Echoes the word masterpiece!

I can’t resist but share my thoughts about this drama before it truly concludes.

The waiting has ended, and lo and behold, another incomparable historical Chinese drama has been added to the list. I am a super fan of Zhao Lusi. While her beauty stands out, I rave about her versatility as an actress and what she did in this drama, which, needless to say, was a solid award-winning performance. Of course, everyone in the cast rocked in their respective roles, too.

Putting this theme into a live work was a monumental move from the producer - one rare subject to expand our familiarity with pearls that exceptionally held its value over the years in the jewelry industry. Behind its precious unpigmented feature – a so-called natural gem that isn’t processed mechanically was an unsettling story of the ruthless method of collection and trading driven by greedy monopolization as fictionalized in this drama. I believe this is a free adaptation that retells a story about a girl, who at a young age was taught and involuntarily became a pearl diver in an escapable place called pearl farm. The kind of surroundings she has, where each of them is fighting for survival and has to guard themselves under perilous attacks, turned her into a diver with nerves of steel that led to her involvement with the two MLs when both came in as guests at the pearl farm. One was there to set his vengeance in motion while the other was on official duty investigating.

Liu Yuning's (ML) & Zhao Lusi's (FL) character representations gratified my partiality for tough, sharp-witted, and capable central figures in a drama while revealing vulnerabilities and softness that was reasonably understandable looking at their back story. It was not an outright chemistry for them but strongly fetching as the story moved onwards. By the way, Liu Yuning’s unexpected casting here as a substitute for the male lead undoubtedly helped boost his popularity. The overall visual of this drama was stunning - from the locations, costumes/styling, and prop details, those smallest of things gave the exact look of the civilization the story requires for each setting. If those were shot in the actual locations or happened to be graphically enhanced only, didn’t matter at all. Still, I had this impression that the production cost an arm and a leg. I had nothing to object to the pacing and storytelling. Though inadequate to neutralize the overwhelming agony this drama has deeply shown from the torment of hard labor and slavery, repeated loss of lives, and physical sufferings in desperation to live; I love those random scenes showing the basic sources of joy such as feeling the sea air breeze over the ship deck, playing, listening, and dancing to the music of erhu (Chinese violin), and admiring the stock of flowers in a local stall.

If I were to compare this with “Love Like the Galaxy” which had won me over in a similar manner, both threw a plot of giving up on romance to fulfill an act of revenge with such engaging narratives that equally kept viewers invested. The fuss about this drama on its pre-airing soared high expectations. And yes, it was not a hype exaggeration by all accounts with the amount of appreciation it has been getting.

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Another jewel in the historical genre in the Korean dramas

Combined review for Part 1 & 2

What made this show largely watchable?

The material alone guaranteed a well-explored fictional story about the dynamics of love, heroism, politics, persecution, and oppression during the early times when the old Korea was under the control of another country.

The whole cast was amazing. Each character big or small showed a dedicated portrayal of the trace of life back then and can’t help but be affected by their sufferings while watching. Namkoong Min nailed it. I was in awe of his performance here. I had seen him many times in other dramas and with my standards of good looking, I found him a little unattractive before. But my opinion of him changed like a turn of 360 degrees after the show. He got me with that unspeakable charisma in the way he delivered all his dialogues. Indeed he was the best of choice for the role. His leading lady, Ahn Eun Jin, was equally notable. I thought it would be challenging for them to look good together on screen but I find it amusing that their chemistry was building up in every episode and that was something very distinctive about this show also. And those scenes with little pauses or moments of quietness before saying their lines among the main leads were another commendable element of the show.

Like other historical dramas, it practically walked us around again that leading a nation is one gigantic responsibility and it requires a genuine compassion for your people. If you become bound by the greed of the throne and power, destruction follows. Regardless, of whether you have the position or are just an ordinary person, if you’re hoping for a change, take courage and leap that step so others may follow.

I felt sort of on a journey watching this show because of the sophisticated layering of the conflicts and how it was refined in the end. Really one heck of a great show!

