Reviews

tragic love

This hurts too much!
I didn't know it would hurt like this, I was on episode 9 when I found out there would only be 10 episodes, suddenly my world fell apart, I thought, how on earth is a "miracle" going to happen and make him stay alive? -I asked myself When I realized that he was going to die and I just didn't want to accept it, because it happens right? How many similar series have we seen and in the end everything was resolved? This one was just tragic, they really were unlucky, I'm not going to write much otherwise I'm going to start crying again and I just wiped away the tears.

The OST's were very well chosen and gave an incredible match with the scenes, it was extremely BEAUTIFUL! And I must praise the beautiful scenes, the visuals captivated me from start to finish.

I just can't stop thinking about how unfair it was, and how in the end, when he was dying, it gave him the greatest desire to live.

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When karma slaps back.

Blossom (九重紫) stands out in a year where too many highly anticipated period costume dramas implode and self destruct pass the mid-point. This is short drama director Zheng Jingjie's debut long form drama where he once again compels with his brand of immersive storytelling. This drama avoids naming the dynasty as the narrative takes liberties with history and is quite critical of the emperor but it should be loosely set in mid-Ming dynasty, during the reign of the Chenghua emperor. The rebirth premise is straightforward and the business and palace conspiracy plot arcs while often done, are transformed by innovative takes on tired themes, a masterful build up in tension, suspense and relief and brisk pacing overall. There is nothing really that special about the plot or the acting, it is once again mostly about this director's captivating camera language and narrative panache that turned multiple low budget short dramas into memorable mini hits that punch above their production values. His foray into long form dramas should hopefully shake up the complacent and lazy storytelling characteristic of the well established long form directors.

Dou Zhao is the capable, long suffering wife of Wei Tingyu, the profligate Marquis of Jining. She chooses the cold and snowy night that vengeful butcher general Song Mo helps Prince Qing depose the crown prince and seize the throne, to dump her husband's sloppy ass. As she flees the capital, she is rescued by an injured Song Mo and they take refuge at the temple of a mysterious monk Yuantong. Cornered and betrayed, they fall into an abyss through time and space, inextricably bound through Yuantong's cryptic book of divination. Dou Zhao wakes up as if from a dream, as a young girl again, clutching the prophetic book like a lifeline. She is immediately thrust into one of the turning points in her life, where she painfully learns that forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. Nonetheless, she determinedly sets out to get it right this time around; to make herself financially independent and to avoid her past disastrous marriage. One of the story's strengths is that when karma slaps back, jeopardy is at play and Dou Zhao's book of riddles is far from a roadmap of the future. As the ripple effects of the changes she makes snowball, her world increasingly deviates from the past and the path ahead is murky and no less treacherous.

As for Song Mo, he has the hero halo and is the total package as far as physical appearances go but that is about it. As it turns out, his impressive muscles extend all the way up between his ears. This is an all bravado, all heart, kind of character that allows his rage and impulses to dictate his actions. As Ji Yong mockingly points out over and over again, he is a mantis with little insight or awareness even of who is moving the chess pieces around him and is easily manipulated into being someone else's pawn. His reckless, selfish and misguided quest for justice for one person, puts the wrong person on the throne and upsets the order of the universe, resulting in injustice for many people. So much so that 閻王/Yanwang the King of Hell himself must have rejected him and sent him back for a reboot. He does not get smarter, he is simply Dou Zhao's pawn the second time around and not the chess player. She is the inner voice of caution he does not possess that saves him time and again from his worst instincts. Dou Zhao's mature styling gives her gravitas as a business woman but it also makes her look visibly older than Song Mo. Leaving a few grey streaks in his hair may have negated this impression somewhat. Needless to say, even though I enjoyed the plot, I am lukewarm about this kind of CP and was not bowled over by their romance or chemistry. In fact, I find Dou Zhao has better chemistry with Ji Yong, who is her intellectual equal and her soul mate and confidante. But yeah, I get it, I'd probably also pick the hot general over the chess grandmaster. Being shallow is so much more fun!

