An impressive and very well-made military drama.

I finished watching Glory of Special Forces more than a month ago. I was initially hesitant to watch it, because I thought 45 episodes was a bit long for a military drama, but I'm glad that I dived into it. After I've completed this drama, I was actually hoping there would be more episodes!

Things that I like, which kept me engaged throughout the series:
• It has a very engaging and well-paced storyline that made me excited to know what's going to happen next.
• Interesting characters with great character development, especially Yan Po Yue.
• I'm very impressed with Yang Yang's acting here. He's one of the reasons (or the major reason) why I picked up this drama. He was able to convey all emotions - sadness, joy, confusion, anger, fear, resoluteness - he nailed them all! I can't imagine someone else playing Yan Po Yue.
• The rest of the cast also gave good performances. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for a job well done!
• The drama showed the challenges and hardships that the soldiers had to go through in their training, as well their teamwork and the victories they gained in the process. There are also glimpses of their past, events that shaped them to become who they are.
• Opening and ending themes songs that fit the drama so well.

Other Comments:
• This drama has little to no romance - there are hints of potentially something developing between the main characters (like they could be more than friends), but that’s just about it, that angle is not developed further. It would be good to expound on that.
• It would be nice to have more stories about the next stage in their military careers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama, so I highly recommend it.

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A story of first love…with a twist.

Ok I admit, I regret a bit that I put off watching Love O2O for so long (there are just so many good dramas to watch), but it’s better late than never!
Things that I like:
• I’m not a gamer, but I like the idea that the ML Xiao Nai (Yang Yang) and FL Bei Wei Wei (Zheng Shuang) started as a couple in the game “A Chinese Ghost Story”, where Xiao Nai first “pursued” her, then eventually in real life (They being Computer Science students is a plus!). Their in-game interactions and experiences together laid the groundwork for their eventual meet-up and relationship in the real world.
• Casting the same actors to portray their in-game characters, which made me more invested in their scenes inside the game. I enjoyed watching their interactions and action scenes in the game, which were well executed.
• Fluid transition of the story from online to offline scenarios.
• Smart, interesting and attractive ML and FL. Especially the ML, he’s so well-rounded, almost perfect, too good to be true at times!
• Amazing chemistry between Yang Yang and Zheng Shuang. They look so good together! They have many light-hearted, sweet and romantic moments, and Yang Yang is a good kisser! He mostly carried their romantic scenes ?.
• There is mutual love, trust and respect between our main couple, and I like that there is not so much drama and misunderstanding between them.
• Great circle of friends for both Xiao Nai and Bei Wei Wei, and healthy family relationships.
• The drama showed Xiao Nai and his friends navigating the gaming industry through their start-up tech business, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
• Love the OST! The songs just fit the drama so well. So glad they’re available in Spotify and Youtube.

Other comments:
• Zheng Shuang is pretty, but I find her a bit too skinny. Her acting in some of the kissing scenes could be better, as most of the time, she was a passive receiver of Yang Yang’s passionate kisses. To be fair, there were some kissing scenes where she did better than in others. I read that her character is written that way in the book.
• There were a number of annoying characters, who seemed to spend most of their time gossiping and trying to pull others down. But hey, they made the story more interesting, so they’re a “necessary evil”.
• This drama has a high rewatch value for me. After I finished it, I rewatched the last 3 episodes the next day. Then in the following days, I rewatched my other favorite episodes, before starting from episode 1 and rewatching the whole drama (albeit with some skips the 2nd time). So I watched the entire series twice in a little over 2 weeks.

Overall, this is a fun, feel-good, and enjoyable drama for me. I highly recommend it!

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A fun, light and entertaining romantic comedy.

I finished this drama more than a month ago. This is a romantic comedy that is fun, light and entertaining to watch. There is great chemistry between Vin Zhang and Janice Wu (they have many kissing scenes and romantic moments), and they were able to bring their characters, Xu Yan Shi and Xiang Yuan, respectively, to life. There were some push and pull in their relationship due to misunderstandings, which can be frustrating at times. But the good thing is, these did not last long. I did not feel much chemistry between the 2nd ML (Gao Leng, played by Huang De Yi) and 2nd FL (Chen Shu, played by Nita Xia). However, on their own, I like both characters, despite their flaws (there are no perfect characters anyway). I like that there were back stories related to the main leads’ families, but I wish more could be said of the ML’s mother.