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Include to your must watch list of Korean historical drama

I finished watching this drama after two consecutive days and truly loved it. I was surprised that it has a modernized touch and the dialogues were not conventional for such a historical drama. Kim Young Dae and Park Ju Hyun were perfect for the roles, the chemistry was something and they looked good together. You will be mesmerized by their facial features every time the camera was up close to their faces. Also, you can't discount the supporting cast because of their hilarious antics. They were so endearing and you will love each of them. This drama was so warmth, fluttering on a different level, and comical at best. I am rooting for Park Ju Hyun's acting, she should have been given more lead roles. I watched her in Zombie Detective and Mouse and her acting there said it all.

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The importance of integrity in branding or rebranding in a business

This drama was aired at an appropriate time. Indeed, we are dealing with concerns of choosing the right products from loads of it in the market at present. As consumers, customers, or clients, we care for the most effective and quality goods within our buying capacity while business owners are mindful of the sales and profits, regardless if they are doing an honest business. In this scenario, it's inevitable for a brand war, and naturally, brand owners would seek the help of either marketing professionals or famed social media influencers. But before that, it's imperative to secure your intellectual property and have it legally registered to the concerned organizations for authentication of ownership. This is where the story of this drama revolves and places the main leads in a situation of soul-swapping, revenge, betrayal, and romantic encounters.

Lomon, wow, I think he's a hot young man with an absolute talent in acting. You'd agree with me if you were done watching this. He doesn't have the most perfect look but he has a good register on screen. I don't know if I am over-praising him right now, but my impression of him was his presence would not miss your eyes. I'd like to see him in a chaebol role someday for my confidence that he can perfectly justify the role of an elite. Kim Ji Eun has a good reputation in acting. It was just here in the soul-swapping scenes, that her portrayal was a little persuasive. I was having a hard time convincing myself to see her as the character of So Eun Ho compared to her original role slaying a complete immersion as someone with the biggest annoying self-righteousness and arrogance.

The conflict of revenge came unpredicted to me and it was an impressive crisis plot development. Other dramas use manipulation to fool you, not the case here. I was caught off guard and didn't see the two main leads seriously clashing and intensifying a big tension between them in the remaining episodes. For how it will be resolved, suit yourself to watch it.

I appreciate this drama for the theme itself. The elements of humor, conflict, plot, and portrayal have gone passed the metrics I set for enjoyment. Then again, seeing branding and/or marketing as the focus of the story appeared to be fresh hence, attracted my attention as someone expanding my interests to other dramas taking the risks of producing the non-traditional.

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Doomed for chemistry and height gap awkwardness

My patience was stretched way beyond my limitations finishing this up. It was cute at the start but eventually tore down my enthusiasm as I was seeing cliché scenes of overly romantic setups that were not giving me the heart-fluttering feeling. It has a promising storyline I believe so, about an ancient man (ML) who was still living in the modern times, with a life sustained by spiritual energy coming from a cherry tree in his old house. He lived his life there for over a thousand years waiting for someone he could not recall at all due to his distorted memories. The catch of the story was his identity and his fated relationship with the new owner of the house (FL), who decided to remain unmarried all her life. It was a let-down to have not seen the depth of the execution in the middle episodes. I am a hopeless romantic and could easily connect myself to the characters of any romantic drama or film; here I was struggling the whole time. I guessed the only strength of this show was the credible performance of the ML, one reason I gave this show a chance until the end and my curiosity to find out the truth about his past and his association with the FL’s best friend. Also, fair to say, it has a nice set of songs.

Well, this drama did not meet my approval. Felt bad for the writer and the director's efforts who lacked the knack yet to move the viewers. This kind of show seemed likely to pass either the high schoolers' crowd or those who are innocent, inexperienced, and have simple thoughts about love. I was swayed by one of the good reviews and since I was also exploring other artists, I decided to try it.

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The PERFECT family was crumbled once ... twice ... would there be a third time?

