Echoes the word masterpiece!

I can’t resist but share my thoughts about this drama before it truly concludes.

The waiting has ended, and lo and behold, another incomparable historical Chinese drama has been added to the list. I am a super fan of Zhao Lusi. While her beauty stands out, I rave about her versatility as an actress and what she did in this drama, which, needless to say, was a solid award-winning performance. Of course, everyone in the cast rocked in their respective roles, too.

Putting this theme into a live work was a monumental move from the producer - one rare subject to expand our familiarity with pearls that exceptionally held its value over the years in the jewelry industry. Behind its precious unpigmented feature – a so-called natural gem that isn’t processed mechanically was an unsettling story of the ruthless method of collection and trading driven by greedy monopolization as fictionalized in this drama. I believe this is a free adaptation that retells a story about a girl, who at a young age was taught and involuntarily became a pearl diver in an escapable place called pearl farm. The kind of surroundings she has, where each of them is fighting for survival and has to guard themselves under perilous attacks, turned her into a diver with nerves of steel that led to her involvement with the two MLs when both came in as guests at the pearl farm. One was there to set his vengeance in motion while the other was on official duty investigating.

Liu Yuning's (ML) & Zhao Lusi's (FL) character representations gratified my partiality for tough, sharp-witted, and capable central figures in a drama while revealing vulnerabilities and softness that was reasonably understandable looking at their back story. It was not an outright chemistry for them but strongly fetching as the story moved onwards. By the way, Liu Yuning’s unexpected casting here as a substitute for the male lead undoubtedly helped boost his popularity. The overall visual of this drama was stunning - from the locations, costumes/styling, and prop details, those smallest of things gave the exact look of the civilization the story requires for each setting. If those were shot in the actual locations or happened to be graphically enhanced only, didn’t matter at all. Still, I had this impression that the production cost an arm and a leg. I had nothing to object to the pacing and storytelling. Though inadequate to neutralize the overwhelming agony this drama has deeply shown from the torment of hard labor and slavery, repeated loss of lives, and physical sufferings in desperation to live; I love those random scenes showing the basic sources of joy such as feeling the sea air breeze over the ship deck, playing, listening, and dancing to the music of erhu (Chinese violin), and admiring the stock of flowers in a local stall.

If I were to compare this with “Love Like the Galaxy” which had won me over in a similar manner, both threw a plot of giving up on romance to fulfill an act of revenge with such engaging narratives that equally kept viewers invested. The fuss about this drama on its pre-airing soared high expectations. And yes, it was not a hype exaggeration by all accounts with the amount of appreciation it has been getting.

Leia Mais

Another jewel in the historical genre in the Korean dramas

Combined review for Part 1 & 2

What made this show largely watchable?

The material alone guaranteed a well-explored fictional story about the dynamics of love, heroism, politics, persecution, and oppression during the early times when the old Korea was under the control of another country.

The whole cast was amazing. Each character big or small showed a dedicated portrayal of the trace of life back then and can’t help but be affected by their sufferings while watching. Namkoong Min nailed it. I was in awe of his performance here. I had seen him many times in other dramas and with my standards of good looking, I found him a little unattractive before. But my opinion of him changed like a turn of 360 degrees after the show. He got me with that unspeakable charisma in the way he delivered all his dialogues. Indeed he was the best of choice for the role. His leading lady, Ahn Eun Jin, was equally notable. I thought it would be challenging for them to look good together on screen but I find it amusing that their chemistry was building up in every episode and that was something very distinctive about this show also. And those scenes with little pauses or moments of quietness before saying their lines among the main leads were another commendable element of the show.

Like other historical dramas, it practically walked us around again that leading a nation is one gigantic responsibility and it requires a genuine compassion for your people. If you become bound by the greed of the throne and power, destruction follows. Regardless, of whether you have the position or are just an ordinary person, if you’re hoping for a change, take courage and leap that step so others may follow.

I felt sort of on a journey watching this show because of the sophisticated layering of the conflicts and how it was refined in the end. Really one heck of a great show!

Leia Mais

Include to your must watch list of Korean historical drama

I finished watching this drama after two consecutive days and truly loved it. I was surprised that it has a modernized touch and the dialogues were not conventional for such a historical drama. Kim Young Dae and Park Ju Hyun were perfect for the roles, the chemistry was something and they looked good together. You will be mesmerized by their facial features every time the camera was up close to their faces. Also, you can't discount the supporting cast because of their hilarious antics. They were so endearing and you will love each of them. This drama was so warmth, fluttering on a different level, and comical at best. I am rooting for Park Ju Hyun's acting, she should have been given more lead roles. I watched her in Zombie Detective and Mouse and her acting there said it all.

