Reviews

Refreshing in the sea of same CDramas

The drama immediately pulls you in with two first episodes. A pearl diver and a sea merchant? Just reading that makes it exciting. A ship? Sea? Diving? We can finally take a breather from the countless CDramas set in the woods and experience something new and exciting.

No our female lead doesn't need a savior. She is badass, competent, determined, loveable and ready to do anything to achieve her dreams. A lot of dramas fail to make a female lead tough especially if she's portrayed in the same position as our female lead however our Pearl Girl only needs a small push and she can stand on her on two feet better than anyone. As her story progresses she is continuously met with people with ill intentions but her hope never dies out and she still keeps believing that good people do exist in this world and her willpower never dies.

The main lead is shown as an evil, strict and unforgiving man at first. First few episodes leaves a bad taste in your mouth as it often crosses the line with its torture scenes. I am truly against the torture of the female lead leading to love as it is something unforgivable but I chose to overlook it as if it didn't happen due to the interesting plot behind the romance however I do understand why many would be left angry and even drop the show over the female lead's treatment by the ml.

The ml reedems himself to a certain extent as we learn that he isn't truly evil. He grows to like the female lead as she continues to show her ferocity and intention to fight for herself. In some ways he finds her admirable and instead of saving her he is set on helping her do exactly what she wants. He is motivating, supportive in everything she's willing to learn, whether it is fighting or business as long as she proves herself. He never undermines her skills but motivates her to do better.

This is often overlooked by people as his actions can easy be seen as vicious however having ml experience a tragedy himself, he isn't just a man taking out his anger on others. He knows the struggles of this world, he knows people and their intentions and desires and his purpose it to teach the female lead exactly that, how to survive in this cold blooded world. He teaches her how to fight and fend for herself, often complimenting her intelligence and need to improve.

I do dislike that their romance starts off weak and sudden without us realizing when it was exactly that he started having feelings for her. I also wished that the romance started on ship and allowed them to bond more but the lore picked up fast and became more focused on business than the main couple.

I loved the couple separation because it allowed me to feel how much they truly loved each other however they have yet failed to execute it well as many other dramas do where, when two people yearn for each other, they cannot wait to be in each other's hands however instead of telling each other how much they missed each other for some reason there always must be that 3rd person revealing the truth. I will never understand how is learning something from a different source much better than the two characters being open to each other. Seeing their gaze change, their tears flow is much more touching than having a build up and having someone else break the news. I truly hope dramas break off this really bad cliche as this whole build up of them missing each other was crushed by her suddenly learning he had a reason to do it and then they act as everything is okay. The build up has reached it peak and then disappointed me.

However overall I still liked the drama very much and I might rewatch it. But it definitely has a lot of flaws I cannot just ignore and like I always say. For some reason, Chinese dramas have the best plot, the best peaks but often times they fail to make it work and lose that valuable moment, a chance for something remarkable and I don't know where this problem stems for but it's definitely a problem that needs a change.

Anyways, definitely a good watch. I still loved the show despite the flaws. Definitely one of the best dramas this year.

Leia Mais

Fantastic!

Fantastic in almost every way 〜starts as investigative mystery and soon combined into high action drama。why have I waited so long to watch ？48 episodes is not a huge mountain at all it was climbed in record time⭐️

the strangest thing maybe was how this started out as investigation with Li Bi as central character and he faded out in last episodes while a side character suddenly becomes the genius to unravel the links of the plot but then himself goes unrecognized and unrewarded ；second how this drama ends on such a muted note、 no great unmasking of villains and rewards and punishments but then maybe this is in keeping with the arch of the drama； much is left not stated （maybe too much ）and must be understood ；the climax was amazing but the working out in the final episodes quite good also、 but for me　if there is a failing it is in the somewhat rushed ending and because the fate of various characters is left in the dark〜

Leia Mais

MaxNat’s Alternate Universe Madness: Why Am I Screaming?

Listen, y’all. When I tell you I screamed, I mean I screamed. Like, actual unholy noises left my body the second I saw MaxNat headlining this series. I’ve been WAITING for this moment since forever, and they finally did it. Main couple energy? MAXIMUM. Objectivity? Out the damn window. If you’re here for a calm, unbiased review, sis, this is not that. But if you wanna hear me lose my mind over alternate universes, sexual tension, and some very questionable plot choices, let’s go.

