niche slice of life from mostly woman viewpoint in ancient china

__*The Story of Ming Lan (2018)*__ -8,5/10 cdrama

good but sadly its just too long.
first part of drama was very good and niche in style :slice of life from noble female courtyards in ancient china:
sadly second part of drama went to quite classic fight for throne fight for power in noble houses and intrigues.
[this theme is used too many times in historical dramas and in this drama it was quite averagely done].

Still this drama did quite good job on character development .. at least for some characters.

__*plot*__ - FL is kid of third unfavored concubine from noble house. Sadly her mother is pregnant and falls dead due to intrigues of other wife. FL ends up being raised by paternal grandmother. Growing up, she learns to hide her true self and use cunning methods in order to survive in family where members are plotting against each other and where no actual familial love exists.

ML is second son of marquis household who is supposed to inherit, but falls victim to tricks of his family members to lose all.
Story is about FL and ML growing up from kids to adults and going through their first love and all kind of different troubles just to meet each other and form complete pair.

__*genre*__ - historical, romance

Leia Mais

I loved it, I cried, I binged

Scent of Time (2023) 9/10 -cdrama

Right at start I say I am overpraising this one. Its total soap opera, but I still loved it.

Whole drama would probably have better public rating if it got 29eps rather than 30 eps.
Since last 30th eps :unexpectedly: changes whole story situation of drama.
For me and probably to majority eps 30 changes drama to worse. At other hand it brings little of originality to whole drama which till now was mostly historical costume drama soap opera.

Now why I loved it? After long time first drama which managed to get few tears from me + keep me binge watching till end.[really sleepy right now]

plot - villainous woman which in her ambitions and blind love for one man hurt all around her. Died together with her whole family in bloody revenge. Luckily for her she managed to timetravel back to her wedding day and decided to make amend and set all on right track and that way save herself and her family from certain death.

genre- historical, romance, melodrama

Leia Mais

good romance packed in melancholic vibe

Tell Me That You Love Me (2023) - 8,,5/10 -kdrama
nice romance drama with quite melancholic vibe, but story is normal happy-end one.
That melancholic vibe which this drama have is quite alike to :My mister: for example, not sure if its caused by alot :silent passages: where actors used mainly sign language. But still its quite good and I liked it.

main pair is middle aged one and male lead seems to be type which usually doesnt lets hid emotion show on his face + reality of him being deaf which makes problems to express himself by words. All makes it rare and nice scene once he lets emotions flow out of him. At other hand female lead seems to be quite opposite. She is expresing herself quite well just by face mimicry.

plot - romance

Leia Mais

cute historical romance

Wonderland of Love (2023) - 8,5 -cdrama

historical romance wuxia cdrama. With average story, but cute romance.

This drama got few very good characters. Main and some minor characters got quite good or unique personalities. At other hand at least for me this drama lacks in villain characters development. Almost all villains was one dimensional or at best two dimensional and overall lacklustre.

Romance part was playing big role here. I would even say its more like main story is that romance and fight for throne or wars between armies are just backround.

plot - Emperor is dead, killed by traitorous general together with all his direct successors. New traitorous emperor aint supported by all and :warlords: rise to fight for throne. ML is frontline border general without big ambitions, sadly for him he is former emperor grandson and as such got duty to quell rebellion. At his crusade he meets FL which is strategist lieutenant of Cu army. Cu army is one of strongest :warlord: armies competing for throne. ML and FL play cat and mouse mind games to compete, but slowly their clashes spark a fire between them.

genre - wuxia, romance

Leia Mais

nice and quick piece to watch

Invincible Stepmother (2023) -8/10 cdrama

short minidrama 24eps/10 min +- 3hours watchtime

drama is nice to watch, but its main perk is its watchtime.
Story aint very original its just about actress of historical dramas which sees kids as anoyance. Being transported to past as single stepmother of 3 kids with vile family wanting to get rid of them.
Story goes mostly about how modern woman tries protect herself and kids from all kind of bullying + tries to make money to pay off debt and to live better.
For romance even though they got there some guy to :love: female lead. There just wasnt enough time to do anything with it.

genre - historical, fantasy, comedy, romance

Leia Mais

finally romance with selfsufficient female + good wuxia

__*A Journey to Love (2023)*__ - 9/10 -cdrama
its same like with One and Only ... I loved it enough for 9,5/10 but cause quite tragic ending I wont dare to rewatch it in near future.
Ending is kinda very alike to One and Only at least by hurtful feelings it lefts.

This drama is 7 brave or 47 ronin type of drama with main characters having each quite interesting personality which can grow through whole drama. And mainly cause this quality you will feel sadness once you see die some of main characters.
By end of drama I had some kinda dejavu feeling and could predict what will happen in next eps. Still this drama took me on ride and I had to binge it.

