Nostalgic and sweet, definitely one of the better modern short-lengths

This is clearly an undiscovered little gem. For a short-length series, especially a modern one, this is one of the more well-produced dramas I've seen -- even more so considering it does not have the backing of the major streaming platforms like WeTV or iQiyi, etc. (you can watch it on Jiang Shiqi's Douyin (aka TikTok) account and on YouTube).

While the story is imperfect, and significantly simpler than its full-length contemporaries, it evokes a similar mood as "Wait, My Youth", "A River Runs Through It" and other comparable coming-of-age youth dramas set in the not-too-distant past. Filmed in Xiamen, it's a story about first love, childhood friendships, and contains many of the classic school drama tropes. Wang Zuyi is perfectly cast as the earnest boy next door, and the rest of the actors do an admirable job playing classmates and parents. Episode 7 is perhaps the strongest one, and really illustrates how much story, emotion one can pack into a tight, five minutes. There are some small, but obvious editing issues in a few spots, (e.g. for whatever reason a few lines had to be dubbed, and they really stick out), and a few brief moments in the second half that felt more like the cheesy/cringy short-lengths I've come to expect, but overall, I was impressed with this modest production.

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Easy and quick binge, great OTP chemistry

At just a dozen episodes, this drama was the perfect length for the story it was telling; no time was wasted on overwrought flashback scenes. If you've read the book, however, you'll want to know that there are some major changes. I've only read a summary of the original novel and without giving too much away, I'm glad they went a different route here.

The drama's greatest strength was the chemistry between the OTP. I knew Steven Zhang (Xincheng) was a good actor based on his performance in The Day of Becoming You, but I did not expect his character to be so swoony here. Cheng Cheng's intense love for Jiang Yuanxing really came through and his fear of losing her was palpable.

The mystery part of the story was weaker and fairly predictable for viewers in terms of guessing the culprit. The police, on the other hand, had super powers of deduction based on the way they cracked the case and figured everything out!

Perhaps I was fully expecting the series to be over-the-top melodramatic and soapy, but I actually found it wasn't as "dog blood" as I had anticipated.

Overall, an entertaining watch that deserves a slightly higher score than a 7.7 (at the time of writing).

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Gorgeous setting, costumes, great chemistry, lovely OST; much better than Maid's Revenge

I've seen two dozen short-length mini dramas this year and more than that last year, and I can safely say this is one of the best ones I've seen -- up there with A Familiar Stranger, Si Shi Hao (Yes, Her Majesty), and The Killer is Also Romantic -- which is no surprise, given it's the same production team for all but Her Majesty. They do a great job building chemistry and tension between the leads with just a few strands of wet hair, a touch, a look. This is clearly still a melodrama -- lots of slow-motion effects, etc. but somehow it all works and doesn't feel ridiculous like Maid's Revenge.

The story isn't overly sophisticated, but it does a nice job with some well-worn tropes (revenge, childhood friends) and the entire supporting cast was also solid. The chemistry between the leads was ??. The lovely Daisy Li Muchen was perfectly cast in a role that required her to be believeable as a school-girl-ingenue-seductress-out-for-revenge and I hope to see her playing more lead characters going forward (Jiang Susu is also quite a contrast from her role as a kick-ass tomboy gamer girl in The King's Avatar). Zhao Yiqin has really matured as an actor as well since Wait, My Youth (which I absolutely loved despite what I thought was only average acting) and My Girl, Fake Princess, etc. and it's great to see him back on screen again.

The costumes for both leads were beautiful as was the setting. I was also impressed with the level of detail incorporated into a short production like this -- at one point, you even see an old, ornate glass bottle of aspirin, for example (I can't speak to the accuracy of the bottle itself, lol). The music also really suited the mood and era; I especially loved Zhi Ru Chu Jian (Only Like Our First Meeting) by Zhou Zhiping.

This relatively new genre of drama is great when you're worried about bingeing on an addictive 40-episode full-length series when life is busy and you need sleep ?, but the quality can be incredibly hit and miss (you know it's bad when you can't even get past a 3-minute episode!). I definitely recommend Provoke to anyone who liked Maid's Revenge -- it's got all the revenge, hot chemistry, and over-the-top melodrama without the excessive physical aggression, and has a much better ending and much stronger cast.

