Queue Card Says, "this scene is sad! Be very sad now."

I dropped this like a sack of potatoes.

I'll only continue watching this god-awful drama by utilizing their overwrought, lazy reminder about the Di family's misfortune for a drinking game. My lord. The repetition of which writers felt it necessary to remind us about their tragedy as if we're drooling cows incapable of comprehension. I'm honestly surprised they didn't break into a slow-cadenced song for toddlers, explaining the plot and "why we should be sad" to us.

I loved Gong Jun in Word of Honor. His facial expressions were animated and emoted hysteria, rage, flirtatiousness, and love with a sometimes exaggerated flair that added to his character's flamboyance in the most exhilarating way. He was a color of beige in this drama, and it's a real shame. Plus, how many times is he gonna be thrown off a cliff? This drama makes it, what, 5?

Dilraba's acting will never convince me. I don't know if she's ever experienced real-life trauma (or proper coaching) in a way that gives her gravitas for her heavier scenes; she just looks like she's Dilraba acting sad. Her grief never convinces me. The earlier episodes with her sassy flirtatiousness were more believable, and they were funny enough.

The dubbing didn't do Gong Jun or Dilraba any favors. In the BTS, Gong Jun's acting was more believable when hearing his real voice. I'd like to know if soon, he'll dub his roles. His real voice is not terrible at all. He's got a nice voice that needs work with his accent and enunciation. Undoubtedly that can be coached. Dilraba's dubber did a pretty okay job. I had a huge issue with how often the dubbing was mismatched from their lips. Mouths moving when no words were coming, or seeing the very obvious line changes. It was really distracting and I kept trying to watch the drama through different platforms to see if it was the drama itself, or the quality of my stream. Overall, I had many expectations that fell so very flat. The book will remain one of my all-time favorites, this drama was many shades of nope.

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The longggggg road home.

Romance and Jing Boran could only keep my interest for so long.

More time was spent on propaganda and off-screen dramatic character changes than on even-paced writing. Significant character personality shifts made little sense because all major conflict resolutions happened off-screen. I didn't care for the drawn-out military montages of our ML being a super badass and the long-winded explanations of "sacrifice for the motherland." It felt on-the-nose and unnatural to say to another person when there were no cameras around. On the plus, the drama is a visual feast for the eyes with overviews of isolated, snow-covered towns, prairies of ice and trees, and Jing Boran's perfectly placed eye mole.

I'm excited to continue watching Jing Boran in future dramas, but this one was hard to like after a while. The pacing was too slow, conflicts weren't fully fleshed out on-screen, and I hoped to feel a broader emotional spectrum to match the 30-episode watch duration. Still, there was no talent shortage from every actor (including the child actor). I'd blame my dislikes for the drama on writing and pacing more than anything else because, at the end of the day, if you're looking for a drama that's a feast for the eyes without much to sate your hunger, you'll leave satisfied anyway.

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amidst the thorns, a boy saves a girl from her gilded tower

The drama begin's on an awkwardly shot episode filled with poorly acted foreigners and even worse English-speaking scenes. I don't think Korea will ever work out the kinks of English-speaking scenes so they're less awkward and unnatural. I'll give the production crew credit for filming on set in Cuba; it's a beautiful location that allowed the poorly strung scenes to immerse me in the story.

Once our CP met in Korea, I fell in love. The plot structure is organized from start to finish and surprisingly well-crafted for a chaebol family drama. I was invested in our CEO's plight and, for a while, even pitied her ex-husband after learning his back story. As we watch our CP's romance blossom, it's both elevated and tested through a sweeping and turbulent "sea monster" that threatens to overtake their sails (as gorgeously depicted in the whimsically illustrated intro/outro imagery).

I remember encountering (heheh) this drama a few years ago and having difficulty pressing the play button. I think it was because I was unimpressed with Song Hye-Kyo's facial acting and thought I was in for a wooden ride. After watching her latest drama, The Glory, I knew the power of her acting and the nuance of her performance. This drama did not disappoint.

I'm still surprised with myself for watching 16 episodes of a drama that isn't Chinese wuxia/xianxia, or fantasy-related, as is my usual schtick. I was hoping for some gorgeous Park Bo Gum scenes and angst, and I got it all and more. Also, thank you, drama Gods, for giving me beautiful kiss scenes. Their chemistry, albeit surprising, warms on me, and I found myself cheesily smiling and crying along with them.

