Reviews

Good production and storyline, but leads lack chemistry making it a waste

The production of this drama is of high quality with right pacing. There isn’t any boring episodes although the last few episodes did drag out the fighting a little.

For a fan of all 3 leads I was looking forward to this drama. But strangely when you put them together it falls so flat. Let me explain my thoughts
1) Ren Jialun was my first C drama super crush. I was so obsessed and charmed by him in The Glory of Tang Dynasty. But since then the only good acting and drama that came from him is Under The Power. I can’t finish anything else with him to the extent that I stopped liking him. The issue is, I think he has stagnated in his acting or has become too self-conscious. He constantly frowns and have this pout or stone face trying to act cool. Dude. Relax. You were so relax and good in GOTD. It has become so boring when he is on screen these days. Just same old single expression. And his chemistry with FL is hardly there. Like there is a barrier. Again in GOTD he was so natural and convincing that I thought he was really in love with Jing Tian. C

Jeremy Tsui is super charming in most dramas. I like him here too. Always deliver. Very expressive. But this script here is illogically making him obsessed over the FL at one stage. Perhaps it’s due to the lack of on screen chemistry and compatibility. He was so good with Andy An in Legend of Dugu and in Autumn Ballad. That’s how it should be. Something just lacks here. B+

Li Landi is very pretty. But she has lost her innocent or cute look. Maybe she has lost weight. Go watch her in Dreaming Back to Qing Dynasty with Wang Anyu. They were so young but so good. Even in the Starry Love, she was so convincing. I think she is miscast here and just not able to generate any spark with either men. This FL role needs someone with really strong character who can handle hurt and deception at a young age. She just cannot. B-

With the 3 leads together, the older casts like Lord Pei Yan’s mum and the Emperor became the real acting powerhouse, even convincingly conveyed the emotions of their young spurned love and sacrifice. Worth mentioning that minor actors that played Mr. Cui and Ms Dong had more sparks than the leads.

Overall the drama has a good story but falls very flat with the acting or lack of chemistry amongst the leads. I think RJL has run out of ideas on how to act and think too much. Maybe he needs to get some acting classes to learn more expressions. Even with a sad background surely the character can afford a smile and don’t need to knit his brows all the time.

Watch if you still like them. Otherwise it’s a torture watching your favourite actors ‘reading scripts’.

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I'M GLAD I FOUND THIS GEM

I started watching this without any expectations, just out of curiosity and interest after seeing the trailer but this drama has truly captivated me and made me addicted to watching every episode.

This drama has a GREAT STORYLINE, BEAUTIFUL CINEMATOGRAPHY, the calmness and elegant storytelling, soft color grading, aesthetically pleasing camera angles, good choice of music, and even the strength of each character is very satisfying. What stands out the most is the smart female character who doesn't just wait to be protected by the male lead but can also protect him in return, a truly well-written character.

The male lead is absolutely captivating. The expressions he shows make you both want to protect him and be protected by him at the same time. And the couple in this drama is so adorable, their chemistry is sizzling! His jealousy and His wide smile when he's proud of Dou Zhou is damn cute, He not only respects her choice but even expands her capacity to choose, He is the greenest green frorest. They’ve already given me butterflies, their relationship before and after fujin furen era. And I can't wait to see what actions they'll take to solve the problems in the future.

The story gets crazier and crazier, with a plot that keeps getting better and not a single scene wasted. The way the director showcases each character's development is excellent. DZ's coolness when she's angry is truly mesmerizing; her brilliance in handling problems never disappointed.

Surprisingly, this drama was directed by someone who usually works on mini-dramas, and this is his first full-length series. Hopefully, none of the characters will experience a downgrade. Please continue to develop their characters even further, making them grow stronger and more compelling as the story progresses and hope the drama will continue to maintain this excellent editing quality too.

