Reviews

Bad camerawork !!! Bad direction !!!

The number of times I had to turn away from the screen because of very bad camerawork , its incredible I completed this drama.I really must award myself for the immense patience ... lol

The premise really intrigued me , a shrewd empress tries to rectify her mistakes in her second chance and this really had potential for a good series ahead - I dont understand who was behind the camera for this whole series - shitty camerawork making all the actors look bad , making the emotional scenes laughable , it was just a visual torture .

Bai lu , Zhang ling he , wang xing yue are decent enough actors to hook me into this series but it was quite a feat to reach the end of the drama .

I really feel bad for zhang ling he especially in this show - he really had the most unflaterring screen presence inspite of being a good looking guy in real life .

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Gotta Love The Horse

This drama had a slow start and hard to see FL not looking her usual glam self. Her costumes are horrible IMO, but it is every day people. It has a slow build and my attention gets sidetracked because it drags on instead of moving on. I have enjoyed watching parts like in Episode 23 when the male lead is surrounded, fighting for his life. His trusty horse comes out of nowhere and takes down a couple of bad guys. It was so unexpected and I LMAO and re watched the scene several times. I'm not use to watching this particular FL playing such a weak woman. There are times she isn't weak. Her character has too many flaws for my taste. Overall it's a pretty good drama.

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Be patient...

Wow! This isn't my usual genre (I don't like to be scared), but the list of excellent actors reeled me in. The writer took the subject matter and turned it on its ear. This show was like reading a novel from the back of the book to the front. The first few episodes make no sense. We get no back story or explanation, just a gripping storyline that keeps you coming back for more. It was amazing to me that I could care so much about these people and not have a clue why I was feeling like I did, especially considering that this was only eight episodes. Every second of every episode was well-crafted.

Light Shop is a mystery in the truest sense of the word. Props to the cinematographer - the use of black and white, muted colors, pops of bright light were very visually effective.

For me, this drama was also thought-provoking. Seeing the decisions made, would I have chosen the same way?

Because I'm a big chicken, it took a few days for me to finish this. I could only watch the episodes when it was light out. Turns out that heightened my enjoyment as well. It wasn't just a passive watch, each episode kept rolling around in my mind. I can highly recommend this drama and also suggest that you don't binge watch it.

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Best way to end 2024

I put this off for weeks for no reason 😭😭 Seriously exceeded my expections.

SkyNani... God, their acting was exceptional here. I'm not even sad this isn't bl. The bromance was bromancing and SkyNani should stick to this concept if they're gonna deliver so well! I got to add, Nani is just too beautiful not to stare at and Sky's eyes got a language of their own to deliver his emotions.

I love the portrayal of friendship and other bonds, it was heartwarming and tear-striking at times. (They made me cry man) Especially Mark as Chadjen, such a crucial role, also Ken. We can see how adults here earn the respect of the young ones by giving their own respect where it's due.

Love the camera work and the OSTs were soulful.

Finished this series in 2 days and I can confidently say I don't regret the time I put into it. What a masterpiece!!!

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Ahhh ... the waste of good characters .. this had so much potential to be a good romance drama

The story cuts right into a good character introduction of the main leads - both of them fiercely independant but at the same time kind and sympathatic with grounded personalities - how much I love such character set up and was thoroughly enjoying both the leads and even the supporting cast - the first 20 or so episodes did a good job in bringing us into their worlds and their unique love story ...... and then the second half of the series happened .

I was completely baffled - it felt as if the scriptwriter was changed , the director was changed , even the characters seem to act OOC - felt like a completely different drama and it was a huge mess.

For once I was enjoying a good sexual chemistry of xu kai with jing tian which I hadnt seen in his last few series with other actresses , exception being bai lu from "the legends" days - maybe bit older / experienced actresses bring out the best in him - xu kai has always been a hit and miss for me , sometimes it works and sometimes not .

Overall this had so much potential , reminded me so much of " A journey to love " another of my all time favorites - and dare I say jing tian looked so much handsome dressed as a man then her female dressing style - wish they could have maintained her same style throughout the series and especially her armour dress :) .

And I cant forget Curly gao's ost for this drama , it definitely went into my playlist .

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A mixed bag of pros and cons with a few pretty good kiss scenes.

