Fantasy

Review – The Blossoming Love

/ Lady Divine / Leave a comment

The Blossoming Love had all the things I adore in a Xianxia (fantasy) drama – magical arrays, cultivator sects, sword graveyards, gorgeous costuming, and an abundance of glowing, glittering special effects. It had mixed worlds and peoples (immortals, humans, demons, and more) and their usual struggle to get along. It may not have had the highest budget, but they used their money wisely. Everything looked fantastic.

But what elevated this drama into the upper echelon for me was the surprising development of the three main characters and the really wild plot line. Even by Xianxia standards (where anything can happen and usually does) this storyline stood out.

Quick Plot Summary for the Set Up (when things still seem “normal”):

In this story, there are two ancient divine artifacts: the book of fate and the chaos pearl. These two artifacts have been controlling all three realms since time immortal. Due to some dramatic events that will be revealed later in the show, the chaos pearl fell into the human world.

There is a magical barrier between the human world and the Dark Realm (a magical hellscape filled with evil immortals that can’t be killed cause they constantly reincarnate) – and that barrier is old and weakening, with the baddies inside eager to break free.

The chaos pearl was used to create the barrier between the Human World and the Dark Realm and it has been closely guarded by the cultivator alliance for centuries.

Recently a mysterious group has been helping the Dark Realm… trying to steal the chaos pearl and break the walls between the worlds forever…

That’s the basic set up of the drama to get you through ACT I.

Let’s peek at the major locations:

  • The Dark Realm
  • Snow City
  • Hanging Sky Pavilion
  • Jade Sky Palace
  • Profound Excellence Villa
  • Mirage Palace
  • The Heavenly Immortal Realm

Now let’s meet the three main characters!

***very mild spoilers for the first part of the drama below

They all have X names… so I gave most of them nicknames to help us out.

ML – XIE XUECHAN – “White Knight”

The male lead Xie Xuechan, our White Knight, is the most upright, moral, rigid and respectable man you can imagine. He’s the top sword cultivator in the realm, heir to the Snowy Mountain Sect folks who are guarding the chaos pearl, and a total badass in white robes.

Our White Knight has followed the righteous cultivation path, meaning he’s closed himself off from his emotions so he can care for all people equally, with no one in his heart who might sway or influence his decisions in protecting the whole world. He’s noble to a fault and you may not love him right away but trust me… you will fall hard for this big hunky man with an iron will and pure heart.

He’s irresistible.

The actor Vin Zhang is very manly, too – he doesn’t have the typical idol look, nor the beautiful ethereal look that I tend to lean towards. He’s a big guy with a deep voice, exactly the type to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. I firmly believed he could protect all of humanity – by himself if need be. I mean… look at this colossal man!

Formidable. That’s the best word for him.

Only a certain type of dude can manspread to this extent and still look cool af.

He’s larger than life (and larger than the majority of chairs). Comically huge swords look natural in his hands instead of like cosplay props.

He can wear the most delicately embroidered robes – hell, you could put this dude in full drag – and you will not get any rainbow vibes from him whatsoever. He’s a zero on the Kinsey Scale.

He ain’t my type, but I love our White Knight. Just… totally love the dude.

And so does our exceptionally beautiful leading lady.

FL – MU XUANLING – “Saintess”

The female lead Mu Xuanling, also known as The Saintess of the Dark Realm, is a petite beauty whose only goal is to steal the heart of our stubborn White Knight cultivator… who in turn wants nothing to do with her. She’s a feisty spirit that cultivated demonic energy and is well known as formidable villain. Obviously not an ideal partner for the purest of pure heroes who is not supposed to fall in love – and obviously a perfect set up for the romance of the century.

In the opening scene our hero is tied up in the Dark Realm and our Saintess saunters right up to the guy and makes her intentions crystal clear.

When I say her only goal is to win her man, I mean it.

This girl is relentless.

A non-stop flirting machine.

She doesn’t care who is watching or what others might think.

She’s never gonna miss an opportunity to press herself against her big statuesque man, bat her lashes, and drop some innuendo. It’s a nonstop assault on his puritan armor.

And it is soooo fun to watch their push and pull dynamics!

After he escapes the Dark Realm in the first episode, his powers are temporarily locked away and this tiny spirit girl is suggestively bullying him – pushing him around, jumping on top of him, pinning in to the bed. He’s batting away her eager hands (or sexy legs), exasperated and very clear with his intentions but she will not be deterred! She is having the time of her life teasing this big dude.

gifs by @natahjikio – link

And you can feel the zing between these two in their first encounter. Their chemistry is sizzzzzling. He’s saying no every five minutes but his eyes are always following her. You know he’s gonna break out of that restrictive shell eventually (and probably break a few bed frames with her).

Viewers, it’s deeply satisfying to watch a tiny woman claw her way into the pants of this huge virginal knight.

Whether fighting or flirting, they are the OPT of the year. They OWN this drama.

The casting director deserves an award, too. Just look at them! The height difference! The natural chemistry! The casual playfulness of their interactions both on and off screen!

Legends.

Listen, I was totally in love with the second male lead from the moment he came on screen – and I still didn’t ship anyone else with the leading lady other than this big hunky hero. Nothing could come between the two main leads, you hear me! Not even God! (spoiler? Haha, if ya know you know)

So let’s talk about my man – the second male lead.

SML – NAN XUYUE – “Xuyue”

The second male lead is Nan Xuyue, the character that made me lose my freaking mind and drove me to obsession. He is 10,000% my type, aka a pretty, pretty man with an agenda.

If you’ve seen Fangs of Fortune you might recognize him as the older brother of Yichen (and if you haven’t seen Fangs of Fortune then add it to your watchlist!).

He was also the sexy serpent guy in the movie The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity.

Wang Duo!

When will this actor be the lead in a drama, I ask you?

I am not alone in my second male lead syndrome – I think most viewers were spellbound by this complicated character. And I also think that as much as we loved our second male lead Xuyue, no one was seriously shipping him romantically with the female lead at any time throughout this drama. We were all happy to love him separately. Personally.

He was ours, damn it.

this is what I signed up for with C-Dramas… lovely, delicate men with perfect eyeliner and long wigs and exquisite robes… I could stare at this beauty all day….

Our beautiful, strange creature Xuyue.

Xuyue is a refined, calm, soft spoken, genius-type who rose to fame for creating exceptional magical arrays (teleportation wormholes, carriages that are bigger in the inside, letters turned into origami birds that fly to the intended reader, so many cool things). He’s the type of guy that plays chess by himself, playing both sides with equal seriousness. He does not delude himself as to his value or importance – he always knows when he’s got a winning hand or a losing hand.

He’s also a very insular character – closed off from others, and full to the brim of secrets. You can always sense the wheels turning in his head, leaving you wondering what he’s really thinking about in that vast and fathomless other world of his mind.