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Warm, gentle, healing slice-of-village-life romance with beautiful scenery, cute secondary couples

This quiet-burn romance is perfect for those who appreciate the bucolic pace of countryside life with the occasional dash of city spice. Filled with warmth, light humour, and a cast of immensely likable characters, Dear Mr. Recluse is an easy watch (just 24 half-hour episodes) for anyone looking for a wholesome and healing drama.

There is a bit of angst, a touch of corporate drama and underhanded backstabbing, no annoying or draggy misunderstandings, no painful breakups, it does not take the entire drama before our OTP to get together, and the ending is relatively unrushed.

Chen Jingke and Tang Ming complement each other very nicely here and they are supported by a great cast of wonderful villagers. For me, this is also a rare show where the 2ML/2FL's pursuit of the FL/ML does not feel aggravating for the most part. Their characters are very cute, but the maturity with which they ultimately handle rejection and maintain close friendships with the main couple serve as a model for all unrequited Dramaland love.

The scenery showcasing traditional wood buildings and gorgeous tea farms (filmed on location in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan) is also lovely and a huge highlight of the series. C-dramas have miles to go in terms of representation and addressing social issues obviously, but within the context and limitations of existing dramas (and politics), etc. it was also nice to see the show highlight the cultural traditions and struggles of an ethnic minority community in small ways.

For me, Dear Mr. Recluse rates somewhere between an 8 and an 8.5, but I am giving it an 8.5 to balance out the overall, initial lower score. I hope to see the ratings climb as more viewers who appreciate gentle slice-of-village-life romances discover this drama.

Stray thoughts:
- Look for the doggy and stroller in the background of the influencers awards show ?
- The exchange between the rival influencer and the couple with 30 million followers gave me life!
- For anyone distracted by XZ's "stained" shirt in Sunshine in My Life, there are no less than three shirts worn by the ML here that look like 1) a bleach stain on a black shirt 2) someone stepped on the shoulders of his white shirt and 3) a black shirt covered in chalk dust ?
- Otherwise, I actually really loved the simple, monkish "hermit" outfits worn by the ML. Some of the shirts especially were truly beautiful

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A mature love story

You'll salivate over the food, swoon over the ML (who delivers a pretty heartfelt speech/confession), cheer for the supportive BFF, and wish you could be as awesome as the FL. Dine with Love is a genuinely lovely romance depicting the realistic struggles and dynamics of a modern relationship. Sure, there are cliches and tropes, but there also aren't any goofy/silly antics either. Gao Hanyu showcased his potential to be a romantic lead in Love is Sweet, so it is wonderful to see him take on that role here opposite a radiant Jade Cheng, who portrays a very smart and extremely capable female lead. (There's not enough of them in C dramas!) Except for the loser ex-bf, the supporting cast is great too -- even the annoying influencer turns out to be cute and likable.

The show, structured more like a K-drama at 16 episodes of 75 minutes each with a much shorter opening credit sequence, was perhaps at its strongest in the first four and final episodes. Even with its flaws, however -- the pacing and storytelling was somewhat uneven in the middle -- it did a good job depicting the challenges of work/life harmony and the consequences when that balance is off kilter.

I had to ignore the auto Mango subs, which were beyond atrocious and almost useless. I genuinely hope this one gets picked up by Viki or Netflix so that it can get the proper subbing and wider audience it deserves.

For those wanting a more satisfying ending, there is a 23 minute epilogue as well that Mango released on YouTube.

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Watchable, but there are better short-length modern mini dramas

One of the nice things about mini dramas is they're short enough that you don't have to feel too bad for wanting to finish them even when they're a little cringy.

My Lovely Wife is a fluffy and campy "dog's blood" drama, which can be it's own guilty pleasure, but here, suffers from mediocre to poor acting, and some cheesy dialogue (the translation is better, lol). There is little chemistry between the leads and unfortunately the ML does not have the presence to carry off leading man status.