If you're considering watching this drama, give it a shot. Don't let the first episode or two fool you; it'll quickly hit its flow and charm you with its fairy-tale-like romance.

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Another drama made victim by MDL's stupid rating system; this underbudget drama has big heart

I had a lot of fun watching Chen Feiyu's impressive improvement in acting after watching him in Ever Night. It was obvious to me from the start that he's a natural-born actor, but his facial acting and emotional scenes needed work in Ever Night. He did his homework; all of the issues I had with his acting in Ever Night were completely eradicated in LoA. His emotional scenes were also beautifully done (I'm lookin' at you, Ep 16!). I'm glad I didn't allow the MDL rating to sway me; this was a great drama to watch, and I'll miss staring at Chen Feiyu's gorgeous face (period costumes and long hair look *so good* on him).

Pros:
- Chen Feiyu leveled up acting from Ever Night
- Chen Feiyu dubbing himself (he's got a fantastic voice, and he's one of the very few capable of carrying the same emotion in the post-production dubbing).
- His band of friends, his sister, and the 5th Court disciples.
- His shifus'
- W.H.U.M.P - lots of yummy loads of Chen Feiyu whump.
- OST was overall great
- Despite the comically low budget, every sect had distinct colors, set designs, and hairstyles which made any issues I may have had with my suspension of disbelief over cheaply made weapons or wigs, to be pretty evenly balanced out. Thankfully, Chen Feiyu's hair was nice (some of those wigs were synthetic monstrosities).
- Main characters didn't have plot armor; some people I liked were killed off (and some I was pretty thankful about >_>)
- Whump had continuity (for the most part). People didn't just magically get better in the next scene or episode.
- Satisfying ending

Cons:
- Plot pacing (it got pretty drawn out near the end)
- The FL is easily the worst actress I've ever seen, and I had to eventually FF her scenes
- Although it didn't hinder my ability to enjoy the drama, the weapons were cosmically cheap. Like, I could see the seams in the styrofoam swords, cheap.
- Some villains were too "classic-cartoon" evil with their diabolical cackling and over-the-top acting. I wouldn't say that's a storyline error more than the actor's issue.

Overall- worth a watch, especially if you're a lover of Chen Feiyu and his pretty face.

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I haven't been this excited about a drama since I first saw The Lord of The Rings.

It's an ambitious, all-encompassing story that made me feel excitement like I felt when I first watched The Lord of The Rings (which has stood the test of time as my all-time favorite over 20 years since it first aired). The world-building and the scale of storytelling, history, lore, and brotherhood are engrossing to such an extent I couldn't think much of anything else during the duration I spent with this drama (until maybe the last 15 or so episodes when I got impatient). Also, the eye candy in this is no joke. I was gobsmacked by how beautiful Shawn Dou's Muru Han Jiang and Huang Xuan's Muyun Sheng were. Both actors were meant to play these roles. My goodness. Extra kudos to the incredible child actors who played their younger counterparts. Not only did they look almost identical, but they played the characters perfectly (I also really enjoyed their acting in Love In Between, in which they both starred).

To the naysayers - ignore them. If you're into long-scale epic fantasy stories like The Lord of The Rings or Game of Thrones, stories that take patience with their development, world-building, and story-telling, then you'll be riveted by this. Frustrating caveat: (SPOILER) All of the suspense building to the ultimate prophecy ends up leaving us on major cliffhangers and it doesnt seem like we'll ever get a sequel.

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A short, cold glass of lemonade in the summer heat.

The Good:
- Choo Young Woo (Han Ji Yul). His character was imperfect, but he looked and felt like a tall glass of water in every scene. He's got the physique and presence of the main lead to the point it's so glaringly obvious amongst all of the townsfolk. He really does look like a Seoulite, so the casting choice for him was well done. I also enjoy his acting; he's apt for physical comedy, and I often laughed at his facial expressions and awkward body contortions. I hope he gets a more serious role next time. He looks like he'd do well in a police thriller or a more mature melodrama. I can see him getting a lot of success, especially at his young age.

-The setting. The town is believable, quaint, picturesque, and so realistically presented within this story-book-like cinematography that I could feel the heat and the sun just by watching our characters uncomfortable squirm on their bikes or while picking peaches under the country sun.

-Episode/series length. It was just long enough. I wouldn't have enjoyed hour-long episodes or a full 16-episode storyline.