Overall for me its one of best historical tragic wuxia cdramas. Of course its mainly caused thanks alot of romance storylines through whole drama.
plot is long and change through 40eps. I will just summarise beginning.

__*plot*__ - two kingdoms fought for gold mine and WU country emperor was taken hostage. [ML] as former master of WU spy agency was send to protect princess[pretending to be prince] to enemy AN country buy emperors freedom back. Possible successors of WU emperor dont want WU emperor to get back and they will make problems for whole delegation. Former AN country top assassin[FL] joins to delegation to help ML in exchange for his help with her revenge towards AN country.

__*genre*__- wuxia, romance, politics, tragedy

Leia Mais

sport, age gap, mature, but lacks youthfull spirit

Nothing But You (2023) - 8,5/10 cdrama

I will compare this drama to :Falling into you: which got very alike theme, but with little different focus.

This drama is quite intelligent and mature - sport,age gap romance drama.
It got nice scenes and interesting characters which got more than one dimension thinking.
At other hand story even though intelligent it lacks spark at least for first half of drama. Later on it gets better.

Age gap romance here was nice, but again it lacked youthful spirit of young counterpart. Like I mean in Falling into you. ML really used his youth to make Fl fall for him.
At other hand ML in this drama used more reserved style of being near her, helping her and letting her know he likes her. After it he +- left choice to FL. But FL had problem with age difference which means whole romance was progressing quite slowly.

Overall if something I liked sport part, friendship and romance part. Problem was with :bussiness: part of drama which was quite lot and wasnt really interesting.

plot is quite complicated.. like its more like slcie of life story after one :mini plot: it change to other
plot - FL is 24/7 secretary for one of bosses from some sport gear corporate. She is busy 31y old career woman, wishing for some love. ML is 22y old professional Badminton player which got talent, but is unsuccessful cause of mental problems. FL and ML meets thanks few projects on which FL works. FL notices ML talent and later on she decides to help him get over his problems.

genre- sport, romance, age gap

Leia Mais

Story is trash, acting average. Idea was nice, but wasted potential

Dear Mr Recluse -8/10 cdrama

I would say its lover tier for average dramas. actors aint bad, but plot of story is dumb and not really catchy.
Shortly exist alot dumb romcom story dramas. Which are better.

Female lead is for first eps just some kinda clingy girl. And you trully dont know if she is interested in ML or doing all that just for job. Most of nice scenes at start of drama feels weird cause of it.

plot - FL is food blogger which loses job opportunity thanks betrayal of her business partner. She managed obtain new opportunity from MLs dad, but she needs accomplish quest he gives her. quest target is FL have to convince his son[ML] to return from his meditation retreat and take over family business. FL decides to try honey trap.

genre - romance

Leia Mais

very interesting female lead

A Date With the Future - 9/10 -cdrama

sweet and passionate romance story with reporters and firefighters focus. FL is very assertive smart young reporter woman, which thanks her pestering manages melt ice walls around ML firefighter.

Truthfully this drama got one of best FL pursuing ML I seen in dramas. She uses her courage, wit and tactics to infiltrate herself into MLs mind.

plot is quite alike to another cdrama :You are my Hero: which was about swat team leader and doctor, but personally I like this one much more. Plus this one got alot scenes with dogs and dog training

Training scenes even accident scenes are quite thrilling and main pair goes through ups and down quite often, which makes this drama loop around, but story progress quite steadily. Though I can imagine it having less eps. Hated triangle situation in this drama, but it was manageable.

plot - FL as teen was trapped under building thanks earthquake ... she was saved by ML which was at that time novice firefighter. FL got lovestruck right away and made promise to ML she will return to him after 10 years to become his. 10 years later she truly does what she promises. Though ML forgot her, he is still single and FL isnt type which just gives up her long time love.

genre - romance, actio

Leia Mais

average cohab romcom plot, with above average execution

My Love, Enlighten Me 8,5/10 -cdrama

from quite average romcom drama with cliché story and basic template characters, became in later part quite nice, cute, funny romcom worth watch.

firstly whole drama looked to be more low budget romcom with Btiers actors. Which may be truth, but they managed to dig out potential of this piece.

story is more or less, about FL getting kicked out as trainee of entertainment agency and now trying to find her space and meaning in life + romance storyline.


plot - A 22-year-old hopeful and kind-hearted pop star named Nuan Nuan is forced to reinvent herself after the girl group she is a member of disbands on the night of its debut. Overnight, her dreams come to a halt as she's hit with the harsh reality of her situation.

While she struggles in her search for a post-pop career, her life gets intertwined with a man named Han Che. Han Che is a successful sound and light engineer who also happens to have an impeccable memory and a cold personality. However, despite his amazing memory, Han Che misremembers something very important, which can later threaten to jeopardize his relationship with Nuan Nuan.

