Reviews

All smiles, no substance...

Lucky My Love definitely deserve A for the effort and some consideration because it is one of the rare GLs out there. If we were to compare it to similar length web dramas, it keeps up with them. But, objectively speaking this is a badly written, acted and overall produced drama.

It is an office romance. Napdao is so unsuccessful in love that she goes to tarot reader to get some insight into her future. At the same time a new team manager joins the office. Their boss and the new team manager start competing for Napdao's attention. Whom shell she choose?

This short web drama does not raise any issue (family and society acceptance needed?). They are both independent women and we do not know much about them or their background. The biggest problem here are the love triangle and misunderstanding, though due to the short duration, those problems were quickly solved. And of course there is the obligatory mildly screeching trans comic relief character. The drama is shallow, quick and forgettable.

The production is a low budget one but that is not important especially where these rare dramas are concerned. They should have concentrated more on writing and acting because they are both lacking. None of the actors could deliver the lines correctly (and the subs on youtube are really bad so it is not about the substance but the intonation). The actress playing Napdao has an infectious smile, she is very cute and when she smiles she lights up the room. Literally!

The producers of Lucky My Love need encouragement to continue to make better dramas: this one was a cute little romance but with no substance. Hopefully we'll see better things in the future.

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Surprisingly dark, surprisingly approachable.

For a drama that tackles a whole list of triggering topics, it had quite a way to put a smile on my face.

While the first half is quirky in the presentation, the second half loses a bit of that charm, diving deeper into the realistic approach. One has to be extremely careful when presenting a story built on misfortune and struggles to not make the audience feel completely hopeless and drained from all energy, while also making it tactful - what jokes are appropriate and which ones could cross the line and make fun of the issues. Definitely Not Today does quite a good job keeping the balance. Keep in mind though: a lot of triggering elements like assault, attempted suicide are shown in rather straightforward manner.

To be honest, I kept thinking how unhinged the drama truly is. The way it presented Mi Chong’s constant suicide attempts with his peculiar, emotionally detached narration surprised me, but in a positive way. The same story presented in a hyper realistic manner would break me into pieces and I would fall into eternal drama slump buried under mild depressive thoughts. Going wacky and unconventional was the good approach - the message is the same, the heart is the same, but you don’t end up in a gloomy mood when you watch it.

What we get is a heartwarming and at times funny journey of two people with a lot of emotional baggage who learn how to appreciate living, how to trust others and show care for people around them. Who learn how to receive and give help. People who learn how to live.

Performance wise, I fell in love with Leon Leong. His depiction of Mi Chong was so heartbreaking, even in his more lethargic state, you could sense the pain and struggle behind the odd narration. Vivienne Tien did an amazing job presenting both the strong and confrontational, but also vulnerable and scared side of Zhi Liao. Complicated characters presented in a skillful manner.

Undeniably the directing and editing help the story a lot. The silly drawings during some scenes, wacky editing, quick cuts between shots - all added to that bizarre, but weirdly relatable feeling.

Overall, great drama. I only wish they kept more of the lighter tone of the directing and editing in the second half.

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Touching

I guess what impressed me the most with this movie was the female lead's acting. I liked how she acted on her scenes and character. She really aced this one. Both performances of the leads were great, but the female lead left a deep impression on me.

Anyway, plotwise, I researched the original story (the real-life one), and I realized they changed it a little. I still like it, though. The storyline is not lacking. It successfully captures what they want to show, from how they met to how they eventually married after what happened.

Also! I am moved by the guy's loyalty, as he stayed and waited until the end. The girl, on the other hand, was understanding, I think? She handled her situation calmly, especially when she was introduced to her supposed-to-be fiancée without remembering who he was. I also loved her effort in trying to remember him.

Overall, it was a great touching movie.

