Reviews

Starting All Over

As dramaland resets itself with the beginning of another year, viewers get the opportunity to kickstart 2022 with an awesome C-drama right here. Reset doesn’t come with much fanfare where at the beginning of its run, the availability of (good) subs was somewhat hampered by a lack of involvement from major OTT streaming platforms for international markets. Fortunately as the weeks went by and more viewers started watching it, the fanbase for the drama gradually grew, affording it the recognition that it deserves.

Reset is a “time-loop” drama in the mould of Groundhog Day, Deja Vu, Happy Death Day and Source Code. The protagonists, a college girl and a young game designer, mysteriously find themselves reliving a bus explosion each day. Why this is happening to them and, more importantly, how they free themselves of this catastrophic cycle are central to the narrative.

This drama is produced by Dongyang Noon Sunshine Film and Television Co., or more popularly and affectionately known as Daylight Entertainment which is famed for producing top quality dramas such as Nirvana in Fire, Battle of Changsha, The Story of Minglan and The Bond, among many others. It is co-directed by Sun Mo Long (Candle in the Tomb and Mining Town), Liu Hongyuan, and Lao Suan. The screenplay is adapted from the novel "Kai Duan" (开端) by Qi Dao Jun (祈祷君) who was also involved in the screenwriting process, alongside Qiu Yujie, Lao Suan, and Huang Kaiwen.

Principal photography took place from June to August 2021 in Xiamen. Reset is considered a short format production running at only 15 episodes of 42 minutes each. To date, viewership on Tencent Video platform for mainland China has exceeded 400 million views (at the time of writing), making it the most watched domestic production for the beginning of 2022.

What I Loved

The innovative concept of time loop in a contemporary C-drama setting. I don’t think this has been done before in a Chinese production, which usually focuses on time travels or alternate world fantasies as far as speculative fiction is concerned. The way this premise is established and conveyed via a rather absorbing and engaging approach to the storytelling is a major boon as well because my initial fears of confusion arising from inconsistent or illogical plot holes proved to be unfounded, for the most part. The parameters of when and how the time loop occurs are clearly defined for the viewers’ understanding as the story unfolds.

Along with the suspense and mystery of the overarching plot, the entire story has much depth to it with a balance of youth themes, slice-of-life human drama and even hints of a budding romance imbued into the development of the characterization and side stories. All of these elements are carefully laid out over the course of an eventful 15 episodes, where the second half in particular is filled with many surprising twists and turns.

The two leads may be central to the plot but the drama also carefully takes its time to explore the various side characters, namely the other passengers onboard the ill-fated bus ride and the police detectives assigned to the investigation. Most of these characters are realistically depicted as being extremely layered and fully fleshed out as the mystery gradually unravels.

The characters truly do come alive thanks in no small part to the superb performances of the cast. Bai Jing Ting delivers as the fresh-faced game designer Xiao He Yun, as he utterly embodies the conflicting emotions of someone who wants nothing to do with this calamity yet cannot extricate himself completely from caring about a total stranger. Zhao Jin Mai plays college girl Li Shi Qing in a somewhat more subdued role compared to her co-lead but no less convincing as a naive youngster inadvertently caught up in an incomprehensible and extreme situation.

To be perfectly honest, at the beginning I wasn’t really expecting romance in this drama. However, seeing both Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Jin Mai living dangerously throughout in attempting to survive this distressing time loop has sufficiently shifted my mindset to unequivocally root for them as a romantic couple. In addition to both their characters being adorably sweet and innocent, as well as the unintended comic relief and minor frustration at times from witnessing their numerous futile attempts at unravelling the mystery, the emotional connection they share that is borne of hardship and tragedy genuinely does tug at the heartstrings.

Of the supporting cast, as usual Liu Yi Jun impresses with his immense experience and mastery of his craft. Despite the limited screen presence, his character of police detective Zhang Cheng displays the necessary nuances that befits the characterisation and brings a touch of class to the drama. Likewise Liu Tao’s surprising appearance here as police inspector Du Ju, who elevates the cast list with some star power albeit while wearing a rather unsightly wig. That said, I would have loved to see more complexity from her character aside from delivering her now iconic line, “Perform drug test!”.

Special mention goes to the strong performances in the portrayal of certain other side characters who I shall not name to avoid spoiling the story. It's worth mentioning that You Jing Rou makes a rather brief but quite impactful appearance in the supporting role of Liu Yao.

This drama features music composed and arranged by South Korean composer Kim Hyun Do for 2 of the 3 tracks listed in the soundtrack. My personal favourite is the emotional theme song, the English-language love ballad My Only, performed exclusively by Zhou Shen.

My Only by Zhou Shen
Wake Up by Wang Xiaokun
Rebound by Chen Hui

Final Thoughts

Reset turned out to be a pleasant surprise indeed. It may not have the bearings of a big budget epic or colossal production headlined by an extensive cast list of star names. But it does the basics very well with a great script and storytelling approach, convincing acting with relatable characters and a hugely satisfying closure. I think this drama exceeded many viewers' expectations in the end, including mine.

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A Deeply Touching Romantic Comedy That’s a Feast for Your Eyes, Ears, Brain, and Heart

❤️ Beautiful smart leads ✔️
❤️ Beautiful acting ✔️
❤️ Beautiful touching deep story & writing ✔️
❤️ Beautiful romance ✔️
❤️ Beautiful OSTs ✔️
❤️ Beautiful locations ✔️
❤️ Beautiful cinematography ✔️
❤️ Beautiful directing ✔️
❤️ Beautiful (mostly ;) outfits, accessories, and styling ✔️

We’ve been blessed to get two amazing romantic comedies from Shin Hye Sun as the lead in a row. Hopefully many many more. Though her characters and circumstances could not be more different in ALML from 30 but 17, her amazing acting talent and skill at being able to touch your heart are the same. I didn’t think I could love a show more than 30 but 17, but I do with this show. They are 1a and 1b in my book.

