Chinese drama version of My Love From The Stars/Legend of the Blue Sea and supersized.

Moonshine and Valentine or another name is The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love

I am having a Chinese blast with Moonshine and Valentine (2018 and PG13), which is a modern fantasy love story with story arcs rooted in the historic past. If the Korean Dramas My Love From The Stars (MLFTS) and Legend From The Blue Sea (LOTBS) had a baby drama together, it would be this fusion Chinese drama. I am surprised at how the storyline so perfectly incorporates the premises of both Korean Dramas. However, Moonshine and Valentine creates a fantasy world which exists alongside the world of humans. You quickly will buy into this world within a world. Throw in a perfect drama music score, then lean to the side and accept this ride.

This is a story about aliens from Another Star Far Far Away, escaping the eminent explosion of their world by settling on earth, which is a sister-like planet. These sentient beings are part of the Fox Clan of beings with higher powers. While being dissimilar to earthlings, these Shape-shifters have learned to mesh into the world of humans and live among them, being unnoticed for millennia (like My Love From The Stars). The second in charge of the Fox Clan on earth is 900 years old and is now an antique dealer in present times. He is He Lan Jing Ting (Johnny Huang). Because of he physical nature, He Lan Jing Ting is blind during the daylight hours, but has super senses at nighttime (Hemeralopia), when he can live less restricted. He Lan Jing Ting has had but one love throughout the millennia (Legend of the Blue Sea). She reoccurs through time and is at present a reporter Guan PiPi (Victoria Song). Guan PiPi has been assigned to cover He Lan Jing Ting for a story, not knowing their past historic romantic connections. As in both Korean Dramas MLFTS and LOTBS, the past historic storyline is served up in delicately and precisely introduced flashbacks. After actor introduction, the flashbacks mostly are introduced at the start of each new episode and will be pertinent to the new episode to follow. I loved how this was done.

Similar to the Korean Drama Arthdal Chronicles, this fantasy world created in the Chinese drama Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love is totally inventive, highly imagined, and well written and acted. At 25 episodes of 45 minutes each, the time commitment is only 19 hours to binge. The story does detour a bit towards the end, but tries to get back on track by the end.

Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love stars Chinese Actress Victoria Song as the Female Lead, an actress whom I have noted in the past as having the acting aurora of the Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun from both Korean dramas MLFTS and LOTBS. Therefore, it is fitting that Victoria Song gets the part of the Female Lead in this Chinese Drama. Also, staring as Male Lead is Chinese Drama heartthrob Johnny Huang, and I must say, in all his glory.

The chemistry created between the two leads can only be termed magnetically sensual. Throw in some rocking minions, brothers who are the total opposites. One (Li Jun Xian/Shen as Xiu Xian) has tried to keep up with the changing trends through time and is a loosey goosey rocker. The other is a sophisticated but antiquated ‘stick in the mud’ (Li Jia Ming Leo as Kuan Yong), stuck in the classical past eras. It will be your privilege to try to imagine for which one you would fall first. Of course, there is the usual handsome Second Lead and boyfriend (Xu Kai Cheng as Tao Jialin) to stand in the way of love and the handsome villain (Jiang Qi Lin as Zhao Song [Left High Priest]) to stir up things. For The Ladies: there is lots of eye candy, the whole cast deep. I am going to be shallow here. A lot of times I forgot to read the subtitles, because of gazing, and had to rewind.

Chinese Dramas are known for their second couples. You should enjoy these two Fox Clan supermodel brothers competing for this human chick (Liu Yongxi). Although Liu Yongxi had a difficult choice between brothers in this drama, apparently “stick in the mud” stood out in real life. They are now engaged to be married.

Disclosure: Some of the alien habits of some Fox Clan group members might be disturbing to some.

In addition, Fox Clan might become a phrase synonymous with the word gorgeous .

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Explaining ‘Someday or One Day’, the Time Travel Chinese Drama.

