The sheer level of product placement in this drama is so high, you wonder if it is a drama about the products at times instead of a romance business drama which is a big turn off. It not only can take you out of the drama but there are so annoying about it in nearly every episode. If a gift is involved in any scene, you can bet there will be product placement. It was so abrasive that throughout this review you will be seeing [Insert Product Placement] to show you my frustration.

This drama was interesting until it became a repeat game of "will they won't they", miscommunication and lack of trust. Pretty standard for romance dramas [Insert Product Placement] but it was done so much in an already freaking long drama that it became an issue of 'WHY the heck are you guys even together problem.' [Insert Product Placement]

The only reason the FL and ML are together is their PURE chemistry and light sensual tension. They are the sole reason I kept watching a drama that I would've normally [Insert Product Placement] dropped after a certain point. This drama could've saved time and money by just keeping [Insert Product Placement] the FL and ML the main focus while making the drama 12-14 episodes long. Everything else was either useless fillers or annoying. They were the best in the beginning half drama before annoying things got in their way. I suppose that is life, ain't it?

Other problems/peeves: FL is not competent enough at her job. She is "good but not good enough" lame excuse. Her fashion in the drama is an indicator that this chick plays it safe. I suppose she improves but whatever. She had so many problems coming at her it was ridiculous. ML is the classic [Insert Product Placement], "I ace everything but dealing with my teenage sister" type of gege/oppa. He has a setback, but again whatever. His losses aren't significant enough or last long enough for me to say much. Both Dilraba and Johnny act well in this. This was my first drama with Johnny Huang, so I was pleasantly happy because he was [Insert Product Placement] swoon worthy at times.

I enjoy the failures of the characters and the problems they have but I have no empathy for [Insert Product Placement] them since they repeat like crazy. Learn your lessons people! I mean the two females in this drama are legit spoiled brats who have been spoon fed way too many times for me to take them seriously. They never suffer severe losses even when it is claimed that they are/have which only proves their brat [Insert Product Placement] statuses.

The other couples were cute at the start but I became increasing frustrated with the Qin Qing when her boyfriend [Insert Product Placement] was legit the sweetest guy ever. You really get some annoying ass character later who you just wish would go away because they aren't interesting enough to stay in the story and it is just lame after a certain point.

I highly suggest everyone watch episodes 1-14ish and then just STOP. You legit don't need to go any further than that, nothing happens that doesn't reset it self to the status of those episodes. Save yourself time. [Insert Product Placement]

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A Sugar-y Mess of a Drama

This drama was more about gaming scandals than the actual love of the game. I've never seen such an obsession with gaming players as if they are idols. It genuinely felt ridiculous but getting past that, this drama's focus is on the ML and FL. So with regards to that, this is where the drama survives and dies at the same time. The female lead character is so freaking stiff, unmoving, and non-expressive which really wastes the male lead's effort. She is completely reactionary without even showing a reaction. The production team should have found an actress instead of an idol to play the role. But it almost seems to me that this drama was supposed to be a self-interest thing anyway. However, to be fair, the Chinese web novel it is based on that vibe but the female lead character is a bit more active compared. Go figure, another drama where they strip the female lead character of autonomy and complex character.

As for the the male lead character, he is what keeps audiences interested half the time with his swoon-worthy moves. He is almost spot on to the novel character with the exception of the more "horny boy" moments that were obviously cut out to make this more cookie cutter.

The gaming parts of this drama had cooling effects but boring ultimately. I skipped over most of them because it felt like a waste of time.

The side characters with the exception of Jin Yang, Ai Jai, and Jian Yang were very one-note. Jin Yang and Ai Jai relationship felt more honest to the realities of dating a pro gramer and not being interested in the game. Jian Yang was pouring emotions as the second lead that made you wonder WHY the hell the female lead didn't give him a second chance. The flashbacks of the two also showed a more natural couple compared to the FL/ML interactions which were so stiff.

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Imagine having a good story and butchering it in the adaption?

Listen, I won't bother going on a rant or comparative review between the novel and show. This aint the review. It is safe to say they murdered the novel. So I will just dive into the mediocre drama ON it's own.

The drama started off pretty well, but slowly but surely went downhill. Our heroine needs to be saved too many times when we are told she is the guy's equal. Our hero HAD to be the sole center focus of the drama instead of it being about the two of them. They are called Bai-Hei-Feng-Xi. But we got is the Hei Feng Xi show featuring the desirable side-chick Bai Feng Xi. Bai Feng Xi was tailing and running around for Hei Feng Xi like she didn't have her own life or journey to do.