The cast in this drama are all up and coming actors whose acting skills are still works in progress. Nonetheless, this director is accustomed to working with C-grade actors and adroitly papers over all their flaws with his brilliant visual narrative style. The best decision this production made was to invest in good voice actors that were able to give definition to all the roles that mattered. This is a case study for how in some cases, it is better not to rely on original voice. While I always like the storytelling approach of making certain supporting roles main characters of their own arcs, this was hit or miss in terms of execution. I enjoyed Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming's sub-plot best, but both characters did not get an ending they deserved. This was so that a tropey villain like Wei Xingyue got her own super unoriginal and overly melodramatic arc. It was a race to the bottom with the completely ridiculous and boring Song Han and Miao Ansu arc, which highlights the two most atrociously bad actors in the cast. There are more interesting character stories played by more charismatic actors including Chen Jia and Zhao Zhangru, Gu Yu and Wu Shan that they could be better explored. I really enjoyed Gu Yu and hope to see more of this very humorous and charming young actor Fu Weilun. Unlike Dou Zhao who has Ji Yong, Song Mo doesn't have a really good sidekick and Gu Yu could have been better utilised in this capacity. While there is no shortage of petty and not so original villain archetypes, this story lacks a really good villain with a compelling motive. The only ones that had real mastermind potential got whitewashed in the finale to deliver one twist too many.

Despite a few arcs that could have been better, a few missed opportunities, some sloppy logic and messy edits, the story finishes strongly at the plot climax and ends in a satisfying way. It is a very solid production that made the best of its limited resources. It got noticed and won well deserved praises not only because it is truly quite good but because so many other dramas with superior resources ended up bombing out so badly in 2024. As someone who was long ago bored with the romance genre, I enjoyed this enough to rate it 8.5/10.0

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My first CDrama that I got obsessed with

This is the first review I’m doing as I would like to give my thoughts on this one. I’m someone who tries the first 2-3 episodes of a drama and decide if I shall continue. This drama gets its story done on the first few minutes of the first episode and got me hooked. The part that made me decide to want to finish this is the entrance of our beloved ML which has this boss anime music theme (that song rocked).

Upon his arrival and the snickering antics he shows, I guess the ML is the sole reason why I was able to finish and got intrigued with the story.

For the actors, this is my second Esther Yu drama as I’ve seen her LBFAD and liked that one (but not a huge fan). I don’t hate her cute voice as I have respect for her craft especially that she’s an idol/singer and actress. I like how she does her own dub and being a cute and bubbly character suits her so well as this is her own irl persona. I’m just happy she was able to distinguish her role here as Ling MiaoMiao and her Orchid character in LBFAD.

Now for our ML, this is the first drama I’ve seen of Ding Yuxi and made me a fan of his. I actually saw him on Reels and thought he looks handsome with his eyeglasses, but boy I did not know HE CAN ACT SO WELL. His eyebrows, eyes and lips are all acting with his micro-expressions that few actors can pull.

Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi’s chemistry is on fire with this one that it works like magic. Would definitely like to see them in modern adult/mature like collab for their 3rd one if this can happen. Also, they sung some of the songs in the dramas OST. Talk about having that more emotion when that song plays on a scene.

For the story, as someone who is not a fan of dragging plot, I could say episodes 1-20 are so bingeable that you can finish them in one sit and the rest of the episodes are a drag and made me want to sleep sometimes. How I wish we can see more romantic scenes of them after that 99% affinity. I felt robbed after episode 20 as this shifts to the background story, saving the world and the support characters.

I hope they release special episodes where we can see more of their romance as everyone wants more. People even watch their first tandem, Moonlight because of this.

Nevertheless this was a great pleasure and fun to watch albeit the 2nd half’s drag as this was truly an enjoyable story that I’ll remember for a long time.

