I read many of the reviews before starting this drama and honestly it *almost* deterred me from watching it. So glad I decided to give this drama a shot!

If you want a lighthearted romantic comedy with a lot of eye candy (hello, Mond's 6-pack abs anyone?!), then BFR won't let you down. I never write reviews, especially for dramas, but I feel that the negative reviews shouldn't deter you from watching this.

For those who are looking for extremely flushed out characters and having every single question you have about the plot answered, you won't get that here. But let's be real, people, does BFR sound like a real concept to you?? Probably not. But what you will get are lovable characters, a lot of chemistry between our leads, hot make-out sessions, and lots of laughs.

Honestly, I liked Smile's character - there's a very endearing characteristic to her and I thought Fon did a great job. Not everyone could pull off an innocent character without being annoying. Also, I initially started this drama for Lee Thanat but ended up falling hard for Mond.

Fon and Mond's couple scenes had me gushing and rooting for them the whole way. I wasn't a huge fan of our second lead couple but they definitely grew on me.

Anyway, if you're looking for a lighthearted and short romantic comedy, I would highly recommend this. Considering there are only 12 episodes, a lot of my questions were answered and it was the ending I had hoped for. The storyline and the characters had me hooked. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Read More

Did I just watch a movie or a long trailer for a drama?

Oh boy, where do I even start? This movie was such a train wreck.

There were just so many plot holes and lack of character development that I didn't feel invested in any of the characters at all. The whole time, I felt like I was just watching a very long trailer for an upcoming drama. There were just too many flashes forward that left SO many questions in between (like why did Jun Xi's girlfriend decide to leave all of a sudden??and she just decided to GIVE UP on the guy that she's been with for years so he could be with his long lost sister??). There was just no explanation whatsoever for some of their actions and I found myself become more and more frustrated as the movie progressed tbh lol.

I feel like this could have been a beautiful movie if done right because I do think the story was great and I'm a huge fan of Xu Kai and Zhao Lusi. Even having these big names in the movie didn't do anything for how poorly it was executed and written. Maybe this could have been saved if it was a drama instead because at least they'll be able to explain so many unanswered questions and also give time for some character development.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the underlying incestuous relationship between the leads. Just HOW did Jun Xi and Eun Xi end up developing romantic feelings for each other when they were supposed to have grown up together as brother and sister is way beyond me. Granted, they are not blood related, and they were apart for many years, but it just doesn't seem plausible for them to develop romantic feelings. It's just so weird and seriously borderline incestuous.
The writers are essentially saying, oh look, we have two siblings here who grew up together as siblings, from the time they were born until 12 or 13 years old and were oblivious about being swapped as babies, BUT once they find out they're not blood-related, they develop romantic feelings for each other? Please tell me I'm not the only one so weirded out by this!

The only thing that made this remotely bearable was how attractive Xu Kai and Lusi were. And I'll also say everyone has great style in the movie, so costume was on point, so I gave an extra point.

I don't recommend this, unless you have some time to kill, the internet is down, and this is the only movie you have accessible to you. Otherwise, don't waste your time.

Read More

Excellent Movie

As someone who never read the book (honestly, I didn't even know there was a book to begin with), I really enjoyed this movie!

One night, I was looking for a movie to watch while I did my routine nightly walk on the treadmill and stumbled across this movie on iQiyi. I will start off by saying I had zero expectations and boy, did this movie exceed my expectations!

I felt the most important thing to mention is that there was a background story, and an ending that will tie up all the loose strings nicely. All of your questions will be answered (well, most of them anyway) and you will walk away extremely satisfied with the ending, which is something I can't say about a lot of movies lol.

I've never seen the main actor or actress before but I thought they were both extremely well-casted and were excellent in their roles. The main actor reminds me of Ron Ng (an actor from HK). The lead roles both had amazing control of their facial expressions and I could tell what emotions they were feeling in the scene just by looking at their face. The action/fight scenes were all really well-done too. I'll be on the lookout for more dramas and movies from these two, that's for sure!

Overall, I would highly, highly recommend this movie!! It won't disappoint and the story will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Read More

Purely a propaganda film...

I watched this movie because I'm a fan of Wang Yibo and of course I had to show my support. I watched it at my local AMC and just returned home to write this review.