Meanwhile, Hei Feng Xi was the boring Good Boy with Daddy Issues and Brotherly Feuds. Placing the focus on him was a mistake. They set him up as smart with a spy network and he couldn't even resolve his own problems. He also got tricked way too many times to be considered smart.

There was also a lame side plot mysterious and a piss-poor make a shift villain. Oh the villain, don't get me started. He was so boring and played "Looks Nice But is Evil" card.

The reason this drama gets 6.5 was that it was still watchable for the FIRST HALF, the actors were pretty to look at (yeah I went there) and had good heroic moments but that is just about it. The costumes were nice and cinematography wasn't bad. Very disappointing overall considering this was my MOST anticipated drama of the year. Oh well, boo hoo for me. I guess I will go find something else.

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It is a con within a con made by a con who knew a con and got conned by another con.

Confused by that? Well this movie is such a mess that after watching it, that sentence will make complete sense to you. This whole movie starts with a team of people who we don't know yet that have already established themselves as a team and goes to meet another team in China to get a heist job done. The whole time everything is happening in a slow paced with no real understanding of who the characters are. The only thing you understand is that betrayal is on the rise. You legit can't trust anyone because nothing makes sense.

You're only bonus is Ji Hyun, Hye Soo and Soo Hyun who look lovely. You get a flash of abs, very brief. Some lovely shots of Ji Hyun and Hye Soo being serious babes. The only thing this has going for it is that the actors in the film despite a terrible script and stupidity everywhere, act well in it.

The worst thing about this movie is that this shit is TOO LONG. I felt drained watching after getting halfway through it.

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Cotton Candy Sweet Without Any Substance or Intrigue

There was zero drama or conflict in this fluff fluff drama which inadvertently made it tremendous boring. The characters were not complex or interesting at all. They were all two dimensional. The ML was a goody with all the skills in the world and no sense of tiredness. The FL was the same type we all always get but without any tragic background. All the other side characters weren't interesting to pay attention too. The chemistry between the leads was very flat. Jian Ci was giving his all to be a green flag boyfriend but even then, it was just boring.

It was also incredibly stupid to give so much attributes to one character (the ML) such as Doctor, Chef, Voice Actor, Singer. IDK what else. He is probably a magician or magical beings as well considering he never gets tired. Meanwhile the FL has only two things going for her composing singer and plays instruments. Most of the time, she is just awestruck by him. There weren't any real relationship conversations or discussions. It was all blank stares and pretending to have chemistry.

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If you are interested in a self-aware romantic comedy that doesn't take itself seriously and is refreshing in its use of cliches, then this is the drama for you. If you ain't about that life and don't like anything silly, best to walk away now.

This drama is truly a pleasant surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and felt each one had something to offer. The FL and the ML, of course, are the absolute best part of this drama as they keep you interested in the story and their overall developments. You see growth in a lot of characters, some smaller than others. But hands down the love between FL and ML is true and true. There was a cliche Noble Idiocy moment, but for me, it worked better than most because the situation was calling for it. What I truly loved was how they solved their problems. The ML was not a complete idiot with Tsundere Syndrome, and the FL wasn't an idiot either. I adore the FL, she is a scared-y cat who when it matters most won't let you down. ML is also one to root for as he falls for her and starts changing his way of thinking. He was LOYAL to his love even when he doubted her actions, you knew his love for her wasn't shallow. This couple is who you freaking ROOT for.

Now on to other things....Of course, you do have you classic SFL (aka was suppose to be the originally FL in the novel this takes place in) but you slowly watch her descend into her crazy. I feel many viewers were rooting for her to change her ways, but other than admitting that she was wrong near the end, don't be too hopeful!

SML was legit annoying as fuck. I actually found him more annoying than SFL, who had at least reasoning behind her. This guy got rejected time and time again and still tries to get close to FL with his love. He also keeps believing ML doesn't love the FL which an intelligent person can tell you that HE FUCKING LOVES HIS WIFE. So he was frustrating to deal with but I did like that he changed the prejudice and became Minister.