I know Cheng Yu Feng (the ML) is capable of some pretty brilliant performances, but this isn't one of them. However, his portrayal of this character was solid, and I think he did the best he could with what he had to work with, considering the mediocre script and rushed feel of the production. For the FL, this was sort of a breakout role for her and I think she also did pretty well. It wasn't anything super spectacular, but you could tell she was putting effort into taking this lead role seriously and I think with experience she will grow into a really amazing actress.

The bgm/ost were actually not terrible, which to me is a nice surprise for a short-length c-drama. The wardrobes were very nice, and some of the settings were beautiful and interesting -- although some of the interior shots were tres tragique. The script had some points that could have made it really great. But it also was packed with a lot of npc-level dialogue, cliche moments, and storyline fails. The side characters and backstories are not fleshed out properly, the whole thing feels like a half-baked budget production that just wasn't planned out carefully.

I found it particularly annoying that the ML and FL don't share a lot of onscreen chemistry moments. Their kiss scenes are really good, and there are some scenes where you can feel a little angst and passion rise from the actor's performances. So I know the chemistry COULD have been there. But actors just can't give their best performances when they're being rushed and poked and prodded at by a director and production team that won't devote the effort and time it takes to create the right atmosphere for their actors to actually ACT.

I wish ML and FL all the best on their future projects, they are both far better than this mediocrity. Is it worth a watch? Yes, if you're truly bored and without anything else to watch. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen. It just isn't very memorable.

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Why can't I have their relationship?

Came to watch this after Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and I really enjoyed it even though I rarely watch modern dramas.

The beginning was slow moving for the couple but it was quite funny and light-hearted. The FL wasn't a damsel in distress. She was a queen who wasn't afraid to defend her authors and demand others respect them and their work. She was dedicated and good at her job. She deserved every good thing that happened to her. She valued and respected others and they valued and respected her in return. As someone in the creative industry, I appreciate this a lot and hope others can also learn to respect creatives and their work. We work for our passion but we deserve fair pay too.

Sure Zhou Chuan was childish at the start. As someone who only lived for himself and his work to suddenly have to do feelings. I don't think it's too far-fetched. He is endearingly childish to me and as the story progresses, he finally shows his generosity and care, not just towards his girlfriend but also to people he genuinely cares about. He's resourceful, he knows his worth and he makes full use of it (to help his girlfriend fight against unfairness in her workplace). They are both professionals at work and respect each other.

Finally a series where the dude is not oblivious to other girls and their schemes. He is direct and rude but i love it HAHAHA! THIS SHOULD BE THE WAY GUYS PLEASE TAKE NOTES! He sees through all the girls trying to get in between him and FL and he just goes "yeah nope byebye" in the most direct manner.

I love it when smart people get together and this is one such instance.

Special mention: the bromance!! The friendship between Zhou Chuan and Jiang Yu Cheng is one of the best I've seen in any drama. They bicker and fight but also have each other's back anytime. They are friendship goals!!!

Will 10/10 rewatch again.

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Love this series ♥️

To be honest, I wonder if I will ever watch this drama no I did not like the trailer of the drama. That's why I thought the drama would not be good to watch. The main reason for my opinion was that I had never seen their drama before. That's why I thought the play would not be good.
But not in words, the geniuses show their skills through their work. That's what happened here. Aqib and Aqib introduced their work through their perfect acting skills.

Their laughter, mischievousness, conversation are all perfect in one word Their chemistry is simply amazing. For such a pair of them You will be bound to fall in love with them. No one else will make the same mistake I made in the first place

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Story of Pearl Girl: A Tale of Resilience and Lost Focus

Review of Story of Pearl Girl

Story of Pearl Girl is undeniably a visual and auditory masterpiece. The acting, cinematography, costumes, and soundtrack are some of the best I’ve ever experienced. Every frame is meticulously crafted, and the performances of the cast bring a depth of emotion that truly captures the essence of their characters. The soundtrack beautifully complements the scenes, enhancing the story’s emotional impact and immersing the viewer completely.

The first few episodes are especially raw and gripping, setting a strong tone for the series. These early moments pull viewers in with their intensity and showcase the promise of an extraordinary journey. However, the portrayal of the female lead (FL), Duawuan, fluctuates throughout the series. At times, she’s a mastermind and an impressive genius, while at other moments, the male lead (ML) and second male lead treat her like a fragile Cinderella. There isn’t a clear learning curve to her intelligence; instead, her decisions feel erratic, ranging from brilliant to inexplicably foolish, as though the story is playing roulette with her character development.