At times, you get these dramas which throw you down a rabbit hole. It was 2 AM and I woke up still thinking about the Chinese Drama ‘Someday or One Day’, a week after finishing it. There was lots of internal head talk for this drama for me. You know the talk you have with yourself about the significance of what you saw. Writing about dramas can be a healing catharsis. While my explanation of the Chinese drama may make it less complicated to watch, I give away very little in the top section. The spoilers are separated below. The drama has only 13 episodes and is on DramaCool at present. The movie version of Someday or One Day is on VIKI at present, but this movie storyline is different from the drama. It is an alternative universe all together. I watched the Chinese version of this drama in anticipation of the Korean version ‘A Time Called You’, which will be dropping shortly in the latter half of 2023.

‘Someday or One Day’ is a heavily romantic drama. It is a complicated Time-Travel and Time-Loop Fantasy School Romance drama. This drama is a Time-Travel drama instead of a Time Slip, because there is a definite mode used for the Time-Travel. The viewer gets commentary on the action through important background information spoken by the characters throughout the drama. In addition, as with the Korean Time-Travel Fantasy Drama ‘My Perfect Stranger’, the big surprises are truly the big surprises. Someday or One Day received multiple post-production awards for writing.

One trick to understanding the 13 episode drama is to keep up with the two different names for the male and female leads. Taiwanese actor and singer Greg Hsu Han plays the modern day lover Wang Quan Sheng and the 1999 teenager Li Zi Wei. Taiwanese actress Alice Chia-yen Ko plays the modern day Huang Yu Xuan and the 1999 teenager Chen Yun Ru in whose body she inhabits during time travel. These are characters from different time universes. Taiwanese actor Patric Shih (1% World) plays Mo Jun Jie, who is the best friend of High Schooler Li Zi Wei. He is in love with the real Chen Yun Ru and can tell the difference between the two. While Huang Yu Xuan does take control over the body of Chen Yun Ru, Chen Yun Ru is forced to become a mere passive observer.

The main story pivots around Huang Yu Xuan, who is so in love with this wonderful guy who was her boyfriend (Wang Quan Sheng). He is missing and presumed deceased from a plane accident in the first time universe. She is distraught beyond existing. Mapped around this world is a second time universe which creates the opportunity for Time-Travel. Huang Yu Xuan has found out how to escape to this world while she sleeps listening to a particular song. In this alternative existence, Huang Yu Xuan lives her life through the body of her look-a-like, a High Schooler named Chen Yun Ru. In this universe, Chen Yun Ru loves Li Zi Wei, but she is loved by his best friend Mo Jun Jie. In the alternative existence, the deceased Wang Quan Sheng is a like-a-like for Li Zi Wei. Both worlds are mapped on top of each other and creates an inter-crossing of events as the Time Travel occurs, also creating time loops. Both worlds becomes connected because of the desperate need for Huang Yu Xuan to see again her deceased lover Wang Quan Sheng. There is a constant switching back and forth between each time period which is nearly 10-12 years apart.

This wonderful Time-Travel Romance Fantasy School Drama is about how love can transverse Time and Space and how love can be patient and sacrificial. The vehicle for Time-Travel is listening to this tape recording of the song ‘Last Dance’ by Wu Bai and Chinese Blue. Most confusion created by the two time universes should be cleared up by episode 3.

SPOILERS ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️?

This is a story about loneliness and depression, an emptied heart torn by the death of a love one and hope in seeing that dead loved one again.

At age 27 in 2019 in her Time Universe, Huang Yu Xuan was born in 1992. The real Chen Yun Ru dies on New Years Eve 1999 or Y2K at age 18 in her own time universe. She was born in 1981. Chen Yun Ru was murdered. As stated in the drama, Chen Yun Ru passed away in 1991 in the first timeline, but this death year changes (or is corrected in translation) as action fluctuates around changing circumstances, created by the Time Travel. I believe that the year 1991 is a mistranslation, because the timing does not work. In 1991, Chen Yun Ru would not have been in High School. She would have been around 10 years old. I believe that the timeline of the first death of Chen Yun Ru was 1999 and not 1991 as translated. The translators are mixing up Huang Yu Xuan (who was 7 in 1999) with Chen Yun Ru (who was 18 in 1999).

