Chun Hua Yan (2024)

What the F!!!?

This drama had me hooked from the very first episode, with its intricate plot and compelling characters. The writers did an incredible job of building tension and creating an emotional connection with the audience. Throughout the series, I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering for the characters as they navigated their challenges.

However, as the finale approached, I felt a sense of dread creeping in. The way the story unfolded was both captivating and heartbreaking. The characters faced insurmountable obstacles, and just when I thought they might find a way to overcome them, the ending took a devastating turn. It was as if all the hope and progress they had made was stripped away in an instant.

The final moments were gut-wrenching. I was left with a feeling of emptiness as the screen faded to black. The unresolved conflicts and the tragic fate of beloved characters left me questioning everything I had invested in the story. It was a poignant reminder of life’s unpredictability and the harsh realities we sometimes face. While I appreciate the emotional depth and the risks the writers took, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of loss. This drama will stay with me, not just for its brilliance but for the ache it left in my heart.

Leia Mais

When the Actors Shine, But the Story Falls Flat

WHAT I LIKE:
- The Actors: For me the actors save the Messy story. Non only the Main Role who act amazingly, but even the Support Role act wonderfully. You know it when you hate the story, you skipped and speed up a lot, but you still cried when they cried, and laughed when they were happy.
- The Chemistry: Two Thumbs Up for Wu Jin Yan and Liu Xui Yi. At first I was worried that LXY might not keep up with WJY (because her act always a TOP NOTCH). But surprisingly LXY act SO GREAT. Their Chemistry is no kidding. When they teased each other, hugged, even kissed, all seems so natural.
- The Kiss: The kisses are just right. Sometimes its a light kiss with a sweet feeling. Sometimes its a deep kisses, but they don't overdo it, not a steamy kisses but intimate one.
- The Music: Good Job Director and Editor, the song match PERFECTLY with every important scenes.
- The BEAUTY: This is might be BIASED, but I dont care. I LOVE LXY!!! I'm a fan of handsome and cool man, not pretty boy like most of the Cdrama actors.

WHAT I DISLIKE:
Simple answer... THE STORY. Its just MESSY with alot of BORING scenes.
I think the writer just want to create a surprise attack with the SAD ENDING. I cried, but I didnt feel that sad because I am not attched to the story that much.
In my humble opinion:
When a writer creates a great story like the Drama "A Journey to Love", the Sad Ending will leave a VOID and HEARTBREAK on the audience, that is the criteria of success!!!

SUMMARY: I give 8.5/10 for the ACTS and MUSIC.
But DEFINITELY will not rewatch.

Leia Mais

Half-Baked Revenge: Reviewing Kill Me, Love Me

Kill Me, Love Me started off strong, with promises of revenge and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but it fell short about three episodes in. The male lead, Murong Jinghe, initially seems like a red-flag general, only to later turn into a melting puddle for the female lead, Mei Lin. Although this is one of the better dramas that aired this year, I can't help but feel it was only half-finished. The major character switch-up didn’t make sense to me, as both leads have years of hatred behind them.

The fight scenes were very cool and well-executed, and the side characters weren’t too bad either—most notably Qingyan, Murong Xuanlie, and Luo Mei. However, the village arc and the final arc felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the plot, only dragging it out longer than needed. After the main villain was defeated, I feel like the drama should have ended there.

Mei Lin was essentially conspired against by Murong Jinghe, and I’m not sure why she didn’t just kill him on the spot and move on with her life. Instead, she forms a team with him to take down Xuanlie. This drama is confusing at times, but it’s still a pretty good watch overall. I’d rate it 8/10.

Leia Mais

WHAT A WASTE OF EXCELLENT ACTORS

This drama started out good but then after the FL entered Concubine Yan’s place and left ML, it immediately became trashy. But the chemistry of both leads!! THEY SAVED THIS SERIES. I ONLY WATCHED IT AND MANAGED TO FINISH THIS BECAUSE OF WJY AND LXY!