One of its biggest flaw, however, is the way the drama minimizes attempted sexual assault against the FL. She is attacked multiple times by a side villain and once by the ML (who was unknowingly under the influence of a drug). At a minimum, the ML should have apologized and asked if she was okay once he was himself again, but it is never addressed or shown (even a mini drama can spare two minutes for this). Even if the FL is understanding of the circumstances, it does not lessen what must be a very traumatic experience. This is by no means unique to My Lovely Wife -- C-dramas do this far too often. I can even pretend the FL somehow bounces back immediately after being kidnapped multiple times, but this is one topic that should be treated with much more care and sensitivity.

Overall, My Lovely Wife is weirdly watchable for those who enjoy a good campy melodrama, despite the cringe-factor. If you're like me, most short-lengths over 6.5 are watchable enough for a "quick drama fix" especially when you are short on time and looking for low-commitment TV. But if you do want additional -- or better -- alternatives set in the modern day, (in no particular order) Destined to Meet You, Ready for Love, Forever Love, Secretary Bai Wants to Resign Everyday, Night of Love With You, Love at Second Sight, Better A Lie Than A Truth, are all superior mini dramas compared to this one.

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Ignore the noise, this is a solid remake that honours the beloved original

With a story as unique as this one, making it feel as fresh and original the second time is challenging. The element of suspense and surprise is gone, along with the initial magic of discovery. Any remake of Someday or One Day is already at a disadvantage right from the start; making comparisons somehow feels a bit unfair. Given this context, I thought this remake did an admirable job honouring the original material, while introducing the story to an entirely new audience.

I watched the original Taiwanese series shortly after it aired and the nostalgia and haunting beauty of what happened to our protagonists lingered with me long after the series ended. At the same time, enough time had passed that the twists and turns were a bit hazy. Watching this remake felt like I was taking the journey again -- somewhat familiar, but with different friends to make the experience fresh. There were some elements I liked better in the original and some I liked better in the remake. (I thought they did a slightly better job "explaining" the time travel element in the remake than the original, for example. (I didn't have to draw a diagram this time!))

I wasn't overly familiar with the casts in both productions, but thought they all did a fantastic job bringing everyone to life; if anything, I found myself warming up to the characters more quickly than I did while watching the original. Ahn Hyo Seop and Jeon Yeo Been both did a wonderful job portraying Nam Si Heon and Han Jun Hee/Kwon Min Ju at different ages, stages, and experiences in life.

The music in A Time Called You is perhaps the main element that fell short for me, but this isn't necessarily the show's fault -- just something that sometimes can't be helped when watching international dramas. I am not familiar with older Korean songs and don't really understand the language, so there was a certain nostalgia, mood and emotional connection that was ever-present in Someday or One Day through its music that was somehow missing for me here. At the same time, the Korean version's more polished feel may have also contributed to these missing elements too. There is a certain roughness that comes with nostalgia, because it is a feeling rather than something clear and tangible.

Another factor that unfortunately affected my experience with A Time Called Love was the somewhat toxic discussion comparing the two productions. I started watching the early episodes without thinking too much about the original and came into the comments section to express my enjoyment for the remake, only to find a lot of silly and infantile behaviour. Instead of helping people discover the joys and magic of the original through this adaption, i'm sure it turned people off instead, which is a real shame. I started thinking too much about the original while watching the remake, which made the experience less immersive and consequently less emotional, unfortunately.

If you are unsure whether this is worth watching because of all the criticisms coming from fans of the original, I would definitely still give this a chance, especially if you are new to the story. You'll be able to enjoy it without being coloured by the original. I also encourage you to watch the Taiwanese version too. If you end up liking the original more, at least you were able to still enjoy this one too without the comparison. Those who feel Someday or One Day is significantly better do make a valid point, however: that it's better to experience such a complex story at its best first, especially given the tension, build-up, and plot twists in the final episodes. (Either way, I would still try to give some time between watching the two versions so the details have faded a bit!) I would be curious to see whether some of the magic and excitement is inevitably lost when watching a retelling of the same story, regardless of the order.

Final verdict: I really enjoyed both versions and thought the casting was very good here. For various reasons, however -- and many not exactly the fault of the production -- there was a certain nostalgic and emotional connection missing for me when I watched the Korean version. Overall, still a solid remake.