Based on my watching experience, this drama is highly an option if you are a goer for mystery genres.

I was deeply immersed and my mind was actively working on figuring out every conflict introduced in each episode as to why the parents behaved suspiciously. We have this saying, " We reap what we sow", tragically in the story, the kindness extended to a stranger was repaid by wickedness that disturbed the once peaceful life of an outstanding family.

The execution of mystery was powerful to anchor the viewer's attention in determining who was the real protagonist and antagonist in the end. The ending was a wonderful scene of healing and forgiveness and a reflection that having a perfect family doesn't have to be blood related.

The cast members lived up to their acting reputations.

Again, I'm sealing my approval for this drama!!!

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Put entertainment aside and value it for its artistry!!!

I admire the bravery of the producer in bringing this kind of show into the mainstream while being aware that somehow, it would be tough to land a spot in the well-rated dramas for 2024. Basically, I watched this for Tian Xi Wei and the genre (romance and life) itself. The opening sequence (prologue) appeared to be odd initially for me because the vibe together with the scoring was more befitting a mystery-type drama instead. However, the unique visual textures struck me and stick out an impression. It gripped my curiosity and approached this rare narrative style with an open mind. Expect symbolism and theater acts that would further challenge your comprehension in the way you interpret the conflicts affecting the romantic relationship of the characters.

The story was far from the usual fancy and romanticizing ideas of this genre. It was a metaphor of a long portrait showing how you survive in life and love on this modern-day stretch with the very nature of it as existent. Many would admit that he or she was that character or has been in that same situation. I loved the story, the portrayals carried convictions, and the cinematography profoundly positioned a defined old urban theme. And essentially, it has imprinted growing realization of the need to make wise choices for our life guiding us to the basic rule of “Find your happiness first and thereafter we can make others happy too”.

Quite a winning blend of classic and modern touch!!! It has a charm of its own, anyhow.

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Managed to stay relevant out of the many school youth romance dramas out there

I was overzealous about its popularity in the review forum. Now I knew why this drama was a hit. Basically, it was the authenticity of the story, of the characters, of the dialogues, and of the emotions that no surprise this drama got a higher number of viewership. The story might be made up but it was identifiable in all aspects related to adolescence. The fact that they do away with the glossiness and overdoing of scenes, this drama was able to create an impact.

All five main youth characters were all lovable and funny who formed a nicely typical friendship while studying. Later on, young love started to grow among them because of constant togetherness which led to a happy ending to one of the pairs. I am making a special mention and credit to the screenwriter who gave us lots of prudence words here, which you might consider simple after hearing but practically logical with deeper meanings. This I think was its breakthrough aspect over other dramas. The story showed some of the general representation of a youth who was naturally impulsive, carefree, bubbly, and timid at times; and precise descriptions of their dilemmas over confession of young love, romantic anxiety separation, pressure on academic performances, difficulty in expressing oneself, and uncertainty of one’s dreams. It was packed with life lessons beneficial to young students transitioning to adulthood and the people around them.

Having watched this set of five good decent kids in the most candid narration of experiences set at grade 10 days following university life up until to working environment, I supposed, it obtained a distinguished spot in the collection of this genre that conveyed positivity and encouragement. How nice also for this drama to have brought us to our memories of shared experiences of our very own first stomach butterfly feeling and simply recalled that “Liking someone means caring for him or her”, and that person becomes “Your ultimate solution, like a magical remedy that can cure everything.” The love story of Zhang Lurang and Su Zaizai was a thing of cuteness and maturity, another envious beautiful romance to name. If I were to pick a drama out of the many that left me happy thoughts after watching it, When I Fly Towards You is one best fit to mention.

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Learning the ways of the classic Traditional Chinese Medicines

I would like to describe this drama in general as educational. Having this theme to be used in a drama may unlikely attract a legion of viewers but as a foreign spectator, I find it profoundly interesting. It showed the depth of Chinese culture in view of the natural approach to healing and providing remedies for an illness. Watching this was like taking a course where you learned and made a lot of realizations about life and how it directly affects the condition of one’s health.

