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Reviews
Xi Hua Zhi (2024)
Worth 20 stars!
I would have given this series 20 starts if I could. My all time favourite Chinese drama is Lighter and Princess, and I was excited to see Zhang Jingyi star opposite Hu Yitian. I have liked a couple of dramas with Hu Yitian as the lead, so this drama seemed promising right from the actors they had cast. The story was interesting from the very first episode, and I found it very hard to keep waiting for new episodes to air, the wait was very frustrating. That said, now that I have finished watching all 40 episodes, I feel this series will stay number 1 for me in the period drama genre for a very long time. The cinematography, the acting, the direction with attention to details, the great onscreen chemistry of the leads, the character sketches....there are so many things that made this series a worthy number one! The story revolves around Hua Zhi and her effort to keep her family alive and together after the male members of her family are exiled by a sceptical king. The way she handles matters was not only awe inspiring, but also heroic. She always kept the interest of her family first and through genuine sincerity and her down to earth demeanour won people and situations over. All through her hardships and difficult times, the one person that remains by her side, was our male lead Gu Yanxi, initially because he was impressed by her grit and resolve, but ultimately because of their love for each other. There is so much positivity in this series, and so many lessons to learn, I can keep going on about the love and trust the main leads share, and the way they handle the situations they are thrown into, never once doubting each other and always being there for one another. The pairing of Shaoyao and Shen Huan was a very sweet one and they did full justice to their screen time, leaving me wanting to see more of them. Each and every actor performed beautifully, I can keep going on and on about how every character was beautifully sketched and performed. My all time favourite modern drama will always be Lighter and Princess, but it would be hard for another show to beat Blossoms in adversity in period drama genre for me. Zhang Jingyi is a phenomenal actress who is equally great in comic, emotional, romantic and angry scenes, and her hard work shows in her dramas. Hu Yutian is another amazing actor who is an expert in stoic, angry as well as romantic expressions. A big thank you to the entire team of BIA for bringing this superb show to us!! Well done!!
Because of Love (2022)
Exceptional and heart wrenching!
A truly exceptional series, with so much of emotion and so much of sadness, but worth watching in every way. Right from the story, to the screenplay, the choice of actors, their superb justice to their respective characters, the drama was almost a masterpiece. I say almost, because as a viewer who went through all ups and downs with the characters in their sadness, and felt their hurt right with them, I wish the happier times could be shown more, even if it was for another 20 minutes, if not a full episode. I feel the grandfather and the grandson should have been given more time together, and our leads could have gotten married again and lived happily for a bit longer in the series. Wallace Chung is an amazing actor, and I cannot praise him enough for his acting, but what impressed me a lot was the grandfather's and the little grandson's acting. They were both phenomenal. The only shortcoming was the FL's character, who kept giving the ML hot and cold treatment owing to her own assumptions and prejudices, we all could see she truly loved him, it would have been good to see her showing more trust in him, when things got tough for her. Well, I don't have much to complain apart from this, I did like the second leads too, and the bakery couple were super sweet as well. All in all a series that was great to watch and would leave a deep impact.
Bie dui wo dong xin (2024)
Average at best!
I decided to watch this show because I liked both the leads. After finishing it, I seem to have mixed feelings. I cannot say I disliked the show, but I cannot say I liked it a lot. The initial few episodes were difficult to digest for me, the FL, clearly a bold girl with a high IQ, decides to heed the advice of an online friend in wooing her love interest, despite of the fact that she's never met him. In doing so, she becomes a totally opposite version of herself, which even she doesn't like or identify with. This new version of her supposedly makes the love interest dislike her visibly, but she keeps acting strange which I found very irritating. Now the ML, who is her love interest as well as her online friend, supposedly is already in love with her online version, and is misguiding her so that she doesn't end up with her crush. He clearly likes her but very evidently dislikes her personality in real life. When the misunderstanding clears up and he realises she was actually chasing him in real life, that is when the show gets interesting. Now the chase reverses direction and we find our ML trying to chase our FL and ask for her forgiveness. Apart from this, the show doesn't seem to have a gripping story. After the leads decide to get together, there are random twists and turns thrown here and there to prolong the show. In all, it is an okay one time watch. I would rewatch love me love my voice for the FL and derailment for the ML anytime, but not this show.