Aside from family, the drama showed relationship dynamics and happenings in the workplace, both the good and bad, the realistic and unrealistic ones. I find the industry that the drama focused on, i.e., satellite navigation technology, quite interesting, so I did not get bored in the scenes where they talked about it. The opening and ending theme songs are good, they’re quite catchy! Overall, this is a good drama for me.

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Marry first, fall in love later and achieve great things together

“Destined” is a Chinese costume drama that tells the journey of two people, Gu Jiu Si and Liu Yi Ru, who were married by chance, fell in love as they achieve victories and went through hardships together, and grew as individuals and as a couple.

This drama has romance, familial love, friendship, love for the people, burden to help the country, and loyalty - themes that would appeal to you if you're looking for a story that transcends beyond the characters' personal ambitions.  I laughed at the funny and light-hearted moments, cried at the emotional and heart-tugging scenes, and celebrated with them in their victories. There is also some political intrigue, strategizing and battle scenes, since there are forces bent on wreaking havoc in the country.

Liu Yu Ru (FL) is responsible, smart and business-savvy.  Despite being the only legitimate daughter of a cloth merchant, she and her mother were mistreated because her father favored the second wife.  To forge a better life, she initially had set her sight in marrying into the influential and scholarly Ye family.  Gu Jiu Si (ML) is the only son of Yangzhou’s wealthiest family. He is witty, has excellent martial arts skills, and despite his infamous reputation, is actually kind-hearted; he once fooled around but gradually changed and became a serious learner, a good husband and responsible leader, partly due to the FL’s influence, who gave him the needed push and encouragement.  I like how their relationship developed and their love for each other blossomed throughout the drama.  They have a healthy relationship, they complement each other, and there are no silly misunderstandings between them.  Together, they are a power couple.

Bai Jing Ting’s portrayal of Gu Jiu Si is spot on! His comedic timing is gold, and he can also carry the heavy scenes.  He is really a versatile actor, and one of my favorites.  Song Yi also gave a good performance as Liu Yu Ru.  Her LYR is gentle yet tough, savvy yet kind, loving yet firm. Their chemistry is natural and doesn’t feel forced; hence, the growth of their characters and their relationship flow organically. 

The supporting cast is commendable too, and those that stand out to me are Ray Chang as Zhou Ye, a dependable and loyal friend; Zhang Hao Wei as Ye Shi An, the idealistic scholar; and Li Xin Ze as Shen Ming, who's loyal and street smart, and the funniest of the three. Together, they are like the three musketeers.  I also like Zhao Yuan Yuan as Qin Wan Zhi, the badass female warrior and a good friend to LYR.

One thing that I don't quite understand is how Luo Zi Shang (played by Liu Xue Yi) survived and eventually became a powerful figure. It's not well explained in the drama. 

Final Verdict: Despite a few unanswered questions, I like this drama and enjoyed watching it. The story is balanced and well-paced, and the characters are generally well-written, so I would gladly recommend it!

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Do not hesitate, go watch this drama!

This is one gem of a drama that I almost missed out, because I did not intend to watch it at first, thinking that I wouldn't like the story. But as fate would have it, after watching some video clips in YouTube and reading well-written and positive reviews, my interest was piqued so I decided to give it a shot. And I'm so glad I did!

This drama has romance, comedy, action, themes of loyalty, courage and justice, political intrigue and heart-touching moments – all set against the backdrop of the Song dynasty. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama that the 60-episode length did not feel daunting. Most of the story arcs are really good and engaging, but a few are just so-so for me. I like their execution of the gender role reversal theme - it's not a complete role reversal, because the ML (Zhao Yu Jin) and FL (Ye Zhao) still retained some masculine and feminine qualities, respectively. It's not over the top, which I think is important, because going overboard will make it cringey. Other things this drama did really well are character growth and relationship development. Many characters grow throughout the drama, especially Zhao Yu Jin and Ye Zhao. You can also see the relationship change and develop between the different characters: Zhao Yu Jin and Ye Zhao, Ye Zhao and her mother-in-law, Zhao Yu Jin and the Emperor, Ye Zhao and Hu Qing, among others. And since this drama is in a historical setting with political intrigue and wars, there were battle and fight scenes, which were well choreographed and executed.

