Rants and Weekly Raves (RAWR) #358

Anne: This week has been feeling kind of blah... not a whole lot is happening except work. And the reintroduction of COVID restrictions at the site. So, our team building plans are put on hold, and I need to pivot and come up with some sort of activity that can be done virtually. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

(Update: I realized how many pictures I've posted this week. If you get tired of reading, there are lots of interesting pictures to look at!)

I saw the preview for Luoyang a while back on iQiyi. It looks pretty amazing! I'm not the biggest Wang YiBo fan, but the preview are very cool. It reminds me a lot of the Longest Day in Chang'an, as in the pacing, the camera work, and the specular views. I wonder if it would live up to the previews.

Comfort Drama of the Week

I couldn't think of just one that stood out this week. And some of them, aren't really for comfort in the traditional sense. They give comfort to me because they take me away into a different world that is beyond the ordinary. Sometimes a LOT, and sometimes just a little, like looking into a mirror. Everything is different but also exactly the same. The one that came to mind this week, is Black. 

It was a different take on the grim reaper and seeing ghosts, and a detective story all in one! It's the first time that I didn't mind the tragic ending for the reaper.

When I fell in love with...

Deng Lun

I don't even remember what was the first drama that I saw him in. But I definitely remembered the one that made the most impression, Ashes of Love, which I am obsessed with to the point that I'm doing the recap (yes, it's very slow going...). But it wasn't his God of War outfit that mesmerized me, it was when he went down to the mortal world. I don't know what is is about seeing a man all decked out in red. 

But as everyone who has watched this drama will attest, the character of Xu Feng is one that almost rivals Ye Hua. Xu Feng went against his brother, whom he probably loved and respected more than any other person in his life. I will certainly express my ogling all over again as the recaps continue. 

And my outlook of Deng Lun would probably have remained as is...as the God of War...but then I had to watch Great Escape. Where I saw another side of Deng Lun, the man who is deathly afraid of everything and anything, especially the dark. (He's the one walking backwards because he's too scared to face whatever scary thing that they might encounter while walking down this dark hallway.)

And also wild chickens... 

Deng Lun jumped onto a table and screamed for help. (Granted Justin wasn't much better, but to give him credit, chickens are one of the few things he IS afraid of.) This man can hit some very high pitch and ear shattering screams. But the other thing this show has demonstrated is that Deng Lun isn't just a pretty face. He can be quite smart in solving the escape room puzzles.

So these different shows have certainly colored my image of him. And who can forget THIS...

I do have to confess that I rarely have watch another drama he started in. Most of them are just not my type of dish. Regardless, I will always at least checkout anything he is in. I went back and watched Princess Agents...well...I just FF to his scenes :D). I even started the Investiture of the Gods...but I couldn't get through the 1st episode. I watched Skate into Love because of him, and he didn't even star in it! Still one of my favorite people to watch.

CHINESE/TAIWANESE

Be Loved in House: I Do

I really only have one thing to say about episode 13...WHY????

No, I don't freaking CARE about the EX???? And no I did NOT want to see how happy they were for THREE years??

I understand what the writers were trying to do, but this is so amateurish!! I expect better! The more I see of this the more I'm beginning to think that this was someone's graduation project. And did anyone else thought that the "car accident" was actually in a car? 

When I first saw this....I was like "oh, he's running to his car"...nope...

I just really don't understand what this is supposed tell me except he's so upset he didn't know where he was going. The airport is nowhere near wherever he is...Tragic and pointless.

On the upside, I really liked the photo reel at the end. It feels more genuine than the drama.

 

Falling into Your Smile

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. While I still do not understand the whole E-sports thing. This show extended to topics beyond it. It touched on internet celebrity, fandom, personal failure, lost love, new loves, and a whole lot of other somewhat normal life situations. Xu Kai is the typical male archetype, the stoic, and often moral character that defies reality. The best part is how Lu Si Cheng asked out Tong Yao. From her previous experience with Jiang Yang, she was against dating a E-sports player. And what does Lu Si Cheng tells her, "I'm a good guy. How about giving me a try?"  

All the secondary characters are drawn out well, including the other players on the team. Poor Xiao Pang, who always somehow run into the main CP's "compromising situations". Like when he came down stairs one morning to see this...

And his expression was like...

