"Misson Success"

Yes the spelling is intentional as reference to their debut show. lol

The members had 2 main goals in this show, 1st is to become one as a group. And in just 3 short eps, the members that were awkward with each other like WoongHao and HaoRae had gotten closer through the missions. And even those that were already close like the yuehuaz, were able to show their real friendship in this show without mnet's K vs. G agenda in Boys Planet. With their friendship in full display, the fans get to see how much they really know & take care of each other.

The 2nd goal made this show meaningful, as the members wanted to give back to their fans. And they succeeded in that too. They were able to wrap the show with fans in attendance because of all their hardwork.

And in all of these, the members themselves are funny and entertaining despite being rookies. In a way that became their charming point, not having prior experience made them genuine instead of just playing it for the cameras.

I enjoyed this a lot. From Gunwook and his balloon to Zhang Hao's voice echoing in all of Jeju. lol It was short but it gave me many good laughs. So if ZB1 does another reality show, I will definitely watch it. Mission Success!

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Specially For Sones

Even if you're not a fan, the show in general is entertaining as the naturally hilarious girls take on different types of variety content like traveling together, fulfilling missions, doing challenges, completing chores, playing games, etc. But you will enjoy it more if you're a fan.

From the first ep. where the girls decided the dress code for their first meeting is modern version of their past concepts, to the last episode where the girls are preparing for their special album and comeback, a sone will definitely appreciate this more.

Sones would be emotional or even shed tears (just like the girls did) when they see the reunion with that "special guest" after many years, or the part with that "special person" who've taken care of them for a long time.

As a hardcore sone, I enjoyed every second of this show. Seeing the girls together after a long time, talking, joking and laughing comfortably already made my pastel pink heart full. The girls didn't have to do this (since they often meet up in private) on top of the album preparations and their extremely busy individual schedules, but they still did. A very thoughtful 15th anniversary gift for the fans.

So Nyeo Shi Dae is called "Variety Queens" for a reason, and it was on full display in Soshi Tamtam. A must see show, specially for sones.

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The Novel Is Better, But Still A Good Wuxia Romance

The drama's pilot week is one of the best I've seen in cdramaland.
As a wuxia, the fl is strong, smart and a heroine that dislikes being second to anyone. She is as strong as (at some point even stronger than) the ml and other male characters that can fight. She also has a good background, the same high status as the ml and the first among her peers to be promoted to the highest rank. Most fl's aren't as priveleged.

As a romance, there is more romance than in the novel. Bai Feng Hei Xi also has a healthy relationship with trust, support and no misunderstandings. It can be seen as either ideal or too good to be true considering the environment of the world they live in.
And even though the fl's love lines with other male characters are toned down compared to the novel in favor of Yang Yang, Zhao Lusi still has good chemistry with He Kailang, Zhang Haowei and Lai Yi.

But as a novel fan, I did not like how the fl centered novel was completely changed into ml centered drama. At some point the fl just became a love interest who only appears to be rescued by ml and make sure the cp falls in love, instead of ml's equal like first introduced.
There is also more palace politics and scheming midway that got repetitive and predictable. And the ending was unsatisfying. A bittersweet one compared to the novel's proper HE.

Overall, it had a great start, repetitive middle and rushed ending. It could've been better.
As an adaptation, it was dissappointing. It did not make me feel the emotions that the novel made me feel. But as a standalone, it was still a good watch.

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Witty And Engaging First Half

As expected, Park Eunbin's 25+ years of experience did not disappoint. The expressions, body language, way of speaking, every little detail suits the character.

Youngwoo is adorable and its all credit to Eunbin's performance. But most importantly, the drama showcases its main character in a respectful and non-dehumanizing way. It got the audience to feel exactly how she feels. It felt like cinematic sensory experience.

The symbol of whales breaking out of the water's surface as Youngwoo's version of lightbulb moment is brilliant. And the accompanying cgi is great. The emotional scenes are also executed well.

But the one major con was the extraordinary first half became quite ordinary on the second half because the production realized halfway through that they can make more money with WYW syndrome so the writing changed to make way for season 2, hence the underwhelming ending.

Overall, this drama is still worth checking out for Eunbin's acting alone. Her daesang from Baeksang Arts Awards proved that. Despite the many actresses, I truly understand why the production waited a year for her. There's a reason why the drama was a hit while the webtoon was not, Her.
Woo Young Woo is a special character, and it can be difficult and uncomfortable for a non-disabled person, but Park Eunbin portrayed her so lovingly.

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King of Crossdressing Dramas

Finally, a crossdressing drama where the actress playing a man is actually believable as a man. I've seen quite the amount of crossdressing dramas and 99% of the time it's just a female in male style, but Park Eunbin is that 1%. From the stance, voice, expressions, down to the mannerisms, she perfectly embodies the role.

At the same time, the drama doesn't pretend like she's a perfect male. They acknowledge that the prince is feminine. They showed the fl naturally developed manly gestures but she can't help but be feminine. It fits to the narrative that no matter how hard she tries, she can't hide her feminine qualities that would eventually lead to suspicions. And Park Eunbin understood the assignment. She effortlessly shifts between two different identities while depicting the fear, pain and grief that both characters hold. She did great portraying the prince and princess both physically and emotionally. I have nothing but praise for her.

As a historical drama, fl is strong, smart and the hero that drives the plot. Most fl's are not as privileged as they are usually just the love interest that every male character likes or a damsel in distress that everyone has to save. Here the fl has the higher status and is in a position to be involved in political matters as a crown prince turned king. And this is also one of the rare sageuk where the king's children aren't scheming, fighting or killing each other for the crown.

As a romance drama, Park Eunbin and Rowoon as the leads have good chemistry and the reverse cliché was very entertaining. The ml being good with books, medicine and gardening, while the fl being great at hunting, fighting and swimming. The leads work so well both in romantic scenes and comedic ones. So the romantic and comedic scenes are actually sweet and funny, not cringey. The fl being the hero and the ml as the love interest was refreshing.

Lastly, I love the things they kept from the webtoon and the things they changed for the drama. The death of the real crown prince, someone everyone wanted to protect being the one who ended up dead, was ironic. The highlight of the drama, the reveal of the secret was tastefully done. And the ending, it was proper and clearer than the webtoon. It wrapped up well.

Overall, Park Eunbin's acting alone makes this drama worth watching. Her 25 years of experience was evident in this dual role, acknowledged by KBS Drama Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards and Korea Broadcasting Awards. It was good to have her back in a historical drama, and Yeonmo was definitely worth the wait. Long live the King!

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