Leia Mais

The PERFECT family was crumbled once ... twice ... would there be a third time?

Based on my watching experience, this drama is highly an option if you are a goer for mystery genres.

I was deeply immersed and my mind was actively working on figuring out every conflict introduced in each episode as to why the parents behaved suspiciously. We have this saying, " We reap what we sow", tragically in the story, the kindness extended to a stranger was repaid by wickedness that disturbed the once peaceful life of an outstanding family.

The execution of mystery was powerful to anchor the viewer's attention in determining who was the real protagonist and antagonist in the end. The ending was a wonderful scene of healing and forgiveness and a reflection that having a perfect family doesn't have to be blood related.

The cast members lived up to their acting reputations.

Again, I'm sealing my approval for this drama!!!

Leia Mais

Managed to stay relevant out of the many school youth romance dramas out there

I was overzealous about its popularity in the review forum. Now I knew why this drama was a hit. Basically, it was the authenticity of the story, of the characters, of the dialogues, and of the emotions that no surprise this drama got a higher number of viewership. The story might be made up but it was identifiable in all aspects related to adolescence. The fact that they do away with the glossiness and overdoing of scenes, this drama was able to create an impact.

All five main youth characters were all lovable and funny who formed a nicely typical friendship while studying. Later on, young love started to grow among them because of constant togetherness which led to a happy ending to one of the pairs. I am making a special mention and credit to the screenwriter who gave us lots of prudence words here, which you might consider simple after hearing but practically logical with deeper meanings. This I think was its breakthrough aspect over other dramas. The story showed some of the general representation of a youth who was naturally impulsive, carefree, bubbly, and timid at times; and precise descriptions of their dilemmas over confession of young love, romantic anxiety separation, pressure on academic performances, difficulty in expressing oneself, and uncertainty of one’s dreams. It was packed with life lessons beneficial to young students transitioning to adulthood and the people around them.

Having watched this set of five good decent kids in the most candid narration of experiences set at grade 10 days following university life up until to working environment, I supposed, it obtained a distinguished spot in the collection of this genre that conveyed positivity and encouragement. How nice also for this drama to have brought us to our memories of shared experiences of our very own first stomach butterfly feeling and simply recalled that “Liking someone means caring for him or her”, and that person becomes “Your ultimate solution, like a magical remedy that can cure everything.” The love story of Zhang Lurang and Su Zaizai was a thing of cuteness and maturity, another envious beautiful romance to name. If I were to pick a drama out of the many that left me happy thoughts after watching it, When I Fly Towards You is one best fit to mention.

Leia Mais

The importance of integrity in branding or rebranding in a business

This drama was aired at an appropriate time. Indeed, we are dealing with concerns of choosing the right products from loads of it in the market at present. As consumers, customers, or clients, we care for the most effective and quality goods within our buying capacity while business owners are mindful of the sales and profits, regardless if they are doing an honest business. In this scenario, it's inevitable for a brand war, and naturally, brand owners would seek the help of either marketing professionals or famed social media influencers. But before that, it's imperative to secure your intellectual property and have it legally registered to the concerned organizations for authentication of ownership. This is where the story of this drama revolves and places the main leads in a situation of soul-swapping, revenge, betrayal, and romantic encounters.

Lomon, wow, I think he's a hot young man with an absolute talent in acting. You'd agree with me if you were done watching this. He doesn't have the most perfect look but he has a good register on screen. I don't know if I am over-praising him right now, but my impression of him was his presence would not miss your eyes. I'd like to see him in a chaebol role someday for my confidence that he can perfectly justify the role of an elite. Kim Ji Eun has a good reputation in acting. It was just here in the soul-swapping scenes, that her portrayal was a little persuasive. I was having a hard time convincing myself to see her as the character of So Eun Ho compared to her original role slaying a complete immersion as someone with the biggest annoying self-righteousness and arrogance.

The conflict of revenge came unpredicted to me and it was an impressive crisis plot development. Other dramas use manipulation to fool you, not the case here. I was caught off guard and didn't see the two main leads seriously clashing and intensifying a big tension between them in the remaining episodes. For how it will be resolved, suit yourself to watch it.

