WARNING: This review does NOT actually contain spoilers, however, if you truly want to watch this show, you shouldn't read this because I took my kid-gloves off while writing it.

So here's my dilemma ...

Usually I live by the standard "If you don't have anything nice to say, it's better to just shut up," but in this case not saying anything will drive me crazy. Do you know the feeling when you look forward to something only to be deeply disappointed by it? Sadly that's exactly what happened for me with this show. However, trying to live up to my own moral code, I do have one nice thing to say about this show though, and in good rhetorical fashion I will put it at the end of my review, where the most persuasive point should be, so please bear with me ...

First of all, I think the actors did a decent job at trying to bring the characters to life, however, their efforts were butchered by the senseless writing most of the time. Characters are established as one thing only to react and behave completely opposite to what you would expect – not in a good "wow,-that's-a-cool-twist!"-way but in a "WTF-just-happened?!"-way.

What's also strange is that most of the main characters are spoiled rotten but are still praised as mature and kind by everyone else. Even their parents rarely say anything about their horrible behaviour which is just unrealistic (and/or bad parenting). For instance, the female lead is portrayed as this mature but still innocent little angel (or as I like to call it "The only kind of Asian heroine"), but some of the things she says to her hard-working father are just downright disrespectful ... and he NEVER reprimands her! It's so bad that I honestly can't tell if he's the best dad ever or just bad at educating his daughter.

Before this gets completely out of hand and turns into a ranting of epic proportions, here are my top 3 reasons why I do NOT recommend this show:
3. The borderline unprofessional editing. Seriously, it's so bad that it actually obstructs the plot and messes up the timeline.
2. Speaking of timeline: There are some major plot holes in this thing. Just think about how the two lead characters supposedly met each other the very first time ... (WARNING: The gaping plot hole you will find might drive you mad.)
and last but sadly not least ...
1. The plot is not driven by the characters but the other way around. This is a recipe for disaster. It makes everything (worst of all the drama and dialogues) terribly forced and artificial, leaving the audience wonder most of the time why certain dramatic moments are happening in the first place, when they could have been so easily dissolved. Which they eventually are ... in the most anticlimactic way possible.

Okay ... I promised to say something nice, so here we go:

I like the title song.

Although the character that's supposed to have written the song in the show is portrayed by an obviously tone-deaf actor who should have been told to never sing in a public setting.

But still, yeah, I like the title song.

Citeste mai mult

I stumbled across this show on Youtube and I have to say, it's scary how well Youtube knows me ...

I absolutely adore this show! In the beginning it felt very much like the stereotypical Asian young-love-drama (e.g. how the two protagonists meet), however, it's done in such an over-the-top way that it's ironic and funny again.

The story is very light-hearted with almost no drama, and definitely no melodrama. The characters are well designed and wonderfully flawed - all of them. Even the male lead (who often is portrayed as flawlessly perfect in dramas) has a number of weaknesses that are believable. Sure, some of those are a bit cliché (the anti-social science genius with an 187 IQ but no idea who the Four Heavenly Kings are; neither in mythology nor pop-culture), but it's still done in a fun and adorable way. A great part of the show is actually about Gu Weiyi trying to eradicate his weaknesses in secret in order to appear cooler and more appealing to Situ Mo. These are often shown in little extra scenes at the end of (almost) each episode and are absolutely fun to watch.

I had a few miniscule issues with the show though, the biggest one being the portrayal of the rigid and overall nasty "Haigui" (=Chin. slang for people who return to China after studying abroad). According to most C-dramas, Haiguis are usually arrogant and aloof. Since I've seen this so often I guess there must be an iota of truth behind this stereotype, though I believe if you're an arrogant Haigui you probably were arrogant before going abroad ... The level of rigidness the Haigui in this drama displays tops even the infamous German rigidness - take it from a GBC ;)

Oh, and lights ... I've seen way worse, but still: PLEASE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM! And if you're working at a laptop, and all the overhead lights are on already, do you really need to turn on another desk lamp? #SaveTheEnviroment

Sorry, I got side-tracked ... Here are my top 3 reasons why I recommend this show:
3. All characters are well-crafted and have their individual flaws that they try to overcome, which makes them all the more loveable and relatable. And like in real-life, there are no cartoonish evil people.
2. Since I am horrible at detecting on-screen chemistries, I'll say this instead: the two lead actors work very well together and are visually a cute couple. What's also great is the way they used some of these actors' features like the immense difference in height between the two for comic relief.
1. It has one of the funniest love-confessions I've seen so far, although you'll have to wait till EP 11.

Wow, I wrote way more than I intended ... if you made it this far, THANK YOU very much for reading! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get a Roomba and name it Yuanyuan (find out in EP 7).

Citeste mai mult

"I want to light a small light in the dark path that is death"

If you are here for a fluffly rom-com, you are dead wrong - no pun intended.

This story is about the lives and work of those in service of a funeral home. It will make you cry, smile, and develop a deeper understanding for the inevitable tragedy of death and the value of life. -Similar to the protagonist of the story.

