Interesting but oversimplistic

The Bionic Life started out very well. I was very impressed with the plot and characters seemed to have a lot of potential. I was especially impressed by SWL's new look and acting.

Very quickly you realize that there is a different story each episode. This helps us understand the impact of human's decisions. Some stories were very touching and got me teary eyed. However, at some point, it started to feel a bit redundant. Once new characters were introduced, you can predict what will happen. The explanation on the origin of humanoids was also very vague. It's a shame for the wasted potential as the writers opted for a very simplistic route, like they couldn't be bothered.

Many times, the cut from scene to scene was very abrupt, making for a noncohesive flow. For example, the leads would be in a suspect's house asking questions then it cuts to An Qui asleep at home and dreaming. It reminds me of very old movies where scenes are cut and pasted together without regard for transitions.

Despite all of the above, it was still an enjoyable watch until the last few episodes where one of the leads started acting out of character and made some very questionable decisions. It frankly ruined my enjoyment and I couldn't stop rolling my eyes, hoping for it to be over. In the last ep. some issues were swept under the rug and the show was tied in a pretty bow to wrap things up.

If you are someone who takes things at face value, you may really enjoy show. I'm rating a 7.5 because it started out very well but the last few episodes were rather disappointing. Also some things needed more fleshing out. It definitely needed more than 12 episodes or at least each ep. should have been longer than 30 mins.

Read More

Good story and beautiful cast- I recommend as a pass time drama

I started watching this to pass time while waiting for my other shows. I thought the first few episodes were just okay, then the story got better before reaching a cycle of repeated elements and crashing in the final episode. The characters however, were interesting enough to see it through to the end. The second couple had more chemistry and an even more interesting story line than the main couple. I grew to love many side characters like General Li, Chu Yuanzhi, Touer and the crown prince. I really like that the crown prince always stood up for himself and pursued what he wanted unlike in many other dramas. The comedic relief in the drama were well placed and not over the top. The ending sucked as is the norm for most Chinese time dramas but hey, we get a S2. There were plots that were never explained (e.g. the Empress), and the time passage was unclear. I lost interest in the main couple's love story halfway through the series. It lacked depth and freshness due to the overused plot and many repeated tropes.

As for the acting, the actors playing Hao Yue and princess Ying did a fantastic job at conveying emotions. However, I got too distracted with Chen Bolin's over-exaggerated facial expressions. His "angry" face especially got me cringing every time. I thought Jing Tian's acting was okay although I must say, her acting in the god realm was more fluid. Her crying scenes were somewhat unbelievable in the earthly realm and I couldn't empathize with her character...especially because she cried every 3 episodes or so after meeting Zhong Tian and this did not suit the strong, independent character we were made to believe she was. I will only be watching S2 because of the second couple. Hopefully the story is better.

Read More

The type of drama you want to watch again for the first time

Intriguing, exciting, emotional and so damn good - a few words to describe this drama.

Initially, I got a bit frustrated watching ep 1 as a couple of characters started off quite annoying and the story was not going as I expected but boy, this became the charm of the drama. By the end of the 1st episode, I fell in love with the main characters. Kudos to the writer because the story is very unpredictable and just kept getting better with each episode. The acting was top notch and even the minor characters evoked emotions. At the end, I just wanted happiness for every single one of them.

Dare I say, this is the best modern C-drama I've ever watched. I gave a slightly lower rewatch value because the unpredictability of this drama made it so damn good. I wish I could watch this drama all over again for the first time. Seriously, if you're still thinking about it, watch it! The reviews speak for themselves.

The OSTs were icing on the cake. They were very meaningful and sung beautifully.

Read More

Forget everything you think you know - the twists in MJTY will sucker punch you!

My Journey to You was a very enjoyable watch and has the most impressive fight scenes I've seen in a C-drama. I laughed, I cried and then cheered for the characters - even some that were unbearable at first. I loved that there was a lot character development by the end of the drama. There were also many likeable, complex characters. I was so sick of watching dramas were I despised half of the characters. Honourable mention, the eye candy was endless - male and female characters alike.

I must commend the writers as the plot twists were superb. I soon learned to forget what I think I have learned from my experience watching dramas as a lot of the happenings were unexpected. Something as simple as thinking, "There's no way a certain character will get caught this early in the drama because it never happens" or feeling relaxed thinking, "There's no need to stress, that character will be fine like they always are in other dramas" makes sense until doesn’t. The writers pulled a uno reverse so many times, I was on the edge of my seat and could no longer trust my gut haha.

Finally, the OSTs were so beautiful and matched perfecty with the scenes where they were played over. My tears couldn't stop flowing in the last 3 episodes when the OSTs played even though I had heard them multiple times throughout the drama.

I truly hope we get a 2nd season as the last few scenes implied it. This drama would have been a 9/10 if the loose ends were thoroughly tied up. Overall, a very enjoyable watch.

Read More

My biggest issue with the movie is that the "real life" scenes were often merged with the game and as such, the lines between reality and the game were often blurred, making these "real life" scenes less realistic. I feel like the interaction between the leads is not as mesmerizing as the drama and certainly not as romantic. Their first encounter was very cliche and the meeting at the bridge was a let down. The acting was good and the kiss, oh my, 10/10.

The leads are very good looking but overall the other cast do not provide as much of an eye candy as the drama. Movie Wei Wei has a great bubbly personality, pretty much the same within and outside the game world. However, one of the reasons why I liked the dramas is because of the contrasting personalities of the leads- shy girl in real life with a totally different personality in the game world. The story gets a 7 because as many have mentioned, it was too fast paced- quite expected of a movie. I don't think I'll be re-watching this. I never really re-watch movies or dramas but I already watched the drama twice. I also wished that Xiao Nai's three friends were recognized and appreciated at the end, not just Wei Wei and Xiao Nai - it feels wrong.

Since this is a remake, it is inevitably going to be compared with the drama. If this was a standalone movie, I probably would have appreciated it more but alas nothing can be done for it is a remake.

Read More