Cute

This series has thrown my rating system into disarray. Objectively, this is the hallmark movie of C-dramaland in that we get a story that's fast-paced, romantic, and watchable yet it has the depth of a puddle and a very linear story arc. Nothing special, still, it's exactly what is needed to cleanse the palate after watching a dense drama like Legend of Mi Yue (which I disliked).

Is it fair to rate it so high? Yes, because I'd like to send a message of support to the writers and production team so that they're encouraged to keep honing their skills and hopefully improve their outputs regarding quality, storytelling, and production values.

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It took six months to get through this series

Xianxia is quintessentially a contrast of light and dark, good and bad, gods and demons, and it is stylistically depicted by monochromatic character and color themes with slight differences in plotlines. If I'm being honest, this genre is my least favorite; nevertheless, I've seen a few that are slightly less ridiculous than most with my fave being Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) and my least fave being this tedious and pretentious Immortal Samasara.

Firstly, Yang Zi, the lead actress, is such a one-trick pony who seems content to play different variations of the same "dim and somewhat smart" character which she played not only in IS (Immortal Samsara) but also in Ashes of Love and Legend of the Dragon Pearl. If someone edits clips of her performances in these dramas, I bet you wouldn't know they were three different series.

And therein lies the problem not only with Yang Zi but also with Xianxia as a genre. It's too stylized with little to no room for maneuvering of plots or themes. There's the demons are bad and heavenly beings (HB) are good trope where the heavenly beings fight endlessly for dominance with a side plot of a HB prince who happens to fall in love with a lower twig or leaf spirit. Like clockwork, the writer never misses giving us the stoic and cold hero and the useless heroine with the baby voice (one of the worst aspects of LBFAD) who later comes into her power after being tossed around and abused by the higher HBs. Add in a love quadrangle, some men in bad wigs, and the most watered-down set props which, given this is all CGI, seems like a wasted opportunity to liven up an otherwise bleary set of white clouds and grayscale.

Did I mention how much I hate the color and style? Sigh.

Anyway, IS is about a HB prince who falls for a flower; sadly, love is forbidden in heaven and they have to go through three different time periods of heartbreaks and forgotten memories whilst fighting some obscure bad guys who did some bad things. That's all.

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Cute

This series has thrown my rating system into disarray. Objectively, this is the hallmark movie of C-dramaland in that we get a story that's fast-paced, romantic, and watchable yet it has the depth of a puddle and a very linear story arc. Nothing special, still, it's exactly what is needed to cleanse the palate after watching a dense drama like Legend of Mi Yue (which I disliked).

Is it fair to rate it so high? Yes, because I'd like to send a message of support to the writers and production team so that they're encouraged to keep honing their skills and hopefully improve their outputs regarding quality, storytelling, and production values

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Too ambitious

I understand this is based on a webtoon series that underwent major changes for this drama. First off, that ending was a whole load of cr*p. In fact, the essence of the fantastical love story was lost by episode 6 and all that was left were three story arcs that never managed to converge into any meaningful finale. My god, wtf happened to the writer? For a series to open so solidly and with such sizzling chemistry between the two main leads only to have it cave in on itself is astonishing. Why would the ML suddenly do a 180 just because he got laid and why was the FL written as a shrew? I lowkey hated both of them by the end of the series. If you want a nice romcom with great chemistry between the leads then please watch 'Well Intended Love' or 'You Are My Glory'.

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Tedious

Had I not watched the excellent CGI and special effects in 'Till The End of the Moon' I might have given this one a pass but knowing better has raised the stakes and so the first thing of note is the awful cinema. Things that are fake look fake and even those that are real have no sense of proportion (like Hong Yi's red/pink/white furry robes and outfits which were a tad too small around the shoulders). On another note, we also have a scriptwriter who didn't understand how normal conversations or interactions work. The plot, the set design, the atmosphere, the costumes, and the dialogue...all were in a constant state of disconnect; likewise we have characters who do nothing but fly around in the clouds being deliberately oblivious while the villains are left to plot unimpeded. Huh.

Xianxia is never about intelligence cos we all know the god's are 'good' while the 'devils' are bad but only cos the 'gods' wear white <------------ otherwise if we went by their actions we might have to invert that belief. The core of XX is being sold a belief system that allows the audience to empathize with the laborious gatekeeping of the Whites while reviling the monstrous deeds of the Blacks. But what if the audience is indifferent and not easily led by the nose mainly because your character-driven plot failed to give us anyone to root for?!!!
Sigh.

In addition, how is it that the goddess that is Zhao Lusi was cast with this Wang An Yu guy who, by the way, has done some sort of teeth capping which makes it difficult for him to close his lips and in turn is detracting from his main job. Then there's Lusi's reversion to pre-2020 talking voice. Like, this woman has given us so many iconic performances in the last three yrs that we have just barely healed from the assault that was the baby voice, and now they plopped us right back???? Can we say trauma??