Sanyue starts as a bratty girl who has given up on life because she feels like life has given up on her. While contemplating suicide her aunt appears and convices her otherwise. She helps her get a job at a funeral home as a make-up and restoration artist. With time, Sanyue not only learns the skills required for this demanding job, but also gains a deeper respect for the deceased and the people they leave behind.

This show is not perfect. Some of the younger actors only deliver passable performances, but it's not so bad that it takes you out of the story. The story itself can appear a bit overly dramatic at times, almost making the protagonist appear like Detective Conan with people dying left and right arond her. However, considering that this is a story about a funeral home, it is not too unrealistic.

Here are my top 3 reasons why you should watch this show:
3. The show depics relationships between humans very realisticly. Whether it be Sanyue's messy relationship with her mother (and later also father), her ups and downs in pursuit of love, or the relationship between family members and the deceased.

2. It offers a glimpse into the work and lives of people working at funeral homes. Including the demanding things they have to do, and the hardships and prejudice they have to endure from the outside world on a daily basis. After watching this, you will gain a deeper respect for the profession and the people who dedicated themselves to this service.

1. The deceased are pitiful, but the living need even more compassion. With each of her jobs Sanyue meets and learns more about life and death, and so do the viewers.

Overall this is a very meaningful show. Yes, it has its flaws, but so does life itself. And maybe that's what makes it so beautiful.

Citeste mai mult

DISCLAIMER: This review does NOT contain any particular spoilers, however, it will discuss the FINAL SCENE of the show. Since the ending does not really reflect the overall experience of this show (at least in my opinion) I believe you can still read this review if you are not overly sensitive about spoilers.

Alright, you have been thoroughly warned. Let's do this ...

This show popped up randomly on Youtube and the premise sounded amusing enough for me to pick it up. I must admit that I was positively surprised by this very sweet and light-hearted show. Keep this in mind if you want to enjoy this show - don't take it too seriously or it will drive you mad (plot holes ahead!).

The two main characters are very adorable together. All cliché boxes had been diligently ticked: The female lead is sweet, innocent, but has some inner magic/strength that even she herself doesn't realise yet; the male lead is smart, cold, but very kind and loving when he is alone with her.

The plot kicks off when the heroine accidentally travels through time and finds herself in some point of ancient China (the time is never specified and I'm not proficient enough in Chinese history to determine this via the clothes). All of this sounds very familiar to the generic drama-fangirl, however, the twist here is ... wait for it ... she is transformed into a cat.

Did this knock your socks off? ... Yeah, didn't think so.

So the story isn't exactly the most inventive one but the overall vibe is light-hearted enough for it be bearable (no melodrama ahead, thank the drama-gods!).

So why am I feeling so conflicted?

Well, since this is a Chinese drama with magical elements the stakes inevitably end up being ridiculously high. Yes, you guessed it, the cat has to save the world (and lo and behold! - another cliché box is ticked!). But that's not even what has me feeling so conflicted about this show ...

I love a good plot twist like any other drama-junkie out there, however, the ending of this show was so strange that I just can't help wondering how a group of people actually invested time, effort, and money into making this atrocity. Did really no one look at the script, or even during filming, tap the director on the shoulder and ask them whether this is seriously how they wanted the show to end?!

As a rule of thumb (and this might be just my humble opinion): PEDOPHILIA SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED AS SOMETHING GOOD, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER!

Yes, I know, it's not exactly displayed as pedophilia in the show, but the implication is there, and that alone gives me the creeps. And let's be real: they will not wait until she's of age ... just think about Celine Dion ...

So there it is. That's why I'm feeling so conflicted about this show. I truly enjoyed it - except for the last couple minutes.

Would I recommend this show? I'm not sure ... I guess, I'd say, yes. But please! Don't get carried away by the supposedly romantic ending. Because it definitely is not.

Thank you for reading. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to find myself some grilled fish =^.^=

Citeste mai mult

I must admit that I was very sceptical in the beginning but as soon as the opening song started (it's called: Stop loving me please) I was sold. This show is so much unlike anything else I'd seen so far, especially in the field of period drama. The leading lady does not have a caries inducing sweet voice (her name literally means "not cute"), she is not an innocent little lamb that beckons anyone male in her immediate surrounding to protect her, and she most definitely does not want a man in her life – not even in a "I-really-(not-really)-don't-want-a-man"-way; she actually means it! Because in her mind, being loved by the emperor equals imminent death in a cruel and horrible way; and let's face it, we all know the stories about the badass backstabbing concubines in the palace – she's right!

The only issue I had with this show was the transition from short and complete storylines per episode to long and continuous ones later on. It was not very smooth and a bit jumpy which can lead to confusions but still overall okay (therefore only 8.0 out of 10 credits).

Here are my top 3 reasons why I recommend this show:
3. It deliberately breaks all stereotypes usually associated with period dramas which is very fun and satisfying to watch.
2. The main character is absolutely lovable but also wonderfully flawed which makes her more relatable than those disturbingly perfect Mary Sue characters.
1. The show constantly makes cross references to the present world, like pop culture as well as current political and social issues (mainly in China, but also reliable in the rest of the world). For those of you who don't use subtitles, the language is also very modern and therefore easy to understand – you don't need to be fluent in ancient Chinese poetry and prose to enjoy this period drama. Also, I'm not sure why, but watching people in historic costumes talk modern urban language always cracks me up. It's probably the Hamilton-effect.