And at his side is his female servant, Feng Yao. She’s probably the only person who really knows this mysterious guy – and even she knows she doesn’t know everything about him.

gifs by @cdramastuff – link

At one point he and our White Knight were the two best fighters among the cultivators, both born with an extra aperture (the best cultivators have nine but these two boys both have ten). They were a cool duo, our White Knight wielding his massive sword, while Xuyue wields his magical fan.

gif by @cdramastuff – Link

But they did not stay a dynamic duo for long, as poor Xuyue’s body and apertures was broken sometime in the past, greatly reducing his powers and leaving him relegated to the side lines. The two cultivators are still friends though, with our White Knight being one of the few people Xuyue genuinely cares about.

Most second male leads are used as love rivals in dramas, but not Xuyue. He is something much more intriguing: a true outsider. More so than our hero White Knight who is isolated in leadership, and more so than our slave spirit Saintess who had to run away to hell to survive. Xuyue is an outsider because he’s basically a genius asexual sociopath (I don’t mean any of those terms in the derogatory sense either).

He is the definition of OTHER.

He understands the concept of feelings but struggles to actually feel them. When he feels anything at all he attaches an undue importance to them.

He’s someone who is no stranger to disappointment and has learned to keep a distance from the things that might hurt him, to observe from the peripheral. His insight into others is keen and accurate. He gets why people do the things they do… and recognizes that his own motivations and feelings are not the same as them. He knows he’s different.

And Xuyue is inexplicably drawn to our female lead.

They’d met briefly over a decade ago and the impression she left on him was far beyond a reasonable response. In the ten minutes they were together, he felt a sameness between them – something he had never felt with anyone else. What is instant connection? Who can explain why we feel comfortable with some people from the first encounter? He is as baffled by it as we the viewers are, but for whatever reason he is compelled by her – pulled towards her with a subtle urgency he cannot control or ignore.

And again it’s not a sexual attraction. He is well of how she feels about his friend and is fascinated by their interactions and their growing love for each other. But he’s like a man possessed. He just knows with each passing day his need to be near our little flirty Saintess grows stronger and stronger.

This dynamic was sooooo different from the norm.

Who can tell where the story is going when you’re given such an unusual “love” triangle?

gifs by @cdramastuff – link

I love the way she loves you.

I mean… WHAT??? That is quite a statement, Xuyue! If it wasn’t already clear from the beginning, it’s obvious by this point that Xuyue is a true wildcard.

As the fandom watched this show air – one of everyone’s favorite speculative games was WHAT IS XUYUE GONNA DO?! It was anyone’s guess – so we entertained ourselves imagining all kinds of crazy scenarios.

So… that’s our basic set up and three main characters and their dynamics.

There are more people than the three main characters of course – side characters, side couples, more bad guys and good guys and inbetween peeps too. This is such a well written show – even the super campy, cheesy characters have unexpected depth or insane backstories. You’ll have fun with all of them.

The Blossoming Love is a long drama (there are longer, of course, but this one is still quite lengthy). It’s 40 episodes jam packed with sects and secrets and reveals and reincarnations. My first experience watching it was several episodes at a time for several weeks as it aired. And I recently rewatched it before writing this review, committing to a binge watch of about ten or more episodes a day – and it holds up to my initial high impression of it (though admittedly binging a 40 episode drama is a task in our distracted age – so if you do binge it just put your phone down and take frequent breaks, cause what’s happening on screen matters). The best thing about lengthy shows is you can’t possibly remember everything – so rewatches are always full of rediscovery.

If you haven’t seen The Blossoming Love yet and you like fantasy dramas or romance dramas, go check it out. It’s available on some streaming platforms and docked on several pirate bays.

Trust me when I say it’s gonna surprise you and charm you. Several times.

After the madness unfolds (and it goes hog wild) and you’ve gotten through it all – come back here and let’s reminisce on the insanity of the second half of this drama together in the spoiler section below.

There is so much more to discuss because the first plot arc is just an overpainting of what’s really going on. This show unfolds like the puzzle box from Hellraiser. In that you might have expected something wild to happen but no one can me they were expecting the Cenobites, ya hear me? That story broke the mold as far as what our expectations of Hell were. This story breaks the mold as far as your expectations of rebirth stories in cdramas. (Is that Hellraiser reference too random? I was a Clive Barker girlie growing up)

Overall Rating: 10/10. Don’t Let Fate Decide: Love Your Lovers and Kill Your Gods.

WARNING!

Everything below is full of massive spoilers for the whole show!

Continue reading →

Review – Fangs of Fortune

/ Lady Divine / 1 Comment

This is how I imagine this show was pitched to the studio executive.

Writer: It’s gonna be a big budget fantasy epic – demons and demon hunters – gods and monsters – fate of the world in the balance.

Executive: It’s all about the face cards these days. We’ll need beautiful actors.

Writer: In the most exquisite and gorgeous costumes you’ve ever seen. We’ll get a cinematographer who can turn every shot into a work of fine art.

Executive: lots of slow mo.

Writer: tons of it. And perfect lighting and lens flare galore.

Executive: fog machines.

Writer: it will be so beautiful no one will notice the plot is kind of thin.

Executive: what?

Writer: so the leading character is this ancient demon who we quickly learn slaughtered everyone at a demon hunting bureau a few years back. He shows up at that same bureau and offers to help the sole survivor.

Executive: he’s a demon that’s gonna help demon hunters?

Writer: specifically this one demon hunter guy, yeah.

Executive: why this dude?

Writer: cause he’s got a cool magic sword and it’s the only weapon that can kill him. The demon wants to die really badly – he’s a suicidal mess behind a sad smile.

Executive: I imagine the demon hunter would be happy to do it. You said the demon killed all his people.

Writer: his brother, his father, everyone.

Executive: so… he kills him?

Writer: no, no. They just make a promise that the demon hunter will kill the demon. Later on. Someday. After the demon has helped him out.

Executive: help him do what exactly?

Writer: stop the other demon hunting bureau.

Executive: why would the demon hunter want to stop other demon hunters?

Writer: the other demon hunters are mean. They kill all demons on sight, whether guilty of any crime or not.

Executive: Okay….

Writer: That’s not important. I feel like it’s important to remember the demon is insanely good looking. And playful. And all powerful. The demon hunter is also ridiculously good looking. And serious. And figuring out his power.

Executive: sort of a ying yang thing? Soft one, hard one?

Writer: yeah these two are gonna have so much chemistry they can’t make eye contact very often cause every time they do it’s electric.

Executive: oooooooooooh. You know we can’t do those kinds of stories anymore, right?

Writer: They’re gonna slowly bond through overcoming obstacles and some verbal banter – lots of conversations turned confessions over tea in low voices with low lighting – very beautifully shed tears. I’ve got this whole dance number planned with water and fire… 

Executive: Did you hear what I said?

Writer: The demon’s ex boyfriend is one of our main antagonists. He’s locked up in some cave, lounging around with his abs out, but he can possess people so he’s constantly showing up. He’s got this magical ability called truth eyes he can use to make people see him instead of the person he’s possessing, which is ideal cause this guy is just… incredibly attractive. Byronesque. Moody and broody and stupidly handsome. He’s clearly pissed off at his ex and is jealous as hell of this new demon hunter guy-

Executive: Yeah this all sounds extremely gay. Like I said, we really can’t do that.

Writer: oh don’t worry. They’ve got a girlfriend too.

Executive: they?

