An unconventional zombie series : apocalyptic devastation with high-school shenanigans

What would happen if your school was attacked by zombies? Netflix’s latest hit K-drama, All of Us Are Dead, attempts to give us a solid answer to this question, as Hyosan High School turns into a fast-sinking ship when a science experiment gone terribly wrong results in a virus-induced zombie outbreak.

For a few years now, South Korean entertainment has been pushing the narrative boundaries of the zombie genre. They have deftly used it as a vehicle to explore not just present-day political and social issues (#Alive, 2020), but have also inserted the undead in their period dramas (Kingdom, 2019).

However, what makes All of Us Are Dead stand out amidst this growing list of K-Zombie content are the central protagonists in the series. The motley crew of survivors are not your gun-slinging, machete-wielding, adept zombie-killing protagonists, these are teenagers who quite literally have to grab the object nearest to them and hastily fashion a weapon out of it.

This is also where the show finds its sparingly lighter moments. Friends dole out advice on dealing with high school crushes as bloody zombies snarl in the background (!) But beyond these interactions, the series takes a massive departure from the traditional route of keeping a zombie apocalypse setting somewhat comically chaotic. Instead, directors Lee JQ and Kim Nam-su choose not to shy away from tackling the emotional weight of death and mayhem.

The best example of this is seen when the show deals with the zombification or “turning” of humans. A shot usually reserved to fulfil the horror quota is turned on its head to play out poignantly heartbreaking scenes. In place of a hastened transformation, we get a drawn-out process, in which the horror stems from the now-undead zombie reconciling with the loss of their humanity, often right in front of their classmates.

The directors do not whiplash the audience back into zombie-infested reality; instead we sit with the students in numbing grief as they lose their friends, classmates and teachers, over and over again. The heavy storyline doesn’t feel misplaced, as writer Chun Sung-il richly fleshes out these teen characters to carry forward the complex tale.

Nam On-jo (Park Ji-hu) serves as a narrative protagonist who bands together with her childhood friend Lee Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young), her crush Lee Su-hyeok (Park Solomon), and the aloof overachieving class President Choi Nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun) among other classmates to fight zombies and school bullies alike.

Director Lee JQ’s choice to cast actors “unfamiliar to the audience” pays off masterfully.

The makers also ensure that the layered storytelling does not come at the cost of high-adrenaline action scenes, jump scares and well-executed VFX gore. Mirroring the title sequence, the directors slowly descend the audience into a zombie-filled reality, and the series conveys the same visually. What starts off as a brightly-lit, vividly colourful school, eventually transforms into a nauseatingly dull place with the colour saturation dialed back, as the virus spreads.

When required, the filmmakers also immerse us into the zombie experience. The cinematography during the zombie-human confrontation scenes moves fast, never quite fixating on a single character, which makes for quite unsettling viewing. It is havoc heightened for the students, as well as the audience watching, as we learn along with them, who survived and who didn’t.

Another unconventional directorial choice comes in the form of how the show is paced out. With 12 episodes, each almost an hour long, the story stretches out the events of each day over multiple episodes. The material to fill this time comes from the pockets of survivors it creates throughout the city.

Though the storyline follows a core group of students trapped in high school, we are also given glimpses of a politician scrambling to escape her office; a social media influencer trying to farm the crisis for viral content; and two police officers, mismatched in their levels of courage, racing to retrieve the antidote.

These different dynamics are crafted for the series to also address multiple systemic issues. With the origin of the zombie virus itself rooted in a history of bullying, the school becomes ground zero for the show to explore social class hierarchies.

Additionally, for the senior students of Hyosan High, the zombie apocalypse does not even figure as a priority stressor. With the university entrance exams looming over, Park Mi-jin, a student, laments, “It’s impossible for me to get into college even if I live,” while practicing her zombie killing techniques.

The dynamic between how the State handles this crisis and its effect on students also serves as a microcosm for how authorities react to apocalyptic situations. Unfortunately, this is also where the plot wavers a bit. The series often attempts to pack in too much, as it stretches two separate storylines involving teenage pregnancy and sexual assault across multiple episodes. Not enough time is spent on either narrative to create meaningful conclusions or provide these characters with a kinder, more humane ending.

Ultimately, in a genre teeming with Hollywood’s undying need to provide the perfect post-apocalyptic male-hero zombie killer tale, South Korea has bravely put forth a story of survival. Oscillating between the alive and the undead, the show makes an impact by centering the fact that endurance doesn’t always mean strength, sometimes it is born out of repeated acts of kindness.

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Uninspiring!

The drama begins with a female student being granted the opportunity to study at the Imperial College at at time when women are considered inferior to men. Just when you expect this story to be about a lady paving the way for women’s education, the focus shifts to an unrequited love and a murder case with links to a spying and smuggling network. Hence, just be aware that the plot may not be what you would have expected given the title.

The drama starts off being light that is typical of rom-coms. But that rom-com flavor starts to fade as the drama progresses. It just gives me the feeling that the production team is trying too hard to make it both comedic and serious that it ends up being short on both ends. There are super annoying characters that overshadow the fun bits and framing innocent people become standard operating procedure for the villain. In short, the whole story is not well-executed and together with the tropes, the drama becomes uninspiring to watch.

A Teacher-Student Romance
The plot of A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College involves a girl who falls in love with her late brother’s best friend. And that man also happens to be the Deputy Chief of the college and her teacher. He woos her and even fights with another student for her affections. I think this is why I can’t really get into this story because it is simply weird for a teacher to have romantic ideas with a student. Moreover, he is portrayed to be a noble and virtuous man that seem inconsistent with such behavior. Well, if you don’t mind the way this romance is written, then you will definitely like this couple more than me.

The second male lead is there to complicate the main couple’s romance. A lot of screen time is spent on Wen Yuan’s jealousy. It is really a case of refusing to take no for an answer to the point that it becomes highly annoying to the viewer. Add in the supporting female characters who also refuse to let go of the male lead and you will have more annoyance to contend with. Basically, this is where the plot goes together with the criminal activities that the male lead is trying to get to the bottom of.

Repeated Plot Twist (Spoilers Alert!)
The second male lead is the villain whom the main couple needs to take down. So, viewers will be shown that Wen Yuan has the upper hand in one episode before being brought back down to earth in the next with Sang Qi and Yun Zhi’s plotting. The lovers will play pretend to trick Wen Yuan.

This plot twist is repeated with another pretense towards the end of the drama. So, Wen Yuan is tricked twice using more or less the same modus operandi. To the viewer, this would seem a lazy way of writing a story. It becomes predictable and the drama ends up offering no surprises.

Not A Matching Pair
Personally, I don’t find Rosy Zhao and Xu Kai Cheng to be a great on-screen couple. Their visuals don’t match and the chemistry is lacking. In the initial episodes, they bicker quite a lot but I cannot see the sparks despite the quarrelsome interactions. When they start to date, some of their romantic moments just fail to emit the required fluff. This is so unlike the couple in One And Only whereby you can immediately sense their yearning despite being reserved.

Of course, you might have a different view about their chemistry especially if you enjoy Rosy Zhao’s acting. She is a natural here as this type of young, spunky and brash character is nothing new to her. She did it in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose and again in the modern dramas, Please Feel At Ease Mr Ling and Dating In The Kitchen. You can say she is being stereotyped but she is also at the right age for this kind of roles. So, it is easy for her to look and act that part. For me, I would like to see her in more challenging roles given her talent and I liked her performance in The Long Ballad which is different from her usual characters.

As for Xu Kai Cheng, I think his character has been overshadowed by Ren Hao’s Wen Yuan. Although Wen Yuan is highly irritating to the viewer, it just reflects the ability of the actor to bring out the essence of the character. He manages to give Wen Yuan an evil and creepy feeling of an obsessed young man.

My Verdict – Skip It
A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College is certainly not a great drama. Some people even see the female character as being dumb. While I don’t consider it that way, I also don’t see Sang Qi as a character that really stands out. So, if you like matured and intelligent female characters, you are better off watching Jun Jiu Ling or Song Of Youth. Sang Qi is more on the immature side given her age and pampered upbringing.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a young character who is free-spirited and unconventional if done right. But the drama is a letdown to me because the story concentrates too much on the unrequited love portion when it could have developed the criminal and investigate part better like in The Imperial Coroner. As it is, those parts are simplistic that it lacks suspense. At the same time, the main couple doesn’t possess that alluring sweetness needed for a good romance drama unlike Maiden Holmes which manage to balance crime and romance rather well with a matching pair.

