More than More Than Blue

I knew I had to catch this when I saw the trailer - Chen Feiyu and Zhou Ye make such a visually appealing couple PLUS it’s directed by the same guy behind more than blue? I was sold.

YX and SY were childhood friends who lost contact over the years, but rekindled as adults. The premise of the show is simple but with some elements of surprise. It’s about trying to change ones destiny/fate and encourages the audience to cherish their loved ones every single day. Since there are some elements of fantasy, it’s important to not question some of the illogical bits cos it is what it is.

I really loved this couple and going through the different iterations of their everyday life (whilst trying to change fate). But without revealing too much, their chemistry is off the charts in my opinion and they’re so sweet together! Both ML/FL’s acting was commendable.

Music - only 2 main tracks. Comparable to similar shows, it’s always played in a timely manner in the most heart wrenching way. Remember to bring some tissues!

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Waited months for this to air only to finish it in days

First!! Review! Of 2022!! I started writing this as I inched closer to the finale, determined to keep the show alive even after it ends. Reviews serve as a constant reminder (to myself) of these masterpieces. I might be biased towards the main leads - love them both! but LLTG truly burst into 2022 and stole the show with it’s well paced storyline, character development and casting. It’s so hard to find a cdrama of such caliber.

I felt that the first couple of episodes were slow but I now look back on those eps with much fondness. After all, you can only show character development by contrasting the before/after and I get that the initial build up in part 1 was necessary but it’s part 2 > 1 for me. The plot really only thickens in part 2.

LLTG is one of those rare historical pieces that prove a show can still be good with a harmonious harem and strong familial bonds. None of that scheming bs, the revenge plot was clear cut but still threw in some surprises here and there. Antagonists were kept to a minimum which was much appreciated, that allowed us viewers to properly focus on the characters that matter.

The only qualm I have is that the show lacks an iconic song. Why can’t we get a liang liang equivalent?

I liked Leo Wu in Long Ballad but I love him here. I’ve come to the conclusion he suits historical pieces (ZLS as well) can’t wait to see more of his works!

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A review-compelling, mature drama

Hands up everyone who have been waiting eagerly and patiently for this show to air! When I first found out YY and Reba were casted in a show, I had high high expectations and waited for a year for it to finally air. I’m glad to report that it did not disappoint despite my sky high expectations! So much so that I MUST review this for my own sake.

I think this is a rare piece in the cdrama arena — it’s mature, well paced and cute all at the same time. No stupid misunderstandings, pesky exes or frustrating in laws. Only exploding chemistry, so much love, cuteness and sweet nothings! I enjoyed the ride and found myself grinning from ear to ear for the most part.

(some tiny spoilers) I thought it would be an esports drama but that was only for the first part as the 2nd part of the show focused more on their relationship and careers. If you must know, it gets better from ep 20 onwards! I found the aerospace technicalities quite dry during their relationship down time, but it was only for ~2 to 3 episodes? I appreciate how realistic things panned out to be, how many times do you see a show depicting a couple’s everyday life? I loved seeing their simple and constant texts to each other while apart , I felt happiness radiating from the screen. YY’s acting improved so much circa love o2o… let’s not go there.

My only complaint would be… it’s too short I wanna see more of them! Each episode averaged at 35 mins and a total of 32 episodes for a gem like this is such a pity (although I’m not sure if it’ll be a good idea to drag anything out since this was well paced) and I know I can’t even complain cos we did get to see their relationship from start to end! Eg. it could’ve ended at ep 30 but we got a glimpse of their married life for 2 whole episodes — gotta say I’m satisfied!

YAMG lived up to expectations and definitely 100/10 would recommend, review and rewatch

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So is a life a long exam and marriage an elective?

