It's always difficult to write a review for longer series because it usually incorporates so much, but it says something if you've made it to the end.

This one definitely had a similar feel to Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People except the setting is in more modern times. As with some of the older series, there is an abundance of dramatics but it was done with care and done better than what newer series attempt to do. While it's heavy handed with politics, it interestingly didn't feel as redundant as one would think despite some repetitiveness in the back and forth competition. Likely because the actors were all really fantastic in their roles, particularly when they switch between various facets of being ruthless or kind. I also always appreciate when the plot takes the time to lay out the beginnings well because it only draws you in closer and has you rooting for them harder.

Put this one off for a while because it's not the typical plot that I'm immediately drawn to but it wonderfully exceeded expectations. Be prepared to be biting your nails often and quietly yelling at the screen, be prepared to grab a Kleenex for the successful emotional tugs, and be prepared to laugh out loud at some of those hilarious characters. Towards the end, it does attempt to heightened the drama by throwing in some even more unrealistic events but it wasn't enough to deter from the overall enjoyment.

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Season Two, Please

Decided to give this a try after it came up as a recommendation for another series, and really happy it did not disappoint.

The atmosphere originally felt like a dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles visit for those who passed on, which made it intriguing right off the bat. One of the best aspects of this series is that it really isn't predictable. Every time I subconsciously tried to guess what was to come, it would throw me a curve ball, then lead me somewhere unexpected. And yet, it all flowed so naturally. There is minimal humor but so much gentle, heart-warming moments.

Although there is a relatively low number of episodes at only around half an hour each, it's quite surprising how many stories they were able to squeeze in despite it being slower paced. Although there is a bit of "gore" due to the nature of plot, it's not done in the way where they're trying to trigger or feed into the audience shock factor. Rather, it's just a matter of fact, as everyone passes away under different circumstances. I love that they didn't try to stuff drama in your face or spell out what you should take away from each story as many series do (where they assume you wouldn't get it, so they just shove it in your face repetitively). The stories are simply laid out for you with subtle reactions from the seemingly stoic team.

The only real negative I have is that there needs to be another season. Partially because there is still plenty of pending, unfinished business and partially because there is so much potential for more.

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I was wavering on giving this a slightly higher score purely because it was more memorable than some others in its genre but because there was some redundancy in the plot and the ending was just a bit far-fetched, I'll keep it here while looking forward to the potential of a second season. For those who care, it doesn't end in a hard cliffhanger so you won't let out a big sigh wondering if and when the next season comes around.

Always have a soft spot for plots where someone who was wronged returns to the scene as a formidable adversary. This one was more unique because while it falls under the vengeance theme, it's quite calming and doesn't have the usual overwhelming woes or anger that is sometimes thrown in your face excessively. The slight overacting actually works really well here because it creates that special layer of humor over the darker theme.

While some viewers might not enjoy how the plot can ping-pong a bit, it actually does make it more realistic. In the real world after all, you don't take down corruption down in one fell swoop and then life is all peachy. People who are corrupted will fight back and fight even harder in their desperation.

There isn't the most intricate weave of plot layering but as mentioned, it's pretty unique (at least from what I've come across) and overall enjoyable. There is almost no romance, didn't feel like skipping through any parts, Namkoong Min was very likeable as the main protagonist, and against all odds, I totally fell for the Kim Jung Nan character.

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Although this movie can't be categorized as a masterpiece, it was incredibly memorable. It helps that the main leads, Sean Lau and Leon Lai, are two of my favorite actors. They have this available with Cantonese or Mandarin audio and the subtitle files are easy to find.

The story is summarized pretty well in the synopsis and it really is as simplistic as following two friends who belong to rival gangs. Both are loyal to their leaders and this creates inevitable complexity for the friendship. The differences in their characters and the way they communicate with each other non-verbally was fun to watch. One of the highlights for me in this was how vastly different their girlfriends were, and how each of them showed their loyalty to their men when faced with extreme circumstances.

I've always loved the gangster movies from the 90s. While this one has some holes with the plot and the decisions the leads made were questionable, it was still very unique and many of the scenes stayed in my memory even after years of not having seen it.