For this A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College review, I would give it a score of 6.5/10. I think it is skippable with its average plot and weak storytelling. You can watch it if you don’t mind a teacher-student romance. But you should skip it if you absolutely hate annoying love rivals who can’t take rejection. This is not a drama that will make you hungry for more but rather one that you would be glad you are done watching once it is over.

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It is easy to understand why The Moon Brightens For You has quite a lot of viewers giving it a positive review. Overall, it is an enjoyable watch even if you think the acting sucks. Well, some people seem to think so while others hold a contrary opinion especially when it comes to the male lead. Personally, I find Alan Yu’s acting to be a little stiff. His demeanor is very robotic-like especially in the beginning of the drama. I don’t know whether he tends to act this way or the character that he plays are all similar because he also seemed to display the same style in Eternal Love Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms.

The good thing is he gets a bit better later on when the relationship with the female lead begins. He loosens up more then apart from just displaying a poker face. But I still feel that he lags behind other actors who have also played cool and stoic roles such as Zheng Ye Cheng in The Sleepless Princess and Allen Ren in Under The Power. They were able to inject more life and nuances into their characters while Alan Yu’s Lin Fang just seems rather bland in comparison.

Chemistry
Qing Long is a lively character and Fair Xing makes it work with her grins and a dash of mischievousness. As opposites attract, a dose of chemistry is automatically generated in Qing Long’s interactions with Lin Fang. As their relationship progresses, the chemistry improves further as the teasings begin and Lin Fang starts taking the initiative for a welcomed change. So, while I don’t quite enjoy Alan Yu’s acting, I can still feel a bit of the chemistry between him and Fair Xing in the drama to make the loving moments watchable.

Generally, Fair Xing has her way of generating the required sparks with her co-stars. She also has a good couple vibe with the male leads in Put Your Head On My Shoulder as well as the more recent My Little Happiness.

A Role Reversal For A Change
Another positive aspect of The Moon Brightens For You is the role reversal of the male and female characters. Typically, it is the male lead who will protect the female lead with his excellent martial arts skills or they are equals at the very least. But in this drama, Lin Fang is weakened by poison and has no martial arts skills while Qing Hong is his protector instead. It is something different from the usual which I think is refreshing for a historical drama.

However, if you are used to the typical heroes and prefer a more macho character, Lin Fang may fall short of your ideals. At times, he may seem useless when being confronted by enemies. His strength lies in his strategic thinking and intellect that has its advantages but he would always be in need of someone to protect him in physical fights.

A Good Number Of Fighting Scenes
Being a wuxia drama, good fighting scenes are necessary to raise the excitement level. In The Moon Brightens For You, there is a sufficient number of such scenes which are well choreographed that should pleased fans of this genre. In fact, the drama has all the hallmarks of a wuxia story with turmoil in the wulin, the fight for a manual with a bit of politics thrown in, the eventual increase in the protagonist’s martial arts skills, and a romance. It does have a good plot to work with and the story does suck you in especially after the first 10 episodes.

What Could Make You Drop This
As mentioned, the male lead’s acting might put some viewers off. If you can’t get used to Alan Yu’s expressionless acting, it is indeed a little difficult to get invested in the story.

On the other hand, if you like to see more of Lin Fang with Qing Hong, it might also annoy you that the romance between Qing Hong and Wen You takes up a big chunk of the drama. You need to have the patience to sit through almost three-quarter of the drama before the relationship of the main couple begins. For me, I’m not watching this for the romance and thus, it is fine with me. But if you are, then you would have to decide if the slow-burn romance of the main couple would be worth the wait.

My Verdict – Watch If You Are A Wuxia Drama Fan
Overall, The Moon Brightens For You is one of the better wuxia dramas for 2020. At the very least, its story and execution is interesting enough to draw viewers in compared to say, And The Winner Is Love. Of course, it won’t be able to match the fighting scenes in the bigger budget wuxia dramas like Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre. But these scenes are still sufficiently engrossing to me that I’m happy to watch till the end.

Personally, my main complaints about this drama is the slow start-off and Lin Fang’s character. I just find the first dozen episodes to be a tad boring before the story really kicks up in intensity. As for Lin Fang’s character, I’m not too keen that he keeps hiding things from Qing Hong including Wen You’s marriage to the princess. He also hides the fact that he has been poisoned. Hence, I’m not particularly gung-ho about their romance. But then again, I’m not watching this for their love story which makes it easier to sit through.

For this The Moon Brightens For You review, I think a score of 7/10 would be fair. It has its weaknesses and still falls a little short of being a really compelling wuxia drama as the ultimate bad guy and overall direction of the plot is still kind of predictable. Nevertheless, do give it a go as it does have a unique story with some level of suspense.

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STORY
So the drama is about the four boy rapunzels who are hidden from the world and their two princes(ses) who rescue them from the basement of a narcissistic CEO who wants to use them to bend the world into his vision. LOL but in all honesty, that is the best way to explain the whole concept of the drama without spoiling anything.I really want to say so many things about the drama but it wouldn’t be that fun if you already know the secrets of this drama. I can’t really say it's very realistic cause it's definitely far from it but how they kind of played with the idea and mixed it with fantasy and good idol cdrama aesthetic, I could say this is a good drama. It's funny, has a bit of action, talks about self worth, self discovery, courage, confidence, love, friendship, moral lessons and mixed it with the colorful idol cdrama aesthetic and good looking cast. It's a really good watch.

Like I mentioned on my first blog about this drama, the idea of virtual boyfriends is interesting and the way this drama played with that idea is really good. I was at first unseasy with how they were gonna play that whole virtual relationship thing specially at the very beginning ‘cause they used glasses. Although in reality glasses seem more plausible but there are so many loopholes in glasses. Like how can it be a completely immersive game when you can clearly see reality outside the rims of the glasses so when they changed into lenses, it actually made it more believable, does it make sense?

There is a part of the drama that I unexpectedly love and it's about the “Fandom” aspect especially the loveboys’s “girlfriends/wife”. I was worried that they would exaggerate fandoms and make it look bad or make us fans look like we were crazy. At first it worried me because in my perspective they were making us “fans” look like we have gone absolutely crazy and that we have become unreasonable although the ex wife part was a bit funny.There is an ounce of truth in it but I just love how they also showed the fan’s perspective in a different light. That through idolizing these people or believing in these made up relationships, people who feel lonely, lost hope and discouraged were inspired to pick ourselves again, to look forward to tomorrow. That not all fans are like sasaengs, who stalks and causes trouble, that most fans are people like Kele, Qiqi and Lanlan were protective but were not possessive or crazy.

I need to take a time and talk about the villain in this drama, Xu Guang Han. I don’t really talk much about villains in my reviews cause it sometimes spoils a lot of things but he will be an exception 'cause I really enjoyed his character. I honestly did not hate him at all, he is actually quite funny, especially with his scenes with Lei Na and Grandma Fu Shun.I get his logic but his execution is terrible. I also need to mention his narcissistic personality and obsession with “perfection” that just makes me laugh every single time. For a very smart guy whose goal is perfection, he is quite sloppy. I don’t know how to properly explain it without giving away too much but he kind of has a childish overly confident ego. Even though he is horrible at times, his scenes just make me laugh (probably biased because of the actor who played him lol)

The story is good but I personally think they could do with less episodes. Not complaining with the story fillers cause they were cute but fillers are still fillers, the story could have ended with less than 36 episodes. There were also loopholes in the storyline that I was a bit confused with. There are also things in the drama that make you raise a lot of questions, like xxxxx, if she is so influential she could have done everything without having to wait for Kele to appear in the storyline.I mean if that person was so vital and important it would have been easier for her to do everything herself. But the drama would be boring isn’t it? So I’ll just let that pass. And then there were action scenes, like when did they know how to fight? They were kicking ass but it makes me question how?? Like Qianya is a badass, the four rapunzels were also really good at fighting and last but not the least Kele’s high kick at the end??? Where did that come from?