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Oozing chemistry, great plot ,definitely a 10/10

This is my 2nd time adding a review strangely dramas that have blossom in it attract me (blossom in adversity)
Will keep it short,simple everyone has to give this drama a try 1st ep all about past well e
real fun starts from ep 3 but enjoyed all episodes till now watching ep 11 and this drama has the potential to make me stick to it till the end
I find all actors giving their best and the CHEMISTRY yeah that's what is just amazing it couldn't be described in words you have to watch it
These and some of the things like the visuals ,the setup ,cgi not used that much but how it is used is superb yeah one of the most important thing storyline pace it is perfect for 34 episodes well i am waiting for their fake marriage 😚🤭🤭ohhh and the princess treatment 😩😩😩😩🔥🔥🔥
That was alk thanks for reading

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To My Star 2 Formula won't work all the time

Have always been a huge fan of Hwang De Seoul works till date and we all owe her dedication for introducing BL genre to South Korea. Her direction and storytelling has never been far from excellent with beautiful works such as 'Blueming' and 'To My Star 2'. Was increasingly looking forward to watch this title but was extremely disappointed.

First of all, the plotlines is extremely is extremely choppy and underdeveloped. Initial few episodes gave a few good impressions, but later on characters have very little justifications as to why they behaved in a certain manner and neither was their backstory fully conveyed to the audience to allow them to be fully immersed with them.

The kind of angsty attitude with Dae Hoo like the one similar to Ji Woo in To My Star 2 felt like an overkill and I could not confide to his behaviour or actions and could not understand as to why such a talented student chose not clear his exams and jeopardize his entire life for some fight his lover had with his father for so many years and later chose to fake his degree. Plus the time gap is enormous, there is no character development in either male leads and they are just the same characters as they were in high school. 12 years is a huge time and no one waits for the their long lost love in high school in their 30's.

And neither in a realistic setting would something like that ever happen. The way it ended with him owning up to his crimes of fabrication and restarting his life in his hometown with his high school lover is far from reality, especially in a gay relationship. I'm sorry, just that Love in the Big City has raised way too bars this year that I can't help but compare it to this drama. Maybe happily ever after is not always the answer? In a realistic scenario it would be him alone chugging and sobbing with his cup of ramen noodles in his house.

Lastly the love triangle or the third wheeler and his history was never clear to the audience and his role is just the mystery as is to you as is to me! Lastly, there were certain good elements conveyed in the show like bullying and parental violence, but the main characters have very little story to tell, at least was very confusing to me as an audience and was difficult to get emotionally invested!

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A classic that is still so amazing after a long time!

Maybe to many, the 24 episodes were a drag, but I felt that everything that led up to the happy ending was worth the wait. In the story plot, the ML and FL are 19 years old who were forced to go into this arranged marriage when they are still high school students. In these 24 episodes, we saw 2 19 years old teenagers grow together to protect and love one another in all the turmoil of traditions, politics, school and their differences.

ML:
The ML was secretly dating but was rejected by his girlfriend (SFL) and suddenly, there was such a huge change in his life as he was arranged to get married. I saw many negative reviews on how he is cheating and hesitating a lot but as reflected in the later episodes, the ML admitted to the FL that he initially did not like her as she just suddenly came into his life and made him question his life but it was also her that successfully opened him up to how a life should be lived and with all the things that FL has brought to the ML's life, he found himself falling harder for her. This was then reflected in their live broadcast interview where he admitted the FL's shortcomings and good qualities and how he ended up falling in love with her. The ML did not cheat on the FL, the SFL went to Thailand intentionally to meet up with the ML and he did not even know. He basically just met her as a friend since they were both in Thailand and got filmed by paparazzi. The other redeeming point was that the ML had a clean cut with the SFL and told her to close their chapter as he knew that he has already fallen in love with his wife (the FL).

FL:
The FL is young and naive and is easily swayed but despite the portrayal of her character to be ignorant and naive, she still possesses certain good qualities such as how she keeps giving in to the Crown Prince (ML) not just because of love but because she knew that a divorce would end up with her family suffering too. It was only till the end that the ML may have disappointed her with the Thailand incident and the SML liking her and trying to brainwash her to think that divorce is the best for her to free that she was swayed into saying nonsense during the interview. But we all knew her heart is always with the ML since the earlier episodes, she has always expressed herself very openly on her feelings to the ML as well which the ML probably try to think that she is not being serious about it since she is always hanging out with his cousin (SML) which obviously have feelings for her but she just sees him nothing more than a good friend.

SFL & SML:
I would say they are both broken souls with regrets from their childhood or past. For the SFL, it is obvious that she regretted rejecting the ML's proposal but at the end of the day, she finally realized that this just was not meant to be and decided to let go for good. For the SML, being someone who just returned from overseas and only having the Crown Princess as his very first friend back home and having someone who cares about him after a long time is probably the reason why he thinks he likes the Crown Princess (ML being a cold cousin did not help at all in this situation).

