Music Lovers

Just finished the ending of this series on YouTube and I feel the urge to write a review. I’ve mixed feelings, because I’ve been hooked by every episode, but felt some irritation as well.

Synopsis
All her life Yang Zhen Zhen (Janice Wu) wants to be a pop artist. She works as a jack-of-all-trades at a major music agency, in the after hours she puts all her energy in talent shows. She never wins, but she decides to aid her former contest opponent Yu Zi Rui (Niu Jun Feng) to become a star one day.
Zhen Zhen is friendly, optimistic, fighting for her beliefs. That’s why her boss entrusts her with the difficult task of being a personal assistant to c-pop artist Zheng Bai Xu (Huang Zitao). Bai Xu is the big star of his agency, but he’s pursued by media scandals due to his unpredictability and unrestrained actions. He gives Zhen Zhen a lot of head aches and anxiety. They bicker non-stop, but are in fact kindred spirits. They both like to live and fight for their music. Bai Xu wants to become his own singer-songwriter but his agency won’t let him, earning money from his career as it is. Question is: will they succeed in living their life the way they want to?

The Good
Don’t expect just another c-pop vehicle for ZTao, this drama has some good side stories, f.e. the relationship with his rich father and siblings, and there's a nice flow in the story telling.
If you’re a fan of Janice Wu, you won’t be disappointed. She really shines. Although her character should have clothing that is plain and simple, her styling is perfect, every episode another outfit. Also ZTao doesn’t look bad when he leaves the swimming pool, and together they have a lot of cute, sweet moments. The supporting cast delivers a good job as well, especially the ideal-son-in-law Niu Jun Feng who plays a darker sort of character for a change.

The Bad
It is almost symptomatic in Chinese series, but there it is…this drama fails to deliver a sound closure. Really, how difficult can it be to portray a struggling artist who becomes a succes in the end, in his own right, without the help of his rich father, or agency? I won’t give any spoilers, you’ll have to see this for yourself.
Another minor thing, the styling of the actors is great, but it pains me to see what they did to ZTao. His lipstick is thicker, pinker than anyone. Combined with his dramatic hair-do and eyeliner he looks more like a drag queen to me. The only time I could believe Zhen Zhen would fall in love with him, was at the pool and on the beach where he was filmed without the heavy makeup.
Thanks to Janice the chemistry with ZTao was on point, but it took a long time before they kissed, and when they did, it was an anti climax for me. Aigoo, I was waiting for a lingering kiss full of intense emotion, not a touch of the lips left in "pause" mode.

Verdict
Still I recommend this c-drama to all romcom/music/boss-secretary lovers. Leave your brain on the shelf and enjoy this classic story about the arrogant male and his female assistant who become of one mind completing each other.

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E.T. on Pheromones

This series is a must see for lovers of fantasy and office romance . Some scenes are so hilarious I’ve rewatched them already, but the story seems to be written with lots of liquor aside.

Plot
One evening an alien and her secretary get stuck on planet Earth, they transform into the earthy shape of a girl and a turtle. They rescue a man after a car crash, but their device that beams them up to their planet gets lost in the proces. So the search for this device begins, leading them to a lot of encounters with other humans.
If you think this story is pretty standard, take that: whenever this alien girl smells male hormones she looses control, wanting to sniff and fondle men all over the place, which brings her to a party with pretty samples in a night club. There she befriends the performing artist who turns out to be the younger brother of the unknown man she rescued. This car crash victim seems totally recovered, a rich and famous CEO from a perfume company who's involved in a power struggle. He’s a handsome cold man who turns warm whenever the alien girl touches his chest. Could it be his heart or something else? Moreover this CEO has amnesia caused by some trauma in his past that lets him forget all his girlfriends as soon as it rains outside. Last but not least he has an intended who is as cold blooded as he is, but somehow obsessed with marrying him. What follows is a chain of events leading to office drama and a love square, between the alien girl, the CEO, his brother and the fiancée. Will they all get what they wanted in the end?

