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YueofBlueGables
I may have liked this season as much as season 1, which I didn't think it was possible. The group of talented people in this show! While S1 had the best selection of songs (many were traditional Chinese songs or songs from C-movies, which I adore to listen to), the elimination process of this season was much, much better. Why? Because there are a total of 5 duos in the final, from the total of 8. And the final 5 were seriously amazing, they all deserved to win (but of course there is only one winner).
My favorite duos were all from Group A: George Lam/Hu Xia; Joker Xue/Lisa and Jam Hsiao/Bichen Their voices, together and alone, were WOW.
My least favorite: Miriam/Eric Chou and Lui Fong/Zhai Xiao Wen... the least exciting group, and they didn't really contribute in anything, performance-wise speaking.
I think all duos learned something from their partner. Well, almost all, except for Jam Hsiao/Bichen... they were perfect from the beginning (thank God he could be in the show!!) and carried themselves like the royalty they are ? The true winner, though, was Hu Xia... to be partnered with George Lam alone but also the vocal training... ahhh George Lam was truly the cutest contestant. I cried like a baby with their Bygone Years performance.
Great chemistry between the duos (but only 5 duos that got to the end... the other 3 duos were too awkward). Penny was a little shy at first but Liu Yuning put her on ease, the camaraderie was ?. The talent of Lisa, WOW, her voice is amazing. Da Zhang Wei is so creative and I am glad Silence Wang was his partner because all their performances were fun.
What will I watch now ? Can't wait for S4, and crossing my fingers it is going to be as good as S1 and S3
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I was familiar with Justin but he impressed me here since he was smart and proactive and one of the bravest, being the youngest. He also contributes with the fanservice (as in looks, with glasses, hair, hats, etc).
Da Laoshi is funny and he always has a lot of energy. I am used to him since I am a regular watcher of DDU/TTXS. He makes the funniest faces sometimes, and says some silly things here and there. Love him.
Guo Qilin is a cutie and looks the youngest, with that baby face. He is, along with Deng Lun, one of the scaredy cats. BUT, he is also very smart, there were episodes where the others had a big "?" in their faces while he was explaining the clues. Super cute! Love that the Fan brothers (from Joy of Life) got reunited in the final 2 episodes. His "brother" is also another scaredy cat XD
Yang Mi was my least favorite but I loved her relationship with Deng Lun, how she teases him, it is like a big sister/younger brother thing.
Deng Lun... ahhh one of the reasons I watched this. Not only he is super good-looking (and he knows it... my, does he!) but he is also super charming and even if he was screaming in fear in every episode (he is terrified of the darkness) I was laughing as it was the first time I watch it.. every single episode. He is so funny! He wanted to be the captain so much... he may be smart (this season he couldn't prove it much) but his fears were stronger XD
Loved the group, and loved the final 2 episodes with He-ge, Haoran and Zhang Ruo Yun (from Who is the Murderer)
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The good thing about this show is that the participants are all established singers, so there is no desperate feelings of having to win. All of them are in the show to learn and to have fun.
There are a couple of new singers that didn't really need any improvement and were more like veterans, so in that sense, the competition was not equal. You can't really compare the likes of Zhou Shen and Ayunga to Xiao Zhan and Jiang Yi Qiao. The first two exude confidence in their field; the second pair was shyer and with less experience/confidence and in spite of being very talented and having an amazing voice, they were still obviously new.
Group A is like the artistic group that wants to experience new genres and styles, Group B was more close-minded.
The last 2 episodes are not subbed, sadly, and my understanding of Chinese is null, but I still enjoyed every minute of it, since they are only eating, performing amazing songs and just having fun. Even the MC (Lin Hai) was a sweetheart, I dare people who watch this show to not love every single one of them by the final episode.
I want to thank Xiao Zhan one more time to make me his fan and make me watch this show. Yes, I started for him but I became a fan of all of them. And thank you stylist for that hairstyle in Faded, which was the main reason I started it :)
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Basically, for me, this was:
- First 35 or so episodes (till they come back from Human Realm): 9/10 (the love triangle + the evil mother were just too much to handle)
- Last 30 episodes: 5/10, don't let me get started with the scheming + victimization of Runyu, all the tears and fainting of that b*** JinMin, the obsession of Suihe and the resentment of Xufeng.
