WHO DOESN’T LIKE A GIRL LIKE BAN HUA!?

Another period piece with great looking costumes, and a beautiful production setting. Strong leads in both female and male, great pair, both clever and intellectually working together for the good of family, duty and country, the female characters who can fight is always a plus for me (I love martial arts in general). Although it was a period piece, I doubt Ban Hua’s character would get away with half the things she did, but that’s what made it an interesting storyline. A different setting in time with a more modern, straightforward thinking kind of girl, no wonder why she was well liked. Guess that’s what made it entertaining and fun to watch. The typical political schemes, plots and twists with a good amount of humor in it, and of course, the romantic connection between the two leads. Their relationship was special, they knew each other well enough and loved each other even more to sacrifice that love when they needed to make things right. They knew how to work together to try and fix all the wrong doings of others going against them. This show is a definite watch, and a “maybe” rewatch (if I had the time to). Hope you can enjoy it, too!

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FATE, FORGIVENESS & FAMILY…

Ended up watching this a second time, first on Viki and then came across it on Netflix recently. It definitely made my Fave List since I loved everything about it. The FL’s fangirling was funny enough the entire show but each character had their own moments of humor I also enjoyed. Lots of familiar faces like Kim Sun Young (Cindy’s mom was ridiculously funny) did a great job playing that character, Park Jin Joo (the bestie) she’s always cute in anything she plays and of course, you can’t miss the big guy Ahn Bo Hyun, just love him! Great casting!

Like most dramas, the main characters are usually “fated” from the beginning, right? Guess it usually works for good storytelling. Then comes the amount of “forgiveness & acceptance” from that fated past which I found to be a very big deal with the ML’s character (you’ll see it for yourself when you watch it, have the tissues ready). In the end, it reminded me of how important family is and really, it’s not always about lineage. I think most of us have loved ones we call “family” but are not necessarily blood related.

Yes, sometimes a show can have those “extra fillers or drag” that might bore us but overall, I liked this one. The setting of the museum, art and paintings tied in very well with the storyline. When the soundtrack music is pleasant and catchy, you’ll end up singing along with it every episode. The mature relationship of the ML and FL was quite tender, they had so many loving (and sexy) moments it would make my heart flutter. If you enjoy a good RomCom, this is worth watching… enjoy!

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WELL WORTH THE (WAIT) WATCH!

Literally, the long ballad! LoL Took me a few weeks to catch up to and finally finish watching it (only because I’ve had no time). Newest one added to my favorites list because I know I’ll be rewatching it. Like most of the other good ratings shared, I can also say it truly is a great production overall. Yes, it’s quite a long show but it doesn’t fail to keep it interesting from the very start of episode one. Political dismay that changes a young princess’s life forever, the tough journey just to survive, and the many obstacles she endures along the way. And of course, the storyline always calls for a fated meeting with the male lead character which makes it even more interesting and fun to watch on “how” exactly they meet. Of course, two of my favorite parts of a period show are the costumes and music. Oh yeah, and there was just something mesmerizing about the male lead and his long hair, that Leo Wu just looked soooo darn good with the braids and long locks, ha!

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AND THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS…

Acceptance and Equality… no matter your background, status or situation. A decent drama that did not disappoint. Personally, it takes me a while to watch most C-Dramas because there are SO MANY episodes. This had a good story and overall message to relay throughout. However, if a show steers off course even just a little bit, I’ll loose interest and unfortunately, find myself skipping ahead a few scenes. Although, this one had it’s “moments” I still enjoyed the backstory of the ML, the academy setting, and the little emperor himself was a fun character to watch. I also couldn’t get over how tall General Hang (actor Xie Bin Bin) is, it took me awhile to realize he was also in Prince of Tennis. Of course, the martial arts is always a plus for me to watch. Even the villains were pretty “crazy” I couldn’t believe half the things they were getting away with… Geeeeez!

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A FAMILIAR SURPRISE!

Rated a 10 entirely based on the way this made me feel, and it was unexpectedly a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect too much from it but also wondered why it had such a high rating of 9+ on Viki. Thought I’d get it over with watching it in one go with only 8 episodes. To my surprise, I loved it! Although, it was so short, it was cleverly written to tell the story and executed quite well. Most of the time I wonder why these C-dramas are so long, I feel like they have so many clips of reminiscing that become dragged out many times. THIS show was quite simple, to the point, had enough humor added, a tender romance between the leads, even the little kid was adorable, and of course, it had a pretty cool twist the viewer probably wouldn’t think of (that’s what made the ending so good). Kudos to the writers/creators! This was a little gem that made my Top 10 Faves, and made me watch it a second time already (I’m sure it won’t be the last time). Enjoy! ????