If Lee Yeon Seo was played by a less talented likeable actress she could have easily been cartoonish and insufferable . Yet somehow Shin Hye Sun managed to make her a sympathetic bada**. It’s so rare to get such a strong KDrama female lead who says and does exactly what’s on her (and our) minds. Dan could have been a silly empty character yet Kim Myung Soo makes him hilarious and heroic. The main leads are amazing onscreen from their hilarious bickering to deeply touching moments. Some of their kisses in later episodes will make you blush and flutter your heart with their chemistry. My only complaints about this show are that there aren’t more episodes and the entire show can’t just be only the two of them on screen. I know the latter is unrealistic but that’s how much I love this OTP.

This show asks some touching and deep questions about God and why bad things happen to good people. The journeys the main characters take to find those answers will make you weep and touch your heart as well as tickle your funny bone. You will not regret investing your time and heart into this show.

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SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE !

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

LONG STORY SHORT:

IF THEY WRAPPED THIS DRAMA UP IN 10-12 EPISODES IT COULD'VE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER.
1ST HALF – GOOD / WATCHABLE, 2ND HALF – A HOT MESS.

OVERVIEW:

The drama opens with a married couple putting on a show for the cameras then the scenes pan to reality as the husband is actually miserable in the marriage and desperately wants a divorce. He convinces himself he hates his wife and can no longer live with her / remain by her side. That is until she is diagnosed with a rare condition called cloud cytoma which affects her brains cognitive functions. She loses track of time, hallucinates and begins to lose her memory. Eventually Haein tells Hyunwoo about her medical condition and he is overjoyed because now he can just wait until she dies instead of filing for divorce. Hyunwoo’s friend (Yang-Gi) convinces him that he may be able to inherit Queen’s group if Haein leaves it in her will. Consequently, he decides to be a ”perfect” dutiful husband until then so nobody will suspect him. From there we follow this couple and their family through the ups and down of their marriage on a backdrop of another family scheming for their very downfall.

COMMENTARY:

The drama gets a bit silly from episode 8 onward. It would have been so much better without the parasite plot. Don’t get me wrong at first it seemed interesting but the evil guy turning out to be the mothers son who she abandoned and put into foster care then he was adopted then she orchestrated his adopted parents death was just WILD. Too much was going on and not in a good way.

I have to say this drama quite literally pulls out every cliche from the book. I would've preferred if the writers focused more on the main couple's marital issues, the process of healing each others wounds and dealing with grief / loss of a loved one etc. It could’ve been so much more developed and I feel like even the actors could've utilized their skills more in showing how they confront those emotions by dealing with them as a whole.

QoT was just not executed as well as it could have been. It could’ve been amazing had they leaned into the "slice of life aspect" of it more. Yes the disease was fictitious but that doesn’t mean they couldn't have tried to make the plot more feasible. Even after her surgery… she had no hair loss, no chemotherapy, no check ups. After she came out of surgery she was just magically cured with the exception of her losing her memories? Once again, that was so unrealistic.

I didn't connect to the side characters at all and a lot of the storylines with them were so irrelevant. Honestly I didn't care for Soocheol and Dahye's story especially because he just accepted her back so easily, no questions asked. They did not communicate or have an honest conversation about her abusive ex, who was the reason why she kept on running away without a second thought. Which brings me to Haein and her mom’s relationship. They had an opportunity to show the complexity of it but Haein forgave her so easily just like that and there was no period of the talking things out and healing their own individual trauma and then finally coming together to work through everything? Some people would argue seeing that would be boring but no… with a drama like this it needed more depth and more layers.

The leads have visually stunning scenes but I didn't feel any sparks or fireworks between them. I'm not gonna lie, at times it felt forced. They had me rooting for them in the beginning but lost me towards the middle especially when there was no real breaking point or indication of them working through their issues. I felt like they behaved more like teens falling in love for the first time than a married couple who had been through so much. There was also too much back and forth one minute they were ready to fix everything and reconcile the next they were pushing each other away and then back to square one, AGAIN.

Honestly this drama was sad and exhausting more than anything. The way everyone talks about this drama you’d think they had so many romantic scenes when in reality it was just heartbreak and grief because they anticipated Haein's death. But they didn't work through these emotions they just kind of accepted the inevitable.

LIKES:

First of all, the OST is amazing!

The epilogue scenes were really well done and I liked the fact that they gave us some insight into the couples past through Haein's memories. I really loved that scene where Hyunwoo got drunk and then told Haein he loved her.

I thought the cinematography was beautiful and everything looked picturesque especially in the flashback scenes.

I think both actors did a good job, particularly in the tear-jerking scenes. I believe Soo Hyun always nails his emotions. I wished we could've seen more expressions from Ji Won but I guess her character was more stony and cold so she represented that as best as she could. Again, the scenes where she broke down crying were notable.

Although I hated the villains they nailed their roles. I loved the acting from the aunt, I thought she brought some humor to the drama.

I also like all the fan edits of the lead couple as I feel those edits tend to capture their moments / emotions better while tuning out the background noise. Lol when I say edits are better than the drama itself, Queen of Tears would be the perfect example.


DISLIKES:

I have a problem with how no one is allowed to criticize this drama. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion even the persons leaving bad reviews or who were let down after watching.

Initially I really was happy to see a drama dealing with marital issues but the problem is they didn’t really show them dealing with or working through their issues together.

In the earlier episodes, Hyunwoo wishing Haein's death was brutal and I would literally not wish cancer upon my worst enemy. Haein had her own flaws as she is a bit of a narcissist and a control freak. She also came off very condescending and cold towards others. I guess that’s her characterization but her realizing she only had 3 months to live made her drastically turn into a whole different person.

