Ignore social media comments, this drama is worth the journey

Quick verdict: This story gets high marks due to its mostly tight storytelling, outstanding cast, great character development, and strong portrayal of women. However, it tried to squeeze too much at the end, and the vague-ish ending didn't help matters. It is tragic, however, that due to the many negative comments on the ending on social media, many people would give this a pass. It is especially tragic because the interpretation of the ending may differ for the viewer.

In this review, I'll argue why it's worth watching, and that the ending may not be what many assume.

Note: I have a much longer and more detailed review up at my blog: http://tinyurl.com/7raa495d

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ENDING

*Quick summary:* The war left a toll on many; many of the Six Realms Halls men were wiped out, but Yuan Zhou and Ruyi survived, faked their deaths, and lived a quiet life in seclusion. Eventually they had two kids, Ning Shi San and Ren Lu.

--

It's extremely weird to be a part of the minority who 100% believes A Journey To Love ended happily for Ruyi and Yuan Zhou.

Now, I didn't read spoilers when I watched the dropped episodes. When it dropped, I watched it almost immediately because I knew if I was spoiled I'd probably lose the motivation or heart to watch it, and I didn't want them to influence me too.

Anyway, when I saw the ending I was SO relieved. Oh phew, our leads survived and are now happy with their quiet, secluded lives. Then I came online. Oooh boy.

What a weird mind f*** it is to see people 100% believing the opposite.

I read all their reasons for believing that, and it didn't make sense to me at all. (PS: This doesn't mean I think you're dumb for believing that, by the way! Just that our brains are wired to see things differently.) So, I rewatched episode 40 thinking maybe I misinterpreted it.
Nah, I came back even more sure of my theory that they faked their deaths.

I think people are really hung up about how they died. But these things are very easily explained.

Yuan Zhou had a rather public death, being pierced by multiple spears. But to me his survival can easily be explained by:
- The "life preservation pill".
- The snake skin armor that the Pan assassins had worn in episode 20. They were so effective that Yuan Zhou had to instruct everyone to aim for the neck and head. Pretty sure our men would've taken some of this armour! Yuan Zhou, determined to fulfill the promise to Ruyi to "stay alive" would've worn this armour. It would've helped him survive the spears to a degree, but he'll probably be badly wounded.

The one hiccup I could see is Ruyi's internal dialogue when she bombed the Pan leaders. She said that life is empty without Yuan Zhou, when she bombed the bad guys. This could be explained by two scenarios:
- She wasn't sure that Yuan Zhou survived, and decided to kill herself, but changed her mind later. She did promise Yuan Zhou to stay alive, and she also told Yang Ying that she's not the type to kill herself. How did she survive? Uh, this is the same woman who could speed up to the leader of the Beipan troupe, rip out his throat, and return to cradling Yuan Zhou, in seconds. Her survival is easier to explain than Yuan Zhou's.
- It was her way of saying that she'll be joining him in seclusion. Even if there were vibrant cities to visit, life is lonely without Yuan Zhou. Remember, she didn't want to live in seclusion at first, and that was the reason for their break up.

If I were to stage my death, I'd do it this way - in the most dramatic and public way so that will be no doubt left of my demise.

And I think they did it SO WELL that even the viewers were deceived lol.

When it comes to wounds, we shouldn't judge whether a character can survive their wounds by our real-world standards. I know that our other Musketeers had less grave wounds and died, but they probably weren't as determined to stay alive like Yuan Zhou and did not plan for all kinds of contingencies - life preserving pill, snake skin armour etc.

I still remember in one wuxia I watched, a female heroine managed to survive numerous stab wounds because she took a pill that allowed her heart to beat super slowly so that she would not lose too much blood. So, who knows that pill could do for Yuan Zhao?

Some people say that I believe in this happier ending because it's a form of copium. Not really. I would've been fine if they did a "they all died and reunited in heaven" thing.

But based on clues, and the way the scenes in the last few minutes were laid out, it was just far more logical for me to believe that they faked their deaths than it was a dream/afterlife.

It is a far bigger stretch for me to believe that Chu Yue was guided by a random spirit kid to heaven. (For one, that's a rather Western view of the afterlife, and Chinese afterlife is a little different. As far as I know, unless you are an immortal, the dead can't have kids in the afterlife.) Also, the insinuation that she kinda lost her marbles towards the end was insulting to me. And why would she dream up a random kid instead of Shi San?