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A key memory that I have for this film is sitting at a friend's house with his younger brother browsing through my starred ratings on Netflix, and telling them I've never given a 5.0 on anything before, until this title showed up. They are Korean and have not had too much exposure to Chinese films. The younger brother really didn't want to watch this one because the picture quality just wasn't good enough for him and he had zero interest in slower-paced dramas. We forced him to sit through it anyway.

Let's just say after the film was over, he turned to us with tears in his eyes and exclaimed how it was unexpectedly awesome.

I loved King of Masks in so many ways. So much of it was done with attention paid to factual elements of its era and every scene provided subtle meaning. If you pay attention close enough, you'll find many hints of humor as well that would be missed otherwise. I won't mention too much of its plot because it really will be a spoiler (although the synopsis provided some already).

The actors did an amazing job in their roles but the child actor was definitely the star. The very realistic and complex development of the bonds between our leads will tug hard at your heartstrings. And if you turn your nose up at older films with poorer picture quality, maybe get someone to force you to watch it as well and you may just become a fan like my friend's younger brother.

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How do children cope and churn through adulthood when raised by a twisted psychopath?

You'll be thrown into a world of dark suspense right from the first episode and you'll find yourself wanting to get to the next episode even if to just unravel the mystery.

I want to commend this series for being able to highlight a number of facts. When surrounded by overwhelming gloom, even a brief glimmer of light can create dispute within the self. Whenever a sob story is heard about a shitty parent or loved one, that person usually blames all of their misgivings on that individual. But there usually is- whether it's the other parent, a sibling, a grandparent, etc who has been in the background trying to protect them them. People tend to take for granted any support structure they were provided and become ignorant of those who've had absolutely none.

They did a good job here at portraying life from the different viewpoints of each son. The internal and external struggles they are made to go through alone and together. The three main actors, despite their personality differences, really did mesh well together here.

It could have been better if there was more in-depth background on many of the characters but it is also an 11-episode series. Points were taken off because while the initial episodes kicked off with good momentum, it started to lag a bit during its mid-point before picking back up. From this mid-point, I already had a hunch as to where the plot was leading so the ending was a bit predictable.

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This is one the more well-rounded medical series I've come across so far. There isn't any hyper-dramatic scenes that you sometimes get with these. There are still some of those falling ill at convenient moments to move the plot along but not offensively. If the female lead was cast and scripted differently, it would have improved the overall feel but our male lead makes up a lot of this shortcoming.

The female lead, Gye Jin Sung, started off as the type of protagonist I usually detest the most. Usually forgiven by the masses because of her "passion" despite being senseless and harmfully reckless. The type who selfishly create problems based on their own sense of moral but is usually forgiven easily for it. She does redeem herself a bit after finally siding with the right person but it also felt like her personality oddly did a sudden transformation which didn't keep with character. What helps her case here, is she'll seem like an angel compared to the ex.

What can I say about our male lead, Lee Young Oh? I've always enjoyed watching this actor on screen and he doesn't disappoint here. Let's just say you barely notice the lack of chemistry with the female lead because he is just that good.

There is a nice amount of depth built into the plot even if you only pay attention to the script of our antisocial genius neurosurgeon. The rest of the cast does a good job and the development between relationships are believable. I also appreciate that they kept the dramatics at a good balance and the pacing of the episodes was done well with just a tad of rush towards an okay end.

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Okay, I really, really tried and wanted to finish this series. Accepted that this was the feel of a daytime soap opera where everything is dramatized and nothing really made sense or flowed well. They threw in as much dramatic effects as possible with car chases in miraculously empty highways, doppelgangers, coincidences that should only occur in a town with less than a hundred population, etc. It really did no justice for two of the mains portrayed by Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung, as they are the only ones to look forward to on screen.

The rest of the mains were incredibly annoying and hypocritical and were a really poor balance to the "Devil Judge". They come off as arrogant and self-righteous fools who only create more problems than solve any. They whine, cry, criticize, and complain but have no abilities to do anything about the situations, and yet they end up relying on the same ones they continuously bash over and over again.