Thanks for reading; hope you'll have as much fun with Mengfei and her entourage as I did. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to practice my bird-calls now (you'll get this after watching the first episode ;) ).

Citeste mai mult

I watched this show during my "Olivia-Wang-phase" (everyone has/had one, admit it!) and so far it's my third favourite show with her as a lead character (#1 "When a Snail Falls in Love", #2 "Ode to Joy" – shame on you if you haven't seen those yet!).

First of all, the English title of this show is extremely misleading. "Love is Not For Sale" sounds like a fun and sweet rom-com which this is not. Yes, the two main characters are one of the cutest couples I'd seen, but this show is NOT about their undying love. The original Chinese title "Qi Feng Dui Shou" is a chengyu (=Chinese idiom) and means "meeting a worthy opponent in chess". With this in mind, this show makes much more sense and is very compelling to watch.

This show is a bit different than others; it has a reality-tv-show kind of vibe, e.g. the strange character introductions in the beginning, and the realistic but almost borderline unprofessional way of lighting (seriously, didn't they have enough budget for a decent reflector?!). In the beginning I wasn't sure if I wanted to actually watch it. It started off in a rather cliché manner à la "sweet girl is in love with the wrong guy and needs the prince in shining armor (or leather in this case) to make her realise what real love is". However, it soon became much more.

The story is actually about the fiercely competitive business world, using the example of a fictional international food retailer. The characters work their way up, starting as shop assistants until (almost) all of them reach top positions within the company. During that process they learn, fail, and mature in different ways due to their different personalities and mentors.

Here are my top 3 reasons why I recommend this show:
3. The show tackles various social issues in China and the business world in general. Yes, the show features plenty of gold-diggers and back-stabbers, but, quite frankly, so does the real world. And yes, they are portrayed in an exaggerated manner, but, come on!, this is a drama after all.
2. Olivia Wang and Huang Xuan are absolutely awesome together! I'm sure you're all well-acquainted with the awkward pursed-lips-pressed-to-pursed-lips-aka-kissing-scenes in Asian dramas. Not here! Running the risk of sounding like a creepy pervert here, but their kissing does look realistic and you can feel the sparks fly ;)
1. The plot is driven by the characters. Every character has their own motivation and they act according to those thus pushing the plot further on. This is essential for good story-telling. Even the way characters realise their wrongdoings and attempt to redeem themselves is done in a believable manner.

Thanks for reading; hope you'll give this show a shot and find it as compelling as I did. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to deliver 300 pettitoes now (You'll understand after ep 2).

Citeste mai mult

Being a tough lady is tough

I saw a recommendation for this show from my go-to C-drama reviewers on Youtube. They have yet to let me down, and this show was no exception.

This is a great story about the stress of adulting and coping with loss. It is a nice change from all the rom-com shows that seem to make up a third of the C-drama market (the other two thirds, of course, being costume dramas and shows about the revolutionary war). The story is a little predictable, especially if you're familiar with the British show "Fleabag." I would even go so far and say that this is a Chinese interpretation of "Fleabag" - more on the nose about morals and less sex.

Here are my top 3 reasons why I highly recommend this show:

3. The humor: Despite it being a story about loss, it is still a comedy with plenty of fun moments that had me laughing out loud more than once (e.g. when Liu Lian meets her ex's new girl-friend for the first time, and says that he seems to be into matcha now - she is indirectly calling her a "green tea b****"). The little theatre scenes in the beginning of each episode are like a glimpse into Liu Lian's mind and both funny and thought-provocing.

2. The OP: The opening song "Unlimited Holidays" (lyrics by Wu Jing, music by EnjiA) is amazing and fits the show perfectly. Ingrita's voice is, similar to the female lead's, gritty and soulful. I knew one song from her previous to this, called "Her and her and her" (她和她和她), which is also a great song about women in today's society.

1. Well-written characters: What I liked the most are the characters, who come across as actual three-dimentional people and less stereotypes. Especially the protagonist Liu Lian is very fleshed out. She is not perfect, but she is trying to live her best life in her own way, and that makes her real and more loveable. One can tell how much thought was put into developing this character just by having a closer look at her name. "Liú Liàn", as how her name is correctly pronounced, can be understood as "reluctant to part with someone or something", which perfectly fits the story. At the same time, she also goes by "Liú Lián" which means "Durian". Just like the fruit she protects herself with a hard prickly shell, and does seem appalling to most people on first glance. However, when one takes time to get to know her better, she turns out to be a real softie and a loving friend.

Thanks for reading! Hope you'll give this little show a chance ...

Oh, wait! It's only 12 episodes with 30 minutes each!! It can be binged within A DAY!! So I guess that means ...

0. IT'S SHORT and awesome! So why won't you go watch it now?! ;)

Citeste mai mult