That scene with everyone on the grasslands riding away? Well, to me, it was Chu Yue's idealistic imagination of how the group was in the past as she yugged Ning Shi San. So, it made sense that scene was dream-like.

I would've been more convinced of the afterlife theory if they showed Chu Yue suddenly appearing in the CGI fields, looking dazed. But she arrived with her men, and we saw a shot of the school before that. Later, we learned that Ning Shi San lived next to the school with his parents. Why show us that unless to indicate that this rooted in reality?

I believe everything took place in the real world, and Chu Yue is about to meet our beloved couple.

Ruyi and Yuan Zhou began their "Journey to Love" coming out of hiding after faking their deaths. Now the story ends with them faking their deaths again. Ending a drama about spies and assassins this way was perfect for me.

It was Ruyi and Yuan Zhou's dream to lead a normal life. While Ruyi didn't want to leave a secluded life, she eventually came around and decided that the "world will be too lonely without him" and joined him in seclusion.

Using Chu Yue instead of Yang Ying in that scene was good, because Chu Yue wouldn't have known all these small details about their plan on how to live their lives in seclusion. Remember how Yuan Zhou said that in their new lives, he would keep Ruyi healthy by hunting and farming? And he did just that, growing grapes and making wine for her. They also named their children after two people whom they loved: Shi San and Yuan Lu.

Would I have preferred an ending where some of our men survived and we were shown Ruyi and Yuan Zhou alive having dinner with their kids? Of course. But well, the director decided to go down this route, perhaps for it all to be "stylish".

But the more I think about it, the happier I am with the ending. Of course I would've done anything to get our men back, but war is shit and awful, and people die. In the end, I thought the ending was poetic and very fitting.

PS: Anyway, if you believe, like most, that they're all dead, it's okay, but if you're going to argue with me that I'm wrong to believe what I believe, I won't respond to you.

I'm just sparing myself the energy because I've read through every single explanation of why the dream/afterlife ending "made sense" and none of the explanations hold water for me. No point arguing about something that can't be verified (yet) anyway!
It's a pity, however, that so many who were spoiled about the ending has said they won't continue with the drama. I think they would be missing out on a lot.

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I don't understand why this is so popular

I tried. I really tried. I found the premise intriguing but the show just could not hold my attention. I do not feel any chemistry behind the leads. I find myself drifting off and doing other things while watching. There are endless scenes of people drinking, talking... It's all a blur. I dont think the male lead is bad in acting etc, I have seen worse, but he seems so bland and expressionless 🤷‍♀️

At first, I thought it was me. I have watched really intense wuxia cdramas before this and I thought I needed something more intense. Then I realised that it is nowhere near the standards of my favourite like Another Oh Hae Young.
Pretty puzzled why everyone loved this, because there's very little that makes this drama stand out 🤷‍♀️

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An idol drama that punches above its weight

First, this is an excerpt from my long-ass post about Wonderland of Love, which includes and episode watch log: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2023/12/02/wonderland-of-love-review/

To read my FULL thoughts on it, head to the blog. Here's my short review:

What I liked

- Great chemistry between Jing Tian and Xu Kai and I really enjoyed how evenly matched they were in terms of power dynamics, especially in the first few episodes.
- The brotherhood story took a while to build up, but when it did, the impact of the angsty episodes really hit hard!
- I like that every episode moved the story forward. There were hardly any filters.
- Episode 30 and 31 really elevated the drama to fascinating heights. On the one hand, it was a very typical idol historical romance drama, and those episodes had Ripe Town vibes.
- It has a wonderfully long happy ending. I'm a softie for those and we have precious few dramas that end so happily these days.

What I didn't like

- While Ah-Ying is written as a kickass female heroine, and she was in the first few episodes, she needed to be rescued way too much, which undermines her kickass status.
- The pathetic villains with poor motivation. Young Master and Lady Gu are not that much of an antagonistic challenge to our leads and are mere annoyances. I found Sun Jing a more effective bad guy but when he left the stage, our new antogonists could not pick up the slack. It didn't help that the acting was not fantastic either. I found our two Li princes a little better in the villain department but they were also not very bright villains and never felt like a real threat either.
- Episodes 30 and 31 showed that the writers and production could elevate the drama to become something so much more, so it's a pity they never went there completely or reached those heights again.
- The political intrigue/palace drama bits were not, er, sophisticated. It was silly and simplistic at times and probably would not fly in the real world.
- I really wished they had made Xu Kai and Jing Tian less pretty in the drama. For goodness sakes, at least tan Xu Kai a bit so that I could believe that he spent a decade in a deserted border outpost. In a sea of scruffy and dusty soldiers, Shiqi and Ah-Ying's unreal beauty and polished looks stood out like a sore thumb. For the first few episodes, I couldn't stop wondering if someone had slapped crazy filters on Xu Kai because he looked an anime character.
- The drama had a "too clean" look. The sets were too polished and so obviously shot at Hengdian it took me out of the show sometimes. The streets were too clean, the soldiers' uniform was looked too new, bright and shiny ... I felt that this drama needed a liberal layer of dirt so that I could buy that it is real.