I am sadly not a fan of this movie and I might be the minority here. I will admit that the CGI was great and I do think that the action/flight scenes were very well done with the pairing and timing of the music to really keep you on the edge of your seat. Wang Yibo also had some really adorable funny scenes and you will see a few of his rare smiles, however, it really ends there.

There is no actual storyline besides focusing on the testing and training process of test pilots. The "bad guys" are some no-face pilots that went into their airspace for no reason - they sound and resemble stereotypical American jocks (so weird imo). The whole movie just reminded me of something that would be shown to recruit soldiers - being educational and patriotic and with very little entertainment value. Perhaps if they were able to put an actual plot together and if the patriotism was woven in more seamlessly, I would have enjoyed it more.

Moral of the story is, don't eject from a plunging plane or shy away from foreign invasion - even if it means you'll die because you're fighting for your country and for your comrades. They do spin it in a more marketable way though and call it "testing your own limits" (even if it means death).

Sadly, even Yibo's wide range of acting here couldn't convince me to like this movie. While I think Yibo and Hu Jun put on wonderful performances, there was little character development and barely any story buildup. Because of this, the supposedly heartwarming moments fell flat. If you're looking for well fleshed-out characters or a well-developed story, this movie isn't it.

Read More

Started out ok but...

By the time I was on episode 7, I was barely tolerating this drama and was watching it just to finish it.

I've been an avid K-drama consumer since the early 2000s, so when I see so many comments about people saying this drama is all the "cliches done right", I couldn't disagree more. What irks me the most is that the FL spends over 50% of the drama lying (to the ML, to her parents, etc.) and is indecisive, and has low self-esteem (to the point where the feels like she needs to reject the ML because she's not "good enough"). I loved the actress in "Uncanny Counter" and I feel like she's more fitting for the strong FL roles, rather than this meek one.

The ML was ok - it's my first time watching Ahn Hyo Seop and I don't know any of his previous work to compare, but I thought his acting was on par with the character he was trying to portray. Granted, it's the chaebol role that we've seen millions of times before, but acting wise, it wasn't bad.

Let's talk about the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the leads. There was almost zero to little buildup for their relationship and the ML just all of a sudden decided he liked the FL (even though all she did in the beginning was pretend to be a person she wasn't). I didn't sense any chemistry between them at all, tbh. I'm just so confused how/why he ended up falling for her. If you love slow-burn romances, this is the furthest thing from it and it doesn't make much sense either, so don't keep your hopes high.

Overall, it is a lighthearted, and cute drama but far too unrealistic for me and borderline annoying at some points.

Read More

What a rare gem!

Let me start off by saying that I typically dislike and stay away from all Republican dramas (blame it on the previous tragic ones I've seen). However, I decided to start this because of accidentally bumping into a short clip on IG - even from a 10 second clip of the leads kissing, I could feel the sizzling chemistry between them and it led me to this drama (and what perfect timing!).

I didn't have high hopes going in and I was expecting to drop it after a few episodes but boy, was I wrong.

The story and both leads captivated me immediately and I ended up binging 9 episodes the same day. Honestly, I'm a longtime fan of historical romance novels, so this genre has always been my cup of tea - a mixture of suspense, action, revenge, long intertwined family histories, and most of all slow-burn romance at the heart of it all.

I always love a strong female lead and while I am seeing many reviews saying they dislike her, I absolutely ADORE her - she won my heart from the first few scenes. And can we talk about how handsome the ML is? He looks so good in his large selection of suits that are perfectly tailored. This is the first drama I've seen with either Jing Tian or Timmy Xu and I ended up loving both of them - they were both perfect for their roles. I also really enjoyed their character development throughout the drama. She went from solely focusing on revenge to slowly dropping her guard and allowing herself to love. He went from the arrogant, rich son of the enemy to being mature and selfless.

The costumes were beautiful and the soundtrack was very fitting. CGI wasn't the best but let's be honest - C-dramas aren't known for their CGI, but I've seen worse so it didn't bother me at all (there were really only about 3 episodes with CGI that lasted like 2 mins each anyway). While there were some flaws, all the important characters were pretty fleshed out, and we received closure for them, which I always appreciate. While there were some scenes that seemed injected last minute to extend runtime towards the end (you'll know when you see it), I'm overall very satisfied with the ending and left with fuzzy feels.