The Good
Thanks to the alien theme this story seems more playful and fresh than the usual Chinese romcoms. Agreed, this show has all the k-c drama clichés, the arrogant CEO with a psychic disorder, his antagonistic family, a rich girl who wants to marry him, and a bubbly girl who turns his world upside down…but the difference is this alien girl acts way more sexy and bold towards the men she feels attracted to. It's funny to let pheromones play a crucial part in the encounter with an extra-territorial being, especially the pheromones of a CEO from a perfume company. I also love the conflicted feelings of this cold CEO who tries to keep up appearances but longs to be touched as well.
Actors Wan Peng and Hsu Thassapak are made for this romcom, they are funny and sexy, although their kisses were a bit lackluster with their lips stuck together in pause mode.
The other actors are also good, especially Alina Zhang, known from her role as the Fire Princess in Ice Fantasy.

The Bad
The problem with this show, and Chinese series in general, is the lack of a sound plot. My guess is this is due to the strict maintaining of marketing formulas, and drama censure. Chinese writers prefer to copy-paste certain censure-proof elements, that were successful before with other audiences. This causes a whirlwind of funny scenes, pasted together, but it fails to deliver a sound closure, leaving several loopholes and questions unanswered. Moreover it's a pity that our feisty heroine changes midway into the traditional role model for females. She suddenly acts shy when a man reacts physically to her own attraction techniques. But...

Verdict
..if you leave your brain on the shelf, don’t mind an unclear story or statement about men/women roles in society, you will love this series. The actors are adorable, there are plenty of funny scenes and Hsu Thassapak is a good singer.

*UPDATE

Did you know that the voice of Fang Leng is dubbed by the same voice actor as Lan Wangji in The Untamed? Now I know :-)

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If he says "cute" one more time...

Maybe there are two ways to watch fluffy romance series. One is dressed in your onesie, wearing pink slippers, clipping your toenails with one eye on the screen to admire the soft pout of the FL, or the ML's big brown eyes, and there's nothing wrong with that.
The other is actually paying attention to the story, because you like romance, but this story, I assure you, will reach the opposite effect, in more than one way.
First, there's this FL who rarely leaves her house because she works her head off.
Second, she only goes out because her boss orders her to do so with the command to find the necessary inspiration for her job.
Third, the only guy she meets is a hairdresser who falls instantly in love with her, just because WHAT exactly...because he can't resist a makeover? Or because he is a closet-masochist who likes her disinterest in him? She falls asleep when he does her hair, he's stood up by her...and all he can say is she's CUTE? I know this is the typical male compliment to a female in Japanese series, and he says it at least seven times each episode.
Added bonus seems to be she's a workaholic just like him, and still a virgin, and the very first time they actually did it, she reaches for her note book at her bed side to take notes on her new experience. Not to cherish a beautiful memory, but to store information for her new manga.
I'm so happy this is pure fiction, because in reality, the Japanese birth rate would dip to an all time low with unromantic people like that.

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Beautiful Production, Puzzling Plot

The Rise of Phoenixes kept me hooked from start to finish, and for me this is a serious act of binge watching, but... I tend to disagree with fans on the internet comparing this show to Nirvana in Fire, or even Game of Thrones. This show wasn't up to par compared to those two. I think what mesmerized me were the stunningly filmed scenes and actors. I just love to look at beautiful faces and places. The leading couple took my breath away sometimes. Although Ni Ni was forced to play a Mary Sue, completely different from her character in the original novel, I easily forgot all this by just looking at her. The same can be said about Chen Kun. He sometimes fell into the trap of emotional, hammy playing, with eyeball rolling and all, but compensated this with good scenes that made him a true anti-hero. I loved their flirting scenes and their love scene beneath a water surface. Also the supporting cast did a good job, especially the old emperor.

So why do I feel unsatisfied after 70 episodes? I think it was the script. With historical drama there’s usually the choice between (a) the “man meets woman/they fall in love/they have difficulties/their love survives or not”- storyline or (b) the “man meets woman/they support each other/one of them choose to break up for the common good”- storyline. I guess this production didn’t make this choice. It started as a love story, and abruptly hopped off to version (b). I wonder why, because we didn’t see the suffering of the common people at all, they were absent during all scenes.