Even though I was enjoying myself I was honestly thinking of dropping the drama even though I’m nearly at the end but! there is a humongous BUT! Something extraordinary happened! Damn did I not see that plot twist coming! OH MAH GAAAAAAAAAAD! Probably one of the greatest plot twists in modern dramas. Like Damn, I was baited into thinking that the drama is falling into the very cliches that I absolutely detest but praise the lord that I’m wrong! And thank god, my baes took a leap of faith! No pun intended (you’ll probably get this if you have seen the drama LOL)

And just when it's getting better, another mega plot twist!!!! Like seriously this drama is like Christmas that keeps on giving! The last couple of episodes were definitely the highlight of the story, the plot twists and shocking revelations were just perfection. I was definitely caught off guard, but the good kind.Yes we do get a happy ending for everyone. Although it feels a little bit disappointing that Luo Ke and Su Lei’s love stories felt a little bit rushed. They do have their happy ending but it still felt a bit rushed for them.

CAST
Jiang Ke Le - Kele is an only child whose father works as a sailor. She lives with her high school classmate and best friend Qianya. She works at a convenience store (before she was fired for being 5 minutes late) and later works at Colorist, a cosmetic shop where she befriends the cashier Qiqi. Kele has a bubbly girl next door vibe who is always optimistic despite being in a series of misfortunes. She’s the type of girl who goes with the flow and doesn't really hold grudges (much). She always seems to find a way out of her sticky situations by being a good actress and liar.

Lu Xiao - Lu Xiao is one of the four “loveboys”. Virtually, he is sweet, loving, caring and funny but he is actually far from it in reality. He is temperamental and a bit aloof to the other boys. He has a teddy bear that he never lets anyone touch, it was also the reason why he first butt-heads with their new cleaner, Kele. He has aquaphobia due to an incident when he was a kid before he was later “rescued” by Xu Guang Han.

Xu Nian - Xu Nian is like the “dad” of the four boys. Virtually, he is elegant and calm and unlike the rest of the boys, he is quite similar to his virtual character. He is kind, understanding and calm. He is the voice of reason and is very trusted by the other two boys Luo Ke and Su Lie. He is very smart and based on Kele and Qi Chuan, he is boring. He is very compassionate and caring towards the people around him.

Guan Qianya - Qianya is a career woman who is seen as a “tiger” boss but behind closed doors she is haunted by her past and relies on pills to sleep. Qianya is Kele’s trusted friend and roommate and the CEO of a dating company that is currently struggling due to the success of “loveboys”. Despite having a “strong/chic” woman facade, she is actually playful when it comes to Kele.

Su Lie - Su Lie is described as the sporty, outgoing “boyfriend” but in reality he is extremely shy and is scared of girls, with a very good reason. When he first met Kele, he was very awkward and avoided her as much as he could. Su Lei has a very traumatic past which makes him a bit timid and extremely scared of women, specifically women with red lipsticks. Oh and he has extremely low alcohol tolerance.

Luo Ke - Luo Ke is described as the “boyfriend” with a warm personality but in reality he is a bit childish and naive. He was the first one to open up to Kele especially when he was bribed with food, junk food to be specific. Luo Ke is cheerful but can oftentimes act like a spoiled child. He can also be a bit outspoken but is most of the time intimidated by Lu Xiao (since he was once beaten by him).

Xu Guang Han - Guang Han is the Founder and CEO of Yao Inc. Due to the “betrayal” of his parents, he was raised by his aunt. He then later became successful in the Entertainment Industry and managed different celebrities and where he met his girlfriend Gi Lan (or was it Gi Yan? Something like that LOL). Because of his greedy ambitions and obsession on staying relevant in society they had a fall out and then she left which made him see it as another “betrayal”. Unable to take it more “betrayals” he envisioned of a “perfect” relationship and eventually started his “loveboys” project.

CHARACTERS TO MENTION
Xu Fu Shun - Grandma Fu Shun is a badass grandma who, despite her age, still rides her motorcycle and can kickass. She works as the cleaner for the “Bay House” (where the boys are being kept) but when she got into a vehicular accident involving Kele, she had Kele take her place to clean the Bay House (with ulterior motives). She is very playful and mischievous but she can be cunning if she wants to be.

Lei Na - Lei Na is Xu Guang Han’s extremely loyal secretary who is definitely in love with him (LOL) Despite being fierce and mean, she is quite hhmm… okay, let me be blunt, she is kind of stupid but still she is a bit smart (watch the drama and you’ll know what I mean). She takes things literally and that's what makes her funny even though she doesn’ intend to.

Qi Chuan - Qi Chuan is a singer who used to work for Xu Guang Han before Guang Han took rights for his compositions (like Taylor Swift/Scooter ”snake” Braun story, sorry I just had to mention it. If its not obvious enough, I’m a swiftie as well LOL) I honestly don’t know about this guy. At first he gives me the “snake” vibe (the type that betrays people) but then he seemed innocent and just a bit foolish but then he was being sus in a couple of episodes but is actually innocent sooooo...I don't know. He was funny though.

CAST
I have seen Dai Lu Wa on CrossFire before where she played the troubling Chu Ge, Wu Lei’s love interest. I wasn’t really a fan of her then but I definitely love her now. She looks really cute as Kele and a complete 180 from the stubborn and feisty Chu Ge.

Then there is my bae Zhang Ling He, the reason why I wanted to watch this drama. As expected, he is really good looking and did not disappoint. There is also He Luo Luo sho plays as Lu Xiao, out of the four he is actually closest to his character since he is an idol and a member of R1se.

And ofcourse Chang Bin who plays as Luo Ke and Yan An who plays as Su Lie needs recognition. I actually expect them to be idols in real life but I can’t find much on their bio on MDL and although they are not main leads, I think this is their first time to have big supporting roles and I’m very proud. To think that this is Yan An’s first and only drama, it amazes me cause both are really talented and I heard they also sang parts of the OST. Stan talent.

Now to the biggest unexpected actor on this drama that just made me nostalgic and feeling like I’m a teenager once again is Ming Dao who plays as Xu Guang Han. I have only seen 1 drama from him (this will be the 2nd) but my heart will always remember him as Shan Jun Hao my Prince who turned into a frog Dang Ou HAHAH. Oh it feels like I’m back in 2008 just before high school.

PRODUCTION
I mentioned on my blog before that I was nervous about the CGI on this drama and that it might be one of those cringey super fake CGI that I really hate but it turns out it wasn’t bad, the effects were actually really clean and not bothering at all. The aesthetic is also what you would expect in Modern Idol CDramas, very colorful. I also quite like the fashion on this one since it wasn’t really over the top but something that anyone can really rock but that velvet suit though LOL.

FINAL THOUGHTS (Rating: 8.6/10)
The drama is not perfect but very interesting and fun to watch. It wasn’t exactly serious nor very dramatic that I could still tag this as a pick me up drama. It had the characteristics of modern romcom idol dramas that we love, it had the colorful aesthetic, good looking young cast, wonderful set, funny and a bit/somewhat relatable characters with cute and romantic scenes that will make your heart flutter, and just a tad bit of drama and action to make it more deep.

Like I mentioned it wasn’t perfect but I personally enjoyed watching this and will include it on my re-watch list. So I’m giving this quite a big rating cause I really enjoyed my time and had good laughs from this. Would I recommend this? Yes, I definitely would. Its quite a good modern + Sci-Fi meets Idol drama. And will definitely add this on my pick me up drama list as well.

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Not A Fluffy Romance Drama

Shining For One Thing is not your typical sugary youthful romance drama like To Fly With You or Our Secret. It has a bit of mystery with a dark undertone and melodramatic feel towards the second half of the drama. So, it reminds me of Crush in a way as it moves away from the conventional. It is good if you are sick of recycled plots of contract marriages, domineering CEOs, and the likes.

However, Shining For One Thing is also kind of angsty and the melodrama means a few pieces of tissues may be needed for all the tears. “I like you” would be a romantic confession for other dramas but not this one. Personally, the sadness is not in the league of Go Ahead or One And Only which is much more of a tearjerker to me. Perhaps more matured viewers will not cry buckets over this one but I think it will definitely evoke pain for the younger ones who are into high school romances.