There are so many side characters who played their roles, and the story really doesn't giving you much care for them because they are the side characters and in a breaking the fourth wall kind of way, tells you "Nobody cares about the side characters". It still gives you side character stories and development, nonetheless. It is just up to you to see if you like it or not. I enjoyed some of them.

The FL & ML are so freaking good though, that its hard for others to compete, at least, it is hard for me. THAT ENDING, thank you.

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This drama had potential to be good considering its parallel universe plot line featuring doppelgangers. It became quiet clear however that all that potential was thrown out the window as the drama focused heavily on a forced love line between the Prince and Lieutenant. The Prince barely knows anything about the Lieutenant, other than her badge, and is obsessively in love with her already, wanting to make her his 'Queen' right from the very start of the drama. The Lieutenant bares this oddity of affection and due to the solid acting skills of Kim Go Eun, makes you think she loves him back. I must say, Lee Min Ho truly drags this drama down with his lack of acting ability and the story being too focused on him. All of his lines sound the same and are delivered in a manner that is cringe-y or as bland as if he was reading off a sheet of paper.

As you progress on in the "story", it becomes a jarring game of hot potato between dealing with the main villain [Uncle Baddie] of the story and the romance with the shots happening either too quickly or too slowly and then BAAMM suddenly, we get romantic moments between our leads confessing their love ever-so desperately. This is a heavy handed attempt to make things thrilling without offering any development or consequences. The side characters with enveloping stories that interact with defeating our big uncle baddie are constantly placed on the back burner or simply not given the proper time to develop. The ideas for product placement has more intended use throughout the drama then the actual plot lines which only deepens the disappointment of this drama.

The timeline in this drama is a complex layer of complete garbage that neither makes sense nor can be resolved to any full effect. The drama was clearly not properly thought out and it shows with how chaotic episode 12-16 episodes are. It serves up unwarranted fan service over quality story and characters. The characters themselves are either too flat to be brought to life or stand on their own due to the poor quality of the script.

Woo Do Hwan's Jo Eun Sub / Jo Young, Kim Kyung Nam'sGang Shin, and Jung Eun Chae's Jae Goo Seo Ryung / Goo Eun Ah characters are scene stealers and make the drama more bearable but aren't necessary outstanding in their own right just by lack of competition. Woo Do Hwan has straight up WON the heart of so many MDL'ers and has been meme'd endlessly, which can be the only true accomplishment this show has achieved.

Finally, the saving grace of this drama is that it is dressed well in terms of cinematography and costume design. With a budget so high, it is hard NOT to be dressed well. It's money, however, could've been spent better. This is truly the type of drama that once you finish it, if it disappeared from your life the very next day, you wouldn't be losing out on anything.

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I am a huge fan of Choi Kang Hee and she is the main/only reason I watched this drama. Unfortunately, no matter how much I love her, I can't give her a pass on this. This drama failed in the action, mystery and drama categories. If it wasn't going to have those three, this would be a silly comedy about incompetent agents working for NIS.

Many times in the drama, it list our main FL (Chan Mi) has somonee who is the BEST at her job as a black agent, however, it never fully delivers this without so many constant mistakes being made that are borderline STUPID. The same goes for the other two FLs (Ye Eun and Mi Soon). Ye Eun was supposed to be an amazing hacker but when it came to actually hacking or finding information at a critical moment, bitch didn't know how to do either. Mi Soon seems to fumble so many times during an operation it is a wonder anyone let her become an agent.

All the MLs weren't much of any help to the story. One was a bratty little idol who was so self involved and rude (Woo Won). Another was an agent (Gwan Soo) who didn't know how to take care of his own agents or get important information. And last our main squeeze (Suk Ho) who was really there to be Chan Mi's boo thang and have flashbacks with. He was the cutest but nonetheless he was useless.

This drama is still entertaining in many other aspects, and is enjoyable. You can get a good laugh from it but it honestly could've been done so much better had it been given less comedy and more plot and characters being competent.

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An odd but refreshing enough drama

First things first, this drama is aesthetically pleasing. From the costume, set, and visual direction, this drama looks beautiful. The cast is also lined with a feast for the eyes and has pleasant acting skills compared to many (and I mean MANY dramas). In fact, I think, if the acting wasn't done so well, this drama probably would not have been as enjoyable.