There was also an inconsistency in characters. Normally there are outright heroes, villains, and anti-heroes in a show. Ning Yi is the anti-hero type, who should have become more defined as the story fleshed out. It didn’t happen. In the original novel his life experiences made him another man. In the end he dares to choose for his personal happines. In this production however, although he’s portrayed as a highly intelligent man, Ning Yi only wants to win the throne above all other things, turning him into a Macbeth type. This makes his character difficult to portray. How can this prince be a romantic anti-hero, a highly treacherous schemer, and an intelligent person at the same time? The same goes for Feng Zhiwei. She’s the protagonist/heroine of the story. She’s young, intelligent and she becomes an imperial adviser, she doesn’t know her origins and is highly naive, although she can be plucky and daring at the same time. The moment she knew about the fate of several people who gave their life for the sake of her heritage and dynasty, she should have thought about her purpose, her goal in life. It would have been a call to action for her type of character. This happened in the novel. In this production however, after a few revengeful thoughts, she became like many heroines in other c-drama: a brokenhearted, passive love interest.

This production could have been a complicated love story. In stead it became the story of many people whose lives became intertwined. They just happened to meet at the same place, at the same time under difficult circumstances, namely the struggle for power at the imperial palace. All actors did their very best, this makes it worth your time. There are many questions left about certain events, and characters, so it feels that even 70 episodes is not enough. Perhaps a remake will meet the challenge.

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Love helps finding your wings

If you liked the first season, you'll love this series. The continuing story of Novoland The Castle in The Sky is set in the same fantasy world, only with different characters, and another plot that can be seen in its own right.

Story
Season 2 follows the love and adventures of Feng Ru Che, daughter of the blue-eyed, golden-winged Feng Tian Yi and his earthling wife Yi Fu Ling. Just like her parents Ru Che falls in love with another specimen, that is the famous and never aging magician Xue Jing Kong. Their love story reminds me of Eternal Love of Dream (2020) and Goblin (2016). Magician Xue rescued baby Ru Che eighteen years ago, their fate bound forever. There’s a second love story as well that goes beyond enemy lines, with a few episodes about military training and bonding in war time.

Acting/Cast
It seems a mission impossible to surpass actor Zhang Ruo Yun as the dashing Feng Tian Yi, but I found Xu Zheng Xi very capable of acting the part as Magician Xue. He has this demure, stone face, that brings to life the stoic Master of Ru Che. Yes, he is good looking, but we mustn’t forget he’s eighty years her senior according to the myth. Actress Wang Yu Wen matches him perfectly as the quick silver Ru Che who seems to combine her mother's spontaneity with the whirlwind energy from her father. I loved their chemistry and interaction. The other cast members were good as well, all though I didn’t see any character development in Yun Mu Yang, the foster brother of Xue. Last but not least the anorexic boy Xu Yu who constantly fights against Xue is pretty interesting, but what exactly is his purpose in this story other than oozing with fairytale vibes? I hope his origins get more attention in the next season.

Music
The soundtrack is built further on the theme of the former season, so if you liked that, good for you. The soulful melodies pulled at my heart strings for sure.

Rewatch Value
I’m a sucker for old fashioned romance with hot kissing scenes, so I will definitely rewatch not only the second, but also the first season.

Overall
I liked the beginning better than the ending of this series, but if you're in the mood for Intense- Soulmate-Destiny-Willing-To-Die-for each other- Love, look no further. The story shows true love helps finding your wings.

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Absolute Light is also Absolute Darkness

Ever Night 2 has ended and I already want to know the continuing story. That’s how good this production is, despite two major set backs. One, they’ve changed the original cast, second the story becomes much darker.

Story

In Ever Night Season 2, Ning Que and Sang Sang’s story continues in a world that becomes more hostile every day. Sang Sang gets exposed as the person who will bring eternal night, everyone is out to get her, except for Ning Que and his Academy friends. The whole nation is about to collapse under power struggles, treason and war, and it is up to Ning Que to keep focused on his love, and the world he cares for. It turns out he and Sang Sang are the center of the ultimate power struggle between the goddess of light and the sage master. Will they succeed in saving themselves, and the human world as they know it?