While the central plot holds promise, the drama becomes repetitive and stagnant due to its over-reliance on familiar themes of killing, revenge, and corruption. These elements dominate the narrative, making the story feel monotonous and dragging the pacing. By the end, side characters continue to overshadow the main storyline, leaving the viewer yearning for a stronger focus on Duawuan and the core narrative.

Adding to this issue is the sheer number of supporting characters. While some add depth and intrigue, many feel unnecessary and detract from the main plot. This excess of subplots involving side characters dilutes the emotional impact of the main storyline, leaving pivotal relationships and developments underexplored. For example, Secretary Kang and the FL’s friends—those who left before the journey in the desert and her widowed pen pal—had potential for significant impact but were ultimately sidelined.

That being said, Duawuan’s story remains one of resilience and success against all odds, delivering an inspiring message to women who strive to stand on their own. Zhao Lusi’s portrayal of Duawuan is a highlight, showcasing her unmatched ability to convey both toughness and vulnerability. Her performance shines in emotional moments, whether crying or laughing, and solidifies her reputation as a skilled actress. This dark, angsty, female-centric narrative captures the essence of resilience while exploring themes of empowerment.

The Pearl Girl’s character is another strong point, starting as a bright and bold individual who immediately captivates the audience. However, as the story progresses, her presence becomes muted, and she retreats into a more withdrawn, somber version of herself. While this aligns with the darker tone of the narrative, it feels like a missed opportunity to further develop her character’s vibrant personality.

The relationships also suffer from inconsistency. The bond between the FL and ML escalates abruptly, going from 0 to 100 with little development or buildup. While some plot twists are engaging, they could have been more impactful with subtle foreshadowing. The ML’s acting is strong, but his casting feels slightly misaligned as a supposed native of a specific region, creating visual inconsistencies when compared to others from the same area. Additionally, the inspector character often overshadows him, further affecting the balance of the story.

The bittersweet ending is another divisive element. While Duawuan’s story ends with heartbreak, the choice not to show his death spares the audience from greater emotional devastation. Conversely, the Pearl Girl’s story concludes on a more satisfying note, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

Ultimately, Story of Pearl Girl feels like a show of missed opportunities. While it dazzles with its artistry, compelling themes of empowerment, and Zhao Lusi’s stellar performance, its lack of narrative focus, repetitive themes, overabundance of side characters, and unresolved subplots hold it back from being truly unforgettable. That said, if you’re looking for a female-driven, angsty drama full of great dialogue and rich details in its mysteries, this is the show for you. Despite its flaws, it leaves a lasting impression and is a testament to the power of resilience.

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Same Old

In a word- boring, very slow paced. I’m halfway through all the episodes that have been streamed and not holding my interest. There naivety and innocence is dragging the story down. I’m really disappointed and might come back to speed through it but for now I’m done!
😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒

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This show hates all the women in it

The writing hates the female lead and all the other women characters too, even the men to a much lesser degree. Hong Jo starts off dealing with work place bullying with an unfair amount of work assigned to her and that is absolutely all her teammate's fault. I know it's a cultural thing for the team to eat together or get drinks together, but these people are not obligated to spend time with her on their breaks and after work with her, especially if it's not on the company dime. Her constantly trying to friends with these truly mean spirited, shallow, selfish people is really pathetic. None of her work co-workers do anything meaningful that redeems them by the end of the show. The show treats the two women getting gossip about Hong Jo's office scandalous relationship or imposing on Hong Jo to skeeve on Jae Kyung as heartwarming "friendship". She's also later falls for Shin Yu who also treats her with near the same level of disdain. Hong Jo herself is a walking red flag, literally putting a weird drink to make someone unknowingly consume without their consent. The security officer had footage of it, but no one was watching or was concerned that some weirdo is pouring liquid into the glass from her own thermos before the meeting starts.