-Chemistry between Han Ji Yul and Yun Hyeong, and Ji Yul with her cop colleagues

-The animals! Han Ji Yul is a veterinarian and is not just used as a plot device! He's actually working throughout the series and handling large animals. I liked that, and it gave the story more heart. It felt believable, and I enjoyed how the animals were often intertwined in the story.

The Not So Good:
-Unoriginal, cliche-laden storyline. Don't go into it expecting the drama to reinvent the wheel. I didn't, and I enjoyed it for what it was (although I skipped the 2FL and 2ML storylines entirely). I'd just come off a few heavy horror/thriller dramas, so this was my calm respite.

-Joy is not a good actress. The positive reviews are laden with Red Velvet fans, and that's fine, but let's not pretend she can act. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes at the fake cutesy laughs. I understand it may have been how her character was written, but it was often overly forced and unnatural. She had fine moments, but even broken clocks are right twice a day.

-Out of 12 episodes, they're only dating for 2, so it took way too long. I liked them dating. They were cute.

*I had a hard time rating this drama because it offers nothing new or very memorable on paper, but I enjoyed it. I often laughed or smiled (and even shed a tear or two), and I'm looking forward to more projects with the ML.

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soapy melodrama that doesn't reinvent any wheels. if you like this genre, you'll like this drama.

TLDR: mixed feelings all around. It's soapy. It's cheesy. Nothing new. If you're going into it as a fan of this specific subgenre (military/medical patriotic drama w/melodrama romance), you'll be fine. It was too cheese and unrealistic for me.

- The music is tonally heavy-handed, which I guess is expected for this genre (military/medical melodrama). The main OST for our CP: You Are My Everything - by Gummy is unbearably corny and overbearing. I hate it with a fiery passion. It cheapens every scene our CP is in and comes in loud and over the top every time. I like the song that plays between Dae Young and Myung Joo. It's uber pretty and reflects the yearning they feel for each other. That song is called "Once Again" - by Mad Clown & Kim Na Young.

- Chemistry between Shi-jin and Dae Young is more fun to watch than that between Shin Jin with Mo Yeon.

- I was invested in the relationship between Dae Young and Myung Joo from the very first moment. Talk about sizzling chemistry, yearning, and a n g s t.

- Foreign dramas constantly hiring non-American/poor English speaking actors to play "dumb Americans" always gives me the b i g g e s t eye roll. Beyond cringe. More cringe points for hiring awful F-list foreign actors for all of the American and Arab English-speaking parts. It's hard to watch; thank god for fast-forward.

- Despite the cringe English speaking portions and the Superhero music whenever Song Joon Ki blinks, I've been warming up to the drama more and more. Her dumping him (she had a valid reason that neither I nor Joon-Ki's character could fault her for) and the time skip helped greatly.

- Ep 6 note: Why TF would a doctor travel to a solar plant site collapse post-Earthquake in heels? Only to make a dramatic show of smacking those heels on a metal structure, so they fall off. D R A m A. *eye roll*
How many goodbyes and slow-walking away scenes will we need to watch? For the umpteenth time. Loses its effect.

-Ep 14: Hi, when you're shot MULTIPLE times and just suffered cardiac arrest, you're not strong enough to SIT UP and WALK moments later. Come on.

TLDR: People who like this genre will likely eat it up. I think I had higher hopes for it because of the high rating and because I'm a Song Joon Ki fan, but it was too sappy and unrealistic to appreciate. I liked the secondary couple storyline and the camaraderie between the soldiers more than the CP, by a long shot. There's nothing special about this drama; I feel my time could have been better spent elsewhere.

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it'll change your standard for xianxia/xuanhuan's forever: a delicious fever dream fairytale

The easiest way to describe Cang Lan Jue is as if someone plucked all of my favorite tropes from my 15-year-old brain and added loads of Renaissance and art nouveau imagery, gorgeous hair, fiery chemistry (both on screen and BTS), and a healthy dollop of physical and emotional whump.

- The writing:
It's one of the tightest, cleanest (narratively speaking) scripts I've ever seen in a cdrama. There are no superfluous storylines, the pace is engaging and well-thought-out, and there are deliciously written tie-ins and callbacks to seemingly simple gestures and actions written within the drama that consistently add layers of meaning to every little thing. Traditional tropes are written in but are often completely subverted or altered with nuance and creative flair. Those who would traditionally be evil can very well be the golden-hearted heroes. The heroes we're manipulated into believing (even the story at the very beginning of this drama lies to us and misrepresents the facts) can easily be the true face of villainy.

