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.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

Fan Zhixin delivers emotional performance in otherwise cringy, forgettable mini drama

These short-length productions are like snacks -- the better ones can be deliciously fun and entertaining, but it is rare to feel emotionally satisfied, let alone invested. Yet, Fan Zhixin's acting was unexpectedly moving (even if some might argue it was perhaps a tad too much). Watching him play such an earnest and emotional character was almost startling after seeing him as the suave, cold and ruthless Yan Xing Cheng in My Lethal Man and the disturbing, unsettling, and psychologically abusive Qin Li in Dear Liar. Fan Zhixin conveys a sense of maturity beyond his years and it's easy to forget that he was just 21 to 23 at most in all of these roles.

I'm not a huge fan of cross-world travelling mini dramas, mostly because they feel so unsatisfying at the end, but this one ranks among the better ones I've seen in this genre. I was rather indifferent to the FL, however, and the first third to half of the drama was so painful that I would have dropped it if it weren't for Fan Zhixin, who gave a stronger and more heartfelt performance than many other young actors leading a full-length series.

Childe Xie's Wine is also among the few mini-dramas I've watched that uses live audio! While the uneven sound quality showed a little once in a while, it was refreshing overall to hear everyone's natural voice. On occasion, an actor's performance is improved by the dubbing, but in this case, Fan Zhixin's acting benefited from the live audio, with viewers able to hear the way his voice breaks and catches during his emotional deliveries in the later episodes.

This would have probably been around a 5.5 to 6 for me, but I bumped it up to 7 for Fan Zhixin and hope he has more opportunities to nurture and showcase his acting skills.

Lire davantage

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!

Lire davantage

Fun Harlequin bodyguard-trope mini-drama that gets unnecessarily convoluted

My Name is Zhao Wu Di is a rather silly, but sexy and fun mini-drama starring Zhao Yaoke and Leo Yang, that pushes the "skinship" and innuendo boundaries of what we would normally see in C-dramas.

You may have seen Zhao Yaoke in The Day of Becoming You and The Imperial Coroner, both very good full-length dramas. I also liked her in Healing Food, Healing Love with Zhang He. Leo Yang, or Yang Yeming, only came onto my radar last year with the (even more smoldering and boundary-pushing) Republican Era short-length series, Miss Mystery. In Zhao Wu Di, viewers will either swoon over the gratuitous shirtless scenes and his smoldering stares -- or find his "dead-fish eyes" an emotionless turn-off. Cheng Long, who plays the supporting side-kick security guard, was one of the highlights.

Among bite-sized mini-dramas with the "Bodyguard" romance trope, this is one of the better ones in terms of action-sequences, acting, and overall production value -- and unlike the vast majority of short-length dramas, this one was mostly filmed with live audio, meaning the actors are not poorly dubbed by another voice actor. But marring the drama's overall potential is a plot that gets unnecessarily derailed by increasingly convoluted and silly twists as the storyline progresses, culminating in a laughable climax involving the villain and his cellphone (I don't want to give any "spoilers" -- however predictable -- but you'll know when you see it).

Still, if you're looking for a low-commitment drama fix or background watch and your tolerance for goofy plot developments is high, Zhao Wu Di is a quick and easy watch.

Lire davantage

Terrible, disjointed script and direction makes for a cringy watch

I am always amazed at what gets greenlit into a film or TV show and "Love in the Kitchen" makes for an excellent (or rather, terrible) example of why.

A behind-the-scenes reel in the closing credits shows the sizable production team that made this Republican-era romance possible. The visuals are actually quite nice overall, and is only marred by an awkward, fake montage of changing seasons that ends with our main couple lying jarringly on astro-turf (you can even see where one turf section ends and another begins) surrounded by unnaturally arranged fake flowers, as fake snow drifts over them.