Acting/Cast

Kudos to Dylan Wang. Such a pity he has to cope with an audience that’s expecting the return of Arthur Chen who was teenage boy Ning Que in the flesh in Ever Night Season 1. However, anybody who reads the book will discover Dylan plays the character of Ning Que to a T as well. In the novel, Ning Que changes from a disrespectful teenager with swag to a caring anti-hero who sticks to his one and only purpose in life, Sang Sang. Yes, it’s hard to see him mortified many times, but that’s how it is written in the book, it’s not about him being out of character like some people think.
Ireine Song has to play the biggest character development here, and she delivers. Finally she’s allowed to play her real age, and it shows, she really shines at her wedding scene at the lake.

Music

This series has a beautiful OST. The opening theme of Ever Night is simply epic, perhaps the best Ever Heard.

Rewatch Value

There are parts in this series that I never want to rewatch again. See for yourself and you'll know what I mean. It’s terrible to see the main characters in dire straits. Sang Sang is dying from the cold disease. Ning Que is constantly on the run, more vulnerable than ever, now that he’s afraid of losing Sang Sang. His Devil-May-Care attitude seems gone forever.
Still, this is a hell of a story, full of life lessons, such as Darkness and Light are intertwined, and Love can make you weak, but it makes you strong as well.
The biggest problem is the script, it handles all story lines without making choices. This throws necessary time for character development out of the window.
How to explain in a few episodes that Sang Sang has become a goddess of light, and darkness incarnate, all in one? She has the spirit of Yong Ye and Hao Tian within her, she’s cruel, detached from the world. Still she can’t let go of her human side that is Sang Sang who shared her bed with human Ning Que during their wedding night.
In this drama they let two different characters play Sang Sang’s human and goddess side, which is too confusing imo.
The same goes for Ning Que. How to depict a character development in just a few episodes that goes from a boyish dare devil attitude to an adult personality who’s able to love and care deeply? So the makers should have invested way more time in both characters, now it has been wasted on too many side characters and side stories.

Verdict

If I see Ever Night Season 2 as the Story of NingSang, this series means a lot to me. Dylan Wang plays a great Ning Que, he really becomes the character. I love the chemistry between the adult Ning Que and Sang Sang, they finally look like a pair. And in spite of all the messy Wuxia stories I also liked the master genius Fu Zi, second brother Jun Mo, the quiet strength of Chao and the girl power coming from the Addict Sisters. Go watch it!

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The Search for Identity & Self-invention

I just saw the full length movie version of The Ambiguous Focus (2017) not the 6 episodes drama (2018) and was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of both the story and cinematography. This is not your typical BL movie with fluffy, hilarious, or angsty scenes about teenage love. Right from the start the viewer is pulled into mature scenes with a gay couple trying to maintain their relationship.

The male leads, Nan and Zhe, know each other since school, their love story is shown in the prequel Kinematics Theory (2018). Both males are introverts, one is highly intelligent, highly sensitive, struggling to become a writer, the other is a good looking sporty guy who earns a living for both of them combining an office job with housekeeping. Just like the title their story is told, and filmed in a cryptic way, with different points of view from both men alternately, complemented by comments of their friends.

Plot
Nan and Zhe are nearing their 10th anniversary together, Nan is secretly saving money to buy a new apartment for them which makes him vulnerable for a rich guy named Jimmy who likes to bribe and sabotage Nan into a relationship with himself. Suddenly Nan's father must be hospitalized and from that moment on Nan's lot spells disaster, forcing him to make rash promises and decisions that have a huge impact on his partner Zhe, and his own future with Zhe.

Pros
I've read a lot of comments on the sadness of this movie, or the quality of acting, but I don't see it that way. First, the story has an open ending, second the actors were eye candy, their acting above average even natural at times, third, I found the story beautifully told, not overly dramatic... although living in a homophobe world is dramatic enough as shown in the side stories of gay friends who aren't living on cloud nine either.
The scope is on relationships, and questions about love. "Do I really love this person, or do I love it that he needs me, and I need him? Do I love him so much that I can withstand other alluring people?"