In 1999 the female protagonist Huang Yu Xuan (Huang Yu-hsuan) was 7 years old in this original timeline in the past. However from the future, she comes back to this same timeline, not as herself but the older teenager Chen Yun-ru (Her doppelgänger). As a little girl, Huang Yu Xuan does meets the male protagonist Li Zi Wei (Wang Quan Sheng) in 1999. She is the little girl who is lost and he gives her a ride home. This is covered in the last episode of the series. In the time travel backwards, Huang Yu Xuan exists as the older Chen Yun Ru and as herself. Since both of her existences are in the same time slot during time travel, they should never meet and they did not.

Li Zi Wei is 18/19 in 1999 and Chen Yun Ru is 18 when she dies in 1999. Huang Yu Xuan is about 7 in 1999, as we see Li Zi Wei meet her as a lost child. He buys her ice cream to stop her from crying. Little Huang Yu Xuan tells Li Zi Wei that she will marry him someday or one day. Being 7 in 1999, this would make the birth year of Huang Yu Xuan roughly 1992. That would mean in 2019 or 20 years later (You must count the year 2000), Huang Yu Xuan would be roughly 27. In 2019, Li Zi Wei should be 37-39. There is a 10-12 year age difference between Li Zi Wei and Huang Yu Xuan in the real time universe. Li Zi Wei is the doppelgängers for Wang Quan Sheng and he does take the place of Wang Quan Sheng when Wang Quan Sheng dies.

The modern day lover Wang Quan Sheng and the 1999 teenager Li Zi Wei are really the same exact person. Li Zi Wei lives through time and catches up with now grown Huang Yu Xuan in time in the late 2000s. Also, some may have missed that Li Zi Wei initiates all time travel, as he desperately tries to regain his first love Huang Yu Xuan/Chen Yun Ru. Li Zi Wei take over the life of the real Wang Quan Sheng who is gay and died tragically. In addition, Li Zi Wei tries to stop Chen Yun Ru’s murder through his own time travel. Best friend Mo Jun Jie was falsely blamed for the murder of Chen Yun Ru.

There is an unexplainable 10 year time difference in the original timeline which may have been caused by a translation error.

At age 27, Huang Yu Xuan lives in 2019 in her Universe and Chen Yun Ru dies 1999 at age 18 in the other time universe. Huang Yu Xuan is happy to inhabit the body of this teen girl (Chen Yun Ru) who should have died in an accident a couple of years back, but continues on as Chen Yun Ru. She will die shortly in the future in this second timeline (or there is a translation error). Chen Yun Ru’s World has in it Wang Quan Sheng’s look-a-like Li Zi Wei. It eases Huang Yu Xuan’s extreme pain to see and be with Wang Quan Sheng | Li Zi Wei. These two worlds converge at the “death” of Chen Yun Ru. With this background infonpmation of this time travel drama, the action in the drama may become clearer. In one Universe Wang Quan Sheng dies and in the other Universe Chen Yun Ru dies. Everything, but the death of Chen Yun Ru is put back in place.
All Is Corrected

To correct the havoc played on the timelines, because of the time travel interference (The Butterfly Effect—small changes here creates havoc with the whole time line there), drastic decisions are made. Time keeps looping as different life scenarios are realized and lost. In the end, time is corrected. Freed from the burden to love Wang Quan Sheng | Li Zi Wei, Chen Yun Ru allows herself to consider Mo Jun Jie. He waited patiently as the troubled and tortured triangle of Huang Yu Xuan, Chen Yun Ru, and Li Zi Wei played out. Through it all, Mo Jun Jie was willing to sacrifice his comfort and hopes to make sure that his love (Chen Yun Ru) was happy. It was the most endearing in the end for me to see his love realized.

