Promising start but fell short towards the last quarter

Despite everyone singing praises for this drama, I felt very differently about it and this drama turned out to be a giant disappointment for me.

Let's start with the things I didn't like about this drama. First off, I found Chen Xingxu's character terribly bland in this drama. His character is what I might have expected from a drama from a few years back. All the recent Wuxia/Xianxia drama's male mcs have been so good lately so I felt like Youqin just fell really short in term of character's depth and personality. And this disappointed me terribly because I loved Chen Xingxu in Goodbye My Princess. I loved his character so much I had a Pinterest board for him 😂 So I was looking forward to his performance in this drama. I can't blame him though, I felt like his character was poorly written due to script writing and the directing.

Honestly, the whole time I watched this drama, there was not one moment where I felt like I wanted to root for Youqin or felt like I shipped Youqin and Yetan. All the plotlines that play out to suggest they're experiencing hardships and going through near death experiences together felt very forced. If I compare this drama to Love Between Fairy and Devil or Ashes of Love, this drama falls very short in terms of creating hardships that force the main couple to have a deep attachment to each other. It feels like the writer tried their best to create situations where the main couple would feel a desperate need for each other or create this whole "I can't live without you" thing but failed.

HOWEVER, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the relationship and storyline between Chaofeng and Qingkui because it felt genuine and natural. From the get go, Qingkui is not portrayed as your typical smart, witty, strong female character who has a sad backstory (yes unlike Yetan). So I honestly didn't expect much out of her storyline. But OMG I love her. She's got a heart of gold and I love her genuine nativity. It felt refreshing to watch.

I love the relationship between her and Chaofeng that develops. I'm a real sucker for male characters who think they're super bad boy but when they meet a girl they like, become such a simp. I like how the beginning of their relationship starts with Chaofeng having to lie and manipulate her despite not wanting to as he needs her to take his side. He's constantly trying to convince himself that he's only nice to her because power and the throne is his ultimate goal but eventually realises that he truly loves her. It's such a classic but underrated trope and it's played out very well in this drama. Damn I was soooo whipped for these two. ALSO the costumes for the Void Realm was absolute chef's kiss. Both Chaofeng's and Qingkui's clothes, hair and accessories gave me life!!! I screamed like crazy at Chaofeng's gorgeous wedding gown. Chef's kiss I tell you.

Lastly, this drama is one of those dramas that starts off very promising and intriguing and then falls short by the last quarter. By episode 30 or so, I felt like I was watching filler episodes of an anime. Everything became very boring and surface. There were no longer plotlines that threatened the existence or happiness of our characters. It's a pretty much all lovey dovey happy happy for a really long time. And eventually when there was a threat, I felt like they threw it in last minute just to make the story interesting.

Overall it's a decent drama for anyone who's new to Xianxia or watching this genre for the first time. But it definitely felt like I was watching Ashes of Love all over again with the sets and similar Xianxia storyline. What started out as a 8/10 ended up being a 6.5/10 for me!

Leia Mais

A wholesome drama that took a most intriguing turn.

From aesthetic, drooling foods to wholesome female friendships to palace intrigue and politics, to loving relationships and to the portrayal and addressing of social issues that are still relevant today, this drama had a bit of everything without ever being draggy, boring or unnatural for one moment.

This drama was absolutely hilarious from the get go. Like I was laughing so hard I wasn't even breathing, I was just crying. Trust me, you'll know that scenes I'm talking about if you watch it.

Every single character of this drama was very relevant and there was not one annoying character that I just wanted to disappear. Everyone played a crucial role in the progression of the plot and each actor was made for their character. I've never watched a drama where all the actors did such an amazing job at their role. I loved everyone from the protagonists to the villains. Also most C-dramas use voice actors to dub over but this drama used all the actors' real voices which made me feel so attached to them. Like seriously, I freaking love each actor and their portrayal of their character.

The addressing of social issues that are still relevant today was honestly the highlight for me. Oppression and discrimination against women was a major issue that is constantly brought up in this drama and how the female characters address and break the cycle of oppression was absolutely mind blowing for me. These women never once let a man solve their problems and instead turned to their fellow female friends to work out their problems together and to make society better for women.

The main couple's romance was the most natural and unforced hetero relationship I have ever seen portrayed in Chinese drama land and I wish for more dramas to be like this.

I honestly could write a very long review for this drama to sing its praises but honestly every single aspect of this drama was amazing. This drama had me smiling, laughing, giggling, crying, bawling my fists in anger, shouting and clapping in just 40 eps that I would happily do again. I fell in love with all the characters and felt like I was just watching my friends living their lives and honestly I'm so sad this drama has to end because I can keep watching all these characters forever.