Cons
Misunderstandings are needed in a script to give a boost to a story, but I hate it, personally. A lot of grief could have been avoided if the characters would speak their minds. Further I disliked the passiveness of Zhe's character, but again, that's personal taste.

Verdict
This movie reminded me somehow of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest". It shows that people are busy with image building and pleasing others, but it all comes down to our search for identity and self-invention to make relationships work. Go watch it!

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Love is All You Need

Here's another example of Chinese tv series that are 100% light and binge-watch worthy, Lovely Swords Girl. I've completed all episodes in one day without using the fast forward mode, it's that good.

Summary:

The story is centered around the love life of Sheng You, only daughter of the leader of a medical sect that possesses a code that can conquer death. She is allowed to choose a husband from three sons of the distinguished Gong family, because her father cured their father, but also to create a strong alliance in the pugilistic world.

The moment the Gong brothers present themselves to her, Sheng You recognizes the eldest as her savior from an accident in the streets. Gong Yuanxiu is a real champion fighter, and beautiful to boot, so she eagerly vows to marry him. At the wedding night however Sheng You discovers she has been tricked into marriage with a total idiot. Gong Yuanxiu seems to have lost his wits due to a strong love potion from a lady suitor.

At first Sheng You wants to annul the marriage that hasn't been consummated by the childish Yuanxiu, but her witty mother-in-law convinces her to try him out for two years. She's confident her eldest son will win his wife over, because he's so different from his arrogant, aloof brothers, and he has only eyes for Sheng You. It's not difficult to appreciate Sheng You as well. Soon the "lovely swords girl" has a lot of fans and two other suitors that are aiming for her heart. Each one of them has his own merits, and a different kind of love. Also there's a difference in their own need of love. Main question is which man will she choose, especially with dangerous times ahead.

The cast:

I appreciated the choice of the cast, all new, unknown actors who did a good job. They made it easy to follow the story. I liked the female lead Jiang Zhen Yu and the actress playing her mother-in-law, Vila Fan. Both played a support role in Hello Debate Opponent (2019) so I've put that series on my Plan To Watch list. Support actor Xu Kai Xin (Mengfei Comes Across) not only played second brother, but also outplayed his first brother here, delivering sound vibes of second lead syndrome. I hope he'll get the chance to play a lead role in future series.

The good and the bad:

Beside the actors I appreciated the well mixed feelings of joy and pain in this series. I could relate to all the characters with all their mistakes and different choices to cope with life, and love. It almost made me forget the bad editing and poor choice of cliches that seem to be chronic in c drama. Really... how many times do I have to see the emphasis on bodyfat, make-overs, memory loss, and evil characters that are wearing a mask.

Overall:

Still this series has some unique qualities. The characters are fleshed out, their dialogues, interactions, and inherent contradictions, make them more real and endearing. The story shows that love has many faces, more than other series I know. Not only is there a love triangle that isn't cliche at all, but also there are love stories of side characters that pulled at my heart strings. So, if you are a sucker for romance and a fan of the harem-in-reverse theme, this is for you.

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Opposites Attract

This web series can be seen on YouTube; it's like you watch your favorite childhood book online.

Story

A Chinese Ronja Robbersdaughter is captured by a general who offers her an escape route if she serves as a substitute for the missing bride of his son. The original bride was carefully chosen to avoid palace intrigue; that's why the bandit girl must keep up appearances for a longer period of time, in case some murder attempts will follow. Afterwards she may proceed her life elsewhere. She agrees under condition her bandit brothers will be released; one giant brother stays to accompany her as her handmaiden. The illustrious duo enters the general's house hold, stirring up trouble for his two sons, their friends, acquaintances, and servants.

Acting/Cast

Though this series isn't meant to win prizes, the casting is actually good; I loved the pairing of Yakisa who plays the lean and mean tomboy Bai Yun Feng and Gao Zi Tian as the scholarly second son, who loves to recite poems but falls for his practical bride as soon as he laid eyes on her. Even the giant bandit brother did a good job; I almost forgot he wasn't meant to play a travesty role like John Travolta in Hairspray.