Fighter (2024)
Hope no Air Force people see it!
I am sick of seeing actors that are visibly senior doing romance tropes and playing young officers. The story could have been portrayed so well had they not juxtaposed it with sensationalised yet unnecessary dialogues. It would be a welcome change to see a Hindi movie without skimpily clad heroines dancing around bushes in the midst of the storyline disturbing the whole plot. I am really looking forward to some young talent in acting as well as direction, who are willing to make movies without unnecessary songs and drama. And please!!! Stop making Shahrukh Khan and Hritik Roshan so romantic roles. Please!!
My Boss (2024)
A surprise find!
This show took me completely by surprise. Though I like office romances, I wasn't keen on this one after Only for love failed miserably to impress me, with it casting two of my fav actors. This show had the ML who I don't particularly like, and the FL I hadn't seen before. That said, this show proved to be a breath of fresh air as far as the portrayal of a FL goes in Chinese dramas. Our FL here is a strong, independent and well qualified attorney, who doesn't shy away from workload dumped by her seniors, is rational in her thinking and very practical in her approach, and cooks well. She has been shown to have it all, which is how most Chinese dramas depict the ML. Our ML has been shown to be the best in the industry, unparalleled in capabilities, but he has his mental limitations which the FL breaks open in due course of time and we have our happy ending. There were a lot of things in the sow which showcased a change in perception of women in Chinese society, and very welcome ones. Most Chinese dramas show the FL to be super cute but incapable and demure, that's probably what would have been the accepted norm in a patriarchal society like China, but women of the world are making contributions academically, economically and socially, and gender equality is something that Asian countries cannot shy away from any more. It is heartening to see such shows that promote this concept, and I say this being an Indian, where my country hasn't been very different from the Chinese mindset when it comes to women, but I feel media has a huge responsibility to sway public opinion in favour of gender equality, and such shows pave the way. Heartiest congratulations to the entire team of My Boss for coming up with such a wonderful show. I loved the second leads and the other office couple, each and every actor performed superbly. I highly recommend this show.
Flower That Blooms at Night (2024)
Amazing...must watch!
What an awesome, fast paced and thoroughly entertaining story! I am seriously in awe of the FL, her comic timing was perfect, and so was her emotional acting, not beyond mentioning is her super sweet dimple! The ML was great too, and even though there wasn't a single kiss in the entire series, the gaze of the ML conveyed far more affection. In all, this series had it all - intrigue, romance, action, drama, and most importantly, a happy ending. It was just twelve episodes, but I feel I needed more of the lead couple somehow, the second leads were super cute too, it would have been great to have some more romance for those two as well.
Zai Bao Xue Shi Fen (2024)
A good one time watch
Okay so I waited for all episodes to air so I could binge watch this series, I like Leo Wu a lot, he is one of the few actors who I feel can act so well without uttering a single word, his eyes speak his dialogues, and he conveys a lot from his face. It was my first time watching Zhao Jin Mai, and she didn't disappoint either, though I would say the emotions of the ML one upped hers, probably because he is a slightly better actor. I loved most of the characters, but I especially loved the character of Wang Xing Yue, who I liked in other shows as well. His character was great and his acting spot on. The eight stars are mainly for the superb actors, everyone very good looking and some great at acting as well, two stars less because the show seemed slow to progress, a lot of romance and a lot of sport, with no convincing story. Sport lovers might love this show more, I would have appreciated a little more depth to the story. I was happy a lot of the series was shown to be shot in Finland, with lots of English dialogues, and thankfully Leo Wu's English is so much better than some other actors'. Overall, a great one-time-watch, nothing much to write back home about though! Watch it if you love Leo Wu and slow burn romances.
Jing xin si yu (2021)
Entertaining and worth watching!