- OST + Deng Lun: 1000/10 both perfect, I miss him + listening to that OST so much. Most of the eye-rolling scenes were bearable because of the BGM.
Rewatch Value: only the sweet moments of Xufeng + JinMi, meaning, this video: youtube.com(/)watch?v=UmcpnE-MrTY
My longer review: https://sunakoyue.livejournal.com/77242.html
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For better or for worse, my first Cdrama
Everything in this drama is stunning: world-building, costumes, setting, characters, actors, LZ's/WW's waist O_OMy 2 favorite things, which is hard because everything is precious: 1) Lan Zhan ('s: posture, face and loyalty), and 2) WangXian song (lives in my mind rent-free 24/7)
Reason why objectively is a 9.5 (but let's be honest, it is a 100/10 drama nonetheless): 1) I still find Chinese (Mandarin?) a bit hard to listen to, no idea if because of that it seems that it was dubbed because sometimes the voice + the mouth didn't connect; and 2) the structure of this "summary" is very disjointed, since this is my 1st time watching TU many things didn't make any sense, one moment LZ is telling WW his Clan was burned down and then WW is joking, what. Or there were many names mentioned I've never heard/saw before. Or in ep18 or something a couple of which seems to be important people get their story (a blind guy + a guy in black robes who was using him) but since I've never seen them before, their story wasn't impactful for me.
Starting TU now, still have 50 episodes ahead but I am already missing them ^_^
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All 3 swindles were fun to watch, but of course Dako is the one handling the bigger fish. But is she, the luckiest girl, running out of luck?
Besides the trio, their sidekicks are back, plus one new addition, a young girl named Monaco (at first I wasn't sure if she had been before in the drama? But no, she is new).
The ending was good! A preview of a possible Chinese victim (this drama surely loves Chinese; either they are pretending they are Chinese or they are swindling Chinese people :D)
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I did like Kusanagi (a lot), he is truly the best when he has a dark role.. it is like he has so many strong emotions inside of him, it makes him cry even while laughing. It is not the first time he does this: there are times where he looks so satisfied that he is taking revenge but with tears running down his cheeks. It makes you wonder of his real motives. I think I cannot see Kusanagi in a "nice" role; I prefer him as the opposite of how he is in real life. He was such a fine actor.. I miss his dramas. I think he was the best actor in SMAP, and one of the best in Johnny's.
I think this Shiraishi was not a real anti-hero as Ichinose was (his role in "Uso no Sensou"). This Shirashi is much softer and kinder and certainly more forgiving. That's why I was let down, but only if I compare to the other drama, which is one of my favorite dramas. I would have preferred if he was more ruthless.. but no, even with the 2 ladies he was soft :(
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I love Yusuke as Tamaki, he portrayed Tamaki so well. He was never stiff and I never thought he was overacting in a bad way, but in Tamaki's way. He was funny and charming, and yes, he looked silly most of the times, but that was the fun. I loved every time he was yelling "Haruhiiii!".
And the twins! OMG, they were excellent. Although I love the manga to death, I never truly liked the twins. They were too "melodramatic", and I was never a fan of their kind of fanservice (twin love incest or whatever). Worse, since I am "Tamaki Team" since chapter 1, I was never happy with the harem thing. BUT.... this dorama made me see a whole new point of view. I now understand more and accept why both of them are the way they are. And why both of them fall in love with Haruhi. At the end, they both became my 2nd favorite (which I did not have) and I admit I pitied them at the end. Poor guys :( but at least both of them love Tamaki as much as they love Haruhi, so it is not a big heartbreak.
Do I need to add that Daito was good as Kyoya? He was the perfect: handsome with an evil smile. I think that only once I thought that he needed to be taller, but otherwise, to me he was perfect (and he looked really good with glasses). Again, I never approved in the manga that Kyoya liked -romantically- Haruhi, but I liked the episode where he shows her that he could have attacked her if he wanted to. It was like seeing that scene from another light.
