My brother: “You gotta check out my favorite singer, Hua Chenyu.” Me: “Sure, bro, one of these days.”
WEEKS LATER. Me, bored: “Who was you favorite singer again? Let me see.” *falls into blackhole*
ILU HUA CHENYU, HUAHUA. WHY DO YOU EXIST AND WHY DID I ONLY FIND YOU NOW?
Just found out. Ah, my youth. Debating if I should rewatch and try to change my mind about it. I hated it so much, lol. Used to love the male lead actor here and couldn’t wait for him to change from support to lead actor in a romance drama, but his lead role in this drama killed my good feelings.
This is why it’s important for actors who’ve played heart throbbing second leads to chose their “break out” lead roles wisely. It’s so easy to move on since so many lead roles are bad/uninteresting and the SLS that got them popular can also turn around and bite them when they finally lead.
Maybe I’ll try again. I remember being really disappointed because I expected a cute romcom. Maybe if I readjust my lenses. Also unlike when I was young I’ve come to appreciate not so nice, maybe even sort of antagonistic, male leads. lol
(I wanted to rewatch I Hear Your Voice and just barely skimmed it yesterday. I was surprised to be squicked by the noona-minor romance, which surprised me because it was THE SHOW that made LJS and LBY pop for me. Thank goodness for that time skip! Maybe if I actually immersed myself instead of skimming I’d get onboard again, lol.)
Secret garden. I used to love HB’s role, but when I went back, he just felt like a pure stalker to me…..
umm…. BOF, I used to love the 2nd lead(i forgot his name) but when I rewatched BoF, i found that he was just using FL….
Celebrated my birthday today with family. I DJed during our game time by putting on a series of OST MVs. Managed to get my sisters interested in Good Bye My Princess. Then my CDrama-centric sister (who usually prefers older, more established actors like Feng Shaofeng and Liu Shishi) decided to pick this drama up. Whether she actually goes through with it, well it’s still a win for me anyway. 😀
Still stuck on my star-crossed couple of the River of Forgetfulness. :'(
So. I jumped on the cdrama train, but I got off on the wrong stop as everyone else — on a romance-political drama whereas the OTP’s relationship is a trainwreck, but such a painfully good one at that, it’s hard to look away. Yes, I’m talking about Eastern Palace / Goodbye My Princess.
I’ve read people say that this drama is for masochists because of the tragic plot and suffering of FL, but I sadistically enjoy it very well – after all, a beautiful romantic tragedy should be savored. It’s not often you come across a complex character in a romantic male lead — who is an anti-hero, a ruthless man of his grim times and environment, and so perfectly unwavering in his beliefs and values that he himself dropped the bomb in the story that couldn’t be undone.
This fantastic OST + all the angst in the MVs + the dual wedding scene (one happy – another somber) + how pretty everything and the leads are (my goodness, are they are so pretty and charismatic) compelled me to dive in and I don’t regret it.
I’m late to GMP and have no one to talk to :(. Some thoughts in the comments.
OTP: The big betrayal aside, contrary to belief I don’t think FL and ML would ever be satisfied together even despite loving each other so deeply. Character-wise, FL chooses freedom over duty and views issues on a smaller scale, whereas ML’s talents and ambitions will always carry him to aim for more and dig into the puzzle to solve while looking at the bigger picture. They could be happy in life and love if they knew how to bring it all together to make it work, and maybe in a different era, but that’s something that we’ll never know.
I do think FL’s affections for her teacher were nowhere near or as deep as it was to ML while she in contrast couldn’t see eye to eye with ML’s ideals. For the teacher it was a puppy crush and respect meanwhile the strong romantic feelings were reserved for the ML. I also think ML truly did love FL because he was such a rational and ambitious man yet when FL was involved he threw his heart into the mix and jumped right in with his life on the line. Again, some people said he chose his ambitions over love. Why can’t he have both? They aren’t mutually exclusive. The problem wasn’t that he wanted both, but that for the era he made sacrifices, and she did as well, that he thought was justified and she didn’t. Destined to meet and love, but because of timing not fated to be.
NOVEL/DRAMA: I haven’t read it but I’ve heard comparisons and this is just my unobjective take on it. Apparently the ML was more ruthless and cold in the story and some fans did not like the reasons/plots given to the ML in the drama. I also don’t think there always have to be nice and tied reasons for everything, but in this case for a 52-55 ep drama I don’t mind the increased complexity of the plot and characters. I’m actually glad they gave the ML-actor a lot to do since he was able to show his capability by pulling it off well.
