Solid female centric drama that fell short of being great

This Show certainly started with a bang. It is dramatic and engaging right from the start. It was the classic “how the mighty falls” trope writ large. Liu Tao has the titular role and I love her acting and visuals. She was ably supported by Qin Hai Lu and Chai Bi Yun. Together they formed the triumvirate that seems to be de rigueur for the current crop of similar shows.

Our hapless FL is tested time and again. Her despair and suffering are palpable. She is pushed to her limits, but this only fan the flames from which the phoenix can rise again. The Show did a good job keeping us engaged. The problem lies elsewhere.

Most of the subplots are tropey and they come in waves. When one FL gets a handle on things, the next one will hit the wall and the cycle repeats. This is not helped by the fact that all three FL’s works in the same regional TV station doing different roles. It is interesting to see how the newsroom and the business side works, but it is a small pond. It becomes more claustrophobic as the episode count ticks up. The Show tries to stay relevant by having the leads branch out into the “new” streaming platforms. It helps, but it doesn’t feel “real”. These are not backyard operations but well staffed business ventures. Many struggling streamers must be rolling their eyes.

Weaving through all these challenges are love lines for each FL. Some are more interesting than others. Obviously, the Liu/Liu pairing is the focus, and I can totally ship them. In fact, it is this burgeoning romance that keeps me watching. The ML is so earnest and devoted, he can make any woman swoon. I love his unique visual with the hint of a rebel.

Speaking of romance, it is a key selling point of this Show but also its Achilles heel. There is nothing wrong with the 3 pairings but other than talking the talk, they don’t really walk the walk. After all the push-pulls and trials, we end up with a ripple rather than a wave when they are finally together. Yes, they are loved up but there is next to no skinship. A couple of hugs and a peck on the cheek is it. The other two CP’s don’t even get that far. Maybe it is the age of the actors, but it is not very rewarding after shipping them for so long.

While most c-dramas work hard to hook us within the first few episodes, this show does better than that. The middle section where the FL’s start to turn things around are some of the better episodes. However, the tail didn’t quite fire. Part of the problem is the return of the FL’s husband and the resolution of his mysterious disappearance.

I know crimes must be punished in c-dramas. However, his return feels too scripted. I would prefer for him to keep his distance rather than showing up all guns blazing. He behaved just as you’d expect and utters all the cliché lines. It is formulaic and feels lacking. A better option might be for him to send her all the damning information and an apology letter. Then set her free with a divorce by proxy. He doesn’t deserve redemption per se but that would be a more nuanced approach than just painting him as an one-dimensional crook.

In the end, the Show is a good example within this popular genre. I appreciate the solid acting, chemistry of the Liu/Liu pairing and good production values. However, the plots lack originality and that certain je ne sais quoi to lift it above the rest. It is an enjoyable watch but not high on my rewatch list. It gets a credit rather than a distinction. Peace out.

Leia Mais

The union of my expectation and reality

This review is going to be different from my usual style. I don’t want to go through and dissect the show point by point because it would be nitpicking. I want a broader approach because the show affects me at a more visceral level.

Fundamentally, my overall emotion after completed this show is disappointment. On paper, this show should be one of the biggest hit of 2023. Indeed, the ratings and the online chatters all points to a buzzworthy show. That is to be expected when you start with an award winning script writer who has penned hits like Once Again, Oh My Ghost and Weightlifting Fairy, then add the power coupling of Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Kyung-ho. Throw in a laundry list of veteran support actors and you have one heady mix. This should yield nothing short of perfection. I should be able to just write QED and adjourn to the Union Bar for some (cough) intellectual discords.

However, by the half way mark, I can’t ignore a growing sense of unease and it only intensified as the story unfolds further. What bothers and concerns me is not the acting, which is solid, nor a bad script but it is just so . . . . underwhelming. It lacks that magical quality I'd expect from our writer-nim. To be brutally honest, this is not her best work. Most plots are tropey, the majority of support roles are one dimensional, the murder mystery is hardly suspenseful and why do we even need one? She pushes the button hard on the exam hell suffered by many senior students but she offered little redress. If anything, the ML is a hypocrite because while fully acknowledging how unfair and stressful the CSAT system is, he also makes an obscene amount of money tutoring and basks in his status as a top star teacher.

Similarly, after all the trials and tribulations relating to the exam system, everyone comes up roses. All the young protagonists gets into college courses of their choice. Even the sport jock who failed the exam is now a hardworking lad who won't give up. Hwaiting! It is not exactly a warts and all exposé, is it?

This spills over into the murder mystery. I was really expecting a tight and suspenseful whodunit but it soon becomes clear that the murderer’s identity and even his raison d’etre are fairly obvious. The only people who are fooled by the numerous red herrings are the local police. Of course this leads to some soul searching by the leads but in the end, the punishment fits the crime and we collectively moved on without a backward glance.