The chemistry between the lead characters is a lovely mix of banter, maturity, and impressive eye contact. APPLAUSE FOR THAT! ???? Honestly, the level of maturity we were getting is a long time coming for dramas. In terms of conserving your energy, if all you want is the romance bits, I would highly recommend just skipping to their scenes only. Because why not? The relationship could've been more passionate, idk, there was just something MISSING about it for me. Can't put my finger on it.

For side characters, they were there. They played their parts. I couldn't genuinely say I cared for them. Most of them were there as comedic relief which personally pissed me off most of the time. The other two female mains were cute and had their moments but nothing much to me, personally.

On the topic of the story, it isn't anything we haven't seen before. The reason this drama, I would say, holds up better is that it is done well compared to many mediocre dramas. I know it has a theme pushing point about females fighting to survive and yada yada BUT personally, they didn't really go in as much. And those comedic inputs didn't help. It did a good enough job though, again applause ??. The reason I mark this drama as a bit odd is that I did not understand the reasoning behind adding any of those comedic slapshit relief moments???? I feel like mixing with the level of realism was such an odd and stupid choice. Personally took me out of the drama.

8.5 out 10 for now (I am a notorious re-rater, so who knows) In terms of re-watch, uh 3 out of 10.

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Repeats the Same Old Tales

We have our two leads, A Yin and A Jin who start off in a Master-Servant Contract because of one immortal's need to meddle.
Anyway, A Yin is a rare beast who's internal core is sought after, while A Jin is the son of two True God but something something tribulation issue. According to the immortals, A Yin is A Jin's tribulation and hence a danger to him which is totally whatever because as far as anyone is concerned, A Jin is clearly A Yin's deadly tribulation.

I would say compared to many FL characters, A Yin is a bit more interesting which is why I continued the drama. She was complex, earnest, and stood up for herself from the beginning until the end. I started enjoying the drama far more near the end because of A Yin settling things like nobodies business. It's only a shame she had to endure A Jin. As for A Jin, oh A Jin. I have to say he was super annoying. Man will explain his reasonings to everyone BUT the person who needs to hear it most. He also effed up so many times, it became embarrassing. The leads, also, didn't have strong chemistry which would make you believe their love and all their tribulations better.

Hong Yi & Yan Shuang were adorable side characters but even their friendship with the leads was still shallow. The acting in this drama wasn't entirely bad, but lacked conviction from most of the actors considering how lame the plot is.

Now, the worst part of this drama, outside of it legit repeating the same old shit we always see with wuxia dramas, was how ridiculous the power imbalance was and how no one questioned anything seriously. The Devils were incredible strong and had our supposed True God A Jin in a chokehold most of the time. The heroes were constantly "outwitted" by a much of idiots. The amount of times small fry immortals and devils got away with doing bad shit was draining. And even AFTER, it took FOREVER for consequences to be put in place.

Also what the capital F is the WHOLE point of an unavoidable tribulation THAT people keep trying to interfere with it. Clearly, A Jin needs to go through tribulation, WHY is ridiculous Aunt and everyone else for that matter trying to stop it. It is HIS tribulation to go through. Perhaps, I don't know, not saying i'm a genius or anything, BUT PERHAPS, just PERHAPS, he is destined to GO through such tribulation?????!!!! Ugh, whatever.

Additionally, with the amount of times I have seen wuxia dramas, I think I can safely say that Immortals will always be the bad guys.It is so tiresome to encounter this type of plot that narrates the evil of the Demon Realm and even the Devils, when the worst of the worst are always the immortals. They are also the dumbest realm out there who legit think they are better than everyone else.

It would be refreshing for once to not play that card but of course this drama does the same thing. I suppose it technically makes an effort to show the Demon Clan better but even then. Just one stupid high immortal needs to point the figure at a Demon say, "You see?! They are evil and did it! Destroy them" and enter into a FREAKIN war as if there is no consequences for such things. Also, never trust a Peacock, like ever. They are likely no good.

It's funny because I think there were some missed opportunities or elements that should've been explored more. One was the Nether World as A Yin constantly dying in the mortal realm and returning each time. It would've been better for the ML to constantly follow her into the mortal realm and endure those thousands years with her instead of just searching for her leisurely. He barely hit a dent in the investigation in those thousands years either which was again, so lame.

Anyway, I would give it 5.5 out of 10, that honestly may be too generous. Oh well.