Sweet and innocent FLs are okay in my books, if somewhat vexing at times and very uninteresting. Piled on was a stubborm streak and impulsive behaviors. On paper, I susprisingly can’t relate to her character as much as I do the edgy ML when it comes to some of her impulsive actions for the time era and her status in that setting (even with the big elephant in the room). But the FL-actress made her better and I love her for that. She was sweet and she suffered agony for it, and that was acted so well.
The novel started the story from the middle. The drama and screenwriters decided to lay it out chronologically. This was a big decision because it affected viewers and their perspective of the ML and FL falling for him (again). While I do wonder about the “what-ifs” ML could’ve charmed us (despite being a huge tsundere) before the big flashback and reveal, and it would bring different feels when it comes to that climatic scene of knowing the backstory, I do prefer this chronological take even though it stained the ML for many viewers since the first few episodes, and not many could overlook it. But the acting and writing shone through that for me and as well I just don’t like long flashbacks if that 9 episode beginning was inserted in the middle. It has its merits, but in this case the writers did not brush over the ML’s betrayal and threw a love story we knew from the beginning was flawed at us. The tragedy was laid in place; it was all about the journey to see it flesh out to the bitter end.
GOOD: While I do enjoy the story, I am not often WOW-ed by the actors and actresses, especially the leads. The two leads on GMP are exceptional, remarkable, two huge factors (alongside the beautiful OST and cinematography) that carries this story and makes a tragedy that so many saw a mile away too compelling with their chemistry and acting that it carries a viewer like me to the conclusion.
BAD: I can enjoy drama and angst, and GMP does it well in writing and the shots of the scenes. But the editing fails this drama a bit. It’s not only the scenes that were cut that was a problem. Some transitions were super tacky. Some very emotional scenes were well-done and yet some others were cringe, and better editing would have saved those moments for me. For instance, the long cutting back and forth of long falls that made it so tacky.
I believe these large scale costume dramas are filmed without intro and outro to episodes in mind (all that random cutting and different versions). In essence, it’s less of a series and more like a very-very-very long film and so sometimes feels like nothing happened in the episode at all as things are being laid out. I’ve seen a good chunk of costume cdramas but it still takes some getting used to when an episode abruptly ends or starts without much hoot and toot.
Overall – Subjectively, I’d give this drama a 8.5/10 because of all the good things and lingering feelings. It’s ENCHANTING and that’s a huge bonus. That’s super high in my books. Objectively, perhaps it’d go down to 6.5-7/10.
ha ha.. nah.. i was live watching it.. and waited for over a year for this to air..
1st time when i learnt about the novel, the story got to me.. and luckily shortly after they announced the drama.. fans were so upset.. but then when it finally happened , despite all the things that are wrong with editing etc (untamed is super high quality in comparison) .. the acting of main lead carried this through.. inspite of ridiculous changes in the story
Wow! Thanks for chiming in! I didn’t know about fan reservations, just that the rookie actor/actress wasn’t anyone’s first pick. Heard this was a pretty popular novel, was the backlash huge? Although as a book lover myself I understand the dislike for incompetent live adaptations. I’m glad to hear that the acting of the leads carried it for them then because as well for me it was very noticeable that these characters would be hard to follow and watch otherwise. What were the reactions in live time?
Editing – sigh. Yep. This is my biggest peeve with this show. Despite all that effort filming and acting, the editing was really low tier.
I did enjoy this drama and I wasn’t surprised by the ending. I mean from the beginning you knew there was no coming back from what the ML did. So I couldn’t see how either of them could have a happy ending. It was enjoyable and entertaining, it’s better then a lot of historical cdramas, but it by far is not my favorite cdrama out there and I think it’s because I could never fully get behind the ML after what he did (and then what he does later on in the drama also), even if they did have some really sweet and adorable moments together.
Thanks for your thoughts! I think what I enjoyed most about GMP is exactly that the ML is a jerk (and it’s not brushed under the rug with him suddenly turning around like most romantic tsundere male leads) and so the plot moved forward with him making his ruthless moves and the tragic ending makes so much sense. Some sad cdrama endings are frustrating, doesn’t have to happen, and could be different.
Bubujinxin still tops for me and once I finally start NIF I already know it’ll rise already. GMP is memorable and that’s good, at least.
Still very into this drama with no where else to put my thoughts so replies to my first GMP post with randomness, here I come!