I can forgive low-budget (how many of us love The Untamed, despite that opening scene?), because a strong script can help make up for all sorts of deficiencies. Sadly, the script is a poorly-written, disjointed mess -- the romance development is weak and unconvincing, with no character development or arc. We constantly see the ML manhandle and bully the FL, like a grade-school boy trying to get the attention of his crush by being mean and rude. We rarely see him showing kindness in real-time -- this is only shown through a series of flashback vignettes -- making the FL's feelings toward him rather confounding. Xie Binbin's natural likability is what saves his churlish character from being complete unappealing.

The direction, packed with all the cheesiest drama cliches you can think of (the slow-mo sequences, stumbling into each other's arms, tripping into bed, repeated shots from different angles culminating into the "big kiss" (it was not)) made for such an uncomfortable watch, I almost dropped it after 5 minutes. I kept it on "in the background" and things did improve marginally from there, but again, the mind boggles at how this was ever produced and released.

In the end, most of my vicarious embarrassment was for the actors who starred in this film, especially Xie Binbin, whom I quite like. I hope they all had fun at least!

Lire davantage

Cringy script barely saved by a likeable cast

I really enjoyed Love is Sweet and LBFAD, Perfect and Casual, etc. but I really wasn't sure about this one, given some friends were enjoying it, other friends couldn't get past the first couple of episodes, and reviews overall were quite mixed.

But curiosity got the better of me -- plus I'm a reporter that covered fintech and has written about batteries -- so I decided to check it out. And eeek. Whatever people think of Douban in general, I get the score for this one. It feels a bit like a modern mini-drama script. If it wasn't for the cast and the fact that I set aside all my expectations, this would be a slog.

When it comes to the romance, the dialogue is cringy. Massive journalistic conflict of interest and ethical issues aside, the FL is an intrepid and good reporter, but she spouts the corniest flattery and pick-up lines and her expressions of interest feel off; I can't tell if she's being serious or just trying to be cute, flirty, or teasing. Meanwhile, 90 pct of the ML's dialogue when it's not about business is "Mm." "No." "Yes." Make the characters make sense! And let's not get into the endless push and pull from the side couples either.

It all screams "frustrating watch", especially the romance, and yet! I'm surprisingly not as frustrated as I should be. I really don't know if it's because the cast helps -- or worse, because I do not feel invested in these characters at all. As much as I've enjoyed their other dramas and likability factor on variety shows, the acting and pairing don't really work for me here -- I'm not feeling the chemistry.

This is the first time I've written a review before finishing, but I wanted to sort out my thoughts a little. Everyone seems happy with the last half dozen episodes though, so hopefully this perseverance will be rewarded.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

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

Lire davantage

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?

Lire davantage

Campy romcom has solid chemistry, with great FL and adorkable ML

For a low-budget romcom, this was pretty fun and entertaining. Gao Hanyu is adorkably hilarious playing the "cold CEO" who finds himself completely discomposed and thrown off kilter when his fake, contract actress girlfriend suddenly becomes a strong and fearless independent woman with uncanny knowledge about subject matters he is passionate about.

I am not always a big fan of romcoms, but I found myself snort-laughing out loud in every episode, especially during the first half dozen or so. Right from the opening scene, the antics and set-ups in Exploration are slightly over-the-top in classic romcom fashion without veering into the slapstick genre, so for me, it totally works. And of course, there is no need to quibble over points of logic or think too hard or too seriously about any plot holes -- these will be a given in this genre and calibre of C-dramas. The story does take a more serious turn, and there are a couple of small misunderstandings, but I didn't mind those or the developments in the last two episodes that bothered other viewers -- they're all short-lived and the ending is still a happy one.

Gao Hanyu isn't the most expressive actor, but he has great comedic timing, and exudes charm and charisma, making him a consistently entertaining watch. He also has great chemistry with his co-stars, and Song Yanfei is no exception. Overall, they are supported by a very likable cast. Unfortunately, the weakest link is around the secondary couple -- the little sister becomes extremely annoying pursuing Gao Ling. Given some of the great, healthy messages elsewhere in the drama, I wished they had followed an unconventional route with that storyline. (Aside: For those discovering Ryan Cheng for the first time, I recommend checking out the short-length mini-drama A Familiar Stranger.)