(Slightly spoilery) lingering questions/thoughts:

* Based on the timeline, I didn't think Jun Hee stayed around long enough to be putting up Christmas decorations at the record store. Was this a continuity error or did I overlook something?

* Are we to assume the real person died in the 2007 car accident when NSH transmigrated into their body, since they don't seem to have any memories of the other person?

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If you like your fire with a heaping side order of swiss cheese...

C-drama watchers are used to shy, stiff, awkward kissing, kissing that's only alluded to, or great kissing that's left on the editing room/censorship floor, with hugs spacious enough to fit a third person in between. So I get it. People are thirsty for more heat on screen and Love of Replica generally delivers. (You're not getting HBO; it's more on par with North American daytime soaps.)

Beyond that, however, Love of Replica has a middling plot that gets sillier with each half hour -- so even at just 16 short episodes, it doesn't take long before the storytelling starts to feel tedious, ridiculous, cliche-ridden, and cheesy, filled with plotholes and nonsense. (And I say this as someone with a very high tolerance for corny romance and known to enjoy and indulge in cheesy feasts.) How many times, for example, can an FL "fall" into an ML's arms and twirled around in super slo-mo while staring into each other's eyes? Here, it almost felt like the director contrived to make it happen at least once an episode (I didn't actually count). The acting wasn't bad, but I didn't love it either, to be honest, though maybe I should give the leads more credit fore being able to keep a straight face every time they needed to fall and twirl for the camera.?

Mysterious Love had its share of problems too, but it felt sexier and had better pacing. If you just want to see the OTP together, I suggest just skipping straight to episode 12.

Stray obervations and notes:
* Was it just me, or was that S1's Leslie Ma making a cameo in the scene where a stranger picks up the phone the FL threw out the window?
* While this is a standalone story and completely unrelated to S1, there is a bonus easter egg/post-credit scene at the end of episode 16 that ties the two dramas together and hints at the possibility of a new story in the future.

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Manage your expectations, come for the OTP, and you may be pleasantly surprised

Ni Chang is a sister drama to "I Will Never Let You Go" with Ariel Lin and Zhang Binbin -- it's by the same production company, and has many of the same great supporting cast (unrelated story and characters, despite the similarly structured Chinese title). Because of this connection, however, I was fully prepared to 1/ fall in love with the entire cast of supporting characters only to have every single one of them killed off in the final episodes, 2/ see beloved characters completely change, 3/ see villains get away with justice at the end, and 4/ have a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion filled with loose ends, questions, and plot holes. (Clearly, I Will Never Let Go of how they butchered the ending of that drama!) And while I usually don't like spoilers, I freely spoiled myself for this one to further help manage my own expectations.

Perhaps because of all this, I ended up quite enjoying Ni Chang.

The story itself is nothing "special" -- it's your classic survivor/family revenge story -- but I enjoyed the silk, textile, embroidery, skin care and fragrance industry backdrop, even though I also take a lot of it with a giant bucket of salt in terms of historical accuracy.

For a slow-burn love story with very little sweeping/epic romance between the main OTP, Bi Wenjun and Nicki Li still made a really great couple, supported by a lovable cast of secondary characters. While a couple of beloved characters do die, there was no slaughterfest and all of them all get satisfying, happy endings.

Given how notoriously bad C-dramas can be with derailing a storyline in the final half/third/quarter, I was pleasantly surprised how all the loose ends were tied, secrets were properly exposed, traps were logically laid, and villains paid the price. They also gave viewers almost an entire episode to enjoy everyone being happy -- in other words, there was proper closure for everything and everyone (even beloved servants who appeared in only a few early episodes and were forced to say goodbye during difficult times returned and were given happy endings).

Did a couple of the melodramatic action shots make me cringe-snort-laugh out loud? Yeah, but I wasn't taking the show too seriously. Could it have been tighter? Sure. Is it sophisticated and high brow? Definitely not. Could the story have been executed better? Of course. Is Bi Wenjun in it enough? No. (He absolutely needs to star in his own wuxia drama, the brief martial arts he displayed in Ni Chang looked that good.)