I've read somewhere that Kawaguchi Haruna (Haruhi) was too stiff as an actress. But to me, as Haruhi, she was perfect. I never cared about her wig; it looked good on her and I would have never guessed it was a wig, except in the first chapter when it was longer. She made good expressions when she was surprised, and whenever she smiled, she looked very cute. I am very satisfied with this Haruhi.
On the other hand, I can't say I am satisfied with Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai. Yes, the actor who played Honey-sempai looked the part, but while it works in anime and manga, it doesn't in real life. Instead of looking cute, he looked effeminate and, well, ridiculous. The CG when he hugged or jumped on someone, making him looked smaller was weird and kinda creepy. Thank God they did it only in the first couple of episodes. And really, a teenager carrying a stuffed bunny is awkward and not cute at all... As for Mori-sempai... the actor looked like him, but Mori-sempai should be a guy who either looks bored or just expression-less, not like a robot, like this actor did.
I was not really happy at first with making Nekozawa such an important character, but what can I say, I love Ryo! He is like one of my children (all Kyoryugers are) and I am just happy to watch him grow as an actor and have different roles from Kingu. And objectively, he did well as Nekozawa. Not only he looked like him, but I love how he portrayed him... it was like watching Undertaker from Kuroshitsuji, with that smile and black cape. I am so happy for him XD
The rating for this dorama was very low... it shows you that doramas with low rating can be really good! True, I wasn't a fan with the first couple of episodes, but when I was in Ep. 5 or so, I was loving it. It is true to the story, and I liked most actors in their roles. Highly recommended for OHSHC who aren't picky when it comes to looks! (Tamaki isn't blond; Honey-sempai isn't blond; Kyoya isn't tall, etc.)
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very light drama, not the dramatic one I had expected. It was very easy to watch, and thankfully, many problems were fixed almost in the same episode, so there was no dragging.**Possible spoilers**
There may be a bit of bullying from the posh mothers' side, but it wasn't too much, just childish stuff like notes telling Kiko to go away. Nothing over-dramatic, and nothing that Kiko couldn't handle. In spite of being a single mother, she had at least her grandpa, plus her coworker. And later on, her ex. So this if far from similar to "Woman".
I liked Kimura Fumino as Kiko, she was strong and didn't overact. Never seemed pitiful, but resourceful. I think I liked Dan Rei as much (or much more) as Kimura Fumino. This actress was very lady-like, very soft-spoken. It is not hard to imagine her and her real-life husband together, they are very similar in that aspect.
The children were super cute, specially Haruto and Rika, but I can't say they were good. They overacted some times, specially Rika's crying. But I got to admit that I was tearful when Haruto made his speech of not being pitiful, with a huge smile. It was very tender.
I can't say that Kiko was perfect since her biggest flaw was her reluctance to let Haruto be with his father. But nevertheless, she was portrayed as The Heroine to the maximum, changing the life of these 4 women, who looked like they were going to Mean Mothers but turned out every one of them had a problem at home (hikkimori son, cheater husband, penniless, dictator mother-in-law). I dislike when in dramas the MC is preachy, always giving a 10-minute speech and everybody listening to her/him. This happens a lot in Mother Game. Yeah, ok Kiko-san, we get. You are perfect **eye-rolling**
Taking aside all the preach, it was engaging and somewhat relaxing. The male characters were either jerks or useless. The female were strong and never behave in a childish way (ok, except for the bullying). I mean, there were times where it would seem like the character would yell in despair, like when Satoko-san confronted her mother-in-law, but it was all very civilized.
Some of the conclusion of the stories were "and then?". So the evil mother-in-law only needed to be confronted ONCE to behave? Hmph (her son was so useless, what an a**-hole husband). And what about the Odadera's fate? The sensei (Seto Koji) was so MEH. Was he really in love with Kiko-san? What a way to show it, by being so reluctant to have working mothers in that school! I am glad of her answer.
A few complains maybe, but overall, it was easy and enjoyable to binge-watch it.