The drama could have been tightened significantly to 16 episodes instead -- a similar length as Dine with Love, which is the better of the two dramas. The pacing and momentum slowed down towards the middle and never fully regained its original footing. Even so, despite its flaws I thought it was an entertaining and easy binge.

Lire davantage

Wonderful characters/relationships, no stupid misunderstandings, satisfying ending, best of 2023

I’m super stingy with giving 9s, but after more than 250 dramas, I’m handing out my first 10. For me, this is definitely the best drama of 2023, and possibly my all-time favourite.

Destined was wonderful, entertaining and had everything I love -- swoony romance, a perfect amount of angst and humour, slice of life, palace intrigue, bromance, great secondary couples, heartwarming family/in-law dynamics, excellent pacing, multi-genre, no annoying characters (except for maybe one...) and green flags everywhere.

The relationships in this drama -- between couples, friends, parent and child (Edit: OK, maybe just the moms, lol), employer and employee, sworn brothers, sworn sisters -- were all beautiful portrayed and ridiculously healthy: open, trusting, communicative, respectful, warm, and loyal.

I almost hesitate to review this for fear my enthusiasm will fuel unrealistic expectations, leading to inevitable disappointment, but this drama was about as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen. Elements that are hit and miss in other shows were done consistently well here, with none of the annoying and frustrating trope-y plot devices or foolish misunderstandings. Our primary villain is complex and multi-dimensional; war/battles scenes were exciting, filled with dramatic tension, conveying the enormous stakes involved and the David vs Goliath nature of the fight (I ordinarily find a lot of battle scenes a bit boring); the emperors were among the most sympathetic and heartbreaking I’ve ever seen portrayed.

THE PACING

The pacing is well-done in this drama, which is divided into several major arcs. There were times I found myself smiling, laughing, crying, and stressed — all within the span of a tight, 40 minutes. Even the episodes that clearly served as "breathers" before the next major plotline were still interesting. It never felt draggy and flashbacks were effective and kept to a minimum. Those who don't like "slice of life" moments, however, might find those episodes spoil the momentum, especially given the excitement that came before.

THE ENDING

Asian dramas can be notorious for slaughtering their endings, but Director Yin Tao (who also helmed The Blood of Youth among many other notable dramas), and screenwriter Bai Jinjin (who helped pen Love Between Fairy and Devil) exceeded even my hopeful expectations. (For those who have watched Yin Tao’s previous works, you will also recognize many beloved and familiar faces.)

OUR MAIN HERO AND HEROINE

The drama does an excellent job showing the selflessness, support, open communication, trust, and utter devotion Liu Yuru and Gu Juisi have toward one another. The evolution of their relationship from mutual dislike to mutual respect is organic and natural, but moves along swiftly. Yuru’s opinion toward her husband shifts as she discovers the real Gu Jiusi, while Juisi — inspired and moved by his wife's kindness, loyalty, and a desire to make up for the “joke” that led to their unwanted marriage — becomes a doting and devoted husband, working hard to become worthy of his formidable new wife.

Their relationship was also a perfect example of how a drama can have fantastic character and plot development without resorting to the overused and cliche-ridden tropes of frustrating miscommunications, unnecessary secrets, and idiotic misunderstandings. You can have swoony romance, healthy supportive relationships, and excellent communication and *still* tell complex and compelling stories.

Prior to Destined, I was generally unfamiliar with Song Yi’s work, but I thought she did a wonderful job as Yuru. Some viewers complained early on about her portrayal, but I thought she did a great job acting simultaneously demure yet strong, capturing the character's quiet strength and poise. Conveying and embodying that complicated dichotomy convincingly is no easy feat.