I appreciate this drama for the theme itself. The elements of humor, conflict, plot, and portrayal have gone passed the metrics I set for enjoyment. Then again, seeing branding and/or marketing as the focus of the story appeared to be fresh hence, attracted my attention as someone expanding my interests to other dramas taking the risks of producing the non-traditional.

Leia Mais

Doomed for chemistry and height gap awkwardness

My patience was stretched way beyond my limitations finishing this up. It was cute at the start but eventually tore down my enthusiasm as I was seeing cliché scenes of overly romantic setups that were not giving me the heart-fluttering feeling. It has a promising storyline I believe so, about an ancient man (ML) who was still living in the modern times, with a life sustained by spiritual energy coming from a cherry tree in his old house. He lived his life there for over a thousand years waiting for someone he could not recall at all due to his distorted memories. The catch of the story was his identity and his fated relationship with the new owner of the house (FL), who decided to remain unmarried all her life. It was a let-down to have not seen the depth of the execution in the middle episodes. I am a hopeless romantic and could easily connect myself to the characters of any romantic drama or film; here I was struggling the whole time. I guessed the only strength of this show was the credible performance of the ML, one reason I gave this show a chance until the end and my curiosity to find out the truth about his past and his association with the FL’s best friend. Also, fair to say, it has a nice set of songs.

Well, this drama did not meet my approval. Felt bad for the writer and the director's efforts who lacked the knack yet to move the viewers. This kind of show seemed likely to pass either the high schoolers' crowd or those who are innocent, inexperienced, and have simple thoughts about love. I was swayed by one of the good reviews and since I was also exploring other artists, I decided to try it.

Leia Mais

The chemistry is exploding and is becoming an addiction!!!

So far after four episodes have been aired, nice going for this drama that has been feeding my cravings for excitement. At this early, I can tell this drama speaks volumes by getting a significant viewership percentage. It's not surprising at all after watching! It has the perfect cast, narrative style that engages emotions and leaves the viewers something to think about, creative camera techniques like when it shifts to relive an event from the past and the angle movements when focusing on someone or something, that effectively bring substance to the scene, and by itself, the deep crafted story.

The story's start hooked me instantly and I rooted for the two main leads. I liked that they are both rich here, as opposed to the usual romantic characters of poor girl – rich boy or vice-versa. Yoo Yeon-Seok and Chae Soo-bin's characters' psyche was interestingly teased out here in the details of their life, family, experiences, passions, dislikes, and fears. They play the roles of a married couple – a distant husband bearing the spokesperson position to the President of Korea and a mute wife working as an interpreter in a television network, who is not lawfully acting on their matrimonial duties as their union was forced by both families for business and political convenience alliance. The stable and non-communicative marriage was disrupted by the sudden abduction of the wife and the series of blackmail calls. The dynamics of the couple's relationship change afterward, eventually giving us romantic thrills with the scenes of the husband’s protective demeanors and toned-down jealousies towards his wife. This grows my anticipation as to what will happen next and the situation that will prompt the couple to lay bare what was long hidden in their hearts.

I am happy for Chae Soo-bin having starred in this project. She has a mark of her own in acting and has stamped herself as a celebrated serious actress through this drama. Her professional efforts in her 2-month studies of sign language give us a real-life portrayal of a mute person. And who would have thought that her chemistry with Yoo Yeon-Seok would blow up to such a degree showing an effortless connection that makes their relationship believable to the viewers. And yes, his attractiveness is like a vitamin to my eyes. He is strikingly charming with the wedding ring on his finger just like Song Kang in "My Demon".

Looks like I am seeing glory days for this drama. It’s awaiting performance recognitions and possibly Best Couple awards.

Leia Mais

Put entertainment aside and value it for its artistry!!!

I admire the bravery of the producer in bringing this kind of show into the mainstream while being aware that somehow, it would be tough to land a spot in the well-rated dramas for 2024. Basically, I watched this for Tian Xi Wei and the genre (romance and life) itself. The opening sequence (prologue) appeared to be odd initially for me because the vibe together with the scoring was more befitting a mystery-type drama instead. However, the unique visual textures struck me and stick out an impression. It gripped my curiosity and approached this rare narrative style with an open mind. Expect symbolism and theater acts that would further challenge your comprehension in the way you interpret the conflicts affecting the romantic relationship of the characters.