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Stupid Movie But Nice Cinamatopgrahy

I mean, I suppose people who don't care for a strong plot and things that make sense would like it. It just seems like a movie for the villain. They have all the power and the protagonist is struggling to breathe. You can make this a metaphor for shit but I don't buy it. We also have another case of DUMBASS COPS. Convenient moments in the plot that gives power to the villain such as the Dad arriving right at the moment the protagonist rejects the villain's instructions to tell her how she gets caught.

The whole timeline and time travel made no sense. Our protagonist is stupid as FUCK. And our villain is able to overpower three men but stood no chance against one mother who was strong and determined because of her love for her child. She was stabbed multiple times yet the villain didn't get one vital point on her???

Then we have the real stupidity. Our protagonist GETS NO MEMORY of past events as they have changed only the scars and consequence which makes no sense. If she had the memories she could at the very least have a fair chance to outwit the villain. BUT NO, the villain is OP.

What is even worse is that ALL the protagonist had to do WAS SHUT HER FUCKING MOUTH UP once she knew this bitch murdered two people and not tell her she got caught. LIKE WHY? You have proof she KILLED TWO PEOPLE. WHY WOULD YOU EVEN TRY TO CONFRONT HER. Like WHO THE FUCK TELL A KNOWN MURDER THAT THEY WILL GET CAUGHT KNOWING THEY CAN CHANGE THE PAST.

Anyway, that is the review.

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Enjoyable until they butchered it

This was an interesting drama. You have two leads who are incredibly strong and remain strong throughout the drama. Yes, we don't get another FL who is super strong in the beginning but turn weak near the end (which is a plus).

Our two leads, both assassins, both skilled, and both vibing with each other. The relationship definitely got stagnant after they became official official. It also got tiring how many times one would nearly die throughout the drama.

The side characters for this drama has more charm than many others. I definitely adored Yang Ying the most and honestly would've loved to just continue watching her arch. She was by far the most interesting character. The trio amigos each hand their own distinct character but ultimately were boring after awhile. Shisan was really the life of the party with his player game. The Marquis guy was wishy-washy but I was lowkey starting to ship him when he was working towards sanity with a particular character.

Action sequences were okay but tiring after a certain period. There was too much time skip, repeated deaths and overall plot repeats. It was very convoluted honestly but entertaining enough.

Definitely hated the ending and the rush of the last 8 episodes.

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I would like to state that, this drama is a human piece type of drama. Many make it out to be a depressing drama but honestly, it is so hopeful. The bonds and relationships are the core of this drama, from Dong Hoon's family to Ji An's struggles, each person mattered. Dong Hoon and Ji An are the foundation that really connect you to this world. They make you invest in them and wish lovely things for them.

I went through an emotional roller coaster with the characters and came out of it, not regretting a single thing that happened. This was truly a drama done well.

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Ridiculous with poor acting, terrible script, and just plain sexist

Y'all were watching the same drama as me right?

I feel like this drama took MISCOMMUNICATION TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. I have seen toddlers non-verbally communicate better than these two leads, and frankly all the side characters. And to lie to my face and pretend that these characters are ADULTS, in a professional setting with awards and shit? Shut the fuck up. No seriously. Shut up.

And that one bish second female lead who literally was giving what she thinks was relationship advice, needs to work on holding down a relationship before she speaks. Sure, the female lead was still dumb as hell to begin with, but that bish was saying so many nonsensical things that I wanted to choke her.

The men were suppose to be somehow attractive but I was just confused by all of these idiots. What is so attractive about these type of men? They were awful.

The women felt like traitors to all women-kind acting the way the acted knowing damn well we did not need this shit. It is 2023, stop putting this shit out.

To top of this toxicity and dumb-assery, THERE WAS NO CHEMISTRY in this whole drama. For fuck sake's, AT LEAST have that.

Honestly, I should be blaming myself for watching this when I knew it was bad. I don't know why I did it but I'm only thankful that I at least skimmed through most of it. I don't know who could possible watch every second of this garbage and not skip.

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This film had a lot of heart and a great cast of women, all different from the next. It got me all choked up near the end. I was cheering for them, knowing full well that its not a live hockey game. I don't even care for hockey, I don't even think I have ever watched a real hockey game in my life. The best part of this compared to many sports film I have watched, I didn't feel like I knew the ending of each game they played. I was assuming they would start winning them all, but damn, each game they had to work for it. It was never an easy game. Ji Won & Ji Hye's story of parting and reuniting was so touching, especially near the end. Anyway, watch the damn movie if you are on the fence.

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