Here goes my first review of 2023~ wasn’t this such an anticipated and hyped up drama? I think viewers were mostly disappointed due to the high expectations they had for the show. But don’t let those reviews deter you cos despite its flaws, objectively speaking, it’s a really good show! Minus the hasty and weird wrap up which I’m sure everyone docked points for…

I came here for the leads and in my opinion they had amazing chemistry despite the age gap. Very mature acting that didn’t disappoint! In general, Yang Hua is a very mature character. His support and demeanour in the household is refreshing for a younger male lead. He’s so wise a book can be made from all his quotes — aren’t they so relatable? I love how he understands our FL better than she understands herself. Though it started to go awry when they started this weird bout of lack of communication at the last part. That was frustrating to watch and honestly just felt out of place. That aside, Xu kai and yang mi did a really great job as usual. It’s always a pleasure to see XK on screen hehe

The supporting characters and cases carried the show and gave it its substance. 10/10 on this aspect!! Except the 2nd brother? Who the hell gave him a happy ending?

Also… did anyone else feel like there were TMOPB Easter eggs?? Yang Hua? The way Qin Shi fiddles with items and they way she taps her fingers? No? Just me? Ok

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It’s nice to have you, in every timeline

I think this show is a lot better than people give credit for. It’s one of a kind in the cdrama realm, or at least I’ve yet to watch anything like this. I enjoyed the different layers of mystery, unfolding layer by layer through time travel. If you look past some illogical bits and just focus on the story and mystery around it all, you’ll be in for a ride! Each ep is succinct so it’s very easy to binge watch. I hardly skipped any scenes hence I didn’t find the time travel confusing, in fact if you just watch, it’s very clear which point of time they’re in. While their time travel may seem repetitive going back and forth, the plot always thickens in every timeline and there are always new developments.

I loved the side characters, especially the unwavering loyalty of the bestie and cop. Isn’t it comforting to know that in every time and space, there are people that remain constant? And it’s even more comforting to know that there’s one person with you in this time loop experiencing the same thing - so you’re never alone. It’s also less frustrating from a viewer’s POV (imagine if their memories are wiped each time they time traveled…). Plus points for the leads establishing their relationship sooner than later.

Of course, it’s the casting that made this work. Great performance from the leads and the side characters, never a dull moment. The plot and idea behind this drama is fresh and not cliche so you’ll find yourself trying to guess what happens next instead of predicting what happens. If you enjoy mysteries and romance, this is it!

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Short and sweet, zero drama full of love!

A simple review befitting of a simple show - this is such a hidden gem! To me at least. I rate shows based on how they make me feel and I felt the fuzzies and just so much joy watching the couples.

A quick 22 ep and 10+ min per ep means everything is kept short and sweet with no filler or drama but still enough time to properly develop our lead’s relationship from start till end. Very easy to follow and great chemistry from our leads! The plot is also quite unique - it could have turned dramatic since the leads’ parents are getting married (hence could complicate their relationship) but this short series never took itself too seriously and viewers shouldn’t either. It’s relatively mature for a cdrama as we get plenty of kisses (and they aren’t just pecks!) from the couples. It’s focused on romance and no side or overall plot.

This started as a quick filler so I didn’t think much of it but it really exceeded my expectations! The soundtrack is super good, would rewatch.

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Supposed star crossed lovers

Right off the first episode, this mini series took me by surprise. It dived straight into the thick of things and there was never a dull moment. What a great watch and visual feast!

A married couple with hidden identities, destined to be at odds but thanks to this being a mini series, everything was fast paced hence problems were quickly resolved. We get to see a lot of our CP and their chemistry with tons of kisses and so much love for each other! Not a stretch to say that this is the best historical mini-series (so far).

One of the rare times I wished a show was a tad longer. I’m also surprised that Yang Ze doesn’t have a full length drama as the male lead. I’ve watched 2 of his works so far and he definitely has the potential to be the ML in a full length historical drama. For now, be right back catching the rest of yang ze’s works!

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Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s bad!

What a refreshing plot! I never knew I could enjoy an eunuch plot, WHD definitely carried this one and he’s the reason I even got started. I was riveted from start to end despite the mixed reviews. I highly encourage everyone to give this a shot - the story is new and quite scandalous considering the main leads are kindaaaa having an illicit affair. But that’s what made the show so interesting! Watching them sneak around is fun to watch.

