blubber
here there and nowhere
Characters: Some of the characters were well developed - others not so much. I liked that the main character was smart but there were also times where I got infuriated at how slow she was. The eldest sister Chang Le had no redeeming qualities and fell in the category of the cliched evil love rival. The second sister's development on the other hand was pretty impressive.
Acting: Quite average - Once again the second sister had some pretty nice acting skills.
Rewatch: It was a long and tedious 54 episodes with a few spots of happy scenes void of misunderstandings. I don't think I could do it again.
Overall, not my cup of tea. I completed it - kinda. But there were many areas where I just started tuning it out as it moved way to slowly and was full of annoying misunderstandings. If you are a romance fan, it may be worth a try. If you don't want angst and melodrama, stay away...
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Plot: I honestly liked the plot. It was original. Although the ending was kind of cliche and the entire story a little predictable, it was quite well written and left you with a satisfied yet somewhat cheesy feel.
Characters: Some of the characters were really enjoyable but others were quite infuriating. At this point, I am resigned to the fact that most dramas have one or two scheming, selfish, and extremely annoying women but I am honestly a little sick of seeing them. They are always the same - blinded by love to do stupid and evil things. I wish the villains were were more original.
Acting: Most of the main leads did a great job acting. Kudos to Yang Mi for portraying so many different personalities. She did a great job bringing out each and everyone and was really the star of the show. The only thing that bothered me was the "crying scenes" of some characters. It was at times painful to continue to watch this drama simply because people were crying so much.
Sets: Chinese drama CGI - what more has to be said?
Rewatch: Uhhh probably not - too much crying and moping/misunderstandings (probably 50% of the second half) to properly enjoy a rewatch, but some scenes were pretty nice such as Episode 30.
Overall not bad. If you are a romance fan, you are sure to enjoy. If you prefer action, it may be worth a try but just a warning, it's really watery and slightly cliche.
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Plot: One word: Cliche - you could probably predict the ending from the first episode. The best part of the plot was that there was really no big "problem" and so the main couple just had a nice a happy journey without any melodrama/angst. But because there was no central "problem" the story was lacking.
Acting/Cast/Characters: The main leads were cute but kind of stiff. I honestly enjoyed the banter of the side characters more. The acting is a little forced but not terrible. The characters were cliched - to perfect with literally no faults that indicated that they were human.
Rewatch: It's not something that I would rewatch. I finished it with a mixed feeling of satisfaction (that everything resolved the way I thought it would) and disappointment (that I wasted my time on something that I really didn't get anything out of).
Overall it is just a cute little drama - one that you will hardly remember in a few years as it has melted into a blob with the rest of cliched romance dramas. You aren't left thinking afterwards and I don't think that the script writers meant it to be something complex and memorable. For what it is, it's alright. If you want something a little deeper, skip this one.
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Story/Script: This is not your average revenge drama. It's a story about wanting to set things right, to obtain justice for a case that was misjudged years ago and it's beautifully done. It may start a little slow, but rest assured that the pace will pick up. There are also some really funny but jokes/puns in the script which may be hard to get if you are not a native Chinese speaker, but they really add a lot to the drama.
Characters: Honestly the best part of this drama. They are complex, emotional, human characters. Unlike many other dramas which cause you to unconditionally hate the villains, the villains in NIF are just as human as the protagonists and have their own hardships and reasons.
Acting: Very well done and in character.
Music/setting: Beautiful music and amazing cinematography. The wordless opening is perfect and really gives you the feel of the drama through the use of music and art.
Rewatch: I have rewatched this a couple times and every time, I discover something new. Definitely worth several rewatches. The only thing is that the politics discussions get a little windy and so I often skip through those.
Truly a masterpiece. I understand many romance genre fans are unwilling to give this a chance due to the lack of romance, but romance is there (as is a lot of bromance), just not the main focus. The romance in NIF is a pure form of companionship/friendship which I honestly think is harder to achieve. Give it a try, and it may just top your list :)
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Story: First of all, this drama is set up more like western shows or Korean crime-dramas as there are many separate cases presented and solved within 1-2 episodes. They are like mini story arcs. However there is also one large case that is somewhat prevalent through out the entire drama. For me this overarching case was the main disappointment. The mini arcs were great, but the ending slowed dramatically and was way too predictable and almost irrelevant to everything that was building up.
Another great thing about this drama was the timing. C-dramas often drag, but this one (being a web drama with 30 min episodes) was fast paced and really kept you on the edge of your seats. The script was also really well written and the characters fleshed out.
Acting/Cast: Really loved the cast. They were honestly perfect. The chemistry between the three leads lead to extremely lighthearted banter despite their serious situations and it was just really refreshing. The girl (Li Da Bao) was honestly my favorite and really carried the show. She has spunk, is bad-ass and extremely intelligent.
Many people ask if there is any romance in this show and I thought I would just address that: There are hints of romance between two leads but it mostly gets played off as comedy. If you are hoping for some real romantic development, then this is probably not for you. The leads are more like bickering siblings than anything else.
*As a side note, don't eat when watching - I thought that I would be okay nibbling on some Pocky but some scenes were a little hard to get through...
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