serendipitea
Happy Ending & For those who want only sweet romantic parts and only sweet romance
My true rating: 7.15/10*The review may contain details that you would not understand if you did not watch the drama since it's vague, but not spoiler-worthy.
This drama was actually pretty good for one of these typical lower budget rom-com "period" dramas, and I think the main leads dubbed their own parts, which is always great.
Fantasy elements are always a plus for me, and this synopsis was semi-new compared to the other gods/celestial being or material arts type of drama when it includes fantasy or "power" aspects.
I feel like this drama could have had the potential to become an 8 or higher if they filled in more gaps instead of having the viewers make assumptions by increasing the budget and making this 32 episodes or even just making the first few episodes (which were only around 20 minutes each) longer.
Story/Plot:
The romance aspect was decent, but the non-romantic parts were skimmed over too often. For instance, there was the "crime"/"murder"/"detective" bit in the drama, which was not really focused on much and I think it would've added more to the story if some parts were actually explained, but maybe it's just me that enjoys the crime-murder-mystery genre and wanted more of it.
I also would have liked some logical reason or explanation to better understand the side characters. Some questions that were left to be guessed or assumed: why did the brother become so greedy, why is the emperor so lonely, what did Su Wu Quan (Su Yin Yin's father) write during the exam that made him better (since this was a major catalyst for the events that followed), etc.
Characters/Acting:
The acting for each individual character was great, but the chemistry was just okay.
To elaborate:
The female lead: got annoying quickly since she was the typical stubborn girl in these types of dramas, was not anything extremely special, but I was able to put up with her since the drama was focused on the romance more than other parts. If they focused on the other stuff, then I would most likely drop the rating for this drama.
The male lead: poor dude :'( if you watch it you would know why but I liked the fact that he was able to become a scholar in the imperial court by assisting the emperors and crown princes of the family, but I would have liked more explanation on how it happened
ML+FL: Separately the characters were believable, however, the chemistry together was passable, but not amazing.
Notable supporting characters:
Tang Lin Lin: Her character was the only one that had some explanation for why they did seemingly odd things at first and could have been developed into a more complex character and focused on "worldly" (as in pertaining to the world without taking time periods into account) issues (sexism) and we always love a girl who has martial art skills.
Emperor (Li Si, played by An Xiao Ge no MyDramaList page yet): I just feel bad for this emperor, he is the only emperor in C-dramas ("real" emperor as in one that is actually ruling/governing the land and not focused on a girl) that is legitimately alone and lonely as in not even a concubine lonely, but this is also what makes him one of my favorite characters because he was loyal in that sense by making his brother the Crown Prince. I wish they could have dived more into his character instead of making theories about everything. His (and the Crown Prince Li Ji) admiration for their master (male lead) is cute and this emperor is one of the most human emperors in cdrama-land so far.
Mo Cheng Feng: He was actually the reason I started this drama (which was already on my list but got pushed up) but a bit disappointed to find out that he was not the main lead. His development was interesting, but I think a few minutes about him before everything happened would have made it more understandable (or less depending on the producers/directors/screenwriters). There is a love-hate-hate feeling towards him, but it might just be the unrealistic character, but I guess karma worked out.
If you read all this, sorry for being vague or confusing, but I did not want to spoil anything.
Music: Usually I don't say much about music, but I really liked the songs in this, especially the main one 傾世谷雨来 used in the drama and it's different from typical Chinese drama songs since usually, they all sound similar/familiar to each other, but this one was different.
Rewatch: I never rewatch dramas so this is just used to make the desired "Recommended score"
Overall: This is a very romance-focused, maybe one of the most romance-focused dramas I've watched, which took away a lot of the potential this drama had. It's a nice refreshing difference compared to other Chinese dramas in the same category as this based on the setting of the story, which is what kept me going.
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Touching family drama, MUST Watch <3
I had high hopes for this drama seeing how Bai Yu and Rachel Mao (Mao Xiao Tong) were both in it and it did not disappoint.This drama is a good for those that want a change of pace from the usual rom-coms. There is romance, yes, but there is also family and problems, but a happy ending nonetheless.
If you are going through a tough time this drama might help in some way or form, maybe not as guidance or as a how-to to deal w/ certain situations, but it makes you reflect and think deeper about your values and yourself.
The story was relatable and heart-wrenching in a good way. Yes, there were a ton of annoying characters that annoyed me throughout the series including Ye Xiaolang (I knew she was gonna be a pain), Qiao Simei (I'm glad she grew up towards the end), Qiao Zuwang (it would have been better if he just abandoned them altogether imo, but whatever), and all the other people that hindered the 5 siblings from living a more peaceful life.