So I know the reaction when both XF and LCY jumped into the forgetfulness river was that LCY did not deserve to forget, but I thought it was good for XF’s sake that LCY followed her once she made that decision to forget. The unimaginable power he would have had over her if he didn’t! She would have inevitably fallen in love with him again and he would have used it to his advantage, same if his memory would have returned sooner. I think he would have become even more paranoid with trying to stop her from remembering their past than what happened originally with his jealousy over Gu Xiaowu, and the consequences would perhaps be even worse than Gu Jian’s end. Them falling in love again despite memory loss was a heartbreaking tragedy, and it would have been a different story than him manipulating her to love him again.
I think “betrayal” was thrown very loosely between the viewers. He betrayed XF’s feelings, but he didn’t betray his mission or the people he first made his pacts with; he made a promise first and unfortunately any promises made under his disguise came second. In the perspective of his people and his allies, he was a hero who kept to his word. At the end of the day, a man of that time was measured by his drive, motivations, and achievements, and LCY saw it all through unlike Gu Jian. Even if LCY had not betrayed XF as GXW and we did not have that back history, character-wise he would have thought nothing of warring with the Danchi after their wedding. Marriages helped political ties, but in history it has never stopped countries and kings from declaring war on cousins, brothers, sisters, etc, and breaking familial ties. In fact, the struggles between the princes and emperor, Gao and the Empress, showed exactly how broken people can be because of politics.
At the end of the day, LCY was very much a man of his times while XF was a woman who wanted to exist outside of it and she would have struggled in every way even if she had not met LCY. Her marriage to any man would have been political.
So we have family game night today. Late afternoon my mom started watching Bahubali and asked me to join during the last quarter because she had a hard time understanding the flashback. I was surprised by how much the story absorbed me. Then my sisters and their husbands started arriving during the sequel very late into the story, yet everyone became engrossed as well. Great movie. 🙂
In Time With You – Taiwanese version
On episode 5 of 13
I had been unhappy with some of the dramas I\’d been watching. The writing, the characters, and sometimes the acting have been frustrating. These dramas the younger me might have enjoyed, but I realized right now they are not for me anymore.
So I nonchalantly on a whim picked up another drama on my huge To-Watch list that have been on there forever and I thought I might never get to. In Time With You with Ariel Lin and Chen Bolin.
This is it. Finally. This is the drama that hits the spot. Characters at the height of their career, a bit older, and are relatable. A strong, mature, but still growing female lead. An honest, caring male lead. A strong friendship. Great chemistry. Great acting. This relationship reminds me so much of Just Between Lovers just because it\’s so calm yet deep and full of understanding, despite all other factors. Likewise the pacing is slower, but it\’s only 13 episodes and developing the relationship and characters as it goes, so I don\’t mind it. Added bonus: friendship between girls who are ex\’s and current girlfriends. What more could I want?
Well I still have the second half to go so just fingers crossed it keeps this level of greatness.
Awesome! The story and genre has nothing similar to JBL at all, so I hope I didn’t perk up your expectations in the wrong way. More that the leads’ deep relationship is just as heartwarming reminding me of the ideal relationships I love, and so this OTP will be up there with my Kang Doo X Moon Soo. So far it has been so worth my time.
Wahhh!! Reading your post makes me excited all over again! Still trudging along and still in love with it. Even though FL hits bumps in the road, her character was written and acted so well with strengths and weaknesses that I could understand see how she landed on her choices even if they weren’t perfect and may be disheartening.
I’m not even done with it yet, but this definitely shows that some older gems were quite ahead of its times and worth it.
I fell down the Youtube rabbit hole. How to get out? :'(
My latest discovery is the tiktok vidoes. One after another. So I guess it’s a thing and I’m just late on trends, ha ha. This is amazing. I want to watch a cdrama historical now. But after just one more video… *clicks*
Characters: Bong Pal is up there as a lovable male lead, stoic and mature. It really complements this female lead. While I do love childish bickering between leads, I think BP’s sweet personality managed to not make it cliche. Although I still didn’t feel the chemistry and wanted more on the romance side from the actors, Taec really made Bong Pal a strong yet very approachable character.
Kim So Hyun’s performance elevated her character who had some annoying moments (like that blind date in the last episode; and I don’t get demonizing your interest’s crush who is otherwise a very nice girl). Although I love a female lead that knows how to kick ass, she won’t make my favorite heroines list. But I wouldn’t change Hyun Ji. I think she’s exactly what Bong Pal needs. Her flaws make her interesting, pulls him out of his shell, and her jealousy seems actually comforting for Bong Pal who grew up isolating himself. Big points for Hyun Ji (and Bong Pal when she woke up) for being proactive and very forward in their relationship. They don’t beat around the bush which made this couple very satisfying.