Li Zi Wei had met 7 year old Huang Yu Xuan in the past. This meeting was fixed already historically. She promised to marry Li Zi Wei Someday or One day. In the natural undisturbed timeline their meeting in history would never change. Li Zi Wei should have and now must only accept how things play out in the future when Li Zi Wei and Huang Yu Xuan meet again.

My Timeline explanation of A Time Called You (The Korean remake of Someday or One Day) will help in understanding Someday or One Day.

Actors Corner

I would be remiss if I did not mention the excellent job that actress Alice Chia-yen Ko did with her two characters that she portrayed (Huang Yu Xuan | Chen Yun Ru). While Greg Hsu Han played both of his characters as the same likable person for a good reason. Alice Chia-yen Ko portrayed 17 year old Chen Yun Ru as a very timid, non confident unassuming teen and portrayed 27 year old Huang Yu Xuan as a very confident take no prisoners and take the lead 27 year old female. The two portrayals could not have been more different. Her performance won her many post production awards. Greg Hsu Han won a post production award as well. Both gave powerful performances.

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Mind expanded. Check⚡️✅

The Korean drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows the exploits of an Attorney with Autism who is a savant when it comes to remembering everything she has read on Law and whales. While this drama definitely will be binge-worthy in the future, it is a drama to watch real-time now. This show is getting incredible numbers from viewers. Google users are giving it 98/100.

We are use to binging our Korean dramas, but sometimes that drama comes along that provides so much information for you to assimilate that it takes a week to clear all your head talk. You don’t have time to get anxious for the next episode. And some tell me they are rewatching the episodes that they have viewed already to fully enjoy the incredible moments. Head talk is when you go into deep thought in your head, talking to yourself about the things you have seen in the drama. You get in these contemplative moods, discussing Autism in general and each creative way that Attorney Woo Young Woo (A butterfly name that is the same forward and backward like the word deed) wins her cases.

Through the week you get to marvel at the terrific writing and direction in this drama. The Revolving Door Waltz, The Nepotism Episode that was truly a disguise for discussing discrimination in general (Cryfest moment for me), and the episode on “Should those with Autism be allowed to love who they love?” (Another Cryfest episode). While these may be singled out as my highest levels of enjoyment, these moments were just the cream on top of the ice cream for Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

Actors Kang Tae Oh as Lee Junho and the incredible Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo
Then there are the ‘Whale Moments’ of Attorney Woo. Who does not know that she loves whales? I am learning so much about whales, because of her fixation on them and whale talk has even provided some of my Cryfest moments too. I anticipate the whale stories. Also, when Attorney Woo comes up with those creative law epiphanies, those are introduced with her whale associations. I get such a sigh of relief, because I know that she has figured out how to win the court case when I see her whale moments.

The one debate in my head at present, that is keeping me up at night, is “Which drama did I like the most for the year 2022, Business Proposal or Extraordinary Attorney Woo?” Business Proposal is deeply squirreled away in my heart, but Extraordinary Attorney Woo is whaling away it’s own credits.

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Fireworks of My Heart is my Chinese Drama obsession for 2023, with action + romance.

Fireworks of My Heart is the best performance by Yang Yang by far for me. There is a great storyline and powerful story arcs concerning rescues by Firemen and Doctors. This gives way to plenty of opportunities for action. There is insane chemistry between the leads and the romance is off the charts. Fireworks of My Heart is a story with story arcs that are totally believable. The whole cast is stellar, from the Firemen to the different family members, it is a stellar cast, great OST, and beautiful and artful cinematography.

Adapted from the Novel “A City, Waiting For You” by Jiuyuexi, a very popular Chinese female writer.

While Fireworks of My Heart is a dramatization, I have a more healthy respect for Firemen after watching this series. Firemen are speed devils in getting dressed and getting to the fire/disaster scene not just to beat the clock, but to cheat death by saving lives. The rescue efforts in this series are thrilling and comparable to the Chinese drama ‘You Are My Hero’. The love relationship is comparable to the Korean drama ‘Call It Love’. She has to learn to be a human and he has to learn to let go of his emotions and trust again.