Writer: She’s a goddess who is supposed to rule over the demon world but she’s lost her magical powers so they’ve got to help her get those back. She’s quite sassy and flirtatious with our sexy demon right off the bat… and the demon hunter guy has had a crush on her for years.

Executive: So she likes the demon?

Writer: actually it’s pretty clear that she’s crushing hard on this female archer they bring into the mix.

Executive: wait –

Writer: there’s also a handsome mountain god who’s pretty old but in god years still a teenager. And he’s got a thing for this young medic who’s got a thing for the demon hunter.

Executive: that’s too many things. We can’t have that many love triangles. Or squares or… whatever is going on here.

Writer: alright alright, I’ll take out the mountain god and the medic couple. We can make the medic a kid.

Executive: the medical expert? Shouldn’t we make the mountain god the kid?

Writer: Anyways we’ll have them all together going on various adventures and quests. And there will be some exceptionally beautiful and sad love stories that unfold with side characters. Who are also exceptionally beautiful, naturally. Just about everyone is gonna have a tragic backstory. Lots of very pretty tears. Demons dying and disintegrating into burning embers that drift up beautifully towards the stars.

Executive: so it’s a melodrama?

Writer: with a lot of cool martial arts and magic and mysteries.

Executive: we’ll play that up in the trailer.

Writer: the sets are going to blow you away, too. When you aren’t mesmerized by the gorgeous faces of the characters, you’re eyeballing the intricacies of the sets or the beadwork of the costumes.

Executive: are they all gonna die?

Writer: most of them. We’ll have the audience sobbing into their pillows.

Executive: the demon and the goddess end up together?

Writer: they’re magically connected. And bound to stick together for all eternity by a contract the demon signed in blood. Which flies straight into the demon hunter dude’s hands after he spends a few decades searching the corners of the worlds for his soul. It’s very romantic.

Executive: The magical love contract goes to the demon hunter guy? We gotta give the censors some hetero content. Do the demon and the goddess at least kiss?

Writer: well… their faces get close at one point… from a certain angle…

Executive: I dunno. It still seems hella gay.

Writer: All the side stories are straight romances.

Executive: Oh, that’s good. People love love stories.

Writer: Every single one of them is going to rip their hearts out and light them on fire and scatter the ashes over their belief in happy endings.

Executive: I’m sensing a theme.

Writer: It’s gonna be xianxia opera. The gays are gonna ascend to a new dimension. The fujoshi’s are gonna squeal. At one point we have the two demon boyfriends running across the sea together, chests out, before they swear undying devotion to each other at the sacred tree-

Executive: we may have to blur out the man tits.

Writer: What? Why? Topless muscled men are our bread and butter.

Executive: I dunno, some new rule or something.

Writer: Fine, we can put magical smoke around them. The fans can see their abs in the behind the scenes footage.

Executive: we need to add some kind of viral element to it. For the tik tok people.

Writer: Other than the hot cast and all the shipping possibilities?

Executive: Can’t we get the whole cast to do some kind of synchronized dance or something?

Writer: I guess we can put something with the end credits.

Executive: Wait. You distracted me with all the pretty people. What’s the plot again?

Writer: oh yeah! So it’s about a demon and a demon hunter –

Ya’ll.

There is no point reviewing this drama as it is ALL ABOUT THE VIBES.

This drama is 1000 PERCENT STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE. So, if you want an intricately plotted drama, I suggest you watch Joy of Life or something – cause this is not it. This is a drama for aesthetics people, for poetry lovers, for dreamers who can look at a romantic scene and create a 17K word fanfiction about it. This is a show for people who doodle down the sides of their papers, who stare off into space lost in their imaginations, who can’t see a piece of a velvet without wanting to run their hands over it.

I loved it the first time I watched it and have rewatched it at least six or seven times since then. I’ve watched every fan video edit I could find, gushed over gif sets put together by tumblr fans, poured over lengthy think pieces and commentary rambles. It was just one of those shows that got under my skin.

FANGS OF FORTUNE – Overall Rating: 10/10 – Spellbound by the most attractive people on the planet crying over and flirting with each other.

As tempting as it was to jam pack this review full of media – I thought I’d hold back this time just in case you have not yet seen this show. Seeing it for the first time was such a memorable experience… I was gasping, falling in love, ogling the embroidery and beadwork of the costumes, checking out the elaborate hair jewelry, and fighting the urge to screen shot every single second of this visual feast.

So here is just a tiny, tiny sample from the fandom…

gifs by @yesdramas on Tumblr – link

gifs by @catronac7 on Tumblr – link

ABO Desire – Discovering the Omegaverse

/ Lady Divine / 5 Comments

Alright, BL lovers! ABO Desire has won me over to the Omegaverse world via a slinky demon shark and a long suffering sensual secretary and I need to get everyone on board this crazy train with me!

Okay, so I’ve heard about the Omegaverse genre before – the term has been sprinkled around the fandoms for a few years now. I got a rough idea of what it was watching Pit Babe, but most people were commenting it was an Omegaverse-Light adaptation. It’s not like the Omegaverse genre is a secret, but what can I say? I’m pretty lazy sometimes and hadn’t bothered to learn more.

I knew it was basically some sort of science-fiction/fantasy concept with men getting pregnant, roughly based on the idea of alpha wolves – the top dog theory that has recently been disproved but still remains widely known (there are no alpha or beta wolves in the wild but rather families. The terminology of wolf hierarchy and pecking order was formed studying wolves in captivity). Regardless of whether or not this alpha wolf idea holds water, it’s still a fun concept to explore via fiction – which is what the Omegaverse is all about.

It’s kind of like vampires – in that other than the basics (fangs, drinking blood) how every creator approaches the genre may be slightly different from others.

In the drama ABO Desire, the Omegaverse world is the product of a global viral outbreak.

A few years back a highly contagious virus caused the death or mutations of all human beings on the planet. Those with AB blood were completely wiped out. Those with B blood were the largest group of survivors, but the virus mutated them to be nearly infertile, with only a 10 percent chance of conception. Those with A and O blood types were also nearly wiped out by the virus, with the few survivors being the most drastically mutated. They became intersex (more or less). Those with A blood became stronger and more virile, developing pheromones that act almost like supernatural powers, bending people to their will. Those with O blood became the most fertile (both girls and boys) going through mating cycles (they go into heat, basically).

Traditional gender identification was abandoned and replaced to reflect the new human condition. Those with A blood type became known as Alphas. O blood types became known as Omegas. And B blood types became known as Betas.

If this storyline is giving you a knee-jerk reaction, it’s okay. Just humor me a minute.

The Omegaverse is no less cringe than any transformation story. In the old mythologies it was snake headed ladies turning men to stone or it was rapist deities turning into bulls or swans. Curses, magic, rewards, or punishments could alter the human body. Inanimate objects could create life. Animals could transform into humans and vice versa. In almost all folklore you will find transformation stories. And everyone loves vampire and werewolf stories. Transformation stories rule.

So if you’re honest, it’s not the transformation aspect that is making you uncomfortable. It’s probably the idea of dudes getting pregnant.