I'd say parts of the plot can be heavy and is definitely for more mature audiences. There are some lighthearted scenes as well, to offset this, but just don't expect any teenybopper stuff here. The drama may be slow paced in some areas but I was never bored and was at the edge of my seat most times. Overall, this is one of the best executed stories from a drama I’ve seen.

Don't let the rating and negative comments deter you. I haven't been this enamored by a drama for a while and I'd highly recommend this. I almost never rewatch dramas but I'll be rewatching this one as it's definitely become one of favorites.

Read More

I didn't think I'd love it!

I had my doubts going into this drama because I saw all the negative reviews prior to starting. I had just finished watching "My Name" where I saw Han Sohee for the first time and I was already a fan of Song Kang when I saw "Sweet Home" when it was released.

I started this drama because of the main leads and I'm so glad I did. I keep seeing the phrase "toxic relationship" thrown around, but I didn't see that at all and I think it's because people forget that they started as FWB. Yes, some of their action/words were hurtful, but it shows how complex human emotions are, and I think the drama portrays each aspect of that really well - the initial attraction, the uncertainty, the confusion, the frustration, the jealousy and remorse. Humans are sexual beings and this drama shows that no one is a saint. It is definitely for a mature audience and I can see why people would see their relationship as "toxic" so I braced myself for it but what I saw was raw and realistic emotions.

Han Sohee did a wonderful job as someone who finds herself between two emotions - raw physical attraction to someone and the resistance to give in because she knows she deserves to be treated better. I think Song Kang did an amazing job as well displaying his emotions and the transition of his character. You could really see his character development - starting with flirty confidence in the beginning and then to confusion and him not knowing how to express himself when he felt jealous. I think people forget that Jae Eon is a very complex character who is afraid of getting hurt, and doesn't know how to express himself. Some people are saying there is no character development but I think there are many subtle hints that show he was confused and also fighting with himself about his feelings for Nabi.

The side characters and storylines were also very entertaining and I really loved all the side characters. They make me miss my university days!

I would 100% recommend this drama if you are thinking about starting but are unsure because of the negative reviews. I would say that you do need some patience because it's filmed in a more artistic way with a lot of slow motion camera angles and closeups, while supported with an amazing soundtrack. The chemistry shared between the two leads will definitely give you butterflies (ha). Just go in and enjoy the ride - take in the the beautiful scenery, the attractive cast, and a ton of sexual tension and chemistry between the leads. Don't expect the typical bubbly K-drama romance and cliches from this one. Humans are not one-dimensional creatures - keep an open mind and I promise you'll enjoy this one a lot!!

Read More

Loved it!

I was in-between dramas and didn't know what to watch, so I decided to look into movies on iQiyi. I'm a fan of the Chinese fantasy genre so naturally, the name and synopsis of this movie caught my attention. I had no idea what to expect since I didn't know any of the actors, nor did I know this was part of a sequel to previous movies. With that being said, I really enjoyed this - it's one of those movies where you don't have to think too much about the plot and just enjoy the ride.

I think everyone did a great job acting wise and I liked all the characters. While the CGI could have been better (I mean, what Chinese movie or drama had you seen where the CGI was actually good lol), it also wasn't the worst I've seen. At least it wasn't annoying or horrible, which was all I ask for. There were elements of surprise, sentimental parts, as well as funny and light-hearted scenes. This movie definitely exceeded my expectations when all I was asking for was a movie that didn't suck haha. Overall, very well done!

Also, I feel like this movie has the same vibe as the Ying Yang Master movies on Netflix. If you're a fan of those two movies, then I'd highly recommend this one to you!

Read More

It's really not THAT bad, y'all...

I have seen dramas that were waaay worse.

I'm not going to say this is without flaws - they could have removed some of the storylines (like the uncle and secretary, etc.) and could have given the lead couple more scenes together, but I still think the good outweighs the bad here. I really cannot understand all the negative reviews. It's not the best drama, but certainly doesn't deserve a 1 rating.