Finally, and most importantly, THE PLOT HAS BEEN DONE A DOZEN TIMES AND IT OUGHT TO BE RETIRED. Please, we beg directors and screenwriters to stop giving us 'scattered souls that need to be collected' or 'chickens who turn out to be phoenixes' plotlines. It's been done and we're tired

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At least I discovered the amazing Lee Jong Suk so all is not lost

In a drama where the writers undermine their own characters and the characters are forced to conform to a stereotype, the viewer will either willfully ignore such machinations or they’ll nitpick it to death. Sadly, I’m in the latter.

Firstly, I had to suspend disbelief that Choi In Ha wasn’t a perpetual teenager because no 27-year-old fully grown adult acts or reasons as she was portrayed which perhaps could be attributed to the actress being 22 at the time of filming. Admittedly actors act so it’s not farfetched to have such disparate ages between the character and the actor, however, that would require a fully immersive portrayal which is a skill not easily attained as evinced by Park Shin Hye's overacting.
Ultimately, and because In Ha lacked her own agency, the character became a convenient joystick utilized to create opportunities for the other characters to advance while she herself languished in the background, playing an eager daughter who craved her mother’s elusive attention and love, a path that only led to a curious lack of self-respect. Gradually, In Ha’s screen presence became irrelevant and at times even bothersome, particularly in episode 11 where she fell asleep in a public place after getting flat-out drunk then the next morning she tells her father that other kids her age were doing worse things. I mean, in what world is a 27 yr old a kid? On a separate note, can I just say that I find Korean women insufferable and unlikeable just based on how they're depicted in their dramas.

Meanwhile, Dal Po was perched on a pedestal of arrogance and self-importance with his annoying monochromatic perspective. His biggest flaw was in making assumptions based on nothing. Also, the writers gaffed when the brothers eventually met after a 13-year separation. Am I to believe that Dal Po actually chose to not tell his brother who he was? I beg your pardon but that’s a whole lot of Bollocks.

Similarly, the supposed romantic relationship between In Ha and Dal Po was ill-conceived and unbearable. How did two 27 yr old adults cohabit for years without either expressing their feelings or even having significant relationships with other people? Did they exist in stasis? Am I to believe In Ha didn’t have a boyfriend in college or that DP had no male or female friends? These seemingly good-looking adults just existed without external relationships other than the father and fake grandfather? I call bollocks.

Having said all these, commendations must be made to Lee Jung Suk and Yoon Kyun Sang who played the Ki brothers as well as Jin Kyung who played In Ha’s mother. They at least knew their assignment and were the ones who commanded my attention the most.

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Absolute Perfection 10++ stars

I could have sworn I'd left a review already. Anyway, this is the sweetest, most romantic C drama I've ever watched and it's one that I'll rewatch often.


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Brilliant

No other Wuxia can compare to this in my opinion. The sheer breadth and depth of the story make for a viewing pleasure that holds the audience captive through 60 episodes and this is firstly thanks to the superb casting of Chen Feiyu as the ML. He is an anti-hero character who is supremely confident, intelligent, and powerful and I will never forget how fully immersed he was in such a dark character considering how unobtrusive he is in real life.

Can we talk about the beautiful cinematography and the immaculate fight choreography that will have your heart in your mouth even knowing he’s the hero doesn’t mean his opponents just roll over to play dead? He wins despite many odds because of his tenacity and unwillingness to succumb to what some call his lowly fate.

The FL is a pocket-size bundle of joy who made me smile whenever she came on the screen. The character of Sang Sang is one that was built incrementally until we see her come into her own. I also liked the height difference between her and Feiyu. So adorable. Anyway, this is one to rewatch.

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The feel good series of 2022

You know how a series completely takes over your life that you end up impatiently waiting for new episodes to drop? That's what's happening to me with New Life Begins.

I commend the creators of this drama for giving us genuine female camaraderie where even prior enemies are given a chance for reconciliation. With such a great and varied ensemble cast, we have many heroines to root for and even more life lessons to take away. I love the friendship that developed between Li Wei and Yuan Ying and how they supported each other without ever bickering or being hateful. Same with the Solar ladies and even Hoa Jia got a chance to reconcile with the Prince's first wife who had been previously adversarial. These women balanced each other while supporting those around them and also building an inclusive community where everyone was valued.

Funny enough, Prince An was my favorite character; so oblivious, so narcissistic, and yet so lovable while Prince Yin Qi and his wife, Shangguan, were my least favorite couple probably because their storyline was so boring or the actors playing the characters simply did not have the chemistry or acting ability to pull off a somewhat caring yet antipathetic couple.

Bai Jing Ting was the sole reason for choosing this drama, however, I ended up staying since the series was just so captivating and fun. Liu Ling Zi, as Yuan Ying (the sixth Prince's legal wife), made me laugh so hard when she unintentionally terrorized the sixth Prince and Li Wei with copious rules and regulations. I laughed so hard to the point of tears. What a great actress.