This is a recurring issue. While the show decries certain issues, the message is conflicting and diluted. The murderer was tormented and abused but because he committed heinous crimes, he is the one to blame. Everyone else is a victim. Ditto, the helicopter parents who drove their kids to distraction or worse are mostly given hall passes. The Show concludes with scenes of our long-suffering young cohorts being happy, well-adjusted college students enjoying themselves. Is the Show condemning the system or supporting it?

As a piece of entertainment, it is buzz worthy and very watchable and ticked all the boxes. It gets the Monday morning water cooler seal of approval, but I find it wanting. It pains me to have to write this review. It should have been a celebration of a great script and wonderful acting. To be fair, there is an lovely autumn romance with its fair share of swoon worthy moments. The amount of chemistry is up for debate but I digress. There are tensions and high dramas but they are also weakened by some inelegant story telling.

If I had known nothing about the writer and the ensemble actors then I'd be happy to watch it as a decent k-drama with its fair share of foibles but, alas, I do know better. This makes it all the harder to be placated by the last episode which I can only describe as sugar overload. Everyone is gifted with a HEA ending whether they deserved it or not. I, for one, cannot unsee the scene of the pregnant FL's BFF chatting with one of the gang-of-mums about her marriage. I literally groaned out loud.

One final thought. Whomever is the FL’s stylist needs to be locked away in a dank dark dungeon. It takes a herculean effort to dress the FL in the most frumpy anti-fashion way. That, my friend, is THE true crime.

Peace out.

Leia Mais

A wholesome peek into the enigmatic Maiko House

The life of a Maiko is not easy and it is filled with learning and training from their mid to late teens. It is a vocation as well as a lifestyle that requires total dedication. As such, it is a fairly insular world that has a very public face as well as a private one as well.

This show gives us a peek into the inner workings of a Maiko house. It is a fascinating drama for anyone who is interested in this unique Japanese way of life. However, this is a double edged sword as the show really takes the slice-of-life aspect to its heart so from the get-go. It rarely pauses to explain anything about their training, lore and rituals. I would suspect some young Japanese will also feel a bit confounded. For foreigners, it can be downright bewildering which makes this an interesting choice for Netflix international distribution.

On top of that, there is a very strong foodie element. Not only are the dishes looks delicious and change with seasonal ingredients, they are also tailored to individual’s tastes. All power to the FL for being so skillful but I just can’t shake the fact that she is barely 17yo. Is it dramatic licence?

The storytelling is tropey and fairly old fashion. It is totally functional and engaging, just don’t expect any edgy social commentaries. The plots are low angst and a bit meandering. It skips around the timeline and tends to focus on key dates, festivals and milestones. There are hints of romances, and some tough decisions confront our protagonists. The narrative is ongoing so a sequel is quite possible. The pacing is leisurely. It can be almost meditative at times. Dedicating long minutes on some daily errands is part of the narrative. You just have to roll with it.

Acting is good across the board. The inhabitants of the Maiko House and their associated Geikos are the key members of the ensemble. The young female leads certainly pull their weight. The female cast carries most of the plots and have the most growth (although it is not consistent). The male cast is in support and fill the minor roles. The portrayals are not particularly deep and their behaviours are mostly predictable. You are left in no doubt that the sisterhood and their shared heritage is the foundation that the house is built on.

Your level of enjoyment and reward is really subjective. It is more enjoyable if you are familiar with the subject matter and can follow the ebb and flow of their rigid routines or conversely, you can treat this as a mindless filler and watch it casually. If you are somewhere in between then it can be confusing and frustrating to varying degrees. At the most fundamental level it is a nice show about a female only share house with a talented young live-in cook. However, that would be like describing Lord Of The Rings as a bunch of weird people wandering the wilderness. ;)

This review is relatively short because I don’t really have a lot to say about it. I personally loved this drama. It is like the dishes cooked and served in the show. Nothing fancy but so delicious and comforting. It sparks joy in you, and you just want more. BTW, there is a website that has all the recipes in the show. I’m game to try cooking some. Are you? ;)

Leia Mais

“Femme Fatale vs Homme Fatale”

From my perspective, the show has a rough start. A lot of the issues comes down to the characterisations of the leads. The ML is fairly straightforward, he is portrayed as a handsome movie star that distrusts women on the whole and despises those he considered to be parasites. His psyche is so damaged that physical interactions with females can bring on physiological reactions. Because of this, he puts up a brave front but is secretly an introvert and shies away from contacts other than his close friends and relatives.

On the other hand, the FL is an extrovert who is good at many things including martial arts, motorbike racing and stint driving. She never does anything by half measures. She always hone her skills to the best of her abilities. Interestingly, this mirrors the actor who plays that role. Kim Ok-bin is very accomplished in all those areas and more. In the drama, she is layered with a very strong sense of justice, and she sees bad men everywhere and is more than happy to step in to give them their just dessert. While she is happy to use her fists, she doesn’t shy away from unconventional methods like seducing a cheater and then dumping them just to give them a taste of their own medicine. I love how strong and powerful she is and she is not dependent on any man for her identity. Hurrah!