What actually kept me going though is not the romance but the curiosity of what happened to the male protagonist and how the screenwriter will tie everything up between the original and alternate universe. Thus, it is not only the romance that is driving the story but also other elements which helps to broaden the overall appeal for this drama.

Simple Time Travel Plot
Many dramas with similar themes tend to be confusing or lack an ending that is properly tied up such as Love Under The Full Moon. However, Shining For One Thing is pretty easy to understand. It doesn’t get bogged down into details of how the time and space travel happens. An old mobile phone is the link and it is left at that. Instead, the story concentrates on the leads’ relationship and the prevention of the guy’s death.

While the romance is a substantial part of the plot, it is of the innocent kind given that it is set in a high school environment. So, don’t expect any real kisses except for simple pecks. The boy is shy and reserved and loves the girl in secret. It is sweet in that way and should resonate with the younger audience. But I’m not too sure if older viewers would find this romance equally moving given the teenage feel.

The way the story is told is that the female lead would move between the original and alternate universe a number of times. Each travel will bring her to a different year or month and hence, some things are changed along the way. These changes prevent the story from becoming repetitive although the overall setting remains the same. The different time dimensions that she ends up in has its significance which is revealed later on in the drama. I think it makes the plot more meaningful that way. It is also these little details in the story that add to the emotional impact.

Main Weakness (Spoilers Alert!)
The main weakness of Shining For One Thing is the lack of explanation of what really happened to the male lead. This is not a drama that outlines everything for you from start to finish. Although what is implied in the end seems pretty clear, there are some other things that require your own deduction or imagination. For instance, if the male lead is still alive, what happened to him after he fell off the lighthouse is up to you to fill in the blanks.

Similarly, the link between the female lead’s time travel and the male lead is also open to interpretation. After all, her arrival in the alternate worlds is related to his regrets. Basically, you will need to connect the dots yourself and come up with your own picture as the story progresses if you are that type of viewer who can’t stand missing pieces.

Having said that, I feel that the vagueness, ironically, also enhances the story. It fits the tone well and adds to the intrigue. If everything is laid out to the viewer, it might well changes the tone of the drama and takes away the mystery. Moreover, the story doesn’t really allow you to get too absorbed over the details as your attention will be drawn elsewhere. Perhaps that is why the weakness is not glaring to the viewers as it has been overshadowed by the emotional effect of the romance and mysterious death.

Great Acting
Both the leads did well in portraying their roles. Their faces may not look young enough as high school students but their mannerisms are convincing to be at that age group. After all, Karlina Zhang is already more than 30 years old while Shaw Qu is over 25.

Nevertheless, Shaw Qu is brilliant as Wan Sen with his shyness and awkwardness as a teenager secretly in love with his classmate. He gives Wan Sen those little gestures to personify the shyness and anxiety that a teen typically experiences. For instance, the way he pulls his shirt whenever he nervously talks to Bei Xing is so apt for the timid character that he plays. It is a minor act on the surface but it tells a lot about the character’s feelings overall.

Karlina Zhang plays a more expressive character compared to her co-star and it is enjoyable to watch the contrast. Her emotions are on point and hence, she is able to bring the character to life. Together with Shaw Qu, they manage to make their on-screen relationship a touching one with their great chemistry. They complement each other very well in their acting to give us a vivid romance that feels real.

My Verdict – Watch Because It’s Different!
Shining For One Thing is not without cliches. The childhood link is one example of a typical romance drama subplot. But the overall feel and tone of the drama is very different from the usual. It has both sweetness and pain in the romance that might tear at your heart with a melancholic OST to deepen the heartache. The scene direction and cinematography accentuate the mysterious aura with gloomy skies and heavy rain. The time travel adds a level of anticipation to the eventual outcome. Everything comes together nicely to give us a coherent and touching story.

While this is a highly watchable production, the high school life encompasses more than a dozen episodes. Thus, if you are not a fan of youth dramas like me, some parts of this would seem slow-moving. Frankly speaking, I fell asleep a few times while watching the first 15 episodes or so. It is not that the drama is bad. It is just that classes, exams, friendships, and secret feelings are nothing new for this genre. If these themes still resonate with you, then Shining For One Thing would be a great drama from start to finish. Otherwise, some scenes would be skippable in my opinion.

For this Shining For One Thing review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10. It doesn’t have the same excitement and thrill as Reset which is another sci-fi drama with a time loop tale. Instead, its strength lies in the melodramatic romance to move your emotions. If you can relate to an innocent love with feelings that run deep and don’t mind shedding a few tears in the process, then this is the drama for you.

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Lovers of the Red Sky is proof of how badly handled fantasy can ruin the drama

Story
Chun Ki is a painter who is struggling to prove herself and establish her position amongst men. However, she loves art, ever since she was little, when she was blind and could only hear the strokes on paper. Then she had met her first love, a young lord, whom she never met again. That boy is now Ha Ram, a known astronomer who became blind when he was young and has now acquired the ability to read the future. Hence, he is valued by the royal court. The two will meet again when the most powerful forces of the world would entangle their fates once again.

Korean Drama Lovers of the Red Sky is a blend of fantasy and romance, taking place during the Joseon Era. However, and even though there were some interesting creatures included in the story, the drama did not handle properly either of the two plot lines, the romance, nor the fantasy element.

The romance, first of all, had a messy pace and was boring. It was rushed right from the start and it lost the intensity that was needed to be better built in order to be interesting. As for the love triangle, it was a nice attempt, but it didn’t work, mainly because the drama seemed to weigh the main lead more compared to the second lead and favor him when it came to screentime with the female lead. As for the fantasy element, it wasn’t only the CGI that lacked but also the story. Simply put, it wasn’t enjoyable. The fantasy creatures weren’t presented in-depth to be understood or contribute something to the story. The rest of the story was predictable and had little to offer. The political intrigue was not something that wasn’t seen before and didn’t blend naturally with the fantasy plot. However, the art part was pretty good and it was pleasingly presented.

Characters
Chun Ki is a painter. She is talented, but, as she is a woman, she doesn’t get her fair treatment as an artist. She is optimistic, however, friendly but also knows her own limits. Kim Yoo Jung had an enjoyable character who didn’t get annoying. She also gave a great performance. Ha Ram is a royal consultant who is blind, but he can see everything that others can’t. He is aristocratic, but also kind and fair. Ahn Hyo Seop had a boring character and, at some scenes, he could have acted his blind character better. Yang Myung is a young prince who loves art. He is an easygoing character who is friendly and approachable . Gong Myung gave a smooth performance. Joo Hyang is Yang Myung’s older brother. He is ambitious, cruel, and thirsty for power. Kwak Shi Yang gave an intense performance and he did great at his action scenes.

Cinematography
The drama had a messy pace and didn’t manage the fantasy element well.

Overall
My overall rating for the Korean Drama Lovers of the Red Sky is 4 out of 10. The drama wasn’t as impressive as it should be.

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The Chemistry Saved It!

Nothing in Love At Night really stands out except for the leads’ chemistry. This is a typical romance drama that uses exes to create problems for the couple as part of the plot. You will also have an immature girl pursuing the male lead despite his firm no. Hence, this production will not give you anything groundbreaking with its recycled themes.

The only reason why this drama remains addictive is the main couple’s chemistry. If there is one thing that the screenwriters did right, it is to heighten the undercurrents between the would-be lovers. With their sizzling chemistry, those undercurrents become more obvious and you will then be tempted to follow their story. Of course, this couple also look very good together. Some pairings just don’t have that lovers’ vibes such as the one in Fall In Love With A Scientist. For Zhang Yu Xi and Liu Xue Yi, you would not have this problem at all with their matching visuals.

Half-Baked Subplots
Love At Night starts off with the girl already in a long-term relationship. It might be a little different from the usual rom-coms as this lasts for about one-third of the drama. The good thing is they don’t get a lot of screen time together and the relationship is shown to be on the rocks to set the stage for the male lead to woo her. Hence, it is not annoying in that way but you will need to wait for more than half the drama before the main couple get together.