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*Story: 10/10*
I was hooked from the very first episode. It is very human: it is about family, revenge, regrets, resentment, forgiving... Both families are still living in the past, even if the murder happened 15 years ago, but no one (except for the younger brother of Hiroki, played by Takana Kei, who looked a bit like Osamu Mukai sometimes) has moved forward. Fukami family is still sad and angry; and the Misaki/Toyama family is still with lots of regret and remorse and sadness. I love how Hiroki gets to know Futaba and slowly starts to realize that it is not the family's fault, at least not entirely. I know that it is part of the Japan society, to blame the whole family of the murderer (or criminal) and the family to become a pariah, but it was so sad! I mean, they suffered as well; they also lost a son.
And about the murderer, poor guy. He was sick. It was hard not to feel sorry for him. Total psychopath, but how it was represented you can tell he was mentally sick.
Although if we have to summarize, not a lot happens, it is never a dragging dorama.
*Acting/Cast: 10/10*
I mean, if it wasn't for the cast, I may have not watched this. I love Eita. I love Hikari. Mothers and father were also good, so pitiful... not to mention Kazama Shunsuke. I know him, of course, being a Johnny and bestie of Aiba, but I never once saw him as a Johnny; only as a pitiful murderer. Tears were abundant and all of them so good. Honestly, I wanted to comfort Hikari most of the times; she is just so vulnerable! I wanted her to be happy with Hiroki.
*Music: 10/10*
OMG, the music was so good! The OP and ED song was the same but full of feelings. And the OST is already in my playlist... sad and beautiful. I love it. I would give a 11/10 if I could.
Rewatch value: 8/10
Man, I am so disappointed with the ending. Otherwise this would have been a 10/10 for me :(
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Speaking about mangas, I was so satisfied to see that the manga used in the movie were done by the same mangaka that did BAKUMAN. His style is unique; any fan of his can recognize his work. And to see works like Otter in real life! Otter is a manga written by Hiramaru in Bakuman, and I always wanted to read it, even if it doesn't exist really.
So, the cast. There was a good chemistry between the lead actors, which didn't surprise me since I know they have worked together before. I liked that they could shake hands -or whatever you called that- only when they get serialized. It was a good point. I like that the "love story" with Miho wasn't as pathetic as in the manga/anime. In fact, they talk several times, over the phone and face to face, and it wasn't awkward, just 2 teenagers getting to know each other. She even sends him a photo of her! Something that lame Miho in anime/manga wouldn't have done. I think the scriptwriter or the director disagreed with the portrayal of the main female character in the manga/anime (it was sexist, let's be honest), so they made her less pathetic and less "I wanna be a seijuu to marry you".
Kiritani Kenta as Fukada-san was SPOT ON! He was excellent, he does this kind of character so well! The one who is rebellious and kind of a gangster but with a big heart. By far my favorite. I love his outfits, his expressions, and I am glad his role wasn't tiny. But well, all members of Fukada-team were good: Hinamaru had his moments of depression that did not fail to make me laugh, Nakai-san was there with his big belly helping his friends... True, no Aiko in the story, but it was understandable. Not all characters could be in a 2-hour-movie.
Yamada Takayuki was, I guess, a mix between the 2 editors the boys have, because he certainly wasn't confident Hattori-san. He even wears glasses and has long hair (again, not Hattori-san), and he is smaller than the boys, unlike Hattori-san. If I didn't have to compare, I'll say he was good, but nothing outstanding.
So, what was my main concern: Niizuma Eiji, who is one of my favorite characters, besides having an unique personality. Was Sometani Shouta exactly like Eiji is supposed to be? No. He wasn't as loud, as crazy, and with such weird and funny expressions and movements as Eiji. Was I disappointed? Well, not exactly. To be honest, Eiji is not a character that can be portrayed faithfully in real life, so what Sometani did was good. He did his role well, he did his research: he walked funnily, slouching, just like Eiji. He has a goofy smile, like Eiji. When he has a -metaphorically- battle against Ashirogi-sensei (penname that was never used in the movie, btw... they go by their names), he has the wings and when he is jumping, he does an Eiji-pose. Just with that I am grateful.