This drama had a small main cast and upon finishing, I’m glad to say I thought every character had a purpose and I liked all the good and bad characters in the end. Especially the duo and the monk really grew on me. The puppy crush that the friend had on Hyun Ji really made it much more interesting. Also, hail that relentless detective that wouldn’t give up investigating Professor Joo. I also really liked the second female lead who until the very end was a nice college girl and a good friend to Bong Pal – although she wasn’t that interesting as a character, it was just satisfying to see a 2nd lead female that was deserving of being Bong Pal’s first crush and remained a good and very normal person until the end.
Story: It got interesting when Hyun Ji woke up but unfortunately that was the peak of the drama and the following didn’t reach its potential. I couldn’t wait until the waking up part in the story and then when we finally got to there and lost steam in the second half, I wanted to return to the first half.
It felt like 10 episodes of exposition, 5 episodes of frustrating story and secrets and plot, and 1 episode to wrap everything up. I like that the last episode was spent almost entirely on epilogue because it fit this story, gave good screen time to say goodbye to our characters and see them moving on.
One big thing I was disappointed in was how little our OTP did and knew about the villain and everything going on up to the final showdown. Until those few nights accumulated in that one episode, they naively existed in a vacuum while everyone else flitted around them uncovering truths and connecting the dots for their happy ending.
I’m conflicted about Hyun Ji not remembering about her ghost times with Bong Pal. I didn’t want her to remember only because even in a supernatural based story it was to me so unrealistic. But my romantic heart wished she knew how much Bong Pal did for her and how much they loved each other. It makes me sad when only one partner remembers their time together. But am glad she easily fell for our sweet hero again and that Bong Pal doesn’t mind. He knows she is still the same ghost person he loves.
I’m very prone to fast forwarding these days and I can gladly say that I did very little of that in the drama, surprising since I don’t gel with ghosts and demons. Despite some flaws, overall I’m glad I picked up this drama.
Bring It On Ghost thoughts
on ep 11 of 16 / Personal rating: (currently) 3 out of 5
Picked it up because I wanted to watch something with a dose of romance starring Taecyeon and it was apparently one of his better acting projects; the deciding factor was him leading opposite Kim So Hyun. KSH is phenomenal and Taec fits Bong Pal fits quite well. Still, I can\’t help thinking about the possiblities if they\’d casted another actor.
I don\’t mind the age difference irl, but the lack in chemistry is throwing me off. The romance between human and ghost is what I look forward to most and every new episode as I watch them go through the motions of falling in love, I keep thinking, \”This time, definitely; this is when I will feel their burning love for each other.\” It\’s not a blackhole, but feels like a one-sided puppy crush from KSH and Taec awkwardly trying to accommodate the feelings of his younger cousin. I can\’t make sense of this supposedly strong bond between them that makes Bong Pal throw away his long-time goal for the eye surgery, history that shaped his character, and everything in between to be with a ghost. It definitely feels like something\’s wrong when the tragic backstories of the ghost-of-the-days are revealed in flashbacks and I end up getting sucked into it even though its just minutes, finding myself easily forgetting about our OTP. When contrasted against the sunbae-hoobae friendship of the two club members (which is given loads of screentime), it falls short in comparison.
Despite my doubts, I\’m still sticking this one out for Taec and KSH though — since I would\’ve never picked up this drama about ghosts otherwise; although funny and cute, the two club members\’ adventures and issues I\’d rather do without as it detracts from the main story; and the evil professor\’s parts are boring as while the actor does okay when he\’s being cute and kind, his evil staring into space and smirk moments aren\’t anything to write home about.
Just realized that we don’t get enough foreheads in kdrama-land, but with the wave of hallyu actors that have returned from their service and a handful of them jumping into projects, we might get some glorious foreheads soon.
kx
November 14, 2019 at 4:36 PM
My brother: “You gotta check out my favorite singer, Hua Chenyu.” Me: “Sure, bro, one of these days.”
WEEKS LATER. Me, bored: “Who was you favorite singer again? Let me see.” *falls into blackhole*
ILU HUA CHENYU, HUAHUA. WHY DO YOU EXIST AND WHY DID I ONLY FIND YOU NOW?
