ariss_tenoh, posts by tag: tv review - LiveJournal

The Glory, Ep. 1-22 of 30, Year 2025: I dropped this as I couldn't take it anymore. I'm actually proud I made it this far😂

The good parts of the drama are the supporting cast, especially the older actors who all gave absolutely stellar performances. The costumes, sets, and cinematography were all above average. OST was good too, though used too heavily to manipulate viewers' emotions when the plot was lacking. The beginning of the drama was very promising but it went downhill fast.

Basically this is the story of a girl abandoned by her parents. Her father because he doesn't care after he married another woman and favours his children from her, and the mother because she's so obsessed with revenge that she doesn't care about anything else. FL repeatedly states she wants to return to have a home of her own and family love. The irony is no one wants her back or loves her in that house, despite the scriptwriter doing a U-turn and trying to whitewash her biological mother's actions later in the name of motherly love and filial pity.

The BIG Mystery that the drama keeps talking about is not mysterious. A powerful eunuch formed a faction in court and held sway over many officials and has a huge fortune which everyone wants to get their hands on after he died. That's it. The way the drama hypes this you'd be forgiven to think there was some conspiracy or layer to the plot, but there isn't. It is very convoluted when it's very simple, which is disappointing to watch as a viewer.

The main leads Chen Duling and Xin Yun Lai have the same acting skills, which is average/poor at best, and there was barely any chemistry between them even though they both tried so hard that I felt sorry for them. XYL in particular does not have the on-screen presence or gravitas required to act this role. He's overshadowed by CDL in their scenes.

One aspect I found particularly irritating are the feminist messages which the scriptwriter inserted in every episode as if he thought it would make it palatable. It was like being hit over the head with a hammer and didn't make sense in the context of the drama or its time period. Worse, only the rich and privileged female characters could defy their circumstances which sends the wrong message.

This drama was a hit in China. I think not only because of its high production values and great cast, but because it's very dark and all the characters are petty and unlikable which is not something seen often in Cdrama-land. Warning for content that has serious violence, blood, and physical abuse, implied rape or attempt.

Money Is Coming, 27 Eps, Year 2025:This is a cute short drama that plays out like a romance donghua/anime. The costumes and sets are very colourful. I don't think I've seen so many flowers in one scene before😂

FL is a college student that gets transmigrated into a novel to become a canon fodder supporting character, and a villain, who dies early. She's determined to reverse her fate and live a happy life like a salted fish. While it does have some issues like the bad makeup that's too heavy and some plot holes, the characters are all three-dimensional with their own motivations and backgrounds. They all get some good character development that's in-line with their personalities and original goals. The main CP is heartwarming and one can actually SEE the ML slowly fall in love with the FL and find it believable. This part is rare in Cdramas. I also liked that it showed what happened to the "original protagonists" who were supposed to get their happy ending via the death of everyone else as usually happens in these kinds of novels.

Recommended if you're looking for something short and fun to watch with a happy ending. This is one of the better short dramas that aired recently.

PS: ignore the awkward title. It's a bad translation of an idiom.

PPS: Prince Ning wins best father award in a Cdrama!

Perfect Match, Year 2025, Ep.1-8 dropped: This is old-school romantic comedy the likes of which soap operas are made of. I used to watch them with my grandmother when I was a kid😅 It's the story of a mother with 5 daughters who wants to marry them all off and what results is a "battle of the sexes" with some cringey plot twists and worse behaviour by the characters in the name of comedy or Feminism. Each episode is almost an hour long and it became a real chore to watch.

It's a shame because the cast is strong but even Wang Xing Yue can't make it more bearable. One needs to throw reality out the window and suspend one's disbelief to the max to believe the various couples can actually fall in love or get married the way the plot wants to convince the viewers.

Moonlight Mystique, 40 eps, Year 2025: This was a Xianxia drama with some new twists that made it interesting to watch. Bai Lu is a pro by now and Ao Rui Peng is in his first ML role where he plays two different characters and does a very good job of it. I want to see him in more serious roles like this one instead of the usual sidekick or comedy ones he gets.

The plot starts out light with the FL Bai Shuo wanting to become an immortal cultivator at any cost. She meets Fan Yue, a powerful demon king and somehow they end up getting tangled together by a mysterious artifact and past events from 60,000 years ago. I can't explain more or I'll spoil it but the characters go on a quest to collect the 5 emotions and they meet different races and get involved in their problems, only to find it's all connected to events/characters from the past. The main theme is love vs duty and the price of karma as the past comes back to collect its dues and it can be harsh and bloody to have justice served.

The CG is gorgeous here, costume design and makeup is excellent as I'm told this is the same team from Till The End of The Moon. OST is great too. My only complaint is I wanted to see more of the "gods pairing" and the SML was too annoying and got too much screentime; I suspect investor backing here.

Recommended if you're looking for a good Xianxia drama to watch.

Everlasting Longing, 30 eps, Year 2025: This was something different from the setting to the characters to the plot. It's mainly a story of forbidden love where every character faces obstacles in the form of a difference in social status, race, political differences, or simply fate.

The visual element is strong in this drama. From the cast of actors who perfectly fit their roles to great costume design and wigs that are very detailed. The plot moves at a really fast pace where if one doesn't pay attention they'll miss what's being said. I liked the main couple who epitomize the irresistible force paradox, both Xuan Lie and JQL are strong and smart and they clash often. This was the only drama where I was more worried about the CP killing each other every episode rather than falling in love😂 The secondary pairing of the princess and the bodyguard was so wrong yet weirdly right that it's hard not to root for them.

Of course, due to censorship the plot and characters suffer a bit because we can't have barbarians win over Han people or being portrayed in a positive light. Song Wei Long and Angela both have average acting skills so while they don't overshadow one another, they're also not giving stellar acting scenes either. This was an easy and entertaining drama to watch and sometimes that's what I want after a tiring day at work.

The major plus for me was the FL. She's smart, strong-willed, and not prone to hysterics. The way she slowly and methodically approaches every situation and person she meets can be called cold-blooded even. It's so refreshing to see an independent woman who doesn't need the approval of others or society to live. It's hard to find a character like her in Asian drama.

Blossom, 34 Eps, Year 2024: I liked Li Yun Rui in Scent of Time so wanted to see his first ML role and he doesn't disappoint. The first episode is shot like a movie with the intention of reeling in viewers and it succeeds. Meng Zi Yi is Dou Zhao, a woman reborn after a life full of regrets where duty and sacrifice compelled her to live miserably for people who didn't deserve her kindness so she resolves to do better in this life. Events from her past life recur and so does her connection to Song Mo, a man who saved her in the past.

This looks like a revenge drama but it isn't. It's actually a sweet and wholesome romance. The main leads have a good relationship based on mutual affection and respect and that's the biggest draw of this drama. The supporting cast is okay with one twist at the end that I found very satisfying because one rarely sees a woman kill and take revenge by her own hands.

The plot and pacing are good and fast. Unfortunately the last 10 eps are boring as they introduce a subplot that wasn't necessary or should have been woven into the main theme from the beginning so it was a let down to see this after a very strong start. I'd still recommend it though. Both leads do a good job and their chemistry is good.

My favourite character is Ji Yong who is played brilliantly by Xia Zhi Guang: an extremely intelligent and possibly asexual character with grey morality. I need to find more of his work.