There is a great Soundtrack of voice and instrumental music in the background.

ACTORS CORNER

Yang Yang (The King’s Avatar), Wang Chu Ran (Royal Feast) and Wei Daxun (The Ordinary Glory)

The male lead, Yang Yang, is one of the prettiest Pretty Boys in Chinese Drama and sometimes he can make you forget that he is suppose to be acting. He has never floored me as an actor, that is until Yang Yang’s great performance as the heartbroken, life toughened Captain of the Firemen’s team in Fireworks of My Heart. Yang Yang had tons of different emotions which he had to display for this role, as he played a wayward teenager and adult Firefighter ready to give up his life for his men and those in need. This is by far his best performance for me from him.

Wang Chu Ran is the female lead and she is gorgeous, but she no acting slouch. Wang Chu Ran’s role had a wide range of emotions as well, which were all met by Chu Ran. She had to play a wall flower teenager trying to survive under the complete domination of her adoptive mother and she plays an adult Medical Doctor scared by life’s battle wounds.

Singer/Actor Wei Daxun was a standout for me as the Brother/Second Lead. I loved his interpretation of his character. His performance was so realistic, as the rich brother who is totally crushing on his adoptive sister, to the point of envy and exhaustion.

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The Road Least Taken

In the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Germany, most Americans know about the Track and Field specialist Jesse Owens, a Black athlete. He won four Gold Medals in Track and Field in front of Hitler. Some say that Hitler protested and refused to greet Jesse Owens and others say that he did not. Nonetheless, Koreans know about another controversy at these Summer Olympic Games held in Germany in 1936. This controversy involved Korean Marathon Gold Metal Winner Sohn Kee-chung, who ran under the Japanese name Son Kitei. Although Korean, Sohn Kee-chung’s country of origin was recognized as Japan, because Korea was occupied by Japan at that time. (Japan lost occupation over Korea during World War II in August 1945, ending 35 years of rule over Korea).

A True Story

The Korean movie ‘Road to Boston’ is about Marathon runner Sohn Kee-chung and his fight to get a Korean representative in the Marathon in the next Summer Olympic Games after War II. The road to that goal had to go through Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This is a true story. The movie is an emotional story, with great storytelling involving the political fight necessary to accomplish this goal. The movie has great acting and a great music score. The backstory is very moving, as it highlights one of the Marathoners coached by Sohn Kee-chung for the Boston Marathon in 1947, Suh Yun-bok.

Quote: “What is the most important quality a marathoner needs to have?”, Sohn Kee-chung Nam

“Endurance”, said a Marathoner.

“The most important quality a Marathoner needs is talent.” , said Sohn Kee-chung Nam.
To get to the 1948 Summer Olympics to be held in London, Korea had to establish a record of wins in International competition. Korea had no record since its wins in the 1936 Olympics were accredited to Japan. In order to compete in the 1948 Summer Olympic Games, Korean needed an International win of some sort. 1947 Road to Boston is about this struggle.

My dad was a Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Track coach, plus a Math Teacher. He taught me the Xs and Os of these Sports. I appreciate great runners. For an actor, Im Siwan is a lovely runner and I can see why he was picked for the part of Suh Yun-bok in the movie ‘Road to Boston’ and for the TV drama ‘Run On’. Look at him run alongside world class athlete Suh Yun-bok. One of the most beautiful things to watch with runners is when they achieve flight. Both feet leave the ground. Runners say that this is the closes thing to feeling like flying. In the movie, Im Siwan runs and in periods both feet are totally off the ground. When I look at movies and dramas, I do look at how the actors run. Some get is right or come very close (Kang Ki Yong from Atypical Family, Byeon Woo-Seok from Lovely Runner). Im Siwan is the best.