As the focus is on the romance, the subplots end up being half-baked. The jealous ex angle is not fully developed and ends in a very anti-climatic way after leading viewers up that path in the earlier episodes. The way the business problems are resolved are depicted in a very simplistic way with no details given. You will just be told that the issues are settled after the male lead is shown going from one meeting to another to resolve the business crisis created by his girlfriend’s ex. So, don’t expect this to have a heavy business feel like My Bargain Queen or Something Just Like This.

Personally, I don’t even think the jealous exes are necessary for the drama if they are not going to do it properly. This could have been shortened to 24 episodes. The leads’ chemistry could have been utilized to make this drama incredibly sweet just like You Are My Glory rather than dishing out a poorly developed revengeful ex subplot to the viewers.

Side Couples’ Screen Time
The second side couple actually takes up quite a bit of screen time in Love At Night. Theirs is an older woman and younger man romance. The girl is 8 years older and I guess this provides viewers with a clear contrast to the main couple. If you like them, then this drama will have more to offer. But if you don’t, you will be constantly clicking the fast forward button because they appear quiet often in each episode.

For me, this second couple is not an attractive one. It is not done right with the way the guy is being depicted. He appears as clingy and immature although some may find him sweet with the way he takes care of the girl’s daily needs such as meals. He is like the guy in My Fated Boy but way more timid and childish which is why this couple doesn’t resonate with me.

The third couple doesn’t have a lot of screen time and their romance is not really explored in detail either. But the girl is kind of irritating to watch at times with her immaturity and arrogance. I don’t think viewers will care much about their romance anyway which is why their screen time seems like a filler to lengthen the drama.

Acting
fBoth the leads did a respectable job playing their roles. Zhang Yu Xi is not a new face in this kind of romance drama. She also had great chemistry with Ryan Ding in Intense Love which is a fairytale-like rom-com. In Love At Night, she displays the same natural chemistry with her co-star and oozes confidence and allure as a pretty senior executive.

Liu Xue Yi was also in Love And Redemption and Ancient Love Poetry. Maybe that was why I couldn’t recognize him at first as those were historical dramas. He possesses charisma in Love At Night and portrays himself to be confident, smart, and stylish to fit the character perfectly.

When the 2 leads are put together, they are a pleasure to watch. They look like real lovers which increases the overall romantic feel of the drama.

My Verdict – A So-So Drama
Basically, Love At Night is an average drama. If you have watched enough of Chinese romance dramas, you would know that there are much better ones out there. But this is still watchable because of the oozing chemistry of the leads and the healthy and matured relationship depicted. There is not breakup once the couple got together with a good dose of communication and trust. However, it still can’t run away from the cliche jealous exes and parental objection.

The other positive trait about this drama is that the main characters are rather smart people. Perhaps the female lead is silly to consider getting back with a cheater in the beginning but at the very least, she knows when she has to make a clean break. I don’t find them annoying and the couple’s growing attraction towards each other helped me to continue on after the first few episodes.

This is not a drama that you will watch for the plot. Just like Once We Get Married, you watch this for the feel good factor brought on by the fluff and sweetness of the main couple. So, for this Love At Night review, 7/10 is already a generous score to give. If only they had improved on the kisses to make them more passionate, this could be a more entertaining watch. After all, this is a matured romance given the age of the characters. As it is, the kissing scenes are rather tame if you compare them to You Are My Glory and Love Is Sweet. I just find that it is a pity that they failed to fully make use of the leads’ great chemistry to up the notch in terms of the romance.

Overall, I would still say give this a go. It is just 30 minutes per episode. If the side couples bore you, just skip them and you can then complete it even faster. Then, you can just savor the main couple’s sweetness to make this worth your time.

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Must Watch !

Since I don’t have enough time to write a long review yet because of time constraints. I’m going to put in some of my main thoughts on Lovely Writer The Series.

I really did like Lovely Writer for what it stood for even if it lacked some things. The two major things that bothered me were:

Some of the Scenes were just so unnecessarily long. They did not need to show us them staring at each other for 10 minutes where they 2 or 3 sentences. We get it. Halfway through the show I started fast forwarding these long crying scenes or staring scenes making the ep take 40 minutes instead of 1h 20m.

“Wolf in sheep’s clothes” was it? By this metaphor I felt like we were going to get… more I guess. With all this mystery and dark aura around Nubsib, I expected more than him hiding the fact that they knew each other. But hey, at least nothing ground breaking.

- Aoey just annoyed the shit out of me. Kudos to the actor really. For me I always find the praise for antagonist actors a bit too much. Because it’s very easy for me to dislike someone and it’s also very easy to be mean. So acting out a bad character isn’t ground breaking for me. But Bruce did so well with Aoey that I really just hated the character to my bones. I think the way it ended with Aoey is pretty good because well, realism thank you. It’s not because you have a bad family background that you can ruin other people’s lives.

- Tiffy did bother me with how much she did not want to be stereotyped but was okay assuming things about Tum and stereotyping him. They never really explained what was happening there but I’ll let it slide.

I am letting any plot holes slide just because what Lovely Writer stood for is kind of revolutionary and maybe even paved the way for others. If you think about it, Lovely Writer took a risk with what they showed, they showed us the reality as much as they could.

I truly think Lovely Writer is a must watch, not for the love and romance plot but for everything else. From toxicity, social media, abuse of power, money, family, personalities, lies, gender norms, sexuality, hopes and dreams, hard work, identity, dangers of shipping and personal life.

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Saved By The Chemistry

Once you learned that this is a contract marriage rom-com, I’m sure you have a pretty good idea what you are getting into. If you love this kind of storyline and a fairy tale romance, Once We Get Married would be a gem. But if you are tired of cliches and stale plots, you would end up questioning its value or even hating it altogether. So, do not be surprised if you see vast differences in ratings for this drama. It is really a love it or hate it kind of production.

The other point to note is that this is really a low budget flick. So, you will see choppy editing and poor cinematography at times. The costumes also suck which is made obvious because the male lead is supposed to be super rich while the female lead is a fashion designer. Compared to You Are My Glory with its beautiful gowns, Once We Get Married is like a poor relation. Thus, you will see the leads wearing the same clothes and accessories for different scenes with some of them being pretty plain which is inconsistent with the characters’ background.

Same Old Plot
Basically, the producers for Once We Get Married are merely rehashing an overused theme that is tried and tested. They don’t even attempt to inject any freshness or twists to the plot. Just stick to what has been successful in the past and simply produce another one with a different cast. So, the result is this drama that sticks to the usual of a couple being forced to marry for mutual benefits for an agreed period and then falling in love. Bring in a jealous second female lead that is hell bent on wreaking havoc and a second male lead who is always there for the girl and you end up with another contract marriage drama.

Some people may not like how the story begins though because there is an element of manipulation in getting the female lead to sign the marriage contract. But the trickery is not bizarre or cruel like in Well Intended Love. Both parties know what they are getting into. Due to the old plot, everything is predictable from start to finish. But the good thing is there is no disapproving parents to throw a spanner in the works for the couple unlike Forever And Ever. The other glaring selling point for the drama is the blazing chemistry between the leads.

Undeniable Chemistry
This is what saves the drama from being relegated to the unwatchable list. With a stale plot and typical scenes that include accidental slips and kisses, you really need vivid chemistry to make viewers hooked. Without it, those romantic moments and sweet filler scenes will be bland and boring just like in Fall In Love With A Scientist. Luckily, Wang Yu Wen and Wang Zi Qi seem very comfortable with each other so much so that their interactions are naturally captivating as an on-screen couple.

Their chemistry is what you would be hanging on to once you begin watching and will carry you all the way to the end. Their visuals and height are ideally matched. So, chances are you will love this couple as they are easy on the eyes and very natural in their sweetness towards each other.

Wang Yu Wen plays the role of Xi Xi in a convincing manner. She gives the character some toughness and mischievousness that matches up to Si Chen. This is also my second time watching Wang Zi Qi after The Imperial Coroner. He has the required charisma to make Si Chen appear attractive despite the character’s cold personality. Essentially, the casting was done right and the resultant chemistry is the key in saving this drama from mediocrity.