Ni Chang is not a drama that will leave you in a show-hole or significantly emotionally engaged or invested. But if you're like me and manage your expectations, you may find it overall, an easy and entertaining watch anyway.

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Toxic mess that tries too hard to be artsy-noir-meets-50-Shades-lite

Deep Love Love Again tries way too hard to be aesthetically dark, moody, and atmospheric, with a hint of 50 Shades -- at the expense of storytelling and flow. It tries to be provocative and titillating, but ends up coming across uncomfortable and even abusive, despite the mention of safe words. Everyone speaks -- or rather, is dubbed -- in breathy whispers (this also makes the dialogue difficult to understand at times). The drama’s efforts would feel cheesy and amusing if not for the unsettling red flag moments between the main leads, which thankfully peters out in the later episodes (the flag is handed off to the villain instead).

Even the sets feel overdone, yet simultaneously cheap (which normally is not a big deal, especially for a mini drama) -- but I could not look away from the amateur Halloween decor “cobwebs” in the theatre/church. As for the acting, Garvey Jin/Zhang Jiawei could do with better cast mates. Tiffany Gao and the others, were…not great.

I thought I might not have minded this for what it was -- a trashy, soapy, short-length drama -- but in the end, I could not get past the extremely uncomfortable and very unsexy misogyny. I've seen enough toxic Republican Era love/hate/revenge mini dramas to acknowledge that even problematic stories and characters can still have great chemistry and romantic tension between the leads. I was not feeling any of that here.

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Warm, enjoyable, and well-cast (plus you get to hear Dongfang Qingcang's voice again)

I quite enjoyed this one, even though I never felt the uncontrollable urge to binge it. I really liked the cast, sets, costumes (I loved Chi Lan's gorgeous hats), and overall story, even if some of the execution could have been better.

I am normally indifferent to love triangles, but found this one really entertaining, funny, and endearing. Chen Heyi has really matured as an actor and was immensely likeable and believable in his role as the innocent and earnest prince. He Ruixian was very compelling as Chi Lan and I hope to see her take on more lead roles in the future. Bi Wenjun and Li Yitong did a solid job with the material they were given. Their characters could have easily been off-putting if the casting had been different; instead, they made them quite likable despite Han Zheng's cranky personality and Su Jiu'er's pouty moments. The ending could've been even just a few minutes longer -- to flush out what happened between the Qi and Qian people, and bring more complete closure to some of the story lines and characters -- especially given how much time they spent on each case throughout the series. Even so, there was a lot that I loved about the ending and it didn't feel rushed in the typical sense where everything suddenly wraps up in the final two minutes.

Finally, a shout-out to the voice actor for Han Zheng -- Wang Baoshun, who also voiced Dongfang Qingcang in Love Between Fairy and Devil. I am normally not a fan of dubbing and will always prefer live audio, or at least dubbing by the actors themselves, but if they were going to use someone else's voice anyway, I'm happy they picked Wang.

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A story of hope and resilience in adversity and a joyful fairy tale in wishful thinking

There is something intensely satisfying with stories in which the underdog overcomes unimaginable adversity to succeed against all expectations. Throw in well-paced story arcs, an incredibly smart, sensible, progressive, and courageous protagonist, supported by a cast of flawed but loyal and caring friends and family members, and we have a recipe I can’t resist.

Blossoms in Adversity is a wonderful historical drama that celebrates the strength and resilience of women by putting a spotlight on their incredibly oppressive lives in ancient China through the fall and rise of the once-illustrious Hua Family. I was willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy this magical and joyous fairy tale in wishful thinking, where the value of truth and the power of good will always prevails.

The Hua family patriarch is a high ranking court official of unimpeachable integrity who refuses to speak dishonestly simply to curry favour with the Emperor. Enraged by his subject’s impudence, the Emperor exiles the Hua men to the northern borders to do hard penal labour and confiscates the family’s wealth and home. The remaining family members -- the many wives and concubines of the four Hua sons and their children (boys under the age of 13 and all the daughters) -- are left to fend for themselves. Were it not for a rustic cottage outside the city bestowed many years ago by the Dowager Empress to the family matriarch -- best friends in their youth -- the women and children would have nowhere to go.