From what I can see, the biggest downfall of this drama is making the antagonist too alluring - he's like that hot bad boy next door that all the popular girls want to tame. Add a sad backstory, and we're hooked. As viewers, we are completely invested in his arc (because he's really the only character that gave us a glimpse into his past) and despite him doing all the wrong things, we can't help but feel sorry and root for him. I can see his arc becoming a completely different drama entirely where he changes for the better and gets the girl in the end.

Alas, this isn't his story, and Ryo Shi-O has to play out his role until the very end - as a drug lord who dreamt of a life free from his past, but was destined to fall the moment Nam Soon showed up.

I'll be honest and say that I never once rooted for him (though I did feel really sorry for him) because his character never felt any remorse for his actions. He literally plotted and killed SO many people and smiled about it. Yes, he was great to look at, but when you truly see his character (NOT the actor), he was still an evil guy. Remember, he even tried to kill Nam Soon, the girl he supposedly loved - yes, she betrayed him, but besides revenge, would killing her really have solved anything? It sounds to me that many people are rating this drama poorly because they wanted some kind of switcheroo and have him be the ML. I blame it on the fact that Byeon Woo Seok was just too charismatic for this role.

Like many others, I too was excited to start this drama because of him (especially after watching 20th Century Girl) but I stayed for the laughs and the silliness that you need sometimes in a drama. Yeah, there are parts of the story that were over-the-top, but isn't that what makes it fun? There are people saying this show is too "childish" but if that's the case, they can just go watch a melodrama - why watch a comedy and especially one where the predecessor has the same vibes and then complain about it? It's like watching Wonder Woman and complaining that she has super powers.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this drama despite its flaws. It's really fun, unique, light-hearted, and will give you a good laugh. Just don't expect completely fleshed-out characters and enjoy the ride - you definitely won't be bored.

Don't let the rating and negative comments deter you! I would say to try watching at least the first 3 episodes and judge for yourself.

Read More

Charming high school days but not so much in the present

I'm not too sure what I was expecting when I started this drama, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayal of what pure young love is like. I kept bracing myself to cry buckets or for some horrible tragedy to strike (I guess I was thinking of 1 Litre of Tears haha), but I'm happy to report that you'll get many bittersweet moments instead and a happy ending.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, I have to say that were a few things that did bug me, which is why I didn't give it a full score.

1. I found myself looking forward to the high school flashbacks versus the present scenes:
This is one of the rare cases where I felt like the high school actors of the two protagonists out-performed their present-day counterparts. The young actor who played Harumichi, especially, was perfectly cast and their love story was so sweet. Granted, there are reasons why their adult character aren't as carefree and have been shaped by past unfortunate events, but the fulfilling past love story made me crave for more of that in the present. Despite this, I still think both adult actors gave really excellent performances and played their roles perfectly despite the weak plot in the present timeline.

2. A lot of unnecessary scenes that didn't contribute to the overall narrative of the story:
- That random sex scene between Harumichi and some girl he picked up at the bar (like, ok, so you're saying he's lived a full life after Yae?)
- The drawn-out scenes on the development between how Harumichi and Tsunemi started dating. Leading up to this, we already sense that Harumichi would inevitably break up with his fiance because of his deeply-seated feelings for Yae, so what's the point of showing us how he ran to her after an earthquake? We know there won't be any conclusion for them anyway and I was honestly quite bored with that arc and had to patiently wait for him to finally break up with her.
- The long karaoke scene between Yae and Uta was weird since they only met once briefly in the taxi.
- The awkward scenes that mentioned COVID-19 - I understand that it's part of the timeline but it wasn't necessary to mention imo since it doesn't affect or change their story in any way. It's like saying, oh yea, so this happened (for me, this took away the time we got to see the leads finally together in the last episode).

3. Inconsistencies:
There were a few but the one big one that left me confused was when Yu (Harumichi's younger sister) looked like she wasn't aware of Yae's memory loss in the hospital scene after Harumichi saved Yae from falling down the stairs.
BUT in episode 8, you see Yu secretly telling Tsunemi that Harumichi's first love has amnesia when she visited his family. That scene was clearly before the hospital scene because Yu's daughter was only 4 years old, versus 10 years old when she was visiting him at the hospital.

Towards the end, I feel like there's just something...missing...
I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to describe this accurately, but there were a few scenes that left me wanting MORE because they were supposed to be really climactic moments but we don't really get these emotional moments that should have come with the events.