The story was far from the usual fancy and romanticizing ideas of this genre. It was a metaphor of a long portrait showing how you survive in life and love on this modern-day stretch with the very nature of it as existent. Many would admit that he or she was that character or has been in that same situation. I loved the story, the portrayals carried convictions, and the cinematography profoundly positioned a defined old urban theme. And essentially, it has imprinted growing realization of the need to make wise choices for our life guiding us to the basic rule of “Find your happiness first and thereafter we can make others happy too”.

Quite a winning blend of classic and modern touch!!! It has a charm of its own, anyhow.

Leia Mais

Learning the ways of the classic Traditional Chinese Medicines

I would like to describe this drama in general as educational. Having this theme to be used in a drama may unlikely attract a legion of viewers but as a foreign spectator, I find it profoundly interesting. It showed the depth of Chinese culture in view of the natural approach to healing and providing remedies for an illness. Watching this was like taking a course where you learned and made a lot of realizations about life and how it directly affects the condition of one’s health.

Zhao Lusi gained my adoration again. I can’t think of any actress that could better fit the role other than her and act splendidly the way she did. The same goes with her mentor here who portrayed the role flawlessly that you could wish for someone like him to be your teacher as well.

The story was inspirational. It was a journey for all the characters in relation to a change of understanding between TCM and Western medicines resulting in positive holistic progress for everyone. Though it talked about a serious subject, in between, you could have a good laugh and a feel of romance.

This drama is not conformist but I praised the creators for deviating from the norms of the drama genre to come up with this. I sensed patriotism.

Leia Mais

Loved it regardless if it deviates from its original webtoon novel

Story: The story was out of the ordinary about a woman who was reborn many times and how the cycle of her reincarnation ended. Despite being precise in its narration, the status of the story became weak when every conflict was resolved so easily in the latter episodes.

Acting/Cast: Shin Hye Sun was the perfect choice for the role. She portrayed her character effortlessly as someone who was carefree and able to remember her past 18 lives except her very own first life. Many were not satisfied with Ahn Bo Hyun’s acting in this drama but I beg to disagree, he played it well since I believed the story required his acting to be subdued by Shin Hye Sun’s strong character. What the production missed about ABH’s role was the poor styling. Prior to filming this drama, he had to trim down his build to fit the role of a young CEO of MI Group but why let him wear loose suits and bottoms with that kind of hairstyle that made him look less of a typical conglomerate heir? I still find their chemistry a bit off, luckily the story was dominant enough to cover that flaw. The rest of the cast fairly showed good supporting acts.

I revered this drama still for its distinctive storyline, and for the FL & ML funny & straightforward interactions. Another wonderful story of love and forgiveness that put the entangled fate in a good place.

Leia Mais

A drama that will surely give you a smile in your heart

For sure your eyes have met quite a number of good reviews about this drama and I am doing one too to spread the same sentiments. It was not explicitly said that this one was a continuation of the Wang-Wang couple’s first drama together in “Once We Get Married” but somehow I can’t help but think because that time I wished them of having a child and it was made possible in this drama.

So much has been said about how ideal the chemistry of the leads, the child actor that overwhelmed us all with his cuteness and undeniable acting skills, a story that was not too glossy but has its own luster because of its execution, the whole cast that showed decent acting, and the well-matched song choices (I personally like the English one played at the start of each episode) that lifted the mood of romance even more.

In addition, I’d like to mention other things that I deemed pride of this drama too.

One, the creative design of the introductory part was eye-catching. It was made playful using a mix of realistic cartoon styles that prematurely soothed my feelings for a good impression of this drama.

Next, the male lead and the kid actor’s small facial expressions and orchestrated mannerisms that I can’t resist but acknowledge their power to make me smile in certain scenes where both exhibited it. Their interactions as father and son materialized a sight of what a wonderful experience to have a child of your own.

Then, the character of Hardy and Cindy, who played the role of a loyal and ever-supportive assistant and an adoptive older sister to the male lead respectively, ironically bit roles in terms of screen exposure but big in providing support and convenience to the life of the ML. They were the cool jesters in this drama who naturally acted it out.