But how does it work? you may be asking. The answer is… who cares? Just embrace the weird science of biological fluidity in this fantastical premise and have fun. We don’t tie ourselves into knots wondering how, scientifically, a wolf bite could turn a human into a shapeshifter or how a virgin could be biologically impregnated by a mystical god and still be a virgin. Just go with the fantasy flow. They may attempt to explain it in this series (or other Omegaverse stories, I don’t know), but so far it’s just one of those wonky things that is what it is because the author wrote it that way, like how a plague wiped out people by blood type. I don’t think a medical diagram of some Omegaverse reproductive organs is gonna make it any more or less believable, though I’m sure some fans and authors have certainly gone to great pains to create such things if you are interested.

The first three episode of ABO Desire have aired and honestly… it’s crack. I am devastated only a few episodes of this are airing each week while simultaneously being pleased I will still be watching this into October.

It’s a surprisingly fun show with a wild premise and an even crazier storyline taking place within that premise.

So let’s talk about it!

The main pairing is a successful CEO Alpha guy who’s desperately trying to get his hands on some critical research to develop the cure for a new type of cancer (which his father is currently dying of). He’s the only legitimate son and the family heir.

Now, before I go further… let’s take a step back and think about how the premise of the story is going to change the general narration of that tidbit of plot. Usually if a dude has a bunch of illegitimate children, it’s kind of frowned upon by society. But in this society, it’s almost the duty of Alphas to run around getting people pregnant, to ensure the survival of the human race. The old rules don’t apply anymore (I told you this story idea is really fun to play around in). Much like his daddy, our CEO Alpha is also a notorious player who goes through lovers every season or so, never getting too attached.

Now, you probably have an idea of what an Alpha Man is supposed to look like – especially if you were raised on Western media and unfamiliar with Omegaverse narratives. You are probably imagining some massive muscled type. Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian. Perhaps Chris Hemsworth as Thor. That beefy dude who played in The Witcher. Something like that, right? And probably not this dainty, pale, handsome Chinese man who looks like a lesbian.

Ain’t no rules in the wild world of Omegaverse!

Your Alphas can be porcelain dolls or hulking titans, depending on the author. And lest we forget, they can also be girls. I actually really enjoy that there isn’t any striking physical differences between the A, B, and O types. Makes it more fun to speculate.

Anyhoo, this pretty man Alpha is being targeted by a mysterious demon shark character who we are introduced to in the opening sequence. He’s gorgeous and slinky and his agenda is to seduce this dainty Alpha CEO. We don’t know why yet, as he’s obviously extremely wealthy and powerful himself so that isn’t the reason. We just know he’s picked out this particular CEO and has gone to great pains to figure out what kind of person he’s attracted to so that he can model himself after that type of person and seduce him.

We also know he’s an Enigma – which is some special super rare mutation that’s the most powerful of all types and can get an Alpha pregnant. So maybe he’s just looking for a baby-daddy and it’s as simple as that. Time will tell.

Introducing Hua Yong – the antagonist of this show (who is also the protagonist). Master Manipulator. Absolute Queen of Deception. Stalker Princess of Power.

I am already obsessed with this gorgeous Enigma demon shark.

The plotline of the noble, poor innocent winning over the player rich boy is so cliche and overdone. However – the plotline of a demon shark PRETENDING to be a noble, poor innocent to win over a player rich boy is GOLD.

It’s so fun to watch this Alpha player get played.

This very lesbian-coded CEO has absolutely no idea he’s totally out of control of this situation and it’s hysterical! He’s getting all his buttons pushed and is all flustered and horny and pissed off and enamored and we’re all smugly watching knowing he’s being conned. I can’t quite feel sorry for him, either, which makes it even more fun to root for the villain.

And shark boy is truly terrifying – I have a feeling there isn’t much he’s not capable of doing to get what he wants.

The casting director deserves an award. Eliot Huang was born to play demon shark Hua Yong! He’s nailing this dual role of the burdened sweet virgin and the devious seductress to perfection.

Demon shark is so evil!

He’s even stolen his backstory (including his tragically ill sister who has been hospitalized for who knows how long) from another character in the drama.

Which leads me to the second pair of leads.

There’s another Alpha CEO who is running a company in competition with our main lead. Just like our other CEO, he’s rich, young, fussy, and aloof – but for some reason this Alpha dude hates Omegas. Absolutely can’t stand them and refuses to be anywhere near them.

Which is a problem for his faithful secretary and long-time acquaintance, Secretary Gao Tu.

Poor Secretary Gao has been hiding the fact that he’s an Omega for years and years, taking suppressant drugs and risking his life to stay… dare I say… closeted. I’m a sucker for self destructive, suffer in silence types, so naturally I just want to eat him up.

This is the pitiful creature our demon shark stole his backstory from. Secretary Gao is the actual guy who has a sister in the hospital and is drowning in debt and unrelenting bills and living in squalor… the real Cinderella waiting for a prince to rescue him.

He’s such a sensual disaster of a man. I mean look at this poster!

He’s all wet and soft and handsome and submissive. Why there isn’t a line of men and women outside his door waiting to plant him into a mattress I will never understand. At least someone will get on him eventually…

It’s going to be satisfying to have our Omega-hating CEO fall hard for this pretty, pathetic kitten-in-the-rain Secretary Gao. Hopefully. I mean, it’s only been three episodes, this show may crash and burn, who knows.

I’ve started reading the novel “Desire” (垂涎) by Nong Jian (弄简) and this is a very faithful adaptation so far. Clearly everyone involved respects the vision of the source material. I’m trying not to read too far ahead cause I don’t want to lose my anticipation for the upcoming episodes.

From the web novel cover it looks like somehow they’re going to pull a happy ending out of this insane story too. I’m enjoying speculating how this hardcore emotional and sexual manipulation is going to turn into genuine romance. Could you ever trust someone like demon shark once you know what he’s capable of? I dunno, maybe trust is overrated. People believe in all kinds of irrational things without a hint of evidence so it makes sense affairs of the heart would be the same.

Hua Yong may be an orchid to everyone in the book, but he’s a demon shark to me.

I hope he murders some people. Something beyond the pale so there’s no easy way to say “ooo but he had his reasons.” Cause there’s something very appealing about presenting a villainous character as the genuine love interest you’re supposed to root for. It isn’t done very often. I hope they don’t make any excuses for him. I hope he’s just a manipulative crazy bastard because he can be. Honestly, the more villainous he is the more I’m going to enjoy the story – including the subsequent romance.

We can have sweet romance with Secretary Gao and his petty CEO – but let’s leave the main couple in toxic hell together please.

This show is playing on several different streaming app platforms and of course the usual pirate ship bays. Maybe this post convinced you to give the Omegaverse live-action drama a try. It feels like history is being made with this one.

(I’ll rate it once it’s over – but right now it’s 10/10 for me)

Lost You Forever – S1 – Chinese Crack Cocaine! I Need More! – A Review

/ Lady Divine / 2 Comments

I have literally written, deleted, re-written, deleted, edited, and finally just abandoned a full-out analysis or overview of this show because…. it’s just too good? It’s like Coffee Prince. Some shows you should just watch – and let them take over your life as only the best shows do.

Season 2, the conclusion to this show, is rumored to start airing in July…. so I wanted to drop something before then to try to inspire as many people as I could to watch Season 1 now – so we can all watch the final season together.

