Stalker behavior misrepresented as love

The high school interaction between the leads was cute. But once they went to college the ML essentially stalked the FL until she finally gave him a chance. Also, when the high school actors were switched out for actors playing their older college selves, the actors looked way too old to be college students.

Once in college the ML had no respect for the FL’s thoughts and feelings. He ruined her first day with the one guy she dated in college. And repeatedly called her, showed up at places where he knew she would be and followed her when she went home to visit family during her college breaks, even though she told him numerous times to get lost. She wasn’t even telling him this jokingly or encouraging his pursuit at all. Each time she told him to leave her alone she was very firm. But he continued to stalk her until she finally requited his “love”.

The FL lead’s BFF pathetically continued to be at the beckon call of the ML’s BFF because she liked him. Problem was she’d confessed to him in high school but he rejected her and continued to ignore her feelings when they got to college by asking her to help him pursue her class mates. He was extremely insensitive to her feelings for him and showed no interest in her until she started to open herself to other prospects. Something she should’ve done after he rejected her. At this point, I stopped watching. All of the romantic relationships were manipulative and toxic. I couldn’t root for any of them which is a shame because I actually thought the ML/FL’s relationship in high school had the potential to be interesting and romantic.

The only thing I really enjoyed about this series was the relationship between the FL and her BFF. They were true friends throughout high school and college. I enjoyed their interactions. I also thought the boyfriend the FL had in college was great. Their relationship has potential but of course was destroyed by the need to hook her up with the ML. The series as a whole had potential but was problematic due to the way the romances were presented.

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Destitute Didn’t Have to Mean Dumb

The first episode kicked things off well, but the story failed to keep that strong premise. I was expecting to see three sisters who were ride or die, bringing down those corrupt killers and manipulators whom they found themselves entangled with, while managing to elevate themselves, even if just enough to do better than they were, out of extreme poverty.

Instead, we got three sisters who were as about as bonded as three siblings living oceans apart. The oldest sister was the dumbest out if the three. She spent almost every episode in tears. Sometimes warranted. Sometimes not. She signed her name to a legal document that was in a language she couldn’t read. Repeatedly confronted potentially dangerous people and threatened to expose their crimes. Handed a stack of stolen money to a woman who knew she was dirt poor, while knowing people were looking for said money. Trusted everything a man said whom she didn’t know from Adam. And continued to be a crusader of justice for her BFF who set her up in a serious mess of financial fraud. The stupidness went on and on with this one.

The middle sister had a few more brain cells to rub together. For she could see the forest for the trees. However, she wasn’t smart enough to be meticulous and strategic in her efforts which resulted in her ongoing failures.

The youngest sister was gullible and dumb. I guess she can get a pass as she was a teen and having to deal with being dirt poor and abandoned by her parents. However, her complete disregard for her sisters and total belief in her rich BFF and family was ridiculous. Also, she looked high throughout the series but perhaps that was in effort to convey her depression with her situation. Still it did the character no favors.

The plot actually could’ve been good if those at the center of it wasn’t so dumb. I gave this 7 episodes because I like Kim Go Eun. However, I finally gave up on the series because the plot continued to drag and I became over these characters lack of intellect. Moreover, what also annoyed me was all the educated and/or rich characters in this came off smart while the poor characters came off dumb.

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The Best Choice Ever Would Be For Chenghuan to Choose Herself

The story was good to start. A new boss Yao, the ML, comes to town from abroad to run the Botecelli hotel chain, but this boss is not just coming in to run the business he has he own agenda that may or may not be nefarious. While Chenghuan, the FL, is a sales and marketing superstar who is looking to grow her career but may be a hindrance to the MLs plans unbeknownst to her. There was entertainment value here, but then the story lost its way when it no longer centered around the business happenings at the hotel to focus on the soap operaic drama surrounding the Xin family and Chenghuan’s interactions with them. SMH. It was over the top, contrived drama. And don’t even get me started on the FL’s mom and the SML’s sister, who were insufferable busybodies.