A Word Of Warning About The Characters
Before you decide if you should watch Once You Are Married, perhaps it is good the know a little bit more about the 2 main characters. As far as the male lead is concerned, you really need to have a thing for cold and domineering CEOs. Not everybody sees them as heroes especially one who is fond of advancing towards the female character until his face is right in front of hers. In the real world, this would be tantamount to harassment! But in the drama, it would be seen as romantic and flirty. So, you will get those scenes which may not go down well for a feminist and may be seen as sexist.

For the female lead, some viewers might see her as dumb and annoying. This is because she is close to the second male lead and seems clueless that he has feelings for her. She still has frequent contact with him even after she got together with the male lead. It is not a dealbreaker for me but her behavior might put off those who want to see more wisdom and intelligence from a female lead.

As for the second couple, they are a waste of time. I can’t understand why the screenwriters even bother with them. The second female lead is a jealous and toxic character. The second male lead isn’t evil but is annoyingly persistent. He will keep appearing in front of the female lead as he tries to gain a foothold into her life. Therefore, be prepared for not very likable supporting characters if you watch.

My Verdict – Just For Contract Marriage Fans
Well, if you like contract marriage dramas, then you would most likely enjoy Once You Are Married. But there is nothing new here that could capture a broader fan base. It is a drama that thrives on romantic chemistry and nothing more. It is for the viewers to feel good and experience all the fluff and sweetness. The drama certainly succeeded in this aspect for those who can feel the leads’ chemistry and just want a simple love story that is close to a fairy tale rather than real life.

There are a lot of near kisses in the drama especially in the beginning of the couple’s relationship. I guess they got that right to heighten the anticipation of a real kiss and those scenes will feel a lot like flirting. It helps to light up the sparks too which makes viewers crave for more from this couple. There are also a lot of kisses once love developed between them. But they are not as steamy as those in My Little Happiness.

In conclusion, there is no reason to watch this except for the chemistry. If you want a more matured romance drama with a fashion design theme, you would be better off watching Sunshine Of My Life and Love Designer. So, for this Once We Get Married review, I can only give it a 6.5/10 score. But for this type of drama, the rating doesn’t really matter. It is whether you are a sucker for this type of romance that is the key once it is clear there is sizzling chemistry between the couple.

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A Great Action-Packed K-Drama?

Vagabond is a great action-filled drama to me. If you are into fights, gun battles, and car chases, Vagabond wouldn’t bore you. But it is not just senseless violence either. There is a plot behind it and a convincing storyline of why things happen the way they did. So, it is intriguing for me as I’m led down the line of a corrupted government and shady business dealings whereby everybody is selfishly looking after their own personal interests except for a few upright characters. I’m also not a big fan of Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy but I think they did well in Vagabond as 2 unlikely partners. They work together very well for the intense action needed in this drama.

Great… But It Has One Major Setback
I think this would put many people off from watching Vagabond – an ending that is left hanging. It is an ending that is tailor-made for a Season 2 because Hae Ri doesn’t know that Dal Gun is alive while Edward and Hong are still roaming free despite their involvement in the plane crash. So, if you are expecting a neat ending that ties up everything whereby the bad guys are sent to jail, you will be disappointed.

Since we don’t know if there will be a next season, you will have to watch Vagabond with the expectation that there is no happy ending to make you feel good. It is inconclusive that leaves you neither here nor there. The fact that Dal Gun and Hae Ri have turned into a mercenary and lobbyist respectively in their quest for revenge may also leave a sour taste in the mouth for some because it is as if they have turned into the very people they hate.

Furthermore, Vagabond is not a romance drama like Her Private Life or What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. It is an action drama with hardly any romantic scenes although you can sense there is an underlying attraction between Dal Gun and Hae Ri. However, this attraction is not fully developed throughout the 16 episodes which some viewers might find lacking. Personally, I feel that if there is more to their love story, then the viewers’ feelings could get more intense as the drama moves towards the end.

My Verdict On Vagabond
I would recommend a watch for Vagabond despite its open ending. It is fast-paced and the storyline is good to start with especially for the first 10 to 12 episodes. There is a bit of twist and turn in the last few episodes that seems to just lengthen the show but I feel that the bulk of the story has already made its impression on me that I can easily continue all the way to the end. The political power play can be a bore to some but it is the background required for the reason the truth on the plane crash is hidden and for it to eventually unfold.

The bottom line is watch it for the action and plot but be forewarned about the ending. Then, you won’t feel that you have wasted 16 hours of your time for nothing! 🙂

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Reminds Me Of Love 020

One of the things that strike me when I watched Love Scenery is its similarity with Love 020 especially in the beginning stages. Both dramas have a gaming theme and the way the game is presented is also the same. Rather than showing viewers computer graphics, the leads take on the game characters instead. Hence, there is some fun and flirting going on during the game sessions which is unlike Go Go Squid! whereby the gaming aspect is much more serious.

Personally, this kind of presentation is interesting initially but after a few episodes, it starts to get repetitive for me. If you like how it was done in Love 020, you most probably would like Love Scenery as well. But if you don’t, I guess you can skip these scenes or use the fast forward button and not miss anything much. The good thing is the online game will take a backseat once the leads know who the other is behind the username.

No Groundbreaking Plot
Love Scenery is not the type of romance that you watch for the plot. Basically, the story is nothing extraordinary. In fact, some might even find it boring because there is really nothing much going on throughout the 31 episodes. There is hardly any bickering unlike Hello Mr. Gu. So, if you like more “drama” to your romance, Love Scenery is not the one to watch as it is more towards the plain sailing type just like My Little Happiness.

There is little angst and anxiety in the story which makes it a great choice if you want a stress-free drama that feels sweet. Even if the girl is older than the guy in the story, the age gap is not the focus of the drama. Just like in Go Go Squid 2, it does get mentioned but it is never a hindrance to the romance.

Thus, the love story of the main couple is more towards finding out each other’s identity followed by the wooing phase and then getting together. Once they start dating, the focus shifts to the 2 lovers learning to get along and supportive of each other with sweet moments in between. With no extreme ups and downs to the romance, it should resonate with those looking for a simple love story.

Chemistry Between The Leads
Many viewers are raving about the great chemistry between Lulu Xu and Lin Yi in Love Scenery. So, if you can feel the sparks between the leads, it doesn’t really matter anymore if the plot is light and thin. After all, a romance drama’s selling point tends to be the leads’ chemistry rather than the plot.

For me, their chemistry is sizzling in some scenes especially the kissing ones, but not in others. It is pretty obvious that she is older than him which is fine with me though which is why I could sit through all the way to the end. But if you are not into an older woman and younger man romance, Love Scenery might just fall short especially when he keeps addressing her as senior in the drama. That takes away some of the chemistry for me too although overall, they did well enough to make me cross the finish line.

My Verdict – Nothing Special
I think 31 episodes is really stretching things a little too far for this drama. With a thin plot, the last few episodes aren’t really necessary to me. It is not a drama that I would re-watch as it is kind of forgettable after the last scene is over and done with. While the chemistry is good, Love Scenery is really for those into plain-sailing romance who just want to watch a couple simply falling in love and dating and nothing more. There is some comedic element provided by the supporting characters to lighten the mood further for a rom-com feel but the focus doesn’t really run away from the main couple’s relationship.

Personally, I would prefer to watch Lulu Xu and Zhang Han in Sunshine Of My Life. This is because there is more to the story there and the romance feels more realistic and matured although the progress is kind of slow. I guess it depends on your liking for more youthful romance or otherwise. I would think Love Scenery will resonate more with the younger crowd with a college student being the main male character compared to a CEO in Sunshine Of My Life.

For this Love Scenery review, I think a score of 7/10 would be fair. I can’t give it any higher with such a thin plot. Watch it if you like simplicity in your romance with no toxic third parties and parental disapprovals. If you can also feel the chemistry between the leads, that would lift the drama up considerably and makes it worth the ride. Otherwise, it could be a boring one to sit through.

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Oh, The Sweetness Of It All!

You Are My Glory actually has a very simple storyline but it is simplicity done right. For one, the episodes are kept short. They are only about 30 minutes each which makes it easy to keep your attention span. I think it works well in this case because there isn’t much meat to the story unlike dramas such as The Day Of Becoming You or Never Say Goodbye. Instead, You Are My Glory is filled with moments – those that will make your heart flutter as well as feel touched by the love the couple exhibits.