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A movie to watch

Monster is a movie which is written by celebrated Japanese writer Yuji Sakamoto. However, Monster is a little more gritty. This film won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screen Play in 2023. Also, it’s star and female lead Sakura Ando won The Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress for Monster. In addition, youth actor Soya Kurokawa from Teasing Master Takagi-san gives another great performance. He was nominated for Best New Comer from the Award of Japan Academy. This kid is going places.

While I think that Monster was well written, I have a huge issue with using (supposed) ten year olds with some of the subject material for this movie. It would have set better for me if 16-18 year olds were used. Could 10 year olds make these kind of choices?

Monster was nominated in 11 categories for the Japan Academy Awards.

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Quaint little movie

A Quaint but unusual story of the strange goings on of an upper class Cruise Ship. In Love and Deep Waters is a story of how a ship’s Butler keeps his clients satisfied. He has a very subservient attitude. It never dawns on him that he should be any other way. That is until the young son of a rich person’s maid tells him to take a good look at his actions. This movie offers an eclectic bag of drama emotions as its characters’ back stories are isolated. Some may like this story, which is a Murder Mystery Suspense RomCom.

From celebrated Japanese writer Yuji Sakamoto.

Winner of the International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)
Ryo Yoshizawa and Aoi Miyazaki

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Night Owl is critically acclaimed and I loved it.

I really loved the Korean movie Night Owl. The movie covers the same time period as the historic Period dramas My Dearest (1636-1659) and Captivating the King (1636). The major action in Night Owl takes place circa 1645. The period covered is right at the end of the Chinese Ming Dynasty’s subjugation of Joseon ended and the Chinese Qing Dynasty took over. Joseon fared a little better under the Ming Dynasty, and less favorably under the Qing Dynasty. To maintain control, the Qing Dynasty took members of the Royal families from their subjects to China as “Guest” (hostages). The movie storyline is dramatized history, with many real historic persons. Facts are fed around the drama.

Our protagonist (Ryu Jun-yeol as Kyung-soo) is a blind Acupuncturist, but he has some vision in darkness or at night, a fact he does not make known. Treated as invisible because of being blind, Kyung-soo plays that to his advantage, as Kyung-Soo is selected to work in the Royal Palace. All works well until one day someone murders a Royal in his presence. The movie looks polished and elevated. Camera angles are just right. There is always this heightened sense of danger for Kyung-soo, because of his disability.

Also, there is a great child actor (Joo Won as Yi Suk Chul [Eldest son of Crown Prince So Hyeon) in this movie. As you are waiting for the next episodes of your new Korean dramas to drop or waiting to binge upon completion, try out the Korean Movie Night Owl.

Night Owl was nominated for eight Baeksang Arts Awards (Equivalent to the Oscars) and won three.

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What can I expect from the Korean Drama ‘Like Flowers In Sand’, with Jang Dong-yoon

Like Flowers in Sand stars Lee Joo-myung (Twenty Five Twenty one) and the effervescent Jang Dong-yoon (Oasis).

So I am the girl who tells people not to even call her during the two weeks of the Olympics. I love all sports, even Curling. I got on the Curling bandwagon even before it became popular. ‘Like Flowers in Sand’ highlights the sport of Ssireum. The Sport Ssireum is Korean Wrestling that has roots in ancient Korea. The major holiday events of Ssireum can draw like the American Super Bowl on TV. Using Ssireum as a backdrop, ‘Like Flowers in Sand’ is a touching Sports Romance Drama about the struggles of a Ssireum competitor, who is at the end of his career. This is a decompressor drama, not very complicated. ‘Like Flowers in Sand’ gives you a glimpse into the world of Ssireum, this unique competitive sport, while continuing with a childhood romance. I loved it as a change of pace drama. I fell in love with this drama.

Actor Jang Dong-yoon put out seven works in 2023, four movies and three dramas. He is very hard working. For one of his movies, Jang Dong-yoon was the writer, director, and actor (Please Be My Ear). Jang Dong-yoon’s acting style is so boyish and innocent. He just draws you right into his performances. I would add ‘Like Flowers in Sand’ to your Korean Drama List.