I will say I loved the chemistry between Chenghuan, and Jia Liang, the SML. He could be cute with his actions towards her and they really popped together. It is too bad that he was immature, irresponsible, and failed to take control of their relationship when his family continuously butted in causing chaos. He was essentially a wealthy bum. Truly a shame.

Though the series tried to sell a budding romance between the leads, it was difficult to suspend disbelief and believe their relationship could actually go there. I know it was just business, but after he used her as a pawn for his own business coupe, which nearly destroyed her reputation and did derail her career, it wasn’t believable that the FL would interact with him in any way beyond an as needed basis. Moreover, she and the ML didn’t have any chemistry. They had the scenes and dialogue to create what may be a budding romance but there was no spark between them.

I didn’t finish this series because honestly I got incredibly bored with it. However, seeing as Jia Liang was a man child who’d never grow up, Yao being a scheming user who was a vulture coming to swirl around his elderly grandmother in a plan to acquire her business, and the Mai parents being a mix of passive uselessness to their children, to aggressively controlling them to the point of being intolerable, I came to hope that in the end Chenhuang will pull a Kelly Taylor and choose herself.

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The Irony of Nirvana is the main theme in this tale of conspiracies chaos and corruption

A curious and carefree Ci ventures out from the safety of her village in the mountains to explore the world below only to literally land in the middle of a political firestorm.

Ci’s journey led her to the political home of Pei, where she learned medicine , became an enemy, friend then lover of Wei. She traveled to surrounding villages to bring healing and kindness to the people, and justice for women, landed in the royal palace as a princess, and encountered a couple of wars along the way. Her adventures were nothing short of exciting .

The conspiracies and corruption could at times be convoluted but it was interesting to watch the characters investigate and try and unravel the mess. The show missed an opportunity with the Shadow Sect. Their secrecy and strategy made for an intriguing part of the story but was dropped halfway through the series due to the plot turning more towards war and political wrangling in the palace.

Though Pei started off toxic and controlling towards Ci he evolved nicely into a man who recognized the error of his ways and in turn became a fierce ally of Wei and Yueluo. But like other plots within the series, his political endgame of wanting to raise his status in the court was essentially dropped.

The leads, Wei and Ci, had chemistry and a lot of potential but unfortunately that potential wasn’t fully realized. They had some sweet moments but didn’t become a couple until the last few episodes and even then they barely shared any scenes due to the war. I think they kissed once, finally, in the second to last episode and that was only because they had sex. SMH. There were some missed opportunities for them to be physically closer ie hand holding, kisses, hugs, which would’ve given their romantic bond more credence.

The last few episodes got bogged down with too many war strategy meetings and battle scenes. Sadly, the ending was disappointing but not surprising. My heart broke for Ci. She lost everyone she loved most, which was painful to watch. And though I was not a fan of Pei, I felt so bad for him. For in the end he lost everyone he cared about either due to death or by their choice to leave him. Granted much of that was his own fault but it didn’t make him less sympathetic due to the losses. This was a good series. The acting was good and overall the plot was strong. However, if you’re looking for a romance drama you won’t find it here. It’s mostly a political conspiracy and war drama.

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“Love” and Ambition Brings out the Cunning and the Crazy

Xue Fang has what seems to be the perfect marriage to Shen Yu only for him to betray her in the worst way. This was one of the many interesting things about the series that Xue Fang and Shen Yu’s marriage was actually good. I think he even loved her, to a point, but he love himself and power more. Hence, the reprehensible decision he made.

This story has been done before. So overall the premise and even the execution wasn’t anything new. But that still didn’t make the story less intriguing. Though I enjoyed Xue Fang/ Jiang Li ,she was the typical and predictable heroine of the story. Superior intellect and always 10 steps ahead of her enemies. The Duke was the predictable male lead in being smart, tough and always there to get the heroine out jams she couldn’t get herself out of. Very predictable characters as was the love story but still entertaining to watch.

I found it interesting that many of the women featured on the show had been through some type of trauma or was heavily influenced by a parent, usually a father, which was a big part of why they were either kind or hateful. This was a nice touch by the writers which worked to give the villains some complexity rather than being one note evil.