The Good

Besides the odd leading couple who give us some cute and hot moments during the series, there are other interesting characters. For instance the eldest son and his wife, the female childhood friend of the male lead who wants him for herself, and her wise father who sees his daughter for who she is, trying to guide her within ethical boundaries we seldom see in Chinese period pieces.

The Bad

The downside of smooth story telling is that the end comes too soon. It's okay to leave out some dirty plotting, and the usual do-you-love-me-or-not-scenes, but one more episode could have been better, just to explain how the generals family and formerly bandits will cooperate in future times.

Overall

Still, Hold On, My Lady is a fast pacing piece with good vibrations within 4 episodes. It shows that opposites attract and holding on is all you have to do.

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Funny story, amazing chemistry

Just finished Jueshi Qianjin, and I rewatched it already. The leading couple is that good. This series is amazing just to look at, even without the subs. It seems to be based on a game, so perhaps that’s why the story is so-so, but it didn’t bother me in the least.

Love is a Game
It’s relaxing to watch that on-going, tiresome search for a partner in life turned into a Love Game. Imagine a modern day girl getting the chance to choose from all kinds of yummy men. Although I can’t understand why it always has to be the bullying boy, apart from the fact that the love-hate theme is still going strong in romcom series, I can easily get why people are falling for the male lead.

Actors
Whether Simon Gong plays the BL interest in Advance Bravely or Prince Charming for this time traveling girl, he’s the same heartthrob…easy on the eye…not bothered by method acting whatsoever. I’m curious if he becomes a natural after he transfers to grown-up characters.
I don’t know much about Greenly Zheng. She has a lovely voice, unlike the shrill actresses I have to endure sometimes . I was pleasantly surprised by Yú Tiān Yì playing the rich boy Jiang Xuan Yu, I hope to see more of him in future series. The supporting cast did a good job as well.

The Story
I’ve watched Jueshi Qianjin until episode 24, which is, hopefully, an open ending. So I’m eagerly waiting for a sequel, let’s say in modern times.

(Rap) Music and Dancing
The look and feel of this series wasn’t that bad either. The soundtrack has some catchy tunes, but I’ve never watched such bad acts from an actress in dancing and rap music like in this series, making her indeed A Unique Lady.

Verdict
What can I say? I just love razzie award winning productions. Give this series a try, you won’t regret it.

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Best Love, Best Kisses!

One of the pros of Taiwanese Boys Love is that they aren't infected with messed-up plots, silly tropes or censorship. You'll get romance right away, with pretty boys trying to hold on through thick and thin. "We Best Love" is no exception, except that some scenes affected me more than I anticipated.

Story
Fighting Mr Second picks up the story line right after the first series, Nr One For You. The ML has left the country to visit his family in America, but he didn't come back. He left no message, and the other ML was heart broken. Now, the one with the heartache has become the boss of a company his ex-boyfriend runs. They meet again, and the quitter gets literally slapped in the face. Question is: what happened long ago? It seems they still have feelings for each other, can hate turn into love again, will they succeed in rekindling their love?

Acting/Cast
Sam Lin shines as the male lead Gao Shi De, more or less a throwback to his role as Mu Liu Bing in Moon River (2015). Both men seem easy-going on the outside, but they are inwardly darker. They have no scruples when it comes to scheming their way to the heart of their beloved. They're also ruthless when they think it's the best strategy to close off their relationship. YU fits the bill as well, as Zhou Shu Yi, a maelstrom of apparent contradictions. He's fiercely loyal but it takes a lot of effort to gain his trust; he's prickly on the outside with a soft heart on the inside. In short, they're made for each other. The supporting cast is also good, but Fighting Mr Second is simply too short to give all of them the screen time they deserve.

The Good
There are two times that Fighting Mr Second reaches the top of BL productions. Watch the emotional drunk scene with Gao Shi De in episode 2 and you know what I mean. It has one of the best kissing scenes and camera angles I've ever seen in chinese series. Second, is the love that is shown between two guys who have contrasting mental disorders.

The Bad
The relationship between Yu Zhen Xuan and Pei Shou Yi feels forced though, because a BL format of 6 episodes can't pay tribute to their characters and the complications of their love life. They deserve a series of their own.

