Hold On, My Lady (2021)

As fleeting, sweet, and explosive as pop rocks

|Fleeting|
Hold on My Lady is the type of costume romcom drama that you get if you remove the filler episodes and the irritating villain scenes from most costume dramas. Most costume dramas now have 24 episodes at around 35mins runtime but HOML only has 12 eps 15mins or 4eps 50mins episodes which is just the perfect length. I hope more production crews follow this format so they’re not forced to lengthen the script with filler scenes.

|Sweet|
The relationship between the whole cast and the characters are so sweet. We have non-toxic supporting characters and they also have great chemistry and backstory.

I love the progressive General Dad, the supportive sister-in-law, the ice cold turned loving brother-in-law, the protective man/lady-in-waiting, and the good natured merchant friends. I also liked the side plot for the sister and brother-in-law where they learned to be more vocal about their feelings which is kind of funny because the brothers are advising each other how to fix each others love life and the sister-in-laws are doing the same. The drama definitely gave a sweet family drama on the side specially with how the general dad is so nice to the fl and he doesn’t judge her and her origins.

And seriously this is the only drama where the dad of the conniving villainess is not deluded by his spoiled daughter and actually encouraged her to face the truth.

|Explosive|
You have the sweetness between the leads, which I think have perfect chemistry and they really complement each other look and character wise. Typically I prefer the pixie like actress like Seven Tan or Jung Jiyi but somehow the female lead worked well with the male lead and I actually felt shy and giddy in their romantic/kiss scenes.

I also like that even though their characters are written as polar opposites, when it came to love they are both as innocent so we get to enjoy how they discovered their feelings for each other.

Finally, the chemistry they provided in this web drama is even more than what other long format costume dramas have. **IACOHO I’m talking about you. XD

PS. We also have to commend the screenwriter Cai Bi Hong because it’s his original script and he did make a good short format costume drama.

So if you have the time, do watch this drama because it’s really worth your time. You can even watch it in 1.5x speed if the 4 eps is too long for you.

Leggi di Più

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.

Leggi di Più

Very worth watching

I give this a 10 out of 10 for the category of short drama. In such a short time the drama is great. Has a great storyline and the main characters are great. These actors are not well known actors but I don't think their acting is lacking. FL very pretty ML quiet handsome too. No time wasting fillers just go go go. I definitely think if you're looking for a romcom Chinese costume drama but don't want long drag story and time wasting fillers then this is what you're looking for.

In most drama they love to go overboard with the ML being rich, good looking smart and everything. This story is also about rich or high power family but it doesn't brag about it and it or focus on that. FL is not your I'm so pretty but weak need protection, good girl type. She has strong character personality and is very bold straight forward character.

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A Sweet Love Story

This is one of those dramas where you just want to watch something short, sweet, and angst-free. The FL, since she grew up as a bandit and became the bandit leader after her father’s passing, is independent, willful, speaks her mind, and is more fists before words. The ML, on the other hand, is a pampered and highly educated second son of a wealthy general. He’s more reserved in words and actions. So, these two polar opposites are now in a contractual marriage. What I love about their relationship is that they actually talk to each other and any misunderstandings are resolved quickly. This is a marriage, although under the guise of a contract, that is one of love, trust, and respect. I see the ML and FL, husband and wife, as help mates, both bringing their own strengths to the marriage. It’s nice, too, that the actors have such good chemistry so the audience can see that on the screen. The secondary couple, the ML’s older brother and sister-in-law, is also a fun watch. Without the FL and her assertive ways, their marriage, I think, may continue to be quite frosty and full of misunderstandings. I like that in this household, there are no enemies, no fighting for power, and no saboteurs. As the older brother says when there’s an attempt to out the FL as a bandit, she can’t solve it on her own because they are a family. They band together to resolve the problem. Nothing is better than a family united! Can I also add that the sound effects are just hilarious, especially the cold wind effect whenever the older brother makes an exit.

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What a cute love story <3

I'm in a mood of short drama so this come up on recommendations after I finished Fake Princess just yesterday. Like everyone said it's like shorter version of that drama but not really the same so rest assured.

Bai yunfeng/ Lu Wan'er such a crazy and hot tempered girl but she is so understanding with how she hold on with her moody husband lmao if I could say. His temper change more often than the girl. But, Huangfu Yao is actually so responsible and a gentle husband even though he is kinda weak (yeah he need to go to gym to match with his wife) like his hand dislocated ROFL! Though, with so much force I think that's the reality.

Let's also talk about how they add Huangfu Mu and Zhou Yuanjun to the story. The brother-in-law and sister-in-law always bickered tgt while their otherhalf are so calm. They executes the same energy lmao but he never make that as an excuse to force his little brother to divorce her. That's unexpected but you'll see why later. He's actually good^^

Totally worth your time if you need some good drama without much problem <3

Also, I know I'm not supposed to feel like this but Si yi and Chen Dawan are adorable tgt lmao :D

Leggi di Più

Short and sweet cdrama!

For anyone looking into this drama, try it! It says 12 episodes, but it's really only 4 episodes at around 45-50 min. It was probably first meant to be one of those short dramas with 10 min episodes but was then edited together. Therefore, if you don't like it, at least you won't be wasting much time.
I haven't seen these leads before and the female lead is a bit stiff, but they have pretty decent chemistry. I thought the plot was cut short a bit by the length of the drama in general, but it was refreshing that the female lead was quirky and didn't hide her old behaviors from being a bandit. Honestly, I even hoped the drama to be a little bit longer, maybe 10 or 12 real episodes and adding in some drama for the other characters. But I would totally recommend this for those that like shorter dramas and fun characters!