Jae Kyung after learning about this was fine with it, but this is much after he's gotten time to know her and more of his personality has been shown. Jae Kyung and Hong Jo match each other's freak, while Hong Jo and Shin Yu enable the annoying parts of each other. They are either annoyingly arguing or just doing lovey dovey moments later. They don't get to know each other as people like Hong Jo and second male lead Jae Kyung do. They actually balance each other out, bringing her cartoonish over acting down to being a real person while you can see his introvert layers peel back the longer they know each other, bringing out his warmth and quirks. Her moments with him are the only time she gets to have a personality. They build an organic relationship throughout the series. It made sense he would reject her confession when he had barely met her a few times and gradually fell for her once he actually gets time to know her. He's always there for her and never forces his feelings on her. It's a bummer that this is the healthy relationship that can never happen in this show. Jae Kyung is also the only one that has the most complete and interesting arc in the show, with him seeming like he's tempted to corruption which seems to be confirmed when it shows his role being a court enforcer chasing down Hong Jo's past self Aeng Cho. Jae Kyung turned out to be collection information as a whistleblower all along and brought down the corrupt mayor and he moves out of the house for a better life. Good for him.

This series also undercuts every single one of it's good or interesting ideas and doesn't bother to develop the main characters nor their main romance, choosing to brute force with tropey moments rather than build the connection, leaving a hollow feeling every time Hong Jo and Shin Yu are together. There was such potential to the work place bullying storyline when Manager Ma comes back to work and shuts down that behavior from all of the team members, but then totally annihilating her cool character by making her and the head bully Seo Gu be in love with each other and she ends up fighting another otherwise very capable leader whose brains are also scrambled by Seo Gu for no reason. He forcefully does a public proposal to Manager Ma who kept saying she doesn't want to marry and ends up marrying him. This creepy guy also felt entitled to drink from Hong Jo's thermos that she brought to work, just like the murderous stalker did. I hate how this show hates women having agency so much.

Of course Shin Yu happens to be dating Hong Jo's school bully Na Yeon who slaps Hong Jo for messing around with Shin Yu. And Hong Jo 100% deserves it for making both Jae Kyung and Shin Yu drink that nasty homemade liquid, intentionally to roofie a man without consent. Shin Yu fighting the effects of the love curse was a pretty good illustration of how creepy it is at first. She had the gall to be annoyed at him from being upset. Deserved more slaps. They make Na Yeon to be cheating (as well to what the main couple is doing) to try to lessen to how absolutely awful Hong Jo and Shin Yu's magically co-erced and stockholm syndrome relationship is. The spell work suddenly stops and never plays into anything that gives Hong Jo power or agency to help herself at all, it's only the impetus to force Shin Yu to be obsessed with Hong Jo. The set up where she offers the get rich spell to her co-workers goes nowhere. Hong Jo has zero survival instincts, choosing to open the apartment door because someone out of frame of the door video rang the bell even though she was strangled through the second floor window grates like an hour before, then choosing to go to the trap set by her stalker knowingly to "catch him" but with zero plan to incapacitate him and nearly gets murdered by him before she's saved like the useless damsel she is. They randomly let her have a backbone in the last episode, standing up to Na Yeon for the school bullying at the reunion, which again also had to be the guy in the situation to film and leak the video for Na Yeon to truly receive any repercussions, just to have her willfully put her own life in danger so male lead can be the hero. They didn't even let her shoo off the playground bullies on her own. They could have just had the male lead observe and be proud, but nope.

It turns out it was Shin Yu's past self Mu Jin that killed Aeng Cho and didn't even bother dying with her as it's revealed he's very much alive and fine burying the Aeng Cho's spell books in a scene at the end. It follows through to his current life where he doesn't let her choose how she wants to do, he just makes that decision for her and his current life follows that pattern of being that macho guy who will withhold information, be territorial, put her down then love bomb her echoing how his father treated his mother etc. The show tries to have it both ways with his self admittedly unhinged behavior caused by the spell and later having the characters suddenly come to a conclusion that the spells were fake even though we see that the magic is real, so his unhinged obsessive behavior is just him then if the magic is not real. The show also has her messing up the curse breaking spells and Seo Gu never being obsessed with her. The show should just have a clear stance on whether they want it to be real or not.

