Right intentions, bad execution

This drama takes a bit to grow on you. I am a fan of the legal genre and was pleasantly surprised/excited to watch one from the judges' point of view. Note, you may not be able to binge-watch because the FL can be annoying at times. It's a decent drama with a novel perspective (a judge's work) so it's better to take it slow to give it a chance.
I loved the FL's character initially. She's feisty and quite the moral crusader. However, it tends to get frustrating because she is full of contradictions. She's all about fairness but is always biased even if it's in the side of the weak/oppressed. She's a judge for godsake. She's supposed to be impartial. I hate it when she makes up her mind about the guilt of the defendant when it comes to workplace harrassment but conveniently supports defendants who are drug addicts and alcoholics. She's also a bit full of herself. In my opinion, she doesn't deserve to be a judge; she's better suited to be a public defender or a lawyer or a philanthropist. Also, what's with all the crying?! I get it, many of the petitioners have sad stories. Some of the crying made sense. But this girl cries all the freaking time! Can you imagine being a defendant in front of a judge who so blatantly shows that they're on the side of prosecution/petitioner?! She also cries like a petulant child stubbornly insisting on her moral high ground even when her superiors/seniors try to calmly explain what the law can and cannot be, and what judges, as the upholders of law can and cannot do. I get wanting to change the system. That doesn't mean smashing it into smithereens at the risk of hurting others. You cannot jeopardize the many to save one. And lady, you're a judge! You should know that the most!!
This drama focuses on harrassment quite a bit. Talking about workplace harrassment, I agree with the power dynamics and the unfairness. Work environments are toxic for many. However, not all sexual harrasment allegations are true! My point is, the probability of an allegation being untrue may be negligible, but it is not zero. That should matter, especially to a judge! Your verdict is going to impact someone's life! You can't seriously go in assuming their guilt! A layperson can have the luxury of judging the accused devoid of proof but a judge cannot forget that all are equal before law and are innocent until proven guilty!!!!
I find it funny that she's always right! And only whatever she does is right. I mean, come on! How can you have a show where a judge with preconceived notions is never wrong?!
As much as the FL is frustrating, the ML is cute. Hats off to the presiding judge's patience for tolerating the FL.
Apart from the above rant, the drama is pretty engaging (annoyance aside). The romance is nothing noteworthy or worth mentioning. (It is a legal drama after all).
Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed as the premise was promising but the execution was flawed. It started with a bang and then kind of became floppy. They could have made the drama so much more wholesome if only the FL wasn't on her high horse all the freaking time.

Leia Mais

Saccharine-filled cliche that hits all the spots for a mindless feel-good pleasure

Couple of things:
1. Don't watch it after you watched Skate into Love and are expecting a similar exciting drama.
2. Don't ask questions, use logic or think. Just imagine that your brain is hibernating. Otherwise, you won't enjoy the drama.

Okay, so it's kind of a cliche drama with a ludicrous plot that is improbable. However, if you accept the fact that it's kind of like a fantasy fairytale, you can enjoy the cliches, the sugary sweetness and the cheesy goodness that this drama offers.

The acting is really good!
The ML is absolutely adorable and very cute when he's naughty/plotting things. The FL lead is equally adorable and entertaining.

The story is just so-so. The actual sports scenes aren't shot that well. The hockey outfit is very unflattering on the ML. The premise is silly and hard to digest (even if you consider it fantasy).

There's no theme or concept worthy of mention.

Like I said, it's a guilty pleasure drama that you see once and deny you know it. ??

Leia Mais

Funny, Bold, Enticing -- the perfect KDrama

Can you imagine a drama where an overused and tired trope is presented in such a fresh and enticing way that you cannot help but REVEL in its GENIOUS?
Are you looking to be surprised by a historical drama that's not entirely historical, has steamy romance, the perfect balance between politics, seriousness and COMEDY?
Do you want to watch a drama that is PURE COMEDY GOLD, that flows naturally and effortlessly?
WELL, LOOK NO MORE!!!