So here is why you should watch Lost You Forever – Season 1:

The YEARNING!

The absolute pure longing going on this show will give you heart palpitations. This show had me talking to my television, kicking my feet into the air, crying into my ice cream, sighing and screaming as I watched these romances unfold.

But other than the harem of hot guys our leading female has gathered around her and the coma inducing sizzle of pent up lust and desire between so many people… it’s just an amazing character-based drama.

Lost You Forever is about how good qualities and ideals can be warped by trauma, twisted into dark attributes instead of positive things. The four main characters are all good people with good intentions but their perception of the world and their behavior has been catastrophically shifted by extreme experiences (torture, abuse, family members trying to kill them, strangers trying to kill them, these are not fun times). Even when they are aware of their faults they are unable to overcome how trauma has rewired their brains.

In this way the antagonists of this show are the protagonists themselves. There is no villain or evil within the story that is greater than the destructive forces within our good guys. This is a show about internal battles and wars.

Because of this, the show truly stands out from the norm and shines as a deeply moving and emotionally gripping tale. More than they are failed by others, the characters fail themselves, becoming their own worst enemies. It is difficult to imagine anyone viewing this show and not seeing hints of their own destructive patterns and behaviors in the narrative. And just as we are our own biggest critics as well as our own greatest cheerleaders, you will be both frustrated and sympathetic to the characters in the show… hating them in one episode, rooting for them in the next.

Whether it is ambition, loyalty, or duty, the three men in this story are unable to grasp it without tearing themselves apart. Ambition at the cost of humanity, loyalty at the cost of love, and duty at the cost of freedom.

BACHELOR #1 – THE COUSIN

The ambitious brother/cousin of our leading female, who has been faking his personality for so long I doubt he even knows who he is without a mask… but ooo la la in those scenes where he’s fake smiling but turns around and that smile just slides off his face to reveal this ruthless, cold expression of calculating emotional void. I squealed.

Even when he’s genuinely happy it feels weird and strained, as if he’s uncomfortable with the whole concept. He’s the biggest psychopath/sociopath in the show but you probably won’t realize it very often cause he presents himself as this extremely polite, reasonable, even charming rich guy in most eps.

I really loved this creepy repressed dude, despite his creepy repressed crush on his “sister.” Honestly, it was just more fuel on the fire to my “this guy is deeply troubling and I am intrigued“ verdict. I freely admit to loving The Borgias, okay? Something may be wrong with me – I blame reading Flowers in the Attic at an impressionable age. I excuse a lot of nonsense in the fictional worlds.

BACHELOR #2 – BEAUTIFUL MALEWIFE

Tortured and abandoned, our next leading man was literally plucked out of the mud by our leading female. After she saves his life he becomes utterly devoted to her – like a dog, honestly. A beautiful, elegant dog. My goodness, this man is just beautiful.

Every time they show his hands on screen, I lose my mind a little – his fingernails are perfect oval glass. Just like the leading female, I want to brush his hair and tuck him into bed and fuss over him like the lovely flower he is.

Who’s my good boy?

gifs by zishuge – link

His shy little smile makes me crumble into a million pieces.

I would die for him.

But like I said, ain’t no one perfect in this show. And this ethereal angel baby, whose greatest asset is his undying loyalty and devotion, tears himself apart trying to serve two masters.

BACHELOR #3 – MONSTER BOY

Our third leading man isn’t even a man, he’s a monster thank you very much, and demons don’t bother with men and women, it’s just male and female (the gender politics of the demon race! I love they brought this up on two separate occasions in the show). He’s a stunningly gorgeous nine-headed serpent demon war general and he is here to use and abuse you if it serves his purpose.

While doing so, he might also offer you a shoulder to cry on or take you for a nice walk on water… but don’t be fooled, this guy is very clear as to where his priorities are. Work always comes first for our serpent baddie. And he’s very good at his job (assassin murder machine deluxe edition).

gifs by @zhouyes – link

He’s your weekend boyfriend, your vacation hook up, your sexy side dish. The guy you can be yourself with because you don’t have to worry about seeing him the next day.

gifs by @dramascene – link

Like everyone alive, I adored him from the very beginning… lounging about on tree limbs, feeding cute creatures to his gigantic bird, blackmailing our female lead to work for him after he had her whipped and literally stepped on her. Uhm… stop making violence sexy, sir.

He’s cruel, he’s confident, he’s capable. But he’s also broken and lonely and needs love, don’t you baby? I can fix you I know I can, ouch stop biting me you ridiculously handsome beastie, or don’t, you know, whatever…

gifs by tianzhens – link

Listen, I know he’s everyone’s favorite. He’s my favorite too. He’s a vampire who drinks poisons like cocktails, how can we not love him?

Only the best shows can make you want both sides of the love triangle with equal fervor, I get it, I do. But the OTP is obvious. What we want and what we need are often different things. But our leading female is smart. What she wants and what she needs are the same thing.

OUR LEADING LADY-MAN

The female lead is a “dude” for about half the show until she returns to her female identity (as things go in Xianxia shows – why are they all so freakin’ gay? I luv it). She values trust above all else but her fear of abandonment causes her to constantly test those around her, forcing them to impossible standards, never fully committing lest she be let down again. The security she demands is unreasonable, for there is no bond that can never be broken or a partner that will never fail you. Things and people are malleable and make mistakes. Relationships that last are built upon mending, refining, and forgiveness.

This actress was born to play this role. The female lead is so feisty and playful and smart. I was happy when she was happy and devastated when she was sad. I am deeply attached to her life story and need season two.

She also has magnetic chemistry with the three main leads – so it’s even harder to pick a favorite ship. She behaves differently around each of them, too, which only adds more complexity and realism to the entire show. Character development galore! It’s a smorgasbord and not only will you be well fed but they’re gonna give you enough to take home as leftovers and enjoy again later when you can’t stop thinking about them.

So that’s it for now. Just… watch it. Dissolve into the steamy pile of emotions.

Though I will warn you the first episode is jarring. The opening scenes were pure confusion and melodrama, so don’t be thrown off by it – just TRUST. It’s a lot, with murder and mayhem at funeral, crying children pledging to watch out for each other forever, random bullying, and more pledges between the two orphaned kids who are prompted separated for decades. With only ten minutes to left in the first episode, we jump to the “current time,” get a short explanation of the politics of the show, and see of our now grown royal orphans. From then on it’s smooth sailing – and I’m talking NO SKIP episodes, just excitement and humor and romance and thrills and chills and devastation. So stick with it through the bumpy first ep.

Oh, and in this show the deities, humans, and demons all live in the same world. There are three kingdoms (well, two by the end of the first episode), but they are not divided by the people and creatures that live in them. There’s no heavenly realms or demon realms in this one. As I’m new to Chinese fantasy, this threw me off for a while, so I thought I’d mention it here.

Lost You Forever S1 – Overall Rating 10+/10 – A Flawless Story About Flawed People

We’ll see how it all wraps up with the second season, but right now in my world it’s tied with Till the End of the Moon for favorite Chinese drama. I’ll be back after Season 2 for a full spoilery mess review full of pics and gifs and memes… promise.