Seeing how long the "What I didn't like" list is, you are probably wondering, oh noes, she doesn't like this drama! Bu no, I really enjoyed the heck out of it. It's the rare drama that I will rewatch on a moody day when I need cheering up. There are precious few of them.

I mean, it is certainly no Ripe Town or even Dream of Splendor, so lower your expectations. It is a typical idol drama with many spinning, hair-and-cloak-flying shots of our couple looking gorgeous as they stare into each other's eyes.

However, it was very entertaining, fluffy, feel-good and romantic. And yet, it had surprising moments of depth that took me by surprise. It is just a pity that it wasn't sustained throughout its 40-episode run, but I enjoyed Show for what it was: Pure entertainment.

The pathetic villains, plot holes, convenient solutions definitely diminished what could've been a really, really good show. But I laughed, teared up with this couple and it cheered me up immensely at a time when I needed it. 😍 When I watched the show, I just had my first bout of COVID after avoiding it the entire pandemic, my sense of taste and smell was gone and I was miserable. On top of that I was dealing with adulting issues. I desperately wanted something happy to watch and Wonderland was what I needed.

Whether you will enjoy Wonderland of Love depends on how far you can ignore its flaws and go along with the story. It is also best for people who like the drama's tropes: brotherhood and star-crossed lovers.

If you can't do both you will probably not enjoy it at all 😆 I am a sucker for bromance and will watch any drama with that trope.

All in all, Wonderland helped me turn off my brain and have a good time. 😆 And I love it for that.

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I was pretty convinced I won't like it. Now I'm a fan.

Love and Redemption shouldn't have worked with me. It had many flaws. Some were laughably bad. Like, could someone in the production team get better props for dismembered limbs, for example? And the War God's armour was atrocious; Crystal Yuan looked as if she wore something far too big for her. They made a really good one for Rahu Ketu — so I know they were capable of making nice-looking armour, so I'm not sure what went wrong there.

The camerawork could also have been better. The colours appear washed out at times.

And while the ending was wonderfully happy, it was also rushed and done in such a slip-shod way that you can't help but go, "Wait, that's it?"

Most of the villains were also one-dimensional, existing to only make lives difficult for our couple.

The acting of the cast ranged from really good (Cheng Yi and Liu Xueyi) to really bad (Si Feng's dad — he was cringeworthy). I found Crystal Yuan okay and not as bad as some people make her out to be, and she was rather good as the War God, but she wasn't as good as I'd like her to be.

And then there's the clumsy way information is conveyed at times. For example, I call Yihuan the "info dump man" because he's either there to explain to other characters what really happened, or to voice the frustration of the audience.

Okay, now that all the bad stuff is out of the way, I can declare that despite the flaws, I still really love the show because it managed to make me feel all the feels. I bought this world, and I bought Si Feng and Xuanji's love.

One of the criticisms lobbed at Si Feng is that he's too much of a martyr. I think this is because we are not given enough background on Si Feng's motivation or his origin with Xuanji.

Another factor that elevated this drama for me is Si Feng and Xuanji's friends: Ling Long, Mingyan, Teng She and Wu Zhi all add color to the plot. They never felt like unnecessary additions but vital parts of the plot. I love how they take care of each other, especially toward the end when Si Feng really needed it. And their stories were quite interesting too — I was invested enough to care what happens to each of them.

So, is Love and Redemption worth your time?

I guess it depends. This is a polarising drama. Some loved it. Some wondered what people who liked it were smoking.

For me, it is a combination of factors: Cheng Yi's good acting and charisma, the fun side characters, the theme of brotherhood and loyalty, and most of all, forgiveness and letting go of grudges: redemption.

I was able to ignore the flaws and simply enjoy the story.

You may not be able to, and that's fine.

I'd say go in with an open mind; let yourself be swept away by the story. You could be surprised where you end up.