Other notable characters include the Empress Dowager Grandmother, she is so cool and dope, and also Crown Prince's sister who returned from overseas (who would later become the Empress), she has a very refreshing take on everything due to her overseas exposure which makes her so modern and interesting!

I can't deny that watching this as a 12 years old in 2006 gave me the SML syndrome, I was shipping the FL and SML back then but revising this almost two decades later as a 30 years old who have been through some life experiences, I felt that the SML is manipulative and brainwashing the FL. The ML on the other hand, despite his initial hesitation, was just being very cautious with the FL so as not to trigger any potential pitfall in their blooming relationship. Although he has difficulty in expressing his emotions for the FL, but his action spoke so much louder than words - he was always covering up for the FL, bring her out to play and was always there to protect her from behind the scenes.

In conclusion, revisiting this drama after two decades still feels amazing although there are some things that are dated and not as relevant in this era. And, even till today, I still hear "Perhaps Love" being played (be it in South Korea or Singapore), that just shows how a classic this drama is, not just to the Koreans but to people internationally like myself!

That aside, I'm glad to see that most of the 4 main actors/actresses in this drama have moved on to better dramas/films/variety shows etc. I look forward to seeing the FL (YYH) back to the drama scene soon with a new project, hopefully one day she and the ML (JJH) can reunite for a romcom since their chemistry here was so natural.

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A sweet, feel-good BL that was way better than expected

I'm typically not the biggest fan of the childhood friends to lovers trope, but this series somehow just got it really right.
I had a lot of fun watching this show, and rooted for the main characters and the side couple to get together the whole time.
I was tuned into the sentimental moments, but also the fun ones.
Watching it made me feel like a lot of love went into creating this show and I absolutely appreciate it.
I can see myself revisiting this show, and recommending it to my friends.
I think it'd actually be a great show to get people into BL.

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Off with a Bang, Out with a Dang

It’s been quite a while since I watched my last K-drama, The Impossible Heir, which I dropped at ep 4 because of the lackluster plot and unreasonable characters. Hence, I started avoiding K-dramas for months until I noticed Family by Choice at MDL. FYI, Family by Choice is a Korean remake of the much-loved slice-of-life drama Go Ahead. Previously, I’d watched Go Ahead but could only withstand 9 episodes so far. I was curious of what Family by Choice could do, therefore I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.

Family by Choice’s plot doesn’t stray much to that of Go Ahead’s. It tells the story of unrelated-by-blood 3 siblings (Yun Juwon, Kim Sanha, Kang Haejun) who find solace on each other’s company and become parts of a found family alongside Juwon and Sanha’s dads. I see that they’ve toned down Juwon’s tomboyish attitude and made her look more girlish while the boys are no different with the OG version’s. For Go Ahead’s watchers, I’m sure you know about the boys’ toxic mothers and how much emotional impact they’ve caused on their children. However, in this version, they don’t seem to care much about it and make it looks like a normal family conflict (thank God Juwon isn’t jealous of Sanha’s new half-sister). Also, in the OG version, Park Dal (Juwon’s bestie) has a crush on both boys, but she’s only interested in Haejun here (so no toxic third wheel, which is a breath of fresh air for love triangle’s haters).

At first, the childhood and teenage years of the 3 siblings are very captivating and I really love their interactions. The way they support and heal each other is just so, so heartwarming that I nearly shed tears for them. Nevertheless, nearing the end of the show, their adult years start to drag here and there, and I quickly lost interest. To be honest, I stopped until ep 14 but still marked it as completed since I don’t want to drop shows anymore. I know there’s no point in watching the final episode anymore because it’s going to be an HE and them reunited once again as a family.

I have no comments on the acting, though – everyone seems to be doing fine with portraying each character’s complex emotion, a very crucial aspect when it comes to slice-of-life drama.

If you’re into slice-of-life and found family theme, you can try this out and it’s shorter compared to the OG version so that you won’t waste much of your time (the plot is similar, anyway). Good luck and happy watching!!!

Memorable quotes:
'Everyone is special in their own way' - Yun Juwon

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Brilliant!! Excellent!!