- The relationships and chemistry:
There are many relationships written within this drama that help drive the narrative and shed light on history's past. I fell in love with the people of Cangyan Sea, and those closest to DFQC. There isn't a single person who doesn't go through some type of hardship or self-discovery, and those we meet at the beginning of the drama have often changed several shades. Some platonic relationships are unexpected and some of the most engaging factors of joy, especially in the mortal realm arc. The love story between DFQC (fondly referred to as Moon from here on out) and Orchid is the greenest, most wholesome, and healthy relationship I've ever seen in a cdrama. Hands down (I'm lookin' at you, Cheng Yi dramas!) They fill the holes in places the other lacks, and their relationship is rooted in tacit understanding, mutual love, and an unyielding acceptance of each other's true, most bare colors. I became inexplicably attached to their journey. Their chemistry is palpable, both on screen and behind the scenes. Once their relationship is established, there is nary a scene when they're not hand-in-hand or kissing (and the kisses- oh my god!!! no fish kisses here). I particularly enjoyed the special attention to detail with hands and clothing in terms of a visual representation of their relationship and an outer reflection of their inner selves.

- The AESTHETICS *surpassed by no other cdrama I've ever seen*:
Every realm is uniquely detailed and fleshed out, from makeup to forms of magic used to costumes, interior design, architecture, and customs. I haven't been this impressed with world-building since I first watched The Lord of The Rings. A lot of money and thought has gone into this drama, it's blatantly evident within the first episode, and I couldn't stop myself from pausing scenes just to marvel at the live-action art (literally, there is a scene where two immortals are leisurely enjoying wine on a boat, from within an actual painting, and they've been reduced to brush strokes). Arbiter Hall and the forests within Shuiyuntian gave me a lot of Rivendell vibes, especially with the ethereal coloring and iridescent armor. Cangyan Sea (Moon's realm and home) has rich and sophisticated velvet textures, gilded detailing, and layers of deep colors that represent their people's storied history and Moon's enigmatic personality. I was particularly awe-struck by Moon's entire visual. From head to toe, he's a very carefully detailed and supremely handsome character. He's got the nicest hair in cdrama land (or anywhere), and costumes/armor pieces that are flattering and reflective of his inner self. I particularly love his black and gold ensemble, with the gilded gold flares on the sleeves. Devastatingly gorgeous. None of the artistic styles and set design concepts would have been able to properly live and breathe on screen without the equally masterful cinematography, makeup, and lighting. These departments knew exactly what they were doing.

-Acting and OST:
Beautiful OST. Handomsly lends to every scene, particularly scenes between our CP. I also love the atmospheric OST, especially the incredibly eerie track that played whenever an evil spirit or antagonist entered the scene. It always sent chills up my spine.

Favorite tracks:
1. The Other Side - Jing Long, Jing Di Er *every time this track came on, I was a heaving mess.
2. Remaining Love - Zhou Shen *He can never do wrong.
2. Goodbye Love- Faye

I'm particularly proud of Dylan Wang's performance through Cang Lan Jue. Although I've always been fond of him, he's come a long way since his highly criticized performance in Miss The Dragon. He's able to master his facial expressions with very natural and organic body language within each scene; he's particularly strong with his cutesy moments during the body swap hijinks and comes out *very* strong during demanding emotional scenes. His performance during the angst moments in this drama cannot be overstated. He embodies his role as Moon, and the pain that emanates is visceral, profound, and deep. I couldn't help but cry with and for him in those moments. The behind-the-scenes videos of these moments show how deeply he immersed himself in his role, unable to extricate himself easily after the director says "cut." Truly devastatingly gorgeous work. I hope this drama lands him many new rules; it's well deserved.

Orchid is a wonderfully written character that pairs beautifully with our dark and gloomy Moon supreme. I'm glad I didn't allow Esther Yu's higher-pitched voice to deter me from watching the drama. Her voice may turn off some from watching, but I found her endearing fairly quickly. Her character has a lot of growth and a huge heart; it's easy to find reasons to like her, and her voice does change quite a bit throughout the drama.