The Princess was the perfect example of this. She’d been through hell and as a result had some interesting vulnerabilities , but she was a horrible person and quite mad. Shen Yu was similar in that he was put in a difficult situation beyond his control. Thus he at times generated some sympathy. However, he was a coward . Yet intelligent, cunning and ambitious. Both were vile characters whom I loathed but I found them compelling to watch because of their complexities.

The writing in this was generally good, but at times there were scenes that went on too long or too much unnecessary detail was provided. The show spent a lot of time showing backstories for supporting characters that wasn’t needed. The big battle with General Chen was anticlimactic. The Longwu “army” was only about enough soldiers to fill a courtyard. And the “face off” consisted of tender moments between Xue Fang/Jiang Li and the Duke. Xue Fang/Jiang Li was completely out of place here, and the Duke, General Chen and Shen Yu pontificating about their issues with each other. Very disappointing.

The last episode was way too long. It had about 5 different endings. They could’ve cut out most of those scenes and still tied up the series nicely. Honestly the last 8-10 episodes could’ve been compressed down to 3-5 episodes making the series 30-35 episodes rather than 40. The show lost momentum in the last several episodes and as a result dragged quite a bit. Again a lot of time was wasted on unnecessary backstories and such.

Despite all this , the acting was strong.. The leads had good chemistry. The love story was well done as was the conspiracies and treason. Overall it was a good series. The bonus “episode” was cute. I’m glad Xue Fang got her HEA with the Duke. Is this worth watching? Yes but just know it’s more about the conspiracies than the love story. Would I watch again? Probably not.

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Revenge that was served, not quite so perfectly

The show really leaned into the FL’s “family” being trash - forced confinement, poisonings, murder for hire, verbal abuse etc. At times it was completely over the top as was the way in which the FL ended up being raised by them. Though this is a fictitious story, it was hard to suspend disbelief surrounding how she ended up in that household due to the extreme contrivances and coincidences.

Many of the characters in this were as dumb as a box of rocks. The FL was pretty dense to start, but thankfully she wised up after literally getting a new lease on life. But her ex fiancé was probably one of the stupidest characters I’ve seen in a while. He repeatedly made incredibly imbecilic decisions and was just…argh. It didn’t help that the actor in the role wasn’t that good. He only had two facial expressions, mindless stare into nothingness or mouth hanging open with a painful frown which I guess was supposed to convey shock and horror. He was awful.

The FL’s father was not only a horrible person, but he was pretty dense too considering he couldn’t see that his wife was a sociopath despite her repeatedly deceitful and abusive behaviors. The ML’s half brother also wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but in hindsight I found nothing about that character made any sense. He was in the story purely for plot.

The revenge plot was okay, but I’ve seen better. The setup and execution lacked punch because the audience was oftentimes completely in the dark about what the FL was planning to do and the story didn’t build. It just moved along at an even pace. As a result, when the villains were finally taken down it was anti-climatic. Moreover, after everything the FL went through, I didn’t think it was realistic that she’d ever forgive her father. He allowed her to be abused in his household for years and did nothing about it. In the end, he didn’t deserve to be in her life or to walk away virtually unscathed.

The love story was a little ridiculous, but what else is new. The ML fell in love with a painting by the FL. Watched her from afar which led to him falling deeply in love with her. It can’t get anymore preposterous than this. But…the leads had really good chemistry, which made me a believer in their love. I would’ve liked to have seen more push/pull in their relationship before they got together. More close moments in the house they shared and a little more to their “honeymoon” would’ve been nice too. Though the revenge plot was lackluster I will admit I had a good laugh when the dumb ex boyfriend marriage plans got ruined when the FL’s stepsister showed up on his doorstep 9 months pregnant, declaring him as the baby’s father. He fought so hard and did so many utterly dumb and despicable things to please her and be with her. He finally got the spoiled insufferable brat just when he thought he’d moved on from her to greener pastures. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person.