Even ignoring glaring issues like with the Park Jin Young character who is supposed to be a judge idol but yet, he can just casually go on his investigations without being recognized? Or the fact that while he apparently worked so hard to become a judge (even though it was handed to him), he gave attitude to his employer over and over right off the bat? And despite being overly vocal about being lawful and moral, he judges his boss pretty much immediately, plants a listening bug in his office, and then invades his privacy in his own home while he was being taken care of? Then there's his equally arrogant cop girlfriend who illegally provides him with information and equipment.

What finally made me throw my hands in the air in defeat was when that incompetent and useless cop girlfriend decided it was a fantastic idea to approach a mob of troublemakers by herself, leave the handicap niece in the car, and expect things will go smoothly just because she whipped out a gun? Then, when the guys come to their rescue, she turns around to point a gun at the uncle because he's pissed off and has the assailant by the neck? Then says she's going to arrest HIM instead? Furthermore, the niece also acts up like her usual prissy brat self even though she's the one who called him begging for help?

There's just too many annoying aspects to list and I can't stand characters who want to juice the hell out of their life traumas as if they are the only ones in the world who have them. The overall plot had good potential and Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung carried their roles well, but the annoyances from the others have become overwhelming and I'm done trying.

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Very minor spoiler in this review:

I came to this series with hopes for some badass supernatural in a historical period but ended up with mainly lighthearted comedy, heavy romance, and just a bit of drama. It had potential but it was cluttered with both hits and misses.

Felt a pang of wanting to drop this within the first two episodes because the initial love story just didn't make much sense for multiple reasons. I needed to fill in justifications many times in the plot to continue watching. Example: For a being that supposedly has lived thousands of years, why would he feel the intense need to save his first human who wasn't really suffering that much comparably or even deserving of it? Love at first sight? Instead of being wise in all his years, he was too foolishly naive.

There was also almost no background story to many of the key characters which was really disappointing. The excess time spent on the romance and interaction of the second couple should have been spent on giving others some more depth. Although their coupled scenes weren't bad, I still fast-forwarded through a good portion of it. Fortunately the female lead was actually likeable, although they did water down her character near the end.

The transformation of our supernatural beings was just sad and really not believable when those around them supposedly became overly fearful of their "monstrous" image. They verbally tried to portray their "powers" as being overwhelming but it really fell flat when none of it really came into play during the fights. But at least it didn't fall into the tacky category.

Although there was little explanation of anything and the plot didn't flow very naturally, what saved the series was the camaraderie of all of our characters. The development of the relationship with our second couple was done much better than the first one. It was still fun to watch and I laughed out loud plenty of times. It's a good one for those looking for romance/comedy but not great for those looking for something with more action.

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Having come off a couple of re-watches with Dong Yi and Jewel in the Palace, wanted to try a historical series I haven't seen before. And unintentionally, I started yet another series with the same director. A few episodes in, and it becomes quite obvious. So in this review, there will be a bit of a rant.

Let's start with the positives. Right off the bat within the first two episodes, it had me in tears. What happened in these episodes triggered some tears later even during the flashbacks. This is probably also the first time where a spoiled princess (literally) became one of my favorite characters. The intention of the story was also pretty unique revolving around a horse doctor which is what initially had me intrigued. And as usual with this director, the supporting characters were the most likeable ones and did a great job in their roles.

However, because of the formula the director uses over and over again, it has exactly the same flaws as well. Dare I say his formula may have been great once but became outdated? The main leads in all his series are just over the top and dull, which is odd because the supporting characters are always much more lively. He tries too hard to emphasize this idealistic image and they are always portrayed as the underdog who is forever humble. But to me, they end up feeling arrogant because all you ever see is them being happy when someone offers gratitude. They accept it all and rarely ever passes along credit to those around them who've significantly helped them. Sure, they are the main sob story but they shouldn't always be portrayed as the ONLY capable hero. At some point, it is time to stop pitying them.

