, Still a note worthy drama to watch and Please don't get me wrong. GQZ as a character is great. It is just that the way the director had decided to introduce him in such a melodramatic way doesn't fit my palate at all. Overall, this drama is really good, nicely done and easy to watch. I would still recommend this to anyone who loves the actors' casted in it and those people who enjoys investigation and crime historical dramas.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know

Read More

A tale of finding One True Love & A tightly knitted Sisterhood. Rise Women, RISE!

Adaptation doesn't mean identification - Yuan Ying

Wanna open up this review by quoting it with one of my favorite line in this drama. I feel like this short yet powerful sentence can explain and expound the real essense and lesson of this story as a whole... That being used to something doesn't necessarily mean you embodied and can be identified by it already. Oftentimes it's more of an acknowledgement and respect towards something other may deemed essential and/or important.

Above all, I wanna say that my rating for this drama doesn't only revolves around the usual 'logical and typical' characteristics of how a drama should be made of, but more on how it delivers itself as a narrative— more on a lesson to its viewers.

I started this drama in hopes to see a lot of actual 'drama' going between the Main Leads but I never really knew I would be introduced to something more deeper— complex yet warm and heartfelt. It's about the respect, understanding, forgiveness and acceptance we need to do to let go of the things that's weighing us down and to accept that life was never all about colors and rainbows but more of a rocky-thorny road we need to go through to achieve eternal peace and happiness.

Sisterhood is the most symbolic meaning of this drama for me. I love that they all got each others back through thick and thin, and would do anything just to make sure that they're safe and in good places. Never once, do I feel this touched and proud to see this type of sisterhood and bond in any drama. A healthy and strong friendships that will never betray and forsake.

Familial relationship and its starting grounds - It conveys how toxic power struggle in a Polygamy family is and how it can badly affects their children in the future. Although this drama showed some negative results of it, I'm also glad that they presented us the positive side of it by letting us know that a person's future still depends on how and where they were raised, what values do they followed growing up and how will they handle themselves with those upbringings.

Women Empowerment in this drama is a surreal fantasy. I admit that they might've gone astray from the real history but I just appreciate how they still chose to do it that way. To show us that women even back then has been extremely capable and is always eager to fight to attain what they want and deserve.

Overall production, Setting and Color grading - I love how the background used looks majestic and real even when I know that a lot of them are green screens. Also, their attentiveness to details when it comes to visualizing the diffent regions, decorations and overall graphics stood out for me. It complemented really well with every scenes.

Supporting and Side Characters.

+ Yuan Ying - I really love her character. I admire how she was handled in this story and how she was never a bile in our Main Leads throat. Instead, a great and capable friend who guides them for the betterment.

+ Hao Jia - The only 'male disguise' i can accept so far in the dramaland. Although she still looks extremely beautiul but her proportion made her disguise really convincing and believable. I also love how earnest she is as a friend. Friendship that always protects and never betrays.

+ Song Wu - She may be annoying, bratty and childish but I just love how they didn't go all out 'antagonist' on her. Love her character development a lot same with Zhao Fangru (2nd Prince's Consort).

+ 3rd Prince and his Harem - Lol! Ghad knows how they made the first half of this story extremely bright and colorful. I'm cackling whenever they're on screen and ghad, the Name tags on top of their head. Hahaha

+ 5th Prince & Shangguan Jing - Another story that added lots of spice and comical relief in this story. I'm very satisfied with this pairing and would love to see more from them.

+ 7th Prince and Ruan Sisi - The rich and generous couple who hates to socialize. Their scenes are very random but are always interesting and funny for me.

Lastly, I feel like they did their best pouring every bit of heartfelt emotion in the final episode. The way they summarized and showed us the results of what they've been fighting and working hard for is just precious to me and the fact that they gave us just happy and heartwarming scenes made it significantly memorable as well. + The Roof Scene... Perfection!!

P.S. I still can't accept the ridiculous fact that the FL refused to drink alcohol at the final episode because she's pregnant but was riding a horse to get to that family banquet. Just, whatdahell??

Story - 9.5, It may not be perfect and doesn't follow the logical and traditional historical pattern but for me it goes beyond that. Their great use of effective story telling and inspiring narration placed this drama on top of its own. + The fact that it's extremely entertaining and full of variety as a whole is another factor for me.

Acting/Cast - 10, Really love the cast. You can still clearly tell that this is an Idol drama but their acting is really impressive and convincing I would say. I love every Female character and almost all of the Male Characters in this production aside from 2nd, 4th and 10th Princes. I also adore how cute and lovely Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei is.

Music - 10, I'm in love with this dramas music. They made every scenes extra special and colorful. + The kissing scenes somehow felt more romantic because of how good they're in playing suitable music accompaniments and the Ballad songs are such a smooth slayer.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, I certainly would. I was never regretful of watching this drama and every episode is entertaining and full of colors for me.

Overall - 10, The overall story may not follow the traditional norms but everything about this story is purely inspring, worthy and entertaining. Not to mention how positive this story is as a whole and how we got a set of wonderful actors and actresses. I really love and enjoyed this drama a lot.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Read More