Overall, this was entertaining enough to see it through to the end, but it wasn’t as well executed as it could’ve been.

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Bad Sex Framed Around A Poorly Written Version of the Oedipus Complex

So the ML becomes a call boy because ...I'm not sure why. But it's revealed that he has a thing for older women, which morphs into this weird Oedipus complex implying his attraction to older women is due to his mother who died when he was 10.

The ML had no personality and no boundaries. There was no insight into his character, what was driving him, except the reveal about his mother’s death. There were no details on how that impacted him and thus was driving his decisions in the present. Nothing to indicate why he was indifferent about life and school. Why he found women “boring.” Why he would choose to be a call boy.

The call boy jobs were boring. The madam framed it as him making love to his customers, but he was not making love. He was f***** them. And he was HORRIBLE at even that. He was like a bull in a China shop, ravaging his customers, and even the woman he did know, with no care or finesse when sleeping with them. I didn’t believe for one second that he grew as a lover and learned to read a woman’s body and focus on how to give her pleasure. He always went from 0-200, with no in between, when having sex. The title of the movie was right he was a call boy, because he did not have sex like a man who knew what he was doing.

There was no depth to the story whatsoever. And even weirder was the madam, having her deaf and dumb daughter test out the call boy candidates, potential in bed, while she watched. Just weird and frankly abusive and disgusting. Oh, they gave the excuse that the daughter wanted to do this and who was the madam to stop her, but it still felt very wrong. I didn't understand why the ML suddenly fell in love with the madam and wanted to "make love" to her. They barely interacted throughout the whole movie. So him "falling for her" was not shown. I guess they needed that poorly written storyline to make the big reveal that she used to be “on call” herself and as a result caught AIDS.

Again, this movie had no depth whatsoever and overall was just bad. After a while I just started fast forwarding through all the horrible sex scenes in hopes of getting to some substance in the story. Unfortunately, there was none. This was not worth the two hours I spent watching it.

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A beautiful romance blossoms in the mist of devilry and obsession

The Demon Dragon, Tianyao, was literally destroyed by “love” 20 years earlier when the most vital parts of his essence were torn apart and scattered across the world. Save for his heart protection armor which he threw into the heavens to keep from his enemies only for it to end up protecting the heart of new born who later becomes a Taoist, Yanhui.

Fated circumstances and Tianyao’s pursuit eventually leads to these two meeting and from hence forth they become nearly inseparable. Of course they clash to start, but quickly become “husband and wife” and embark on an intriguing journey where they grow incredibly close due to their perils and adventures.

Though Tianyao is slow to admit his love for Yanhui (she admits her love for him quite early on) and they encounter much adversity throughout their romance they always moved heaven and earth to protect each other. They made some incredible sacrifices to ensure the other survived, but not only that a deep connection friends/lover and an awesome working relationship which made their love story one for the ages.

Additionally, the side romances were well done and added nice layers to the main plot. I enjoyed the friendship between the main three couples Tianyao/Yanhui, Feng/Xiao and Zhu/Huan. They had a nice bond and always supported each other through good and tough times. Though the romances and overall story was well done, there were some characters and stories that were insufferable. Bai Xiao, being one. Though he was helpful and fun to start but after a few episodes he got annoying and eventually became a straight up interloper to the OTP. At times he almost ruined progress with the main couple thus I was pleased when he disappeared for many episodes due to capture by the enemy.

Speaking of the enemy, Suying had to be one of the most psycho and hateful villians I’ve seen in a while in a C-drama. She killed so many innocents over a “love” that only existed in her own mind. The object of her obsession saved her life and flirted with her for two seconds and she equated that to them having some epic romance. Insane. And the poor guy, Musheng, was mercilessly tortured by her. She kept bringing him back to life even though he hated her and wanted no relationship with her at all. In fact he was deeply in love with his wife, a Fox Tailed demon, and wanted to return to her, but Suying would not let him go. Her behavior was reprehensible and the fact that she had an easy demise did not sit well with me.