Besides the short episodes, there are a few other things going for it to make it highly watchable.

Simple Plot But No Annoyances
A lot of romance dramas have simple plots too but then they will also have all these annoying characters and/or cliches. So, if you are tired of watching rich, cold CEOs like in Unforgettable Love and jealous love rivals as in Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard, I think you will enjoy the change offered by You Are My Glory. This is because this drama has no breakups, unnecessary bickering, disapproving parents, and love triangle. It feeds on warmth, support, dreams, and of course, love. It is reminiscent of the couple in Love Is Sweet but the way the story is told in You Are My Glory has a greater feel of sentimentality.

Basically, the whole drama is stress-free with no villains to hate. The leads are the main attractions and there are no side couples to take away their attention. It also moves away from cliches and thus, you won’t have accidental hugs and kisses or other juvenile antics of the pursuer or the pursued. It is also a change that it is the girl who got rejected first, not once but twice, as she lets known her feelings. Compared to other rom-coms, there is more maturity in the romance which makes it more realistic given the age of the characters and their personalities.

Witty Dialogues
I think one of the reasons why this romance drama is enjoyable boils down to the witty dialogues between Yu Tu and Jing Jing. So, if you don’t understand Mandarin, it is best to watch with subtitles to enjoy their exchanges. Yu Tu is inherently a brainy guy while Jing Jing is also quick-witted honed from years of being a celebrity. Sometimes, they will just try to outwit each other and these scenes can be really entertaining and sweet. You will rarely find such witty exchanges in other rom-coms especially when they are delivered perfectly by the 2 leads.

Overflowing Chemistry
Dilraba Dilmurat has always had great chemistry with her co-stars including Vengo Gao in Eternal Love Of Dream as well as Johnny Huang In Love Designer. She did it again with Yang Yang in You Are My Glory. Their chemistry is palpable and it has to be for the drama to be a success. Without the right sparks, this drama would not be an attractive watch given that it is heavily romance-driven.

The production team has made sure that they are not stingy with the kisses and show of affections for the couple. Once the main leads start dating, viewers are treated with kisses in most episodes from light pecks to bed scenes. Both Dilraba Dilmurat and Yang Yang did them very naturally like a pair of real lovers. As a viewer, you would automatically feel the pull of their love for each other and all the sweetness that come with it.

My Verdict – A Little Boring At First, But Watch!
I have to admit that You Are My Glory did not start out with a bang for me. It kept me thinking what the hype is all about in the beginning. The first 3 episodes are fine when they meet again. But after that, you will get a lot of gaming scenes which might put some viewers off. Following that, there is also focus on Yu Tu’s work which I would say is boring. I guess you need them to build a foundation for the drama and to give greater meaning to the story development later on.

Suffice to say, I fast-forwarded some of these scenes. The good thing is that you could skip or fast-forward some parts of the drama and you would not miss much. The second half of the drama is much better and it makes up for the boredom of the first half. By the time the leads get together, it will make you forget the less exciting parts of the earlier episodes because you will be entranced by their chemistry and romance. Therefore, when the drama comes to an end, the love and sweetness is what you will remember.

For this You Are My Glory review, I would give it a score of 8/10. It is definitely worth your time despite being slow-moving for the first half of the drama. The fact that you have 2 beautiful-looking people together is enough to give it extra marks for casting alone. Their visuals match perfectly and their sizzling chemistry gives this romance drama an edge over the rest. Watch it if you prefer a more matured feel to your romance as well as for the YangDi couple. The touching OST also provided the right mood for some scenes which is a bonus.

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Psychological Cases

Basically, Dream Garden is like a collection of psychological cases that are string together to create a drama with romance as the icing on the cake. The protagonists will encounter people that are afflicted with various psychological problems which they will need to resolve. These include delusional, gaslighting, and controlling behaviors. Each case could take about 2 episodes for a resolution. Therefore, characters related to each of the cases will come and go. Only a small number of core characters will remain throughout the drama.

One major issue about this kind of drama that revolves around a profession would be its accuracy or the lack of it. I’m not a psychologist and hence, I can’t comment whether the patients’ treatment and the characters’ actions in Dream Garden would fit reality. But you know it would be farfetched for someone who has not studied psychology to be hired as an assistant to the partner. This is how it is in the drama. So, I suppose you just have to treat it as pure entertainment and not nitpick on the details and accuracy from a professional angle. Otherwise, it would be very hard to get into the story.

Fairly Interesting Cases
As Dream Garden relies on psychological cases to move the story along, its success would depend on how interesting and convincing these cases may be. Personally, I find the cases to be fairly interesting. I think the brevity of each case helps to minimize the boredom as they do get resolved within 2 episodes or so. It also provides some insights into how people could be psychologically affected by the behavior of those closest to them.

However, I also think you must have some level of interest in the subject to find this drama worthwhile. This is because it is not a thriller or a suspenseful drama like Stealth Walker. The protagonists are mainly trying to help people with their psychological issues and hypnosis are constantly used as a solution. Hence, some may find it repetitive. With each episode being an hour long, it can certainly feel drawn out for those who prefer more excitement.

On top of that, there is also a revenge factor as part of the plot. This is the last case which is used to prep the viewers for a climatic ending. But it falls short and it is the least convincing case of the lot to me. The perpetrator obviously needed psychological help but the drama must have a villain. So, he seems like a convenient choice as a way to end the story.

Slow Burn Romance
Would I watch Dream Garden for the romance? My answer would be no. In fact, the whole drama could stand on its own without any romance being included. But I guess viewers always like some sweetness in a drama and a matching pair of on screen lovers does sell. Just like in The Lion’s Secret, the couple in Dream Garden officially get together rather late in the drama. However, they do spend a lot of time together from the very beginning which should satisfy that craving for some fluff and sweetness in their interactions.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for your sugary fix, I would still say that this is not the drama to watch. For that, you are better off watching You Are My Glory or Forever And Ever. In Dream Garden, the cases is the meat of the story while the romance simply offers a sweet distraction to make the drama less heavy throughout. Yes, there are also kisses towards the end of the drama when the couple started dating to spice things up. But it doesn’t automatically transform it into a great love story as the drama is not meant to be one.

Acting And Chemistry
Simon Gong is as good-looking as always and he does have the necessary acting skills to give viewers a satisfactory portrayal of his characters in all his project thus far. So, there is nothing much to complain about either with his portrayal of Lin Shen in Dream Garden. He depicts Lin Shen as a capable professional and does that convincingly.

Bridgette Qiao plays Xiao Xiao who is more impulsive and expressive compared to Lin Shen. Xiao Xiao is not an instantly likable or adorable character but the actress still managed to make her grow on you as the drama progresses. I think Bridgette Qiao did well with what she was given. Xiao Xiao is supposed to be smart but she ends up being rather dumb when it comes to the second male lead. So, I can’t blame the actress because that is how her character was written.

The chemistry of these 2 leads is great for a drama that is not entirely romance-focused. They are sweet when it needs to be and they look good as lovers. At the very least, I think Bridgette Qiao has much better chemistry with her co-star here than with Hu Yi Tian in You Complete Me. Perhaps the easy banter between them and Lin Shen’s cheekiness at times help with the couple vibes in Dream Garden.

My Verdict – Neither The Best Nor The Worst
I would say Dream Garden is neither the best nor the worst of the lot where Chinese dramas are concerned. Whether you would enjoy it would depend on how much you want it to mirror reality in the psychology field. If you think the cases presented and the leads’ actions as psychologists are unreal, then the drama’s watch value will go down the drain. To me, the cases are pretty interesting. While I do get the feeling that the leads’ behavior doesn’t seem professional at times, I also didn’t have the urge to question and nitpick over the details. So, I guess if you can just treat this as a drama and not expect the story to strictly adhere to the standards of the profession, then this would be more enjoyable.

Having said that, the sore point for me is the way the villain’s story is told. The female lead completely lets down her guard with him when she has been very astute in sniffing out the psychological problems of others around her. You might also roll your eyes over all the “coincidental” meetings each time he shows up in front of her. In other words, the execution of the revenge plot falls short to me. Since they have also identified a villain, his case could have been a suspenseful and thrilling end to a psychological drama. Unfortunately, this aspect is totally missing from Dream Garden.