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Not sure if I watched the same show

I'm trying to decide if I should give TLEOTM a rewatch and see if there is something I missed in the first watch that made everyone love this and rate it as one of the best Xanxia/Wuxia ever. I still can't understand how the relationship between FL & ML ever passed over from disgust to undying love. I loved Bai Lu and Luo Yun Xi in Love is Sweet, so it'ts not the actors, just the plot. I could not for the life of me figure out how the ML ended up being such a simpering fool who just kept getting himself in line for more smacks in the face from the FL, and kept coming back for more. He went from the most horrific being in all the universes to such a sucker... Like I said, maybe I need to watch again because as much as I had been looking forward to it and wanted to love it, I just couldn't,

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CatMan and the Power of Friendship

First things, first.
That CGI cat head, and paws, were ridiculous LOL White haired wigs can be tricky in these sorts of shows but I thought the ML looked really good in his. He has striking enough facial features to carry it well. I wish they had gone with that and some sort of Buffy style vampire prosthetic make up or something because, I was not a fan of the computer cat face LOL Heck, they gave the other guy fanged teeth. That ML actor, with the white wig, teeth and some face make up know how, and he would have looked gorgeous and I wouldn't have had to burst out laughing at the reveal each time LOL
They gave that beautiful face that flowing white hair because of 'shock' and then took it away from me. How dare they. How did he get his natural hair back even though his cat hair is style white? damn them. He should have at least kept the white hair.

Now that I've said that, this is an enjoyable series. Ridiculous and childish but fun. I feel like that may have been the point though. (E.g ML's slow-mo run away from his feelings) There was a lot of slap stick style humour. It was like a live action cartoon. Most of the comedy was very over acted and silly. People falling on floors. One of the character has a bad luck cloud, the overly dramatic one etc etc

The mysteries were good, I thought. I couldn't work them out. There were a few times were information was withheld or the ML just seemed to know randomly, but not too much. And most impressively, I couldn't work out the antagonist's motives either. I honestly couldn't figure him out and that doesn't happen often so touche. I was expecting the Empress to be involved considering her condition but she's never touched on. Also, our main female character is taken out of the plot for her safety and we don't see her again, not even at the end was a little disappointing.
I would also have liked to have heard of more of the lore that is the basis for the plot. How did our Cat God end up in the stone coffin? How long has he been there? I would have liked to have seen more of his story.

I had a hard time keeping up with names in this show. It was a show with so many characters as per usual with c-dramas but we mostly see the main group, which is fine. But when someone's name is constantly brought up and I've only seen their face a few times, it can make following the plot a little hard because I don't know who's being talked about lol

The whole plot is the standard, sieving through the powerful figure heads all the way to the top, but around that, there is a sweet and fluffy theme of friendship and the strengths of those bonds. Nothing too deep. Just simple honest communication with the people you care about.

Music and sets weren't bad but nothing too dramatic. We do spend a lot of time in the same places. I enjoyed the little dramatic singing snippets in the background of fight scenes.

Overall, I did enjoy this show for what it was. I laughed, I felt pity, I was intrigued and it had a sweet and fluffy ending to conclude. I didnt feel anything too deep or sad about this one. The 'big' death, and a second death, I had been expecting from about a third of the way into the series and the rest were the usual collateral damage.
My standard ratings are usually a 7 or an 8, I did have fun watching this but I'm not sure if I'd watch it again. There's a lot of cheese but I'm not sure if that was part of the humour or if it was just set up that way to keep things light hearted. And then there was the cat head, which I have mentioned. I think if I were to rewatch, it would be to just simply have something light hearted in the background.

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Themes of death, loneliness, disability, worthiness, opening to love and family

The drama is about the cheerful and disabled female lead who goes back to her small hometown for a vacation and meets her aloof high school crush. Themes of death, loneliness, living with disability, worthiness, opening up to love, family and emotional trauma can be seen throughout the story.

The female lead looks carefree but is struggling with feelings of unworthiness due to her disability (amputated leg). She puts on a smile while hiding her emotional pain. The male lead is aloof due to his childhood abandonment trauma and has closed his heart to love. He works as a funeral make-up artist which is a big part of the story.

