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Li Ming and Heart were my favs omg-
so I'm only 6 mins in and this is already some of the best cinematography I've ever seen in my life. like this is insane. also can we talk about the stacked cast? this is actually insane. okay so i kinda forgot to update this every ep bc i binged the crap outta it but yea-so ima do this character by character bc its necessary.
let's start with jim and wan. while not my fav couple in this series I still liked the growth the characters had and how they learned to heal through each other even though they had a few disputes they were able to sort it out and find a home in each other as wan said he longed for. earth mix did a really good job portraying them and I loved their chem as always.
heart and li ming were my fav couple bc omg they're adorable and they def stole the show. fourth did amazing with portraying li ming and his struggles to find himself (which is is really relatable and realistic) while also figuring out love. the way he brought heart back to life and showed him that he can still live a normal life and that he is a normal person is amazing. I also loved that li ming openly expressed his feelings and how he felt that it was unfair (which it was) for jim to push his own faults onto him and not letting him live his life. now onto heart, who I think really helped li ming find himself while heart was learning how to live again. gemini did really well especially since roles like the one he has in this series are hard to emotionally and physically portray, especially as he is a younger actor compared to the rest of the cast which has significantly more experience then gemfourth.
I also really liked how mark's character leng worked into the plot and showed the struggles of someone who is expecting an unplanned child while not being able to financially support them.
now I can't finish without mentioning the amazing firstkhao who were scene stealers for me this entire show. the amount of emotion they can portray is insaneeee. also they really understand their characters well and become immersed in their roles which can be really taxing and deserves tons of recognition. the way first can express feelings through his voice is crazy like the amount of pain I feel throughout his scenes with wen was so impressive. and Alan's character isn't one that is easy to express because there's so many layers of conflicting emotions going on there. and of course khaotung. the way this man can never cease to make me start bawling when he starts crying shows you how good he is at acting. every scene he does is impeccable and the emotions he portrays in his eyes truly embody each of his characters. like the amount of sheer talent and star quality is insane. also after having watched the behind and having seen everyone start crying during Khao's scene where he sings at gaipa's mother's funeral shows just how amazing he is. Even earthmix mentioned after that he was so good that everyone just felt the emotion so deeply. get these two more dramas bc good lord we need more. I would watch every single one bc thats just how good they are. and ik some people were upset that gaipa and alan didn't have a finished story but this was their side series for this year.
also i just need to say that the cinematography in this was so well done. probably one of if not the best I've ever seen in a bl and def ranks among the top of dramas in general. the use of colors is genius and really sets the mood for each scene. and the ost was really good too, with the background music fitting well and not out of place which can tend to ruin the mood in bls. anyways this is my take on this series and now ima sleep haha.
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This review may contain spoilers
definitely a tale of nine-tailed fox brothers haha
Right so... where to start?
Honestly wasn't prepared at all for this considering I finished the first season right before I started this one- and was still a little emotionally wrecked from Rang's death so seeing him in the second season almost immediately had me two a double take. Actually happy though because Lee Yeon and Rang's relationship makes the show for me if I'm being completely honest. I think it should've been the series' whole focus. And the whole concept of LY having a month to spend with Rang again after missing him for so long was something that I definitely enjoyed. The new characters that were introduced helped carry along the plot more so than the first season, but the second half of the series was slower than the first, so there were some bits that kinda bored me. First half of the season I really enjoyed, since we didn't have to deal the FL from season one being a vulnerability to LY. However, it seems as though both LY and LR were stronger in the first season than the second, and LY's famed nine-tailed abilities aren't as powerful as the first season. I was hoping the we would get to see a more powerful side to him, but so far I've only seen it twice- once with the shinigamis, and once when the 1938 LY confronts future LY. This could be due to the fact that LY isn't in his original era, meaning his abilities could be hindered, but there may also be a chance that this is just poor writing. With Rang, I'm not sure but he was definitely more powerful and capable in the first season. Now having watched the last episode, it definitely redeemed the series for me, as we got to see both LY and LR's abilities in full, which was more on par with season one, at least in Rang's case.
Speaking of Rang, don't know how I feel about the romance with the mermaid. I feel like it was forced and the love at first sight trope doesn't really work for me. The concept of them both being half-bloods was a good choice, but I would've enjoyed it more if they started as friends and the mermaid aided Rang in some way... possibly as a spy?? I think the ending made me like their relationship a bit more, but I'm still kinda meh about it. But seeing Rang at the end taking care of 1938's LY is something that I wasn't expected, but is a good way to leave his story in 1938. Anyways, Moo-yeon's "death" was something that I knew was going to happen, but I hadn't thought that his shell of a brother would be the one to" kill him." His reappearance was also a surprise, but it was well-written in regards to LY and the fortune god. Hong-joo and Moo-yeon were both characters that were new additions this season, but I think their appearances gave us a glimpse of another part of Lee Yeon's past, in addition to the fact that I just liked Hong-joo in general. The fact that the three of them end up protecting Joseon in the end is another key point that made me really happy. All in all, the scenes remain stunning and the certain elements I've already named above don't take away from the fact that this drama would be a total masterpiece. The euphoric moments of happiness and peace coupled with the pain and suffering characters experience throughout the plot is what makes this drama special as it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and makes you truly feel something.
Is it pleasant? Not always. Will I remember the moments that made me so pissed off I wanted to talk to the writers personally? Yes. I mean like seriously they relied too much on the actors bc they were the ones actually carrying this drama like can we please just do better at writing >:///. Ugh anyways- Do I remember the emotional turmoil that is the the pure happiness of one scene bleeding into a scene of sorrow that made me want to bawl my eyes out? Yes. I may not be mentally nor emotionally ready for season 3, but I'm curious to see where it will take me.
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Definitely should have been "A tale of nine-tailed fox brothers."
First of all, the acting was amazing. I especially liked the chesmitry between both MLs and that's honestly what made the series for me. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous, literally it makes the drama because of how beautiful it is. So much so that I cried haha. Also, the thing that made me cry wasn't the Ji Ah's reaction to Lee Yeon's death, but the fact that Rang had to kill his brother made me bawl my eyes so much it was a river of tears oml. And don't even get me started on Rang's death- because there was another river of tears for that. Why'd you have to do my man like that yk? Only reason why this is rated lower than a 10/10 because why did we have to kill him off. He had the most character development and the best back story and what about Soo-Ho and Yuri?! I'm still mad but all in all loved the basis of the story- I think the other thing people were angry about was the fact that Lee Yeon got his powers back at the end, but I think it makes sense since both he and Ji Ah can still see ghosts and all those other supernatural creatures so he needs a way to protect them both. Still haven't recovered, but all in all a good drama. And as Lee Rang said in the finale, it should be called "A tale of nine-tailed fox brothers."
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