STORY:
I can only say that this drama wasted WJY and LXY!! So many unnecessary and boring episodes! They could’ve just made this as a movie instead of a long 32 episodes. It became so boring after around ep 15. The villain died in an easy and fast way. After the villain died, they still continued it and it’s just episodes full of fillers. They killed so many characters. :(( but I love how they kept FL friends kind till the end. No betrayal which is good. The Xiyan arc is so boring that I keep on skipping their scenes haha I only focus on FL and ML. Also, they should’ve made both FL and ML strong. They both became softies after falling in love w/ each other. FL was supposed to be as assassin but there are times they made her so weak.

ACTING:
THE ACTORS ARE SOOOOOO GOOD. Wu Jinyan and Liu Xueyi did not disappoint! Damn. Their chemistry is soo good and the kissing scenes? If I was WJY’s boyfriend in real life, I would also marry her right away after seeing her here because of how hot their chemistry and kissing scenes. She’s my all-time favorite after Yanxi Palace. Liu Xueyi also did a very great job!! His eyes? They’re so expressive! I think I’m already inlove with him. I wish someone would look at me like how the ML stared at FL here. Other characters are also great actors. Crown prince did a great job in boiling my blood because of anger haha. All are good actors, but I think SML is lacking. His eyes are blank when she stares at FL. He can do different facial expressions but his eyes are blank, that’s why I only felt annoyed during his scenes especially with the FL. His first bodyguard is even better than him. Also, please stop using aegyosal makeup. General Yin’s aegyosal is a crime. She’s supposed to look very strong because she’s a female general but because of her makeup, she looks weird.

MUSIC:
No more words. It’s good.

REWATCH VALUE:
I will not watch this again completely. Maybe I can rewatch some FL and ML scenes but not the whole drama. I even fast forwarded some parts, so no.

OVERALL:
If you are a super fan of WJY or LXY, then you can watch this. I’m in love with Liu XueYi even more because of this. But if you’re looking for a drama with an outstanding plot only, I don’t think this drama will satisfy you. I’ll say it again. This drama wasted great actors because of the story. My rating in overall is purely because of the leads.

Leia Mais

A love-hate story that gets a bit fluffy

Some scenes you could almost feel the tension and the sparks of both attraction and hatred flying between the FL and ML. And then you have some rather dull scenes.
I feel it could have been possible to cut out some of the side stories and “fluff” without loosing much - a few less episodes wouldn’t have hurt the story much.
Mei Lin, the highly trained assassin, sometimes became a bit passive.
Murong Jing He’s character went through an emotional growth-journey. I kind of liked how we witnessed first the more indirect signs, and then his unashamed declarations of love.

As for the other love stories, Luo Mei’s didn’t really feel that it fit her character. As for concubine Zi Gu, they could have kept it at the emotional level and let her fate end in a different way.

For me, the common message from the love stories here was how love can make people take difficult choices, and willingness to make sacrifices.

I must admit I cried as I watched the last episodes in the middle of the night.

All in all, this had some good acting, the story was mostly ok but could’ve been a bit shorter. There were some scenes where the effects were so-so (I especially noticed in the later episodes), and I mostly enjoyed the music.

Leia Mais

Acting & Chemistry was on point

I expected more. What I saw in the trailer & what I watched is totally different. The first 10 episodes were great. But then it turned into a typical historical political drama. There is no problem with having two different stories, but it wasn't executed & written well. The second half would've been great if they wrote it correctly.

The ending was a very big disappointment. I read in comments that Murong Jing He did many questionable things like in the novel, but still Mei Lin forgives him & ends up with him. Here they totally changed his character. I mean he pretended to be a red flag, so I don't think the ending was necessary.

I really wanted to see a red flag ML to green flag ML like Till the End of the Moon, but alas, he turned out to be our regular ML.
Liu Xue Yi would've killed it by his acting as a red flag ML. But they didn't provide it to us. That doesn't mean he didn't play Murong Jing He well. His portrayal of Murong Jing He was great. I loved how he played the crazy & scheming Murong Jing He in the first few episodes. I also loved the way Murong Jing He talked seductively in the first few episodes.