And promptly runs back up into his room, where he immediately texted his team captain to say "I can't believe your are this type of captain. Why did you let me see it?!" Where upon our cool and very direct Lu Si Cheng replies, "You saw it wrong. Why would we do it in the living room for anyone to see. You don't have a brain but I do." <mike drop> This quick and direct to the point dialogues are part of this drama's "comedy".  And when this is how you dress to go to the market to buy a fish...

... no one believes that there isn't something else going on...

Their entire team is like a bunch of teenage girls giggling over a "secret" romance. This entire show was cute from the beginning to the end. There were no real bad or evil characters. No odd stalkers, except for Tong Yao's ex-boyfriend. But even in the end he learned to let go. It's actually one of the healthiest dramas I've seen.

Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: Silent Evidence

I have reached episode 16, and it's quite all right. What I liked the most about this is the actress, Zhou Yu Tong, who plays the main detective working with Dr. Qin. Unlike the other two versions I've see, the girl isn't the "backup", she's the main investigator, and she kicks butt! My other favorite thing about the show, her van. 

I don't remember any details about the cases, and it's not like anything truly extradentary has happened yet. I'm still slightly confused about Dr. Qin's dad. I guess he was "lost at sea", but Qin Ming feels abandoned. So the daddy issues and parental issues are partly driving his demons. The other one is some weird serial killer who likes to paint his victims up like Chinese opera singers. As I mentioned previously, Zhang Yu Jian plays a similar type of character that he's always played, which I still think he perfected in The Plough Department of the Song Dynasty. Maybe one of these days, I'll talk about The Night of the Comet: II. I just couldn't get over his hair style, drove me insane!!

Honey, Don't Run Away 2

The second season started all of a sudden. After waiting over a year, the second season of this odd ball enjoyable show finally landed. The only problem is, I don't remember much of what happened in season 1, except that I really liked the 2nd ML, Zi Yan (the one on the right). So I spent the last two days, re-watching season 1. The second time around, the Zi Yan is even more likeable, such a charming man who remained a good person all the way through. Even though he knew Xiao Tang loved Jin Yan, he was willing to be second choice if she would marry him. The first season ended with the appearance of the "dream" crystal, which would save her life but be the end of his.

Why in the world is this thing a crystal? Looks like one of those fancy muffins.

Season 2 started pretty much how season 1 started. (The FL did change actress...so just ignored that.) She is out in public "buying" a husband. No one dares to marry her, because every fiancée tends to die, so no matter how much money she throws out, no one dares to pick it up. Of course, the only reason she's doing this is to get Mu Jin Yan to come to her. Not even 10 minutes in, and wow, season 2 certainly went even further with the ridiculous comedy. 

Her outfit is a lot more daring

And Zi Yan (who is also played by someone different) has gotten even more silly in his attempts to get Xiao Tang to marry him.

Um... I don't know about this...Both season 2 and 3 are out, so there is a total of 24 episodes this time around.

Dreaming of Chang'an (Stand by Me)

Holy moly, I LOVED this Viki "poster" the best. Cheng Yi looks awesome in that red (I told you I have a thing about man with long hair and red clothing...). I only saw the first 20 minutes. I have to say, I have never wanted to slap a ML more in less than 10 minutes on screen. 

I don't know what happened between Love and Redemption and THIS...but he has got that dickiness look down! He is so NOT likeable. 

Even though he is still pretty hot.

I'll see if I stick with it. The plot doesn't make this sound like it's heading for a happy ending. Well...and in the first two minutes of this drama we see "who" fired the arrow at the girls. Yeah, this type of beginning never ends well.

KOREA

So Not Worth It

It did take me a little longer than usual to finish this series, even though it was definitely shorter than all the others. For shows that I need to read subtitles, it does take some concentration and hence I tend to finish these a little later than most. Overall, it was fairly ok. There were no big surprises, and strangely enough, after Jamie's background was revealed, his character really did drop into the background. However, I feel that after the reveal...everything just went a bit blah. (Please let me know if anyone disagrees with me.) The story line with Minnie and Eoksour, I really didn't understand except as a way to force Sam's jealousy. My favorite character is probably Carson because she is the only person who really just doesn't give a f#%! except being who she is. And she always notices other people more than anyone else. I have read comments that compared this to Friends...and yes, it does try to emulate a similar format. But it actually doesn't quite get there. The show has done a lot of preparations for a continued season 2, as evidenced by poor Hyun Min's fate.

And then...

The writers need to give this boy a break.

Have a great week everyone. And next week we can talk about the odd ball costume drams that I tend to stumble into.