I didn’t care much for the side characters but the show was mainly focused on our leads and the big fat greasy psycho. Even though our lovers couldn’t openly display their affection, their private interactions say everything. Honestly I would’ve enjoyed it more if I didn’t know about all the deleted scenes, but that still didn’t stop me from enjoying it (gotta be objective).

BYL is also the kind of witty, strong female lead I like to see and omg FINALLY we have a male lead who’s willing to give up his revenge and drop everything for the FL! I loved to see that so much and their dynamics as forbidden lovers. Their time together in the west is the best part of the show. The fighting scenes are also well executed and crisp.

36 eps went by pretty quickly without FF, I rate this as a good watch thanks to the storyline and WHD! But I must say the FL did a better-than-average job, I’ve seen trashier acting lol… So yes, give this a shot and go in with an open mind without minding the deleted scenes. Don’t forget to watch the extra ending scenes!

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The most tragic show I’ve committed to watching

I never (knowingly) watch shows with a sad ending. I did this time round, as I heard that this was just the prequel to their happy ending in “forever and ever” so I just had to bite my teeth and get through this…

2021 has really been serving us top titles, I wasn’t expecting one and only to make it to my “review list” but it hit me (or stabbed me) in the feels umpteen times, tragic feels like an understatement. I must pour my heart out in this review! Our lead’s relationship was destined from the start till end and the show saw us through that in 24 episodes which felt just about right since this isn’t really the main story.

SY was sent to be ZSC’s disciple and watching SY’s transformation over the years under his care was very gratifying. Of course, she also found a new family and they aided her journey towards healing. This show speaks volumes of loyalty — loyalty towards the country, family, comrades and even promises made.

ZSC and SY’s chemistry was one that could be felt even without skin ship - case in point, they barely touched each other but you can grasp their relationship through the screen. Props to both for a stellar performance! I gotta say, this is Bailu’s best work so far in my opinion. Unpopular opinion but I never found her acting to be particularly great, but this really proved me wrong. She translated her emotions without words (iykyk) and in a couple of heart wrenching scenes… her silence was deafening and my heart broke for her in that silence.

My only regret is watching this too soon. At this point of review, only 1/3 of “forever and always” has aired… now I will have to wait a full month for their happy ending :(

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This is the only xianxia that deserves more episodes

This is my 2nd review of 2022, best xianxia right here! Just like that, LBFAD kicked ALP to the curb. I started watching this after watching LLTG… I moved on so quickly from 081 to DFQC, I can’t help but compare the 2 shows. In particular, how our leads expressed their love. DFQC was true to his word from start till end, always prioritising XLH - this was my favourite bit.

The one thing I liked most about this xianxia in particular, is how DFQC warmed up so quickly to XLH. Apparently this is narrated quite differently from the novel, I like it better this way cos we get to see them spend lots of quality time together. They take “unwavering love” to the next level by truly keeping to their promises. It’s also one of the rare xianxias that keep angst to the minimum (but tears still guaranteed, this had me in tears right till the very end).

I also enjoyed the mortal arc but only because they went there as themselves and not for a tribulation. Each and every phase they experienced together from shuiyuntian to the mortal realm and beyond was so precious. 36 eps means that it’s fast paced from the get go, never draggy. But I feel like we could’ve gotten at least 4 more episodes. Our leads are so endearing and they support each other through thick and thin, they deserve more than just a lifetime of happiness!

The main theme of the show is about sacrifice and love that prevails. With a great soundtrack to boot! It’ll be a shame to miss out on this gem. Rewatch value 10000/10 in fact I feel like rewatching it now.

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Haven’t seen something come close to TMOPB/ELOD in a while!

I seldom write reviews and only do so when I feel very strongly for a show. Case in point, I’ve only penned down my thoughts for TMOPB and ELOD haha loved those!

This was a highly anticipated one for me, namely because I loved TMOPB/ELOD so much (the first xianxias I’ve ever watched) and when I read that ALP was of a similar concept… with xukai!! I did enjoy some of the other xianxias in between like LAD, LAR but it didn’t come close (didn’t enjoy AOL, dropped it)… Until ALP. I didn’t skip a single scene.