In the manga/anime, the guys form some kind of alliance when they encounter problems with their editorial. It begins when Saiko is in the hospital and the director forbids him to keep drawing while he is sick. All the other mangaka (Nakai-san, Aiko, Fukada-san, Eiji) support Ashirogi-sensei. Unfortunately, due lack of time in a 2-hour movie, that alliance could not be done as in the manga/anime. Instead, the guys help Saiko to finish his work. I liked that, that we could see how the guys, although rivals, are all friends. And although Eiji did not help him in drawing (it would have been very OoC) he helps in another way. Very well done, scriptwriter!
I liked the end, that things remain not-finished: Saiko and his relationship with Miho; their career as mangaka... I liked that they have this brainstorming of ideas with a blackboard, because for us fans, it was meaningful. We know what other mangas there will be, so this was like a "to be continued..."
For fans of the manga/anime, and for people interested in how the mangaka's world works, this movie is highly recommended. I am very happy to say that I wasn't disappointed and that I highly liked it.
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- the romance. For 11 episodes it was so MEH. No chemistry between Sano and Mizuki. In fact, it was like he could not stand her (and he was right. She was too meddlesome). And who did not want Mizuki to end with Nakatsu? First time where the third one in the wheel is more appealing than the actual hero.
- less adults, more students. I disliked the nurse, especially because he was such a misogynist. He treated his ex-girlfriend like she was the pest. I hated his "blue" eyes, his hair, his character. Besides all the scenes that were Sano/Mizuki, I fast-forwarded the scenes with the creepy nurse the 2nd time I watched the dorama. But in the SP, his role is tiny! Yokattaaa And the SP was almost 100% about the boys and their silliness.
- Mizuki less focused in Sano. In the SP she realizes she loves her classmates and the school. It is not all about "Sano this, Sano that". It shows pieces of the 7th and 8 episodes, things that happened in between of what we watched it. She spends more time with the boys, creating more memories with them. So it is not untrue when, at the end, she gives her speech.
I love the SP, I like the OP song a lot (**Ikenai taiyou.. nanananana**), I love the actors, I like the OST in general, the setting, the clothes, the competitions and festivals... At the end, 1 hour and 45 minutes felt too short. One of the best shoujos doramas I've seen.
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I realize that many rom-com dramas have kinda the same plot, which is: marriage. Dramas that I loved, like Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (Married as a Job) or Kazoku no Katachi, or the classic Kekkon Dekinai Otoko. But this one was so exhausting! The girls think and talk about men only, and they have the worst taste in them. Not only one of them, Kaori (Eikura Nana) is the Other Woman of her ex-boyfriend (who proclaims he loves both of them) but also Koyuki (Oshima Yuko) is the mistress of a married man. I thought Koyuki would have been the most sensible one in the trio, but this tells you that you can judge by the cover.
The most bearable one of the trio was Rinko, played by Yoshitaka Yuriko. At least she has different boyfriends to find out what she really wants. But the final episode made me hate her, grrrr. What a stupid girl, but I guess this kind of decision is expected in a tv show. Good, goofy guys never win in cinema/tv :((
I liked Sakaguchi Kento (KEY-san or Kinpatsu), but unfortunately, in this drama, his character was insufferable. Why did he have to be so meddlesome? Why did he have to be patronizing the girls, who just wanted to have fun? Why was he always judging the girls? He was also a "what-if" guy, and I didn't care about his past and his wife, he was the worst and I hated him. And his stupid hair.
I can't believe that with such a colorful cast, the drama was so mediocre. The girls were likable as friends (as women, they were the worst, and the most childish. Make up your mind, girls! And stop acting so immaturely!). There was a good chemistry between them. I liked Oshima Yuko, first time I see her acting. Eikura Nana was ok, I guess, always dull, poor girl. She is so pretty though, and after reading she was pregnant in real life, I couldn't help noticing her bump (and in the final episodes, she has the habit to touch her belly). Yoshitaka... i never liked her, to be honest. As an actress, she is ok, but in real life she is insufferable, thinking she is sooo open-minded and fun. BLEH.