There is a Lover in my Hometown is the previous and also very fitting title. The main plot of this drama is watching the main lead’s navigate through their inner emotional struggles, insecurities and inner desires for a relationship. Woven into the plot are the main lead’s jobs, their family members and life in the small town.

POSITIVE:
- Mature and raw dialogue.
- Realistic and mature plot about life and adult relationship issues.
- Flawed main leads (inexperienced in love). Their thoughts, emotions and decisions always made sense and were portrayed well.
- Great portrayal of the female lead as a disabled woman (amputated leg) that’s woven into the story in a realistic way.
- Great chemistry between the leads.
- Lots of beautiful kiss scenes.
- Hilarious grandma-grandson relationship moments.
- Fun relationship portrayal between siblings.
- Push and pull dynamic between the leads.
- Nice cinematography with interesting colour schemes and camera angles.
- The cutest high school flashbacks.

NEGATIVE:
- Death is a constant theme in this drama, we constantly see a lot of death scenes which makes it heavy to watch at certain points.
- Harsh mother. She is not the worst cdrama mother but she was constantly unhappy and nagging. I easily get annoyed with these mother type characters and it got to a point where I was skipping her scenes as even her high pitched voice made my blood boil.
- Boring side scenes. It’s a family drama and a drama about a small town so I cannot fault it for that. It’s just a personal issue that I found the mother and grandmother separate scenes as well as the town scenes boring to watch.
- Too realistic. In general I do love the realism in this drama but many times it felt too emotionally heavy. I would have liked to see more softer and happier moments.

OVERALL:
If you are looking for a realistic, emotionally raw/heavy and mature love story, watch this drama.

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Decent Story

I’m not sure why this one is tagged as Romance because it’s more melodrama and about family relationships. I enjoyed some aspects of the story, though it’s not an original idea.

The Good

The acting was done well for the characters they were given. Wouldn’t say the acting was profound but came off believable enough, though some acting was done better than others. I would say using seasoned actors helped the overall story. I appreciated the writers for allowing the Shanghainese to come through in the story to show more authenticity for the family. I also appreciated that our FL had a very strong personality because too many times in CDramas, the FL is usually nonsensical and strays too far from reality. The story with the FL and her mother was done well, though a lot of people probably dislike this since the mother came off terrible. Her character arch is believable in many families as I also have female relatives similar to her. The father was also believable as a passive individual who doesn’t like confrontation. I appreciated the presentation of the family, this part of the story sits close with reality and was the highlight of the show.

The Bad

Predictable story with some parts reaching. There were some unbelievable elements within the story such as our FL not knowing she was constantly surrounded by rich people that were close to her (ex boyfriend/grandma) and that no matter what, her life would be okay financially because she had 3 individuals in her life that could “save” her. Hey it’s drama land so it’s somewhat expected. The plot and characters are not an original idea and have been showcased on numerous other CDramas. I find most CDrama careers within stories focus on the same type of career arch’s as their setup: law enforcement, hotel management, financial sector, doctors, lawyers, esports gamer and always a CEO, director or some sort of leader as a main character. Because displaying the “it” person as a teacher, caregiver, restaurant worker, personal trainer, news anchor, labor worker, regular corporate worker, etc seems to be forbidden or not appealing enough in CDramaland. Sometimes these stories have too much emphasis on the career setup and not enough on the rest of their life setup and doesn’t allow for the story to stand out. You have the same character arch’s in the workplace setup: domineering leader, jealous coworker, and non serious assistant. Chemistry between ML and FL was a little lacking (though I blame the writing for not focusing enough on it) but points for allowing their relationship to build over time.

Overall it’s a decent enough one time watch.