It truly felt like Haein and Hyunwoo didn’t even try in their marriage. After they lost the baby it’s like everything just fell apart, and they both allowed it. They didn’t even try couples therapy or delve deeper into their grief. I assume Haein poured herself into her work while Hyunwoo distanced himself from her, moved into the baby’s room and also got consumed by work. But I genuinely needed more than that.

The writers were unable to strike the perfect balance between showing and telling because they wanted to do flashbacks and also present day, but they didn't really delve into the loss of their child and why their marriage essentially fell apart.

I believe the writers wanted to create multidimensional characters but failed in their execution. It is clear the writers adored Eunseong and expected people to sympathize with him but they were sorely mistaken. Anyone who defends Eunseong is nuts. No matter how bad someone's life is or how terrible they feel about others, that doesn't give them the right to become a deranged vengeance-seeking murderer. Furthermore, the mother-son duo with their tumultuous relationship took up far too much screen time. It took so much out of me to not just skip over their scenes especially when a lot of it was just showing them scheming to take down Queens group.

The “happy ending” was bittersweet and left a sour taste in my mouth. We didn’t get a lot of happy moments between Haein and Hyunwoo for the majority of the drama, so I was hoping for at least some good moments between them in the finale. But no once again the writers had other plans. They wanted to end the story on a tragic / somber note, with Hyunwoo carrying flowers to Haein's grave. However, she did not die as early as expected. It was implied got to enjoy her life, they had a child etc. but Hyunwoo still had to mourn her before eventually following her to "heaven". The scene when they saw each other again did nothing for me, just made me have conflicting emotions to be honest.

OVERALL:

QoT had too many storylines. Most of the arcs were unnecessary rendering the storylines improbable. The side characters were poorly developed, annoying and didn’t add anything. It’s only watchable because of Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun. I felt like something was missing since the beginning because there was just so much to unpack that they never did.

The plot is very early 2010s formulaic and I believe this drama's weakness was its production in 2024, as well as the overdone cliches. Everything was completely anticipated and not shocking at all imo. The showrunners tried to hold people's attention by throwing in the most bizarre plot lines but this got tiresome / old quickly. It was as if whenever there was anything good, something awful had to happen to balance it out, which just didn't seem realistic or practical.

THE WRITERS NEEDED SOMEONE TO TELL THEM TO PUT THEIR PENS DOWN! They truly needed someone to slap some sense into them and tell them to stop the overdramatic makjang plots. Imo, most of the characters were just used as plot devices to further the storyline and create illogical chaos.

Would I rewatch this? No. I would only watch scenes I liked and an edit would suffice instead of the entire drama as a whole.

With all of that said, I would rate it a 7/10 (my objective rating)

However, I decided to round it up to a 7.5/10 and only for the leads.

At the end of the day if you don’t believe some of the reviews you just have to watch the drama for yourself and see if you like it or not.

Happy Watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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If it's not broken why change it?

Is my first time doing a review, also English is not my first language but i hope whoever reads it understand my points.

I think most people that read the webtoon would agree that while the casting and acting of all characters was close to perfection, but the changes done to the characters narrative were really bad, the comic was Hyun's fight between his inner demons and his love for his friends and the growth of all of them while being in the end of the world, while in this adaptation i didn't feel most of Hyun struggle nor his triumph against his own mind, his relationship with most characters felt like something was missing and the changes to some of the characters felt pointless, if you are gonna change them is to make them better, but aside of a couple characters, almost everyone changed for the worst.
If this was a completely original drama it would have been a lot more enjoyable, but being an adaptation it was impossible for me to not compare them both, it felt worse than the original story.
Don't get me wrong, i still enjoyed it and think it was a good drama so i still recommend people to watch it, but you should keep in mind that if you got the time maybe reading the original comic will give you a better product.

P.S: Also I'm really annoyed about the overuse of Warriors, who the hell thought it was a song appropriate for the scenes it played?, it ruined my immersion in key scenes.

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When I watch Mr. Sunshine, I feel like I am watching an Oscar nominated film.

Mr. Sunshine is comprised of everything you would want in a drama. It has a stunning and talented cast, mesmerizing cinematography, an engaging and compelling plot that keeps you hooked begging for the next episode, complex/dimensional characters, quotable writing, and even comic relief. Don't let the first episode fool you in terms of heaviness as this drama has plenty of laughs to balance the grittiness. I find myself laughing throughout the entire episode, in between my tears. Each episode just gets better, and nothing feels like it's dragged, there's not an overdone use of flashbacks or that thing kdramas do when they the repeat a scene 5 times from different angles so we can see each side of the characters (like, can we just see the scene once from one angle, do we need to see them do the same thing 5 times in 5 different angles?? Thank you, Mr. Sunshine, for not doing this.) Honestly, this show has it all and it is now on my list of my favorite kdramas to date.

What I think I like most about Mr. Sunshine besides it being absolutely beautiful to look at is the characters. The main leads are compelling, as well as the rest of the main cast who have me rooting for them as well as feeling for them. They are layered, their decisions are not hasty, and they are not the types of characters you normally see in dramas. These characters really feel like humans making human decisions; I can see their reasoning, their logic, and empathize with them. Eugene defends his country, while feeling his ties to Korea, while Ae-Shin defends her country, which is Korea, and both of them are committed to their causes whilst figuring out their feelings for each other and how they can balance both. Dong-Mae, who rises from nothing, is someone I empathize with and somehow also root for despite his not so commendable actions, along with Hui-Seong, who turns to vices to fight with his inner demons. I honestly love them all and cannot get enough! Once this drama is finished, I know I will miss them dearly, like old friends.