Just to mix things up, the writer-nim also put the ambiguous relationship between the ML and his male BFF on full display. Maybe she is trying to create more interest with the complex interplays so that the various characters will spark off each other. Unfortunately, that approach didn't gel with me. It feels like busy work and fire off conflicting messages.

The OTP's meet-cute is built upon the mistaken intention trope but is stretched to its limit. This makes it hard to ship the OTP from the start. Fortunately, the misunderstanding is cleared up quickly and we soon moves on to the contract dating trope.

Round 2!! The OTP's romance is now on track. At the same time, we learn more about the leads’ backstories so that we can understand why they behave the way they do. Honestly, while I accept their backstories on face value, they do feel like being engineered to fit into the narrative.

Acting is very good and the action sequences are highlights. The FL is the star of this show, and she excels in so many different disciplines. The ML is handsome but carries a lot of baggage and he did well in that role. We are lucky that this is not an idol drama so that while the actors are good looking, they can back it up with their acting abilities.

Furthermore, with good, seasoned actors, it is not hard to ramp up the OTP’s chemistry. Their skinship is certainly much more natural and intense than the usual perfunctory stuff. Their love line helps to lift the show above average but that is assuming the first few episodes did not dent your enthusiasm.

Two other minor points, the show can’t help itself from adding a cacophony of cute animal sounds, dings and clangs after every “humourous” moment or dialogue. It gets old pretty quick. The 2CP’s romance is too draggy. The show made it clear that the FL broke too many hearts while the 2FL has her heart broken too many times. So she decided to push the 2ML away at all cost. The problem is that it is obvious to the audience that both are pining for each other but this charade went on until the dying minutes of the show. It would have been nice to see more 2CP sweet moments.

In the end, the second half of the show is very entertaining and swoon worthy. I am happy to rewatch that but I’d skip the first half. Peace out.

Leia Mais

A patchy retelling of a classic trope

This movie certainly started like an action movie. Elaborate action sequences filled the screen with loud noises and pyrotechnics. It is all done with good quality CGI. It launches the plot and introduces all the key players. The premise of the movie is not exactly new. The use of AI/robots in combat was cause célèbre before the first Terminator movie but that franchise certainly made it a pop culture phenomenon.

The special sauce in this case is the combat AI in question was extracted from the dying brain of the lead researcher’s mother. She is a famous mercenary who nearly died years ago during her last mission to earn money to pay for her daughter’s surgery. She has been kept alive but in a vegetative state.

The research project led by the selfsame daughter (2FL) is the central plot. It largely focused on honing the AI’s combat and tactical abilities as captured at the height of the FL's fighting prowess. However, it is treated as a closed loop and each time the experiment ends in failure, the android’s mind is wiped.

Everything changed when the research programme is cancelled with little warning. At first, the 2FL was just going to pass on the data and shelve the programme, but she found out that her mum’s memory is intact and the android will behaves as if her mum has come back to life if the restraint on its programming is removed. That realisation triggered the final cascade of events.

I gather the writer-nim and director-nim are trying to make a grand statement about the morality and pitfall of using AI created by mapping a living brain or the sanctity of one’s mind. Unfortunately, the message is not particularly strong nor clear and is mixed in with all the political/business imperatives and feels muddled.

What I did notice is that the process and legality of transferring a dying person’s mind to an android seems to be well established and there are even a price list for perspective clients which diluted the message further. This makes it hard to explain why the 2FL, being a leading scientist, is caught off-guard by her own discovery.

While the start and end sequences are impactful and quite entertaining, the middle section is slower and meandering. It is filled with pseudo-science and the movie tries to use the narrative to fill in some of the backstory. It is watchable but the complete change in pace did the movie no favours. It just feels like there is too much exposition about contrived theories.
As I mentioned before, the ending was an even bigger rollercoaster thrill ride. It was certainly well made and keep your attention to the end. However, the ending is rather tropey. It just about confirms the whole movie is a retelling of the liberation of a trusted slave/horse/mum trope. The final shot of the FL was “interesting”. It is cheesy but does leave the door ajar for a sequel.

Acting wise, it is a mix bag. The female leads did well especially the mum/android role. It is very demanding both physically and emotionally. The 2FL earned her keeps but the script doesn’t really give her much time or room to grow. She has a job to do, and she did it to the best of her abilities. The ML is a caricature and prone to overacting. Most of the support cast are just living props. That is probably why the middle section is the weaker link because we have to rely on some of those secondary roles to push the plot along and they are not always up to the task.

All in all, it is an enjoyable popcorn flick. There is a hint of grand ideals but the setting and execution was too restrictive to truly deliver a knockout punch.