I can't recommend it enough. And trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Leia Mais

A Captivating Masterpiece!

Can't express enough how absolutely amazing this drama was! From the start right until the end, there was a not a boring moment. Every episode keeps you on your toes - it was mysterious and full of suspense. I couldn't get enough of it and I still think about this drama every now and then despite finishing a while ago. There's a sense of nostalgia that makes you very attached to the story and it's characters.

Revolving around a girl who travels back and forth from her world and another alternative timeline, SDOD did the perfect job of keeping to the storyline without one bit of trash in between. It was real and raw; angsty yet funny! The initial episodes has you falling in love with the characters which makes the tragic parts later on all the more painful. I love the ML who was so cute and dopey, and him and the FL were so cute together that when you see them being separated later, you can feel the pain and sadness they go through.

Despite having a love triangle as a part of the storyline, SDOD doesn't make you hate the second male lead. The friendship between the three main characters is wholesome and beautiful. You feel a sense of youth watching them. The drama is also beautifully filmed with nostalgic music to match. It perfectly delivered with the right amount of comedy, romance, friendship, mystery and thriller.

Leia Mais

Light hearted and fluffy!

A very simple and light hearted drama which was such a fun watch! I wrote a review because I think it deserves more recognition and notice. Storyline wise, this drama trumps tons of other dramas which are getting more recognition but I honestly don't think are that good. This is a hidden gem! It's filled with humour and silly moments. The characters are all very cute and wholesome and I especially loved the second lead pairing!

It starts out very fluffy and simple but the storyline actually took an interesting turn. The main couple are super cute and bicker tons and it was funny to watch their interactions. I actually really liked the second ML who was just a little innocent dork. His love story later with the second FL is sooo cute! The initial plot seems like it'll just be a funny romcom all the way but the characters actually begin to investigate murders and eventually reveal a conspiracy that has been happening for years. I liked that even though it was a simple romcom, it still added that extra element of crime and investigation to make it more interesting.

I highly recommend this drama if you're after an easy, no-fuss, minimal feels drama! Just the sort of drama that makes you laugh and lifts up your spirits!

Leia Mais

A very fluffy, wholesome and refreshing drama!

If you're looking for a simple drama that isn't filled with intense plotlines and characters with tragic-ass backstories, I highly recommend this drama! It's filled with fluff and is super wholesome! Storyline is simple and easy to follow - nothing too complicated and for people like me who just enjoy a simple story with good characters, this is for you! Best thing was seeing the switch in gender roles with the dominating FL and the kind and gentle ML! I'm so goddamn sick of seeing the cold, icy prince ML trope so it was very refreshing seeing Simon Gong's character - plus he's so damn cute so that was a giant plus! Zhou Yu Tong was fantastic to watch, she does a great job of shamelessly flirting and seducing the ML which was very funny to watch!

The chemistry between Ling Rui and Fang Ning is sooo freaking cute! Their chemistry is just a whole bunch of fluff and it's just the kind that makes you warm and fuzzy inside! The last couple of eps were very sweet to watch especially with the baby who is ADORABLE AF! I would rewatch the drama again just for that baby! HE SO CUTE! The interactions between the baby, Ling Rui and Fang Ning are absolutely heart melting! I teared up at the end and I never tear up over love scenes but it was so goddamn beautiful!

Only downside of the drama was that it had a slow and draggy beginning and I actually skipped a lot of scenes (and I never ever skip scenes when I watch dramas). It focused unnecessarily on other characters too much and it was diverting away from the lead couple's storyline which made me lose interest. I almost dropped the drama but it wasn't until halfway that I got hooked. So if you're thinking of dropping this drama, I understand but SERIOUSLY stick it through! The ending is very rewarding to watch!

Leia Mais

JUST GO WATCH IT! You won't be disappointed!

WOW! This drama absolutely took me by surprise - I came in with no idea of what the storyline was, who the actors were and what to expect. AND DAMN I was hooked! It was interesting without being too complex, freaking hilarious, light hearted and a heart string puller. It seriously has a special place in my heart and it deserves it. You'll enjoy this drama if you're the type of person who rolls their eyes and groans at every trope and cliché that appears in dramas or books.