Amazing. Beautiful. T_T
kx
October 28, 2019 at 5:23 PM
Easy Fortune Happy Life is on Netflix!
Just found out. Ah, my youth. Debating if I should rewatch and try to change my mind about it. I hated it so much, lol. Used to love the male lead actor here and couldn’t wait for him to change from support to lead actor in a romance drama, but his lead role in this drama killed my good feelings.
This is why it’s important for actors who’ve played heart throbbing second leads to chose their “break out” lead roles wisely. It’s so easy to move on since so many lead roles are bad/uninteresting and the SLS that got them popular can also turn around and bite them when they finally lead.
Mel
October 28, 2019 at 7:00 PM
I actually quite enjoyed and watching on Netflix was the first time I’d seen it.
kx
October 28, 2019 at 7:29 PM
Maybe I’ll try again. I remember being really disappointed because I expected a cute romcom. Maybe if I readjust my lenses. Also unlike when I was young I’ve come to appreciate not so nice, maybe even sort of antagonistic, male leads. lol
Mel
October 28, 2019 at 7:34 PM
I’ve gone back to watch shows that I really loved, only to find that my POV had changed and my view of the ML changed as well.
kx
October 28, 2019 at 8:19 PM
Oh? Any ones that changed that stands out?
(I wanted to rewatch I Hear Your Voice and just barely skimmed it yesterday. I was surprised to be squicked by the noona-minor romance, which surprised me because it was THE SHOW that made LJS and LBY pop for me. Thank goodness for that time skip! Maybe if I actually immersed myself instead of skimming I’d get onboard again, lol.)
Mel
October 28, 2019 at 9:37 PM
Secret garden. I used to love HB’s role, but when I went back, he just felt like a pure stalker to me…..
umm…. BOF, I used to love the 2nd lead(i forgot his name) but when I rewatched BoF, i found that he was just using FL….
kx
October 29, 2019 at 4:07 AM
@gmelenco Ah yes, BOF. It took a while to realize SL was never as in love with FL as ML so his unrequited love wasn’t as heartbreaking.
spazmo
October 29, 2019 at 2:08 PM
ahhhh, Roy Chiu in cornrows… so pretty, but actually rather cringy to watch now…
: D
kx
October 11, 2019 at 11:26 PM
Celebrated my birthday today with family. I DJed during our game time by putting on a series of OST MVs. Managed to get my sisters interested in Good Bye My Princess. Then my CDrama-centric sister (who usually prefers older, more established actors like Feng Shaofeng and Liu Shishi) decided to pick this drama up. Whether she actually goes through with it, well it’s still a win for me anyway. 😀
Still stuck on my star-crossed couple of the River of Forgetfulness. :'(
RaOnAh loves Jay B 💚
October 12, 2019 at 7:38 AM
Happy Birthday!
kx
October 12, 2019 at 8:20 AM
Thank you!
1tea1
October 12, 2019 at 11:36 AM
Happy Birthday
kx
October 12, 2019 at 11:45 AM
Thanks!
Ayan
October 12, 2019 at 1:26 PM
Happy birthday!!! That sounds like such a fun party, what games did you play?
kx
October 12, 2019 at 1:49 PM
Thanks! We played Catan settlers which went over 2 hours so we didn’t play anything else. Lol
Trinity 🍆
October 12, 2019 at 4:13 PM
I love that game 😁
And happy bday!
kx
October 12, 2019 at 4:56 PM
Thank you!
Yea, my family loved the game as well. We were obsessed with it for months, but now we need to find a new game to play, lol.
korfan
October 12, 2019 at 10:45 PM
Happy Birthday!
kx
October 13, 2019 at 9:11 AM
Thanks!
bam 🐢🐌💖~
October 12, 2019 at 10:48 PM
Aw, I’m late, but happiest of birthdays!!
kx
October 13, 2019 at 9:11 AM
Thank you! <3
kx
September 27, 2019 at 8:11 AM
So. I jumped on the cdrama train, but I got off on the wrong stop as everyone else — on a romance-political drama whereas the OTP’s relationship is a trainwreck, but such a painfully good one at that, it’s hard to look away. Yes, I’m talking about Eastern Palace / Goodbye My Princess.
I’ve read people say that this drama is for masochists because of the tragic plot and suffering of FL, but I sadistically enjoy it very well – after all, a beautiful romantic tragedy should be savored. It’s not often you come across a complex character in a romantic male lead — who is an anti-hero, a ruthless man of his grim times and environment, and so perfectly unwavering in his beliefs and values that he himself dropped the bomb in the story that couldn’t be undone.