Something else I must mention is the portrayal of the female characters. BRAVO WRITERS for writing such strong, smart, clever, and independent women who do not need a man to rescue them. Both Ae-Shin and Hina are absolutely AMAZING! Girl power! They are both autonomous, self-reliant women who stand up for their causes and do not run away from danger. They do not sit still, and when they disagree with something, they say it! They are smart and take everything by the reigns, which is something more kdrama female leads should do: they need to rise up and speak for themselves and not wait for romance or a man to save them from their problems. I cannot emphasize how refreshing this is to see in a kdrama, nonetheless a historical kdrama/sageuk! This drama certainly passes the Bechdel Test in terms of the portrayal of women in fiction.

One more thing to mention about Mr. Sunshine which is refreshing is that romance does not overpower the plot. Although this drama does have a heavy love triangle (rather, love pentagon?), it is not the main event. What takes the lead is the story, and the romance may be a big part of it, but the story itself stands alone and keeps me interested.

If I haven't convinced you by now, I do not know what else I can say to urge you to watch. Mr. Sunshine is amazing, trust me on that. (:

[I wrote this review on episode 18, but I still stand by it and think it deserves my initial praise]

I made a video tribute on my YouTube channel if anyone wants to cry again: https://youtu.be/iFNuGJe4YY4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/f68adce3cc33aa1741f7d475f3a36b8e/tumblr_pbp0wiqxR01vkz0npo4_500.gif

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I binge watched this drama in 2 days after finally deciding I was going to give it a shot. Updated edit after a rewatch: I'm hesitant to compare this against NiF 1 anymore (even though I still do think it was better produced, I'm more emotionally attached to the characters in NiF2) because I think they're such great companion stories for each other. While 2 is a sequel (it takes place about 50 years later after the first), it's an entirely different story with a different premise. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster - this show will earn your tears and your emotional investment.

Story
The story focuses on the family of the general of the Changlin Army (the army that was created in Mei Changsu's memory). Ting Sheng, the head of the family and of the army, was one of the slave boys that Mei Changsu had saved in the original, and was later adopted by Prince Xiao Jingyan. Ting Sheng's oldest son, Xiao Pingzhang, is his right hand man and the named heir, while his younger son has lived a spoiled and sheltered life (in the sense that his family lets him have a lot of freedom and not have to worry about the responsibilites of being in a military family)  and spends most of his time on Langya Mountain. Both sons are supremely talented - Ping Zhang is an incredible military strategist and represents his family in court with the Emperor to navigate the political waters. Ping Jing, while young and a bit brash, has had his sharp instincts honed by his father and brother and has street smarts in spades. While very different, the two brothers are very close, and much of the first half focuses on their family's bond.

While the original story focused on one central storyline, the sequel follows the ups and downs of the  Changlin family - because of this, the plot isn't as tight as the  original as it is much more complex. The political stuff was a bit too much at times (and infuriating), but the reasons behind most of the conflicts were logically sound.

One of the pluses of the drama was that there was a strong focus on relationships - be it family (THE CHANGLIN FAMILY - ugh, I'm still recovering from all of the feelings), romance, friendship, the bond between a person in  power and those who serve him, or the relationship between the past and future (sooo many name drops - it was kind of fun to figure out who was related to a character in the original story). The original had elements of this of course, but due to the story being about the Changlin family (who are also a military family), the emphasis on interpersonal relationships is much greater. The romance was also much better in this one than the first, in my opinion - Ping Zhang and his wife have such a great, healthy relationship and the mutual respect (and love) that they have for one another is wonderful to see. The younger couple was cute as well - and I liked the fact that while both could lead very independent lives, it was the times that they were together that made them the happiest.

Probably one of the biggest criticisms of the show is that it is centered around a boy/man who is barely 20 when the story begins - but to me, this is one of the best selling points of the shows. Perhaps younger viewers may not appreciate this, but the freshness and youthful enthusiasm of Pingjing was an absolute delight (more so because is he is played by someone who is right at that age), and watching him grow up and mature was both bittersweet and awesome. There are times where you wish he was more self-aware, but he's not a stupid character - just a very young one, and that's part of the charm. I can honestly say Pingjing is probably my favorite drama protagonist in the last...I don't even know how many years.

There's also this bittersweet satisfaction knowing that we are, in a way, watching what the 19 year old Lin Shu would have been like, because we never got see him go through that growing up process - we went straight to adulthood. It's noted by several characters that both Lin Chen and Xiao Jingyan, who were probably Lin Shu's best friends, were both incredibly fond of Ping Jing and spoiled him accordingly - in part because they are very similar in personalities, though obviously the roads they walked were very different. It's a subtle reference that I really enjoyed - they are not the same people at all, but the spirit of Lin Shu/Mei Changsu lives on through Pingjing.
 
I found in particular the discussion of nature vs nurture to be pretty interesting - this is a topic that is pushed pretty hard in the drama, as the debate follows multiple characters who walk on different paths. The idea of fate is also nicely interwoven in - no matter how much effort we put in, no matter what choices we make, are we always going to end up at the same destination?

(Edited after rewatch): This isn't the same story as Nirvana in Fire and if you're expecting that, you're already going to be disappointed. NiF was a story of triumph, of redemption (more so than revenge, in my opinion), mingled with bittersweet elements. Mei Chang Su set out with a specific goal in mind so he had everything planned out and the climax was when he obtained that goal at the very end of the series.

NiF2 is very different - it's more like a chronicle of the Changlin family, with a specific focus on Pingjing and the people around him. For some people, the climax of the story probably happened around episode 36, and I agree, to a certain extent. I think the point of the story isn't about the fall and redemption of the Changlin family - it's about family and bloodlines; it's about growing up and living with yourself and the choices that you make. I understand what people mean by the anticlimatic ending and the final arc (and I do agree that the writing was a bit poor towards the end), but to me, it felt right and matched everything we had learned about all the characters up to that point.