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Pointless season...

Of course, this season was very anticipated after the huge success of the first season. In my opinion, the second season wasn't really necessary, but here we are. Apparently, the director admitted to shooting the second season just for the money, which is honestly noticeable. It also defeats the whole point of the show, which is that money is the cause of all suffering.

This season was very underwhelming and it felt very low effort. The first season didn't feel like a stereotypical kdrama and I think that's the reason why it became so successful outside of Korea, this one however had more of an actual kdrama feel to it. Some parts were even predictable unlike the first season and the cast of this season included a lot of famous and familiar faces, which is also why it felt more like a good ole kdrama.

The music also played a big role in my rating because it made everything seem less intimidating, and at some point, I even forgot they were brutally killing people.

The characters were also nice but because of the side plots we never really got to get attached to them so when people died it wasn't as heartbreaking as the first one (though I do admit I cried to one death).

In the end, you can really just tell how this season was shot just because of money and they ended it on a cliffhanger for season 3, again for money. They could've made this season 9 episodes like the last one and it would've been perfectly enough to wrap it up.

Overall very disappointing and I don't think I'll be watching season 3. And yes a big part of my thoughts on this show were shaped by the fact that the director is only doing this for money and you can really sense it too with the lack of creativity, enthusiasm, and spark.

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Best Cdrama

When I started watching Blossom, I assumed it would just be another typical story, like A Perfect Marriage Revenge or Marrying My Husband. But I was completely wrong—this drama is in a league of its own!

Everything about it is absolutely captivating, from the plot to the characters. What stands out the most is the female lead. She’s so intelligent and resourceful that you can’t help but believe no one can outwit her as long as she’s around. Her presence alone elevates the entire storyline.

I used to underestimate C-dramas, but Blossom has completely changed my perspective.

P.S. If you haven’t started watching this yet, do yourself a favor and dive into it now. You’re missing out on something truly exceptional!

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A Story of Emotions and Life Lessons

This drama has done something for me. It has proven (to me) a bit of a formula for what a show needs to have to be a 10/10 FOR ME.

-Multiple storylines
-People that are written like REAL people - (not perfect people, not idealized people, but nitty gritty, do the wrong thing, say yes when they mean no, REAL people)
-Romance that is present throughout but is not the major focus
-Love "tri"angles that are dirty and messy and emotional are a plus

-This show is long.
-This show takes a LOT of detours NOT focusing on the "Main" plot, most of it consists of side plots
-This show's ML is VERY VERY VERY rigid in his beliefs and this is often at the expense of his relationship with the FL.
-FL does NOT explain herself to ANYONE until after the fact (and then only sometimes)

Ultimately, because the show focuses so much on the side stories, the main story does fall to the background with the thread popping up again every few episodes to move something forward an inch. What this means though is that if you DON'T like the side stories the show will fall flat.

Personally, I think the first was the weakest but with each subsequent one I slowly got more invested. I had tears in my eyes by the end.

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Do you like/ not mind:
angst?
misunderstandings and doubts?
slowest of snail romance?
Low/no physical intimacy
older cgi, costumes, hairstyles/ wigs

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Fully biased 10/10
Unbiased... 7.5 or 8 probaby

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This teaches you to be a human

If you watch korean drama, My Name is an adjacent drama to this serial. However there are differences but you can say these two dramas are like long lost siblings.
The plot is so good. I am the type who should find the first episode interesting to continue a serial and I CONTINUED. the casting is a top tier here by choosing fern and peach (and their chemistry is VERY GOOD here i swear to god. never doubt their acting btw). This drama realistically illustrate that human can do anything. Human being inhumane in things they are greedy in, and the value is ; do the opposite of what these evil do! It's that simple. It opens our eyes to be more aware of what happen. And one last time, i really recommend this to anyone who love thriller revenge series.