If I had to describe this show in one word, I would probably say 'addictive', or 'beautiful', or 'engaging', well there is actually no way one can describe this show in one word. I was initially appalled in the first episode to see that the ML already had a legal wife, and two concubines, with other women still eyeing him for association, and there was a considerable age gap between the FL and the ML, which was evident even in the actual ages of the leads. The relationship status of the ML was a big put off for me and I even considered discontinuing the series, but thought to watch 5 episodes to see if it held my interest. I was quite surprised to see myself going from episode to episode with curiosity and amazement. The chemistry between the leads was great, and I'd say the efforts of the ML seems a lot more in this chemistry, which can be because he is a senior and seasoned actor compared to our very charming FL. Nevertheless, the story was entertaining throughout, though not as fast paced as I would like, but very watchable. I'd recommend it completely.
Chuan wen zhong de Chen Qian Qian (2020)
Third time's the charm!
Okay so I've been meaning to watch this show for the past one year, started it twice, but couldn't continue beyond episode 2, somehow the story didn't seem convincing to me then. Two days back, I was scrolling through my watchlist, and after spending the past 7 days starting and discarding several series, I felt very frustrated at not having anything worthwhile to watch, I decided to give this series another chance, since I am a fan of both Zhao Lusi and Ding Yuxi, and decided to watch up to episode 5 and then decide if I wanted to continue. Now here I am, after finishing the series in two days, wondering why I didn't continue earlier. This was a sweet love story, and I found the scriptwriter's concept of male dominated vs female dominated societies quite entertaining since both make us realise that gender equality is the only feasible way ahead. I was really irritated with Zhao Lusi's hairstyle in the series, she has such beautiful hair and generally most costume dramas have female leads wearing pretty hairstyles, sadly though, I found the series lacking both in costumes and hairstyles. Apart from this shortcoming, I loved the story and I'm glad I gave it another chance, third time's a charm probably. The leads had great chemistry and the supporting actors did well, I loved the manservants of both ML and FL, they were both great as characters. Overall a very entertaining drama, worth the watch. One less star for poor hairstyles and not so good costumes compared to other period dramas.
Yûgure ni, te wo tsunagu (2023)
Worth watching!
There are several Japanese dramas that I have started and left after a couple of episodes, some I've managed to finish as well, but no Japanese series has made me feel so many emotions as this one. What a beautiful story, it makes you laugh, fall in love, suffer heartbreaks, feel a sense of longing, dream, work hard for dreams, and then puts it all together with a very sweet happy ending. I loved both lead actors, and a special mention to the agent at the music label, the landlady and the pattern maker colleague of the FL, they all made the show worth watching. I'll be keeping an eye out for more shows by these actors, and seriously, more shows like these would change the way people think about Japanese shows! A show worth watching, not to be missed for fans of sweet romances. One star less because our leads got together in the last 4 minutes of the show, we needed ten more minutes of them being sweet together atleast:)
Shen Yin (2023)
A heartwarming fantasy romance!
A beautiful love story, with great actors, good second leads, adorable supporting characters and villains which one doesn't feel like hating. I loved the characters of Ajin and Ayin, their carefree years were great, but the happy times were short lived once they confessed their love to each other. A thousand years later, I loved the characters of Yuanqi and Fengyin but their romance too, although fleeting, was soon met with challenges and tragedy. The characters of Ajiu and the eagle princess were adorable and they did complete justice to their screen time. It was heartening to see their happy ending and though our main couple had a happy ending too, it would have been to see their happy time a bit more. One less star only because our main leads saw more tough times than happy ones :)
Mai Demon (2023)
Couldn't get enough of the leads! Loved it!!
I had this series in my watchlist for so long, and I am a compulsive binge watcher, so I had to wait for literally months for the entire series to finish airing. Since I knew the last episode would be aired on Jan 20th, I started watching this series on Jan 19th, I've just finished with it and it was an incredible experience. I love the shows with supernatural elements, and I was already a fan of our lead actors Song Kang and Kim You-Jung, and they looked super good together. Not only are both of them amazingly good looking, they have awesome chemistry and they both increased the aesthetic value of the show by leaps and bounds. The story was predictable and the characters were believable, every episode was entertaining and value for the time I spent. Ever so often one feels quite empty after finishing a series and that's exactly how I feel right now. I'll be thinking about the characters and the story for quite some time, well, till I get absorbed in the next series at least. I'll recommend this series to everyone who loves a romance with a happily ever after.
