Reviews

Breathtaking and affecting.

Kim Tae Ri as Yun Jeong Nyeon ate this role. In every scene she captured attention.
Her character was very flawed, arrogant, headstrong, prideful and joyous, and generous. Awestruck with her singing ability, she remained true to herself throughout.
Ultimately Jeong Nyeon was on a mission and her voice was her ticket to freedom from mediocrity and her determination was the candle she had fired up. At times it was painful to watch and I kept hoping someone would save her from her actions. There are others in this story and I felt that all of them let her down in their own way.

This was so unlike any other drama I had watched and this female lead was truly a hero, if only onstage. She starred in her own life production as the star.

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Waaay too dark

I don't mean that the show is emotionally dark, I do mean that there is hardly any lighting! That's my pet peeve about this show - probably 40% of it happens in the dark and the sets are underlit. It's hard to make out what's happening unless you watch in a dark room. If you're someone who has a home theatre, good for you! I had to put my laptop in a box to make out what was happening.

The plot twists and turns so quickly that you really have to pay attention. However it's really hard to do so when the sets are so dark and difficult to make out what's happening. The director must like using 'natural' lighting like moonlight to illuminate the faces. Frankly, everyone looks the same when you can only see their silhouette or side profile. In the end, I had to catch up by relying on recaps to 'illuminate' the plot twists and turns.

Aside from that, everything else about the show was great - the pacing and particularly the acting by all the main and supporting actors was phenomenal . Hence I had downgraded my original rating of 8.5 to 9 that I rated when I started the show because of this. I know the director is trying to create a certain dark, dreary and 'doubtful' mood but it's frustrating.

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Rapid/Introduction Review

A Rapid Review on Moonlight-Mystique with quit details.

. Moonlit Mystique will definitely emerges as a captivating addition to the Xianxia genre, setting itself apart with its enchanting narrative and stellar cast.

. Directed by Zhu Ruibin, known for his work on "Ashes of Love," this series promises a blend of fantasy, romance, and drama that keeps viewers hooked from the very beginning.

Plot and Characters:

. The story revolves around Bai Shuo(FL), portrayed by Bai Lu, the youngest daughter of a general who embarks on a journey to cultivate immortality.

. Her path crosses with the powerful demon god Fan Yue(ML) , played by Ao Ruipeng. Their relationship evolves from mutual manipulation to a deep, passionate love, navigating through numerous challenges.

. The chemistry between Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng is electrifying, bringing a fresh dynamic to the screen. The narrative is rich with twists and turns, providing a compelling exploration of love transcending boundaries of immortality and humanity.

Visuals and Production:

. From the get-go, "Moonlit Mystique" impresses with its breathtaking visuals. The costume design, with its intricate details, perfectly captures the essence of a mystical world where gods, demons, and humans coexist.

. The production value is undeniably high, with CGI that does justice to the fantastical elements of the story. Zhu Ruibin's direction ensures that every frame is a feast for the eyes, echoing the grandeur and magic of the Xianxia universe.

Acting and Chemistry:

Bai Lu's portrayal of Bai Shuo is both humorous and poignant, showcasing her versatility as an actress. Her evolution from a sheltered young girl to a fierce, determined goddess is compelling.

. Ao Ruipeng complements her with a nuanced performance as Fan Yue, embodying the complexity of a demon god with a mysterious past. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, making the romantic arcs genuinely engaging.

Music and Soundtrack:

The OST of "Moonlit Mystique" stands out, with tracks that resonate with the emotional undertones of the series. The new song released for the drama has been noted for giving viewers "goosebumps," perfectly encapsulating the journey of Bai Shuo through its melody and lyrics.

In Conclusion:

. The "Moonlit Mystique" combines traditional Xianxia elements with a unique storyline that feels both fresh and nostalgic. It's a testament to how modern storytelling can revitalize beloved genres.

. With its strong performances, stunning production, and a narrative that balances romance, action, and intrigue, this drama is not just recommended; it's a must-watch for fans of Chinese-fantasy dramas.

. The anticipation surrounding its release is well-justified, setting high expectations for it to be one of the standout dramas of 2025.

NOTE:

Don't get confused of why there is a review prior to the drama's release. __That's why this is a rapid Review with quick details.

Please get to know the different types of reviews such as; (1) Rapid-reviews (2) Integrative-reviews (3) Scoping-reviews.

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Well, kept me entertained until the end.

PROS:
- Lots of interesting dishes and chefs
- Good pacing (I notice this about lots of Korean shows actually)
- Generally entertaining and keeps you interested. I think most people would be able to watch until the end as a result.
- Creative competitions. Tofu Hell was really interesting despite being completely brutal.

CONS:
- Obvious maneuvering as others have said to keep the number of "black spoons" and "white spoons" even; this took away some of the show's excitement and appeal IMO and gave it that "scripted" feel
- Too much screen time for some characters/contestants, too little for others. I know that's not a big thing, but some contestants made it quite far and got a total of five minutes of screen time while others who didn't make it as far got much more.