Overall, the cast delivered very good performances. And since this show has a big cast of characters, I will mention only some of them:
• On the OTP: I love the chemistry between Sandra Ma and Peter Sheng and their portrayal of Ye Zhao and Zhao Yu Jin, respectively. They nailed their roles! Ye Zhao and Zhao Yu Jin are a power couple – they complement each other perfectly. They have many sweet and funny moments, and I like how they both grow and develop throughout the series ❤️.
• Sandra Ma is very fitting as General Ye Zhao. I like Ye Zhao’s character – she’s smart, brave, loyal and cool! Sandra Ma gave a very good performance. She was able to show the more masculine, mischievous, no-nonsense and stronger sides of Ye Zhao, but still retained a sense of femininity and aura of beauty. She commanded the respect of her troops and was admired by many. It’s funny that Yu Jin’s concubines seemed to admire her more than him! In one of her conversations with Hu Qing, she said that after marrying Yu Jin, she grew from being reckless, impulsive and stubborn, to being more responsible, mature and sensible (my paraphrase). I think that’s a good summary of her character growth.
• Peter Sheng is convincing as Zhao Yu Jin/Duke of Nanping. True, his character was sometimes childish and annoying, especially at the start, but he grew as the story progresses, and became a very devoted husband. Despite his notorious reputation, he was actually very smart and talented, and just needed more push and encouragement to realize his full potential. Peter Sheng was able to portray the different sides of Yu Jin very well. What Ye Zhao told Prince Yinuo aptly describes Yu Jin: "Some birds don't fly for 3 years, but once they fly, they soar high into the sky. Some birds don't make a sound for 3 years, but once they do, they surprise everyone." (有鸟三年不飞，一飞冲天。 三年不鸣， 一鸣惊人。)
• Ding Chuan as Hu Qing/Fox – Known as the military strategist, he was one step ahead most of the time, with a keen sense of noticing things that others did not immediately see. Sometimes, he would inject a sense of humor in seemingly serious situations. It’s hard to imagine another actor playing this role.
• Lu Fang Sheng as Emperor Ren Zong – I like his portrayal of Ren Zong – shrewd, merciful, humorous yet also serious, he is a good emperor who cared for the welfare of his people. He had to consider many things and make hard decisions.
• Xiao Han as Noble Consort Zhang – Sensible and understanding, she was the emperor’s favorite consort and close confidante.
• Zhang Yao as Royal Consort of Zhao – As Ye Zhao’s mother-in-law who didn’t like her at first, she was sometimes annoying but oftentimes funny, especially with the exaggerated acting on some scenes. Her character grew and she eventually accepted and loved Ye Zhao as a daughter-in-law.
• Zhang Wen as Princess Consort of Zhao – Hats off to Yu Jin’s sister-in-law! From the start, she was one of Ye Zhao’s strongest advocates, especially to their mother-in-law. There were no traces of jealousy or competition on her part.
• Wang Chu Ran as Liu Xi Yin – She’s not my favorite character, although I can understand how broken-hearted she felt after finding out that the man she loves since she was young was actually a woman. However, the things she did while staying at the duke’s manor were out of line. She did have her strong moments in the latter part of the story.
• Qiu Shui (Sookie Pan) and Qiu Hua (Wang Xuan) – I love that Ye Zhao has these two sisters as loyal deputies and trusted friends.
• Mei Niang (Jamie Zhang), Xuan Er (Zheng Shu Huan) and Xiao Xia Zi (Zhang Zhi Lu) – They were a funny trio, all loyal to Zhao Yu Jin and Ye Zhao.

As a whole, the costumes were beautiful! I like Ye Zhao's clothes. They may look similar at first because most of them are blue in color (occasionally, she would wear other colors). But if you look further, the designs were beautiful, and the embroideries were meticulously done. The same can be said for Zhao Yu Jin's clothes, and his wardrobe had more color variety! As for the army's uniform, at first, I wasn't used to all the blue color. But it grew on me, and I came to appreciate it in one of the battle scenes, because they clearly stood out from their enemies, who were mostly wearing black, so it's easier to follow the fight scenes. This is in contrast to another battle scene where both sides were wearing black armor, with only some shades of color to distinguish them from each other.

On the OST: I love the soundtrack! I have 2 words to describe the opening theme, “Love is Above” (愛在上) – grand and epic! It's the grand entrance to the drama. Queena Cui and Peter Sheng's duet is captivating! The ending theme, “Loyalty” (忠貞), is sweet and romantic - just like how the couple's relationship grew and matured in the story. The other songs in the OST were played at the right moments, thus complementing the drama at different points ❤️.