Tuo gui (2023)
Interesting and thoroughly entertaining
Loved it! This was a suspense thriller with a hint of romance, but overall it was thoroughly entertaining. I liked all the characters, Lin Yi I had seen before but the FL was new for me, and she did an excellent job in her role. I liked all the supporting actors too. The story was never monotonous, and had sufficient twists to keep my interest. With elements of time travel, parallel universes, and a mystery surrounding the facts, it was a very interesting plot. Combined with good acting and great screenplay, it ticked all the boxes for me. I hope more people can watch it and give good reviews.
Ning an ru meng (2023)
A must watch!
I started watching this series when it was first released, and I gave up on it after the first 20 minutes, perhaps I was too sleepy and this series gives you a lot to digest in episode one. I had almost forgotten about this series when one day I saw a few reels of it and decided to give it a try again. This time I was hooked from episode 2 onwards. This series is a complete package, super good looking people, lots of swoon worthy moments, suspense, betrayal, plots in plots, amazing costumes, and good sets. There were so many good looking people in this series that I felt I didn't even compare to the absolute extras when it came to good looks! Our lead actress had three suitors, and I wanted each one of them to be with her, one automatically felt bad for the other two whenever she got close to one of them. Most historical dramas revolve around power struggle, deceit, family dynamics and dirty politics, this series wasn't any different in this aspect, but I liked how the series was told by a modern author who got our female lead to undo the wrongdoings by giving her a fresh chance of time travelling to before everything got out of hands. It was also interesting how they kept showing the contrast and similarities between the past and new present, and gave the FL an opportunity to learn from and rectify her mistakes. Then we had the finale with the lovely leads coming together in matrimony and also the FL meeting the ML in modern times, indicating there was a chance for them in the current time as well. I liked so many things about this series, I am already a fan of Bai Lu, and apart from her latest series with Dylan Wang, I've loved her work in each of the series I have watched with her as the lead. As for the three male leads, they were all great in their respective roles and though I had already seen Zhang Lingye in Love between fairy and devil and liked his work, I wanted to see him in My Journey to You but I cannot tolerate Esther Yu in any series at all, that fact notwithstanding I still tried watching the series but left it an episode 3. I'd like to see more work of Zhang Lingye, Wang Xingyue, and Zhou Junwei as well as Liu Xiening, I loved all of them in Story of Kuning Palace.
The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023)
My new favourite!
What a beautiful, swoon worthy story. The lead actors were both super good looking and their chemistry was amazing right from the 1st episode. I liked them both in modern roles as well as the historical roles, a special mention to the very cute dimples of the ML that made him extra handsome. The second leads were amazing too, there were too many good looking people in the show, and some known character artists and everyone played their characters well. Time travel and reincarnation shows are my weakness and this show had elements of both making it well worth the screen time. In all, it was a very watchable, likeable series which will remain close to my heart.
Naje Ddeuneun Dal (2023)
If only there were more than 10 stars!
If only I could give more than 10 stars! I've cried a bucket load of tears in the last two episodes, and I do agree that the ending was a reasonable one, but the fan of romance in me yearns for a happy ending and a sweet romance to leave us viewers with. I wish there is a sequel and we can see more of the leads in their new life. I loved the ML in shooting stars, and loved him here as well, he was my reason of adding this show to my watchlist. But the FL was a pleasant surprise, I hadn't seen her before and she performed beautifully, both in her role in the present and historic era. The chemistry of the leads was intense, very convincing and very sweet. I've binge watched this show in two days and I will keep thinking of the story and the characters for weeks to come, I seriously want more of these guys! Something like Forever and Ever after One and Only...
Hen xiang hen xiang ni (2023)
Worth the screentime!