Final rating: 8.5

PS: I kept a watch log where I recorded my thoughts on the episodes. You can read it here: https://shorturl.at/bjqG1
I record my thoughts on Kdramas and CDramas at the blog: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/

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Show didn't know what it wanted to be

So, the last time I left a negative review of a relatively popular Kdrama, someone actually created an account to tell me how much they hated me. LOL. I continue to be befuddled by this confounding behaviour and would like to tell everyone who has the knee-jerk reaction to do this to please cool your heels, touch some grass, and realise that my opinion will not destroy your world. Also, I'm sure Rowoon can survive my bad review, promise.

Anyway, long story short - I really, really wanted to like this. Trust me - I wanted to squee along with most people, but I couldn't. Destined With You was a mess in terms of plot structure. It tried too hard to be everything and ended up becoming nothing. I was terminally bored throughout because there were a lot of filler characters doing pointless things when all I wanted was to find out what was up with the curse, what's up with our couple and their past lives. But these kept getting pushed back until when all was revealed, I was like, thank God it's over.

In the end, Show was just messy. Too many plot threads that ended unsatisfactorily. It’s an extreme manifestation of the current K-Drama trend to shove a mystery/murder/reincarnation plot line in a romance and done in such a way that it distracted rather than enhanced the story.

So, yeah, what a wasted opportunity, my friends. It could've been better.

You can read my full review here: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2023/10/14/destined-with-you-review/

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A high quality drama that needs to be watched!

After watching Are You the One, I struggled to find another drama just as good. Never thought a show about bank shenanigans would win me over, but there are good reasons: It's directed by Shen Yan, a Magnolia Award winner, and written by award-winning Zhang Ting, known for Wild Bloom and The Long River. The quality shines.

Zhang Ting was inspired by the online novel Qian Tu ("A Career in Money") and visited banks and interviewed staff to capture the reality of working in a bank. Having worked in a bank before (corporate), let's just say that I've had moments "been there done that!" when watching this.

This drama is more complex than it seems. It's not just about an underdog idealist battling his manipulative corporate colleagues—it’s a dance of Machiavellian minds, where our hero learns he must be just as cunning to win.

The plot keeps you guessing - You’re constantly left wondering who the real masterminds are, and even about the supposed heroes’ "noble intentions".

Surprising character moments - There was this moment when a brown-noser tells the hero, “You can afford to be idealistic; the rest of us have to be dogs.” That line hits hard if you've ever worked in corporate. Many moments like this.

A devious protagonist - Lin Qiang hates the game but plays it just as skilfully as those around him.

Fascinating look into Chinese finance - Banking lawbreaking have serious consequences, but in China, God help you if the government finds out. If you're peeved off why bankers seem to escape punishment, watch this to get some catharsis.

Realistic corporate politics - The power moves happen in boardrooms, without resorting to violence, and the tension feels authentic.

Amazing actors - The cast is incredible, making even the villains compelling.

I wrote a longer review here: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/10/14/bank-on-me-review/

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Light and entertaining but a missed opportunity

I was initially attracted to Yong'an Dream because at that time, I was craving something fluffy but it also appealed to my darkness-loving soul because had a mysterious and near-tragic edge. However, while I was mostly positive about Yong'an Dream in the beginning, I ended up fast-forwarding most of it by episode 12. So, what happened?
First, the positives.

What I liked
- Jeremy Tsui was appropriately menacing as Liu Shi Yan. He had the bearing and gravitas to be the arrogant court official who is thinks he knows everything.
- The second and third lead couples were actually fascinating. Shen Ran is a married woman, but how is she and the Zhou Su An supposed to act on their attraction? Su Heng is besotted with Shen Ran, but at least he thinks he is until he meets the beautiful but tom boyish woman who is supposed to be matched with Shi Yan. I legit want a CDrama centred around these two couples!
What I didn't like
- Zilch chemistry between our lead couple. I kept waiting for it to happen, and found it ironic that I was far more interested in the second and third lead couples!
- Jeremy Tsui was good as usual, but sadly Ouyang Nana, while not awful, was not good enough to elevate her very stereotypical, bright and perky, blandly-written character to something special.
- The unnecessary roadblocks to our main couple's happiness mid point. It was an eyerolling, lazy way to create drama and tension in the story. This was when I began to check out.
- The dreams that Shi Yan gets about an alternate life with Shen Zhen was never coherently explained. If I hadn't known about the novel's plot, I wouldn't have any idea what to make of it. Is it prophetic? Hallucinations from too much mushrooms? No idea.
- The whole "she cries and he ends up in pain" schtick got old really quick. I highly suspect it's because Jeremy Tsui's comedic timing is less than stellar, and Ouyang Nana's performance wasn't great. These were cringey more than funny.

