This review may contain spoilers
Lamps, roses and foam
The novelty of these short c dramas hasn't worn off yet, so I might be a bit too generous with ratings but, man, aren't they so much fun to watch? I am a sucker for butterflies inducing chemistry and time slip (groundhog day and fall into a novel/drama ) tropes and here I was served! Basically, I want more!The plot is same as in many other dramas (a girl falls into a novel as a secondary character and falls for the main lead) but the execution is perfect: you can see that the budget was not limited too much since the sets and costumes were imposing!
There is nothing much to say about the plot itself since it had been done before many many time so we get to see again the same old tropes of palace battles for power, evil step mother and concubine, a second brother in love with the queen and the queen herself melting the king's cold and cruel heart with her joy and quirkiness. See, already seen!
I only wished the ending were a bit longer and that they explained it better though it was fairly obvious but I needed a few more scenes in the present. It needed one more episode! Maybe it was explained in the second season!
The chemistry was nice but apart from a couple of steamy kisses it was really tame. The main leads' banter and interactions were fun to watch and sparkly.
The high production value was very much obvious but for one thing: foam used for snow did not look like snow at all so the actors covered in foam looked like someone who came out of the bath when the water suddenly stopped running! The music was the usual violins and flutes and zither but I liked it since it is very earwormy....I cannot get it out of my head. But that happens with every short historical c drama (the only kind of c drama I watch!).
I watched it on viki: fortunately they have it because on youtube there are so many soundless parts (I gather it has to do with music rights!).
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A Good Short Drama Packed with Emotions
If you're looking for something short, yet has the ability to evoke a range of emotions, then this is the drama for you. For such a short drama, the pacing is decent, although transitions can be a bit choppy at times. The actors are decent, and the chemistry between the ML and FL is worth watching. It could even be considered a very short, comedic version of period dramas like Scarlet Heart, with the FL transmigrating to Ancient China, and the usual angst inherent in such romance plot lines. The ending is satisfactory, so if you want a short drama that can make you laugh, cry, and then feel more or less content, then give this a try!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Might Be Better if Longer
When I watched this I never know that this will only be packed up in 3 episodes.What makes me annoyed in mostly Chinese dramas, some dramas will end up better or even very good if they make them shorter, but they just keep dragging the stories by adding unimportant scenes and unimportant casts (that if you delete those cast and scenes, it will give no effect to the main story)... but not this one
I think the story will be better if they packed it in 12 - 16 episodes. I love the idea of shorting the Queen's efforts to come back to her world. She tries her best, like every way but failed. But it just TOO RUSHED while the writer desperately wanted to deliver all the idea in their head. So... basically, I kinda feel like looking at a summary cut of a drama on Youtube. The timeline is messed up, how long the Prince effort to makes the Queen falls for him, how long the Prince starts to fall for the Queen, how long the Queen needs to forgive the Prince for his attempt to kill her. Making all the characters remember that they've already had the same situation before, also a kind of weird idea to rushed this up.
If they only have money to make 3 eps of drama, I think they have to change the story itself. Some web dramas on Youtube are extremely good. This is not the kind of story which in my opinion can prettily sum up in 3 eps... or maybe the writer is not very good at making a short story.
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Saving Grace: The Chemistry
Honestly, while the story seemed all over the place, it was still surprisingly engrossing to watch. I just wish the writers were able to fix the continuity of the story; it would have made such a difference and could have helped in making this web drama amazing.The chemistry between the main leads is already there. Their sweet interactions just have a certain spark that can't be faked. I just hoped that the growth of the male lead was explained more clearly, it would have made their story much more engrossing.
Also, I find the ending quite confusing... While I understand this may have been a low budget web drama, I truly believe that some editing on the storyline, would have made everything way better.
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Plot hijinks, body snatcher style
I like short form c-dramas but not all such dramas are created equal. Some writers and directors have cracked the code to produce a rollicking fun ride while others just come across as cheap and nasty. This show is somewhere in the middle. There is a workable central story, but the delivery is problematic.We start with the FL being magically transported into a costume drama and she has to play a role until she return to the present. We are not told how or why this happens. Each time she dies, the loop resets and she start all over again. This device can work a treat and the show certainly milk it for some laughs early on. However, it doesn't last. Once the story enters the rom-com phase, we start to see cracks in the narrative, and it becomes a lot less inventive.
Part of the appeal of a short drama is that the script is tighter, and the narrative is more focused. The flip side to that is a show can also wander down the garden path for too long, thinking it has plenty of time only to have to wrap everything up in a rush and leave zombie threads behind. Unfortunately, this show is heading in that direction. It feels like the original displacement idea kick started the project, but the bulk of the show ends up being the typical palace intrigue/enemy-to-lover trope. There is barely a hint of the FL being from the 21st century. There are the odd throwaway lines but that's about it. The FL certainly doesn't use her modern knowledge to gain an advantage. The FL is also surprisingly accepting of her fate and settles right into court life without efforts. There is little outward signs of initial shock nor confusion which is baffling.
I waited for the plot to twist to give some raison d’etre for the FL’s role but I must have missed it when I blinked. Yes, she is supposed to be the daughter of an influential general but why is she marked for death, repeatedly? There are mumblings about inner court power struggles, but it feels like the usual catch-all explanation. How does that fit into the original displacement plot or is it the other way around? It is like watching one plot being subsumed by another, body snatcher style.
Motivation is key to explain actions and we are given plenty but they don't gel together, it is more like motivation du scène.
