midnightmoonlace
The lines between good and evil are muddy
I wasn't sure I would like Vagabond initially because I don't really like political dramas, but this show was done really well that I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to binge it all at once!I was most impressed by the characterisations. I love Cha Dalgun's intensity, his energy and perseverance in finding the truth behind the flight's crash. And does becoming a stuntman really give you all these survival and combat skills? He can do literally anything while suffering mild/minor injuries, so kudos to him. Go Haeri is great. She has a lot of pride for her country and this drive to serve the people, despite the increasingly pessimistic situation she finds herself in. Corruption ran deep into the roots of the government, and yet she is still determined to expose the truth. I also love the chemistry between the two leads. They bicker a lot but obviously care for each other. It sucks where they end up by the final episode, but hopefully season 2 (if it ever happens) lets them have a happy ending.
The main thing you should keep in mind when watching this show is that no one is what they seem (except, of course, for the two protagonists). People you think are good end up being the most corrupt, and those who seem evil at first glance can be even more evil, or turn out to be okay in the end. The plot keeps revealing more twists, and the person you root for may change over the course of 16 episodes. Don't trust a character too easily.
Vagabond is a fast-paced show filled with corruption, crooked officials and cunning schemes. You desperately hope that our protagonists will win in the end, but with that brutal cliffhanger ending, who knows? I do hope there will be a season 2 coming soon!
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This review may contain spoilers
Intense games and mind-binders
Imawa no Kuni no Alice (i.e. Alice in Borderland) is a fast-paced show, perfect for those who enjoy escape room movies.I loved the games and how each is classified by the suits on a deck of cards. Each game is so vastly different and the stakes get higher and higher. There's a twist in each one, and my heart was racing each episode. I was also impressed by the visual effects and the scenery (especially the beginning when we pan around an abandoned Tokyo).
One thing I thought the show could have done better was building an emotional link with the audience. Arisu's friendships are sweet, but the impact of his friends' deaths wasn't that emotionally jarring, because it felt like I didn't get to see the depth of their friendship before they died in the first few episodes. There are some flashbacks that build on their friendship, but it was done too late for it to have as strong an impact. Also, I didn't feel that much chemistry between Arisu and Usagi. They work well as teammates, but I don't feel anything stronger than that. Perhaps their relationship will develop in the next season?
Overall, an exciting, adrenaline-filled show. Definitely worth watching.
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Action packed, emotional and funny
The Uncanny Counter is an action-filled drama, having both emotional and light-hearted moments.I really liked the relationships between the Counters. They're a found family - they bicker and banter, but in the end they have each other's backs. I wish the show explored more about their partners in Yung. I liked Mae-ok's backstory about her son, which played a big role in the communication between Yung and the Counters. I felt like Ha-na and her partner rarely got any screen time, so I'm not that sure about their relationship. I really liked Mo-tak's backstory and his involvement in the police force. I think it really gave more depth to his character. My favourite thing was how So Mun didn't abandon his friends the moment he gained his Counter powers. He still stands up for them and hangs out with them, which was really sweet. A shame he has to hide a lot of what he does, but at least there are people who care.
I really enjoyed the first half of the show, but after episode 12, the plot really began to drag on. There was a lot of unnecessary exposition and the show seemed to lose its direction in the second half. I really didn't like how they randomly introduced a character only to kill him off half an hour later. It seemed like the show writers were trying to elongate the show just for the sake of it. I read that they had to change writers halfway through filming, so that could have contributed to this problem.
Overall, this show is definitely worth watching. Although it does get a bit boring and strays away from its roots, the emotional finale makes up for it.
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The show is split into two time periods differing by 16 years. We first get to see how Wei Wuxian and co. grow up during a time of war and persecution. We see how Wei Wuxian abandons the "righteous path" and chooses demonic cultivation. The 16 years ago arc is the tragic one, a very painful one filled with broken promises, massacre and necromancy. Not many characters make it out alive. Then we jump to 16 years after, where Wei Wuxian is resurrected, reunited with Lan Wangji and partners with him to solve a murder mystery. It is much more lighthearted and warm, especially since we get to see Lan Wangji make good on his vow to trust Wei Wuxian and be by his stand. Despite China's censorship, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo do an amazing job of portraying the relationship between the two male leads. The expressions, actions and intonations (thanks to the voice actors!) all imply the depth of Lan Wangji's devotion to Wei Wuxian and vice versa.