Yuru spent her entire life trying to be the “perfect lady”, living her life with enormous restraint in order to ensure her and her mother's security by marrying well. The way she carried herself, the repressed and “delicate” way she shed tears, were all part of her exhausting efforts to carve a better future. She had to consistently maintain a prim, proper, and reticent demeanor, suppress her emotions and reign in her opinions, because that was how “well-bred” ladies were supposed to comport themselves. This perhaps made it difficult for some viewers to connect with her emotionally. But Yuru demonstrated her ability to withstand enormous obstacles and upheaval, that she would not be easily defeated. As her character evolved and was accepted into a family that allowed her to be her true self, her behaviour relaxed. The delicate sniffles disappeared, the emotions became more heartfelt, her actions and opinions more fearless and decisive.

Yuru also makes for a striking contrast with Jiusi who is more straightforward: he was a dandy with a heart of gold — a big softy. He was rather childish and playful initially, but matured into a commanding and wise strategist and advisor. Unlike Yuru’s character, he had an easy life (and is male!), so he is naturally more relaxed, open, opinionated and unreserved in his actions and speech.

Both leads were genuinely excellent in their respective roles, but I think it's easy to mistake Song Yi’s restrained and carefully balanced portrayal as somehow lacking, when in fact, it is the opposite.

Bai Jingting’s last several dramas have been consistently excellent, though I was relatively neutral about the actor himself prior to Destined. This drama really showcased his emotional range and comedic timing.

THE VILLAIN

I don't recall ever shedding a tear for a villain, let alone one this despicable, ruthless, and irredeemable. And yet.

The screenwriter and actor did a great job bringing Luo Zishang’s character and tragic story to life. Oftentimes, the Big Bad Villain in a drama is just evil for the sake of being evil, or loathsome because of the clichéd hunger for power and greed. In Destined, our villain, played by Liu Xueyi, is enigmatic, multifaceted — even sympathetic — despite being unequivocally unforgivable. Yes, his hatred toward Gu Jiusi and his family was absolutely disproportionate, the atrocities he committed in the name of vengeance were utterly irrational and indefensible, and the underlying reason its own well-worn cliché, but it was somehow still difficult to not feel sorrow in the end for the tragedy of his entire, wasted life. In the hands of another actor, it is quite possible that the weak premise behind what motivated his hatred would have derailed the entire plot. Luo Zishang’s feelings towards Yuru conveyed all the "what ifs" of his character, and the show beautifully captured those “what ifs” in the final two episodes.

Liu Xueyi is great when he plays the hero, but he is also excellent at portraying villains and morally ambiguous characters. I hope he will continue to balance his roles between being a lead and taking on interesting supporting roles like he has here and in other previous dramas.

I really appreciated how the show also made time to tell a bit of Ming Yi’s story. Throughout the drama, he seemed like your typical disposable background character, the almost-invisible right-hand man who unquestioningly did his master’s bidding, no matter how heinous. But the writer and director even granted *him!* satisfying closure, making time at the end to give him a voice so he could tell his own story and voice his own hopes.

There was some viewer frustration that a pivotal character did nothing to stop the chaos created by the Luo Zishang earlier. While his intervention could have made an enormous difference for the fate of countless lives, in my view, he was always morally ambiguous — his shrewd ability to navigate the treacherous schemes of the previous royal court speaks to this aspect of his character.

BUT…?

I don’t have many buts, to be honest. I think we could all quibble about a few details here and there, small plot holes (some of which were eventually answered), but given the complexity of the source material, I thought they did an incredible job packing what they could into the new 40-episode limitation and telling a tight, well-paced story.

There was one notable death near the end that I wished didn’t happen, but at the same time, given the character’s personality, it was perhaps a fitting and honourable end for them. Their future, had they survived, would have been bittersweet in other ways because it would not have been the life they wanted. Their death also served another purpose: it bolsters the underlying theme that it is lonely at the top, even in the best of circumstances.

Arguably, there were no genuinely annoying characters, except for maybe one, but I have yet to decide if the character was annoying in a way that was organic to the story, or in a way that faulted the writing and/or acting.

For some of those who read the original web novel by Mo Shubai , this adaptation was apparently disappointing, particularly in the later arcs as key details were changed or left out. Others were frustrated by the fates of two notable characters — one beloved and another much hated; both did not get the ending they deserved (I sympathize with the criticism, but also understood why the less palatable ending was chosen).