This fantastic OST + all the angst in the MVs + the dual wedding scene (one happy – another somber) + how pretty everything and the leads are (my goodness, are they are so pretty and charismatic) compelled me to dive in and I don’t regret it.
I’m late to GMP and have no one to talk to :(. Some thoughts in the comments.
kx
September 27, 2019 at 8:13 AM
OTP: The big betrayal aside, contrary to belief I don’t think FL and ML would ever be satisfied together even despite loving each other so deeply. Character-wise, FL chooses freedom over duty and views issues on a smaller scale, whereas ML’s talents and ambitions will always carry him to aim for more and dig into the puzzle to solve while looking at the bigger picture. They could be happy in life and love if they knew how to bring it all together to make it work, and maybe in a different era, but that’s something that we’ll never know.
I do think FL’s affections for her teacher were nowhere near or as deep as it was to ML while she in contrast couldn’t see eye to eye with ML’s ideals. For the teacher it was a puppy crush and respect meanwhile the strong romantic feelings were reserved for the ML. I also think ML truly did love FL because he was such a rational and ambitious man yet when FL was involved he threw his heart into the mix and jumped right in with his life on the line. Again, some people said he chose his ambitions over love. Why can’t he have both? They aren’t mutually exclusive. The problem wasn’t that he wanted both, but that for the era he made sacrifices, and she did as well, that he thought was justified and she didn’t. Destined to meet and love, but because of timing not fated to be.
kx
September 27, 2019 at 8:14 AM
NOVEL/DRAMA: I haven’t read it but I’ve heard comparisons and this is just my unobjective take on it. Apparently the ML was more ruthless and cold in the story and some fans did not like the reasons/plots given to the ML in the drama. I also don’t think there always have to be nice and tied reasons for everything, but in this case for a 52-55 ep drama I don’t mind the increased complexity of the plot and characters. I’m actually glad they gave the ML-actor a lot to do since he was able to show his capability by pulling it off well.
Sweet and innocent FLs are okay in my books, if somewhat vexing at times and very uninteresting. Piled on was a stubborm streak and impulsive behaviors. On paper, I susprisingly can’t relate to her character as much as I do the edgy ML when it comes to some of her impulsive actions for the time era and her status in that setting (even with the big elephant in the room). But the FL-actress made her better and I love her for that. She was sweet and she suffered agony for it, and that was acted so well.
The novel started the story from the middle. The drama and screenwriters decided to lay it out chronologically. This was a big decision because it affected viewers and their perspective of the ML and FL falling for him (again). While I do wonder about the “what-ifs” ML could’ve charmed us (despite being a huge tsundere) before the big flashback and reveal, and it would bring different feels when it comes to that climatic scene of knowing the backstory, I do prefer this chronological take even though it stained the ML for many viewers since the first few episodes, and not many could overlook it. But the acting and writing shone through that for me and as well I just don’t like long flashbacks if that 9 episode beginning was inserted in the middle. It has its merits, but in this case the writers did not brush over the ML’s betrayal and threw a love story we knew from the beginning was flawed at us. The tragedy was laid in place; it was all about the journey to see it flesh out to the bitter end.
kx
September 27, 2019 at 8:15 AM
GOOD: While I do enjoy the story, I am not often WOW-ed by the actors and actresses, especially the leads. The two leads on GMP are exceptional, remarkable, two huge factors (alongside the beautiful OST and cinematography) that carries this story and makes a tragedy that so many saw a mile away too compelling with their chemistry and acting that it carries a viewer like me to the conclusion.
BAD: I can enjoy drama and angst, and GMP does it well in writing and the shots of the scenes. But the editing fails this drama a bit. It’s not only the scenes that were cut that was a problem. Some transitions were super tacky. Some very emotional scenes were well-done and yet some others were cringe, and better editing would have saved those moments for me. For instance, the long cutting back and forth of long falls that made it so tacky.
I believe these large scale costume dramas are filmed without intro and outro to episodes in mind (all that random cutting and different versions). In essence, it’s less of a series and more like a very-very-very long film and so sometimes feels like nothing happened in the episode at all as things are being laid out. I’ve seen a good chunk of costume cdramas but it still takes some getting used to when an episode abruptly ends or starts without much hoot and toot.
kx
September 27, 2019 at 8:15 AM
Overall – Subjectively, I’d give this drama a 8.5/10 because of all the good things and lingering feelings. It’s ENCHANTING and that’s a huge bonus. That’s super high in my books. Objectively, perhaps it’d go down to 6.5-7/10.
alasecond
September 27, 2019 at 8:43 AM
ha ha.. nah.. i was live watching it.. and waited for over a year for this to air..
