For those of you who've watched the Netflix series Eternal Love and need another C-drama to deal with the withdrawal, or just want a good fantasy romance, this is a good pick. It comes out a year after Eternal Love so there are many similarities, but has enough of its own merits to make it worth watching.

I will be honest. It took 20 episodes for me to decide whether to drop it or not. I am glad I didn't. The first 20 episodes were campy and since I like dramas, wasn't sure this would be my cup of tea. But that all got settled as the pace quickened and things started to move along.

Jinmi is the daughter of the great Floral Fairy goddess who passes away from lovesickness and giving birth. Before she passes, she gives her infant daughter an elixir to swallow which keeps her from falling in love. This impediment is the root cause of all Jinmi's troubles as they keep her from forming love attachments. Growing up thinking she is a grape elf and without a care in the world, her life is soon turned upside down when a great phoenix bird accidentally lands in the floral realm during rebirth. He is actually a prince from the Heavenly realm who befriends Jinmi after she saves his life.

This show was surprisingly good and even though it isn't as good as Eternal Love, it has enough twists and turns that I never saw coming. I like a show that surprises me. The performances were rock-solid. I love the beautiful actress who plays Jinmi and the actor who portrays Runyu, her fiance. For a young actor, he does a solid job of making you love and despise him all at once. He was the most interesting character of all. I felt like the show doesn't reveal anything before it´s time and when Jinmi finds out the truth about people, you find out right along with her.

Great love story, though the chemistry isn't as good between the main characters as in Eternal Love. But I chalk this up the the actors being slightly younger and less experienced with the love scenes. Another great C-drama top put on your to-watch list.

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Could have been better

This drama had a depthless plot which spent more time on the business writing than on the romance. I feel like the supporting cast could have been given more to work with so that their relationships didn't seem so much like superficial filler. As much as I had a hard time believing in the implausible pairing of the younger ingenue with the older supporting lead, I did root for them but felt their journey could have been handled better, Instead we get a girl chasing a guy who keeps running away, until he gives up and decides to just be with her. No build up. It's exhausting and silly to watch them.

The next supporting couple made no sense at all. We have two people who are crazy in love with each other, but are too scared to be honest with each other about their feelings. They love playing games with each other which is a waste of time. Nothing much was happening but when they finally do decide to give their romance a chance, they almost disappear.

The main leads/couple were the most perplexing. I was intrigued by their relationship, the build up took a good long, time and when they got together, it was great---except when she started acting like a bumbling idiot whenever he was around. I guess that was supposed to be her playful side, but it seemed completely at odds with her personality. The misunderstandings broke your heart, so seeing them get to a better place later on was a relief. I found the excessive time passage towards the end unnecessary and unfair to the storyline and only furthered my frustration with the writers.

Dylan Wang gets better with every passing drama. He is growing as an actor and I hope he continues to take more meaningful roles. The best show to date has been Fairy Loves Devil. He needs to hold out for better parts because they are out there. Bai Lu was amazing in Till the End of the Moon, I find her an intelligent actress, so I find her hard to watch when she has to play silly ingenues. There are younger actresses out there who can do that. I think she is beyond that now and should strive for roles with more depth.

In general, this should have been left to more creative writers. The entire plot was superficial and boring and I felt the actors were cheated out of something better.

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A fun rom-com

You must suspend all notion of reality to really enjoy this time travel fantasy about a girl who wants a do-over to correct past mistakes. This romantic comedy will make you laugh out loud and really appreciate the efforts of the production team, even when the writing gets hard to follow. After so much mental gymnastics trying to follow the numerous timelines, I gave up and decided to just enjoy it.

What I love most about this rom-com is the chemistry between our main leads and the wonderful acting of the entire cast. I am especially impressed with Byeon Woo Sook's performance and feel he is really growing as an actor. The way he looks at his FL is just endearing. That twist from cold to hot had my head spinning. It was a total gotcha moment. Well-played! The supporting cast, particularly Kim Won Hae as Rye Seon Jae's dad, were hilarious and a joy to watch with their antics.

The darker elements used in the writing felt unnecessary, as the writers could have come up with an equally effective way of justifying the time travel without going to such lengths to make the stakes higher. Depression and suicide are dark enough and I think that would have been a sufficient plot device to want to travel back to change the past, all while learning a few things about yourself along the way. The writers, however, chose to make this even darker, giving it Strong Woman Do Bong Soon vibes. This felt too dark for a rom-com, in my opinion. Plot becomes a little hard to follow after subsequent forays into the past and the hasty explanation to it implausible---but it's fantasy so you have to forgive them.

OST is great. Looking forward to adding them to my k-drama hit list. I recommend this one for the fun story and exemplary performances.

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The Epitome of the Bromance

If you are looking for a drama that centers around bromance, this is the one for you. Lin Shu is a young man from a respected family who suffers a terrible tragedy. He returns seeking revenge on those who wronged him by being a master of strategy in the game of thrones. By staying one step ahead of his opponents, he is able to close in on them one by one.

The best part of this drama is the well written plot line. It flows well and manages to keep you engaged even when main characters go missing for large chunks of the series. The storylines continue to change while still keeping the focus on the male lead. His relationships with his friends and subordinates are what makes this drama worth watching. This is not a romance at all. The female lead is underused and, for the most part, largely absent. Most of the female characters have supporting roles, but they, too, are well written. The performances were all noteworthy and I was very pleased to see such great talents in one drama. At times, characters disappear and then reappear without explanation and there is little to no wrap up in some of plot lines. I took a star off for that.

Costumes where beautiful and the soundtrack was gorgeous. You know you have a hit when fans find themselves humming the musical score. It is so unique that I would remember the title of the drama just by hearing the piece of music. In general a great series.

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