Overall
Still I was hooked by the story, got the feels to the level of "I'm not crying, you're crying". So watch it, if you're a sucker for romance. Nothing better than watching people falling in love (again), regardless of their gender, or mental health for that matter.

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The Chang'an Crate

A Chinese update of Sungkyungkwan Scandal (2010) with a dose of Hwarang (2016), how good is that. Not to mention a flower boy cast and the star from Novoland Castle in The Sky 2.

As soon as I followed the story I discovered my comparison was just a first impression. The Chang'an Youth is stuffed with different story arcs. The heroine is Shen Yiyi ( Wang Yu Wen ) an ordinary girl who gets 'adopted' in her youth by a sweet rich girl. She's treated like family. Unfortunately this rich girl dies, just before her marriage, leaving a mystery behind about her pedigree and heritage. To do some research Shen Yiyi agrees to substitute for her friend in marriage and travels to the girl's intended, Tang Jiu Hua (Xie Bin Bin) in Chang'An. She travels in disguise of a gentleman. On the road she meets Yang Zi'an (Caesar Wu), the son of a magistrate carrying out orders from the King. She also meets the sweet second prince Li Xinyuan (Qi Peixin), and stark swordsman Dugu Muxue (Liu Yichang). This Chang'an Youth Gang is full of personal secrets, but eventually they end up as friends at the local academy. Apart from their exciting school life they learn to work and trust each other, meanwhile facing a mysterious case and corrupt officials.

Acting/Cast

Wang Yu Wen is a good choice for the role as crossdressed Yiyi, she combines a lean, boyish body with strong facial features. She also has great chemistry with Xie Bin Bin, her supposed fiancé Tang Tang. Xie Bin Bin is known for totally different characters, but he's so funny here, I suspect he enjoyed this role himself.
Such a pity Xie Bin Bin isn't the romantic interest, that honor goes to Caesar Wu. Agreed, that guy is Flower Boy- In -The-Flesh, but he's more the kind of flower that's already been pressed between the pages of a book. Doesn't fade, doesn't wrinkle, doesn't impress.
Another failure is the miscast of poor Liu Yichang. He convinces as the good-hearted rascal Zhao Cuo in I've Fallen For You (2020), but he can't hold a candle to Korean actor Yoo Ah In, who played the silent swordsman to a T in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Put together with robot-like Qi Peixin they didn't float my boat. I also missed the necessary humor, the student twins excluded.

Rewatch Value

What can I say? It started out so well, but I lost interest midway the series. My guess is the writers put too much story lines together making a mess of the plot. This proofs that just combining elements that are based on audience statistics doesn't work. Really, Less is More. If only this could be a love story between totally different characters, or the coming of age story of an ambitious scholar girl in a world dominated by males, but this... ain't it. I won't rewatch this again.

Overall

Tastes differ however. So, if you like your sandwich filled to the brim with every possible ingredient, this is for you. The Chang'an Youth is a crate full of tags, just pick the things you like, and forget the rest.

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Fei Legend, Flat Lemonade?

When I read about the making of Legend of Fei I felt like a child waiting for its X-mas present to unbox. Just imagine! Our present darlings of c-drama put together, the product teams of Princess Agents and Boss & Me, BTS with carefully orchestrated choreographies, a story based on a Priest novel, how good is that! Once served, this exciting cocktail appears to be a flat lemonade, and I know, tastes differ. That's why I'm trying to explain my reasons in this review.

Story
Legend of Fei (2020) is based on the novel Bandits by Priest. The main characters are Zhou Fei (Zanilia Zhao) the granddaughter of a national hero turned into a bandit for the greater good, and young carefree martial arts hero Xie Yun (Wang Yibo) They find themselves confronted with trouble and decide to work together. During their many adventures they discover some secrets and the true identity of Xie Yun.

To adept a novel to the screen it is necessary to cut some parts and leave out the rest. Unfortunately, this choice wasn’t made. Comedy, romance, action, drama, all of it went back and forth, on and off, slowing the pacing of the story to the very closure. Much greater stress should be laid on the story of the main characters. It didn't happen. In her social media account, Zanilia Zhao likens this production to a Big Mac that turned out to be a flat hamburger. All I know is, this is a Priest novel, and all we get to see is a narrative for children.