I'm a sucker for anything with alternate universes and when our female lead fell into her own novel I was like... OMG YAS! What I liked out of this the most was the fact that our main FL is a romance publisher and therefore she knows all the romance tropes. So when she falls into the novel, she makes fun of a lot of stupid, silly tropes and questions a lot of things that happen the characters. It was super entertaining watching her make fun of things I also point out and groan at and roll my eyes at when I watch dramas, like the female lead falling for no freaking reason and the male lead always catching her every single time! The FL also references a lot of k-dramas and even re-enacts some classic k-drama scenes. Another interesting aspect was that the characters in the novel themselves begin to question their lives and why some things are pre-set for them - almost breaking that fourth wall.

NOW let's talk about the chemistry. Diggity damn... the chemistry between our leads was HOT! Marcus and Vivian match each other so well and they really did a fantastic job portraying the characters. Marcus was exceptional especially since he was playing two different characters and he did such a good job at playing each - giving each character their own distinct differences and personalities. Plus, Marcus has a way of looking so alluring yet gentle and hell, it's hot (you'll know what I mean when you see it). Vivian did a perfect job of portraying her character who l thought was such a great female lead character - she was smart, freaking hilarious, witty, fierce and got shit done. And she didn't let her side antagonist role in the novel deter her from becoming the main female lead. Also, if you've finished this drama and need some more Marcus and Vivian, go watch their behind the scene clips and check out Vivian Sung's YouTube channel - she has an episode where she goes on a date with Marcus and their friendship is super cute and funny (they're like an old married couple)! She also has an episode with Simon too!

Other things I liked where: this drama did a fantastic job of creating an alternative universe and unexpectedly delves into the livelihoods of novel characters after the novel has completed which was a concept I found really interesting. It's also one of those dramas where the characters who you think aren't the bad guys turn out to to be the bad guys at the end. Also the drama is very well paced and there wasn't a moment that was boring or meaningless. Every character was very consistent and everything they did had a reason and explanation which a lot of dramas unfortunately don't stick to.

Overall, I can't recommend this drama enough! If you're looking for something that isn't too complex yet still on the interesting side so it's not boring, light hearted and comedic, I highly recommend this! It has romance, action, comedy, family and business politics and an alternative novel universe!

Leia Mais

Cliché, predictable but I CAN'T GET ENOUGH

This drama plays the same cliché storyline of rich man and poor girl in a contractual marriage. There is nothing mind-blowing or innovative about this drama. It has so many tropes and you can easily predict what happens next but I'M OBSESSED! And let me tell you why!

THE CHEMISTRY! I can't get enough of the main leads' chemistry - they look so good together... HOW. The casting for the two of them is amazing and their chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS. You will know what I mean when you watch it. They look and act like the perfect couple who are truly in love with each other and CAN KISS. This drama isn't one of those where when the couple kiss, you're like huh... you call that kissing?? THIS COUPLE DO NOT DISAPPOINT. They can kiss and they kiss A LOT. There are tons of fluffy scenes between them to feed your needy souls.

Secondly, the male lead!! I'm a sucker for good looking male leads especially ones with THAT gaze (you gotta see it for yourself to know what I mean) and Yin Sichen stole my heart. Get yourself a man who looks at you the way Sichen looks at Xixi. They portray a perfectly balanced relationship filled with honesty, truth and loyalty. I don't think there are enough on-screen couples like them who portray a healthy relationship consisting of good communication, trust and understanding. They respect each other's spaces and openly talk about what's troubling them and never letting miscommunication get in the way of their relationship. There's not a moment when they're together that their love wavers or they question if they want to be with each other or not. They know they're stronger together and refuse to let anyone else get in the way. Plus I love their bickering - they bicker nonstop and are always doing things to tick each other off. It's pretty funny and endearing to watch!

And yes, we've seen the cold guy/nice girl and contractual marriage trope a billion times over but OWGM played it so well because Yin Sichen may be cold but he ain't no asshole. Wang Ziqi who plays him gives him the right expressions of aloofness and a tinge of arrogance without appearing rude, condescending or at all abusive to the female lead. He's a very respectable and sweet character. He protects and cares for Xixi a lot without being overbearing and communicates with her well. You know those dramas where they create misunderstandings due to poor communication between the main leads just to keep the story going? Yeah this one has none of that!

For the FL, Gu Xixi, she's selfless, kind and actually smart. I think a lot of dramas introduce their FL as smart but when you watch the decisions they make, you're like WTF. Our FL here makes very mature, rational decisions. I really enjoyed watching her because she's not annoying, a cry baby, pathetic or jealous. She's independent and strong and even in the face of the nasty second female lead, she doesn't fail to stand up for herself. Neither does she wait for Sichen to make decisions for her - no matter what stands in her way she perseveres and finds another solution. And on this note, all the characters are well written, smart and not at all tropey. They all make understandable decisions based on what they want.