Acting/Cast:

Huang Xiaoming and Liu Haoran as the two Changlin brothers exceeded expectations for me. This was also a heavily criticized decision when the production first started, because Huang Xiaoming is known as an idol actor, but like Hu Ge before him, he turned in a strong performance - if HXM doesn't overact, he has this natural warmth that comes from his real life personality and it worked so well for his big brother role. Seriously, never doubt these directors - they know what they're doing when they cast people (well, for the most part - see below for what I didn't like about the casting choices).

Pingjing was a really tricky role to play (and to cast for) and I feel like it has to be acknowledged - you're talking about a story that spans about three or four years and the character goes from a carefree, sheltered prince to a solemn, matured young general (this isn't a spoiler - it's in the synopsis). So basically your casting options would be: 1) Pick an older actor (early to mid 20s) - a la Hu Ge in The Disguiser - which...wasn't great. They would be able to handle the second half well, but you would cringe your way through the first half. If people already think (then) 19 year old LHR was a bit hard to watch acting as a 20 year old, I have no idea how they'd tolerate this.

2) Pick a younger actor (late teens, presumably) and hope that they don't look like a child pretending to be an adult when they reach the second half. In the Chinese market, there just simply aren't a lot of candidates that would fit all the criteria (age, looks, height, acting talent, public recognition, temperament, demeanor, and ability to pull off both arcs). As great as Daylight Entertainment's reputation is, they also have to have someone who has some degree of popularity as the main role. The word that is most associated with Liu Hao Ran on Chinese media is "youth" (even before  NiF) - it's not his age, necessarily, but a spirit that he has in spades - and it served him so, so well in this role. He was able to rely on it to carry him through the first half, and then the natural contrast between his youthful demeanor and the burden on his shoulders really tugged at the heartstrings in the second half. I cried when he cried, I laughed when he laughed - he embodied the character perfectly for me. He's not a polished actor by any means - but he's got a good foundation and definitely grew as an actor throughout the drama. Again, he just turned 19 when he filmed this - 19!

The shining star in terms of acting though, definitely goes to Sun Chun, who plays the brothers' father. What a masterful performance by a veteran actor.The character felt 100% real and he really fleshed out every aspect of Changlin Wang - as a father, as a friend, as a brother, as a general, and as a loyal servant of the Emperor. The way he delivered his lines - oh man. If China actually did legit drama awards, he deserves one.

Sun Chun, Huang Xiaoming, and Liu Haoran also had phenomenal chemistry as father and sons which made some of the later scenes all that more emotional for me. (If you want something cute, go look at their weibo comments and posts to each other throughout the drama - it's like if the family lived in the modern age and could access social media, ha. Some of the other cast members also occasionally pitch in their opinions on where the story is at).

Squeals for Zhang Bo, who was great as the head of the Imperial Guard - I will never ever forget his performance as Sun Quan in Three Kingdoms about seven years ago and he was just as awesome in this role. He just has this natural charisma and gravitas that works so well on screen (and gets better as he ages). Why is he not more popular?! Tong Liya and Zhang Huiwen turned in decent performances as the main two female leads (though of course like the first one this is a very male-dominated cast) - Tong Liya in particular had some great scenes. I liked Zhang Huiwen's Lin Xi, but wish she was used more, particularly in the second half. Guo Jingfei probably had a blast in his role and I was torn between laughing because I knew he probably enjoyed the performance and also superbly creeped out because he turned in a very good acting performance.

I am conflicted on how i feel about Wu Haochen, who plays a pretty important role. I think his acting was solid (especially in the final arc - he was phenomenal), but somehow he just never visually fit into the part and it became distracting to a certain degree. I know that there's been a lot of comments about his appearance and I've never really been all that concerned about looks when it comes to acting, but the visual presentation took me out of his scenes more often than not. I had no issues with him in Ode to Joy, so I wonder if it's because he doesn't quite fit the "gu zhuang" look. I also just never cared about him - especially in the second half - I just wanted to see more of Pingjing - and I think that's because while Wu Haochen did a good job acting, he never made me feel anything about the character. In the original NiF, Prince Yu (played by Victor Huang) was definitely not a protagonist but I really felt for him (and part of that has to do with charismatic Victor was in the role).

 If there is one criticism that I have of this production team, it's their tendency to reuse actors that they've casted in previous shows - sometimes I like it as it's kind of like spotting Easter eggs, but sometimes it can also be very trying. I wasn't fond of the casting choice of Qiao Xin (she was already in the original as the oh-so-memorable-for-bad-acting Nian Nian!!). It'd be one thing if they reused an actor with great acting talent, but Qiao Xin is definitely...not that. Also, you could have done away with her character completely and it would probably been fine - I just found all of her scenes completely unneccessary.

The cast overall (especially the veterans) weren't as phenomenal as the supporting cast in the original, but the main cast really carried the show well, so it was okay.

Music
I love how the music is the same, yet just a tiny bit different. It brought back just the right amount of feels. The theme song has two different versions and has a much more stronger tone than Hu Ge's song in the original - probably due to the more military, war-bent nature of this one.

Rewatch Value
I took one star off because there were about ten episodes straight where I was just crying nonstop and I don't know if I can handle that again. But the emotional roller coaster is worth it, and I think I will definitely be rewatching very soon.

Overall
This is very different story than from the original Nirvana In Fire. As I mentioned previously, I think the first was a better production overall, but the second one has me invested way more in the characters, and if you don't mind a younger main character (and are interested in watching a growth arc), i think you may find the show a blast to watch.