Leia Mais

Need a few more special herbs in this guggling brew

I have high hopes for this drama (why do I feel like I just cursed the show? ;) ). It has a good cast and I like the ML when he stars in other shows. The FL is quite good at playing a sassy girl as well. It should be a sure fire hit, right?

The answer is a bit more complicated. The Show starts strongly. The opening scenes are impactful with some quite confronting. We have two leads who are hurt and damaged by the machinations of others. Both lives are derailed, and their future seems to be full of uncertainties and trials.

The Show is patently a healing drama with a strong dose of romance. The chemistry between the leads is unmistakeable from the start. The show largely delivers on its premise, but it is not without caveats.

Part of the problem is that the Show drifts from one motif to another without fully committing to any of them. There is palace intrigue which is full-on at the beginning but faded mid show. Comedic elements pop up from time to time but you can hardly call it a comedy. Medical dramas run right down the centre. Some cases are interesting but most are just fillers.

The whole Joseon psychiatrist thing is a bit of a deception. The ML still based his diagnosis on checking the parent's pulse and countenance. Treatments are centred on acupuncture and herbal tonics. He does think more about the circumstances of his patients, but I'd call him mindful, insightful rather than a neophyte psychiatrist.

The love line is oddly nebulous as well. Not that the leads are confused about their feelings. If anything, they knew exactly how they feel about each other, but the show just won’t let them take the leap.

I don't want to use the word draggy to describe this show and it is not, at least not in the classical sense. It feels more like a lack of resolve. It is as if the show is buying time, rather than wasting time. This might well be because the show is renewed for a second season before the first season is even over so the writer-nims might be under pressure to keep a few tricks up their collective sleeves for S2.

Characterisation is a mixed bag. The leads have clear identities, and their portrayals are largely on point. The support cast is more one dimensional with most of them employed as comedic relieves. The antagonists are a tropey mix of local pompous bully and power-hungry grand vizier type. They brought forth death and destruction, but the intrigue is more pedestrian than Byzantine.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the Show. All the ingredients are in the pot, but it just simmers and guggles. Never quite come to a boil. It is good but not great. To be fair, the Show concluded satisfactorily at the end of S1 with retribution and redemption dished out appropriately. It didn’t quite end in a cliff-hanger but more like a ridge-hanger.

Bring on season 2! Hwaiting!

Leia Mais

A modern fairy-tale that requires industrial grade rose tinted glasses

This Show might have a contemporary setting, but it has all the hallmark of a fairy-tale. The characters do not behave in a realistic way and the settings are more staged than true to life. The female leads are dressed to the nines to go to work and high society balls and cocktail parties are regular as clockworks. Wheeling and dealing are the only game in town but not a lot of real lawyering. It is a make-believe world that our protagonists have their fateful meeting and begin a fake marriage of convenience.

Fake marriage is such a trope nowadays that it is almost an automatic point deduction when a show uses it as the main plot. In this case, the Show is watchable, in part because of the charisma of the FL and the chemistry between the leads. The ML’s character is lying flat and generally taking a low profile. This means the FL is about as flamboyant as you can get as a counterpoint. She also has a collection of frenemies to match her designer handbags.

The raison d'etre for the fake marriage is the premo law firm where the FL works has a glass ceiling for unmarried female lawyers. Of course, the ambitious FL is not taking that lying down. In true drama fashion, lies begot more lies and the house of cards grew bigger and ricketier every day. I could add plot holes begot more plot holes but that would be labouring the point. ;)
The Show is entertaining at times and there are swoon worthy moments as the leads goes from being antagonistic towards each other to being lovers. However, the writer decided to keep their relationship ambiguous all through the Show. To be honest, it is disappointing as we see a lot of PDA but we still gets the “are we, aren’t we” vibe and the de rigueur breakup. This brings about the cliché fallout for several episodes.

The less we talk about the 2nd CP the better. They are a total narrative mess. They seem to exist solely to highlight how rational the OTP’s relationship is. If they were funny, at least we can get an occasional laugh, but they are just cringey to watch. The 3rd CP (FL’s ex) feels more like a one-sided crush. There are PDA but you don’t feel the passion.

While relationships are all over the place, the Show is littered with business subplots that are both ethically and legally questionable. Motivations are overblown and seems to always focus on monetary gains and one-upmanship. It serves to highlight the weakness and illogic of the FL’s chosen path. The longer the Show ran, the more untenable her situation becomes. It begs the question why she doesn't just quit if she is intelligent, professional and focused? Is it greed, stubbornness or blind ambition? It doesn't shine her in a positive light.

Acting wise, it is a mixed bag. There is a fair bit of overacting from the ensemble cast. The FL is the focal point, and she usually does a good job, but it starts to feel samey after a while. As I mentioned before, the ML’s delivery can be a bit flat but he is the yin to the FL’s yang so there is a certain balance there. When it works, their scenes can be quite swoon worthy. There is a decent amount of skinship which doesn't look fake. The OTP’s romance is pretty much the saving grace of the Show.