I have to say, I was sceptical going in. The trope of a person from the present travelling to the past/ soul-swapping/ period dramas are such overused settings that I believed nothing good would come of it. But boy, did they prove me wrong!
Any and all success of the drama goes to its writers and the actors. The female lead is AMAZING!!! There isn't a moment in the drama that you'd question if she's actually a man stuck in a woman's body. And the male voice-over -- he has the perfect honeyed voice of a casanova. I have to say that I miss it a bit.
The male and female leads have great chemistry and all the cast display a stellar performance.
This drama is like the perfect chilli hot chocolate -- it's rich, creamy, smooth and sweet (but not too sweet), and the spiciness just cuts through it to take you to heaven -- it gives you warmth and comfort on a cold winter night.
This drama is a godsend to remove the aftertaste of 2020.

Also, can we talk about the OST? It's sooooo good! A special shout-out to the 'Bong Hwan a' song because that just hits the spot.

P.S. Do not watch this drama in front of company because you'll be ugly laughing and snort-laughing. You'll have no time or inclination to laugh sweetly/politely.

Leia Mais

Masochist meets conceited jerk

I don't think I've regretted watching a drama as much as I regret watching this. The story and script is so poorly written, no amount of good acting saves it. Sure, there's humour but it is overshadowed by the stale story. This drama has the most frustratingly bland characters and problematic "romances". The male lead's mother is the most odious woman alive. But you don't even feel sorry for the ML because he's a jackass. The FL is a whiny, entitled, victim-card playing, "easy", crybaby who has zero self respect. Pathetic. There are so many plot holes. Lazy writing. Ridiculous. Apart from the ML's job, there's absolutely nothing interesting in this drama.

Leia Mais

Hell hath no fury?

I mean, yeah ok. I like that it's a strong female character. But this drama could have been so much more!!!!!
I figured out who villian is in the first episode itself. I felt that the characters lacked depth to their stories, to justify their decisions. The ML for instance -- there's no character arch or a valid reason for him sympathising with the FL except for him saying so. The villain too, there's no meat to his story -- why is making her a monster so important to him? Why does he give such high regards to conviction?
The actors have done an amazing job. Excellent acting. The story is very one dimensional and lacks flavour. Most of the side characters are underwritten and pretty much just fluff.
I liked the OST.

Overall, it's just an okay drama with a run of the mill plot and nothing new to add to the genre.

Leia Mais

What started out as sweet, cute ended up being slightly disturbing

This drama has no major angst. It's a relatively light, feel-good romantic drama. It is nothing new or different from a typical college romance.
The reason I watched this drama is because I loved Song Yiren in 'The best of you in my mind'.
Okay, so there's a taciturn, serious guy who is passionate about sculpting. He is attracted to his classmate who wants to change to oil painting. The budding romance is sweet and interesting. The female lead is not the typical doe-eyed left-footed clutz who is always in a daze. She's quite independent and cheerful. Despite being tiny, she's quite cute.
The main antagonist is the ML's stalkerish sort-of ex but not really ex (because they never dated) girl schoolmate. The drama becomes slightly disturbing because:
1. After they get together, the ML is very dominating. He orders around the FL : everything is brushed over as his 'concern'
2. He is insanely jealous. Not in an endearing way, but borderline possessive and controlling. Yeesh.
3. The first kiss-- I've read comments about people swooning. Frankly, it looks like assault-- he literally grabs her jaws, turns her face and kisses her forcefully. Dude.
4. He makes a motel guy lie about the number of rooms available, manipulates the situation to share a room with the FL, literally pounces on her that night. Yeesh dude. She's willing. Ask and ye shall get laid.
5. The ML pouts all the time. Communication between the leads is poor. They sort of take revenge on eachother for every small slight and misunderstanding.

Overall, the drama started out to be a cute, sweet quite run-of-the-mill, predictable college romance. But it quickly mutated to being boring, slightly disturbing and bland. I had to force myself to finish watching it.
I like the leads. I'd love to see the ML in a better role in a better drama. Watch it if you want.

Leia Mais

I didn't expect to like it quite so much!

I dived into this drama with a healthy dose of scepticism. I have to say, Netflix has done a good job with the trailer.
I started watching it with no expectations. However, I loved the story, the message and the overall production.