TLDR; I think this show mostly achieved what it was aiming for and is definitely entertaining/worth a watch.

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Great leads chemistry with an interesting premise, but lacks other well-written side stories.

If you are a romance lover, then “Smile Code” is worth checking out. The premise is interesting in depicting a male lead with alexithymia aka emotional blindness. It reminded me of “Love and Redemption” where the female lead is deprived of her six senses. In the case of our male lead, Liang Dai Wen, developed a psychological trait/condition and has difficulties in identifying, understanding and expressing emotions. As you can tell, this poses a great challenge in having romantic relationships.

Gu Yi, female lead, is quite the exact opposite. She is full of life, full of emotions and energy. In fact, it was quite hard and embarrassing to see her ‘throw’ herself in Dai Wen’s direction and being somewhat clingy to him. This girl has the patience and understanding of a goddess, and is in no way deterred from Dai Wen’s coldness and hard words.

If you like opposites attract, this is an interesting watch. Shen Yue and Lin Yi have great chemistry together, even during the earlier episodes when Dai Wen is a robot. Their scenes are cute and feel natural. Throughout the development of their relationship, I believe in them and really root for them. Despite some rough times (and you know there will be due to Dai Wen’s condition), their challenges feel realistic and acceptable. I have to say, the only time I cringed a little is during the few episodes when the ‘robot’ Dai Wen comes out of his shell and starts learning cheesy pick up lines from his assistant, idol dramas and god knows where. Towards the last quarter of the drama, their romance is sweet and fluffy, and I also feel the love they have for each other. Their relationship is healthy and communicative.

The other romances don’t take up too much screen time. Even though I like the setup of the romance between Yu Du Le (Zou Ting Wei) and Guan Xing Xin (Zhang Tian Ai). But unfortunately, the chemistry is lacking. I don’t think Zhang Tian Ai’s acting is matching that of Zou Ting Wei in the more emotional scenes. The more mature couple takes up even less screen, even though they have better chemistry than the other couple. I guess when you have two veteran actors, they make the best of their little screen time. I also like Xu Guan Rui as the ‘third wheel’. To me, he’s dreamy and caring, and really wants what’s best for Gu Yi (professionally and personally). He might display animosity towards Dai Wen, but I chalked that up as he doesn’t know of his situation, therefore, cannot comprehend why Gu Yi never gave up and continues to stick by Dai Wen’s side. Once he knew of the situation, he apologizes and admits his poor behavior. I think it takes character to man up and own his poor actions and words, especially in front of a love rival.

Despite loving the main romance and the reason for a solid rating, the drama is longer than it should be. There are times when the plot is not moving much, and all it does is showing the day-to-day life of the couple and their friends. Don’t expect a business drama, but I do love the mentor/mentee relationship between Gu Yi and her supervisor, Jie Kui Lin.

It also doesn’t have a central focus on stand-up comedy like the recently aired drama “Later, I laughed”. The jokes in “Smile Code” are not as good, and stand-up comedy does not play a very important role in this drama, aside from a place where people gather, and a very minor plot in the end, which I dislike since it’s quite uncharacteristic for the female lead to get in trouble this way. She’s a senior writer/editor, and has been working for years. There’s no way she would fall for such a scheme, especially after consulting with his best friend and boyfriend. But I guess they need her to do so, in order to resolve another situation.

Oh, how can I forget the lovely, sweet and memorable Wang Mei Xia (FL’s mother). Not only do I love the mother/daughter relationship, I also love the friendship between her and Dai Wen. There’s not enough scenes of Mrs. Wang Mei Xia. She’s like sunshine shining on some of the more boring moments.

I would recommend this drama only for those who are fans of the lead couple, cute romance or interested in checking out a drama about alexithymia. Otherwise, “Smile Code” doesn’t have enough meaty and well-written plotlines to keep viewers interested. I did have a mostly enjoyable time binge-watching it.



Completed: 1/3/2025 - Review #533

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Like the actual trunk - pretty but ultimately meaningless

Early in, it became clear that this show wouldn't be able to deliver on all everything it was promising. There was just too much dramatics and build up that felt unfocused, like suspense for suspense’s sake. Nothing the characters did seemed to make sense, especially Lee Seoyeon and the leads’ reactions to her. It just felt like this show was trying to be deep without knowing how to be. Somehow, I still followed along because I did feel some connection to the leads. That and a partially interesting soundtrack was the only reason I kept going, but in the end it just wasn’t worth it.

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Laughs, feels, and chaos with Ayaka and Hiroko’s campy love story.

It was giving two extremely oblivious women who are crazy in love and it's extremely over the top (one of its charms and appeal of course). If you're looking for something fun and cheesy, Ayaka is In Love with Hiroko is definitely the watch for you. Yes, it's camp as hell.

As usual, the highly expressive acting style it has isn't for me, but it's what gave life to the show so it wasn't a downer, more like it made it more of an unserious watch for me and made it more of a watch for its enjoyability more than figuring out its quality as a series because it's way too short to be considered a great series to be quite honest. Acting also felt unnatural and stiff during the emotional scenes, but it's tolerable.