All three of his series I've seen so far all have similar plot lines as well. The royal family coming down with emergencies again and again, and the lead comes to the rescue. The plague-like disease that impacts the country occurs again and again, and the lead comes to the rescue. For this series in particular, there wasn't much chemistry between the main couple.

It was still enjoyable for the most part but I spent a lot of the series fast-forwarding or putting it on at least a 1.25x speed (which was done similarly with his other series). And as usual with his other series, I wish the vibe in the beginning was kept throughout. Nevertheless, still couldn't drop it so there's something to be said there. If you loved his other series, you should definitely check this one out.

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I really wanted to like this. It was listed as a recommendation from The Fiery Priest and there is a soft spot for the main lead from Prison Playbook. Didn't realize it was a remake of a UK version until I started the series already (usually prefer to start with the originals).

The concept of the story is great but having gone six episodes in, already found myself fast-forwarding through so many of the scenes. The only parts enjoyed was the brief period prior to the main lead entering the alternate world and his interactions with Kang Dong Cheol and Jo Nam Shik after. Unfortunately, our only female lead here is irritating to watch because she looks and sounds creepy most of the time. Although I understand that they are trying to emphasize how women were (are) treated in a male-dominated career and that she has much value to add to her team, her character just isn't done well at all. This really hurt the series for me as she has a lot of screen time. As for the pacing, it isn't necessarily slow but it isn't intriguing either and the repeated flashbacks that occur too often doesn't help.

A few reviews stated there was comedy to look forward to but unless it occurs after the sixth episode, I found none. Ended up reading a more detailed synopsis of the story and it does seems interesting but perhaps I've watched too many crime series in my time or had too many laughs just coming off of the last series, still can't find it in me to continue.

I will end this by saying there are some positives that this may be worth watching for. The portrayal of the world with the decade(s) difference is done pretty well which includes the emphasis on how different crime-solving is without the technology we have today. There is also a good development between the two detectives where one is old-school and used to getting around constraints by bending the rules a little while the other who is too focused on rules and evidence but not so much on the impacts of letting criminals get away because of them.

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Not my style

There is no doubt as to why this series averages such a high rating. It depicts the historical settings of the battles at Changsa with great production quality and an abundance of great supporting actors. It also does a good job in portraying the individualism with many characters. The first few episodes drew me in right away as well as the charisma of the main family.

However, while I enjoyed the FL for her acting and her character initially, her and her twin brother's spoiled ways really doesn't sit well for me. The first scene to have irked me was when the brother ran away to join the army (the first time) when he stayed over at a woman's house. She kindly let him in to have water, etc. and then happened to get killed by Japanese invaders. There was zero reaction from the siblings from what should have been their first close encounter with someone getting killed and they simply continue to act foolishly and risking their own lives but worse of all... other people's lives. The series wants the audience to chalk it up to them being raised and spoiled by a well-off family and simply immature because they are young. But I can't imagine even grade school children acting this way during a warring period. Nevertheless, I patiently waited for that turning point when they showed growth and development with every tragedy encountered.

While there was some growth, it didn't feel natural or impactful enough. The FL still continues to have others dying for her because of her thoughtless actions. Even with the concept of her being desensitized to the environment, she doesn't seem to have any self awareness.

The romance between the FL and ML are also not very natural or fitting and the series does what many others can't seem to stop doing, creating way too many forced "coincidental" situations for the couple. Additionally, while Wallace Huo is good-looking with charm, have yet to really see great acting from him. Kudos to the Xue Jun Shan character and actor however. He is by far the most developed and complex personality in the series.

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The Obnoxious Princess

Really looked forward to watching this for the nostalgia of well-written older series and was initially hooked within the first few episodes. Particularly because I've always had a soft spot for series where the emperor hangs outside of the palace in plainclothes as well. Everything about the show was straight-forward (which was a nice breath of fresh air from more modern series) including the plot, the characters, and the relationships + a nice dosage of humorous moments throughout.

The main star of the show is the emperor. An emperor who can hold his ground, keep his cool and wit, who can actually fight, and is both reasonable and charming. Unlike many other historical series where the doom and gloom of politics is overly intense at times, his workarounds really highlights his emotional intelligence and thoughtfulness.