Zhao Lusi gained my adoration again. I can’t think of any actress that could better fit the role other than her and act splendidly the way she did. The same goes with her mentor here who portrayed the role flawlessly that you could wish for someone like him to be your teacher as well.

The story was inspirational. It was a journey for all the characters in relation to a change of understanding between TCM and Western medicines resulting in positive holistic progress for everyone. Though it talked about a serious subject, in between, you could have a good laugh and a feel of romance.

This drama is not conformist but I praised the creators for deviating from the norms of the drama genre to come up with this. I sensed patriotism.

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Loved it regardless if it deviates from its original webtoon novel

Story: The story was out of the ordinary about a woman who was reborn many times and how the cycle of her reincarnation ended. Despite being precise in its narration, the status of the story became weak when every conflict was resolved so easily in the latter episodes.

Acting/Cast: Shin Hye Sun was the perfect choice for the role. She portrayed her character effortlessly as someone who was carefree and able to remember her past 18 lives except her very own first life. Many were not satisfied with Ahn Bo Hyun’s acting in this drama but I beg to disagree, he played it well since I believed the story required his acting to be subdued by Shin Hye Sun’s strong character. What the production missed about ABH’s role was the poor styling. Prior to filming this drama, he had to trim down his build to fit the role of a young CEO of MI Group but why let him wear loose suits and bottoms with that kind of hairstyle that made him look less of a typical conglomerate heir? I still find their chemistry a bit off, luckily the story was dominant enough to cover that flaw. The rest of the cast fairly showed good supporting acts.

I revered this drama still for its distinctive storyline, and for the FL & ML funny & straightforward interactions. Another wonderful story of love and forgiveness that put the entangled fate in a good place.

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An impressive story about the rise and fall of a big time scammer

JOINT REVIEW FOR DECOY PART 1 & 2

The series was short but enough to cover the essence of the story. It was nice to see Jang Geum Suk acting again and this was a great choice as his comeback project on a TV screen.

What set this apart from other mystery crime investigative series was each episode was indeed made to keep your desire to watch it and left you thinking. While watching, I have this assumption that the real culprit was that person or the other person but I was mistaken and misled because of the twist that keeps on rolling.

Everything in this series was done lightly but it did not compromise its quality. One, the character of the ML was not the typically branded detective whom you get to praise instantly. Here, Jang Geum Suk appeared plain and ordinary but strikingly a principled and smart person. His acting throughout the entire series was just steady and calm. Second, the execution of the serial killings was not too gruesome to watch because of the less torture displayed. Third, it does not contain any vibrant colors rather the series was set to a bluish-grayish color mode creating a mystic appeal. And lastly, it has only one song on its official OST "Unstoppable" that you get to hear every closing of each episode. I like the song and it's giving the series an American vibe.

I was saddened by the scene where the Deputy Head was found dead and that he was not able to redeem himself to make up for his shortcomings when he did the scammer's investigation case during his detective days. I was wondering also why it was not revealed in the series the reason ML changed his career from being a lawyer to a detective. Anyway, saying this will not demerit how outstanding this series turned out and I forbid you not to miss watching this.

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" All Hail the Queen "

The brilliance of this show was overwhelming. It tells again the conflict of betrayal, hunger for power, revenge, and jealousy among the royal blood and the families associated with the royal court as what we normally see in historical and period dramas, but centers on a different figurehead, a woman. We are accustomed to regard women in the past as inferior to men whose only purpose is to bear children and are denied to participate in political matters. This show bends the notion of women as being weak by bringing a female protagonist who is equally capable as a man. Her mind is her greatest strength apart from her fighting prowess in sword and arrow. A queen who cares less glamorous indulges but strongly stands armored in front of her people and soldiers ready to fight for her nation.