Each sibling's stories and family were developed and the different problems made it seem realistic though I did wish there were more scenes of Qiqi, who was the main reason I started this drama.
I'm glad this drama did not have any of the main characters end up going on the wrong path due to their lack of parental guidance and each character all had their own personality that they brought to the table. The actors that played each character portrayed it so well that I almost forgot that this was a drama. The different characters also reminded me of myself or the people around me (family, friends, etc.) and I'm sure many viewers could relate in some aspect or another to the people in this drama.
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Unique concept and story
Before I watch movies/dramas I always read the synopsis, but I think disregarding everything except the first line may make watching the movie more enjoyable. I explained why in "Comments" at the end of the review.Review:
The story was unique even though it used the common legends of sending a human bride to a sea monster. I liked the mystery behind it and it made it more entertaining since very few clues were provided throughout the movie, but maybe it is because of the synopsis that made me focus more on the love triangle/quadrilateral/pentagon than anything else.
The acting/casting was not bad and I am assuming this is Zhang Yu Xi's more recent works since her acting is not bad even though I heard quite a few negative things about her acting especially in these movies (The Beauty Skin and Mermaid Bound and this). I hope she continues to improve. Her character, Ah Li, has a good/better balance of brave/kind and scared when necessary. Ah Li is not uselessly brave that she looks stupid nor is she always annoyingly weak. Hai Da Yu, I mean I disliked him cus I felt bad for Yan, but everything turned out okay, but they could have made Yan less "bumpy" and "green". Wen Yu (the character) was just okay, like what he did brought suffering to Ah Li (to some extent) and himself, but thanks to him Ah Li and HDY fell in love and also Wen Yu brought Ah Lai so he somewhat redeemed himself.
I felt like there was not anything that made me have strong emotions, but it was interesting to watch, which is why I gave it a 7.5, but an additional 1-2 scenes could have made this an 8.
Comments:
Twenty minutes into the movie, I was expecting a love triangle, but got a different type of triangle or quadrilateral/pentagon even since the FL has multiple love interests and this also made me a bit frustrated since the synopsis made it sound like Ah Li was going to have a thing for Hai Da Yu and Yan, but it was in those 20 minutes that there was also the original love interest, Wen Yu. So I had negative thoughts regarding Ah Li, but I'm glad it wasn't this chaotic.
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Cute Rom-Com, but Missing Something
I read the webtoon/manhwa before watching the drama which made my expectations high until I saw the casting where most of the characters do not give the same "vibe" and image of their webtoon counterparts (IMO), but I liked the cast so I watched it regardless.The acting and chemistry between everyone were superb. It was a classic rom-com, somewhat cliché in a good way. There are some differences from the original work, but it did not divert away too much from the main plot, except towards the middle and end. The original manhwa could have easily been a 16+ episode drama and/or one that was at least longer than 1 hour an episode. Due to the short length of this drama, a lot of interesting scenes and development were either altered or taken out completely. Even without having read the original work, I would feel like something was missing towards the end.
Some things that I wish the drama did better:
1) I wanted more Young Seo and Sung Hoon scenes, but the drama underdelivered, but I still enjoyed their scenes in drama nonetheless.
2) While I am glad the time it took for Taemu and Ha Ri to officially become a couple has been cut significantly in the drama instead of being dragged on like it was in the webtoon, it was still slightly rushed in my opinion and instead of the two facing problems together, the time jump was used instead (I'm referring to the final episode in this case).
3) The main characters/couples have only met for a bit more than a month before getting together and they are already proposing, which worked out in the webtoon since most of it was Taemu wanting to marry Shin Kim (her alias in the webtoon which has been altered to Shin Geum Hi) and there was repeated emphasis on that, but it only mentioned a few times by Taemu and none of it was in front of Ha Ri. The webtoon and drama is called A Business Proposal for a reason, but the proposal aspect was toned down.
4) I also wished for more scenes that focused on Ha Ri's and Young Seo's friendship and Taemu's and Sung Hoon's bond. There were a lot of parts of the webtoon that were cut out to fit the 12 episode limit, unfortunately.
Things that I am thankful that this drama did:
1) While the characters did not exactly match the "vibe" that I would expect, the foundation/beginning of the drama was set similar to the beginning of the webtoon and that made it easier for certain things to pass and everyone's acting and chemistry was off the charts, so it worked out since the couples in drama looked together.
2) Kim Min Gue (aka Sung Hoon) thank you for working out <3 <3
3) Altering Young Seo's rival to be her cousin and showing them having a bond was cute and the Konglish was funny. Young Seo's and Sung Hoon's "love story" was refreshing and different from most couples in dramas.
