kopihitam
TFM aired along with AOS, and I have to say it was a great choice as the two dramas compliment each other wonderfully. If AOS is intense and nerve wracking, TFM feels like a calming and soothing balm, and by itself is a leisure watch you can enjoy in a binge or one at a time.
The plot is pretty much focused and centered at one important thing: the forbidden marriage. It expands from there, and the characters built themselves around it. Their backstories are simple and the drama arcs are not so complicated.
And what's funny to me is that the next episode teaser is pretty much a whole episode summarized with bullet points! This is the perfect drama for anxious people (me) ♡
Sometimes I feel like the main casts kind of holding back (?) like the acting could be toned up a bit, but overall it's still good and enjoyable. The tension is burning, the romance and easy companionship between the leads are very sweet. The drama is good enough to keep you on your seat, but will not make you agitated and stressed out for days.
Also Kim Minju!! is so pretty!!
Overall, I would recommend this if you are looking for a simple historical romance with a slash of drama
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This drama tells a story of an extra who gets transported into the body of a princess who's about to be married to a prince, who, apparently was dead by the time she gets there. Whenever the male lead dies, she will be killed too because she's his wife, and the time loops back days before the wedding. The more she died, the further she gets transported back in time, so she tried to prevent his death from happening and find out how to get back to her world.
It has 25 episodes but it's so short with only 8 minutes per episode, so I'd say it's pretty packed with almost zero filler scenes (!!).
The actors who play ML and FL, Hao Fushen has a mouse-kind of face that I like, and although the prince he plays are supposed to be unruly (frequent brothels) but it doesn't really show. Instead he looks pretty gentle and sweet. Jin Zixuan is also good, she plays a time traveller so well, she's fun and not afraid to look silly, and her silliness is not annoying me. No one is a stone faced NPC, and I like that too.
Story wise it's not new, but the execution is done well and makes it look enjoyable. The prince mansion setting is beautiful, and they use a soft color palette that doesn't glare into my eyes. They're also pretty generous with the trinkets and decorations, and if it's a budget drama it certainly doesn't look like it. What irked me is that in some parts it looks like I'm expecting a jump scare(?). There are some plot twists in here, some of it frustrating but not disappointing. Also the ending?? It is honestly predictable but so random I'm torn between laughing and crying.
This is good, simple and easy to watch, fun enough to keep you engaged and guessing. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a short drama.
p.s. I never found out the real name of the FL until I read the synopsis, like?? There is really no narrative intros nothing whatsoever we're just thrusted into this time travel thing and expected to find out ourselves. It's kind of fun though.
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Cute, Small FL x Big, Dependable ML
I binged this in two days, and this drama is surprisingly good!This is a no-brainer, comedic type of drama that makes me laugh all the way to the end, but it has a decent plot that wraps the story together. Also, the couple's height difference??? FL literally can disappear behind ML.
FL is a cute, witty, free-spirited girl, kinda typical for costume drama, but the actress plays her so good that it doesn't feel annoying? She's pretty, quick on her feet, think and make decision quickly to the point of reckless, but she's a fun person! I liked her character a lot.
ML is calm, thoughful and dependable. A bit Lan Wangji-esque in my opinion, and I loved his character a lot as well. (He's also super pretty!)
Also, the supporting characters are portrayed so well! They all have a good chemistry with each other, and their personalities are not so complex to comprehend.
Overall, this is for you if you want to see a lighthearted, comedic drama that makes you feel good after.
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Comical Humour + Dark Jokes
Is it possible to make dying a habit? Bai Zhenxiang certainly could.The dumb ways he died was not supposed to be the refreshing point, but in here, it does.
This drama is lovable to watch, with its interesting plot, great acting (all the important roles nailed it, the supporting didn't disappoint either), and plus point: the comical way Bai Zhenxiang and Li Luduo was behaving. It's a hilarious, no-brainer, lighthearted kind of drama.
Some scenes were a bit slow paced so I skipped them, but even if you skipped scenes, you could still understand the story flow and enjoy it nonetheless.