The guys, though... Why in the world Suzuki Ryohei and Sakaguchi Kento were in this messy drama! Although it was cute to see them reunited, after "Ore Monogatari" (My Love Story!)... but that's another story... How in the world Tanaka Kei agreed to played the role of a married man who has an affair!
The final episode... omg, so bad. Awful. Kaori didn't learn her lesson, and Rinko makes the stupidest decision ever. I think the first part was a bit good, since any 30-year-old single woman can relate to the girls (being invited to weddings and still being single, etc). Oh, and another con: at first it was cute, but then it got on my nerves: the stupids talking-vegetable. So lame!
What redeems this crappy show? The setting: beautiful, gorgeous Tokyo. The clothes: very Japanese-like. The fashion: I paid extra attention to the nails (and currently, I am painting my own nails more or less like Kaori and Rinko did). The ending song: a catchy song by Perfume. The opening song: cute and fun.
All the other: terrible. I don't have any doubt to remove this file from my computer, for good!
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Visually speaking, it is an excellent adaptation, beyond my expectations. The cast is spot on, the setting and costumes are just like straight out of a manga/anime, and what it is the most important, they don't look like cosplay nor props. Even characters are Nezumi and Arlong don't look out of place at all. Strictly speaking, I am not a fan of Sanji nor Nami but they were my favorites in this LA... I love that they toned down the aggressiveness of Nami and the pervert-ness of Sanji. Instead, she is just tough and he is a smooth flirt. Can't wait to see the rest of the crew!
I understand they had to cut many stuff and rush things up, so I have no complaints there. Everything went smoothly anyway. Maybe there were too many scenes of Garp and Koby, but the actors were so good I didn't mind too much (specially Koby, like WOW, he looked and behaved just like anime-Koby)
I loove that we have so many accents and not just American accent. There are actors from South Africa, Australia, UK, Mexico, Spain... Sanji and Luffy saying "Nami" with such a Latin accent, I love it <3
My complaint would be the script though. Like there are many lines that are straight "Marvel"-like; as in, a bit cheesy, funny lines are a bit cheap, other lines are a bit fan-service-ish.... specially those from Luffy.
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I started this drama because of Xiao Zhan, but he is in the last 8 episodes or so, and since the very first episode I didn't mind because I was immediately hooked. The little boy that played Fan Xian was so good and charming I was sad to see "older" Fan Xian... I wouldn't have minded to have at least 10 episodes with little Fan Xian.
But I didn't know this was just Season 1 and Season 2 has not even started filming yet till I was on Ep15 or so :( so I think people who starts this should keep that in mind.. the cliffhanger is O_O
While I liked the characterization of all characters, and I specially like Fan Xian, I didn't trust half of them. Or more than half of them. Is this one a bad guy or a good guy? It was like this for most of the drama, but even with that, I was enjoying it. The passive-aggressiveness is hilarious, from Fan Xian and the Princess Royal, to the Crown Prince and the 2nd Prince, to the stepmother and Fan Xian at the beginning of the drama.
I am not one that particularly enjoys too much romance, so this one has just the perfect amount of it. Not too much and besides, Wan'Er makes Fan Xian happy. And she isn't dumb nor a damsel in distress, except for the fact that she is sick. So I don't understand why people do not like her :( If this was a harem, I wouldn't have minded to see Fan Xian married to Wan'Er, Si Lili and Duo Duo... all these girls were good in a way or the other and very different from each other, and best of all, they all had chemistry with Fan Xian.
The acting was good, wigs and costumes were excellent; the plot is WOW, so there isn't a single dull moment in the entire 46 episodes. In fact, I even think it was a bit short because I wanted to see more of Uncle Wu Zhu, of Fan Xian's siblings (Ruo Ruo and Fan Si Zhe... so smart and caring one, while so funny and charming the other), of the Ninth Masters (I wanted more fight scenes tbh). The songs were so fitting, specially the OP song, while the ED song became easily one of my favorites... I listen to it regularly <3 with XZ beautiful voice.
If I had to complain, it would be that I didn't understand a few things... or it was extremely witty and too advanced for my poor brain, or some things got lost in translation...
Looking forward to see them all in Season 2! I love that little smile from Zhang Ruo Yun at the end XD
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