I mean what else can I say besides I was laughing, giggling, and kicking my feet during the entire thing. This is definitely one of those shows wherein you don't need to think at all and just enjoy the ride and shenanigans.

The story is quite cute, exploring themes such as inner feelings, self restraint, self expression, and going out of your shell, all these made the entire thing an easy watch. It also managed to get you in your feels whenever necessary which is something I always appreciate in shows.

As someone who deals with problems similarly to how Hiroko deals with hers, I felt seen and represented. Ayaka's dialogues and how she managed to open Hiroko's mind and eyes to the stuff she needs to work on with herself was such an important aspect of this story that's underrated.

Overall, it's an extremely adorable, enjoyable, enlightening show that's worth the watch for the laughs, feels, and realizations.

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I love it until...

I love Zhou Ye so I watched this due to her and so many positive reviews BUT my mistake was checking the last episode after I watched 5 episodes and ruined my mood. I just want a happy ending so I checked. And I am glad. So the episodes I only watched are ep 1-5 and 29, 30.

Here's my take. Zhou Ye's acting is great. She made me cry on the last 2 episodes. I didn't like the ending at all. That was a cruel ending making the rest of the story useless. The whole story is just a dream so I was pissed. I actually hope it is not but I am glad I checked early on. The whole story was made up by her traumatized mind and spirit. This is why I am putting it as 5 star and no, I won't rewatch nor check other episodes because it's all a dream.

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The first 3 eps are confusing but as the story progresses, you'll come to understand it.

Atlast! I finished it. The first 3 eps are confusing but as the story progresses, you'll come to understand it. At first it was running in circles but when you reached episode 4, every pieces goes on. The alley always almost got me screaming. Que horror! It was so terrifying so you should watch it with the lights on. I'll give the PR a 5 for that. What I really liked is the story of the hiker and the dog. But what surprises me is Eunsoo's acting when his mom forcedlly (?) gave her "the light". I always knew that she acts really good when I watched her in Twinkling Watermelon but, bro, she devoured it in Light Shop. And guess who is Ajussi's ttal. Anyway, I recommend watching this slowly because it will surely finish you when you binge watch it. The acting and the storyline both deserve to be slowly absorbed.
Reserve your tissues! Enjoy watching :>>

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Te estressa no início mas que aquece o coração depois de tanto amor e fofura.

O c-drama com mais casais que já vi e que coisa linda. Foi emocionante ver o crescimento e amadurecimento de cada personagem, principalmente o da Qin Shi Yue. A atmosfera familiar de amor e comunhão é uma delícia de ver e as osts complementam ainda mais as cenas. Eles abordam muito bem o trabalho dos dois protagonistas, mostrando aos espectadores novos horizontes. Senti falta de aprofundamento dos casais secundários e outros coadjuvantes, que poderia muito bem substituir a tensão e todo o drama desnecessário da Zhen Shu Yi e do Shi Yan. Mas o ponto alto da decepção foi a desculpa da Shu Yi pro Shi Yan que demorou 5 episódios no mínimo pra ser algo sem profundidade e sinceridade.
Antes de dar play, tenha em mente que os primeiros 20 episódios podem parecer lentos pois esperamos por romance e ganhamos só migalhas nessa etapa. Me frustei pois buscava uma coisa que o drama não me proporcionou mas insisti e valeu a pena (isso não é só sobre c-dramas kkk). Meu coração encheu de alegria nos últimos dez episódios e fiquei apaixonada por cada personagem a medida que eles evoluíam.
No geral, é uma série muito boa mesmo com um ritmo lento na metade da história, mas que compensa no final com tudo e mais um pouco que esperamos. Recomendo para aqueles dramalovers pacientes que estão dispostos a mergulhar na trama e esperar o melhor por vir.

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Good Show Done Bad

I'm so disappointed in this season for multiple reasons. For me, the first two seasons were really good and I liked the direction they took but I think the production crew let the success get to their heads because this season was nothing short of a mess. I guess this is technically reality TV so things are scripted but I hate how messy it was. In seasons 1 and 2, there was more of a friendship vibe going on meaning that even if you left there without a boyfriend you had good friends. Like last season there was Jun-seong, Yung-hee, and Hyung-jun and they were such a great trio. This season we just saw argument after argument. If Young-jun and Myeong gyun weren't fighting there was the whole situation with Jae-sung, Seong-min, and Hwi. It was truly annoying and a waste of my time. I know some people like drama in dating shows but it's personally not for me. It doesn't have to be sunshine and rainbows all the time but when it's just constantly drama after drama it gets really boring really fast. Hwi and Seung-jin were the only truly likable people they were chill and their friendship is what saved this season for me. Tbh I wouldn't recommend this to anyone if they want a cute fluffy dating show. All the tears and arguments were off-putting and I wish they could've communicated better without being unclear or trying to tear the other person's head off.

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