Another masterpiece that is worth your time!!!
1. Story-wise
2. Stellar performances of all the cast
3. Director's execution
4. Camera shots
5. The bloody effects, and
6. The entire production

Warning!!!
With content of excessive gore and acceptable nudity

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A rather rare drama that exceeded my expectations when I least expected it to be

I was already settled for less for this drama but it gave me a big surprise as I started watching and finally completing it.

First, Esther Yu, whom I was accustomed to seeing in a delicate and dainty role more often, won me with her unusual character as someone fierce and armed with bravery. The way she played her role showcased her acting flexibilities and it was a success shifting from her comfort roles given this right material.

Second, I was not a fan of the ML but with how well the story and his character were orchestrated which was a commanding factor thus, his acting abilities surfaced. While he was often cast for supporting roles, it was evident here he could carry a lead role and deserves more spots for that in the future.

Third, never have I seen such graceful fighting scenes like in this drama, those glides and moves were winning combinations. I am giving my big applause to those involved in creating and choreographing those significantly artistic scenes. I was in a state as if I was seeing dancing performances rather than fighting scenes.

Finally, the story, the execution, and the choice of casts even the songs used made this drama by far unexpectedly likable to watch. I particularly enjoyed the character of the eldest Young Miss ZiShang who brought sunshine in this drama with her humor and naughtiness. Unlike other supporting roles that can be omitted and still the drama would make sense, here, without her supplementary role, the story will likely suffer. Further, it was noticeable that the majority of the acting parts were focused on the facial and vocal features of every character, a smart approach suitable for this drama that created a ground for its strong storytelling.

It was a different wuxia for me and patrons of this genre will give their approval of this drama. However, it ended up hanging though it was not announced yet, I believe a second part is right on the boil.

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Best quick watch, bravo!!!

I can’t resist the pairing of Dai Gao Zheng and Chen Fang Tong after their “Maid’s Revenge” and so it excites me to see them here again. This time it was a better story with a polished plot development unlike with other mini-series that seemed to leave me with a hanging thought about the story. I was in awe of their strong screen chemistry. The intimate scenes were shot beautifully. I absolutely loved how they kissed and hugged and when they had their personal talks facing closely to each other. Superb dialogue lines indeed made their performances stand out. Chen Fang Tong looked a little plump here but as for me, it did not affect the overall visual of their pairing. This drama was compulsively watchable and looking forward to their future project together.

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How to mend your broken heart and lose the fight in love gracefully

Story: The story was plainly relatable about love lessons in the lives of different couples’ relationships. This drama exactly showed the realism of being cheated and dumped and the recovery process from pain and sadness caused by it, of being in a marriage in which the husband is turning cold, a marriage that could have been saved from getting divorced if both openly communicate to each other, prejudged may-december superior and subordinate workplace romance, and a blossoming relationship tested with an unexpected pregnancy. The story was written and carried out reflecting truthfulness in every scene that certainly any viewer could identify themselves in one of the characters. It was honest and direct with no unnecessary and pointless dramas.

Acting/Cast: This was my very first to equally loved all the couples in a drama. The whole cast was all great and whoever was responsible for the casting (usually the director) has a very good eye in choosing the right actors not only who will fit the role but who will make a nice balance and look for the overall cast. June of iKon was a revelation. I didn’t expect that he could really act properly. I guessed their acting pieces of training from YG ENT. before is now paying off. Of course, Yoo In Na, whose always been one of my favorites bagged the top performance in this drama. She was beautiful on-screen and possessed that special charm that so far I have only seen in two Korean actresses, her and Lee Da Hae. If you’ve seen My Girl, you would know what I meant by that charm. It serves as their key weapon and works well when they are doing rom-com. Another surprise was the strong chemistry between Yoo In Na and Yoon Hyun Min. Their romance was settled a little late in the story but even in their constant bickering and interactions provoking their hearts in a sweet and funny way; they can actually affect you and see in them that mutual sense of attraction. I am not leaving behind Joo Sang Wook who was also remarkable here and showed his flexibility in acting.

I immensely enjoyed this drama. I had a good smile and laugh. I learned something. I loved it. My precious time was meaningfully spent watching it.

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