For me, the overall strengths of this drama far outweighed any of the issues. As another viewer commented, “This is not perfect, but it’s perfect for me.”

NERDY OBSERVATIONS

-- Hurray for live audio! Undubbed costume dramas still feel like a rarity and adds another layer of pleasure

-- I love the brief scenes early on with the accountants -- I found the clacking of the abacuses/abaci very soothing and meditative

-- Liu Yuru’s first cosmetics store was absolutely gorgeous

-- I saw a behind-the-scenes clip of the construction of the beautiful mansion the Gu family moved into when they first arrived in Youzhou, so I couldn’t get over how little actual screentime such an elaborately-made set received

-- What happened to Yuru's half brother? I'm sure he was still around, but it would've been a nice touch to see him interacting with his little nephew at the end.

-- Last but not least, a shout-out to the cinematography, especially during the dramatic battle scene with Yuru standing high on the ramparts, passionately striking the war drum to rally her husband and the soldiers, her bright red gown a beacon against the sandy desert battleground

Lire davantage

May scratch your guilty-pleasure itch for trope-filled, angsty dog's blood drama

Okay, let's first be very clear, the ML is a serious, problematic P.o.S. for the first half dozen episodes or so, and their "explanation" (that he is bi-polar and was "cured"?) is just as problematic. This is a terrible portrayal of mental illness and using it as a throw-away story-telling device (it doesn't really get mentioned again for the rest of the drama) does such a huge disservice to an important issue. (C-dramas in general have a long way to go still when it comes to attitudes towards mental illness -- even in serious, high brow, well-scripted costume dramas, it's still common to see the villain "go crazy" at the end.)

This is otherwise, your classic, trope-filled, angsty dog's blood low-budget soap; this should be very obvious from the get-go. So if you are looking for a high-quality modern romance grounded in reality, you can safely skip this with zero regrets. But if you're looking for a relatively short melodrama fix (20 episodes, 30 minutes each) with low expectations, this might satisfy that guilty-pleasure itch -- you have tortured break-ups, revenge, family drama, backstabbing, people who do terrible things for unrequited love, disapproving in-laws, an ML who really suffers and is put through the wringer when the FL finally leaves him, and an ML who changes for the better and is willing to give up everything for the FL. The only trope missing, as commenters joked, are twins. Don't expect a well-crafted script that offers character development that makes sense -- this is low-budget dramaland at its soapiest, so leave the over-thinking and expectations at the door, make a lot of assumptions, and fill in the blanks yourself. Do all that and you might find yourself not minding this ridiculous ride! And to be perfectly fair, when it comes to plot holes and making sense, there are many, many worse offenders out there.

I watched this primarily because I was curious to see He Riuxian as the FL -- she was stunning in Warm on a Cold Night and her character was pretty kick-ass from what I remember. I also liked Luo Zheng in some of his earlier supporting roles, and -- as my bio notes -- I'm a sucker for angsty journeys that end in happily-ever-afters.

A few good things I wanted to highlight:

-- Asian dramas love their over-the-top public proposals, or proposals that generally put a lot of pressure on the women to say "yes" out of obligation and guilt. So I was pleasantly surprised by a scene that calls out these types of proposals.

-- Modern C-dramas seem to love making their FL's look frumpy -- high-waisted jeans, boxy, unflattering blazers, ugly shirts, bad hairstyles, you name it -- one has to wonder, do the stylists hate them? Here, He Riuxian's character has pretty great style and clothes -- a genuinely rare sight in my viewing experience!

-- The mothers are hilarious near the end. The ML's mom starts off as your typical rich wife/disapproving mother. (It takes a very long time, but she ultimately just wants to see her son happy and comes to accept the FL, recognizing her kindness and formidable strength.) Her encounter with the equally disapproving FL's mother was fairly amusing, but the scene that had me cackling out loud may be when the ML sneaks into the FL's bed to snuggle .... only to stare right into the glaring eyes of the FL's mother, lol. Priceless.

Lire davantage