The ending was a tearjerker in a happy way and I can't say enough good things about this series. Ah-mazing

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I'm gutted, I wanted to like it more

Look, I love Feiyu and have waited for him to do a project like LAP, however, the plot of the ex-convict bad boy and the angelic good girl is one that Hollywood did many years ago and with much better results. It's a basic plot that needed something more explosive to keep it humming along.
Also and IMO, Jingyi was the wrong actress to pair with Feiyu because even when she's happy or playful, she always has a restrained manner about her as if her public image is more important to her than the character she's playing. Essentially, she acts the same in every drama of hers. How does she keep getting projects?

I see there's a lot of fangirling and comments like "oh my god, their chemistry" but honestly, only Feiyu brought the heat, Jingyi was all-around terrible as a romantic lead. The story is nothing special and the execution was even more lackluster. I hate when a series starts in the present and then takes almost 15 episodes to tell the back story through flashbacks. It's one of the laziest forms of storytelling because basically, the scriptwriter isn't confident that the story was good enough to build organically.

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It was okay

Trigger Warning: Stay away from this if you suffer from anxiety or are an empath. Also, if you've been traumatized by Song Yi's performance in Luoyang where she said the ML's name - Erlang - every 2 minutes then you may want to sit this out because she nearly "Giusi"-ed us to death in this one.

Okay, the story was multi-layered and the production quality was above average, however, at the end of the day it is just another one in a long line of historical dramas with themes of revenge, arranged marriages, and betrayals.

One of the biggest disappointments for me was the glaring lack of chemistry between Bai Jing Ting and Song Yi and if I'm being honest the problem lies with Song Yi who, when she starred in Luoyang, failed to have even a smidgen of spark with Wang Yibo (How?!!!).

Bai Jing Ting, otoh, had insane chemistry with his co-leads in New Life Begins and Reset (which are the only two of his dramas that I've watched). As an afterthought but one that greatly diminished my enjoyment of the drama, the acting in the last two episodes was just a tad bit overly dramatic and cringe. Particularly Zhao Huan Ran (Fan Yu) and Mickey He (Jiang He). I just couldn't take either one of them seriously and they both were integral to the climatic scenes which tied up all the mysteries of the preceding episodes.

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I liked it well enough

The fact that the FL is meant to be a fashion designer yet has zero dress sense is the biggest irony of this drama. Similarly, I'm tired of watching skinny, pubescent-looking actresses who aren't even pretty to start with. Why do C drama creators hate casting pretty actresses in the lead role? C rom-coms are filled with the ghosts of these types of dramas where a cold CEO gets with a limp noodle female lead for no good reason. Also, the least the directors could do is match the ambiance to the story. If you want me to believe the ML is rich, then FFS give him the appropriate props. This guy had one servant and at best 3 or 4 different suits. Likewise, the FL repeatedly wore the same really cheap clothing mere days apart. Her wardrobe consisted of 5 maybe 7 outfits. How?

Can I also mention that parts of the story supposedly happened in Italy (when they met with Alex) yet not one extra spoke passable Italian and the hotels and street scenes could have been filmed on a lot with CGI background? Why?

On a different note, I hope, Wang Zi Qi, the ML actor gets better projects because he has such an on-screen presence and talent for one that could be considered an idol actor.

Anyways, yeah, I liked it but hated that it was obviously low-budget.

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Fascinating take on a brutal period in Chinese history

No drama series has ever made me want to delve deeper into its actual history until this one sent me down a rabbit hole of overwhelming information and from what I gathered, the series (as bloody and deadly as it was) pales in comparison to the evils that plagued parts of the Tang Dynasty. Although this is a fictionalization of the reigns of three Tang emperors, it still retained a lot of accurate details that really is not for the faint of hearts.

Unfortunately, there’re only 17 english subbed episodes, however, a kind YouTuber provided a comprehensive English summary up to the 60th episode and so despite the missing translations, I was able to anxiously follow the drama to its inevitable, tragic end.

Watch only if you have nerves of steel and don’t mind that the evil people win over and over again.

ps: I hope we’ll someday get English subs for the entire series. Please and thank you.

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Cringe. I’m embarrassed for Xiao Zhan

Whoever wrote the script is an amateur and should forever be banned from writing another one. Watching this was like watching paint dry. The characters were so corny, yes, even the main hero seemed like every other “blessed child” who suddenly acquire powers with which only them can fight the evil of the land. ??

Plot aside, the wardrobe, props, and cinematography were equally amateurish. I mean everything was just so poorly done. The women wore one outfit for most of the episodes. The camera angles were limited to one or at most two cameras. The situational props were abysmal. Mostly, the drama felt and looked like a low budget production that spent most of their money on a big name actor and then scrimped on everything else.

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Dissapointed

I'm fresh from the joyous experience that was "The Master's Sun" and the perfection that was Gong Hyo Jin's performance as the woman whose life was derailed once she started seeing dead people. This euphoria needed to be continued, I said. So, without further ado, I jumped on It's Okay, That's Love.

Notwithstanding that it's a completely different story, I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters and that is my baseline when watching these dramas. The writers should at the very least make them likable, especially with a subplot as heavy as mental health and PTSD. Even more so when the leads both have past trauma. All I got from this was an irrational FL with serious anger issues.

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