It is rare to come across a show that does not have an actual story, plot twists, villains, love triangles, mean people, but still you feel it was worth every minute of screentime. Well, this was one of such shows, a beautiful love story with amazing friendships, great teamwork, lots of food porn, near-perfect but believable characters. The leads had amazing chemistry, I got butterflies in my stomach by just their looking at each other :)
The FL was much younger than the ML, shy, in constant disbelief that she could be the love interest of someone she's been a fan of for long. The ML, on the other hand, never wavers in his feelings and draws her out of her insecurity and fear that things might not work out, their relationship was beautiful from episode 1, and the added bonus that they were both super good looking made things even better. The other two couples were great too, but I was constantly waiting for the scenes with the main leads. Overall, it was a great show, it would have been a little meaningless had the leads not been so good looking with great chemistry, they both literally made a show without an actual story-line worth watching.
Banjjagineun Woteomellon (2023)
A tale of family love, dreams, friendship and love!
I loved, loved, loved this show. I had my eyes for it as soon as it started airing, but I patiently waited for all episodes to finish airing so I could binge watch it in a weekend. I love time travel themed shows, and this one was such a heart warming story, of family, love, friendship, dreams, love and loyalty! I loved all the characters, especially the ones from 1995, and I felt the dilemma, confusion, happiness and sadness with every character, especially the ML, right with him. The actress who played Cheong-Ah in 1995 was super cute and I simply loved her innocence and expressions. One discovered that the disability of the ML's dad was not congenital, rather due to an accident at the age of 18, but even if it was 1995, hearing aids were available to people who could speak but just couldn't hear. I mean one can understand how Beethoven became deaf and couldn't be treated in the 1700s, but it is beyond me why Ha Yi Chan couldn't be given a hearing aid! That said, I still love this show to pieces, and would be rewatching it several times, and would also recommend it to my friends!
Le You Yuan (2023)
Period drama in all its glory!
This show would be as legendary for Xu Kai as Falling into your smile, or Arsenal Military Academy. His character, costumes, action scenes, and demeanour were simply perfect! He played a guy who was brave, considerate, loyal, super romantic and responsible, displaying every characteristic one ever wants to see in a male lead. As for Jing Tian, she looked super pretty and her acting was true to her character, appearing hot and cold, competitive, even with her love interest, but remaining loyal to him always. I read some comments saying the female lead appeared cold, and uncaring for the ML, but it could be justified seeing her background. She grew up without a mother, dressed up as a man, and trained as a soldier, trying to always hide her true identity, and was pitched against the Ml several times due to his being from a rival camp. Even though I understand the character and that she did complete justice to it, one would have loved to see her warmer towards the ML. The second leads were super cute and adorable, though I found it irritating that the second FL almost always made the FL angrier with the ML. The devotion of the second ML towards his girlfriend was amazing and so likeable. Overall, it was a very watchable show with characters who were human at the end of the day.
Perfect Marriage Revenge (2023)
Perfect entertainment!
What a surprisingly perfect show! I am a fan of contract marriages, revenge dramas, romances involving revenge and family dynamics, and this drama had it all. The actors were a pleasant surprise too, since I was seeing most of them for the first time, including the leads, and that when I have watched over a hundred K-Dramas already. I loved it that the story concluded in 12 episodes, and there were no unnecessary stretches that needed skipping or forwarding. I finished the show in two days flat, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting drama that keeps you hooked from start to finish!
Yi ai wei ying (2022)
High expectations but very disappointing!
This was a much awaited show, since I am a fan of both Bai Lu and Dylan Wang, with Miles Wei in this show as well, the anticipation was even higher. I generally wait for a show to complete airing before I binge watch it, but I started watching when about 26 episodes were aired. Episode after episode, my confusion kept growing as to what was the deal with the leads, with the ML clearly interested in the FL but always giving her a tough time, then helping her covertly. As for the FL, she is shown as a rising star in financial journalism, with many noteworthy articles under her belt, but as soon as the ML comes into the picture, she sees him as the only ladder she needs to climb professionally, the character sketch of the FL couldn't have been more skewed. She flirts with a business contact openly, is unsure whether she actually has feelings for him, but sees nothing wrong in using him for her professional gain. I was expecting a great onscreen chemistry between the leads, but it was lacklustre and mediocre at best. What was really appalling were the unnecessary scenes of horse riding that felt so out of place and context! For the second leads, they looked good together, had chemistry too, but I didn't get why their relationship had to be an on-and-off kind of situation, with no rhyme or reason for unnecessary conflict or coldness. The third couple, with Miles Wei was my favourite, and one of the reasons I continued watching. That said, even this cute pair couldn't compel me to watch beyond episode 19. I really like Bai Lu and Dylan Wang, and sincerely hope they get better stories and characters in future. Bai Lu has shown such great on-screen chemistry with Ren Jialun, Xu Kai and Luo Yunxi, I expected more from her here, but she can only do what she is directed to, with the character that's written for her. As for Dylan Wang, I loved him in Love between Fairy and Devil, but I just couldn't feel the same for him in this show.