OST is not bad. Some nice tunes but they do get a bit repetitive by the end of the show. I might watch a highlight reel in the future, but it would be a challenge to rewatch the whole show.

Leia Mais

Jack of all trades, master of none

This Show starts well enough. There is a lot of energy, and it promised some interesting characters and novel mesh-up of genres. Unfortunately, after that initial burst of creativity, it quickly lost the momentum and settled on a plodding meh-ddle ground that felt more cliché than creative.

Let us dive deeper. The leads includes a crime fighting chaebol with a hint of Batman including a secret lair (their words). Of course, that means he is paired with a trusted sidekick who is both a lawyer and a hacker/tech guru. To amp up the odd pairing, the FL has superpower but has a difficult childhood. Yet she is always righteous and hardworking. The 2FL can bake yummy bread (….).

Yes, that is an eclectic mix but the writer-nims thrown in enough chemistry and fast paced action from the get-go to keep your interest for long enough to get over the initial hump. Unfortunately, problems soon start to surface.

For starters, this Show has so many plot holes and inconsistencies. It is almost as if the writer-nims brainstormed ideas and settled on a handful of good ones and then try to tie them together with bits of string.

There is also little character development. It is more like character regression. The detective/crime fighting ML solves almost no cases except for one personal one that has been ongoing for 20 years. Yet all the ducklings begin to line up as soon as the FL joins the team. The lawyer sidekick practices no law, he does the usual techno babble, and everything magically appear on his screen. BTW, he drives a van that Scooby-Doo will be proud of. The FL barely ever uses her superpower, and the impact is marginal and contrived. The 2FL is there purely as comic relief and the love interest of the 2ML. Everyone just seems to settle into cliché roles.

This means the tone and direction of the show is all over the place. One minute it is slapstick comedy, next scene can be sickly sweet romance and then it becomes deadly serious. Some shows can pull this off like the Law Café but this show just feels scatty and manic. Maybe this is because of the writer-nims’ inexperience. Both credited script writers have little writing experience prior to this show and sadly, it shows.

Acting wise, it is a real mixed bag too. With the plot and tone going all over the place, the actors are prone to overact or just look a bit lost without clear directions. Most of them gamely soldiers on but it is a tough gig. There are lots of one-note characters which doesn’t help the the show's cause.

In the end, I was thankful that it is only 12 episodes long as I was wondering where the show is going at the end of ep.9. It is watchable, it has its moments, but it is like looking at a storyboard of hand picked scenes and a matching checklist from Script Writing 101. Could a more experienced writer-nim deliver a better script or would it be better to leave this sleeping dog alone?

Leia Mais

It is all about the feel

This review is going to be vague because there is no point dissecting every scene nor trying to highlight where the writer-nim could have portraited the law/autism/discrimination/etc better or more realistically. In a sense, the Show is about the overall feel and raising awareness of certain social and societal issues. There is no panacea for such ills. The writer-nim did leave some subplot dangling like the lawyer specialises in social justice cases and the ATM company. It means a win is not always rewarding or justice being served. It could end up hurting the "little guy" or setback social progress. They are grey areas that is up to us to explore further and reflect upon.

What the Show is good at is creating the unique world that Woo Young Woo lives in. It is not a "real" world because it is a drama after all. It is more like a modern pastel fairy tale. It is relatable but it takes liberty with certain aspects of reality.

Our FL's acting is superb and is consistent for 95% of the show which is a tough gig when you consider her character's mannerism and her speech pattern. Kudos to Park Eun Bin. The ML is also well played but he is firmly in support of the FL. Their romance is sweet and awkward in equal parts. There are some really swoon worthy moments. Speaking of support, it is a bit disappointing that the support casts are fairly tropey and doesn't "grow" during the show. Some are comic relieves while others are the token bullies. They are there as foils for our FL and to move the plot along where necessary.

Now the elephant in the room. The Jeju episodes are a misstep by the writer-nim in my book. It was a weird change of tone and cadence in an otherwise smoothly flowing show. It just felt off. It is just as well the Show recovers it's bearings and is back on track by episode 15/16.

It is as if the Show is self referencing itself in the end. I am left with a sense of contentment and fulfillment after the final scene. I couldn't help but grin in unison with our leads as the credit rolls. Life is good. Growth in measured steps is fine. I can't fault the ending. It is bright, positive and forward looking. What more can we ask? To paraphrase farmer Hoggett, "That'll do Woo. That'll do." :)

CGI whales and OST are both great. Rewatch is already scheduled.

At the time of writing, the Show has been confirmed for Season 2(!) and I'm thankful that writer-nim didn't leave us with some crazy cliff-hanger. I'm definitely looking forward to the future adventures of our Extraordinary Attorney!

Leia Mais

A solid romance dragged down by lackluster fillers

I felt awkward when trying to write this review because I was seesawing between positive and negative feelings while watching the show. It felt as if I'm reviewing the Show and "the rest".