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Max as Thai:
This man? A WHOLE-ASS MEAL. A five-course dinner. Michelin-starred. BUT—and I say this with love—why is Thai such a little bitch when it comes to emotions? Like, you’re out here assassinating people, dodging bullets, looking like a snack, but the minute someone brings up feelings, you malfunction? Get it together, sir.

Thai’s whole vibe is “emotions are for the weak, my heart is bulletproof,” and honestly, I was living for it. UNTIL THEY WATERED HIM DOWN. Where is the trauma? Where is the grit? Thai should’ve been out here breaking hearts and causing chaos, but instead, they gave him this half-ass redemption arc that felt...meh. Like, I wanted him to ruin Khram’s life before he started fixing it. Is that toxic? Yes. Do I care? Not even a little.

And then there’s Thai 2.0. Oh my god, this man is a MESS. One minute, he’s like, “You are not my Khram” and the next, he’s all, “Wait, maybe I love you?” Sir, please pick a lane before I lose my last brain cell. Also, where were the soft moments? I needed cuddles, forehead kisses, Thai 2.0 carrying Khram out of the rain while whispering sweet nothings. But noooo, we got the emotionally constipated version instead. Ugh.

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Nat as Khram:
KING. ICON. LEGEND. Khram is the glue holding this messy-ass series together, and Nat EFFING DELIVERED. The way this man can cry on command? The way he made me feel every ounce of Khram’s pain? Give him an award. No, seriously, give him all the awards.

Khram’s whole personality is basically “I’ll sacrifice everything for the people I love,” which is adorable but also HIGHLY ANNOYING. Like, sweetie, love yourself first. You’re out here risking life and limb for people who can’t even say “thank you.” And don’t get me started on his loyalty to Phupha. Bitch, read the room. Phupha 2.0 doesn’t even LIKE you, and you’re still out here crying over him? Babe, move on. Thai 2.0 is RIGHT THERE.

Also, major respect to Nat for acting in the forest despite having sensitive skin. The way this man is willing to suffer for his art? We don’t deserve him.

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Gun as Phupha:
Phupha is the literal definition of “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss,” and I mean that in the worst way possible. OG Phupha was sweet, loving, and lowkey perfect, so of course, they had to KILL HIM OFF. Thanks for nothing, writers. Then they gave us Phupha 2.0, who is just...a selfish little prick. Like, sir, you don’t get to treat Khram like garbage after everything he’s been through. The AUDACITY.

But let’s be real: Gun absolutely slayed this role. The duality? The range? I hate Phupha 2.0 with every fiber of my being, but I can’t even be mad at Gun for it because he ATE.

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The Plot:
Okay, so the whole “alternate universe” thing was cute or whatever, but y’all...the logic? NONEXISTENT. They’re like, “Oh, just jump into the river under a blue moon, and boom, you’re in another dimension.” What in the Disney Channel Original Movie is this?

And don’t even get me started on the pacing. One minute, they’re fighting for their lives, and the next, they’re having a heartfelt conversation by the campfire. PICK A VIBE. Also, where is the angst?? I needed Thai 2.0 to mess up big time, Khram to hate him for at least two episodes, and then a dramatic reconciliation with tears and shouting. Instead, we got...whatever this was.

And the action scenes? A JOKE. Max could’ve been flipping people over and kicking down doors, but instead, they gave us a two-minute scuffle that looked like it was choreographed by my little cousin. Disrespectful.

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The Steam:
Let’s talk about the cave scene. Y’ALL KNOW THE ONE. I had to pause, rewind, and watch it again because holy hell, the CHEMISTRY. MaxNat understood the assignment and then some. The way they looked at each other? The way they touched? I was blushing, screaming, and considering drinking holy water, all at the same time.

But real talk, the rest of the sex scenes? A little tame. I mean, they were good, don’t get me wrong, but where’s the variety? Where’s the angry sex? The makeup sex? Give me all the flavors, damn it.

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The OST:
Yeah, I forgot it existed. Next question.

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Final Thoughts:
Look, this series isn’t perfect. The plot is messy, the action is lackluster, and the angst is barely there. BUT MaxNat carried it on their gorgeous, talented backs, and for that, I will always stan.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Would I rewatch it? Only the cave scene. Final score: 9.5/10, and that’s only because MaxNat are my babies.