Sequels are probably never going to live up to the original, but I love that they changed almost everything (the story, the cast) and still maintained that definite "Nirvana In Fire" vibe - it is definitely worthy of being considered a quality stand-alone show.

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"Grooming" has never been more romantic.

Do not take the title of the review seriously - taking it at face value would be as misleading as the premise of the show, that sounds so wrong, but the drama itself feels so right. I truly hope people won’t get discouraged by the student/teacher relationship and give it a chance, because this is so much more than just romance. It’s a weirdly heartwarming story of two people healing, learning about each other, but also exploring their own thoughts, feelings and ideas they hold.

What truly makes it work is how self-aware the writing is. For every flirting attempt and stalker behavior, we get a witted call out. All presented in the best dry humor I have seen in dramas for ages. Many scenes that would give you butterflies in your stomach end on a joke and it works so well. I’ve got a sense of: we know it’s wrong, we trust the audience knows it's wrong, but just watch and enjoy how cute they are. And I’m totally fine with it.

As I said though, this drama is more than just a romance. Every scene is drenched in hard hitting topic - suicide. Personally, I think the writing around this issue was done masterfully. Heavy issue presented in such a light manner. Quirky humor that made it more approachable, but never felt disrespectful. For someone who at some point in their life struggled with suicidal thoughts, many of the jokes felt just right. Not once have I thought they are not taking the subject seriously or just using it to make the romance more “angsty” (as many other rom-coms do). The story kept the heart and sincere tone, while also giving me some laughs . It felt refreshing.

The performances were what built the drama though. Hashimoto Ryo perfectly captured the idea of those who smile the brightest are the saddest - no matter how happy-go-lucky Haiba Jin might have felt, you could always sense the hesitation, unsureness and not yet completely healed pain. Takaishi Akari was able to somehow mix innocence with a strong personality and it created a cohesive persona that was Ochiai Mikoto. Both extremely loveable characters portrayed in a perfect manner.

Overall, surprising on so many levels. Completely flipped my expectations of what I’m about to watch and made me fall in love with the characters. Not only the drama is worth a watch, but also a rewatch once in a while.

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OH THE FEELS!!! And OH THE ORIGINALITY!!! And OH THE AWESOME LEADING MAN AND SUPPORTING CAST OF CHARACTERS!!! Those are the reasons Ho Gu’s Love (HGL) is getting this review from me. After I finished watching HGL I immediately gave it a 10, then I let it soak in a while and let my objective mind take over and bumped it down to 9.5, but really it’s more like a 9.9 with the only flaw being that so much of the plot had to depend on just simple misunderstandings (like 16 hours of Three’s Company). I felt that after a while it might have been better served for at least one of the misunderstandings to have been cleared up a little sooner, and they became so silly as to almost be a parody of themselves within the drama, as though it was self-aware as to what absurd lengths the misunderstandings had gone (which actually made it better for me). That said the feels and the cast and the characters and the originality were just so on point that they overcame this flaw and then bounded past it like a bullet train past a horse and buggy. So without further ado, here is why Ho Gu’s Love is one of my favorite Kdramas of all time.

1. Originality: Yes, I consider originality an essential element of a great Kdrama. HGL had many elements we don’t normally see in Kdramas including decent treatment of normally risqué themes (all of which I’m not going to name because spoilers). It also frequently upended my expectations of how the plot would play out, with a particular bit at the end that I was surprised by when I really thought it would go another direction to give a more pat Kdrama moment (once again, you have to see it to know what I mean). Also, there are amazing parental characters that behave in such refreshingly awesome ways.

2. Characters: Oh the characters. I am so in love with HO GU I just cannot stand it. He really is one of the best leading men characters of all time. The writer (and the actor, to be discussed next) took a character that could have been just a fool and just a sicky sweet guy and made him so real and warm that it truly is a feat of genius. I think what is most amazing about Ho Gu and the way he is written and acted is that he makes everyone else in the world look like the fool that they think he is. It’s like he has got it right and we are all wrong. Even when he shows flaws like being a little too clingy or nosy, it’s okay because sometimes in real life our emotions do override our rational and that can happen in the moment. And then at the end he even grows. There’s never been a character like him before.

a. Do Hee: She rubbed me a bit wrong at first, but by the end I was totally in love with her. She really is pretty awesome!

b. Byun Kang Chul: Speaking of rubbing me wrong at first. There are people that dropped this drama because they hated him so much. To them I say WAIT! Nothing is as it seems! He is wonderful and his growth in the drama is the greatest; don’t judge after just a few eps. You are totally wrong!

c. Ho Kyung: BAD ASS!

d. Do Hee’s Baby: The cutest baby in the history of Kdramas.

e. The Support(ive) Cast: The greatest parents ever (Ho Gu’s)! Parents that show a lot of growth. Funny and kind friends who also have lives of their own and aren’t just props. It all results in just the sweetest extended family you’ve ever seen!

3. Acting: Awesome across the board! Even Uee who I previously didn’t think much of was wonderful in her way. And Im Seulong, who I found almost mesmerizing in Mandate of Heaven as the king, was even better here. He really is good and I expect great things from him in the future. He can do drama or comedy with equal aplomb. And his physical comedy is just hilarious. The supporting actors and actresses are all good, especially the parents and the actress that plays Ho Kyung.
But Choi Woo Shik, for him I don’t know if there are words. He is a star. He is wonderful in every way. Without him the character of Ho Gu would have failed with a thud. CWS is PERFECT in this drama with no flaws. When he cries, I cry. When he laughs and smiles, I laugh and smile. When he is intense, I burn and when he does physical comedy, I laugh until my nose runs. He brings Ho Gu so much life and warmth and spirit and even gravitas for a character that on paper would have none. I love him in this. I love him so much it hurts!