What i found intriguing also, is the lack of heavy PDA. Some CDrama has lots of steamy kisses and heavy PDA like kabedon etc, but Love in A Loop hovers between slow-burn and light fluff. Bai Zhenxiang is a dumbass at romance, and it's funny seeing him flailing about at first, but slowly found a firm standing point in his relationship with Li Luduo.
I would recommend this drama!
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Highlights: The Women of Wufeng
Gorgeous actors, great acting, intriguing script that kept you guessing, luxurious costumes, beautiful sets, detailed choreography, this is one of the best produced drama I've seen. Even the fight scenes look so pleasing to the eyes.MJTY has a dark theme to it, with black, red, gray color pallete with rarely a bright yellow scene with warm sunlight in it. The drama mostly takes place in the Gong Residence, and even with all the spies theme, it kinda feels sort of like a slice of life to me, but filled with lies and intrique, like a palace dynamic but make it wuxia. I liked it.
The story flows through the characters with ease, and i loved how the plot really depends on each characters and how it includes all of them in the story. This is thrilling, but also melancholic and filled with mind games.
For those who didn't mind a slow paced, a bit heavy story, with dark undertone, I think you'll like this one.
P.S: Personally the Wufeng women are the highlight of this show like they carry nearly all the plot it's amazing. Their dynamics?? Their backhanded interactions?? The best.
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Best Enemies to Lovers
I am absolutely in love. I really love enemies to lovers trope in a drama, and Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu brings the dynamic to life as perfect as I can imagine. LYX is what beautiful strong tragic would be as a person, and I think his Tantai Jin is the most beautifully expressed character I've ever seen on TV. His complex facial expression, his layered personalities, complex backstories, his moral standing and his thinking process are all so well-played it feels like I am getting to know the character personally.Bai Lu is very pretty and heroic, like I love how despite LYX plays a literal devil god, her character feels stronger instead, like there's something that feels like steel in her mannerism. Her backstory is somehow feels pitiful to me, and her character may be seen differently through different perspectives and you may found yourself torn between liking and disliking her too.
The cinematography and CGI is very well done, the costumes all look so intricate and luxurious and I love everything about this except I think the ending could be a bit better, but people say it will have a special episode later? I don't know. From the first episode this drama had hooked me so strongly and until the end it left a strong aftertaste in my palate I think no drama will ever come close to this, for now.
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Princess and Her Dauntless Guard Dog
This is the enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, mutual pining couple I didn't know I need.The story centers around Zhu Yun and Li Xun, the princess and the lighter, or rather, her fierce, dauntless, tsundere guard dog, for lack of better terms. It started from their college days when they were freshmen, up until they are working adults. Their story is a slow burn, but it's not boring at all with the conflicts here and there that keeps mounting up to the big problem. I still watch this mostly with 1,5x speed because the pace is a bit slow, but it's still good.
What I love the most, though, is the acting. CFY and ZJY as a pair lovers is very convincing. Their looks, their constant need to always touch each other, their pull towards one another looks so natural as if they are truly in love. I love every scenes they have together.
The supporting casts are all very good, I dare say this drama is character driven as well as plot driven, because their personalities are pretty complex and layered.
For a youth drama this is a bit dark, with some frustrating and sad story arcs that boils my brain. Don't expect green flag characters from this.
I expect more closures for the ending actually, but it's already good enough for me. After it ends, I was in quite a slump because of how good it is and how strong the aftertaste is.
If you can stand the first two episodes, do continue. This is a very good one.
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Acting wise, Jing Boran half carried this show, I'm sorry. His portrayals of Lan Jue is just so natural and flowing. His beauty and elegance is so soothing and the way he smoothly changes from being soft and elegant to crazed and half mad with revenge is just too good to see.
Chemistry wise, Lan Jue with Mowen and Shulin gives off a great give and take dynamics. With Zhang Ping there's this feeling of on and off dynamic for me, like it's there but very slow and subtle,and sonetimes before you're done seeing it it just ends(?), people say it's because of the editing but I'm not sure.