Leia Mais

Had potential to be the best

Despite being a huge fan of both Ryan and Esther, and especially the screenwriter Bai Jin Jin I will still be objective with my review of this drama as I read the manhua as well and can compare both.

The drama starts amazing. The female lead is trapped in a fantasy world and has to seduce a villain to be able to survive, a very exciting concept that many enjoy and rarely anyone dislikes. For some time the drama achieves exactly that, it is funny, warm and definitely worth the hype but as the drama goes on it slowly strays away further from the introduced theme that we were sold and gets replaced by countless characters and their lore where two main leads suddenly feel like support characters in their own drama.

As much as I like that the show went a different path from manhua that turned quite toxic and dirty, the drama failed at finding a perfect balance and decided to go to the extreme making the leads romance seem like two kids in love. At the start there's tension between the leads and we are showered with many romantic and funny moments between them but at some point in the story, it falls off and we no longer feel that yearning between them despite the short amount of them being together.

However it wasn't about the lack of kisses but the lack of romantic moments after the couple got together. The two other main leads and the lore of countless other characters is shoved down our throat giving us only a minute of the two main leads bonding not allowing us to take it all in. Many of the other characters were quite underwhelming yet the need to highlight them just drained my energy as I saw no reason support nor like their lack of communication. I would've liked more seeing the lore of the tree people than a second couple who could not communicate for 20+ episodes.

After the couple finally realize they love each other, we start to get less and less of their moments together causing me to lose the connection between them because their love for each other wasn't believable to me anymore. As I was taking in the lore and desperately waiting for the couple to yearn for each other as they did in the manhua, I was quickly met with the disappointment that two two people who had their first love, which is supposed to be exciting, other now act like two really close friends or a couple that has been together for 40 years. The show continues to drift, focusing on giving us all the lore, wrapping things up losing the core of story in the process.

Now the ending of the show is amazing and the story is very beautiful however it failed to show us that these two people love each other unconditionally. Because of that, I could not cry nor feel the sadness of them losing each other. I will compare this to lbfad's ending where it was physically painful to see the two separated because we knew how much they loved and needed each other which I was really excited to see due to the both shows having the same screenwriter. The characters death did not bother me and I was fine with them dying as I saw at least some potential in a tragic plot but something in me wanted to care but I could not. I have already detached myself from the two main leads the moment we saw less and less of their love and within that died my need for them to be together.

Overall, the story is beautiful and the lesson with it as well but it lost it's most important topic of love and empathy for the purpose of lore forgetting that it is about a man who has never been properly loved and just yearned to be in peace, to be accepted and loved. Yet whoever worked on it cared more for him to beat the boss and meet 10 other characters than they cared about making us sympathize and feel their love.

I definitely thought this could top many of my favourite dramas but I don't think I can say that more. However it is still worth watching due to it's beautiful message at the end which is why I thought this drama had more potential due to its interesting story but what can you do. You can't tell us it's a love story and barely give us love.

I love this pairing and I hope to see them again in a drama that's going to give them justice like Moonlight did.

Leia Mais

A drama that leaves a lasting impression

I had so much fun in the beginning of Yong Ye Xing He, joining discussions on X (Twitter) here and there but as the show was about to end I couldn't even continue watching. One of the few times I felt so reluctant to part ways with a drama.

Each character was written and portrayed very well especially our 4 main leads. Such chemistry between the 2 pairs and their team including CuiCui could melt any stone heart.

The premise itself is nothing new in cdramaland but for me what set it apart was the revelation in the end. How it was all tied up in the real world, how Ling MiaoMiao and Fu Zhuo are connected - their hardships and courage to keep moving forward...it was very touching.

Also very notable special element in the drama were their acting. This isn't the first drama I've watched from either YSX and DYX so it's very exciting to see so much growth in their acting. DYX especially never fails to make me fall in love with each of his characters. He's just wayyy ahead when it comes to acting. So much commitment, embodiment and respect he has to his roles. I'm sooo happy to witness him finally being seen by a bigger audience, being appreciated and lauded for such wonderful performance.

The OST are also perfect. Pleasing to the ears and can definitely bring so much memories from the drama whenever I listen to them on Spotify. The CGI and SFX are also perfect and definitely sticks to their concept of a game.

Overall, Yong Ye Xing He is one of 2024's best for me. Stood out among the rest due to their own brand of magic, pulling you into its own world and can make you understandably reluctant to leave.