Beautiful plot and love story, felt like the timeline was nicely planned for the different arcs. It felt like 3 different lifetimes (ep 1-16, 17-39, 39-49) where our OTP beat adversity time and again to find their happy ending! It was bittersweet each time and it reminded me of LAR in a sense where the ML would do anything for the FL time and again.

Xukai’s acting was top notch. I felt his pain as baijue, and he also felt like a different character as qingmu. I liked them both and I felt like he did such a good job in distinguishing the 2. ZDY did a good job too but I felt like she paled a little in comparison, though there was still some difference between shanggu and houchi (felt kinda flat). But nonetheless I love this pairing and will always root for their happy ending!

Like most people, I also loved the side characters and the different realms. Heck I even loved our dear villain as much as I hated her LOL… goes to show casting was on point.

Even the music was literally on point, the right verses and the right songs were played on cue at the right scenes which made it all the more poignant. The lyrics were beautifully crafted to suit the story.

Overall, I only have praises for ALP 100/10 will highly recommend this show to anyone who likes xianxias!

Now time to catch xukai in his other works XD

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Dark and poignant masterpiece

Perhaps I went into this with little to no expectation but it outperformed itself. I was hooked in by the cast but stayed for the plot. The cinematography of the drama felt like I was watching a movie. As I watched on, the layers start to unpeel and before I knew it I was sucked into the political discord between Wufeng and the Gong family.

I’m not a fan of political dramas… and MJTY IS politically driven but the romance between our 4 leads make the watch so much more enjoyable. I disagree with some reviews saying it’s not about the romance cos it is a huge driving force in the plot imo (if you view it plainly without overthinking).

That aside, the side characters aren’t redundant and I cared about their stories. Everyone had their own role to play and the execution was perfect - I felt for all the characters. It’s probably one of the rare dramas where the spotlight isn’t entirely on the main characters (I.e. YWS and GZY), feels like everyone got a fair share of screen time.

The pace is just right, can’t decide if I want it to be longer cos I just really like the script?! I think it deserves so even more recognition. This ranks top 3 on my list for 2023, this is also probably the only drama review I’ve written this year. Ps. I highly recommend skipping the last 5-6 mins

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How I’ll miss our one good deed per day crime busting trio

Ok I’ll admit… it took me a while to get here ಥ_ಥ̥ amongst the 3 shows that aired around the same time (iykyk), I prioritised the other 2 due to the genre of this xianxia. I couldn’t start as I wasn’t ready to be left heartbroken by Cheng Yi (again!) but now that I’m done with IS, I’ll just say this — it’s on the same level as TMOPB. I said this about ALP previously but now… IS outranks it in my books

Like the premise of every other xianxia, there are usually 3 arcs to it. The mortal arc was longer than normal and slightly draggy (all the way to part 2) but even then, I enjoyed it. Imagine constantly getting heartbroken from all of heavenly realm’s problems… I also usually don’t like mortal arcs as it’s usually a filler and means to an end. In this case, the mortal arc in IS served as a growth arc for YD to understand YY’s position and was also a turning point for YY’s resolve towards YD and the three realms. You will realise this in part 2! Or even towards the end of part 1.

In every other xianxia, the ML sacrifices everything for the FL from start till end. In IS, it’s more complex than just that which is why there’s a lot to appreciate. It’s not so straightforward and you can really sympathise with the leads and their love story. In IS, the story is really focused on the 2 leads, their adventures and adversity. For once, I didn’t pay much attention to the side characters or cps. The main leads really carried the storyline for me.

CY’s brilliant embodiment of the 3 characters once again knocks the ball outta the park. Can we get a spin off for Xuan ye’s story please? CY looks best in c-costume and especially so in that silver haired anti-hero get up, no one can say otherwise!!!

At long last, the incense didn’t turn to ashes and their story lives on. Solid 10000/10 top quality, 10000% on my rewatch list!