Jang Dong-yoon is very meticulous about his drama work. He had to gain lots of weight for this role, which misshaped his prefect body. He said that he had to eat so much that he threw up at times. Jang Dong-yoon is a true actor and professional, who gives his all. I am impressed.

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Destined is my joy. Bai Jing Ting is my enjoyment.

Destined (2023) is a Woman in Business Period RomCom Drama. This is one of my favorite Chinese dramas of the year.

Apart while together. Destined hones in on a comedy while being a serious drama. The star, Bai Jing Ting, tries his hand at comedy, while reeling in the serious aspects of this story too.

The Story

A pampered son of the richest Costume Drama Plutocrat, has a spat with the daughter of a modestly well off Merchant. The differences are irresolvable. As with happenstance, the two end up in a arrange marriage. He is a bon-vivant and she is prim and proper. This is great fodder for laughter as the two try to cohabitate peacefully. Destined stars Song Ye as the prim and proper Liu Yu Ru and Bai Jing Ting as the spoiled but kind-hearted Gu Jun Si. He begins to teach her business and she pushes him to the highest scholastic achievements. They both “better” each other has walls are broken down to expose love.

Destined is a refreshing Costume drama change. Few things produce more of an anachronism than a Comedic Costume Chinese Drama. I have not seen Bai Jing Ting in a RomCom yet, but this seems to be the year that many Asian dramatic actors are challenging themselves to try comedy. Bai Jing Ting has never given his audience the same acting performance in his dramas and this extends to his attempt at comedy. I found myself laughing a lot. Bai Jing Ting, as Gu Jun Si, utilizes body language and gestures to aid in his comedic performance and his comedic timing is spot on.

Song Yi as Liu Yu Ru plays the straight part in this Chinese drama series. She gives some of the most endearing dialogue about women in business and love, sending goosebumps up my arm. Song Yi’s demur sweetness was so right for this part. Her character, Liu Yu Ru, is portrayed as a high intellectual and a quick learner, becoming the asset to her husband and the longing of other men.

Quote: This business is about Military supplies. Confucius said, “To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business and sincerity; economy and expenditure and love for men; and employment of people at the proper time”. Husband teaching wife what the client needs to hear. From Destined

This RomCom is a high Yes! from me.

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Watch this one for date night.

OMG! What did I fall into? This drama is exotic, provocative, and alluring. I really like this short drama. The Chinese put out short vignettes of 6-12 episodes of 12-30 minutes each. This is the testing ground for potential stars to make an acting drama statement. The drama is 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each. Does the premise make sense? Not really, but the plot-line is tied into such a neat knot, you may be willing to forgive certain shortcomings. One star of ‘A Familiar Stranger’ is Ryan Cheng. He got snatched up in a quick Chinese drama minute to more meatier parts after this good showing. Ryan Cheng also went on to star in the Chinese drama hit ’My Journey to You’ (2023). There is a wonderful posse of drama characters, which adds depth to A Familiar Stranger’. Ryan Cheng leaves Super Star dust behind him as he walks past you.

The time commitment is so short, you might enjoy this short drama detour.

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A movie for those who miss someone.

A mom and her young teen daughter looses the dad of the family in death. The whole world of the young teen girl is changed, new town, new school, new people. One boy at her new school seems to annoy her. He is free to cut up, be a slacker. He has no clue why she is shy and very reserved. He learns to be patient with her. He wants to be patient with her.
For those who miss someone or need a little push to cry, try this movie and know that people are willing to help, even if they really don’t know how. Please Don’t Save Me is a simple story that is built upon a Mom and her daughter and a boy who learns to give of himself.