1st time when i learnt about the novel, the story got to me.. and luckily shortly after they announced the drama.. fans were so upset.. but then when it finally happened , despite all the things that are wrong with editing etc (untamed is super high quality in comparison) .. the acting of main lead carried this through.. inspite of ridiculous changes in the story
kx
September 27, 2019 at 9:01 AM
Wow! Thanks for chiming in! I didn’t know about fan reservations, just that the rookie actor/actress wasn’t anyone’s first pick. Heard this was a pretty popular novel, was the backlash huge? Although as a book lover myself I understand the dislike for incompetent live adaptations. I’m glad to hear that the acting of the leads carried it for them then because as well for me it was very noticeable that these characters would be hard to follow and watch otherwise. What were the reactions in live time?
Editing – sigh. Yep. This is my biggest peeve with this show. Despite all that effort filming and acting, the editing was really low tier.
alasecond
September 27, 2019 at 9:57 AM
oh yeah.. both were unknown and the novel is hugely popular.. lead guy appeared in one show prior to this but he wasn’t considered good looking..
and this story is so solid that big league actors could be easily convinced to do this movie..
but personally, i was just terrified the show will never air.. it took ages since the 1st announcement for it to actually release
Trinity 🍆
September 27, 2019 at 9:16 AM
I did enjoy this drama and I wasn’t surprised by the ending. I mean from the beginning you knew there was no coming back from what the ML did. So I couldn’t see how either of them could have a happy ending. It was enjoyable and entertaining, it’s better then a lot of historical cdramas, but it by far is not my favorite cdrama out there and I think it’s because I could never fully get behind the ML after what he did (and then what he does later on in the drama also), even if they did have some really sweet and adorable moments together.
kx
September 27, 2019 at 9:32 AM
Thanks for your thoughts! I think what I enjoyed most about GMP is exactly that the ML is a jerk (and it’s not brushed under the rug with him suddenly turning around like most romantic tsundere male leads) and so the plot moved forward with him making his ruthless moves and the tragic ending makes so much sense. Some sad cdrama endings are frustrating, doesn’t have to happen, and could be different.
Bubujinxin still tops for me and once I finally start NIF I already know it’ll rise already. GMP is memorable and that’s good, at least.
kx
October 28, 2019 at 3:20 PM
Still very into this drama with no where else to put my thoughts so replies to my first GMP post with randomness, here I come!
So I know the reaction when both XF and LCY jumped into the forgetfulness river was that LCY did not deserve to forget, but I thought it was good for XF’s sake that LCY followed her once she made that decision to forget. The unimaginable power he would have had over her if he didn’t! She would have inevitably fallen in love with him again and he would have used it to his advantage, same if his memory would have returned sooner. I think he would have become even more paranoid with trying to stop her from remembering their past than what happened originally with his jealousy over Gu Xiaowu, and the consequences would perhaps be even worse than Gu Jian’s end. Them falling in love again despite memory loss was a heartbreaking tragedy, and it would have been a different story than him manipulating her to love him again.
I think “betrayal” was thrown very loosely between the viewers. He betrayed XF’s feelings, but he didn’t betray his mission or the people he first made his pacts with; he made a promise first and unfortunately any promises made under his disguise came second. In the perspective of his people and his allies, he was a hero who kept to his word. At the end of the day, a man of that time was measured by his drive, motivations, and achievements, and LCY saw it all through unlike Gu Jian. Even if LCY had not betrayed XF as GXW and we did not have that back history, character-wise he would have thought nothing of warring with the Danchi after their wedding. Marriages helped political ties, but in history it has never stopped countries and kings from declaring war on cousins, brothers, sisters, etc, and breaking familial ties. In fact, the struggles between the princes and emperor, Gao and the Empress, showed exactly how broken people can be because of politics.
At the end of the day, LCY was very much a man of his times while XF was a woman who wanted to exist outside of it and she would have struggled in every way even if she had not met LCY. Her marriage to any man would have been political.
kx
September 16, 2019 at 6:02 AM
AKMU are coming back and the teaser sounds beautiful oT^To
Kudo Ran
September 16, 2019 at 10:05 AM
yay can’t wait 🙂 !