Final thoughts

All in all, watching Yong'an Dream is like eating a cake, expecting it to be as delicious at it looks, only to end up finding out that beneath the frosting, the cake was made of cardboard.
I really felt sad for Jeremy, especially after hearing that he's retiring from acting. (He made this announcement while this drama was airing.)
Jeremy is an actor I felt has lots of potential but is quickly aging out from the idol dramas he's always starring in. There are rumors that his agency was pressurising him to act in these dramas and blocking his efforts to branch out, so I don't blame him for quitting if this is true. But as these are rumours, I guess we'll never fully know the truth.
Yong'an Dream was not a drama I want him to end his career with. Fortunately, he has more dramas coming out. So, I hope they will be much better than this one and that he ends his acting career memorably rather than with a whimper.

As usual, this is an excerpt from my blog post review of the drama: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/03/22/yongan-dream-review/

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A grim illustration of how corruption slowly destroys a civilisation

Once upon a time, they were young and innocent… but a corrupt world can ruin the sweetest souls…

At the start of the show, our three main characters give a toast and exclaim to each other: “It’s really difficult to be a decent man!”

This statement gets more true as the show progresses.

Ripe Town is set during the 37th year of the Wan Li Period of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Wanli is said to be the cause of the dynasty’s downfall.

His neglect of government affairs caused corruption to fester in the kingdom and had a trickle down effect. Ripe Town is a great illustration of how this corruption affected the lives of the common people.

When Ripe Town dropped, there was barely any buzz about the show. There weren’t any high-traffic idol actors, and the story didn’t seem enticing. A historical serial killer drama? Hmm. I wasn’t in the mood for something that dark.

Then, I saw the trailer, and my jaw dropped at how athmospheric and moody it all was, so different from the day-glo plasticky beauty of so many cdramas these days, that I couldn’t help but watch it. I was further motivated by the fact that it was only 12 episodes long.

In the end, I binged through the entire series in two days and I have to say it was totally worth it!
What I liked about the drama:

1. The high production quality

What a pleasure it is to watch Ripe Town. There is no overuse of filters (actually none that I can see), no over-bright lighting, and the costumes are fitting for the time.

In fact, I really like that people’s outfits have literal patches of fabric used to repair the outfit, which often than naught, appeared worn out on our characters. Talk about determination to portray things authentically. The lower classes rarely have pretty robes to wear and often mend their clothes over and over again.

2. The acting

It is👌 I enjoyed the heck out of the acting. Loved the actors who played Lu Zhi and Judge Song.
The tight plot

Ripe Town is a rare drama, not just because of its high production quality but that it is succinct. It is a 12-episode drama in an entertainment landscape littered with 40-episode, bloated dramas. (To think that a drama could get up to 80+ episodes in the “old days” before the government decided that 40 episodes was the maximum number of episodes allowed.)

Every minute of Ripe Town demands your complete attention. You can’t fast forward to skip ahead because you’ll probably miss an essential clue in a dialogue or a scene.

3. The complex characters

Of all the characters in Ripe Town, it is the honorouble Judge Song that catches my attention. Not just because of the excellent actor who played him, but because he has a streak of nobility and goodness that seemed incongruous at a time when law officers “partner” with criminal gangs to maintain “peace”.

But in this world, is anyone free of the stain of immorality?

4, The authentic mood

Ripe Town is filmed in an ancient town where the walls were covered in moss or patched over or grey with dirt, as if symbolising the decay in the society. It magnifies the feeling of decay pervasive not only in the crumbling society, but in the justice system.

It is like watching a historical Chinese version of a moody, serial killer drama, and they make sure that everything, from the sets, the color palette and the lighting, reflect that.

5. What I didn’t like, and thoughts about the ending (slight spoilers)

Before I finally watched the ending, I was a tad worried about how the show will end because someone on Mydramalist complained how disappointed they were with the ending.

But after watching it, I thought it was really appropriate and fitting. All in all it was a very satisfying ending.

The thought that came to my head was: I was sad for everyone, including the bad guys. Because they were the product of their brutal environment, and one must do what one must to survive. In this upside-down world, being honourable and just is a foolish way to live; the smart ones use deceit and subterfuge to get ahead.