Yes the general outline of the story may seem tropey but this drama really caught me by surprise. The budget is low which meant low quality cameras and shots but I don't think it really interferes with the storyline. Not every high budget dramas with well known actors are good and not all low budget dramas with new actors are bad. This one gets a GIANT THUMBS UP from me!

I highly recommend giving this drama a go! I went in with low expectations and was pretty surprised by how it played out. It's one of those no brainer dramas where you can just switch off and enjoy. If anything, watch this drama for the main couple's CHEMISTRY! You won't be disappointed. I'm so obsessed and would gladly rewatch this drama!!

Leia Mais

Simple storyline yet still captivating! Kisses are HOT AF and the music and scenery is gorgeous!!

It's starts out initially as a playful drama with the main characters being quiet fun and teasing. As you watch more towards the middle to end, there's an unexpected serious storyline that emerges. I really didn't expect for the drama to take such a turn but I liked the fact that characters that seemed harmless at first turn out to the villains. I think for a fluffy yet mildly serious drama, they did a good job in creating a plotline that didn't last 60 eps.

WOW okay the kisses in this drama are fucking amazing?! Not some cringey peck but ACTUAL kissing! It reminds me A LOT like The Eternal Love probably because it's the same director and screenwriter. There's tons of fluffy moments and kisses to feed your needy soul. I'm so sick of watching dramas where you anticipate the kissing and when it finally happens, it's the most disappointing thing you've ever watched. You won't be disappointed here!

The only downside to this drama was that it dragged out longer than needed. The whole thing with Yunsi wanting to take Mingyue back was just torture for me. It definitely could have been so much shorter. Yunsi was a pain to watch - he was so forceful and playing mind games with Mingyue and completely ignored what she wanted or how she felt. Huixin was also pretty draggy with her plotting and evilness, I ended up skipping her parts esp in the middle. I think she had way too much unnecessary script.

Loved the music, cinematography, costuming and scenery. I think it was shot so beautifully. There's tons of snow for that romantic effect and the music is actually wonderful. I love the OST especially the instrumental music.

Overall very good drama! If you liked The Eternal Love, you'll definitely like this one too!

Leia Mais

Hands down best rom-com drama I've watched! You won't be disappointed!

Perfectly written storyline, fantastic characters that are all very funny and interesting and lastly, no annoying characters that you want to strangle!
The ML is such a sweetheart that you'll quickly fall in love with - he's actually one of best written ML I've watched. From the get go he's lovely, charming yet very humble which was very refreshing to watch since lots of MLs tend to be "cold outside, warm inside", a trope I'm so sick of seeing. And the FL is so adorable, she's just the cutest and unlike lots of other FLs can actually fight and fend for herself. She's ambitious and hardworking and not at all annoying, trust.
I've watched tons of rom-com dramas (both Korean and Chinese) and this just tops it all! It's not draggy and no scenes are boring. Every character is interesting and there's no one you can actually hate.
100% recommend! You won't be disappointed!

Leia Mais

If you want to laugh, cry and fall in love with realistic characters, WATCH THIS!

This drama starts off extremely light-hearted and funny with very well written characters, soon leading up to a very real and raw plot line. The consequences of each characters' actions are very realistically portrayed especially the way they emotionally and physically deal with tragic/tough situations. I feel like most dramas either brush over things or dramatize situations waaayyy too much but this had a perfect balance of everything. Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie are just enchanting to watch - their chemistry is so natural and they don't feel cringe at all to watch (you'll know what I mean if you've watched them in The Eternal Love). Trust me, you will not be disappointed if you watch this! I still cannot find another drama that has left such a deep impact on me like this one!

Leia Mais

Pretty mediocre drama. Chemistry between the main leads is majorly lacking.

After seeing the good reviews for this drama, I decided to watch it however it didn't really meet my expectations. It starts out a bit slow in my opinion and there wasn't anything about the story that captivated me or intrigued me particularly. Pretty average and mediocre - I think with the initial setup of the political warfare and even Ban Hua's strong personality, it could have been a much more interesting drama if they did it right.

I did really like Ban Hua's character who was VERY different from the usual FLs. She was strong headed, spoke her mind and could actually fight! Her personality reminded me a bit of Qu Xiao Tan from The Eternal Love other than the fact that Ban Hua didn't need the ML to save her. So I definitely liked the little bits of role reversal between the FL and ML.