This isn't your standard cdrama xianxia/xuanhuan fantasy drama. It's not another Cheng Yi drama (although, lord, do I have a soft spot for our "King of Whump."). This drama is like a cleverly and cleanly written fantasy bedtime story, with whimsical demons and fairies and good and evil from the most unexpected places. It's worth every 10-star review it's received.

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missed the mark for me :(

I really wanted to like this. T_T Many people have great things to say about it calling it the underdog and the surprise sleeper hit, but I struggled to connect to it. I didn't like the voice actor for the FL (her real voice is much better), I didn't like the lack of facial expression or vocal emotion on the ML (which never really improves), and I didn't like a large swathe of the actors (his mom, the evil eunuch with his hair obsession, etc.), I didn't like how fake the armor looked (normally I can overlook if the story is good, but the helmets and gauntlets were visibly bending and squishing with every physical movement), and I couldn't get into the mystery, etc.

To be fully transparent, it's at least partially because I just finished Love Like The Galaxy. It completely blew all my expectations into the ether with how good it was (production value, script, costumes, set design, acting, etc.). They're very different dramas, but I don't think I was able to stop myself from constantly comparing the two. Especially since they both seemed to have been filmed in Hengdian, and I could pick out sets they both used in their dramas. Still, I had trouble connecting to the characters and the plot as a standalone drama. I think I needed a more charismatic male lead or more action to keep me locked in. Even the action scenes were unimpressive in how they were filmed; camera angles and shots were taken ultra close to each person, and it felt like a camera trick to hide sloppy choreography.

Plus points for:
- Jing Yi and Leng Yue. They were fantastic characters and super fun to watch.
- The use of animation to explain intricate devices (like the secret stove underneath the house) or autopsy scenes.
- The re-enactment scenes of murders were a quirky and cute way to provide skinship for our otherwise very mild CP.
The drama has many positive points, and I can see how someone who maybe enjoys The Ancient Detective would find this equally, if not more, gravitating.

I'm sure this drama is fantastic for a lot of people, but I think I just need to stick with what I know I like - genres more in line with The Rebel Princess, Love Like The Galaxy, Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, etc.

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Wu Lei & Zhao Lusi's best drama. OST, lighting, cinematography, etc.

I haven't been this invested in a 40+ episode cdrama since I watched The Untamed.

Every aspect of this drama is gorgeously done.
Cinematography, lighting, fight scene choreography, acting, instrumental OST, pacing, story - it's all so rich and wonderfully done. I found myself practically frothing at the mouth, waiting for each episode and deep diving into the MDL discussion section with everyone else as we invested our time and emotions into the nuance of each episode.

The cast is perfect. Everyone (especially the Cheng family, Emperor Wen, and Ling Buyi) is perfectly cast. I've been a huge Wu Lei stan for a long time, but this drama is my favorite of his (Crossfire is a close 2nd). Same for Zhao Lusi. The chemistry within the Cheng family between CSS and her brothers and Yang Yang is wonderful to watch; the chemistry between Qiu Fei, Qiu Qi, and Ling Buyi is always a fantastic ice breaker for more somber scenes, Qi Qi and Cheng Song are cute, and Ling Buyi and CSS have a natural and fiery chemistry that I adore. It's difficult for me to describe how perfect this drama is for me eloquently. I wish MDL didn't force the series to be split into two parts so the discussion board and ratings can stay combined because I adore the ravings of all of our LLTG fanatics in one spot, haha.

**Don't get put off by the slower pacing from Ep 1-7. While it might seem painstaking if you're impatient, world-building is meticulously done for a good reason. By the end of Part 1, you're so invested in the story precisely because it took its time explaining the complexity of each character's personality to a point where unspoken glances speak volumes to you because you understand the nuance of each character and backstory so well. It makes the drama and your investment in it that much more meaningful. I also perused the lower ratings listed and couldn't disagree more with their lazy observations. If you went into this drama with the expectation that it's going to be fast-paced - when right off the bat, you could see it's slated for 56 episodes- you're mistaken. This isn't a 10-episode limited drama. This is a series that has to honor a widely popular book that has a *lot* of content to cover, and for anyone to give a crap, the production needs to put in a lot of effort for us to *understand* and *know* the world our characters live in. You're sorely mistaken if you expect to just jump into the deep end for a long, fiery, ridiculous battle. This is a slow burn (and burn, it surely does!).