With the exception of our heroine, the eldest granddaughter Hua Zhi, who had travelled the realm with her grandfather as a child, the remaining family members are spoiled and pampered and at a complete loss over their reversal of fortune and the harsh realities that come with it.

I was brought to tears more than once by the heartfelt joys and heartaches of this imperfect, but delightful family and their servants. I have never been so moved by the funeral of a secondary character, especially with the arrival of an unexpected, yet pivotal guest. But I spent much of the 40 episodes grinning and cheering in satisfaction and joy over the family’s remarkable successes. Despite grim family circumstances, Blossoms In Adversity is about hope. It also deftly showcases the many ways “hope” is defined for different women: independence, divorce, marriage, love -- even when they are far from ideal.

I have no illusions that the premise is filled with impossibilities. Hua Zhi, played by the lovely Zhang Jingyi (张婧仪), manages to pretty much single-handedly bring the Hua family back to prosperity -- twice -- within the short span of (but generously estimated) three to five years. I can’t describe it any better than MyDramaList reviewer PeachBlossomGoddess who wrote in her excellent review:

“...no feat is beyond Hua Zhi! She parleys a candied hawthorn business into a pastry and restaurant empire, picks up stray royal children, foils a few palace plots, build schools and a canal, rescues the Hua family men and even manages to find time to fall in love!”

That’s all!

Hua Zhi is a heroine for the ages, a role model in perseverance, unwavering integrity, hard work, with a sharp mind for solving difficult problems and a sharp eye for spotting potential threats and reading her adversaries. There is almost a Mary Sue-like quality about her achievements and seeming perfection. Unlike the ensemble cast of spoiled aunties, sisters, cousins, servants, and friends (such as the endearing Shen Huan) who experience great character development as they learn to adjust to a vastly different quality of life and social status, Hua Zhi undergoes the least amount of growth. Yet if she were so perfect, she would not be so stupid as to speak defiantly to the Emperor, having already previously witnessed the grievous consequences of doing so -- not only with her grandfather, but with the man she loves -- Gu Yanxi, stoically played by Hu Yitian (胡一天).

Under the Emperor’s command, it is Gu Yanxi -- as the commander of the much-feared Security Bureau -- who confiscates Hua Zhi’s home and takes away the men. But it is under his own free will that he becomes Hua Zhi’s protector, confident, and love. But this free will rankles and offends the cruel and controlling Emperor, who does not hesitate to demonstrate the lengths to which he will go to wield his absolute power and force his nephew to kowtow to his will. Gu Yanxi’s strength yet helplessness in the face of his uncle, who raised him like a son, makes him a complex and fascinating hero, but one we never get to know as intimately as we do the women in the Hua family.

A LIKABLE ENSEMBLE CAST

This was my first drama with Hu Yitian, and his depiction of a stoic prince really worked for me. I’ve seen some comments criticizing his unflattering period styling and that he can be a bit flat and expressionless in his acting, so perhaps his portrayal would have landed differently and felt more stale had I been more familiar with his previous roles. In any case, Hu Yitian did an especially fantastic job demonstrating his strength as a fighter during climactic fight scenes and evoked a certain presence in this drama. It did not take long for his character to grow on me.

At first glance, Caesar Wu’s (吴希泽) Shen Qi is so honorable and immensely likable that I worried I might develop “second male lead syndrome”. Despite his high billing, however, his character actually disappears for a good chunk of Blossoms. Much of Shen Qi’s character development was done early, so by the time he reappears later in the drama, he is relegated to a likable, but somewhat flat, supporting character. It is his brother, Shen Huan, who takes a surprising turn with the more interesting and very sweet story arc with Gu Yanxi’s sister. Bian Cheng (边程), who has been acting since he was six or seven, is just 19 years old and shined in the role of the earnest but spoiled and lazy rich second son with the kind heart.

Actor Hai Yitian (海一天) delivered an effective performance as the Emperor who ruled with Machiavellian cruelty without turning him into just another two-dimensional evil character. He trusted no one, had no tolerance for soft emotions or having his authority and judgment questioned, and yet he appeared to long for his nephew’s company and unwavering trust.