To further complicate things, the usual inner court shenanigans are on full display and often push the main plot aside. All that manoeuvring make the proceedings very busy but yielded little. The show finally cuts to the chase and the OTP falls in love as mandated by the drama gods. The process is contrived and quite predictable. This is not helped by the weak chemistry of the leads. The show tried to tick all the boxes to convince us that they are fated but the show also put in subplots that will definitely push them apart. The script is a bit bipolar in that regard. That is a pitfall of a short drama, you still have to get the job done but you have to do it more creatively or it will be just like flipping through a playbook of tropes.
The leads did a passable job on the acting front. The support cast is a mix bag as you would expect with limited time and budget. Speaking of limited budget, this is reflected in the production value as well. It ranges from decent to questionable. Which bring us to the final point. It is a dubious decision to make this a court drama. The palace intrigue angle is old school and the tropey subplots are easy pickings but of questionable merits. The palace setting also necessitate more elaborate sets and fancier costumes. Monies which could have been spend more wisely.
The ending feels rushed and doesn’t gel with me. It is no surprised that she went back to the real world but is this a zero-sum game? What does it achieves? Who is the man at the final scene? Is he the King or the actor and why would he remember her? It is the tropey HEA ending we had to have but doesn’t deserve.
In the end, the show is short and watchable. There are fun and swoon-y moments. The bigger issues of inconsistent behaviours, muddled motivations and a somewhat wasted fish out of water setup kept it from reaching any real heights. The sleight-of-hand escape in the end is a cop out in my book. I needed some strong rose tinted glasses to enjoy this show. Peace out.
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If a YouTube editor was allow to edited a full show to three video...but very surprising good show
I saw this as a three episodes show and found out it was 9 minutes 18 episodes. Original, I landed on this show when it didn’t have English subtitles and was confused but it looked funny. I thought the production was cheap and the acting was ok, but I only show the first 5 mins and just put it aside. Recently, it pop up again on my feed and it had subtitles, so I decided to watch the first episode. I am glad I did. I finished in one sitting. It was addictive. The beginning was still confusing even with subtitles, and setting seem cheap at place. However, I found main actresses costume to pretty good. I have seen really bad costumes in similar web show that borderline to awful.The main actresses was what made this show, her characters design is similar to all same that find these transmigration stories, but the actress give her characters lovable feeling and make you rooted for her. The main male acting was ok. The only bad actor I thinks is the second male lead.
The only thing I think is a draw back is the choppiness of editing those 18 episode into 3 episodes. The flow was not good and jumpily from one scene to the next. However, this can be the script or shooting for 9 min shoot or original editing for the show. There is a lot of potholes, but I can easily over look it for overall plot.
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Charming & Condensed
The writing is the bane and the boon.On one hand its so fast paced theres no room for dillydally. On the other skipping scenes to scenes i wish for better continuity. You can say the writer is on steroids.
If you like time travel this may be your cup of tea. Despite being a budget drama, costumes and actors were on point. And despite the story being rushed the first and second third, it manage to be cohesive and deliver an emotional rollercoaster of a drama.
Lastly theres no hanging ending..much to be my delight.
Bonus theres a sequel with the same leads.
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short, doesn't drag, can finish it in one day since in total it's around 3 hours long
Cons:
due to its length, I feel like sometimes the plot jumps / there's not enough explanation so it can be confusing trying to figure out everything
I didn't love or hate this show. It's good if you're just looking for something short to watch and don't want to commit to a full-length drama but I found the plot lacking and it made it hard for me to really root for the characters so it wasn't that satisfying to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
one confusing short drama
Watch this for my 2022 Alphabet Drama / Movie Challenge. Expect nothing much but good comedy and decent plot. But unfortunately even I only expect that 2 from this drama, still it can't deliver.Fair warning... I will gonna complain a lot & give a full blown about the plot. If you don't want to know just skip my review then...
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What a confusing plot. At first episode we already face with the statement: "I'm Liang Wei Wei, without reason I'm becoming a queen in costume drama." And the next scene come the consort & she make love with our king & murderer happen the next day.... HELLO.... What the hell happen? Who is Liang Wei Wei (WW)? We get a glimpse that she maybe comes from the future through phone. But where the hell is our explanation? And WW herself not even confuse with the whole thing that happen, she knows that even she died she will in the loop where the day will gonna repeat itself...? HOW.....?!
And the end also What The Hell....????!!! What happen with the glitch that happen to our king...? And the final where she get out from the 'drama' how the hell she know....
Don't make me even start with the uncle. Is he bad...? Did he really do everything for our king...? Or maybe he himself that really want to rebelled....?
UGH... What a really confusing plot.
But how ever I really like our king in the end. How he fall in love with WW, gain trust of her. & their chemistry quite good.
If only this drama have more decent plot of how WW got into the drama I really gonna give quite high rating, because yeah like Archem099 wrote everything quite there. The romance, the story, the politics. Really unfortunate it has very very confusing plot that explained nothing....
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It Could have Been Better
Can anything make me more frustrating then this drama. I felt bad for the actors because it could have been better then this. From the past to the present you don't know where you are. It is reality or a video. From being married and acting in love or were they really in love. The writer has us in so many places you can enjoy the episode. This is already a short drama and the writer just confuses us more. I really like the lead female but then I kept wondering was she a strong athletic female or a weak I am going to do everything you tell me. The lead male character you hate then you like then you hate then left me blanked. I felt bad for the actors who I could see were trying their best with the scrip. I can't really say what the plot to the story was because there was no real plot. I did like the ending because they stay together or maybe I was just glad it was over.Was this review helpful to you?
