EsiNotEssie
Plot ≠ WEBTOON, But Has Its Own Charm
Before I begin, let's introduce the fact that I read the webtoon (which is still ongoing), making me very excited once I heard there would be a drama adaptation. Great, moving on.Plot: Since this was based on a WEBTOON, the plot came from there. But if you're expecting it to be the WEBTOON in drama form, you won't get that. It starts off with a scene that, while enjoyable, was DEFINITELY not in the WEBTOON, and a person who should have had a certain role ascribed was not given such because it would have created more scenes. HOWEVER...as a standalone, the plot was pretty well done. My favorite WEBTOON scenes were shown, they cut out a lot of fluff that I thought dragged down the WEBTOON, and although they rearranged the order of events, I hardly cared given how well the story flowed anyway.
CAST: Wonderful. I'll admit I was skeptical when I saw the cast list because I didn't think Do Guk was casted well, but wow was I pleasantly surprised. He gave off a more rugged aura but it worked so well and he definitely brought both the charisma and eye candy factor. (*secretly wipes drool*) Ahem...Han Iju was casted well also, I loved her character portrayal. And the villains, wow. I really hated them, and that proves how good they were. Especially Han Yura, I kept thinking "she doesn't have the villain look, she looks like a cute FL" but she really played her role so well that while I hated her, I also pitied her. Her mother on the other hand...first of all the actress is beautiful, but wow I both wanted to punch her and cower in fear. Even the minor characters came alive. The story fleshed them out so well that they all felt like integral parts of the story.
Music: 10/10. I loved all 5 tracks, especially the first 2, which I couldn't stop replaying. "Halo" is probably my favorite, and the song that plays at the opening credits "Meaningless" is *chef's kiss*. I love how it even sounds like a vengeful song, it works very well with the opening credits so much that I never skipped a single one. Applause all around for the singers and everyone involved with the singmaking processes.
REWATCH VALUE: I'm not the best a rewatching things in general, but as a fan of the WEBTOON as well as being impressed with the adaptation, I'd say I would rewatch it for sure.
Overall, not the same as the WEBTOON, but has its own charm.
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Wow, the acting! It's simply phenomenal!
I don't usually give reviews but I just HAD to. This drama hooked me from the very first episode. I was looking for something lighthearted and well...this isn't always light-hearted, but my goodness I couldn't stop watching. It had the perfect blend of fluff, romance, angst, mystery, realism, and phenomenal acting.About the acting, Fan Zhixin is a wonderful actor. I have seen him as a 2nd ML in other dramas but he completely blew me away with his flawless portrayal of Yan Xingcheng, a truly lethal man: hot, dangerous when pushed, fiercely protective of his loved ones, and one who is also secretly battling his own trauma while putting on an almost impenetrable mask.
I say "almost impenetrable" because only Shen Manning, played by the wonderful actress Li Mozhi, could break through the ML's carefully constructed mask. The FL is not OP, but she is smart, adaptable, strong, emotionally resilient, and most of all, patient and loving with the ML as he works through his issues. Li Mozhi portrayed the FL beautifully, and I will certainly be looking forward to more works from her.
Together, they make an impressive power couple who, despite some bumps in the road, are able to bravely face everything they encounter with tact and intelligence. The chemistry between the two leads was...wow. Just...wow. There are not many Chinese dramas where I'd say the kiss scenes weren't cringey, but this one is one of them. The kisses were sizzling, sweet, and everything in between. Absolutely immaculate.
The side characters were well fleshed out, lots of character development for all of them, especially Tang Lin. This was so we'll made that by the end, I was even feeling sorry for the villains.
Overall, everything from the cast and production to the styling and OSTs were amazing. Truly one of the best dramas I've seen. I hope the actors get recognition for it, because it's just that good.
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Low budget but surprisingly cohesive.
Unexpectedly solid for a mini drama. As always, I loved Fan Zhixin's acting, and the FL and 2 supporting actors did amazingly for such a small production.I expected a lighthearted watch and was not disappointed, but I also didnt expect to cry at the heart-wrenching scenes as Meng Yufan/Xiaofan struggled with some important decisions once she had fallen in love with Xie Xun. Her internal struggles were well portrayed, especially in her subtle emotions and gestures. There were overacting scenes as is expected of a mini drama, but the acting quality was actually quite good.
I will definitely be rewatching this again sometime soon. I loved Xie Xun, Meng Yufan, Murong Shang, Xiaotang, and even Feng Da Ge. I would also probably be looking out for any dramas theyre starring in.
Since the SFL (Xiaotang) isn't in the cast here, I'd really appreciate it if someone could let me know her name so i can look for her other dramas.
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