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SWEET REVENGE!

Give it a try and watch! Every once in a while I steer away from the typical Rom-Coms and come across a decent drama with good suspense and twists. This one was pretty good. Fan of Yoon Hyun Min (My Holo Love), he plays these drama roles really well and he did another great job on this one. Thought actress Yoon So Yi (Color of a Woman) had most of the comic relief in her character, she’s adorable as usual. The storyline plot was great, how the main leads get the bad guys, and get them good! I tend to find that these dramas have that typical past connection, but for me, it’s how the writers get creative to get the attention of the audience. They definitely did a good job with this show, certainly kept me entertained. Overall, the best parts of the show were the ways the female lead got her sweet revenge! Enjoy!

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STEADFAST HERO AND HEROINE... THE LOSS, LOVE AND LIFE THEY LIVE TO ENDURE!

LOVED IT! I was hesitant about watching a C-Drama period piece, I’m all for them now! If it has a good solid storyline, enough to touch your heart or make you cry, then it’s worth the watch like this one. A viewer must understand the different time in history because the whole concubines, second wives and age gap thing can seem weird. That alone has its own plots and twists which makes for a good drama. The female lead goes through so many obstacles with so many against her, it makes you hopeful that she prevails in the end. Especially with the one person supporting her, her husband. The ups and downs of the different relationships of tradition and family duty that lead to something good, bad or worse was interesting. I personally loved the entire production, from costumes to set, and the music had me humming along every episode, too. Given all the different types of characters, I thought the actors played also their parts really well. Although, it’s 45 episodes long, it’ll definitely be a rewatch for me IF there’s ever a time there’s nothing else to watch (LOL). Overall, the main part of the show is the relationship of the two leads, a test of trust and the show of loyalty, how they interact and endure it all... together!

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THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF THE STORY… MUST WATCH TILL THE VERY END!

So, I’m not a professional to critique a show formally as some other viewers here. I just merely write a review based on my own personal preference of what I watch. I know nothing of original novels or history references, I just enjoy watching Asian Dramas, particularly the costume pieces. As much as I like this show, I was still shy of giving it a 10 to make my faves list. It can definitely be challenging to watch SO MANY EPISODES, only because sometimes it feels like it can drag at certain points in the story, and I did feel it in this one. The cast, the acting, the music and the overall story were good, but for me there were spots where I thought out loud “where did this come from” or “wait, is that it” and then I’m a little confused. Bai Lu plays a woman who’s all around awesome, experienced, a smart and clever problem solver which was impressive. The devotion to her husband and the greater good of her new family. There were times when I wasn’t sure she could solve something and it would make me a little nervous. The multiple levels of sad, plots, twists and turns were great, and of course, a lot of humor in it that helped keep me entertained. I did it, I watched it to the very end, and I admit I was pretty much relieved I finally finished it. Definitely on my list of “Likes” but not so much my list of “Loves” but that’s just my point of view… Happy Watching!

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STAND BY IT… YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!

If you liked The Long Ballad or The Sword and the Brocade, and the costumed piece shows, then you’ll like this one too. TBH, I’m hesitant when there are like 25+ episodes in a C-Drama because I feel sometimes it gets dragged out. But this show had a story that peaked my interest and I couldn’t wait to see the new episode the next day. Member WandeR had a lengthy review that hit a lot of good points that I agree on. The only actor I recognized in this was Han Dong who played Prince Guang, but now I am definitely a new fan of both M F leads, Cheng Yi and Zhang Yu Xi. The entire cast did a great job but I’m a sucker for romance so I favored the Emperor and his Sword Bearer more, ha! The political plots may sometimes feel the same in these shows but this one had a pretty good storyline I had not yet watched before. When I catch myself replaying a scene or going back to watch an episode, I know I’ve enjoyed it. Not to mention, when I start to sing or whistle the soundtracks when I’m not watching the show, it pretty much justifies my rating of 10. Hope you too can enjoy it… Happy viewing!

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Warm-HEARTED Drama —Yes, Pun Intended!