4) Ha Ri was depicted as a capable and competent employee, which was not so much the case in the webtoon that was primarily focused on her and Taemu when they were at the company.
5) Taemu came to terms with his feelings for Ha Ri much faster and in a more realistic/sensible way than he did in the webtoon. Thank you for not being a fool when it came to romance and the same goes for Ha Ri.
While this drama was rushed and definitely deserved more episodes, it was a sweet and short rom-com that is different from the ones airing and reminds me of the old dramas that were focused on romance and if you want something lighthearted and fun without too much thinking, you should definitely watch it.
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Crime Comedy That Had Me Hooked, but may not be for you
For me, I loved this drama. The overall story was good and I think the cast was well put together, however, there were some instances that I was not fond of that were not a big deal for me, but might be for you since once you get past those parts, it's a good drama overall (IMO). I enjoyed the comedy and thought that it was a nice balance from the heavy stuff and I'm glad to see that it was the same screenwriter for Good Manager.Good (vagueness to avoid spoiling too much):
1) Spoiler-ish: Tae Ho. If you've watched it you will know what I'm talking about. This had me laughing my head off.
2) Vincenzo's fanclub/his Cassano Geumga family. Everyone's admiration and respect, especially from the male side characters, for Vincenzo were hilarious and cute.
3) Some side character's developments, such as Jang Han Seo's, but to juxtapose him, Choi Myung Hee who did not change for the better and stuck to her choices.
4) The line between evil and good (the grey between black vs white) that Vincenzo was, or at least, he was the lesser evil and did not try to sort everything without violence (i.e., he used violence).
5) Plenty more little things that usually relate to the comedic parts ("Casanova" and "Corn Salad"), but not that I can think of off the top of my head right now.
Bonus: Song Joong Ki's face.
Not-so-good:
1) Vincenzo came to S. Korea to escape the mafia life and such by using the gold stored in the vault, but the whole Babel thing got his way and became the main focus of the drama, which turned out fine, but to be fair, I came for the gold.
2) The tenants began searching for the gold after the homeless person told them, thus hindering Vincenzo's main task. This was honestly unnecessary and just seemed like a filler and that could've made the 20-episode drama into 16 episodes or made it 1-hour episodes instead of 1 hr and 20+ minutes.
3) Romance towards the end was somewhat unnecessary in my opinion and I realized that Hong Cha Young's presence really diminished in the last few episodes except in the finale of course, especially compared to the side characters that seemed to play a much bigger role in the whole ordeal.
4) Ahn Ki Seok (the person from the Intelligence Service Agency) made me question the credentials of working in a government intelligence agency. He was too naive and a goofball to seem like he would work in one and to be in a high position there at that.
5) There may be other parts that I was not fond of, but again I cannot think off the top of my head.
There may be scenes in the "Good" category that you disliked and scenes from the "Not-so-good" category that you do like but I found that this drama was not a waste of time, in fact, I regret not watching this sooner. So to each their own.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cliché, Cute, and Sweet just like the title
This drama is a lot better than most of the other idol dramas out there based on the story and I'm glad I was able to see newer actresses and actors play leading roles. My favourite couple was Liu Yu Cheng (played by Zhai Xiao Wen) and Wu Ying (Baby Zhang/Zhang Bo Jia) followed by Deng Hao Ren (Terry Liu/Liu Te) and Ma Yi Yi (Wan Zi Lin). The main leads were okay, it was cuter when they got together, especially in one of the scenes she got drunk, but nothing special about them in my honest opinion. I liked the overall story how it was simple and sweet despite the clichés.It's a good watch, but I really only stayed for Liu Yu Cheng & Wu Ying. Most of the conflicts that make a drama...dramatic, came from them and would not have been that entertaining otherwise. If you are not someone into super sweet/cute dramas or older women and younger guy couples then this might drama might not be your cup of tea. Deng Hao Ren and Ma Yi Yi's characters were interesting and bittersweet at times, but their maturity and how they view relationships at the end was nice to see despite how they sometimes act childish with each other.
SPOILER: The one thing that I really liked about the main couple is towards the end where Ai Jing Chu decides to go to Africa to volunteer right before Zeng Li confesses/they got together. Rather than asking Ai Jing Chu to stay, Zeng Li lets him go and waits for him to come back, however, Ai Jing Chu's hesitance sometimes gets on your nerves even though he's advised to take the initiative by multiple people before and during their relationship, but all's well that ends well.