Finally, it was admirable for the creator to include narrative scenes of women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace commonly by those of higher authority as perpetrators. Their cause was not entirely for the entertainment value of the show alone but did a conscious effort in carrying out a socio-civic responsibility for the viewers. It was reiterated that silence was not an option for any victims to ensure self-protection and dignity preservation but rather a form of tolerance that may result in a repeat misdemeanor.

This drama centered on a young couple’s life with a son and how they successfully formed their family again. I thought of giving it a 9.5 rate at first but I have a change of heart after the final episode and then recalled everything I watched. The main couple has the most wholesome kisses (expect a lot here) yet looked passionately daring. There was never a scene where they were not emotionally connected. I felt the love they have for each other as if they were couples in real life. I felt the sadness in FL's weeping scenes and I acknowledged. that Wang Yu Wen is one actress gifted with natural acting skills. This drama totally captured my heart, and so yeah, it was a 10 for me.

Leia Mais

An impressive story about the rise and fall of a big time scammer

JOINT REVIEW FOR DECOY PART 1 & 2

The series was short but enough to cover the essence of the story. It was nice to see Jang Geum Suk acting again and this was a great choice as his comeback project on a TV screen.

What set this apart from other mystery crime investigative series was each episode was indeed made to keep your desire to watch it and left you thinking. While watching, I have this assumption that the real culprit was that person or the other person but I was mistaken and misled because of the twist that keeps on rolling.

Everything in this series was done lightly but it did not compromise its quality. One, the character of the ML was not the typically branded detective whom you get to praise instantly. Here, Jang Geum Suk appeared plain and ordinary but strikingly a principled and smart person. His acting throughout the entire series was just steady and calm. Second, the execution of the serial killings was not too gruesome to watch because of the less torture displayed. Third, it does not contain any vibrant colors rather the series was set to a bluish-grayish color mode creating a mystic appeal. And lastly, it has only one song on its official OST "Unstoppable" that you get to hear every closing of each episode. I like the song and it's giving the series an American vibe.

I was saddened by the scene where the Deputy Head was found dead and that he was not able to redeem himself to make up for his shortcomings when he did the scammer's investigation case during his detective days. I was wondering also why it was not revealed in the series the reason ML changed his career from being a lawyer to a detective. Anyway, saying this will not demerit how outstanding this series turned out and I forbid you not to miss watching this.

Leia Mais

A rather rare drama that exceeded my expectations when I least expected it to be

I was already settled for less for this drama but it gave me a big surprise as I started watching and finally completing it.

First, Esther Yu, whom I was accustomed to seeing in a delicate and dainty role more often, won me with her unusual character as someone fierce and armed with bravery. The way she played her role showcased her acting flexibilities and it was a success shifting from her comfort roles given this right material.

Second, I was not a fan of the ML but with how well the story and his character were orchestrated which was a commanding factor thus, his acting abilities surfaced. While he was often cast for supporting roles, it was evident here he could carry a lead role and deserves more spots for that in the future.

Third, never have I seen such graceful fighting scenes like in this drama, those glides and moves were winning combinations. I am giving my big applause to those involved in creating and choreographing those significantly artistic scenes. I was in a state as if I was seeing dancing performances rather than fighting scenes.

Finally, the story, the execution, and the choice of casts even the songs used made this drama by far unexpectedly likable to watch. I particularly enjoyed the character of the eldest Young Miss ZiShang who brought sunshine in this drama with her humor and naughtiness. Unlike other supporting roles that can be omitted and still the drama would make sense, here, without her supplementary role, the story will likely suffer. Further, it was noticeable that the majority of the acting parts were focused on the facial and vocal features of every character, a smart approach suitable for this drama that created a ground for its strong storytelling.

It was a different wuxia for me and patrons of this genre will give their approval of this drama. However, it ended up hanging though it was not announced yet, I believe a second part is right on the boil.

Leia Mais

Best quick watch, bravo!!!

I can’t resist the pairing of Dai Gao Zheng and Chen Fang Tong after their “Maid’s Revenge” and so it excites me to see them here again. This time it was a better story with a polished plot development unlike with other mini-series that seemed to leave me with a hanging thought about the story. I was in awe of their strong screen chemistry. The intimate scenes were shot beautifully. I absolutely loved how they kissed and hugged and when they had their personal talks facing closely to each other. Superb dialogue lines indeed made their performances stand out. Chen Fang Tong looked a little plump here but as for me, it did not affect the overall visual of their pairing. This drama was compulsively watchable and looking forward to their future project together.

Leia Mais