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Ye Hua is THE only man

I’m fully invested in the 3L3W universe, I loved TMOPB so much I went on to watch ELOD and I love both shows equally! (If not, TMOPB a little more if I’m gonna be honest) after binging on both TMOPB end ELOD I couldn’t help but write my first 2 reviews ever! So much love for both shows

- the first arc starts off a little slow imo, with not much going on here as we establish and settle into the story and universe. Mostly about bai qian’s relationship with her shifu, Mo Yuan the god of war

- the subsequent mortal world arc (bai qian stripped of her immortality, gone for a mortal trial) was my least favourite arc, it ends tragically due to misunderstandings. I’m still upset that YH did the things he did even if it was for her own good - no!! U don’t get to make unwanted decisions for her, it doesn’t work that way. I don’t even wanna talk about Su jin who eventually forced her to the edge - not a fun sight

- aaah yes finally we’re back in the heavens (bai qian chose to forget her memories as a mortal, which also meant forgetting Ye Hua) this is my favourite and possibly everyone’s(?) favourite arc cos we finally get to see bai qian in full force - her badass self and she paid back X1000 everyone that did her dirty (namely Su Jin and Xuan Nu) when she was a mortal. Finally, Ye Hua and Bai Qian can ~properly~ fall in love! Ye Hua only has eyes for her and the way he gently but intensely says “qian qian” SWOON! Both leads did so well, especially mark as YH! His little micro facial expressions is everything I need. Might be a tad bit dramatic but he IS super charismatic. (My fav scene is the one where BQ finally confesses her love and he hungrily asked her to birth another child with him omg)

Least favourite part of the show was how unlike the lead couple, our side couple were not meant to be in this installation. Thankfully there’s ELOD so that’s another story! Another part I didn’t like was how they made the final episode or rather, the happy ending, so short. I wish I had been able to see more of them settling into their lives after everything was over.

Now, I can’t even say the demon clan side story was my least favourite cos tbh I didn’t even care for it I just skipped it most of the time - it was imo unimpressionable and a waste of time

Anyhoo it was a wild ride and I finished all 58 eps in a week, no regrets it was worth every minute (that I didn’t skip) One of the top few dramas on my list, I went into this show apprehensive as I’ve not watched a drama this long in ages (last one being yan xi) but now that it’s over... it’s time to move on to ELOD!

My man my man Ye Hua

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Would I recommend this? Yes. Is this the top modern cdrama of 2022? Maybe.

Where do I even begin to describe L&P? I didn’t hear of it in 2022 but somehow it was one of the first few shows I heard about in 2023 so I decided to give it a shot after all the reviews. I seldom start on shows with leads I don’t even know but after this I can safely say I’ll be watching their future works!

The story is broken down into 2 parts and this storytelling is quite unique for a modern c-drama. It starts off in the present for the first part then goes back to the past and we’re back to the present for the last part. For me, points were deducted for the first part of the show - while I appreciate the elaborate set up and foundation of their relationship in college, I think it’s longer than it should’ve been. Maybe it’s because we already got a glimpse of what the present looks like so I feel like I was just waiting for the inevitable to happen. The first part could’ve been at least 5 eps shorter to focus more on the present imo.

I say this as I much prefer the ‘present’ storyline. Their matured selves and the story is just a lot more engaging and is also peppered with even more likeable side characters. There’s a lot more to unpack and focus on for the present timeline but I felt like they simply swept some things under the rug? Which is why I feel like it’s regretful they didn’t allocate more episodes for the present instead of the past. But maybe it’s on purpose cos it’s kindaaa apt?? Keeping the viewers focused on the past just like how our leads kept dwelling on history.

Li Xun is a controversial character but I like such male leads (it’s fictional after all) - not everyone is a knight in shining armour much as he liked to think of himself as one LOL. He’s not your clear-cut-good-guy male lead which imo is something different to watch!

It’s a bit of a slow burn romance but the leads spend a lot of time together. As such, much of it is 暧昧 but it’s quite realistic. I would also realistically say it’s a good show but not off the charts. Would I rewatch? Perhaps the key moments but definitely not the bulk of college. To be fair, it might be the top modern cdrama for 2022 simply due to the lack of competition! So yes, it’s worth the watch. Don’t forget the special episode as well, it has additional scenes

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