Fundamentally, this is a good romance drama. The ML is a handsome, workaholic CEO of a high-end fashion empire and the FL is a younger, bubbly student designer with great potentials. So far so good and their developing romance was nice and sweet. The ML is totally loyal and supportive but a bit domineering. The FL is a bit clueless at first but warmed up nicely. They have good chemistry and there is a decent amount of skinship that feels natural. Their romantic scenes in Paris are beautifully shot and their later scenes in China are certainly swoon worthy. I also appreciate the show paying homage to Chinese culture, textiles and fashion. For once, the overarching business theme is integral to the show. This includes realistic couture creation processes and not just the usual lip service. This would be a tight and enjoyable drama if it was 20 episodes long, alas it is more than double that length.

To reach that lofty length, the writer grafted on many iffy subplots and added a host of one dimensional support characters. We have a SML as well as SFL, a parade of tropey antagonists, meddling and manipulative parents and a dying ex-GF. So much angst, too much time.

All these stereotypical characters inhabit a seemingly parallel world where the OTP visits in between their romantic outings. Due to some dodgy writing, the flow of the story is not always smooth nor logical. Sometimes you can sense that the show wanted X to happen, so they worked backwards and jam in an Event Y as the raison d'être but quite often this feels clunky and heavy handed. Even when the story did make sense, it is filled with standard tropes.

Likewise, some characters' behaviour and rationale gave me pause. For instance, the ML’s mum admitted that she made a grave mistake when she forced the ML to marry his ex-GF 3 years ago for business reasons. She is doing exactly the same thing again but with the SFL. This also begs the question what are SFL's thoughts after witnessing what happened 3 years ago. The mum also refused to accept the FL, but she was willing to accept the FL’s younger brother as her only niece’s boyfriend after one short meeting. BTW, the 2OTP is quite contrived and not very convincing.

Surprisingly, the sick ex-GF is actually the best character of the lot. She is a sweet, well-adjusted lady. Her subplot was bittersweet and touching but grafted on. Small blessings.

Probably the worse aspect of the writing is the convoluted and muffled narrative. Subplots are plentiful but feel dull and predictable. Antagonists never raise above being petty minded. Even when they did huge economic damage to the ML’s company they are not punished in any tangible way. It was laughable how they were eventually caught. There are other examples of this type of dubious morality and fast logic. Ask no questions...

With that in mind, I would say that the core romance drama is good and solid but the overuse of lacklustre fillers drag it down and made it less enjoyable to watch. Peace out.

Leia Mais

Fluffy, sweet, cookie cutter rom-com

Oath of Love is a perfectly watchable rom-com that is sweet and angst lite. If you are a fan of the stars or looking for just such a harmless rom-com then this is a must watch.

Otherwise, the plot is back-of-a-napkin stuff. Bubbly college student fell in love with older, handsome surgeon who happens to save her father’s life. The rest are cookie cutter fillers. Don’t get me wrong, the show is well made and enjoyable. The chemistry is decent with a good amount of skinship that looked natural and not staged. The main plot is tropey and the pace is relaxed. There is a bit of love triangles, a bit of angst, a bit of drama but it is all there to take up a bit of time. Nothing really gets in the way of the romance. There is little to allow this to stand out from the pack.

I do appreciate that the ML is devoted to the FL from the start and totally supportive but sometimes he leans too much into the stoic doctor trope. The FL acted well and displayed her usual range of emotions (there is no shortage of tears). It is just very similar to her other modern rom-com roles. I do worry about over exposure of this young star.

There are two other CP’s. They are interesting up to a point but they both got sidelined. They still managed to have a HEA ending. The show is really doing a Oprah Winfrey.

The bulk of the support cast are from central casting. They did their jobs well enough.

There are two things that I really liked and really disliked about this show. The thing I really liked is how the show handled the FL’s father’s situation towards the end of the show. It was sentimental but it was handled with a deft hand. You can feel the love and how they are all trying to create some beautiful memories. The plot devices used are not new, but it was done well. I appreciate it more consider how prickly the father has been.

The thing I disliked the most was the FL’s “attempt” to be a cello player of the highest standard. OMG, it was embarrassing. Just about every aspect of that is off. From her approach to practise, her scenes playing the cello and her “performances”. Anyone with some knowledge of classical string instruments will cringe. I know it is unrealistic to assume every actor will do lots of preparation for a “technical” role but they can do better when faking it. BTW, Park Eun-bin actually learnt the violin for her role in Do You Like Brahms, just saying. ;)

OST was nice but the main theme was a bit overused. I can rewatch this show but it will be a background task because there is not a lot of plot that needs my full attention.