Leia Mais

Love this story about women in the arts. Kim Tae Ri is phenomenal.

This drama deserves accolades! I love how in the world of kdramas (where admittedly a lot are about the oppas/males), they managed to make this female centric kdrama with no principal male actors! It will not fit this story anyway, as it is a story of the art form gukgeuk (korean theater art form where all actors are women whether their characters are male and female). One thing I enjoy about kdramas is discovering art forms from Korea through these shows. Various gisaeng dances performances (including the one where the gisaeng dances on top of a hanging rope) in the 2006 drama Hwang Jini, paintings, instruments like the gayageum, and additional gisaeng dances in the 2008 kdrama Painter of the Wind, art of cooking in Jewel in the Palace/Dae Jang Geum, and now Gukgeuk in Jeongnyeon.
Kim Tae Ri is excellent in this, not only as Jeongnyeon but she's also excellent in portraying Jeongnyeon who is portraying her characters. Such skills required to portray a character who herself is playing a character. Another thing noteworthy of her performances is her chemistry with all the other actresses in this show. This seem to be Kim Tae Ri's strength, her strong chemistry with actresses, as shown in other works from Handmaiden, Mr. Sunshine and 2521.
Kim Tae Ri's costars are also excellent. Shin Ye Eun is great portraying Kim Tae Ri's rival turned friend. She is so good in portraying a young woman wanting to overcome a rival due in order to please her mother. I love Woo Da Vi as Hong Joo Ran as well. At first she seems like the sweet friend who is there just to show support, but I love that in her own way, she tried to work on her own dreams and even managing to get her own role in their gukgeuk performances. She and Kim Tae Ri have excellent chemistry, from their sweet friendship to the obvious attraction that they have for each, especially from Joo Ran's side. And of course, Jung Eun Chae deserves a mention. In real life, she is so beautiful and feminine, but in this show she is so appealing as someone who always play the male lead in gukgeuk performances, you'd wish she was a male. She is the closest the show has for a male lead. The other actresses are also believable in their roles.
In an era where the chauvinism of some Koreans are still apparent (based on my observation from social media), it is important that Korea continue to make female centric dramas like this, showing women stories where they are able to work on achieving their dreams and life's passions.

Leia Mais

SEXY and FUNNY

The first and most important thing was the choice of the main characters. Great Sapol (Yak) and Inn Sarin (Dee), each of them is charming, with different personalities, but they complement each other. Not to mention that they are both beautiful and very cute. The second success lies in the script and direction of the series, in taking unrealistic situations and transforming them into something that is believable, visceral, sentimental in the right measure, and that motivates the viewer to cheer. The characters here are not just romantic objects, they have something more inside them. The supporting cast also shines and moves in this story. I always think that the secret of a good romance, a romance that leaves us intoxicated, rooting for the main couple, lies in this: in giving a lot of flavor to something that is already familiar, in meeting our expectations that these two people understand each other in ways that we are not expecting. I started the series skeptical, but I ended up converted! Best romantic comedy of the year !! Sexy and very funny.

Leia Mais

SEXY and FUNNY

The first and most important thing was the choice of the main characters. Great Sapol (Yak) and Inn Sarin (Dee), each of them is charming, with different personalities, but they complement each other. Not to mention that they are both beautiful and very cute. The second success lies in the script and direction of the series, in taking unrealistic situations and transforming them into something that is believable, visceral, sentimental in the right measure, and that motivates the viewer to cheer. The characters here are not just romantic objects, they have something more inside them. The supporting cast also shines and moves in this story. I always think that the secret of a good romance, a romance that leaves us intoxicated, rooting for the main couple, lies in this: in giving a lot of flavor to something that is already familiar, in meeting our expectations that these two people understand each other in ways that we are not expecting. I started the series skeptical, but I ended up converted! Best romantic comedy of the year ! Sexy and very funny.

Leia Mais

i never expected to say something like this but i found it boring

I was very excited about seeing pondphuwin back on a series but this is a bummer, the story is extremely bland, tasteless. it's not completely bad as we have some tender moments in the secondary couple, but aside of that I had to admit i had to drop it. I hope to see Pond and Phuwin getting better series just like they had with never let me go or fish upon the sky which were interesting, the story was well planned and the characters had an excelent chemestry. don't forget this is just my personal opinion and i'm not intending to discourage anybody from watching the series because at the end, the judge, it's you.

Leia Mais