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Good for a Quick Watch

Those looking for a quick-fix romantic comedy should give this drama a shot. The story is clichéd but well-rounded, with an ending that can be considered satisfactory, which is rare in Chinese period dramas.

The supporting cast in the form of the ML's brother and sister-in-law are adorable, and the warm relationship between the sister-in-law and FL makes the show even better. Discerning viewers may feel that there are a lot of minor plots or tropes that are left at loose ends in this show, but it will not affect anyone who's casually watching the show.

Something this short typically wouldn't have any complex or serious plot lines anyway. If you're looking for something light-hearted and nothing too long or serious, this is a good one to catch!

Leggi di Più

A very enjoyable short ride!

This drama is a very entertaining little filler drama of sorts. It’s very short at 4 episodes on YouTube and just about 50 minutes per episode.

I found this drama a fun joyride because:
- It was super fast-paced. I thought that I was watching the drama on 1.25 speed or even 1.5 speed at the rate the drama was unfolding and progressing.
- The FL and the ML had good chemistry. I liked that they liked each other from the time that they had set eyes on each other.
- It was fairly low on angst and it was more about laughs and feeling good.
- The plump fellow - Da Wan - was total comic relief and so funny. Very cute.
- Happy Ending. Sweet. :)

In short, this drama is a very easy watch. The actors and actresses seem quite green and so, aren’t the most polished but everyone has to start somewhere and through this drama, they showed their earnestness in acting. Watch this for a quick joyride! It’s pretty fun!

Leggi di Più

A very short and entirely angst-free Cdrama. Like, there's no angst whatsoever. Not even a smidgen. It's all fluff and good feels. All the parents are loving and reasonable and sweet, the brothers love each other very much and except for this one jealous girl nobody is trying to break up the main couple, just the opposite, everyone is rooting for them and... yeah.

A teeth-rotting fluff led by a cast full of newbies who have fantastic chemistry. If you ever feel like watching something that will make you smile like a goof and that won't make your heart hurt, then this is the drama for you. Sunshine and candyfloss, that's this drama, basically.

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Cute mini drama of female bandit and male master

This drama is a mini drama with 15 mins ep.. They put it all in 4 episodes for 50 minutes long.
This drama was really good. Well written and produced. Sometimes the mini drama are so low budget the production/filming is horrible. This one has a cute love story.

The female lead is a bandit an d gets caught by the Huang family. She is given the choice to marry the Huang's second son or die. In order to save her other bandit mate she marries him. The male lead is the second son of the Huang family. He is a scholar. Initially they start off with the wrong foot, but then he realizes her good characteristics.

Its a cute and sweet love story between them. Their passion and romance is believable. Even though its 4 ep, there are enough kissing scenes,

Certain characters are funny like her maid ( but actually) its a dude. Other characters are annoying tho, like the other female character, who likes the male lead. They grew up together. Even after the leads got married she tried to butt her way in the relationship....

Leggi di Più

Super cute and short RomCom Drama!

First of all, I love the simplicity of this drama, no harem plots, no overthrowing of kings, just a plain simple arranged marriage life in a General's mansion with a little bit of politics to spice up the couple's lives. This is very different from the typical General dramas, but it does has a mixture of Fake Princess plots to General Lady's fiery personality to the amazing cooking skills from the Chef Hua.

The plot is super fast-paced and kicks off the boring fillers and draggy scenes. For a short drama, this is really good! And they had casted in fresh faces so it is very refreshing to see!

I love the main leads, their acting may not be top-notch as this is their first few dramas but they did improve along the way. Overall, their acting wasn't very cringe or unbearable, it was decent.

Their chemistry was amazing, has the lovebirds feels. I may not be able to feel it from the start as it was pretty awkward at first, but they gradually clicked and became a loving couple. Especially their interactions, it was so romantic!

Female lead is very brave and fiery at the same time, but she can be bubbly, sweet and caring at times. She is not afraid of being bullied and always stands up for herself.

Male lead is portrayed as an introvert, weak scholar, but he is very protective of his little wife and knows when to stand up for her when it is right. And he respects his wife and is a noble man too, I salute this kind of guy! Just that the acting was a bit stiff but, it was still bearable.

Supporting characters added on to the character development where the loving sister-in-law took care of the female lead and she always gave good advices to her. She is very supportive of her, but can be portrayed as weak due to her domineering husband. Her husband which is the older brother is more strict and harsh, but gradually turned into a loving husband and brother-in-law. And there's the supportive dad who will watch out for the female lead and takes care of her too! It is very heartwarming to see how closely-knitted they are as a family!

The costumes worn by the leads felt repetitive but they were pretty decent, gave me the Japanese vibes which is super refreshing! The production didn't felt like a low-cost one and the soundtracks were not bad, there were not much but it does set the atmosphere at the right scenes. Editing was alright, just a few scenes here and there that were snipped off, making the whole transition not entirely smooth. Again, I'm not complaining as it is still bearable to watch!

Overall, I would recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch it as it is definitely worth your time! Besides, it's only four episodes of 50mins+- each, that you can easily catch it on Youtube. I would definitely rewatch again!

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