The other healthy and cute relationship that could have been was Shin Yu's bestie Lawyer Kim with Shin Yu's mom Yun Ju who was sick of years of being belittled and mentally put down by her husband which legally constituted the verbal abuse grounds for divorce which she has consistently wanted for a long time. She even says she kept having to postpone it for various things happening to her family and ultimately she gets back with her husband after he love bombs her into staying and she gets pregnant, which will most likely impact her career that she just re-started again. She was happy and free with a lot of commonalities with Lawyer Kim who respected her as a human being first and foremost. This drama is really terrible at actually seeing what is a good ending or how to get there except by accidentally Jae Kyung, though he also doesn't get to be with the woman he's got fantastic chemistry and genuine connection with.

The show feels like it was just weakly built around the striking initial imagery of ghostly dirty and bloody hands groping the male lead, without any connective tissue to give it a heart or soul.

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Pretty Solid Psychological/Profiling Drama

I think this is a pretty solid season (up to ep 15). After reading other reviews, I realised that if you only enjoyed the 2 leads' chemistry and/or the mysterious syndicate which caused the death of Du Cheng's ex-colleague in 1st season, you're likely to be disappointed by this one. However, if you're into psychological/profiling genre and the criminology context, you might like this one.

Below contains spoilers, read at your own discretion.

It's pretty clear that this season's plot and characters development are advancing in a quite different direction than the previous. Below are some points about this season (might change with EPs update) which I like.

Point 1.
While S1 is mainly focusing on using forensic artist and their sketches to apprehend suspects, S2 is advancing the police force into venturing ways of preventing crimes instead of investigating crimes that's been done.

This is evident with Superior Zhang supporting Shen Yi's passion and research into using profiling to determine the potential suspects, preventing them to commit crimes. This theme is similar to Psycho Pass (anime) and The Mouse (kdrama) where you're judged guilty once you're assessed and predicted to have possessed the intention and/or the ability to commit a crime. However, this leads to the critical moral dilemma, which is my Point 2.

Point 2.
Moral dilemma for the legal system: instinct vs logic.

Shen Yi realises that his sharp instinct and deep understanding on humans' psychological aspects allow him to determine suspects of crimes up to a certain degree. Failing the prevent a potential crime in the past caused him guilty and more determined to use his skills to prevent any crimes in future. However, this method is flawed with the current justice system and by law of humanity - innocent until proven guilty. Which is why Du Cheng is against of this method as he believes in logic and science when solving crimes instead of apprehending yet-to-be suspects using instinct. This flaw is evident in later case, where the suspect did not commit the crime in the end, showing there's a line between intention vs commitment of crime.
***(This point is supported by the leads' recent interview)***

Point 3.
Working as a team vs duo.

As their professional roles are different in the police force, it's reasonable for them to work with other team members on assigned tasks to ensure the efficacy of their investigations. I like the diverse dynamic between different combinations of team members they're showing us. Hence, I don't think the 2 leads should be stick together in a single frame for most of the time. And, I think both leads have fair share of screentime and presence. Hence, I'm confused with comments that mentioned about screentime/presence issue for another lead.

Point 4.
As I mentioned before, this season focuses on psychological, induction, hypothetical (what-ifs & predictions) vs last season's evidence-based, deduction, science (if so then so). I like psychological and crime genres. Hence, I enjoy the exploration on the individuals and their contexts. The environmental and personal factors that structure their behaviours and mentality. Of course this does not justify their actions but it gives a critical perspective on crimes prevention. This exploration is helpful for formulating effective interventions for treating the root cause of crimes instead of the symptoms.

This drama also has some room for improvement. E.g.

1. The ranks and orders in the police force is not as systematic as I expect. They seem to be able to take up whatever cases they're interested in even though some presented conflict of interest. Regarding some simplified procedures to gain approval (e.g. part timing in entertainment company), I'd take it as part of the drama nature, to keep up with the pacing. And I really like how they keep each case to 2 EPs max.

2. Like some comments had mentioned, I'd prefer to have some focus/pick up on the main case (the secret syndicate in S1) on earlier EPs. At least foreshadow something or provide clues in the background of some cases would have kept the balance between the day-to-day case and this primary plot.

3. I also felt some gaps in S2 due to missing of characters, e.g. the female friend/art student who was with Shen Yi in S1. As Shen Yi hasn't relocated, some mentioning/brief reveals of communications would've been more natural in terms of characters' life. I do like the developments of some characters relationships in this season, showing how time flows.

That's my personal review so far. Looking forward to the next ep and expecting on how the story will unfold.

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