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Great concept drama

I ended up liking this drama a lot. There seems to be no rush with the Korean drama ‘Thirty, But Seventeen’. The storyline, while being somewhat complicated, creeps along very slowly. It is about a violin prodigy who is in a horrific bus accident at the age of 17, which puts her in a coma for 13 years before she wakes up. Life moved forward in time, but she did not. I found that I did not get fully invested in the characters till past the fifth hour (or tenth episode) of the standard episodes (Each episode was 30 minutes for this drama. An hour of drama time was two episodes). The slower pace will appeal to those who like great character building. The Romance is terminally paced slowly as well. This is in keeping with the natural build up of the drama character, an eccentric, off-putting loner Male Lead who suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and a Female Lead who has been in a coma for 13 years. She skips over from a world where she was seventeen to a world where she is now thirty. I will say that once I was invested the slow pace did not bother me at all.

There is great acting in Thirty, But Seventeen, and two of the oddest characters emerge. The young curmudgeon Gong Woo Jin was perfectly played by Yang Se Jong. He nailed his portrayal and reaped the benefits by winning three post production acting awards for his efforts. Another character that was an oddity was the monotone speaking house servant, Jennifer, played by Ye Ji Won. She will be added to my list of most unusual characters in a Korean drama.


Shin Hae Sun as Woo Seo Ri and Yang Se Jong as Gong Woo Jin

Shin Hae Sun (Mr Queen) gives a great performance as the thirty year old teen Woo Seo Ri. Ahn Hyo Seop from Business Proposal was truly a standout as Yoo Chan. Most will love his portrayal of a teen falling in love for the first time. Some will fall victim to Second Lead Syndrome.


Ahn Hyo Seop as Yoo Chan

The slow character building did not hinder the story, powered with lots of flashbacks, which were very consistent and congruent with the future/present story. The many characters tell their individual stories, which all converge neatly in episode 28, where all questions are answered.

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A Gift Given Through Time

Yeo Jin Goo (Hotel Del Luna) and Cho Yi Hyun (All of Us Are Dead)

In this Time Blend, two College students attend the same University and get to know each other, while using a Ham radio. One wants to interview the other, but the two can’t seem to quite meet up. It will be discovered later that the reason that they can’t meet up is that one is in 1995 and the other exists in 2021.

This is a charming Time Blend type of time travel drama. There is a definite mode for the time displacement (A Ham Radio), but there is no movement through time in the movie Ditto. Two times are blended or shared, as there is communication across time. There will be lots of head talk about the gift one person can gift to another across a time barriers. Ditto is worth the time commitment.

Talking across a divide of time.

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Even ‘Ole School Korean Dramas’ can entertain you.

The Emperor: Owner of the Mask (2017) is a period drama and will remind many Korean Drama devotees of another period drama, ‘The Crowned Clown’ (2019). There are 40 episodes of 30 minutes each. This Korean drama is well worth that commitment time of 20 hours. This commitment is a slow boil, as it builds to a loud crescendo in the back part of the drama. At times this drama becomes a little melodramatic, but by episode 20 the pace is allegro (quick, fast) as action builds to a burst. This is an ‘Ole School’ type Korean Drama.

Emperor: Owner of the Mask has court intrigue, twists and turns, and several great love triangles. “To whom does power really belong?”, that is the question. It belongs to The Owner of the Mask. How that plays out is slow but great storytelling. The drama received post awards for screenwriting. Emperor: Owner of the Mask started off in Korea at a viewing audience rating of 10% for episode 1, which starts off this drama as a hit drama (10% is considered a hit drama). The drama reached a rating of 16% by the finale, with some of its episodes as high as 20% of the viewing public. The last two episodes have some issues, but these can be overlooked.

Cast

Kim So-Hyun (Love Alarm, My Lovely Liar)—She is a beast of an actress, who started off in the industry as a child actress.

Kim Myung-Soo (Royal Secret Agent, Angels Last Mission:Love)—Kpop band member from INFINITE and an actor. He does a great job in this drama

Yoo Seung Ho (Memorist, My Strange Hero)—He is also a child actor, reaching heartthrob status by age 18 years old in his memorable Korean Drama Warrior Baek Dong Soo.
Yoon So-Hee (Ghost Doctor, The Spies Who Loved Me)— She does a great job in her role.

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