Until then… enjoy for this funny F-M-K game with light spoilers for eps 1-13.

powerpoint by gizkasparadise – link

The Legend of Shen Li

/ Lady Divine / Leave a comment

The Legend of Shen Li is a Chinese fantasy drama with the soul of an old Hollywood Movie. Like Cassablanca, It Happened One Night, Love Affair, The Philadelphia Story, or His Girl Friday. You know, the ones that despite being in black and white the entire world metaphorically bursts into technicolor when the two leading actors lock eyes.

I loved those old movies. Cool, confident, well-dressed people slinking around each other with playful, covertly flirtatious dialogue. Strong ladies in designer dresses circling around handsome men with deadly charm.

The Legend of Shen Li is about capable, confident adults finding love in the same suave style of Old Hollywood – but transplanted into an epic historical fantasy romance with many worlds and apocalyptic fates in the balance.

Introducing our two protagonists, Shen Li and Xing Zhi (or Xing Yun, depending on your subtitles) – whom you will fall in love with as they fall in love with each other.

gifs by @movielosopy on Tumblr – link

So let’s talk about the set up to this show – cause it’s bizarre and brilliant.

Story Arc 1 – The Mortal Realm

In the beginning a demon warrior woman with a massive spear is escaping an arranged marriage to an heavenly immortal with a bad reputation. Their marriage is a proposed strategic alliance between the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm but our warrior woman is having none of it. She’d rather die, thank you very much, and fights off an army to run away. In the fray of her escape she falls to the mortal world and transforms back to her spiritual form – a phoenix.

Except no one in the mortal world knows what a phoenix is so they just assume it’s a weird looking chicken. She is, in fact, a most adorable CGI chicken with little hearts in her feathers and as corny as that sounds, you will adore it.

Saving her from becoming someone’s dinner is a kindly ginseng farmer who takes her back to his picturesque home on the river and proceeds to tease her and cook her delicious meals. It’s clear he knows this chicken is more than meets the eye, but how he knows and what else he might know are mysteries that slowly unravel in the first few episodes.

you can click on any image to enlarge

This drama is picturesque in the extreme and you will enjoy a visual feast while this powerful war general deals with being powerless for the first time in her life, learning to let someone else take care of her and protect her from harm. She’s annoyed and frustrated and ranting – but ultimately gives in to her gentle caretaker, who delights in teasing her and pushing her buttons, amused by her outbursts and antics and obviously quite charmed by her stubborn, bullheaded personality.

gifs above from @zhanglinghez on Tumblr – link

Their roles reverse by episode three as she regains her human form and her powers slowly come back; then she is the one protecting him from local bullies and other dangers. She’s also enjoying bullying him a bit herself, but it’s obviously a giant turn on to her tall, handsome mortal guardian who is grinning like a fool every time she throws him around.

The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 3 – gifs by @ladynamie on Tumblr – link

Listen, this guy can play our lead female like a fiddle. He’s having the time of his life goofing around the house and wasting the days away with this recuperating warrior. He’s sickly and mortal and other than some impressive knowledge of magic, he has little to protect himself in the world… not that he seems to care. The dude is like Buddha. He’s both calm like an old man who has accepted their fate and oblivious like a child who has no concept of danger… nothing seems to worry him, he’s at peace wherever he goes… and its bizarre and Shen Li is captivated by him.

gifs by @movielosopy on Tumblr – link

Cause this super chill farmer manages to make our leading lady feel… well, like a lady. And also kinda like a little girl. Which is a novelty for her, as she is a military leader and not accustomed to men wanting to act as her shield and take long walks around the property and hold her hand and such.

It’s vacation romance all the way.

Our leading lady is relaxing for the first time in her life, just enjoying the beauty of nature and the slow movement of days, the burdens of her position and realm far, far away. No one knows who she is, no one expects anything from her… she can just melt into the tranquility of a mortal life… eat good food… and enjoy witty banter with her handsome farmer guy.

gifs by @movielosophy on Tumblr – link

The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 4 – stills/gifs by @ladynamie on Tumblr – link

And in this idyllic setting… with gorgeous cinematography and perfect pacing… the stage is set for these two people to fall in love.

The love stories of adults should feel different from a romance of youth. The same uncertainty, excitement, and insecurities are there but how adults respond to these things is different. But the older you get, the higher your walls are and the easier it is to just give up or walk away. Cause you’ve been alone all this time, you know it can’t hurt you, but this… this new thing… this love thing… this could tear you to pieces if you aren’t careful.

And it involves someone else, so the outcome is not all up to you. For someone who is used to being in control, this is often the scariest aspect of relationships. Cause the stronger you are alone, the harder it is to let someone else in.

And the two lovers in this story are, respectively, some of the strongest people in the known worlds.

Shen Li is the war general of the entire Demon Realm, adopted daughter of the Demon King, and a fierce and unstoppable warrior woman who is respected and feared by everyone.

And our man Xing Zhi? Oh, he’s the last remaining ancient god, the most powerful being in all the worlds, above the Immortal Realm, the Demon Realm, and the Mortal Realm, a mysterious entity who only comes out of his seclusion in the Sky Beyond Heaven occasionally when situations require it every thousand years or so. Or when he’s so bored that he wanders down to the Mortal Realm to live as a human hoping to escape the existential horrors of being an ancient immortal.

That is a mild spoiler, and I apologize if you were coming to this review blind – but the truth of both their identities are revealed very early in the show and are printed in every description of the show online so it’s not really much of a spoiler in my opinion.

The first few episodes (1-6) are the foundation of this show and of you aren’t won over during this first story arc then go ahead and drop the show – it’s just not for you. To each their own, but… seriously… you weren’t won over? What manner of creature are you?

Overall Rating: 10+/10 – A Xianxia Romantic Epic with the heart of an Old Hollywood movie.

SPOILERS BELOW – just go ahead and watch it if you haven’t – and if you have… then come along and let’s chat more about it.

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THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

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“Odysseus inclines his head. “True. But fame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired in one generation is abhorred in another.” He spread his broad hands. “We cannot say who will survive the holocaust of memory. Who knows?” He smiles. “Perhaps one day even I will be famous. Perhaps more famous than you.” 
― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

Why can’t the gays be happy? Why? Someone save us from the Greek Tragedies!

This book was beautiful. I looooooooved it. I switched back and forth between the audiobook and the library book, both of which I highly recommend. It’s a lush, sumptuous tale… in which the gods live among us, in which history is represented in its coldness and blood. Lives are short, wars are long, and honor and glory are men’s games. The narrator is Patroclus (shy, stubborn, horny, introverted Patroclus), faithful friend and lover of Achilles (naive, confident, demigod of war) – and their relationship is the focal point of the story – the gods, the wars, the women were all secondary… the landscape in which this love story is painted.

And you know it’s going to be sad. I mean… that 3,000 year old spoiler has been around long enough that we know it. So the dread, the mounting doom that builds… it’s unbearable. It’s delicious. It’s heartbreaking. I sobbed all over the place – even though I knew what would happen! Bury our ashes together! Oh, the sweet agony! Oh, my poor puffy eyes.