Dian ran wo, wen nuan ni (2022)
Loved Arthur Chen!!
A refreshingly good show, I happened to see the first episode by chance while trying out different shows and got hooked immediately. The cast is young and energetic college freshmen, and their journey through life, career, relationships, betrayal and love is beautiful and quite realistic. The male and female leads looked lovely together and I'm glad the show had a happy ending. In this show, I couldn't hate anybody, the behaviours of even the negative characters seemed justified in their own way. I've seen people who remain true to their parents wishes always and become miserable adults, I'm glad our FL broke out of her mother's expectations and took decisions for herself eventually, and my heart goes out for the character of Li Xun, who, eccentric as he was in the beginning, turned out to be a genius with real emotions! I highly recommend this show!
Ban shi mi tang ban shi shang (2020)
Great but longer than needed
I love Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi, and their chemistry is one of the best, this series was great in terms of the lead actors, but I couldn't tolerate the scenes of Bai Lu's best friend, the second lead actress. She was pretentious and simply over the top in everything, and even though I like Riley Wang a lot, I skipped the scenes where he was together with the second female lead, I feel she got too much screen time. As for our main leads, the story could have been over in episode 30, with a beautiful happy ending, but the story writers (I don't know why!) felt the need to stretch the story to two years later, and show the leads living together( why they didn't get married, is beyond me!), working for rival companies, being professional rivals during the day, and lovers at night. Why was there a need for this twist? I would have given the story 9 stars if the story was concluded at episode 30, and 10 stars if the second female lead was shown to be a bit more mature and intelligent.
Tian geng ji (2023)
Worth watching!
I usually start watching a series after all episodes are aired, so I can binge watch and don't have to wait for the next episode. So I patiently waited for all episodes of this series to finish airing, I had it in my watch list ever since iQIYI first announced this series. Needless to say it was worth the wait. Good looking actors, good supporting cast, a story that seemed real with emotions, romance and a lot of family dynamics involved, I as a viewer had my fair share of fun watching this drama. I am already a fan of Tian Xi Wei since I saw her in A New Life Begins, and she acted so well in this series too. Joseph Zeng was a discovery for me, I hadn't watched him before and I am now finding that he's done so many dramas that I've missed. The chemistry of the lead actors was great, right from the beginning, and I would love to see more of them together. The only reason I'm giving one star less is that the ending of the drama felt rushed. I would have so loved to see a happily ever after, and although we had an 'implied' happy ending, an extra five-ten minutes, even another episode to show how our leads were getting along in real world would have been great. Unless there is a season 2 planned, this ending cannot be justified.
Exclusive Fairytale (2023)
Simple and sweet!
A cute, feel good, coming of age romance. I loved the initial episodes since there were many laugh-out-loud moments during the school years. The relationship of the main leads with each other's parents was heartwarming. The FL, though childish at times, was sweet overall, I liked her in When I Fly towards too. The ML acted well for his debut, his kissing scenes were swoon-worthy for sure! I loved the character of Yin Zihan a lot, he added an extra spark to the screen when he appeared. I've seen him before in Falling into your smile, but he had a longer role here. The only reason I'm deducting two stars, is because I had to skip most of the portions of the FL's bestie, whose character was immature and too over the top. I almost felt sorry for the actor who acted opposite her. Apart from this one thing, the series is a great one-time watch!