Ripe Town also kept me guessing till the very end. I could not guess the identity of the killer until the very end and did not expect that person to be the big bad at all! The actor who played the person was excellent too. Totally threw me off.

The only thing I wasn’t so pleased about was the twist at the end where (warning: spoilers!) the Big Bad turned out to be someone unexpected.

It would’ve been far, far, far more satisfying if the writers had not made the unexpected twist. In fact, I thought it was a rather cheap twist. It was a flaw in an otherwise almost perfect drama.

Still, I was SO worried that Ripe Town would go the open-ended route that is so trendy these days with so many CDramas that I didn’t mind that extra twist. I was like, phew, at least we get some kind of definite closure!

Ripe Town really highlights how corruption was the downfall of the Ming dynasty, and what enabled the Manchus to take over. With the rot infecting the justice system, the entire foundation of the empire was going to crumble sooner or later as good men are sacrificed on the altars of deceit and vengeance, to the detriment of the entire civilisation.

All in all, a very worthwhile investment of your time. The very high Douban rating of 8.6* seems to agree with me!

Also blogged here: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2023/11/01/ripe-town-review/

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A sweet romance that should've been not-so-sweet

What I liked:

- Zhang Ling He's performance is a lot better here than in the Story of Kunning Palace, and I think they made the right choice to dub him because I wasn't keen for a repeat of his robotic performance.
- The leads had good chemistry
- The story explored the complexity of people and relationships very well, acknowledging that there's no black and white decisions in life, and that people are not entirely evil or good.
- Knowing what we know of what really happened to Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua in their past lives, I'm really glad for their second chance.
- It's a hoot to see so many Joy of Life folks here!

What I didn't like

- The background music was bland
- I'm very impressed with the actress playing Shangguan Ya - she balances her playful and ruthless sides very deftly.
- The rebellion towards the end looked very small and not very convincing.
- The last arc was chaotic.
- Su Rong Qing's arc overstayed its welcome, nuff said.
- Pei Wenxian, towards the end, became a side character in his own story and wasn't as complex or layered a character as a result.
- The special episode was chaotic even if it was sweet. It just felt very off tone with the rest of the drama.

All in all, The Princess Royal was actually an entertaining enough drama, and its strength lay in the exploration of complex characters and their motivations.

However, I can understand why novel readers are upset.

For one, the romance never rose beyond "sweet romance" when the novel was very much not a sweet, teenage romance but a mature one with our characters doing adult things.

Sure, Chinese dramas will never go that far to show full-blown steamy scenes, but Legend of Shen Li managed to show that level of depth without it becoming soft porn.

In the end, the drama was still "good enough" but one can't help but wonder if it could've been better if they tried to be grittier.

As usual, this is a shorter version of my review on my blog: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/08/22/the-princess-royal-review/

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If cottagecore and xianxia had a baby it would be The Legend of Shen Li ;D

This is an extract of my 2000-word review: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/the-legend-of-shen-li-review/

What I liked
- Lin Geng Xin isn't the typical delicate, elfin-like idol male lead xianxias typically have, but that's what I love - that he's a strapping, tall man with not-typical looks. Yay to diversity of looks and mature actors!
- OMG they filmed in actual locations! It felt weird to see these high beings wandering around real places.
- I love Shen Li's straight-talking ways, and that she doesn't suffer fools
- I totally adore the food porn. And all powerful ancient god and a great cook? Who can resist this man?
- Loved Lady Jin! What a sass madam! In fact, I love her so much that I'm so happy that she got her own side story in the last episode.

What I didn't like
- Seriously, the Heavenly Realm folks have got to be the most useless and lazidest Heavenly Realm folks in all of xianxia.
- I also don't quite get how this world works.
- I wish there was a better premise than they can't be together because "Natural Law won't permit it" and Xing Zhi losing emotional control.
- Overuse of internal monologue. There are better ways to convey this than internal monologues, really.

The ending
Oh dear lord, finally a good ending.

Was episode 39 necessary? Ending it at 38 would've been neat and tidy. But I love watching Xing Zhi and Shen Li enjoying their "retirement" from official heavenly duties and giving each other maximum skinship. They deserve it.

Final thoughts
I think the reason why The Legend of Shen Li spoke to me so much is because it touches the longing we have in our hearts as adults with heavy responsibilities.

Like our couple, most of us are weighed down by life's demands. So, there's a longing in us for a simpler life where we can just retreat to the green surroundings of the countryside, grow our food, cook, and just nourish our loved ones. This drama really spoke to that longing, at least for me.