Actors
Zanilia Zhao (Zhou Fei) is still a shining star. Male lead Wang Yibo does his very best, eager to prove his actor skills after his rise to fame as Lan Wangji in The Untamed. Unfortunately, WYB has to cope with two major set backs. One, he looks like a boy still wet behind his ears besides Zanilia Zhao. Two, his character Xie Yun is reminiscent of the flippant Wei Ying, his love interest in The Untamed, making it all too clear that Wei Ying was a much better, fleshed-out character than Xie Yun, accentuating the greatness of The Untamed versus the inferior LOF.

Production
Sometimes, a lesser story can be neutralized by the quality of the production. Unfortunately, Legend of Fei is very uneven, just like its pacing.

Verdict
Some episodes are good with beautiful landscapes, choreographies, close-ups, romantic gestures, but soon this feeling evaporates with the bad dubbing, childlike dialogues, cheap looking attributes and so forth. So, I don’t think this series will become my favorite. If you’re a die-hard fan of WYB or ZZ however, you probably end up watching Legend of Fei anyway. So perhaps this is the only purpose of the series. Its reason of being.

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In Need of Scissors

Watching Decreed By Fate is both a delight and relieve. Yay. Here's to Chinese historical romcom that has good script writing! No loop holes, dragging or missing scenes, just 16 episodes Korean style including the cliff hanger that will guarantee an audience for the next season.

Story
This series has classic tropes like the straightforward, feisty heroine and two cool, tall, good-looking guys who fall in love with her at first sight. There are some unexpected turns as well. I like the idea of a heroine who sets up a divorce agency right after her forced marriage. It felt good to watch her respect and defend freedom rights, to admire the beauty of people, male or female. The love triangle is not the usual battle of love where someone comes out in smiles and the other has to lick his wounds in private. This trope is used to explore the many faces of love, and its origins. In that respect it makes perfectly sense why the ML ends up with the girl.

Acting/Cast
Chen Fang Tong is a good choice for the role of Rong Er. She combines huge Bamby eyes with a sturdy character, sharp wit. I like her chemistry with both ML's. Li Jiu Lin is born to play the classic ML. Really, this actor has the perfect visual and physique. He's believably able to carry the heroine, better than some actors who border anorexia to keep their assignments with fashion labels. Kudos also for Wu Cheng Xu, Cheng Yu Feng and Jia Yi, I hope to see more of them in future series.

Music
There's some nice music that fits the atmosphere in the series. I downloaded the beginning- and ending tunes for memory keep sake.

Rewatch Value
As soon as I finished this series I wanted to watch it again. The falling in love process is both hilarious and romantic, also there were some clues that I missed before. The script is that inventful.

Overall
Are there any faults in this production? Not really imo. Just one thing stood out for me like a sore thumb, the stringy bangs of the general's wig. Jeez, they looked like mucus strands to me that made me run to my scissors to ease the kissing scene. Anyway, I really recommend this gem.

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Love the Height Difference

I tumbled upon this series using the tag #arrogant male, watching the show in Mandarin. As far as I know there isn't any subbed version available, which is strange considering the fact that the lead actress is Canadian.

Following the story wasn't really difficult though. Imagine a k-drama from 10 years ago, about an arrogant, young heir, his antagonistic dad, his friend turning into foe, a rich girl who wants to marry him, and this fresh poor girl who turns his world upside down. So I didn't put much effort in listening, and looked my fill instead. The scenes with the leading couple were sweet and sexy, they looked like a manga come alive. Their acting was good, I'll give you that, but it was the height difference that did it. Works like a charm with me since Boys over Flowers.

Actress Ireine Song is totally believable as the innocent girl without getting on my nerves, something she has in common with actress Zanilia Zhao. I think I'll watch her playing in Ever Night next time. I've never seen actor Yim Yue Ho/Jerry Yan, but he seems to be a perfect blend of good looking k-drama actors. Hopefully he gets the chance in future roles to show he's more than the arrogant male type.

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