I'm so glad that the story ended on a happy note. I do have some wish list for the ending though (SPOILERS):
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1) When I started this drama, I already knew that the ending will show them as grandparents. I was hoping/expecting that Sandra Ma and Peter Sheng will still play the old Ye Zhao and Zhao Yu Jin (made to look older, of course). Turns out that Sandra Ma's grandparents were the ones who played their older versions. How sweet!
2) It would be good if they had shown the family's reactions to her pregnancy, especially her mother-in-law.
3) I wish they showed the couple during their early years of parenthood, how they raised their kids, their family interactions, etc.

But that's Ok. This is a very good drama overall, a very fun and enjoyable ride! It's worth watching (and rewatching) the 60 episodes. So don’t hesitate, go watch it ❤️!

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A love that grows stronger the 2nd time around.

I don’t often watch a drama when it just started airing, because it’s a waiting game and I can only binge-watch a few episodes at a time, but “Fireworks of My Heart” is one of the exceptions. I saw some trailers and was immediately intrigued, so I watched it when the first 6 episodes dropped. From the very first episode, I was already drawn into the story.

This drama is about a second chance romance that gradually builds up, such that I’m anticipating and excited for the character development and progress of the story. As I expected, there are some side stories related to Song Yan (ML) and Xu Qin’s (FL) professions, but the drama does not digress from the main story. Here are other thoughts that I have about the plot and story:
• Although this is slow burn, there are different turning points in the drama that tell us a new page in the story is about to be told and there will be progress in the character development and relationships (e.g., episodes 10, 16, 21, 24, etc.). When Song Yan and Xu Qin finally became a couple, things were not always smooth sailing for them, since both their professions were demanding to a certain degree, more so on Song Yan, since his job is high-risk. But the important thing is how they're facing these challenges together and became stronger as a result, both individually and as couple.
• I think it’s good that they showed the challenges, sacrifices, heartaches, victories and sense of fulfillment that the characters experienced as doctors and firefighters. Their rescue scenes were well planned and executed.
• There are many poignant, touching, heartwarming and swoon-worthy moments throughout the drama (I cried in some scenes). This is generally a serious drama, but they manage to inject humor in some scenes.
• I love the camaraderie, brotherhood, and banter among the firefighters. Even the developing friendships among the doctors and nurses are a joy to watch.
• The family dynamics: I like that they showed the contrast between Song Yan and Xu Qin’s family relationships – one is warm, relaxed and loving, while the other is colder, more reserved and tense.
• And of course, I love the chemistry, passion, and sweet/romantic moments between Song Yan and Xu Qin :)! Their scenes as a couple are so natural and believable.
• As shown in the BTS, there were some scenes from their high school days that did not make the final cut. Also, some scenes were deleted, and there is one kissing scene in particular that I was looking forward to because I’ve seen it in a trailer, but it was cut!

As for the cast of characters, I think the production team chose the right people to play the roles. My comments on some of them:
• Yang Yang as Song Yan – I think he fits the role of SY. Although their high school scenes are not many, I was able to see the carefree and mischievous side of SY in those scenes. Then after 10 years, I saw the more serious, somber and mature side of him. He was withholding many of his emotions, and Yang Yang showed it through his micro-expressions and subtle body movements. And in the more heart-breaking scenes, he was able to show his emotions. I think he gave a good performance.
• Wang Chu Ran as Xu Qin – Wang Chu Ran proves that she’s not just a pretty face. She was very good in the emotional scenes – she was able to convey the angst, frustrations, pain and even the joys of XQ. She was timid and fearful at first, but as her character grows, she eventually fought for her relationship and defied her parents (especially her controlling adoptive mother).
• On the OTP: Yang Yang and Wang Chu Ran make a great pair; their chemistry is amazing. Even small actions such as how they look at each other, their smile, an embrace, are enough for me to feel their chemistry.
• Yang Chao Yue as Zhai Miao – Love her character! She’s one of my favorites in this drama. I love how she’s loyal, brave, perceptive, and funny. And her brother-sister interactions with SY are so endearing and fun to watch.
• Vin Zhang as Suo Jun – I had just finished “Here We Meet Again” when I started watching FOMH, so when I saw him here, I can’t help but think of Xu Yan Shi (his character in HWMA) :D. Although he only had few scenes, Vin Zhang nailed his role as Suo Jun. His friendship with SY is one of the good things in this series.
• Wang Yan Ling as Jiang Yu – At first, I thought his character was on the gray side, but he turned out to be one of the best and most endearing characters in this drama. He became a real friend to both SY and XQ.

The other supporting actors also gave solid performances, which helped me to enjoy the drama more. So overall, I’m happy with the performance of the cast.

The OST is good! The songs fit the different moods of the drama. The opening theme is more upbeat, while the ending theme is more serious and a bit melancholy.