The other villain, the Dark Lord, was just as obsessed and crazy. Killing and manipulating innocents for his own gain. His reasons for wanting to destroy the world was the same you’d hear from a spoiled toddler who didn’t get mommy’s attention. The final battle with him went in way too long. Our heroes wasted a lot of time and energy “fighting” without a plan. Eventually they got it together and took the Dark Lord out. At least his demise was more satisfying than Suying’s.

The acting was very good. The leads had wonderful chemistry as did the side characters. The romance was lovely and the main plot interesting. Overall great series. It’ll be one I rewatch regularly.

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Mad chemistry between the leads couldn’t over come bad storytelling

And that’s basically the gist of this story. The leads smoldered. I hope they will have the opportunity to work together again in another series that’s better written. As most of the characters actions in this made no sense and was only there to serve the plot which was very weak. This had nearly all the fundamentals of a bad soap opera. Facial reconstruction. Long lost sisters showing up from the grave. The inevitable unrequited love that turns into obsession and in turn fatalism. The star-crossed lovers who can’t make a sound decision to save their lives. And of course a conspiracy and subsequent revenge plot that made little sense. The episodes are short. So this is easy to get through. The acting was alright. The leads were the stand out as they really sold the passion between their characters. Again the chemistry between them was palpable. Great job Dai Gao Zhang and Hong Xiao. However, this was not a good series.

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Ghost Whisperer meets Buffy the Vampire…eh ghost slayer….

…Well sort of. There are some minor similarities between this show and those two shows but a lot of differences too.

The FL is a dark, brooding real estate agent with mommy issues. Her real estate niche is that she exorcise vengeful ghosts in haunted houses then makes a profit when helping the owner sell those homes. In this mist of all this she meets the ML a ghost hunter con artist who turns out to be a true medium. At first they’re at odds but eventually team up to rid various dwellings of vengeful ghosts while unraveling the traumas and conspiracies of their intertwining pasts and present.

This show was an easy watch and works well mainly due to the cases of the week and chemistry between the characters. The underlying storyline with the ghost mom and the town gangster were passable but not enough drive intrigue in the series. I will say the antagonist in this was awful. Hated him. I was absolutely sick of him by the time he met his end late in the series. The acting was good. The FL/ML had good chemistry. It was obvious there were more feelings between them than friendship but the expression of those feelings were minimal at best. The description of this series genre as “romantic comedy” is grossly misleading. Southern if you’re looking for a love story in the midst of ghost slaying you won’t find it here. Still this was good series and thus worth watching.

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Nice Romantic Drama with some Surprisingly Well Placed Humor

The FL , a rough around the edges Geologist ,who loves the outdoors is poached from the adventures that is her work in the field, to take the place of her famous twin sister who’s vanished from her life of acting fame.

This had the typical storyline of the FL struggling with her new life but eventually settling in nicely to fame as well as a PR relationship with the ML, who surprisingly has a keen interest in geology himself. What sets this apart from other shows that have done similar storylines is the humor. These amusing moments happened at the most inopportune times which made them perfect in the context of the story.

The supporting characters were hilarious and had great chemistry with the leads. I enjoyed the FL’s team, especially her manager. Some of his facial expressions were spot on. Lol. The love story was organic and well paced. The leads had good chemistry. The push, pull, conflict and misunderstandings that eventually led to them getting together was entertaining.

However, once they got together there wasn’t much story. There were some really nice romantic moments, but essentially the series meandered along with the monotony of day to day life and love with some business “drama,” that was hardly drama at all, thrown in. The twin sister finally returned to potentially stir things up but instead brings with her a WTF moment when she reveals that their mom had died a year earlier unbeknownst to the FL. Very bizarre story twist which really was just drama for drama sake and not needed.

The inevitable exposure of the truth about the twin’s deceit and subsequent breakup of the leads made sense considering the situation. However, it wasn’t as explosive as it should’ve been. We were told rather than shown the impact. This made it difficult to feel the hurt and separation angst between the leads and thus failed to deepen my emotional investment in their journey. The other love story between the ML’s sister and right hand man didn’t work for me. Though they had chemistry, it was sibling chemistry not romantic chemistry. He looked too old for her and she was too immature for him. She was very young and should’ve enjoyed dating guys her age before settling down to marry and have a kid.