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Lovers that have to face tragic setbacks
The story is good, it wasn't too long or too short and gave the leads enough time to go through ups and downs together, but I do wish that more screen time was given to the supporting roles to develop their romance.Cheng Xiao's acting wasn't that good in this compared to Falling Into Your Smile, maybe due to the age gap between Yun Xi and also possibly because her character is supposed to be mature to an extent in this drama. I liked that they used their real voices (I believe), but there is a lack of facial expressions and the proper emotions during some of her scenes that make it lacking.
The OSTs were okay, but sometimes it's a bit distracting and loud and this might be a personal thing, but when Chinese dramas use songs with complete English lyrics it's a bit cringe in my opinion, but I don't often care that much for OSTs.
I'm just not a rewatcher in general so don't mind that.
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The drama turned out to be so cute and it had the right balance of everything. The chemistry & acting was amazing, the storyline was great too despite the cliches, which were made not so cliche. It was one of the few dramas that made me feel warm and genuinely shipped the couple so much and I'm so glad that they have a 2nd season and a 3rd one coming soon. The drama had nice sets and costumes. I will say this, the first season does not have a 100% happy ending, but that's why they have season 2 and season 3.
I watched this a while ago so I don't remember the exact details and I don't want to spoil anything, but if you have the time do watch this and don't be put off by the drab poster. There is a reason why they have 3 seasons.
-Liang Jie and Xing Zhao Lin are also in another drama "You Are My Destiny" based off Fated to Love You, but it hasn't aired yet.
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Annoying and dumb female lead character made me drop
I was excited to watch this drama because of Fan Shi Qi and Judy Qi and the familiar 2nd/3rd male leads were a plus, but Ke Si Yi (Judy Qi's character) is so annoying and dumb that I've decided to drop this.Xu Nuo (ML/Fan Shi Qi's character) was fine and refreshing from the typical "domineering boss" characters in c-dramas since he was not unreasonably cold/cruel IMO and still had a human/warm side to him that is not only directed towards the female lead, who does not deserve it IMO.
KE SI YI though. I started this because I wanted to procrastinate and it was on my plan to watch list, but I regret the time I spent on it. She had potential as an MMA fighter, but all that potential ended up drifting into two other female characters who barely have screen time. For someone who was surrounded by such a competitive/tough environment, you would think she had some common sense or at some brain cells, but the only thing she is good at so far is MMA and cooking. Her character is the typical dumb/annoying/"cute"/"warm"/"friendly" female lead in these types of dramas, but she is by far one of the worse since she lacks sense in general. She is said to be extremely empathetic as well as have high morals/ethics, but she uses a dumb reason to go against them and for someone who is supposed to be that intuned with her own and other people's emotions, especially the ML's she would have a better understanding of how the world works (in a broad sense since I don't want to spoil anything if you do decide to watch it), but the female lead wants to make you punch a wall or ram your head into a wall.
I think the dubbing also made the voice too "cutesy" and childish so it was even more unbearable.
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CUTE main couple, but second leads are PAINFUL to watch!
As many people recommended, in the comments/reviews, skip the scenes without the leads! I regret not doing this sooner and waited until the last 5 episodes before I began skipping scenes, maybe if you are new to watching (Asian) dramas you can watch the scenes of "villainous" characters, but don't waste your time.Janice Wu and Edward Zhang are both great actresses/actors and the age gap was not very visible so it made their relationship easier to watch. They were cute and did well in their parts.
Cass Gai and Victor Wang portrayed the antagonists in the main leads' relationship/social life. While Wang's character grew at the end Gai's did not. Throughout most of the drama, they made me want to smack them though and scream at them to wake the heck up. On the bright side, the relationship between the sisters (played by Wu and Gai) was decent and Fei Er's toxic-ness is not too unique or crazy. I was scared that it was going to be similar to the relationship between the two female leads in Another Me (which I dropped cus Chen Du Ling's character is [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]), thankfully Gai's character was not all too bad and still treated Xiao Ting decently, especially when they are not in public, however, still skip her scenes unless you want to be angry.
The ending could have been extended, some side characters were just forgotten without hinting at what their life would be like and could have made the scenes with the main lead a bit longer.
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Acting/Cast: Of course the cast and their acting was top-notch and I'm glad that they touched on topics like racism in Korea with the inclusion of Toni (Chris Lyon/Ryan), as well as LGBTQ-related things.
Music: It was good, not the usual set of soft/sad/melo/ballad type of songs. My top 3: Diamond - Ha Hyun Woo, Sweet Night - V, and Start Over - Gaho.
Rewatch Value: I don't like rewatching dramas in general, to be more specific, I simply can't so it's more of a score to help me get the average overall score.
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