The music score is beautiful. The theme song, Wuji, is played throughout the show but in different versions - the actual song, a piano instrumental, a dizi version and a cello version. Each instrumental evokes a different emotion, depending on the scene. There are also other pieces of music which, if you listen to it on its own, you can immediately pinpoint which scene was taking place during the song. Lin Hai (the composer) has done a great job of creating the OST.
The Untamed is by far my favourite drama of all time. It is the kind of drama that you want to immediately rewatch after finishing the finale.
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Good potential but not captivating enough
Voice tells the story of Moo Jinhyuk, a police officer, and criminal voice profiler Kang Kwonju as they team up to form the "Golden Time" team and solve cases. The show has a very interesting premise. The serial murders that tie the two protagonists together is complicated and intriguing. However, this captivating factor quickly diminishes when we find out the real culprit halfway through the series. Yes, the serial killer is revealed to the audience really early on. Then watching our protagonists fumble and make really avoidable mistakes is when my interest started to dwindle.I did think that voice profiling part of the show is quite interesting, since I've only watched another show with a voice profiler (Tell Me What You Saw), but I struggled to like our resident profiler. Kang Kwongju really got on my nerves each episode so this made it difficult to continue. Moo Jinhyuk isn't that much better. He spends most of his time raising his voice when things don't go his way. Yet the two of them work well together, kudos to them.
Voice begins to drag slowly past episode 6. The pacing isn't great and the reveals are ill-timed. Though, the premise is quite good.
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Best BL drama I've watched so far
Word of Honour follows the story of Zhou Zishu, ex-assassin who just wants to live out the rest of his days wild and free, and Wen Kexing, leader of the Ghost Valley with a dark past.This show was made on a tight budget, so I can excuse the reusing of the same five sets and the average CGI. It makes up for these minor details in its plot, character development and costumes. Character development, in particular, is really well done in this show. The show is definitely not black and white, nothing is ever just good or evil. Even the antagonists, you see their point of view and understand why they made the choices they did. Do you feel sorry for them? Yes (except for Zhao Jing). And the costumes are just amazing. They are so well made and beautiful. I'm glad the team spent money and effort into the costumes for each character. The team may have had to cut back on other aspects of the production, but I am glad they didn't reduce the budget for the costumes.
I absolutely loved the relationship between the two male leads. Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun have really good chemistry and it shows on screen. You can see that their two characters really care for each other and are willing to sacrifice the world for each other. There's a lot more physical contact and flirting than I expected to see for a Chinese BL, but it still leaves the audience clues to fill in the gaps for the more subtle hints of romance. The acting is great - from the delivery, facial expressions and body language, the depth of their relationship is really touching to watch.
Since this show set in the wuxia world, it is a captivating show for many people. I totally recommend this show.
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Joy of Life is a fast-paced show with very little boring moments. It is also very witty, filled with puns (that are difficult to wrap your head around sometimes) and scheming characters. There is a nice balance between the light-hearted comedy and the darker politics of the palace. Not all characters are who they seem to be, and the true enemy is hidden in the shadows, only revealed at the very end. While I think the plot is overall cohesive, the genre fluctuates slightly. Is it a historical fantasy drama? Mostly. Are there themes of science-fiction? Yes. It is difficult to summarise Joy of Life into one genre, because it has hints of several genres, including wuxia and science fiction.
Out of all the female characters, I think Fan Xian and Li Waner have the weakest chemistry. The show thrusts us into a sort of "love at first sight" between the main couple, and then slowly builds chemistry. I think they are cute together, but the chemistry between Fan Xian and Haitang Duoduo was much stronger and believable in my opinion. In the book, Fan Xian's relationships with the women is extremely different (from what I've heard, Fan Xian has a harem), but has been changed in the show. Quite a few things have been changed in the show (because of censorship), so the plot is slightly different from the novel.
Overall, a good show that balances palace/country politics as well as comedy.
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