Plot wise, it's pretty neat and simple, where they're solving this small cases, only to realize its building up to the big revelation that ties up everything. It's done very well. The episodes are also not too little, not too much, just the right amount.
If you like a simple historical chinese drama with a procedural mystery theme, this might be your show.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Romance That Hurts So Good"
This drama truly lives up to its praises. From the epic love story, lively portrayals, the buildup of the plot, and the beautiful cinematography. In historical fantasy drama like this, I usually get bored or skipped the first 1-2 chapters because they were intros and boring, or even dropped them if it was so awfully boring. But this drama, I was hooked since the first. Even when I want to skip some scenery scenes, I can't do so because they were shot so beautifully. For a drama with tragedy genre, this drama did a very good job, by not forcing sadness on each scene, but curated them so that when it hits, it hits you like a truck.Chen Xingxu as Li Chengyin is the death of me. His performance is top notch, that even during his dark scenes, I sip them like I would cherish a fine wine. I swoon for him, I laugh, I cry, I get frustrated and I sigh. To be honest, I sigh a lot when I watch this drama. Especially when nearing the end, my sigh got longer and deeper. It was... how do I say it, Chengyin and Xiaofeng is everything I want in a story. Fluff, humor, enemies to lovers, angst, comedy, soulmates, you name them. You can clearly see that they were destined to fall in love no matter how, but their situations make it harder for them to be together peacefully. You can probably see a mutual friend of them, Pei Zhao, rolling his eyes. You can probably see 'u dumb bitch' written in his gaze.
Commenting about Xiaofeng would spoil so much, since she was the center of this story. I was actually surprised that she doesn't turn to be a villain because her circumstances are literally the perfect backstory for it.
All the side characters are really good, every characters were lively and essential for the plot, and the cinematography, the color palettes are super nice to look at. Sometimes it was funny, because there will be a sad scene, and the director would shoot the evening sun peeking from behind a mountain, casting a golden glow to the picture, and I would forget why I'm sad.
You might find this a rambling, but trust me, after this drama you will be a mess too, but it doesn't feel so bad.
Well, like Peng Xiaoran said, "whether you like sweet scenes or sad scenes, you will find what you like in Goodbye My Princess"
So happy watching!
P.S. You must watch the special scenes!! I think they have like 4 scenes, it's a cure for the heart.
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My Perfect Kind of Drama
SOKP is so unreal, like the way it has everything I want: fix-it rewrite, isekai, villain x villainess leads, enemies to lovers, intricate costumes, beautiful actors, exploding chemistry, and heavy pining??? How is it possible to be that perfect?I love everything about it, especially the pining. The way the ML was pining for nearly the entire drama is literal gold, and the leads have this tension every time they met, like a string stretched so far wide without them knowing and then near the end it finally snapped. I loved it. They both are morally grey, yet unapologetically loyal, strong and truthful and I loved that about them.
The chemistry is perfect. Everyone has great chemistry with everybody, and I love how the leads all have this presence about them that makes their appearance so magnetic to see, and I find it hard to skip scenes because all interactions are so beautifully executed. All the casts look majestic and I think they really nailed the casting on this one.
What's interesting for me, though, is that I find Zhang Linghe's look serene and peaceful by default, so seeing him playing a red-flag, cunning character is a surprisingly nice experience for me.
The story plots are consistent through the end, and although the ending could use a bit more closure, I am perfectly happy with how it turned out and everyone got the ending the deserve. Also I liked how the evil people are out in the open and consistent throughout the drama, so I didn't have to expect sudden character betrayal or some sorts. Neatly written, brilliantly executed.
P.S: Thankyou SOKP for making Zhang Linghe a father character I'm actually crying real tears he looks so good with the kids. Also every drama with Bai Lu in it, I don't think we have to worry about chemistry because she nailed it every time, no doubt about it.