Still, I'm giving it an 8.5/10 rather than the 9 I would've given if the storytelling and pacing had been better and the world better fleshed out.

It's still one of the best xianxias you can watch; a rare gem that caters to more mature viewers.

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One of the best modern wuxia to come out in a long itme!

There is something weirdly addictive about The Blood Of Youth. I usually hate “video game” wuxia with the flying sparkling kung fu, but the characters are compelling. Doesn’t hurt that Li Hong Yi (Xiao Se) is so pretty 🤭

One thing I like about The Blood Of Youth is that no matter how powerful Xiao Se, Wuxin and Wujie are, they still behave like young men who are impetuous and yes, childish! This makes for really funny moments between the trio, especially between Xiao Se and Wujie.

While most CDramas lose my interest after the 20th episode, not this one! The Blood Of Youth was tightly plotted, the characters so interesting.

Although the “magic” martial arts took some getting used to, this was a classic Wuxia tale. So, you have the themes of brotherhood, loyalty, chivalry and honour that the genre is known for.

The storytellers were brilliant, ramping up suspense in seemingly innocuous events to great heights. For one, who knew a banquet can be such a suspenseful and tense affair? And when the curtains finally parted and the truth of the banquet is finally revealed, you feel a whoosh of emotion at what it signifies. Now, that’s a fine piece of storytelling there.

When the show ended, I had a hangover because it ended “too soon” and I didn’t think I could watch anything this good in a long while. 😭

Fortunately, 2023 turned out to be a great year for wuxia dramas, with Mysterious Lotus Casebook, The Ingenious One and A Journey to Love following soon after. Now, with season 2 of Blood of Youth just announced, I hope to enjoy more of our gang in the future!

Note: This is a condensed review of my longer review on my blog: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/01/01/the-blood-of-youth-review/

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A short, mini drama that packs a lot of punch

I avoided short dramas like these for the longest time because I thought they would be badly made and just wouldn't be satisfying enough.

Eighteen episodes? Ten minutes per episode? Really? What can you absorb in a mere ten minutes? Turns out: more than you think!

However, after watching my first short web drama, What's Wrong with My Princess?, which I really enjoyed, I became a short drama addict

This could be an unpopular opinion, but while the actors of these mini-dramas are unknown most of the time, their acting is often way better than the idols in blockbuster Chinese dramas. I am glad these dramas exist because they could help some of these talented actors get noticed. It's a sad thing that a lot of actors in China don't get that chance because they don't happen to have the right looks or fan base and most are forced to second lead roles just to make way for less talented actors.

Also, mini-dramas tend to be "braver" so we get edgier storylines.

If you're thinking about trying Chinese Dramas but feel like 40-episode monoliths are just too much commitment, starting with mini-dramas like A Familiar Stranger is a great way to do this

What drew me to A Familiar Stranger is the premise, and the chatter around it being excellent even if it's a short drama.

Once I started it, I was really impressed with the production quality and how well the two main actresses could play each other so convincingly.

But what shocked me was how sensual it was, especially since I'm used to (sigh) cold fish kisses in Chinese and Korean dramas. No, they actually showed bare legs and bed romps in this one! (Though not to the level of what you see in Game of Thrones, thank God.)

Apparently, some folks theorise that shorts like these can get away from the Chinese censors because they are too small and insignificant, which makes me a tad sad because it shows how much potential is currently being capped by the draconian Chinese censors.

I think the short format forces the writers to be more disciplined and the producers to be more creative with their filming. (As a writer of serial fiction on Substack, there's a lot to learn from these short 10-minute-per-episode dramas.)

That said, due to the tight timeline, there were a lot of plot threads that were unexplored.

For example, why would our villainess give up her lofty position as a high-ranking Prime Minister's daughter to exchange faces with a lowly painter? How could she sashay around the mansion, unimpeded after that? Although there's some explanation at the end, I thought it was all very convenient, and not a smart move. But maybe it wasn't supposed to be … love makes a fool of us all.

The romance between the general and Shi Qi is sensual and beautifully done. And the story comes together in a satisfying and beautiful way. Part of the satisfaction comes from having a quick payoff. Instead of slogging through 40 episodes, you can get the whole story in three hours, and with the same highs of episodic serial storytelling every 10 minutes.

Also blogged at: https://wp.me/pf6C2d-1R

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It is watchable, but it could have been so much better.