The series ending was rushed, leaving several storylines unexplained or making little sense, but I liked that it was only 22 episodes. Overall this wasn’t outstanding, but it was enjoyable and will make for a nice re-watch.

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Romance Takes a Backseat to the Monotony that can be Medical Research

This started off as an engaging show. The adventures in Lakanya served as a nice foundation for the romance to build between the leads. Moreover, the timing used to move the story to China was well orchestrated . Though I enjoyed the ML being utterly smitten with the FL at times he came off embarrassingly pathetic especially when he and her first got together. He became less desperate as the story progressed but could still be obsessive and stalkerish.

Nearly all the supporting characters could be annoying but they too mellowed out with time. Save for the FL’s nemesis who was nothing short of insufferable and cartoonish. The SML had potential but unfortunately the writers decided to turn him into an un ethical ass whose only excuse was mommy and daddy issues. SMH.

The series introduced characters that could’ve been integrated into the story in an interesting way but were promptly dropped without warning. There were storylines that could’ve been key to the overall plot that were dropped as well. The love and angst of the romance was at times good but got bogged down with the Huntington Disease plot. Though the ML was obviously deeply in love with the FL I found it hard to believe he’d give up his research on glioma and being a neurosurgeon both of which he was passionate about to go into the black hole that was researching a disease in which finding funding and finding a cure was futile.

The ending left me confused. Was the FL dead? Or in a long term care facility and thus unable to attended the conference on the breakthrough the ML had made with a drug to treat Huntington’s? The way she was framed in that last scene it looked as if it was the former. Either way it was sad.

The acting was good. The leads had nice chemistry but some awkward kisses. Not sure why that was, being as the actors heights matched well which should’ve made their close moments easier to pull off realism in those romantic moments. This started as an interesting love story but then became all about Huntington ‘s Disease. I can appreciate the writers going there, as it’s so rare for Asian dramas to address disease and imperfections but I much preferred the focus on the neurological activities and medical emergencies that arose with known and random patients

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Lies were the least of this love story’s problems

The business storyline in this was good. It had some nice layers. However, the SML’s involvement was over the top. Everything he did was about his obsession with the FL. It would’ve made more sense if greed was driving his behavior. But then again the writers did a good job at showing how creepy and insane he was so that kind of helped justify his actions.

One of the funniest moments in the series that probably shouldn’t have been was when he thought he was going to take the easy way out to prevent being arrested, by leaping to his death off a building, only to land on a huge air mattress which saved his life. He was immediately arrested and carted off to jail. Lol.

I liked that the ML wasn’t perfect. He was an amputee on the verge of being an alcoholic. His disability wasn’t focused on much to start, but did come into play a little more in the later episodes, adding depth to the romance. Speaking of which, the romance was a good story. I liked that the leads met by chance during a rock climbing excursion, connected, lost touch after that weekend together then happened to meet again two years later but under unscrupulous circumstances. The business conflict threatening to destroy any chance at them having a future provided nice conflict as did the crazy SML. Though I got sick of him in the last few episodes. Additionally the FL,, would frequently make foolish decisions which would cause unnecessary difficulties for her and the ML

Though the writing for the romance was strong, the problem was the leads. They had no chemistry. This was mainly due to the FL who I’m sorry to say is a horrible actress. Unlike Luo Yunxi, she had no charisma. She put no emotions into the character except when she was trying to cry. Her line delivery was flat. Many times it was almost as if she was just reading the lines off a piece of paper.and she infused no zest into her character, leaving the FL with no personality. As the series went on I found that she would’ve made a great cyborg in the Terminator movies. That’s how bad her acting was.

Overall the series was watchable. It wasn’t bad. It was just okay. I think if a better actress was cast as the FL it .would’ve improved the show tremendously.