I loved Liu Xue Yi & Wu Jinyan chemistry.

The way Murong Jing He eats the thrown bun uff.

Laughed how Mei Lin's behavior in her hallucinations. Thinking of Murong Jing He as a tree, describing trees benefit. The way she held him down to describe an imaginary tree.

Laughed so hard with Murong Jing He tactics in ep 10. Helping Mei Lin in her punishment, watching her all time either lovey-dovey eyes.

The way Qing Yan died was heartbreaking.

I love the OST.

Leia Mais

I stuck with this only for the cinematography and the choreography of the fighting

True enemies to true lovers in 32 eps of 45 mins ea. A beginning as vivid as a manga. I stuck with this show all the way through for three reasons: the cinematography, the choreography of the fights, and, leaving the plot out of consideration, the script.

The cinematographer has a tic about making beautiful black and white patterns symmetrically around a single vertical. Half-close your eyes at every other shot and be amazed at his use of contrast in darkness and light. It is elegant eye-candy for me and addictive. Missing is the cdrama focus on coloration and textures.

The duels, fights and attacks are consistently beautiful, well-shot and choreographed, The script captures small intimate vignettes in long sequences of attacks and defences which contrast with the violence. The actual dialogue is good and the actors do excellent work.

The drama formula held up throughout -- intense relationships amongst a core cast, with several romantic possibilities up in the air for as long as possible, dependable comic relief, sentimental family relationships and tears.

And yet, and yet..

This is a melodrama of Grand-Guignol-esque proportions; murder, floggings, poisonings, bondage, near-necrophilia, near-fratricide, near-patricide, a horrific transfusion, a king hypnotized by the idea of his own immortality, an entire city burnt to ashes. Bizarrely hardy leads who endure life-threatening beatings and penetrating wounds but get back up the next morning ready to go. Breaking out in incredulous laughter at such an unending roll-out of overly dramatic events is inevitable. And I am a diehard kdrama fan, I know over-the-top!

There is just too much of everything: two city-settings, one for her and one for him. Two out-of-town interludes, both offensively characterized: one rural hideout where the locals are portrayed as simple yokels and the FL wears a perky kerchief and two, an entire hostile country populated by 2-dimensional religious fanatics and villains. Two siblings in the core cast actually come from this place, a hostage prince and a silly sweet princess in a peace-making marriage with Yan state's emperor.

And, although technically a 'costume drama', its historicity is casual; there was a Yan state ruled by the Murong clan and a city in Shandong in the 4th/5th CE, but a hostile ethnic border, gunpowder and a reference to a Zhenyuan era make precision impossible.

ps. I thought the ending was wonderful, all of it.