HOWEVER I feel like the ML was a bit lacking. Yes the dude is very cute and handsome but I feel like his acting was a bit bland. His personality didn't really show a guy who had a tragic past - I felt like they could have given him a bit more spark and oomph considering what he had gone through. The actor seemed pretty unnatural whenever he had romantic scenes with the FL. Like the kissing was disappointing AF. It's one of those dramas where they kiss and it seems like they're having an awful time doing it. The chemistry between Ban Hua and Rong Xia was very lacking. I didn't feel any sparks and it seemed like they were better off being friends than being lovers. I liked their friendship at the beginning but once it got romantic I think that's when it got boring.

Overall, it's not a bad drama. I've definitely witnessed worse but it's not a drama I'd try picking up again nor is it something I'd recommend. I'm kind of disappointed because I think if they played it right, this drama could have been really good because it had pretty interesting elements.

Leia Mais

Slightly overrated and kind of draggy for my taste. Too many typical drama tropes.

A Love So Beautiful is a typical, cliche romantic comedy drama storyline with a girl shamelessly liking her neighbour/school friend who is cold and indifferent to her. To me, this drama is slightly overrated. I expected something different like more comedy or more evolved characters. And I understand it's a high school drama which may appeal to a different audience but for me who has been out of high school for a long time and after watching dramas with more mature characters, this drama didn't appeal to me as much as I wished it would. I saw so many good reviews and was really excited to start but about halfway there were too many repeating events that just got me annoyed.

What I liked: I loooved the friendship between the whole entire group especially Xiaoxi and Lingjiao's friendship which is just a sweet loving best friend relationship. And I loved Lu Yang who is such an adorable puppy constantly pining after Lingjiao. I loved the incorporation of friendship and family themes.

What I hated: Wu Bosong... I liked him at first and he seemed like an interesting character but after watching him do practically EVERYTHING for Xiaoxi and spending loads of money on her DESPITE knowing that she didn't like him, just made me cringe and this is pretty much the reason why I'm dropping this drama. I can't watch him do everything for her and even lying to her face saying he doesn't like her. And the love rivalry between him and Jiang Chen was too much to bare. Even Xiaoxi, she must be an idiot not to see through Bosong's lie. It's so goddamn obvious he likes her. I expected these characters despite being high schoolers to be a little bit smarter. It ended up being pretty draggy and repetitive especially the rivalry between JC and Bosong and even Xiaoxi and Li Wei. Also I think at this point I'm really over the cold guy trope and I know this is an older drama but watching now in 2021 after seeing other dramas that don't do the cold guy trope, I think I've had enough of it. I really like Hu Yitian after seeing him in My Roommate is a Detective so I wanted to give this a shot. But I'm just disappointed this didn't live up to my expectations especially after seeing that it had good reviews.

Overall, if you want to watch a standard high school drama that doesn't really challenge typical drama tropes, this is for you. It has love triangles, love rivalry, characters who aren't too bright so that the same repetitive plot can keep dragging on, a main lead who is cold and a second male lead that basically will never have a chance to get the girl. Don't hate me but I think it's waaay overrated and the ratings don't live up to the drama.

Leia Mais

Got Boring Halfway :( Pls Convince Me To Keep Going!

I started this drama because of all the high ratings it had on MDL. But I'm slightly disappointed in myself that I couldn't finish it because it ended up being kind of boring halfway(??) I'm not here to diss this drama because it doesn't deserve that.

Tbh this drama is actually well written in terms of C-drama land. There are little to no trope, cringe moments, there aren't any love triangles and the main girl isn't stupid and indecisive. All the characters are well written, smart, capable and make very realistic human decisions.

The first episode had me reeled in straightaway and I binged the first 10-15 eps. However by the time the main couple got together, it became so boring. Idk about you guys but I thought them being awkward and shy around each other while they were dating was not that cute. They're both portrayed as mature adults that have lived quite past the awkward teenage phase and yes maybe they've never dated before but I thought that aspect of their relationship was slightly disappointing and bland to watch. I honestly lost interest right when they got together.

Another thing that bothered me just a bit was that there were way too many couples in this drama. There's the main couple, the reporter and the other SWAT guy, the doctor and the older sister AND the main girl's best guy friend and girl friend. That's four couples! I feel like they should have used that time and invested it on the main couple to make them more interesting.

This drama tries it's best to steer away from tropes and cringe moments which it deserves much credit for. However to me, it doesn't stand out that much. It's got a decent story, smart characters but it's just lacking that extra spark and maybe a slight bit of comedy and good OST. I think there definitely could be a bit more comedy and it would have added that cherry on top for this drama.

I don't know how the rest of this drama plays out because I dropped it when the main couple got together. If you're reading this and think I should keep going, please tell me!! I don't want to give up on this drama just yet.

Leia Mais