Among the wonderful ensemble cast of women, Lu Yuxiao (卢昱晓) perhaps stood out a little more as Gu Yanxi’s sister, while Fu Bohan (傅铂涵) stood out the most among the cast of children as the Sixth Prince.

I derived enormous joy and absolute satisfaction witnessing Hua Zhi's preposterous achievements. It didn’t matter if it was realistic or not. (In the real world, would the men of the Hua family have truly accepted their new role as passive husbands and allowed the women to continue to handle the family decision-making? I have my doubts.) Despite these flaws -- or perhaps *because* of them -- I can’t help but give Blossoms in Adversity a high rating as one of the best dramas of the year.

NIT-PICKS AND STRAY THOUGHTS

* My biggest production beef was the unnecessary dramatic echo sound effect whenever a character said something impactful. It was too cheesy even for me and very distracting.
* Similarly, during particularly climactic scenes they would momentarily freeze the frame like a photograph on multiple characters’ faces for dramatic effect, that also felt a bit cheesy.
* The Emperor knows all, yet we never see him actually conducting any court business! How did he have time for everything and still expend so much effort on his poor nephew?
* Given how little the Emperor trusted even those closest to him, it’s a marvel his closest eunuch managed to survive his leadership!
* Was Yanxi stupid for charging into the palace? It seemed too reckless even under the circumstances.
* Pretty sure there were several consistency errors, including one where the sister was shown sitting outside her second floor sanctuary -- after it had already burned down and they moved back to the Hua Mansion.
* Large fires can take a long time to extinguish even with modern firefighting equipment, but the family’s rented city home was already a pile of smoky burnt ashes the very same day and cool enough to walk through.
* The Hua women’s flawless skin and untanned face despite labouring under the hot sun for a year building the canal was hilarious.

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A tropey, tear-filled soap opera with solid acting that tugs at the heart strings

If you've seen Perfect Marriage Revenge or Marry My Husband, then you have an idea of what's in store here (without the rebirth/time travel element): This is a soap opera, no question, with its requisite checklist of a wealthy family, succession conflicts and rivalry, scheming interlopers, over-the-top (yet predictable) plot developments, and of course, unexpected childhood connections. In that sense, there isn't too much that's "new" here. All three dramas are somewhat over-rated, but what sets Queen of Tears apart from the other two are the acting, production quality, heartfelt relationships, and a lovely soundtrack.

Like many Asian dramas, Queen of Tears almost feels like a story in two different acts. The first is light, filled with dark humour and family dynamics that are amusingly bananas as we meet the characters and familiarize ourselves with the setting. The pacing and execution are pretty solid and I found myself cackling out loud multiple times. The cast of characters are not especially likable, frankly, but that's okay, because we're here for the great storytelling.

The second act takes a much darker tone, as wild plots, evil schemes, angst, and endless tears take centre stage. Much of the humour is gone. Characters hit rock bottom and grow. They are tested by adversity and overcome them. The show is keenly aware of its melodramatic turn, however, as even the characters themselves discuss and compare events to K-drama plots.

Overall, the first half felt more fresh and entertaining, but I personally enjoyed the back half more for the angst and significantly warmer and more empathetic characters, even as the story dipped into Makjang territory and some plot elements (like Hyun Woo's siblings, the miscarriage, etc.) were not as flushed out as I would have liked.

Given the amount of tears shed in this drama, I was curiously not bawling alongside the characters, especially for our heroine, Hong Hae In, played by Kim Ji Won. The earlier unlikability factor comes at a cost. Hae In is so scarred by life experiences that she hides behind a cold and indifferent mask. But even when the mask finally cracks in the second half, I struggled to warm up to her. Still, as someone who is forgetful yet overly sentimental, I did find Hae In's fears and personal story powerfully poignant. With a warmer character, I would have wept an ocean of tears. Ultimately it was Kim Soo Hyun's portrayal of Baek Hyun Woo that finally made my eyes water and my heart ache near the end. While Kim Soo Hyun lacks a certain "swoon factor" for me, his immense likability and solid acting comes through in Hyun Woo.