Leia Mais

When Chemistry matters

I binge watched this drama because I enjoyed the pace and everything about it was put together with a lot of effort. However, I stopped watching for a few weeks when I googled "happy or sad ending", and got my answer. I was not in the frame of mind to experience what the drama seemed to be foretelling. I returned to it, basically, because the chemistry between many of the characters was worth the price of having what I thought would be my heart ripped out at the end. I was very, very pleasantly surprised. First, the acting was outstanding. If I didn't give it a 10, it was because a few of the secondary characters were a bit one dimensional and it shadowed the exceptional work of the others. Perhaps it was the script, or the direction they were given, but I thought Bi Wen Jun, and Baron Chen did not develop their characters to support their purpose. I also found it difficult to believe that Zi Gu and Yue Qin could be raised with such a heartless father and not be afflicted or hardened to a degree. Both were such puppies with soft little underbellies. Zi Gu stayed in this character throughout the drama and so it became her truth. This allowed me to suspend my disbelief and get caught up in her relationship with the emperor, Murong Qian. And before I hear the protests about the spring/winter relationship, remember this is OLDEN TIMES. Don't preach to the reader. Besides, maybe it's because I'm a little older, but I think Jiang Kai is kind of hot. The filters and makeup made him look attractive and the way he carried himself made him look downright handsome. I believed their relationship. Yue Qin , to me, was not believable. His love for the leading lady... sure... but a future emperor.... no way. Can I get a shout out to Shao Wei Tong as Qing Yan and Zhao Xiao Tang as Yin Luo Mei. Both were very skilled and their performances were believeable. The makeup on that bloody eye was too, too realistic and praiseworthy. Qing Yan had to be the best "bro" character. I've seen him in the same parts in other dramas and I am always pleased. Now the OST: The opener was awesome; the build up was noteworthy. Every song went well with the storyline. And besides, who doesn't love Liu Yuning? If you don't.... have your ears checked. I'm just sayin'......
I've unintentionally written a long review when I actually came on to talk about the ending. Anyone who finished the drama, read on; anyone who didn't... read at your own risk. This had to be one of the best sad ending saves in the history of Chinese historical dramas. There was no open ending, there was no sobbing uncontrollably. It posed a question, "what if this or that had never happened" and created just a nice, warm alternative scenario. I LOVED IT! I experienced reality and then it gave me a warm back rub and pat on my head. Just the right amount of consoling. Their fated relationship took another shape, and that shape was perfect for my heart to fit into it. I felt like my time was well spent.
On a side note: I don't know what filters they used on the cameras, But Liu Xue Yi and Wu Jin Yan Looked absolutely stunning and the costumes were dazzling. They are great actors, for sure, but I couldn't take my eyes off of them. That's all. I want to finish before your eyes disintegrate. Happy future drama watching everyone.

Leia Mais

Loved it but unnecessary tearjerker ?

So, this was the first drama I've watched in a while. I watched this without knowing much about the story, so I was really excited about the revenge assassin, enemies to lovers, type of show, but it fizzles out after the first few episodes. I LOVEDDD Mei Lin acting as an assassin and trying to seduce Murong Jing He, but that tension dies out quickly, and they're just partners working together to get revenge, which is okay, but all that tension they had in the first few episodes goes away and they're just like...coworkers.

There were a couple of unsatisfying parts of the show, which include:

General Yin deeply falling in love with the crown prince. She loved Murong Jing He for so long yet quickly moves on to the crown prince after she sees the room he dedicated to her? Like okay, but bffr.

The crown prince dying--Mei Lin wanted to kill the real Qingzhou mass murderer or at least see him die, but instead of Mei Lin (the main character, mind you) getting what she wishes for, the crown prince gets a nice, comfy death as he's straddled in the arms of the one he loves. Like, he didn't even show remorse at the end, he said some bs like "Oh General Yin if only we were together earlier [I may not have turned out like this." LIKE?!?!?! That made me mad.

All of the side characters dying--I think another thing is, the side characters weren't developed enough for me to be really sad when they died. Also, I already knew Concubine Yan would die when they showed that slow mo shot of her in the first few episodes. I was really sad when Qingyan died though. Also A-Wei. The writers didn't need to do that to me.

Last, but not least--KILLING MEI LIN?!?!? Like I have dried up tears and snot on my face because the writers wanted to fuck around and kill her off WHEN IT DOESNT EVEN HAPPEN IN THE ORIGINAL NOVEL 😭😭 When Jing He and Mei Lin were finally together, it was really satisfying to see them come full circle in their journey together. But seeing them have such a short amount of time with each other really made me sob. But I sobbed in vain because the novel allegedly has a happy ending. w h a t

Here's some satisfying parts: the first few episodes

All in all, I spent a week pushing back assignments to watch this show, and...it ended up being okay.

Leia Mais

changed story

they changed the story to the point that it deviated from the novel. I wish they kept the story line and censored the R rated parts. they kept the essence of the story like her poisoning brother dying, him caring a corpse in town etc but in the novel she didn’t die the crown prince. She was infatuated with murong jinghe until the last moment. in all I want too impressed with this story. very disappointed actually. but all in all it was not too bad. At least the characters were mature and acted like it. No annoying FL. kisses were believable and so was their ❤️

Leia Mais