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Similar to Love Between a Fairy and a Devil but falls short of matching its greatness

Luo Yunxi was compelling as Tantai Jin/Devil God, cold, cunning and aloof, yet deep down having a desire to feel and understand emotions. He went through hell “killing” his mother during child birth, being hated and abandoned by his father, only to be betrayed by those whom he thought cared for him most, then cruelly bullied throughout his childhood and early adult years. It could be understood why he embraced the darkness within and chose to destroy the world considering the viciousness he’d experienced within it. Then he met the *new* Ye Xiwu. She defended and protected him. She showed him kindness and taught him love. She challenged and angered him, but she always came back to him - ultimately changing him for the better.

Though the show explored an interesting journey of war, politics, love and layers of past/future lives/identifies of our leads and the supporting characters, the show fell short with the love story which was ultimately driving the overall arc on the show. It was clear that Tantai deeply loved Ye Xiwu. Not only did he tell her, he showed her in his actions. Ironically though Ye Xiwu did many things that would be deemed as loving for Tantai, her feelings were always questionable because her actions were direct by her mission. In the end I did believe she truly cared for him but the show took too long to make this clear.

The past/future/present lives of the characters gave wonderful insight, especially the past, into why these people became who they were. However, I found I enjoyed the present storyline the most when they were in the Kingdom of Sheng, especially when it came to the love story. There was a sexy flintiness between the leads that worked so well and I could see the cold walls crumbling within Tantai. I liked seeing the connection building between them string by string. The special effects were outstanding but the show never used that grandness to create epic and unforgettable moments, which I think it should’ve had considering the content. The only moment that came close to being epic was when Tantai killed Yue Yingxin and jumped off the boat into the river. It was such an unexpected moment that was well acted and written.

One thing that annoyed me about the show was the FL going to bed in gowns she’s worn all day, dangling earrings and elaborate head dresses. No way was she getting sleep with all that stuff on. lol.

The acting was great in this. The leads had really good chemistry. When their character got serious and close there was a heat between them that II wish we’d seen more of. The story was good, not great. The ending hurt and the very last scene was bizarre, but overall this was worth watching.

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Manipulation, Mystic and Romance makes for an Unpredictable and Intriguing Marriage Contract

Park Yeon-woo is a free spirit determined to live life on her own terms. So when her parents arrange for her to marry the “ugly old” master I figured some type of marriage contract would come out of the union. Imagine my shock when the “ugly old” master ended up being young and hot, then ends up keeling over on their wedding night. And that’s pretty much how this story went with some predictability but having a few great twists.

It’s always difficult for shows to do the fish out of water stories but the writers did well with this one. They addressed some of the bafflement Yeon-woo would have with living in the future without it overwhelming the story. Though the series was supposed to center around the marriage contract this element had little relevance to the overall story. It played no role in the drama and tension within the story, which actually worked. The game of chess between Tae-ha, Sang-mo and Hye-suk over the future of SH Seoul and SH New York generated enough tension and entertainment to keep the story interesting.

Moreover, the relationships between the friends, enemies , families and lovers was fun to watch. Though I didn’t care much for the stepbrother to start, he seemed like an annoying spoiled brat,. He actually turned out to be a good person whom I grew to enjoy. The villains had their “reasons”, but thankfully no one was at a mustache twirling level. Sang-mo could be nasty but she had some layers once her backstory was revealed. Though the story had its serious moments it also had some really funny comedic moments. The leads had great chemistry and the romance was well done. It started off as a slow burn but then built and built until it became swoonworthy.

The present’s tie to the past was done in a way where some found themselves in the same place while others had an alternative setup. The stories intertwined nicely in both timelines. The show did drag just a little in the last couple of episodes. At times it seemed like the writers were using filler until they were ready to move the story forward. I did think they kept present day Yeon-woo and Tae-ha apart a little too long in the final episode, but overall this was a really good show. The story, acting and chemistry of the characters was great. The love story was beautifull and the business shenanigans was entertaining. Its definitely worth watching and is a show I’ll rewatch in the future.

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