I dropped this drama at episode 15 when the story took a turn for worse. The second male lead, whom I really thought was unique and different, morphed into the typical jealous second male lead. And then Tian Yao did something mind boggling that didn't make sense. Then the three of them wandered around this alternate dimension...
It took me about a month to brave the drama again, but this time I skipped some episodes, started at episode 20.
And I binged in a few days. The story got decidedly more interesting and ironically it wasn't the main couple that pulled me back but the story of the King of Qinqui and his twin brother.
Wow, the actor played both roles amazingly.
What I like about this drama is that the bad guys have good reasons to be bad. I find myself sympathetic to their grievances and hope somehow that they can getter a better life in the next life or something.
Also, there were other couples in this drama whose romance I enjoyed. Some ended well, some tragically, and I felt for them.
That said, this drama is something that make me sigh in sadness. It would be soooo good. The two lead actors while not mindblowing ly great or have awesome chemistry, were good. But they were hobbled by the subpar script.

Full review including video: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2023/09/27/back-from-the-brink-review/

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A very interesting take on environmental protection. But...

I had to concede that towards the end the drama got really, really boring for me 😅.
it started out really well and then it just got suuuuuper slow. I think I understand why. Initially the show was filmed in a dynamic way. Our characters would go on expeditions to villages, into mountains and caves and discover pockets of terrible pollution. There would be interesting environmental cases to tackle. The first case was a prime example - how do you move a street full of vendors without harming their livelihoods? I thought the solution was ingenious.

Then the case of an apartment complex abandoned by developers, stranding the buyers with no homes but with high mortgages. And to add insult to injury, the apartment grounds was turned into a toxic garbage dump.
These cases held my attention until the big case involving the suicide of our main lead's friend which started it all ..and the drama literally slowed down and grounded to a halt. In terms of action and dynamism. Suddenly all our characters are stuck in meeting rooms, boardrooms and press conferences. They talk, they lecture. Essentially the show became super talky and my brain, tired out from a day of meetings at work, could not bear to watch TV people hold meetings. Pure torture 🤪

But I persevered.
I just felt that the last 10 episodes could've been told in the same dynamic way the show started out. What happened? God knows, but my brain begged for mercy and I ended up fast forwarding most of the last ten episodes. 😆
So should you watch this? Well, if an environmental, curious about how China goes green kinda person like me finds it boring...well, probably not a good idea unless you are an even bigger nerd than I am. 😉

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A different, refreshing role for Cheng Yi and a fascinating look at life in China.

Admittedly, I chose to watch Draw the Line because of Cheng Yi, an actor I noticed since watching probably my favourite wuxia of the 2020s, Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

I just wanted to see him in something different; something without long hair and hanfus. And he is pretty good in Draw the Line.

The good:
- The performances of the cast is great, especially veteran actors like Jin Dong and Chen Kang, who plays Fang Yan's mentor.
- Believe it or not, the nationalistic moments are sometimes endearing. I think I'm so used to the cynical depictions of politicians and civil servants in dramas that it is refreshing to see the government regarded positively. But this is not always so. The public has some strong words about judges and their decisions, and some even react violently.
- The show has been lauded for its accuracy in depicting the Chinese legal system and profession. As we learned from the Yang Yang drama, Fireworks of My Heart, this doesn't always happen, so it's nice to see something closer to reality.
- I find it so cute that Fang Yuan and Zhou Yi's mum tried almost immediately to matchmake him with his arch nemesis Ye Xin, and his utter horror at this development. Makes for so many comedic moments in the show!
- I enjoyed Cheng Yi's character because it was so different from his usual angsty, blood-spitting wuxia roles. Here he is sassy and gossipy. Definitely a political animal, but with a heart!

The bad:
- The subtitles can be ... dire.
- There are jingoistic moments that can rub some people the wrong way. But let's remember that movies or dramas from any country can be jingoistic in its own way. China isn't unique in this.
- Some cases can be boring, and towards the end of the show, it seems to loose steam somewhat as we get more involved with the personal lives of our judges. Maybe it comes down to my taste but I'm not really interested in people's romantic lives lol.

I know the subs are not great, but if you are up to the challenge, I encourage you to watch it case by case. Each case has about three to four episodes. Just have Pleco and Lensa at your side when you watch it lol.

I find the cases fascinating, even more so that they're based on real cases!

If you're curious about how the Chinese legal system works, how the legal profession is and society in China, this drama could be worth a watch for you.

You can watch the drama on Youtube.

As usual, this post is an edited version of my full-length review: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/03/12/draw-the-line-review/

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