4. Plot and Writing: As I said earlier, there is a little weakness here where the plot depends too much on misunderstandings, but the originality and the dialog and the twists more than make up for that weakness. I know this was based on a manhwa so it’s not an original story and I have not read the manhwa so I don’t know how much this deviates, but I think the writing was really top notch. Once again a cable channel brings home the bacon where so many network shows fail miserably.

5. THE FEELS! What puts this drama over the top for me in terms of love and awesomeness though is the feels. I laughed; I cried; I laughed; I cried. I did those things over and over again, episode after episode. I can watch whole dramas and never laugh out loud or cry like a baby; I did both every week with this show. Maybe it touched me more deeply because I have a 16 mo baby. I don’t know. But I will never forget the emotions this show made me feel for as long as I watch Kdramas.

So there you have it. Stop whatever you are doing now and go watch this drama. It is nearly perfect and where it isn’t perfect, the intangibles make up for it. And if you love great acting, you have to see Choi Woo Shik in this. You are really depriving yourself otherwise.

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Just ok, not the best!

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

To keep it brief, they had me and then they completely lost me.

GENERAL REMARKS:

Listen I’m not really a fan of any of these actors so i’ll try to keep this review as unbiased as possible. When I heard this drama was being produced I was unsure because I don’t really like Song Kang’s acting. I was only convinced to watch because I have been impressed by Yoo Jung in some of her previous works and thought hey maybe if this is not the best she will at least carry on her part.

But I was wrong. This story was lackluster in every single way. I only was kind of intrigued for the first 5-6 episodes of the show but then everything started to go downhill after Gu Won rescued Do Hee from the burning gas station / shop in episode 8. They built up the plot so much at that point only the bring it back down and then throw in a lot of other useless side plots and the past lives / reincarnation trope. It was not necessary to say the least.

I feel like all Yoo Jung and Song Kang have in this show were their strong visuals. I feel like the color grading was over done… they made them look paper / milk white and you could not see one pore or any texture in their skin at all which was kind of off putting. Yes their visuals are good but what else? To me it felt like they could not really deliver on the chemistry after a the first time they kissed and did the do. It just seemed like as the drama progressed it was unnatural and they were both trying too hard to convince us the audience. I see more of a friendship bond between the actors especially in the BTS videos (these were super cute ngl) In my opinion, when they were bantering / not on the best of terms it was better than their romance / relationship and marriage era in the drama.

It’s so ironic and hilarious how most of us suspected Seok Hoon would be a bad guy but he turned out to be one of the good ones from the beginning with no hidden agenda or plot twist. Not gonna lie it was a bit of a let down just because he's a good actor and it would've been refreshing to see him take on the role of the villain, but no he's always the second guy and it's almost like he plays the same character every time.

Gu Won was brought back far too soon in my opinion, and there was no build-up or explanation of what happened to him after he vanished or even if he could still see what was going on in the mortal world. Also I believe they incorporated the story of the deal Do Hee’s father made with Gu Won so quickly. I kind of predicted that he had saved her mom and her as a baby after they were in some kind of accident and I was right. To be honest, they tried to make it seem like her father was desperate enough to make a deal with the devil for his personal gain but I knew that could never be the case.

The way she learned that Gu Won was the man her father had struck a bargain with and then seemed to be shocked when he performed his demon responsibilities since the contract had expired really irritated me. Like come on, she was aware of who he was the entire time, so her sudden display of shock and surprise irked me so much. She started off as such a formidable character, but as the drama progressed, it was like her character development stalled and she grew weaker. She became a damsel in distress who was always waiting for poor Gu Won to come along and save her.

I’m happy Do Hee and Gu Won got their happy ending but I can't help but think at what cost. Do Hee lost so many close / precious people to her and that asshole Noh Su Min is still alive and able to be living while rotting away / losing his mind in prison. To me not enough justice was served, I needed to see Gu Won fight that man and hit him harder for real.

The uncanny bromance between Gu Won and Seok Hoon became so heartwarming. I’m glad both he Gu Won and Do Hee are able to consider each other as friends / family and get along well even if it did start out with him being madly in love with Do Hee. I’m actually glad they didn’t write the drama where he still would’ve tried his luck at pursuing her even after Gu Won disappeared like most other dramas. It was refreshing to see him give up from early on.

I cannot believe they made my man No Suh Min Ugly. His poor face (I’m half joking half serious but he was good looking before him taking such drastic measures and burning himself) I could not bear to look at him anymore as the drama went on. I have to say I really enjoyed Tae Hoon's performance. He had me convinced he was an abusive father and husband, the devil reincarnate and a psychopathic murderer all in one.

The last scene where Ga Young / Star Jin met the little girl who was being abused by her father broke my heart and tore it into a million pieces. Oh my gosh the tears kept flowing… her character arc / redemption is one of the best to come out of the show. I am so proud of her… the way she looked at the child it was like she herself was finally healing her inner child and able to protect someone the way Gu Won protected her all those years ago.

Unlike Gu Won she told her “Don’t forget angels always come and save you.” Finally she changed the narrative and gave the littler girl the hope and words of encouragement she needed all those years ago. To me that was just a really full circle moment and the only moment in the show that literally brought me to tears.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

In my opinion, this drama had a good beginning, an alright to mid middle, and an unimpressive conclusion. The drama twists Christianity and Demonism while maintaining certain aspects of the familiar; if you watch closely, you'll see all of their subtle allusions. I liked this drama to an extent, but I didn't believe the plot was properly developed or that the ending was plausible.