Here’s the thing – the spoilers don’t matter. It’s not what’s happening, necessarily, it’s how it’s told. The language, the prose – that’s what this book is about. With that in mind… here’s a few scenes that stuck with me (spoilers):

My favorite parts of this book were the unexpectedly adorable moments between our lovers… like when teenage Achilles comes home one night and announces he’s just found out his mother, an all-seeing goddess, can’t actually see into the cave they’re staying at… and the two boys just stare at each other as all that news implies sinks in… then pounce like hungry lions. Or when young Achi is in disguise as a woman and Patty shows up and he leaps into his arms saying, “Oh, my husband has come!” Or when they save a random prisoner of war, a woman, and take her into their tent for protection – but she assumes she’s about to be raped and no matter how much they try to calm her down and assure her, it’s a nightmare cause they don’t speak the same language, so Patty boy just grabs Achi and puts a big smooch on him and message received loud and clear. Odysseus is also hysterical and rude and conniving and I enjoyed all of his scenes – his clever turn of phrase, his keen understanding and manipulation of situations.

And you have to realize, these situations are all told with this very thick narrative voice – this metaphor and simile heavy language that really sings to you while you read it – as if the breaths you’ll inhale and exhale while you speak the lines are perfectly timed to fit this hypnotic rhythm… very much like a poem… or an old play… it’s beautifully done. Madeline Miller obviously spent a long time tailoring these sentences to create this tale. She’s a drama and classic major… so… you know… she knows her stuff.

I can’t wait to read Circe – her latest book. Though I’ll probably have to take a little break and read something fluffy or light first, to clear the palette. Maybe some YA fantasy or something.

RATING: FIVE STARS

Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Originally published: 2011
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, War story

Review – Bulgasal: Immortal Souls

/ Lady Divine / 4 Comments

I mean… can you resist this goth aesthetic???

There’s gonna be a lot of gifs and images in this review… so if you’re internet is slow, give it a minute to load up cause… lights camera action.

Ah, Bulgasal! I’ve been sitting on this review a while because this is a tricky show to discuss. Like many other poor fools out there, I watched this drama as it was airing. And in a strange way, that contributed to my love/hate relationship with this fantasy. Cause I should have hated it. I shouldn’t really recommend it to anyone in good faith. But I had such a blast watching this show!

I was soaked in the fandom, giddy with anticipation as the mystery unfolded, and horny over too many characters not to love it. I was amused as often as I was annoyed with the outcome week to week as the story unfolded two episodes at a time. It doesn’t deserve a high rating. It’s slow paced, the plot line is a huge mess, and the characters are weird. But I’m giving it a high rating cause I loved this dumb, beautiful disaster of a show with my whole heart.

Everything you need to know about Bulgasal is revealed in the first ten minutes of the show with the narration introducing the last monster, the flashes of mysterious scenes on a bridge, and the cool opening title sequence. Not once did I hit the skip button, either. I love that title sequence.

Bulgasal has an unknown story line (we’re not following any real historical royal families or diving into era specific conflicts or politics), so there’s no easy guessing of the plot’s major conflict. It’s got reincarnation angles, so there are multiple timelines with multiple versions of characters popping up. It’s got a grumpy protagonist who spends the large majority of the show sulking around a dirty house while a bunch of sunshine characters come in upset his world. It’s got a very enjoyable and theatrical antagonist who has more chemistry with the leading man than the leading lady does. And it’s got all kinds of wacky supernatural stuff at play without clear rules so it’s always a mystery how it’s going to effect the storyline and all the characters.

I mean, you won’t really know what’s happening or why in this show for a long time and even when you find out it’s not particularly inspired, but it’s so much fun guessing. If you have any imagination whatsoever you will invent a plotline three times better than the one offered and bask in the glory of your mental fanfiction as you stare at the beautiful people on your screen.

Bulgasal is a whole vibe. You’re either on board or not. Do you want on this ship?

Wait, I’m sorry. What was that? I don’t think I heard you.

I said DO YOU WANT ON THIS SHIP?

Meow Meow.

ALL ON BOARD.

My personal rating 10/10. My subjective rating? Uhm… 7/10? But why be subjective with Bulgasal? That’s not what this drama is bringing to the table. Let’s adjust to uh… Overall rating: 9/10. A beautiful disaster that captivated the fandom.

Now let’s talk about what made Bulgasal… Bulgasal. Or rather, let’s just follow tangents along and ramble as I reminisce on the fandom and the characters in this show.

SPOILERS BELOW.

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Review – Gu Family Book / Kangchi, the Beginning

/ Lady Divine / 4 Comments

I watched this series when it first came out, slapped a 7.5 star rating on it, and moved on with my life. Except I didn’t move on. I kept coming back to it. I don’t know how many times I have watched it now, but it’s a lot. A lot, a lot. And I honestly think it gets better with each rewatch. Now I’d say it’s a perfect 10/10. Occasionally our first impressions are just… wrong, okay?

Listen, sometimes you have to change your mind about stuff. It’s good for the soul.

Just like this drama.

Just like these two.

Bae Suzy and Lee Seung-Gi are the two leads, both of which are notoriously charming in all their dramas. Sticking them together was like the first person who thought to create a double layer cake. What if we put a cake… on top of a cake? Afterwards humanity forever wondered why they hadn’t been doing this the whole time. Cause of course, of course, cake on cake is perfect.

And Bae Suzy and Lee Seung-Gi are perfect. They’re both charismatic actors who bring innocence, humor, and sincerity to all their roles. And just so you know – they don’t even really show up until episode 3. Like Queen Seon Duk, the first two episodes are all about the laying foundations of the story with the generation before.

The plotline of Gu Family Book is fantastic – both the supernatural plotline and the political one. There’s melodrama, action, revenge, political intrigue, and the supernatural. But at its core, this is a romance. And the romance is achingly romantic, with the plot winding slowly around your heart until by the time things start coming together for these two, you’re already desperately bound to their stories.

The warrior’s daughter and the gumiho’s son

Oh, Gu Family Book! This show has it all. It packed in everything you can think of in its suitcase of plot devices to spellbind an audience. Kang Eun-Kyung wrote a script to rival some of the best historical dramas of all time. The story is huge, complicated, and multi-generational – yet it’s easy to follow and just builds on itself as it goes. There’s tons of humor to balance all the tragedy. The stakes are high but realistic. All the characters are fully developed, and I mean all of them. And they all get complete characters arcs, too, with transformation and growth (even if towards the dark side). I’ll get into all of this in more detail in the spoiler section.

Sometimes your protagonists are only as good as your antagonists, and Lee Seung-Gi plays one of the most monstrous villains of all time. You’ll be rooting for someone to cut this man down from the very first episode. Lee Seung-Gi will make your skin crawl. He plays his role with such menace, such devious certainty, that you never once doubt his character’s soul is blacker than the eyeliner of the lead singer of The Cure.

There are really dark aspects in this drama – human slavery, rape, torture, and murder – though their presentation is PG-13, you might be disturbed by the content. Gu Family Book does not pretend that the past was an entirely pleasant experience – it could be a very, very harsh world. But our characters still find ways to survive, to find beauty, joy, and pleasure, in the world they occupy. Sometimes the darkness can be overcome, and sometimes people have to make room for the light despite of it.