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For The Slow Burn Enjoyers
If you are a slow burn, will-they-wont-they, mutual pining, unresolved tension enjoyers, this show is like a gem falling from the sky. Personally, it feels like that for me.FOMH has everything I want in a drama. Lively characters, strong character backgrounds, and chemistry. Plot wise it might now be new, but the casts are all very good in making the story alive and exciting, the dynamics between the firefighters and the families are all so refreshing and enjoyable to see. I just love how everything comes to life in this drama, and how no one in this seems awkward.
Character wise SY is a bit similar to YY's character in YAMG but here he's a bit more brash and clueless(?). Also if you are sensitive to evil mother in law trope, this has some of it, so maybe be prepared.
Also, i love the second male lead's story with his couple, their dynamics are unique, their story is no less gripping, and i think their own story could be told in a whole drama. The chemistry is really good, and they both seem a bit morally grey to me(?) so it's interesting.
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THE Romcom of 2022
Binged it in three sittings, and it's really that good. The plot is solid, the writing is neat, the casts can really act down to supporting characters and cameos, even when in the background they still act in character!I found it on IQiyi's most popular list, and it truly deserves that first spot. When they say romcom, this is the drama they're looking for, and it's really lighthearted, even with the mysteries and all.
Comedic enjoyers like me will absolutely love this drama. It has all the good things: comic, timing, standup styles, I think this drama kinda feels like a sitcom?
The romance is also enjoyable, the chemistries are off the chart and beyond, and I like how all the characters are lovable. The pace is not too fast not too slow, and the ending wraps them all beautifully. I would recommend!
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It's a simple historical fantasy romance, with enough drama that doesn't really stress you out, and the characters are not that many and not that complicated, so it's not hard to remember and get connected with each of them.
The palace set and the wardrobe is simple but still beautiful, and I love how it has a soft color palette that looks pleasing to my eyes.
The plot is pretty cliche, but the chemistry between the characters are enjoyable to see and kept me watching until the end. There's not much fighting scenes, not that many intrigue and evil people either.
The pacing is also straightforward and not dragging at all. I don't skip much in here because every scenes with the leads are so romantic, they look really good together, and they both are so pretty!
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2022's Ace
I initially knew about AOS since long time, but it never interests me because the actors and actresses were mainly rookies except for JSM, but then the second season came out and then I was like, "If there is a second season then that means the first season is good right?" so I gave it a go. IT WAS VERY GOOD.I am a character driven type of a person more than plot driven ones, and this drama served it to me in gold platter. Naksu opened the character with her intense battle and mysterious aura, paving the way into the drama's center plot. We are curious about this person. Mudeok is another interesting character, because it's supposed to be a 'fake' character. JSM played Mudeok very well, her expressions are so funny! It's just sometimes I see her playful kiss character flashing in Mudeok (?) so it kinda bothers me in a way, but I think it's not that prominent so it's fine.
LJW's Jang Uk is literally perfect. Jang Uk is the driving force in this drama, I think. His characterization is fleshed out perfectly and consistently throughout the season. Spoiled, repressed, lonely, innocent and deeply loving, it's hard not to empathize with him.
The supporting characters are all so good and very strongly fleshed out, no one is a stone faced NPC, everyone took part in the big picture of the drama.
Cinematography, CGI, coloring, wardrobe, soundtracks, the drama lines are all exceptional. You may find plot holes, but some will be solved in Season 2. Overall, it was very fun and entertaining and emotionally rollercoastered me into the finale, and built a strong foundation for a next season.
I would highly recommend this if you like a historical fantasy genre, or if you like angst with comedy, in general.
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Ridiculously Comedic Romcom
Would I say I hatewatched it to the end? Probably. But this romcom's romance portions was so consistently cloyingly sweet until the end, to the point it felt so ridiculous and funny, so I stayed for the laugh.This drama is simple, everyone's out there looking for love, none of the conflicts were serious enough to stress you out, and their acting were pretty good to make it enjoyable to watch. It has multiple relationship, and each of them has their own dynamics that kept them going. I skipped every so often, but the pace is quite slow so it doesn't really matter.
If you are looking for an ideal romance, with healthy relationships all the green flags and character developments, maybe look elsewhere. But if you are a simple romcom enjoyers, maybe this will entertain you.
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