Watch at your own pace and preference. The C-Dramas tend to be longer because of the 30+ episodes so sometimes it takes me a while to hang in there and see if it gets any better. Personally, I don’t like to drop a show and try and finish it. Especially, if I’m a fan of the actors, I’ll give it a chance. Overall, I watched it for both lead actors I like, Allen Ren (Under the Power) and Fair Xing (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), love them both! For me, it was basically two people tragically connected in their past, one a somewhat pessimistic realist and the other an overly positive optimist due to how they live their lives. Later they RECONNECT, that’s the key word and the storyline. How and why they reconnect, the discovery they make on how much of an influence they are to one another. I thought it dragged a little, and made me cry a bit too much, but it was good to see how their relationship developed.

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OH-HO! ALL HAIL PRINCE D.O.!

If you don’t mind the historical period dramas then you’ll like this one, too. Overall, it has the usual good storyline, the romantic or not so romantic connection between the two leads and enough comedy to get you laughing throughout. It’s the typical royalty storyline with lots of plots, deceit and conspiracy to gain status or get closer to the throne, etc. but what makes it good is when the writers can make it interesting enough to catch the viewer. I don’t know what it is, but for me I am always a big fan of dramas that add in the younger actors to portray a past connection of the main characters. I guess I like how they show more of flashbacks to explain the past, gives it more depth in storytelling IMO. There’s a pretty sizable and recognizable cast of actors that all did a good job, the costumes always make the characters plus a good OST usually gets me humming even after watching an episode. I first put this on my watch list because of actress Nam Ji Hyun (Suspicious Partner) now after watching this, I’ve definitely become new fan of the lead actor Do Kyung Soo aka D.O. (and EXO). Many times I come across a good drama I tend to steer and watch the other works of the actors, and I find myself loving them more and more. There’s just something this kid D.O.’s look, he came across so well as the prince, it’s gotta be those big eyes and pouty lips lol —he’s so handsome! Well, hope you enjoy the show, too!

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A DECENT STORY AND LOTS OF HUMOR MAKES FOR A GOOD SHOW!

I picked this one up because of actor Alen Fang (previous Unique Girl). I like to see for myself what I’d like about a show, and other than the actor mentioned I actually liked the 2 leads very much. Both strong minded, smart and of course, stubborn but work together to resolve issues. The overall storyline was good, the male lead typically seems cold-hearted and too serious but ends up being a pretty cool guy, right? My first time watching Bai Lu and I actually loved her character being a boss and in charge, she’s quite clever and funny, too. There’s enough humor to make me laugh, and there are other characters to like or not like. Other two of my favorite parts of watching a period piece are the costumes, and a good soundtrack.

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THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL!

Actually liked this one very much, one on my fave list! A little thing called first love, is practically what the title is. An adorable story about the female lead and her first crush. Everyone experiences that in their lifetime, right? It can make you think back on your own first crush, I know watching this made me reminisce a little bit (lol). It’s a sweet and innocent story of young love, that usually reels me in about these dramas. I liked the stages in life shown for both female and male leads, how they become good friends, how they mature in life and discover their own self growth. The high school and college setting is always a plus for me, too. One of my first C-Dramas on Netflix. Worth the watch! Enjoy!

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NEVER SAY NEVER…

Headlined specifically because I don’t necessarily like dropping a show once I’ve started it. Especially with this one, I like both ML and FL actors, but I just couldn’t get past the dubbing. In addition, I thought the story was interesting so every episode I gave a chance and continued watching but I don’t think I even finished all of episode 6. I’m watching the new show STAND BY ME now and I love, love, love the same FL actress. I may (one day) have to come back to this show and eventually complete it to see it through. Best of luck to you that take it on and do a better job than me completely watching it.

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NOT BAD AT ALL

Not bad for an Idol Drama, which I normally don’t watch. As a viewer, it paints a pretty good idea of how hard it is for these celebrity idols to TRY and live a normal life. For them, there’s never a time they are not in the spotlight. Yes, they’re living their dreams, doing what they like to do most, but I’m sure trying to have some kind of private life has to be rough, too. After all, everyone’s youth should be lived to its fullest, being happy in every aspect of life and love. I don’t really recognize anyone in the cast but they all did a pretty good job. Personally, I thought the positive message they all come together for was worth watching the show in its entirety, and understanding it all.

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