As a whole, I'm satisfied with how they concluded the drama. There are no loose ends; everything tied up nicely. I do have a wish or two, but it's Ok, they don't affect how much I liked and enjoyed this drama. So I highly recommend this!

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A unique fantasy-romance drama worth checking out

Rattan is a fantasy and romance drama about a plant-alien hybrid (Yi Zu) named Si Teng, who was resurrected by Qin Fang, a young and rich architect in present-day Shanghai. The premise is interesting and I like the mystery, so I was drawn from the first episode, and finished it 2 weeks ago.

What I like:
1) Unique/uncommon story line, good development of the plot, characters, and their relationships. Since this is a fantasy drama, some suspension of disbelief is required, and to better appreciate the mystery, it is best not to read spoilers. Kudos to the one who wrote the summary here in MyDramaList, the writer managed to keep the mystery intact.

2) Very good portrayal by Jing Tian and Vin Zhang. Jing Tian as Si Teng is charming, cool, beautiful, and sometimes aloof (even deadly), but she also has a kind and compassionate side. She looked, acted and dressed the part, like this role was made for her. Vin Zhang was able to convey the funny, serious, intelligent, emotional and devoted sides of Qin Fang. I like their chemistry; they actually make a good pair.

3) The solid supporting cast added to my enjoyment of the drama. A special mention to Zhang Yi Chi as Yan Fu Rui, the funny, loyal, kind and wise disciple of Qiu Shan and friend of Si Teng and Qin Fang. He is wise because he distinguishes between good and bad, and does not to let others’ resentment and grudges influence his actions. His character played an important part in the story.

4) The cinematography is amazing! I’m very much impressed with the on-location shoots, the outdoor sceneries and just how the scenes were shot in general.

5) Lovely costume design! I love almost all of Jing Tian's clothes here. She embodies the classic, refined and elegant look, especially in qi pao (旗袍).

Other Comments:
1) There is inconsistency in one of the timelines, i.e., there is a time gap that was supposed to be 7 years, but in some scenes, they said 9 years.

2) There were some unanswered questions, and the back stories for some of the characters were not clearly explained.

3) I was not as fully immersed in the last 5 or 6 episodes as compared to the first three-fourths of the drama, where most of the untangling of the mysteries happened. Even so, it’s still a pretty good and enjoyable watch for me.

4) This drama has an alternate ending in episode 31, giving us viewers the chance to choose which ending we prefer. This feels like a “choose your own adventure” approach, which we see in a few other dramas. Personally, I’m amenable to both endings since each has its pros and cons, but if I were to choose, I would probably go with the alternate ending.

Final Verdict: If you like fantasy with a touch of romance and are looking for something different, then go watch this drama.

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A slow burn, second chance romance with business maneuverings as backdrop.

So I finished Here to Heart more than a week ago. This drama had been in my watchlist for some time already, but I finally gave it a go because I just needed more of Zhang Han and Janine Chang after The Four. It's good overall, there were many heart-touching scenes – between lovers, sisters, parent-child, and friends. It also showed aspects of the corporate world, such as the business competition, maneuvering and strategizing. However, there were really frustrating moments, some parts dragged on more than they should, and there were some annoying characters, but I expected these after reading some reviews (I guess I have prepared myself).

What really shines for me is the cast, especially Zhang Han as Zhan Nan Xian and Janine Chang as Wen Nuan, who brought their characters to life, not to mention they have great chemistry! They have sweet and passionate moments together, but I can also feel the push and pull, and the tension between them. They showed a certain depth in their acting, and they're very good in the emotional and crying scenes.

My other favorite characters are: Zhu Lin Lu (Jing Chao), a friend who truly cares and is there for Wen Nuan during some of the lowest points in her life; Wen Rou (Zhou Qi Qi), a loving and supportive sister, loyal to Wen Nuan and one who would defend her and speak her mind; and Gao Fang (Ji Xiao Bing), Zhan Nan Xian's confidante, one who truly understands him and gives the right advice at the right time.

One character that I dislike is Yi Xin (Jenny Zhang), who is scheming, manipulative, and insecure (in terms of her background and relationship with Nan Xian) even though she is successful and famous. But I must admit, she is not all bad, and she has some moving scenes in the drama, such as those with her father.

The soundtrack is good! While watching this, there were days that I had last song syndrome of the opening and ending songs.

Final Verdict: You need patience to watch this drama, but if you like melodrama and slow burn, second chance romance, with business maneuverings as backdrop, then go watch this.

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