For example, when Yae regains her memories - I wish they had a few more scenes to show how heartbroken she was to have forgotten about a person who was such a BIG part of her life. Yes, she cried, but it wasn't the heartbreaking kind that truly displayed all the loss she felt - I just wish it was elongated a little more and made her think about the chances that passed her by had she remembered. The moment when they reunited in Iceland was also quite anti-climactic and felt very rushed - there was not explanation as to WHY he chose to leave the country in the first place and we don't get any confessions from Yae's mom admitting what she did. Those small details were all glossed over and so many strings left untied.

I know it was supposed to be a satisfying ending, but my heart wasn't as filled as it could have been had the script been executed better or at least been fine-tuned a bit. I just feel like there was SO much potential for this drama to have been excellent but it ended up being just good.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this drama despite its flaws and I was completely enamored from episode 1. I really reallyyy loved how the timelines weren't sequential and were revealed slowly, almost like peeling back layers of an onion to form the whole story. I would still highly recommend this, especially if you're in the mood for a romance drama that will pull on your heartstrings. Just don't expect a completely ironed-out story and you'll enjoy this a lot.

Read More

Glad I stuck with it

I binged this drama in about a week while I was isolating with Covid (I watched at 1.25 speed, which I highly recommend because some parts are kind of slow). Overall, you could tell it's a high budget drama with high production value. The scenery and costumes were beautiful and the shots were really well executed. This is my first time seeing Huang Xuan and Victoria Song in a drama and I have to say - I'm a fan now of both actors. I think they both did a wonderful job. On the other hand, I'm a big fan of Wang Yibo but sadly, his character fell flat for me. I really liked that he dubbed his own voice but there isn't much emotion in his voice nor his facial expressions throughout the majority of the drama. Although I started this drama for him, I'm quite disappointed in his acting in this one.

The one thing that I have to mention though, is how much I despise Liu Ran's character (sorry, I just really need to rant). I have nothing against Song Yi and I really liked her when I first saw her in Joy of Life, but oh boy. Her character is like an empty shell that doubles up as Baili Hongyi's new pet puppy who calls out "Erlang" instead of barks. There is no substance nor growth to her character from beginning to end and I had to fast forward through most of her scenes. Such wasted talent for the actress and wasted potential for what the character could have been. If you are a fan of Joy of Life, it's a real treat that Liu Duan Duan is also in this drama! His character was one of my highlights throughout the entire series.

It's an enjoyable drama nonetheless, and I did like the pacing and originality of the story. I didn't feel invested in the drama until around episode 10 and thought about dropping in many times before that, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I feel like the story really starts to develop after around episode 12 and you get a lot more context about the storyline as clues start clicking in place. Knocked out 1 star because of the waste of camera time that Liu Ran was and knocked out another star for the ending.

Read More

I had my doubts but this completely won me over!!

I came here after watching "Who Rules the World" and I originally just needed to put something on during my daily 30 min treadmill walks after dinner lol so I casually started this drama.

I've always been a Lusi fan and haven't seen anything with Ding Yuxi until this drama. Lusi is as cute as a button in this and wasn't over the top, which is what I've always really loved about her. I also now have a major crush on Ding Yuxi - he's not extremely handsome in the traditional sense but he was sooo attractive in his role and I love his small reactions and the way he could literally speak with his eyes. And that smirk? Ok, I'm going to stop lol.

You definitely won't regret watching this one!! I'll admit I had my doubts because of some plot holes in the beginning but the way that the show was executed, their hilarious antics, and the way that the story unfolded was done really well. The cast was also amazing - both FL and ML, as well as the supporting cast...great acting from all of them and surprisingly, NO annoying characters?! Well, maybe besides Chuchu towards the end, but she got what she deserved, so it's all good.

I didn't expect it, but this dramas has become one of my favorites and has won my heart. The ending was really well done and left me wanting more to this cute couple! You know a drama or movie is really well done when you can't stop thinking about it after you're done watching - this is exactly how I feel right now. I have major withdrawals and it really makes me want to watch from episode 1 again (this almost never happens to me!). Definitely don't miss out on this one! Highly recommend and I'll definitely be rewatching this in the near future.