The Gu-won recantation sequence was one that I thought should have received more attention because I didn't think it was compelling enough. Do Hee is human, while Gu Won is still immortal. To be honest, I honestly believed that they would have caused her to spiral and become into an immortal or demon herself working alongside him or they would have caused Gu Won to reincarnate as a human or be reborn somehow. Simply put, it makes no sense for them to be together if Do Hee has a limited amount of time left on earth, which means that Gu Won will have to survive without her. Like LMAO? They really should have watched more supernatural movies/shows (eg. Twilight) before making this show so they can understand how human / immortal relationships have to play out. Granted, this story was written by a 13-year-old, but that's no excuse because the writers could've tried harder to improve the story and make it more logical.

Honestly the only good thing about this drama was the occasional funny moments, heartfelt moments and most importantly the OST. I could listen to it over and over again though I do think the song "Say You Love Me" and "The Way to Lose You" were played much too frequently. I like the songs don't get me wrong, but they used them so much that it was just a bit of an overkill.

I don’t think I’d recommend this drama to anyone because they’d be disappointed or feel that it lacked a lot. Unless cliche / underdeveloped fantasy romance is your thing I'd advise you stay away or just go into this with lower expectations. If you decide to press play just remember you're primarily here for entertainment not so much groundbreaking acting or even a half decent plot.

With all of that said, I give this drama a 6/10 mainly for the acting.

✌️

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This is how you do a gay musical

“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.

MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.

The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)

Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.

There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.

Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.

It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).

Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!

MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.

And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.

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School dramas are definitely my favorite kind, but this one was special.
Mostly centered on the rise and fall of an unfixable friendship, it doesn't stretch out the same one plot for sixteen episodes risking to make it lame and repetitive. Different stories are told, just like different stories happen in one high school class. Each of these plots lead back to friendship in the end, but none of them is like the previous one, as they all touch a second different topic, reminding us we're never the only ones who suffer although not everyone has to face the same kind of hardship we're going through.
This drama is original, true, bitter, at times shocking, but also inspiring, hopeful and fun like the age of its protagonists.
I appreciate the complete absence of romance, not because i don't enjoy it but because it's a nice change in kdramas standards.
At times it seems ridiculous the ability this school has to find a reason to expell someone every other day, but nevertheless the screenplay keeps the suspence up until the very last minute.
And there's no reason to deny or hide it: the bromance will kill you over and over again.
This drama is a jewel.

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180 Degree - Right In The Feelings

This LGBTQIA+ series is all I ever visually dreamed of, not in a "how handsome the actors are" or in a "the romance is so explicit" but rather the entire CINEMATOGRAPHY was ON POINT. So good, that I´d even forget my doubts about some part of the story. It´s a heavenly gift for everyone who not only watches the series for the plot but also for the techniques of filming and editing. It’s BREATHTAKING!
(TW: age gap, loss)

Story >> 8.0 >> 9.0
As I said before, I still have a few doubts about the plot. Nothing extremely bothersome tho. All in all, I loved the portrayal of this kind of “unspoken” story and all the time they took to emphasize on the characters conflicts and true, growing emotions.

Acting/ Cast >> 9.5
The relatability was archived by extremely good acting and an incredible production team. I hope I can expect more of this top-notch acting in the future because it felt unreal. Especially Nike´s performance was drawing my attention.

Music >> 8.5
I really hope that other thai LGBQTIA+ series could make use of soundtracks and background music like this series does. Not that there was any specific soundtrack that I liked, but they just all fit the mood well and did not bother me in the slightest, which is rare.

Rewatch Value >> 8.0 >> 7.5
It is so beautiful to watch, not even question if I´d rewatch this. I definitely will sooner or later!

100% RECOMMENDED if you are okay with the main characters' significant age gap.

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I simply liked this drama! If you are looking for a cute rom-com, don't hesitate to watch it!
I have to admit that at first I watched it because of Mike D. Angelo who plays the part of Jiang Nian Yu but to my surprise I really enjoyed this drama and all the cast.
This is not the drama of the century and there is nothing new in dramaland but the story of the OTP was really cute. I enjoyed every little moment they had!
To my surprise, I really liked the heroine. She is rich, haughty but honest and has a wild imagination. She's a fan of BL mangas and it was really funny to follow her mind. It was refreshing to see the "poor and the innocent girl" as the villain second lead.
The OST "Because of You" by By2 will stay in your head!
At the end, there was a lot of flashbacks but I am very happy to not have missed this drama!
I highly recommend it!

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If you’re looking for fast paced story, crave for passionate romance and love from first sight or if you prefer it when dramas have complicated plot and lots of action, beware, this drama doesn’t have it.

So why should you watch 9 End 2 Outs?

Firstly, because it shows a story about two lifelong friends falling in love in a very realistic way – they don’t fall for each other instantly, it’s a long process that makes you believe that this CAN happen in a real life. You won’t find here a vicious ex or a third party who does everything in his/her might to separate the main couple; the biggest obstacle that Nan Hee and Hyung Tae have to overcome is their fear that when they’ll change their relationship they’ll lose a precious friend.

Secondly, the acting. I have to say that both Soo Ae and Kee Jung Jin have done a marvelous job portraying characters who are ”maybe something more than friends”. When I watched them bickering I felt like they really knew each other very well, when they supported each other it looked real and when they started to question their relationship it made me understand their dilemmas. Even if their love story is not passionate or full of bold kisses it’s not boring, it draws you completely into their world.

Thirdly, the atmosphere of the drama as a whole. This one is really heartwarming, maybe because of the relationship between Nan Hee and Hyung Tae: their comfortable friendship, their maturity and their obvious caring for each other and as for the plot mostly the lack of bigger twists – the story is flowing steadily in its own pace.

I gave this drama an 8 because, let’s face it, it’s not something that makes you stunned by its greatness or creativity, but still is worth watching (and rewatching!). If you’re looking for a realistic story about mature people, this one is for you.

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