P.S. On a personal note, I start watching this show when it first premiered but by the 2/3 mark, I lost interest and put it on hold. I final binged the rest of the show after a hiatus of many weeks. I’m glad that I finished it. This did present me with a dilemma when it comes to rating it. On one hand, I stopped because the show was a bit draggy, tropey and samey up to that point. However, the show did get better towards the end so I have to give it its due.

Leia Mais

Signor Verdi would be proud of this show

Eve is fundamentally a modern interpretation of a classic tragic grand opera where revenge, lust, love, power and money are fused together into a cascade of inordinate acts that assault the senses until the grand finale where all the evil deeds come home to roost. Usually, the protagonist is so altered by the soul destroying need for revenge that they are consumed by the vengeful act. This might be seen as a prime example of a makjang drama as well.

Eve would have worked so much better as an opera or a film, but 16 episodes allowed us too much time to notice its flaws. That is a real shame because it is a well-made show in many regards.

It is because of these flaws that the show will be polarising. On one hand, we can be swept away by the haunting love story, the all-consuming greed, hatred and thirst for retribution. Scenes that mixed shock and awe, opulent display of wealth and power can be mesmerising. Much the same way that extreme depravity can be spellbinding.

The flip side of such a strong stylistic statement can be a lack of substance. Does style ride shotgun over narrative logic? With such a long runtime and days between episodes, there is a lot of time for us to absorb the narrative and put two and two together. Seek and we shall find some serious plot holes and contrivance. At some point I decided that to enjoy this show, I need to switch off some cognitive functions and rely more on primitive emotions. Bring on the extra strong tinted lens!

With that in mind, I would say that I mostly enjoyed the show but with caveats. I did get distracted by some illogical scenarios and some contrivance gave me pause. In the end, I was swept up by the head long rush to the grand denouement where it reached the all consuming crescendo. It was a fitting final act to a monumental tragedy and there is little room for moral ambiguity. Death cometh to us all. Signor Verdi would be proud.

Was the epilogue necessary? Was it better that we are given a glimmer of hope (was it wistful thinking?) or would it be better to let the dead rest and leave us to our reflections?

Similarly, comments regarding the acting will be polarised as well. There is no shortage of stylistic flairs and film noir moments so some might think that the actors are not showing enough emotions or when there is an outburst, it is over the top. A lot comes down to the direction and I don’t think any of the actors did a bad job, but 16 hours is a long time repeating a small range of pose. There are times when I felt that the leads were wearing a gilded mask but a mask nevertheless.

OST is fine, got to love a good Tango. Rewatch is unlikely in the near future.

Leia Mais

Not all sweet dreams have silver linings

I am impressed with the production quality of this show. The set looked lived in and organic. The story is engaging, and the actors’ visuals are spot on. You can sense the chemistry between the leads even during their meet-cute. The story generally moved along at a good pace with some troubling and hard-hitting plots that really set up the backstories of the three female leads and what drove them to make a new life in the Song Dynasty’s Eastern Capital.

I really appreciate the Show's attention to detail with some very elaborate sets and costumes. Both arts and crafts are well featured and referenced. The tea ceremony and banquet entertainment are most impressive. The one exception is the pipa performances. There is only so much you can alter reality. ;)

Scenes also have a more natural feel by shooting under natural lights and weather conditions. This dedication to authenticity did slip a little towards the end but it is still impressive.

In terms of the main plot, it is very much built upon the strong bonds between the three female leads and their struggles. Ancient China is not built on equality. Gender inequality and a rigid class system is institutionalised (look up 3 obediences/4 virtues). The Show's feminist and class struggle messages are unmistakable. I do appreciate the effort but it can get a bit heavy handed and you start to feel that our FL’s are the divine agents of change.

Running alongside this are the love lines between the OTP and a cute/comedic older 2OTP (there is a junior 3OTP). As I mentioned before, the chemistry of the OTP is strong. While we have the usual push-pull, it was handled with maturity resulting in meaningful conversations and straightforwardness, an uncommon sight in dramas. There is also a decent amount of skinship and it felt natural and playful. I for one am happy that the confession happened sooner rather than later, and we were treated to some nice swoon worthy moments before . . . the tropey plot took over.

I know tropes are inescapable. The first half was so engrossing that you took them in your stride. However, around the 2/3 mark, the show seemed to hit a fork and the writer grafted a big branching plot onto the story and doubled down on the tropes thus creating a lot of angst for all involved. This was further compounded by the ML going MIA and then flashed the Noble Idiot card. Is the Show trying to pad out the length? You can put a fence around this and excise it and there will be minimal impact to the overall story. I would have scored the Show higher if we were spared this “distraction”.

Speaking of distractions, the palace intrigue subplots was all prevailing, but it didn’t do much for me. It just seemed to be there to create agitation. In the end, the “intrigue” was fairly humdrum.

To fault the acting of the main cast is to nit-pick. I’m particularly impressed by Dai Xu. He played a bumbling bully and a loveable rogue with great comedic timing and a deft touch. The pairing of our OTP was perfect. Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao could have stepped out of a history book. The other main cast members pull their weights. The main antagonist is a tragic figure whose downfall was foretold but his retribution did left me with a sour taste.