Another particular acting highlight was Kwak Dong Yeon, who plays Hong Soo Cheol. The actor already stood out for me in a number of his previous roles, and I initially found him almost unrecognizable here as the annoying jerk brother. When we first meet Soo Cheol, he is the stereotypical baffoon - the incompetent, spoiled family embarrassment and mama's boy with no self-awareness out to beat his sister. But surprisingly, he ends up being the warmest and most passionate member of the Queens family. In the hands of another actor, Soo Cheol could simply be a supremely annoying wealthy idiot sibling. Instead I found myself feeling sorry and rooting for him.

Elsewhere, Park Sung Hoon was very effective in his incredibly unsettling portrayal of Yoon Eun Seong, especially in early episodes. Some of that chilling effect felt diluted later on, however, overshadowed by melodramatic plot developments. Even so, Eun Seong's gaslighting and truth-filled lies remained extremely disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, particularly in the way it reminded me of the misinformation and disinformation we face in the real world today.

Queen of Tears started off as a respectable 8.5 for me, but the strong emotional notes struck in the last three episodes and especially the ending, pushed it into a high 8.

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Micro drama delivers a surprisingly decent serial murder mystery

At barely an hour's length excluding credits, On the Scent is a surprisingly well-produced micro drama (relatively speaking) starring Leo Yang and Li Jia Jia. It tells a decent serial murder mystery through incredibly short arcs. Over the past year, many short-length productions have expanded from 2-3 minutes to about 10-15 minutes in length, making these extra short ones seem particularly unsatisfying and poorly made. These crumb-sized dramas can be riddled with extra choppy editing, a script full of plot holes and uneven storytelling. But as the story unfolded here, it was hard not to be a bit surprised by the relative quality, given the constraints.

This drama came out just before the "toxic Republican era anti-hero" trope dominated the mini-drama landscape in 2023, so you won't be seeing any aggressive MLs intimidating the FLs in a love-hate tale of revenge here. There is almost no romance at all - in fact, the most physical our two leads get is a comforting hand on the shoulder. Leo Yang and Li Jia Jia are nonetheless nicely paired, unravelling the mystery behind a series of murders together.

Like a number of the short-length dramas I watched back in 2022, On the Scent unnecessarily ends on last-second cliffhanger, and like those other dramas, I am not expecting a second season. In this case, however, I was not particularly bothered by the open ending, which did not detract from the overall drama. Not a bad watch for that five minute coffee/tea/water break!

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Impressive production quality for a Douyin/TikTok-length series

Nu Shi Zun Zai Shang is Part 1 of a costume micro drama released on Douyin (essentially the same as TikTok). It tells the story of the aftermath of a war between the Demon and Immortal realms. A refugee, played by Wang Zuyi, is rescued by an immortal during a conflict and taken to the Heavenly Realm to be her one and only disciple. He hides the fact that he is avenging his mother's death and is secretly helping the Demon Sect recover a powerful ring in order to fulfill his quest of revenge. But his immortal master also knows a secret: he is half god/half demon -- a being prophesized to bring destruction. Traumatized by his experiences, he is cynical towards the immortals, but his master's unwavering kindness slowly softens his bitter heart.

Wang Zu Yi does what he does best -- conveying wide-eyed earnest innocence with a joyful smile that, like some of his other roles, hides a darker side. He has great chemistry with his lovely co-star (Xia Yidan?) as well.

I always marvel at what people can do with a few minutes if the structure, pacing, story is done well and everything comes together nicely. This is a perfect example. While each "episode" is incredibly short, it is so tightly scripted that the flow is not choppy and there are no glaring holes in logic or jarring scene jumps. I've seen full-length dramas more poorly edited and with bigger plot holes. What makes this even more impressive, is the high production quality, especially considering this is released on Douyin -- not Tencent or iQiyi. The sets (even in the Heavens), the extras, wire work, costumes, music, are all solid and comparable to your average full-length series. Even the classic xianxia special effects are done well. I've also seen much worse special effects in full-length dramas. The only "technical quibbles" would be 1) the slightly uneven audio quality, which ranges from very good to mediocre and 2) the uneven make-up application around the wig hair pieces on the actors. But those are really minor given the rest of the package.

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