After a long time, finally I watched this epic drama which has a captivating plot with perfect execution and excellent presentation.
The plot is all about Ning Que,the male protagonist,who sets on a quest for revenge to avenge the massacre of General Lin and all the people in his manor.
Firstly,the locations were scenic and excellent.To be precise,they are the main reason this drama keeps you engaging and continuing forward.A big thumbs up to all the locations and sceneries.
Next,the costumes were perfect and very good.They really made the scenes grand.
The screenplay was well paced.All.the scenes were perfectly linked and written and well executed.
The palace and Tang empire was bright and lively.I really liked the Tang empire and also the emperor.He is a sensible person who is very decisive and prevails justice and protects his citizens and country.He deserves a special appreciation.Leon Lai 's acting was also on point and excellent!!
Arthur Chen who plays Ning Que,has really brought life to the character.He is arrogant,reckless,yet helping,caring,responsible, hardworking,dedicated person.His rise from nobody to the Thirteenth teacher of Tang academy and then the protector of Tang empire is stellar.It is really inspiring.
Sang sang,played by Song Yiren,is my most lovable character in this series.She is cute, innocent, calculative,helping,loving and the most lovely character.
Ning Que and Sang Sang relationship deserves a special mention.Their relationship is though complicated,but still stands as an epitome of pure ,devoted and rare love in this world.I love how they care for each other and how Ning Que always stresses that Sang Sang is his life.
Fu Zi,Chen Pipi,First, Second,Fourth,Fifth,Sixth,Eight,Ninth, Tenth,Eleventh senior brothers and third and seventh senior sisters are the most impressive characters in this drama.The whole Tang academy is a lovable place.I like how they always support each other, especially how they stand with their Little Junior brother in all his endeavours.A big 👍 to the whole Tang academy.
Old Ma,Tang Xiaotang,Mo Shanshan,Chao Xiaoshu,are also very good people.I liked their roles and performances too.
All the actors were perfect and I can never imagine anyone else in their roles.
The brotherhood between Chen Pipi and Ning Que is really interesting and and very good.I like how always he gets the support of his twelfth brother.
Hu Jun and Sun Zu Jun were excellent as Xia House and Long Qing respectively.They are really the perfect antagonists.
The action scenes deserve a special appreciation.The fight choreography is excellent.Music is good and apt.
The whole journey of Ning Que has been very interesting for me.I really loved this drama.
A big Thumbs up 👍 to the Ever night team.A must watch drama!!!!

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A Perfect Blend of Romance and Action

This drama was an absolute gem💎 to watch. The story is engaging, the leads are incredible, and the emotional connection between them makes it truly unforgettable.

What I loved most was the trust and communication between the leads. It’s rare to see such a mature dynamic in dramas like this. The female lead’s unwavering faith in the male lead, despite his dangerous profession, stood out to me.

FL acceptance of who ML was and his honesty about his job early on set the tone for a relationship that felt authentic and strong. Also, can we talk about their chemistry? The leads were stunning and their moments together were mesmerizing.

I also appreciated how the FL wasn’t written as some clueless or helpless character, which is often the case in dramas. She was smart and grounded, which made her all the more relatable. Add to that a solid storyline, and you’ve got a drama that keeps you invested from start to finish.

That said, there were a couple of things I felt could have been better. The ML’s birth secret, which was revealed towards the end of Episode 17, should have come earlier in the series. It would’ve added more depth and drama at the right time. Also, the earlier episodes could have given us more romantic moments between the leads—I couldn’t get enough of their connection, and a bit more romance in the beginning would’ve made it even better.

Overall, though, this was one of the best Thai dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s got a great mix of action, romance, and heartfelt moments. Totally worth the watch. 9.5/10 💜

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A drama with wasted potential and wasted actors

A drama with wasted potential and wasted actors, the first few episodes seemed very promising, a plot that deals with split personalities and childhood traumas, I thought I was going to see something like "Hyde Jekyll, Me (starring Hyun Bin)" or "It's Okay Not to Be Okay" or "Kill Me, Heal Me" (which were excellent dramas) As the episodes progressed, the cruelty also arrived, the whole plot went wrong into one big mess, there is no focus in the plot, I love and appreciate the actress Shin Hye Sun very much, and here too she demonstrated her professional and versatile abilities, but her acting alone cannot hold up the messy plot. The music was mediocre and there was a lot of background noise bordering on annoying. All in all, a plot that had tremendous potential and somewhere along the way it was wasted, such a shame

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