This is one of the best historical drama I have seen for some time. OST is wonderful. 40 episodes is a tad long for a rewatch but I would definitely enjoy a swoon-y highlight reel, especially the ending.

Leia Mais

Is consistency the new mark of quality?

I shall begin by saying that I enjoyed this show. It is not perfect by any means and both the plot and execution is fairly old school but what it lacks in impact is more than made up by its steady pacing and consistency. A bit like an old friend that you caught up from time to time and retell old stories or share some gossips. When I first started watching dramas, this show would have been deemed mediocre and a bit boring. After watching many shows and suffered through some whose sole purpose seem to be to find the bottom of the barrel, my perspective has certainly changed.
As I mentioned before, the plot and characters are fairly old school. Feisty FL paired up with a honest, decent ML. There is the usual push-pull and fake relationship which turned very real in an nice way. It doesn’t try to shock or confuse us but just stick the well-thumbed playbook. I certainly appreciate the consistency. Plots and romances progress just as you’d expect. Characters are true to their personas. There are no whiplash changes or shock twists. If there is a realignment, they are usually for the better. The love lines are sweet and pure. Almost too pure but there are some skinship but not a lot of passion.
Of course, there are plot holes and minor subplots that seemed to lead nowhere, but the overarching theme is always there and unwavering. Most of the enemies became friends, brain usually wins over brawn. Plots are resolved with satisfaction while rewarding the good and punishing the bad. I have to say that there is a little too much emphasis on making money, but it is balanced by using some of that money to do good, so you have to cut them some slack. This emphasis on doing business did cause the middle part of the show to feel samey and a little draggy but it is bearable.
Acting is mostly solid. A few one-dimensional characters and there is not a lot of dynamic range for some roles but the actors play them earnestly so props to them. OST is serviceable.

Leia Mais

A watchable rom-com that is equal parts swoon-y and trying

To say that this show is tropey is stating the obvious. The countdown watch motif is not new. The contract arrangement between the leads is downright old school. The meet-cute is functional and kind of cute. Of course, with such a short run time, there is not a lot of time to waste but the show still managed to stretch some plots out a bit too far. Such faux pas usually has to do with cliché storylines that was meant to be funny, but it is more like an overnight guest who stayed for a week. It is just as well that the Show never take them to the extreme. Just when you start to groan, it moves on.

Another odd thing about the Show is that most of the romance is actually centred around the 2OTP. They are a CP well before the 1OTP even shows a hint of romance. They did all the swoon-y things that you would rightly expect from the leads. This includes a very elaborate confession scene (which would be fitting as a marriage proposal!) They have good chemistry and a decent amount of skinship. On the other hand, the relationship between the leads is awkward for a long time with all the usual push-pulls and conflicts. They did make up for lost time in the end, but their confession didn’t happen until the second last episode!

Part of the reason for this delay was the SML being parachuted into the show to provide some angst just as the romance between the leads starts to blossom. It was a bit of a rough ride for all concerned but thankfully, the Show did not turn it into a full blown melodrama. Nevertheless, the damage was done, and we wasted more time with pensive scenes and the typical search for their true feelings as the clock ticks on.

The last episode had me baffled. The Show took us down a long, weird garden path only to arrive at the same point again. This heavy handed "explanation" is just outlandish and contrived. I was quite happy with where the Show was heading so why the crazy detour? I can only imagine they have to undo the whole death watch plot without involving the spirit realm. Censorship mayhaps? I'd have prefer the usual sugar coated fan service to round out the show. A wedding or two would have gone down a treat.

Yet it is not that bad. There are genuinely sweet and funny moments scattered throughout the show. In a sense, that is the core issue with this show. While some show starts off good and then goes downhill and vice versa, this show seesaws from moment to moment. Sometimes it works and you start to feel good about the show but then it might introduce a silly plot that make you want to facepalm. Hit and miss is two sides of the same coin for this show.

Acting is decent. The FL has a more demanding role, but the writer did her no favour by muddling her role. One minute she is strong and decisive, next episode she maybe fragile and dithering. The ML is patchy at times but at least he was not wooden like some idol turned actor. Some netizens have commented on his appearance (not being handsome enough) but considering he is supposed to be ordinary and dorky, his visual fitted the role. Their chemistry does improve over time and there are some sweet moments along the way and even a passionate kiss or two by the end of the show. The 2OTP has to pull their weight from the start and they did fine for the most part.

The BGM is patchy. Sometimes it is serviceable but there are times when the soundtrack becomes very loud and start to clip and drown out the dialogue. This show is well suited as a casual watch when you can't spare it your full attention or a filler between bigger shows. I'd be happy to watch a 10 minute cut on YouTube of all the sweet CP moments again.

Leia Mais