Read More

Even Song Kang couldn't save this disaster

Let me preface by saying that I started watching this drama for Song Kang (I watched all of his dramas in somewhat reverse chronological order - started with Sweet Home, then Nevertheless, and Navillera). I love him in ALL of these dramas and thought he did an amazing job, so it was only natural for me to start Love Alarm.

Ok, first off the bat, you could really tell that Song Kang's acting improved dramatically as the years progressed...and I'm sad to say that in Love Alarm, his acting was...lacking. by quite a bit lol just wanted to get that out of the way.

From the beginning of the drama, nothing made sense. The concept of the love alarm app is just weird imo, and the storyline was boring and shallow, with no character development and no chemistry between the two leads.

Also, this is the first time that I disliked ALL of the characters in a drama...like ALL of them lol like how is that even possible?

Jojo - yes, it's great that she's hardworking and is taking on part-time jobs to pay off bills. The world didn't deal her the best cards, but what's up with kissing a dude that she JUST met when she has a BOYFRIEND?? I don't care if she no longer has feelings for him because that's just WRONG. they make her character out to be this innocent, hardworking high school student, but when the chance presented itself for the hot new classmate to kiss her, she was like, OK YES, TAKE ME INTO THE ALLEY.

Sunho - where do I even start with this boy? he knows that his best friend has a crush on this girl and instead of supporting this friend with whom he's with been friends with for yearssss, he decides to kiss the girl instead and tells his friend about it so that his friend would admit to liking the girl. YEAH, WHAT? he's not a playboy either but he actually ends up liking the girl (after speaking only one sentence to her btw). oh, and he also stalks her, but don't ask me why because again, it doesn't make sense.

Hye Young - ok, the poor boy. The girl that he has a crush on doesn't know his name and doesn't even know that he exists. We don't even know WHY he likes her (which I guess, is asking for too much at this point). He ends up stalking her to and from work, to and from school, etc. etc. and never says a single word to her and always has a silly (slightly creepy) smile on his face whenever she does something "cute". LIKE, WHAT? GET A LIFE PLEASE.

I'm sorry that this turned into somewhat of a rant but seriously, don't waste your time on this one. After sitting through 3 episodes of this, I'm only left with a lot of frustration and confusion. I read some spoilers, so I know I'm not missing anything by dropping this.

Read More

I just can't...

I'm going to preface by saying that I'm a fan of older woman/younger man stories but right off the bat, I wasn't feeling this drama at all. Here are my initial thoughts and a few reasons why I couldn't watch more than 2 episodes...

1. They're step siblings?! I'm sorry, but I'm just so weirded out by this - even if they are not blood-related and did not grow up together, I still count this as incest. It's especially creepy when the ML picks up a random lipstick in the airport scene and just assumes that it belongs to the FL, and instead of giving it back to her, keeps it in his pocket. So weird and creepy. He didn't even say anything when he found out her name and obviously pieced together the fact that she's his step-sister. Ugh.

2. ML's bad acting. I started this drama because I love Angelababy - I think she's an amazing actress and always acts effortlessly, making all of her roles very natural and HER. Despite this, I couldn't continue watching because of the deer-in-headlights look that is permanently plastered on the ML's face. I get that he's extremely young and a "rookie" actor, but bro, can't he give us more than 3 expressions? Being cute can only get you so far - someone give this kid some acting lessons.

3. Lack of chemistry. Yes, I only watched 2 episodes, but I don't sense any chemistry and I also don't understand HOW the ML started liking the FL. At no point in time did the FL do anything to make the ML fall in love with her besides maybe....drop her lipstick???

I want to close out by saying if you want to watch an older woman/younger man done right, I highly highlyyyy recommend "Rational Life" - it's one of my all-time favorites in the category. A strong female lead who couldn't find love, and a young man who is just starting out in his career but is very mature and smart and finds his way into the FL's heart. Their story gradually develops and takes the audience in for a ride with laughter, so many emotions surrounding the taboo of dating a younger male in China, and many sweet and funny moments. The romantic scenes don't seem forced and the ending is *chef's kiss*.

Sorry for going off on this drama, but seriously, the difference between the two dramas is wayy too tangible. Maybe my expectations were too high because of Angelababy but even she couldn't save the wet napkin that is the ML.

Read More