I know nothing about tennis. Despite the fact and despite the matches and shots being overly exaggerated, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the tension and fervour. For those like me who are not fans of silly VFX, comedy cues and (slightly) bad acting (by some), just remember that it's based on a manga. You'll forgive the exagerations and the shortcomings.

The die-hard fans of the original manga know the plot and characters well. While I haven't read the manga, I've watched a few episodes of the anime and the Japanese live-action film. I have to admit, I'm kind of in love with Mu Siyang (don't judge). This drama has stayed loyal to the source-material.

I loved the casting! I think I'm in love with Xie Binbin too! Peng Yu Chang has done a good job as Lu Xia. All the actors are really good.

My one complaint: I HATE the female classmates of Lu Xia. They're absolutely useless to the story, their characters are cringy and underwritten, and very degenerative. I absolutely hate Song Yiren's character. Her entire existence is to pick up balls, fetch Lu Xia drinks and just stare dreamily at him. Frankly, I'm insulted on her (Yiren's) behalf -- what an absolute waste of her talents as an actor.

I wish they would make a sequel and continue the story. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but do give it a try!

Leia Mais

Soggy jjajangmyeon and stale tangsuyuk

I had great expectations for this drama. However, I was disappointed. Being a good related show, I e would expect to see amazing dishes. Sadly, the show revolved around just 2 - jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk. That's fine, but even the supposed metaphors they were was flavourless and lost.
The characters themselves are very annoying. Sure, the leads had good chemistry. But what's up with their personality? My god, how can one be as shameless, as insecure and as altruistic as the FL, ML and gangster bro respectively?
The FL's mother is the most useless human being I've ever seen. She's not worth the words. Some characters just vanished into thin air. Plot lines dropped out, villains dropped out. Overall, 19 episodes seem too much for this story. I was rarely moved by the supposedly emotional storylines and scenes. Why was the FL so worried about her horse never to visit him again till the last episode?!
The actors have done a great job. Although, some of them were seriously underused. I believe that some of the gangsters deserved more screentime.

Overall, I'm quite frustrated with this drama. It could have been so much more.

Leia Mais

Being bad can be good. Surprisingly good!

I was pleasantly surprised by this gem. It is so entertaining, I don't have words to describe it. The acting is amazing! Everyone is perfect but special mention to Dylan Wang who plays the cold-hearted devoid-of-emotions devil, the devil with all his emotions, and the fairy (body swap) extremely well! It's Dylan Wang's best work yet ♥️. Dylan plays them in a nuanced manner and is extremely charismatic. Esther Yu's portrayal of the fairy's character development is subtle and brilliant. I love the small details, like changes in her mannerisms, voice, etc. Just great! This drama has laudable CGI and visuals-- artistic and elegant. The drama has the right mix of angst, comedy, bromance, and romance. Love it!
Please do give it a chance, you won't regret it. (Especially if you're not a fan of this genre)
For once, it's hard not to be on the devil's side. The bad boy deserves to get the girl.
If only they could have elaborated the ending... I love a happy ending, but this one seems a slapstick ending that was rushed, just to wrap up the drama on a high note... It's just 36 episodes. What's another 1 more...or 4... or 10. Just give us a season 2!

Leia Mais

Cute and fluffy

It is what it is. This is a fluffy, romantic comedy sprinkled with melodrama.
If the title did not make it abundantly clear, it's about a poor, mistreated, down on her luck girl and 4 good-looking, well-off men whose lives get entangled.
Be very clear about the implications of watching a fluff drama:
1. Don't expect logic.
2. Don't expect realistic portrayals.
3. Expect over-the-top stuff.
4. Expect Love triangles and love polygons.
5. Expect drama.

FYI, the FL is not a ditzy damsel in distress. Quite the contrary.

Keeping all the points mentioned above in mind, this drama is quite enjoyable. The story while predictable is engaging (I did skip through the unnecessary plot points like the step family plotting, fake dad ). The acting is good, decent. The leads are natural and have great chemistry with eachother. I loved Il Woo. Lots of cutesy scenes and pretty good kissing scenes that had me swooning. The story can get annoying ( reasons why the FL-ML break up, wrong-doers not punished, no meaningful redemption for Cinderella 's dad, etc.). But, it has a happy ending.

Good set of OST.