As for the "bratty" princess, I was really rooting for her initially even despite her being characterized as being too idealistic. And with a background of privilege, it was also completely acceptable that she would be immature about her wants without understanding consequences. After all, there's a reason for the series to be titled the bratty princess. However after 18 episodes, it was becoming nauseating. Again and again, she took advantage of her privilege to selfishly do what she wanted and continuously getting bailed out. She emotionally manipulates those around her by hanging her hat on "doing what's right" and completely disregards the seriousness of who she was impacting. She whines when she thinks people are using her, yet she uses everyone around her in the worst way. All of this would have been acceptable to a degree if she showed any inkling of character growth after so many incidents and episodes... but there was none. She also didn't show any degree of understanding of the kingdom despite having been raised in such a household and showed zero thoughtfulness or intellect. Truly just a bratty princess.

Even is she were to show any character growth in the latter episodes, it definitely wouldn't make up for all the incidents so far. For someone who portrays herself as caring of the less privileged, she sure takes advantage of everything she can get away with, where others would have been put to death multiple times. It's definitely a shame because if it weren't for this aspect, the series would have been much more enjoyable and the higher scoring is for the rest of the characters.

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I really wish more attention was paid to details with this show. The main detective is an actor I've enjoyed watching in other series. They've focused too much on the depiction of the episodic crimes but not so much on what makes sense.

If the voice profiler has supernatural hearing, you would think she would be overwhelmed by noise instead of being able to narrow down certain sounds that just happen to break the cases. When someone is on the phone and she's standing right beside them, yet unable to hear the conversation on the other end? As for the murders, I get that the whole concept of the call center requires victims to have access to their phones in order for her to hear what's going on but the realism of this area should have been written better.

The first case was already off the mark when she knew the woman was hiding. Even if her coworker did reach over and call the victim back, she made no effort to stop him. This doesn't make any common sense and less so when she was knowingly aware of what could happen. It was also extremely irritating when the woman told her the church she was nearby and yet no one seemed to make an effort to do much more other than to sit and listen in apparent shock. With the second case as an example, does it make sense for a serial killer to simply leave an unconscious body in a building without being tied up or taking away her phone? I don't even care much about them putting enormous effort into detailing the crimes but at least the flaws shouldn't be so glaring. The annoying aspect is how brutal or traumatized criminals suddenly feel remorse through her saying a few words. This severely downplays the reality of those suffering in our world.

As much as I want to continue watching, even for those few actors I appreciate, this one will have to be dropped. The higher marks despite dropping this one is due to the other actors less the lead female.

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This one is a tough one. Right from the first episode, the atmosphere was just ever so slightly overly dramatic which set the tone on what to expect from this series: a lighthearted drama with comedic tones. This would be great if done well.

So if you're expecting to see any serious crime solving, this isn't it. It is almost like an attempt to do a live-action version of the anime Detective Conan by solving each case fairly quickly. However, unlike the anime, the cases here don't stimulate much emotions or empathy toward any of the players.

The two male leads do have a pretty fun dynamic (particularly Leon Zhang). Unfortunately, the female lead is just the standard irritating type and instead of adding any value, she pulls it down. The series had the potential to really be pretty good if they managed to do a better job at switching up that underlying comedic tone during what should have been more somber moments. The three leads are pretty monotone no matter what situation they are in and because of this, it ends up emphasizing the fact that they are just a bunch of wealthy kids with zero empathy who are playing detective. The attempted hint at a sob story for the lead female to explain her bratty personality really does nothing for me either. But if you're one who likes these type of characters, you'll find her adorable.

I do appreciate the respect of the multiple languages, where it isn't spoken in one of those nonsensical ways. It's also always nice to hear the Shanghainese language in more mainstream media. The heavy incorporation of foreigners in the plots, however, just doesn't work well here.

This is a series where you don't really need to pay much attention to and the cliffhangers are easy to walk away from. Since I don't hate it, I've been going back and forth on whether to drop it. There is the curiosity on seeing more of the background of the male leads but not much else.

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