So, for this Dream Garden review, I would only give it a score of 7/10. Without sufficient excitement, the romance is a sweet distraction and helps to make up for the shortfall. Overall, it is an average drama for me with little rewatch value. Give it a try and you should know within the first few episodes if this is up your alley.

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Rushed Ending!

Who Rules The World (且试天下) is one of the most anticipated Chinese historical dramas for the first half of 2022. Starring Yang Yang and Zhao Lu Si, it is a given that this production will attract a lot of attention as the 2 leads have a big following among fans. The general expectation is this should be a great drama and it is directed by Yin Tao whose projects include Ancient Love Poetry and Love And Redemption. But does the drama match up to the hype or is it a disappointment for the viewers? Let’s take a look at my review of Who Rules The World below.

Who Rules The World starts quite well with good and consistent pacing throughout… until you hit the last few episodes. This is where you will get time jumps and rapid events that culminate in a rushed ending. It gives you the feeling that they should be more scenes but they are snipped off to wrap this up in 40 episodes. The choppy editing is also highly noticeable now and then which is very uncharacteristic of a high-budget production. Fortunately, the story still flows coherently despite the poor scene transition at times. At most, they are annoying but you will still be able to follow the plot as it moves along.

The ending also may not be satisfying to everyone. It is understandable but certainly not ideal. To me, it could have been better written since they have decided not to stick to the novel’s version anyway. The ending leaves me perplexed because of the way the person becomes the new Emperor. It renders all the wars fought and soldiers lost meaningless when both camps know the other will also be a good ruler. It is like a gaping plot hole to me when both sides don’t see each other as evil. So, why fight in the first place, right?

Is It A Great Wuxia Drama?
I don’t see Who Rules The World as a particularly great wuxia drama. The fighting scenes are watchable at the beginning but the over-reliance on CGI towards the end is laughable. The wuxia element is not on par with dramas like Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre 2019 whereby the fighting moves are better choreographed with a classic scene that is worth re-watching.

In contrast, Who Rules The World is also peppered with fighting scenes but none stands out and compels you to rewatch. However, it is still better than Legend Of Fei, with a slightly more powerful performance by Zhao Lu Si. I think if the producer has largely kept to the standards at the beginning, this drama would leave a more lasting impression in the wuxia genre. Unfortunately, what sticks in my mind when the drama ends is the last fighting scene between the protagonists and the villain in Episode 40. It is anti-climatic and simplistic with superman-like flying scenes resembling a Western superhero movie rather than a wuxia drama. Hence, I doubt if Who Rules The World could satisfy serious wuxia drama fans. You will probably be disappointed if you expect more powerfully orchestrated fights. But if you want romance and court politics, this might be your cup of tea.

Romance Plus Politics Plot
Who Rules The World doesn’t have a tightly focused plot. It starts with a missing token that gives legitimacy to the ruler. Just when you think the story is about the fight for the token, it leaves that aside and starts straying heavily into court politics, war, and romance which have nothing to do with the token. The whole plot is more about the protagonists’ journey as they handle one problem after another in the male lead’s fight for succession against his younger brother and stepmother. And in the process, they naturally fall in love which is where a large part of the focus is as well.

So, I think this should delight romance drama fans. The political side of things may become a bore to some though with the typical schemings of a half-sibling and his mother in the quest to become the heir which I guess you could skip if you want to. This production is not a detailed strategy drama like Nirvana In Fire Season 1. Neither does it have the excitement of flushing out the villain as The Wind Blows From Longxi. Instead, it is just a story of a couple who is thrown together by circumstances with court politics interwoven into their adventure.

Chemistry
Is the chemistry between Zhao Lu Si and Yang Yang good? Yes, definitely! But is it superb? Well, not exactly to me. Suffice to say that they do look like a pair of lovers who are deeply in love with each other which gives credence to their on-screen romance. So, chances are you will find their interactions pleasurable. While there is enough chemistry for viewers to feel the romantic vibes, I don’t think it is sizzling enough for me to replay their scenes either. They lack that extra degree of love and passion in their body language to make their scenes together truly engaging.

In terms of acting, I think Rosy Zhao Lu Si shines in her role in Who Rules The World. She is certainly getting better with each subsequent drama and taking on more challenging projects like the one in The Long Ballad. In a way, the role of Bai Feng Xi suits her well as she is a free-spirited character with a bit of badass attitude which is akin to the one she played in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose.

As for Yang Yang, he gives Hei Feng Xi an elegant and graceful personality. He has also shown much improvement since the days of Love 020. Although he appears a little stiff at times in Who Rules The World, the emotional scenes are still well done and hit the right spots to make viewers root for him.

My Verdict – Deserves A Watch
Who Rules The World has a few noticeable flaws but the great first half makes you hooked to the story. Therefore, you will sit through it to the end anyhow. I just get the feeling that the first half is better executed with a higher production quality compared to the second which seems to degenerate into an average drama. This includes the CGI effects as well as the martial arts choreography. Perhaps this is the consequence of having different people being involved in the production as there were news reports that the director and screenwriter quit halfway through the project.

The cast did a great job despite the production problems and this helped to overshadow the choppy editing and plot holes. As such, the drama becomes watchable and engaging and deserves our support especially if you are a fan of the leads. The story itself is easy to follow and coherent. It is a pretty relaxing watch for a historical drama with court politics as part of the plot unlike Sword Snow Stride and Stands By Me which require much closer attention.

For this Who Rules The World review, I would give it a score of 8/10. It falls short with an underwhelming and anti-climatic ending. With the big budget which can be seen from the costumes, location settings, and the number of extras, I think they could have done a better job overall to make the story more compelling. Watch it for the romance rather than the wuxia elements. I think that is the main selling point of this drama and it succeeds in that aspect to make it a satisfying watch for the viewers despite the weaknesses.

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the story of a relationship that isn’t over yet

Woong and Yeon Soo had filmed a documentary when they were in school, which now has gone viral. So, years after their first camera encounter, and a long time after their painful breakup, the two will have to film its sequel.

Korean Drama Our Beloved Summer is a slice of life drama about a love story that has a more realistic approach to it. The drama is well constructed, revealing the past story slowly, while the characters are dealing with their current problems and emotions. And even though the love triangle was dimmed to not work, the slice of life vibes, with a more character-driven story, gave a refreshing approach to the love story.

The latter was a bittersweet romance, with an emphasis on the melodrama and few surprises when it came to its outcome and progress.However, towards the ending, the drama started showing its weaknesses. The couple, though they were mostly connected by their teary past, they didn’t have many things in common to keep them interesting for the viewer. Also, the story got more and more predictable and had few things to offer. In the end, it was more about miscommunication than drama.

Another culprit is the fact that the series founded the story on the logging for the main couple to get together. So, after that, the drama didn’t have anything else to say, though they could have explained Woong’s family situation more in-depth compared to the brush-off that happened.

Yeon Soo used to be the best student in her class. She was raised by her grandmother and she has always been struggling to survive financially, so she learned to be tough and built a nonchallenging character. Kim Da Mi‘s comeback proves that she is a versatile actress. Woong is a quirky character who is a talented artist. He is closed up and he hardly opens up or makes friends, though he is an aloof young man. He is very emotional and sensitive.

Choi Woo Shik did a great job with his performance. Ji Woong is Woong’s friend. Due to their common name, he always lived under his shadow, though he never really envied him, due to Woong’s sweet character. Ji Woong is a lonely man who feels like he doesn’t fit in. Kim Sung Chul gave a quite emotional performance.

NJ is a famous idol who is always busy, but finds nothing to make her happy. She likes Woong, however, she gets disappointed that he doesn’t seem to be as interested in her. Roh Jeong Eui handled her character brilliantly.Sol Yi is Yeon Soo’s friend. She used to be a scriptwriter, but she quit and has opened a pub that isn’t doing so well. She is an energetic character, friendly and loyal.Park Jin Joo is dramaland’s favourite side character and she is always delightful.

The drama had a smooth OST and an enjoyable pace, that didn’t confuse with the back and forth.

My overall rating for the Korean Drama Our Beloved Summer is 7 out of 10. The drama managed to present the story in a clever, entertaining way.

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