The romance, the fluff and all the cute stuff made it enjoyable to me despite the shortcomings in the story. If you enjoy fluffy stuff or are looking for a drama to pass time, this meets the criteria.

Leia Mais

Parasite it was not!

I had such high expectations for this drama. I expected it to be a brilliant, sardonic social commentary like Parasite. Well, I think I'm being unfair comparing it to the film.
It was good. Very good. But it could have been better. So much more than what it is. I hope a second season would add more depth and make the story more rich.
I love the acting. The actors have wonderfully portrayed their characters. I found the evil, rich VIPs to be bland, stereotypical and lackluster. The story feels incomplete. I liked O Henry's "the last leaf" inspired death-bed scene albeit it wasn't very satisfying.

Leia Mais

It's a loss if you miss it!

Folks, let me start off by saying that this is nothing like the Korean drama DOTS apart from the similarity in the professions of the leads.
This drama is my favourite Chinese drama so far. I admit, I have a thing for military/police drama genre. This one doesn't disappoint!
There is humour, believable action and sufficient accuracy in portrayal of various professions. The comedy is natural and isn't forced (for the most part). The ML is adorable!! And HOT???The FL has the most infectious smile and an adorable giggle. The leads have amazing chemistry. I came to know later on that most of their dialogues weren't scripted. No wonder it feels so real and natural.
Like most modern Chinese dramas, it is motivating and reinforces the idea of commitment to work/service.
This is a great drama that is extremely feel-good. There is no unnecessary angst. It is paced perfectly. Apart from the secondary couple who have the most angst for no good reason, the main couple and the third couple are poster-children for couple goals.
You'll laugh, you'll cry a bit, you get angry on behalf of the FL, you'll feel all gooey and mushy. More importantly, you'll be pleasantly surprised by what Chinese dramas of the present can offer.

Definitely give it a chance. You won't regret it!!!

Leia Mais

Hilarious, Sarcastic, Silly

I have to confess, I binged this after seeing 1st 2 episodes of Mr. Queen and was impatiently waiting for more episodes to be aired. Frankly, it was just a patch to handle my cravings. I needed a fix! Don't judge :p

Some things to be kept in mind:
THIS IS NOTHING LIKE MR.QUEEN. Don't expect even a quarter of its standard, grace, humour or story.
This drama is a spoof of Korean historical dramas, Chinese historical dramas and/or Korean dramas. So be prepared for silliness/exaggerations that will come in the territory of caricatures/parodies.
This was made on a small budget. How do I know this? Their set is cheap, their costumes are a running joke of it's own kind, and the production makes it obvious-- they keep talking about their sponsor, a Chinese Viagra pill company (IT'S HILARIOUS).
Despite all this, there's some charm in the drama. And a lot of anachronism.

Here's the deal: it's based on a novel. The protagonist is a womanizer who falls into a pool during a party when his multiple girlfriends ambush him. He is injured and falls into a coma while his soul travels back in time into the body of a princess who also drowned. The story is about how he learns to live as a she-- as a queen, wife, mother and herself. The FL has done a decent job acting. The ML is just stoic and statue-like (a handsome statue, so no complaints). There's a lot of misunderstandings, unhealthy relationships and drama. It is charming nonetheless because you sort of get invested in the story.

Side note: Since it deals with fluid sexuality, the Chinese government banned the original ending. So there are 3 or 4 endings.

Endings: the 2 that I saw were sad, sad endings. I couldn't find the happy(ier) ending and had to read it somewhere.

The OSTs are a joke. Half the drama is a joke. There will be a lot of facepalm moments. There are some unsavory and repulsive potty humour. It is silly. You'll feel silly. But all that is a part of the charm. The FL often breaks the 4th window to speak to the viewer. The drama draws you in and gets you invested in the story. Hence, you'll get pissed about the sad endings. So heads up, go in prepared!

I repeat, THIS IS NOTHING LIKE MR.QUEEN.

Leia Mais

I absolutely recommend!!