Meanwhile, Nuan Nuan, who has always had a keen eye for fashion, begins to explore her love of clothes - hoping to secure a permanent spot at a clothing store’s headquarters. Although their relationship is often adversarial, Han Che and Nuan Nuan also have a growing fondness for one another. Han Che tries to help Nuan Nuan, and she slowly starts to melt his icy heart. But can they withstand it when the past comes to the surface, or will it get in the way of their blooming love?

(Source: MyDramaList)

Leia Mais

cheating story which could happen in real life

Love Affairs in the Afternoon -8/10 -kdrama

drama about unsuccessful marriages and cheating

This drama can be split into few parts:
1part - shows boring, repetitive and kind of repressing life of few married couples + their potential affair partners
2part - shows eating of sweet forbidden fruit and discovering further relations between all leads.
3part - bloody and messy fight of spouses... once whole things out.
4part - after bloody war always comes some kind of treaty and life with consequences

even though whole drama is quite :original: and quite true to reality + actors acting was really good. I see whole drama to be quite average mainly cause it was quite chore for me to watch... just not mine type of drama.

plot -Son Ji Eun is a housewife who works part-time at a mart. She is quiet and sincere, even as she feels trapped in her unhappy life and lonely marriage. One day, she meets biology teacher Yoon Jung Woo and her heart starts beating again. They both know that only ruin will await them, yet they cannot seem to stay away from each other.

(Source: xyLaar at MyDramaList)

genre- romance, cheating

Leia Mais

second half of drama is more watchable

__*Road Home 2023*__ - 8/10 cdrama

first few eps can be described just by one word :Awkward:. I know it was intentional awkwardness, but it made whole story boring to watch and that dreary vibe didnt helped too...
had urge to end stop watching or at least give it 7,5 score, but later half of drama saved it little and upped it to average drama ratings.

Shortly if you get through hard start you may get to like this drama by end or at least wont hate it as much.

__*plot*__ - FL and ML are exes which didnt see each other for long time and never truly managed completely break their relationship. Now they meet again and may as well get together, but whole thing got problems... family problems, long distance relationship cause of work etc.

__*genre*__ - romance, melodrama

Leia Mais

countryside slice of life movie full of nice looking food

Little Forest - 8,5/10 -kmovie

slice of life movie full of simple food making and countryside lifestyle.
I quite enjoyed seeing how big is difference in cuisine and got feel that even I can try out some of these simple dishes.

this movie got alot of vibe like dramas :Summer Strike: or :When weather is fine: but it does better. May be cause its movie so you dont feel that drama being slow.

No much of romance here, but still worth to watch.

plot - FL runs away from stressed life of big city back to her home countryside. She begins live countryside daily life just as when she was small kid, before she decides what to do with her life.

genre- slice of life, cooking, countryside

Leia Mais

This drama is type which explodes your head at end eps

nice short drama just 10 eps.

very nice drama which at start at least in mine opinion doesnt really excel in anything, but it will all change in later eps. Later episodes are ones which shows you that all normal eps stories from before was all connected in way which made whole drama change its color.

This drama got 3 main protagonists which are worthy of notice:
1 ML - young man with asperger syndrome - he plays it very well maybe cause I seen already Extraordinary Attorney Woo and It's Okay to Not Be Okay. I wasnt really impressed by his playing, but I still feel its at about same level as leads from both dramas I mentioned.
2 ML - my favorite character of this drama - uncle with bad past which gets guardianship for 1 ML.
Almost through whole drama I felt this story is more about him than about 1 ML. Last few eps changed this view a little.
1 FL - childhood female friend of 1 ML which very cares about 1 ML. Always though its some kind of romance connection to 1 ML. Whole character looked to be more like annoying nasty mother hen trying to protect her chicken. Again this view change little by end.

plot - 1ML with autism works with his dad in cleaning company which cleans after deceased people. Dad dies cause sickness and thanks his will 2ML becomes guardian for 1ML. Whole drama goes around stories of deceased and stories within both ML past.

genre - life stories

Leia Mais

Very sweet and cute romance drama with 3 pairs

modern cdrama about 3 female friends and their love stories. Of course here exist one main pair. Whole drama got really sweet and cute vibe. Chemistry between actors is good and setting can be said very realistic. If I should compare it to something I would say its little alike - Run On kdrama.

plot - ML is handsome dentist which also teaches at university. FL is university librarian. FL firstly misunderstand MLs character, but thanks few happenings and her mother wanting her to reshape FLs smile will FL get near to ML as his patient.

genre - mainly romance , little of medical, little of comedy

Leia Mais