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Not as good as Healer. Hope Ji Chang Wook returns to future action dramas.

- I love Ji Chang Wook in action dramas, and I wish he did more of them.

- If I had to choose between this or Healer, Healer would easily win. It's a much more organized drama that's a lot less over-the-top with its dramatics. The romance in Healer is believable and has great chemistry compared to this drama. I think they spent a lot of time on Anna being almost infantile in her behavior because of her trauma, so it felt unnatural to see a romance come from it. Still, it does get a littttttle better later, so I wouldn't say it's a total loss, but it just..doesn't work for me. The relationship from start to finish in Healer is miles better. Mainly because the FL is overall *miles* better than Anna.

- The acting and music in The K2 can be very over the top (not including the agents or Ji Chang Wook, I thought they each did fine). Choi Yoo-Jin was often overly dramatic and almost a caricature of a melodrama villain. It was sometimes too cheesy to watch, and I fast-forwarded most of her scenes. I also skipped most of Anna's emotional scenes in the beginning (she adjusts later!) because I got burnt out from all her crying.

- Choreography in the action scenes was well done. I thought the bathroom scene in the beginning when K2 first showers with the guys he previously beat up were pretty hysterical. I also loved when he "rescued" Choi Yoo-Jin in the meeting when he set off the fire alarm and walked in with an umbrella. Scenes like that helped set the tone for the show and helped me "forget" the sloppier moments.

- I really liked K2 and all of his JSS bodyguard friends who started as rivals, and then later, they're all putting on face masks after a hard night, lmao. Scenes like that were really fun to watch, and they had good chemistry.

Honestly, excluding skipping through to the stronger scenes, I would pass. Not even Ji Chang Wook's gorgeousness (and his beautiful whump scenes) help the writing of this show.

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a mature lens into complicated relationships and real people.

No character in this drama is black and white. They've got layers to peel back, revealing complex reasoning behind outwardly simple acts. Chu Kehuan is a character who immediately drew me in. I was curious about his intentions, his reasoning, and his backstory. He's introduced as an aloof figure who repeatedly imposes his presence on Weiwei with childish pranks and flamboyant flirting, but the realities behind his actions are anything but.

The drama focuses on 3 relationships.

Chu Kehuan & Ziyuan:
One relationship has long detached from its root, swaying in an indifferent, icy cold breeze. Physical affections ended long ago, they sleep in separate rooms, and their interactions are largely transactional as Ziyuan overcompensates his lack of warmth with expensive daily purchases and micromanages every aspect of his life without his consent. It's formidably suffocating, and he subverts his lack of control in his relationship by imposing himself into Weiwei's life over and over. He seems trapped within this loveless relationship because of his obligations to his girlfriend's late mother and perhaps because he doesn't want to hurt Ziyuan. Ziyuan's despair is barely concealed behind disingenuous smiles and eyes that seem always to have a tearful gloss. She convinces herself that their relationship is normal. At the same time, she imposes her controlling behavior on Chu Kehuan "all for his good," and her often delusional behavior is both toxic (to herself and Kehuan) and sad. It gets to a point fairly early where it becomes alarming to witness. She forces herself into his life, disrespects all of his personal and professional boundaries even when he explicitly says no, and she encroaches into his career, his work connections, and even his friendships. It gets to a point where it feels like blackmail for him because her involvement has entangled into his life so intrinsically that his career isn't guaranteed if he leaves her. "Remember, without her; you wouldn't be who you are today."

Wei Wei & Li Haoyi:
The other relationship is also largely transactional. It consists of lists and endless boxes to check without passion or sincerity. Li Haoyi is gentle, dependable, goal-driven, earnest, and p r e d i c t a b l e to a fault. A life of hardship and scrounging for money has burdened him with a carefully curated and budget-driven future. Despite his obvious love for Weiwei, he has blinders on their 65-year retirement plan that prevents him from appreciating her or what they have in the present. He takes Weiwei for granted, even as he's convinced their every step is toward a mutually happy future. In other words, he does not see the forest for the trees. I do pity his naivety, especially because he's not incapable of flexibility; it just takes him *a lot longer* to get to a place where he's willing to modify his carefully laid out plan, and Weiwei is exhausted from his rigidity and lack of spontaneously in their relationship (it's not Saturday!). He prioritizes responsibilities and other aspects of their life, but not their relationship or Weiwei as a partner. I didn't like his character arc near the end. It got a little too....tropey? He went from a fairly reasonable but selfish person to an over-the-top type of evil caricature, and I'm not sure it made sense.