I am a fan of modern Chinese sports-dramas. This is definitely a good drama to watch.
The acting is really good. They've done a good job with the casting. All the sports scenes have been filmed really well. The speed-skating and ice-hockey shots really put you on the edge of your seat.
Beyond the lovestory ( which is adorable), the drama is very uplifting and motivational. It really makes you renew your efforts in pursuing your dreams. There's a dialogue that I loved the most-- "dreams don't shine on their own. It is us who chase after our dreams that shine".
The FL is lovable even though she's not the brightest bulb of the lot. Unlike the usual wide-eyed bambi caught in a headlight, this FL is quite a gangster. The flashbacks where she bullied the ML when they were younger is hilarious. Some of the times she went overboard with the bullying is because she's quite innocent (and dense) to know that she's hurting them. She's ML's support and strength. Once the FL and ML get together, then there's no stopping them. It's really enviable the way they encourage eachother to pursue their dreams while they strive hard for their own.
The secondary couples are all adorable and inspiring. The underlying theme of the drama is balance between love and pursuing your goals.
I absolutely recommend this drama for its underlying message and theme.
I think they've overused the OST to the point of being annoying. But that's forgivable.
I am so happy to watch a C-drama that has a strong female lead. Please do give it a try ?❤️

Leia Mais

Motivational feel-good drama

This is one of the few Chinese dramas that I like. The leads and the secondary leads act really well. The casting is good. Except for a few over-the-top acting, they've done a good job. Even the over-the-top acting is endearing.
I love Yibai's mother! It's nice to have a non-evil mother-in-law that pushes the female and male leads to get together. QQ is an adorable character. Narcissistic as he is, he's a really good friend, a sunshine person and overall good guy. While QQ is Yibai's best friend, it's his friendship with Yun Doa that's the most enviable.
The main angsty antagonist-type guy Lin Zi : homeboy has been stalkerish since the beginning. I have to grudgingly admit that he's a good brother. However, homeboy is creepy, manipulative, spineless and kind of a jackass. It completely negates the tiny bit of sympathy that he attracts.
The so-called best friend of Yun Doa is quite the conniving backstabbing bitch, and I hated her since day 1. However, she ends up being a good friend. Atleast you don't resent her behaviour because she was just jealous and openly admits to it.
The mystery-sister plotline is tiring and dragged. The whole misunderstanding is her fault. In fact, the incident is her fault (even though Yibai takes the blame in himself). She's in a coma for 30+ episodes (4+ years, folks!), getting emergency surgery every 2 minutes. Then, she suddenly wakes up - and, that's right- memory loss!! The day after she wakes up, she gives her sleeping brother a slip and walks, cool as a cucumber, into Yun Doa's office, with the creepiest Annabelle smile. I wish I had a doctor like that-- one that turns a comatose patient into a ninja. Then the writers remember that she was in a coma for the last 4+ years and she loses her ability to walk. She has an almost obsession with Yibai. Turns out, she's a suicidal maniac who was pretending to lose her memory. I think the stalker gene runs in the family. So does the evil manipulation gene. Urgh. The maniac takes a walk down the memory lane, quite literally and gets almost hit by a car (again), forcing Yibai to rescue her and in the process, flare his old knee injury. Atleast Ouyang Heng realises he misunderstood him and becomes friendly (friendlier).
The male lead (Yibai) is good-looking and has a pleasing personality. However, he's too laid back when it comes to a few things. He doesn't confess till episode 27! He expects the female lead to be a mind-reader and confuses her with his affections. Get a grip buddy!
The female lead Yun Doa is a ditzy female with 2 left feet. Typical cliche wide-eyed doe that's always in the need for rescuing. She keeps herself busy by falling into various bodies of water. You've drowned 4 times! Learn swimming, chica! Atleast, learn to float. There's an instance where she purposely jumps into the pool fully clothed and wearing shoes to get Yibai's attention (he's practicing his breathing underwater wearing earphones). Ay ay ai.
At the end of the day, the leads to make a good pair and are quite good for eachother.
The secondary couple QQ and Yangyang are fun to watch. They have more heavy misunderstandings but it's a pair you root for.
It is annoying that there's very little character development or arc in the first 30 episodes of a 36-episode series!!
Overall, it's a good motivational drama that talks about chasing your dreams, believing yourself, staying calm in the face of adversity and never giving up.

Special mention: the OST is really good! I really liked all the songs, especially, the title track and 'across the Pacific'.

Leia Mais