Listen, I’m hard pressed to think of a reason why you won’t like this drama. Other than the “old-school” special effects – which okay, sure, they’re old fashioned… it’s just glowing lights and rather painful looking colored contacts most of the time, but whatever. I’m embarrassed to admit I was overly dismissive of the simplistic special effects first viewing – which now don’t bother me in the least. In fact, I actually prefer a lot of these FX tricks over more tedious CGI.

Don’t let your modern eye keep you from enjoying this fairy tale goodness just because its special effects are a bit dated. Maybe at first you’ll be a little unsure of how to feel about some of the show, but it will hypnotize you. Next thing you know you’ll be utterly delighted every time those little blue will-o’-the-wisps show up, every time Kang Chi’s eyes switch colors, every time the operatic theme song by Yisabel busts in… “There’s a stone for the things forgotten…”

Around the early 2010’s is when Korean dramas started picking up a substantial fan base in America. There is something particular about the shows coming out during this time – they were so universally loved by viewers (with a few problematic elements here and there, sure) – they were so addictive, so shamelessly full of love, sorrow, hope, honor, and friendship – that they swept people up into the fan base and retained them as permanent K-drama addicts. Warrior Baek Dong Soo, The Moon Embracing the Sun, Queen In Hyun’s Man, Sungkyunkwan Scandal. If you’ve watched any of these dramas – then you know what I’m talking about. They’re distinctive. Distinctively freakin’ good.

Check it Gu Family Book and fall in love with a smitten tomboy warrior girl and the half-human half-mythical creature whose big heart and dimpled smile will win you over.

Overall Rating: 10/10. Supernatural Tale Involving Magical Blue Lights and Colored Contact Lenses.

Character Discussion & Spoilers Follow…

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Review – Extra-Ordinary You

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Extra-Ordinary You was one of the best teenage romantic comedies I have seen in years – for about 20 episodes. The last twelve episodes of this show slid quickly into “good but nothing special” territory for me, feeling repetitive, unnecessary, and considerably less exciting. This is not to say I didn’t still enjoy it, even after the sudden and steady decline of my attention span. Cause I did. Honestly. And when nearly 3/4ths of your drama is amazing, then you really can’t complain too much as you’re already doing better than most shows.

Even the long haul eps at the end, where the first had gone out, where still entertaining enough that I continued watching. Frankly, I felt I had to. The mystery of the show was compelling enough that I could not let it go without the answers I was promised.

The story is thus: A quirky, popular young lady has suddenly started losing track of time. Hours pass and she has no memory of what happened in between. Then, mysteriously, she begins to notice strange patterns – amongst her friends and her routine. Things repeat themselves. Her world seems in flux. What’s going on? Our heroine discovers she is a character in a graphic novel – and now that she’s become self aware, she is able to experience life “between the panels” when the story is not directing her (and everyone else’s) action.

It’s a really fun concept. A similar story line was W, the 2016 hit series that was also really great for quite a long time before kinda dragging on a bit too long for it’s own good. If I had to choose between the two, I would pick W because it was a more expansive story, but Extra-Ordinary You finds is place in the pantheon of cute romance dramas with just enough conflict, love-triangles, bullies, and generalized school intrigue to keep you entertained.

Though the entire series takes place inside a graphic novel – it’s surprisingly “fantasy light.” The drama doesn’t spend much time musing on the particular physics or mysticism involved in this world, nor does it bother to explain how its possible or what controls it. Why are these imaginary characters able to become conscious? What does that mean about the creator of the characters or the world itself? Is this a reincarnation metaphor or meant to provoke us to think about the uncanny nature of religious beliefs, mortality, the broader expanse of the universe, or the vast unknowns of life? Uh, no. This is definitely not a philosophical show. There is no social commentary. It’s pretty much surface level only, and the surface level is very brightly colored. I think if you scratched at the layer, you’d just smell bubblegum. The “but how though?” question remains unanswered, and I suppose it really didn’t matter in the end as it never bothered me much. It’s a cheesy teen romance. It may have been more… maybe… once… there do seem to be hints at more… but nope. It’s just a collection of tropes and cuteness that’s dressed up in a new style.

I’d considered writing a more lengthy review – about the characters and the concept – but could not motivate myself to do so. The teenagers are all lovely and immaculate in their perfect white uniforms. The school is some insane stylized mansion-esque place, always spotless and expansive. The light is pure. The rain is romantic. Hospital rooms are enormous and comfortable. The streets are generic. The angles of the camera mimic typic manga style – with lots of straight on shots, a few up and down views inbetween, and plenty of focus on the dreamy faces of the leads. It’s a graphic novel, after all, a modern fairytale, so everything worked or was easily excused.

The less you know going in, the more you will enjoy it.

It was a perfect escape and exactly what I’d been craving but didn’t realize it. Something comfortable but just different enough that I didn’t immediately recognize it.

Overall Rating 8/10. A Happy Escape into a Romantic Dreamworld of Teenagers.

UPROOTED by Naomi Novik

/ Lady Divine / Leave a comment

Nine hours later… and my reading day is complete! UPROOTED certainly deserves the Nebula Award (that’s for the best sci fi or fantasy novel in America, mind you… high praise and illustrious company indeed). It’s a stand alone novel that feels like a saga cause there is a lot going on in this book! World-building, politics, history, magic, traditions… it all reads as if it’s common knowledge, easy to follow and mentally thick. Your head will simply go with the flow when you’re reading it.

The gist of the story is this. Every ten years, a powerful wizard called The Dragon takes a young girl to live with him, locked away in a magical tower. In ten years time, the girls come out… but they’re always changed. And they never, ever go home again. Enter our plucky and extremely likable main female character, the next girl chosen by the wizard. The wizard really stole the show in this book, as the grumpiest, funniest, snarkiest and most memorable male lead I have read in a while. Well done, Novik! This isn’t a romance novel, though. If you expect that, you will be disappointed…cause it kinda tries but just fails in that respect. I must admit, I was a little disappointed but c’est la vie.

Our antagonist is the WOOD… a mysterious dark forest filled with horrors… that is slowly encroaching on the kingdoms, swallowing villages as it goes. This is some deliciously eerie and scary stuff… people going instantly insane, cows wandering in and coming out all twisted and deformed, people being eaten by trees. Just freakin’ awesome. AWESOME.

On the outside of the wood, we have two kingdoms with a shaky truce. That gets demolished within a few chapters and war breaks out. There are crafty, devious wizards of the court. There are undying queens buried alive. There is a young woman reborn by magic curiously impervious to harm. There is so much going on! And all the while the narrative remains this consistent, evenly paced melody of words that just lulls you along through this crazy world. Like Willy Wonka when they’re on the ferry boat and everyone is freaking out but he’s just kind of maniacally calm.

I loved how magic was explained in this book. I won’t attempt to explain it… just read it. READ IT! It’s a truly beautiful story…

RATING: FIVE STARS

Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Originally published: May 2015
Genres: Fairy tale, Fantasy Fiction, Romantic fantasy
Awards: Nebula Award for Best Novel