Chu Kehuan & Weiwei:
Chu Kehuans entrance into Weiwei's life has cracked every barely patched-over facade of perfection and normalcy in either relationship. They shake the foundations laid through years of complacency and familiarity. I think it does a disservice to the realities of their situations to say that Chu Kehuan is responsible for being a "home-wrecker" in Weiwei's relationship. Neither relationship has been healthy for a long time, and they use different mechanisms to supplement or substitute the missing elements. Chu Kehuan is self-assured from the start. Every step taken is a set toward Weiwei. Weiwei takes much longer to get there, but she also has much more to lose. I would have liked to see Chu Kehuan emotionally lose it at least once. Tears and not just forlorn stares and wallowing. I would have also liked more of their story after meeting again, although I don't mind the ending and their positive outlook.

The drama takes its time with each relationship. Like, an extraordinaryyyyyy length of time. Nothing is rushed (made me a bit impatient and frustrated at times, especially with Weiwei's denial), but it makes the big turning points more effective and packs a bigger punch when they finally get their moment to land. The sexual tension is undeniable between Weiwei and Chu Kehuan. Still, the changes and growth they enable in each other ultimately catalyze them to face each other (and themselves) honestly and openly.

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Am I watching a pro-China infomercial, or a spy drama?

I should have learned my lesson when I tried to watch Love Me If You Dare. This drama is even more heavy-handed in its pro-China spoon-feeding. From the moment I turned on the series, it felt like one of those cheesy, overly patriotic recruitment videos we're forced to watch in school or before a movie starts in the cinema. I almost have 2nd hand embarrassment with how over the top it is. From the ridiculous monologues about patriotism and "dying for your great Country" (while they're talking about a dead coworker) to the regrettable OST that sounds like it should be coming from a school megaphone and not a serious spy espionage drama.

Despite my reservations, I gave this series a shot because I adore the cast and just came off watching Bin Bin in Rattan (great drama!). That being said, it was admittedly hard to watch from the beginning. Our ML, Ma Shang (Bin Bin), is straight-laced, fluffy toward our FL, and adorably feisty when he's not in serious job mode. He's got a great relationship with his parents, and I adore their interactions throughout the series. An Jing, his childhood sweetheart and co-worker, shares great chemistry with him, and I liked seeing the two actors together again from Eternal Love. I also really liked Ma Shang and He Zi Xuan's chemistry. That's...pretty much where I stop caring about the series.

I was already skipping through by the 4th episode and pretty much skipped around until I got to Ma Shang and An Jing's scenes. Even then, it really couldn't be saved.

In reality, China *can't* do espionage/crime/serial killer/murder type genres. Their Government censorship rules completely water down everything to a laughable extent and puts their winning team on unrealistic pedestals. You mean to tell me that their national security teams are perfect? Zero infighting? Zero corruption? Perfect and seamless camaraderie and technology from start to finish? The criminals are never a match for them, right? They're always sloppy, one-dimensional villains who tend to speak in English when they're being diabolical, or they're terrible D-list Western actors playing evil caricatures of themselves, and they always just lay down and give up when they're caught. Give me a break.

If you want gritty, more realistic dramas within those genres, I recommend Western TV shows or Kdramas. I just finished watching Through The Darkness with Kim Nam Gil, and it was *amazing*. It's a novel adaptation and has a lot of similarities to the Western drama, MindHunter, about profiling serial killers in custody while trying to catch an ongoing case. Both shows are miles better than this. If you want a corporate espionage-type thriller, I recommend Killing Eve (has a bit of dark comedy as well), The Americans, or The Night Manager.

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Easily one of *the best* kdramas I've ever seen, and it's always one of the first I recommend to any friends who are starting out with Korean shows.

Mr. Queen has some of the funniest physical comedy I've ever seen. The story has layers of romance, heartbreak, political power plays, friendship, humor, adventure, LGBTQ connotations, and a bit of a supernatural element with bodyswap/time travel. I really enjoyed every episode (no skips). Had some minor issues with how the time travel was resolved at the end but it didn't ruin my rating. Also, LOVE the OST. Honestly- I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs about how great this series is, but I'd rather recommend you just watch it for yourself. It'll instantly grab you from the very first episode.

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