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Realistic restaurant business drama

Lu Zhen Zhen (Song Yi) and her boyfriend Liu Si Yuan (Wang Ren Jun) both work at a large restaurant in Beijing, both have manager positions, Liu Siyuan as operations manager and Lu Zhen Zhen as customer service manager. Due to the restaurant's poor performance and a lot of debt, it was forced to be acquired by Zhongting Capital, led by Liang Qing Ran (Charmaine Seh). Due to the acquisition, there was a change in management. Lu Zhen Zhen had to lose her job and her boyfriend Liu Si Yuan was recruited to work at the Zhongting Capital office in Chengdu.


In Chengdu, Chuanbai Luo, the Sichuan cuisine restaurant owned by Gu Dapeng, Gu Manting's father (Li Chun), who is also Lu Zhen Zhen's childhood friend, is also on the verge of bankruptcy and will soon be taken over by Zhongting Capital. Lu Zhen Zhen also returned to Chengdu, her hometown and tried to help Gu Manting and her father to increase the profits of the Chuanbai Luo restaurant again with her customer service and marketing skills, but they still couldn't pay off the huge debt and had to be taken over by the owner of the capital.


Female-centric drama about the restaurant business, the main characters are strong and intelligent women, very realistic and relatable to everyday life. This drama with a total of 24 episodes is packed very compactly and the story plot is not boring, the story is balanced between the world of business, romance and the problems faced in the lives of the main characters, there is no doubt about their acting because they are senior artists, especially HK artist Chairmaine Seh, I really like her acting as a smart female entrepreneur. Suitable to watch for those who like to eat/cook because in this drama there are also lots of scenes of how to cook typical Sichuan food.

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Worthy Sequel of a Childhood Favorite

There's a certain comfort in revisiting childhood favorites. Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet offered exactly that – a chance to reconnect with Musashi and his heroic alter ego, Cosmos. However, as someone who devoured the original series, this sequel wasn't without its flaws.

The movie starts strong, reuniting us with Musashi, now an astronaut, fulfilling his lifelong dream. The nostalgia factor hits hard, especially when a familiar alien threat from space throws him back into the role of Cosmos. The introduction of the underwater alien civilization, the Gyasshis, adds a fresh layer to the world-building, and their connection to the ocean resonates with the film's title – a beautiful reminder of the fragility of our blue planet.

However, the narrative stumbles a bit. The villain, Scorpiss, feels like a generic evil alien out to destroy everything. A more nuanced antagonist could have elevated the stakes. Additionally, the controversy surrounding the alternate version of the film, filmed due to legal issues with an actor, casts a bit of a shadow. While the new scenes with a young Musashi are well-done, it's a reminder of the film's troubled production.

Despite these shortcomings, Ultraman Cosmos 2 shines in its focus on environmental themes. The Gyasshis' plight due to pollution is a clear call to action for viewers to protect our planet. The bond between Musashi and Cosmos is also heartwarming, showcasing the importance of courage and selflessness in the face of adversity.

Ultimately, Ultraman Cosmos 2 is a fun, nostalgic ride for fans of the original series. While the plot may not be groundbreaking, the dazzling visuals, environmental message, and the ever-inspiring Ultraman Cosmos make it a worthwhile watch. Just be prepared for a familiar formula with a side of behind-the-scenes drama.

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Debut of the First Reiwa Ultra

As someone who grew up with the classic Ultraman shows, the concept of an Ultraman movie felt a bit like revisiting an old friend's house – comfortable, familiar, but maybe not as exciting as exploring something entirely new. However, upon diving into this 45th-anniversary celebration flick, I was pleasantly surprised. It delivered a powerful dose of nostalgia, thrilling action, and a hero's journey that resonated on a deeper level than I anticipated. While it delivered a powerful punch of action and a satisfying hero's journey, a few minor quibbles held it back from achieving absolute perfection.

First, the absolute good versus absolute evil narrative, while classic Ultraman fare, felt a touch predictable. While Belial's motivations are hinted at, a deeper exploration of his character could have added complexity to the conflict.

Secondly, the human characters, though charming, felt slightly underdeveloped compared to the larger-than-life Ultra warriors. A bit more backstory or deeper connection to Zero's struggle could have strengthened the emotional impact.