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Disappointed Viewer

I just finished this drama, it`s not what i expected. I was really hyped when i saw the trailer and couldnt wait to watch it and now that i have, i was kinda diappointed. The beginning was slow, i was confused at what was happening, i tried to focus and understand what was going on but it was around ep 4 i slowly kinda started to put the pieces together. I was gonna drop it but since it`s only 8 episodes might as well finish it, i tried to understand the story plot but it slowly strated to lose interest for me.So thats why i only gave it 7.0-.5 stars but maybe you other viewers will have a different opinion from me.

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I Don't like Kdrama before watching This One I started Watching and I am shocked this Kdrama is The story line is good if you watch too many kdrama then you say it's ok ok but chemistry between Actors is Insane j think this is the reason why this Kdrama gain so much popularity
In Behind the Scene too they are like a real couple and many times you found they both blushing front of them🤭
Sweet Kdrama and OST is also Mind Blowing all Ost like New , My morning is better than your night, Yaori True etc.
I suggest you to watch this video and give as much love as you can and we want to see more of Kim you Jung, Song Kang together 😁😁

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An easy binge watch

I had liked S1 until they introduced the worst foreign actors and voiceovers who played the wealthy sponsors of the game. That ruined the entire season for me by making the show laughable and stupid. S2 eliminated that problem so in a way I did enjoy this more than S1, but it did lack in a lot of ways compared to S1.

LIKES:
1) The peek into the staff of squid game. I liked the introduction of Park Gyu Young's character. We get to see a glimpse of the people behind the mask
2) Gong Yoo's character expansion. Those were some fun scenes
3) The Front Man's involvement - that kept the plot interesting
4) The carousel game - I liked the intensity in that game which brought out people's true traits
5) The feisty mother character player 149 - she adds some heart amongst the greed
6) TOP's weird druggie character - while I don't like the bully, I did find his tripped out moments funny

DISLIKES:
1) The intensity didn't feel as strong as S1 esp with the games except for the carousel game
2) The weird shift in the middle eps where the tone felt almost comical instead of seriously intense. It was odd and disruptive to the momentum
3) Wi Ha Jun's whole arc felt very lackluster. His storyline didn't really add to the story at all.
4) The supporting characters development felt underwhelming and underdeveloped.
5) The casting of more recognizable faces. I actually liked how S1 had only a few main stars and the rest were not that famous. In my mind, it made the characters a little more believable. S2, it took me longer to believe the acting from the recognizable faces

Overall though, this was an easy binge watch that can be done in a day. Just note, that this is only Part 1 and not a complete story. Season 3 will be Part 2 and will hopefully give us all the answers we need.

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Fun watch but doesn't live up to the original

The Chinese version of this drama is one of my favorite dramas. I am not against remakes, in most cases I like them. I am not even against this remake. There are aspects of this version I liked more. I liked that they made the female lead less childish.

My major gripe with this version is that they shortened it and rushed the story. In comparison, the k-drama misses many of the key moment of the original. When you have watched the Chinese versions, some of the scenes in the Korean version feel superficial or not as impactful since this version isn't as fleshed out.

If you haven't watched the Chinese version, I do recommend this drama. If you want to watch both, I recommend starting with this version and then watching the Chinese drama Go Ahead.

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Good Revenge based Drama

Hi dears,
I would like to recommend this drama to who ever is interested to watch gene (Thriller, romance, mystery).
This drama has all the three theme in it. At first I was like not really interested to watch cz of violence's and later I was hooked up from the FL's intro.
This is the first time of me wanting to watch more episodes but its like a short drama with 8 episodes. The story line is good and the characters who are portraying their own individual have done a good work.
I felt like the ML's mother was really born with this evil energy as her acting was too good.
This drama is wholly based on FL's point of view and there are a lots of loop and hole in the story line with many characters ended up unnoticed.
I do not want to spoil the story too much dear drama watchers please check it out when you have time.


Thank you for the time reading my reviews.

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