However, these are minor criticisms in the face of the film's strengths. The animation is top-notch, the fight choreography exhilarating, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the action. Most importantly, the film beautifully captures the essence of Ultraman: the unwavering belief in justice and the courage to fight for what's right.

Seeing Ultraseven team up with Zero was a true highlight, a nostalgic nod to the past while celebrating the future of the Ultra legacy. The movie's core message – that heroism is a spark within us all – resonated deeply, reminding me of why I fell in love with these characters as a child.

Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial isn't a flawless masterpiece, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable ride for fans and newcomers alike. It's a celebration of light, courage, and the enduring power of heroes, both on screen and within ourselves. Just prepare to overlook some narrative simplicity and focus on the dazzling spectacle and the timeless message of hope.

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For What’s It’s Worth

The story begins with a navy trainee with planned prospective future, back to his hometown for summer break. His life trajectory went off course for a while after he got entangled with a teacher he admired, who asked him a favour. The favour brought him to Shanghai, he rescued a little girl whose family was murdered in front of her. She offered him her precious chain and 23/- (where she gathered from her school friends) and hired him to investigate her parents’ murder. Probably ML is so bored, he agreed to take on a fake ID and joined the 4th station police team as rookie through back door recommendation by his brother, so he can investigate the case.
The 4th station is make up of the Station leader who holds a retirement mindset but caring; the team lead who is smart and sharp (but also a hidden communist) and three other rookie policeman which one of them is our courageous FL. Through the investigation he discovered his teacher is a communist, ML was sent to deliver train tickets to the family who got murdered, were also part of the communist movement. He became good buddy with the team-lead, Captain Chen Hao and FL, Lou MinMin.
In span of one month, the case was resolved, they found the murderer and ML thought he can be back on track till his fake identity was being investigated again and he was framed to be a communist.
With ML’s brother help, he cleared his name and was sent back to Navy school, and forced to cut away from Shanghai contacts. By chance Hua Zhen went back to Shanghai and because of his curiosity, he is once again entangled with Luo MinMin and Chen Hao. Hua Zhen discovered that his brother is involved in illegal smuggling of arm fire materials to Japanese military. So our final arc will be on how Hua Zhen with Chen Hao and Luo Min Min work together to uncover the clues and unveil the smuggling crime. Both Hua Zhen and Luo MinMin also decided to join the communist movement.

The first arc of investigation involving our little girl was my favourite. their chemistry were fantastic. I enjoyed watching LiXian’s portrayal of ML, Hua Zhen, the main hero, sharp, calm, observant, smart and decisive with righteous principle, when strong determination, once decided on his goal, he will achieved it. Then our inspirational, second ML, Chen Hao portrayed by Zhuo Yu, a great actor also another smart character, an undercover communist, hidden in police station to investigate the corruption. Our FL, Lou MinMin portrayed by REN Ming, adorable, cheerful and courageous, have a great family, especially protective father. All casts were well fitted in their roles, even the villains by Wang Miao Lei, Jiang Yi and Song Ning were spot on in their roles.
Pros
Warmth of family relationship, friendship and brotherhood.
The fights and gun fights are quite well filmed.
For a Republican Era, this drama gave the unusual positive and happy ending, which is rarely seen in most drama for this time period but I am not complaining as it’s a positive message of strength and young people’s determination to fight for a greater cause, for the country. It’s emphasis on honoring the unsung hero’s sacrifice in those difficult times.
Cons
Not totally realistic, for a Republican Era, a communist movement at that time, death count very little.
An 8 year old girl has a soul and intelligent of an old adult
FL and Chen Hao being severely beaten up yet survived and recovered fast
How did so many things happen in one month. Time is relative in this drama.
Some emotional scenes and flashback scenes were repetitive and draggy.
The ending kiss scene between the leads is not necessary. They have chosen to be on mission and sacrifice for greater course, so romance can be just a subtle thing. I preferred the treatment between Shi JunYu and Chen Hao, love but yet not need to express.

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