RaOnAh loves Jay B 💚
September 16, 2019 at 11:06 AM
Yay! It sounds awesome!
kx
August 10, 2019 at 5:20 PM
So we have family game night today. Late afternoon my mom started watching Bahubali and asked me to join during the last quarter because she had a hard time understanding the flashback. I was surprised by how much the story absorbed me. Then my sisters and their husbands started arriving during the sequel very late into the story, yet everyone became engrossed as well. Great movie. 🙂
kx
July 11, 2019 at 6:54 PM
In Time With You – Taiwanese version
On episode 5 of 13
I had been unhappy with some of the dramas I\’d been watching. The writing, the characters, and sometimes the acting have been frustrating. These dramas the younger me might have enjoyed, but I realized right now they are not for me anymore.
So I nonchalantly on a whim picked up another drama on my huge To-Watch list that have been on there forever and I thought I might never get to. In Time With You with Ariel Lin and Chen Bolin.
This is it. Finally. This is the drama that hits the spot. Characters at the height of their career, a bit older, and are relatable. A strong, mature, but still growing female lead. An honest, caring male lead. A strong friendship. Great chemistry. Great acting. This relationship reminds me so much of Just Between Lovers just because it\’s so calm yet deep and full of understanding, despite all other factors. Likewise the pacing is slower, but it\’s only 13 episodes and developing the relationship and characters as it goes, so I don\’t mind it. Added bonus: friendship between girls who are ex\’s and current girlfriends. What more could I want?
Well I still have the second half to go so just fingers crossed it keeps this level of greatness.
bea
July 11, 2019 at 7:31 PM
*perks ears*
JUST BETWEEN LOVERS?
This will go on my list then.
kx
July 11, 2019 at 7:58 PM
Awesome! The story and genre has nothing similar to JBL at all, so I hope I didn’t perk up your expectations in the wrong way. More that the leads’ deep relationship is just as heartwarming reminding me of the ideal relationships I love, and so this OTP will be up there with my Kang Doo X Moon Soo. So far it has been so worth my time.
bea
July 11, 2019 at 8:06 PM
Thank you, I mainly love the OTP’s relationship and how it was a slow burn. I’m going to be looking forward to it even more now!
SnarkyJellyfish
July 11, 2019 at 7:43 PM
Legitimately one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen. I think I binged it in 3 days.
blnmom
July 11, 2019 at 9:24 PM
Whatever you do, don’t watch the Korean version. That was a complete train wreck.
kx
July 11, 2019 at 10:20 PM
XD Noted.
dopedramacongratz
July 11, 2019 at 10:22 PM
I started squealing while reading this. Like @snarkyjellyfish I binged it in three days and it now lies snuggled warmly inside my heart for eternity.
I wrote this a few months ago right after I finished watching it and I didn’t feel much differently from you: http://www.dramabeans.com/members/brownieoholic/activity/764128/
kx
July 11, 2019 at 11:39 PM
Wahhh!! Reading your post makes me excited all over again! Still trudging along and still in love with it. Even though FL hits bumps in the road, her character was written and acted so well with strengths and weaknesses that I could understand see how she landed on her choices even if they weren’t perfect and may be disheartening.
I’m not even done with it yet, but this definitely shows that some older gems were quite ahead of its times and worth it.
kx
July 6, 2019 at 4:29 PM
I fell down the Youtube rabbit hole. How to get out? :'(
My latest discovery is the tiktok vidoes. One after another. So I guess it’s a thing and I’m just late on trends, ha ha. This is amazing. I want to watch a cdrama historical now. But after just one more video… *clicks*
snowy
July 6, 2019 at 8:30 PM
Me at the beginning of the video: What on earth is this?
Me by the end of the video: This is kind of cool???
kx
July 6, 2019 at 8:50 PM
Ikr!? I was skeptical about watching the entire 6+ minutes video and then was strangely compelled to watch until the end anyway. XD
snowy
July 6, 2019 at 8:58 PM
Same! As for getting out of the YouTube rabbit hole…it’s terrible, there’s no hope 😆
kx
July 3, 2019 at 10:04 PM
Bring It On Ghost Completed
Final rating: 3.5/5
One thing I didn’t realize I love until this show – Male leads that know how to cook and make food/lunch boxes for the female lead. <3
kx
July 3, 2019 at 10:05 PM
Characters: Bong Pal is up there as a lovable male lead, stoic and mature. It really complements this female lead. While I do love childish bickering between leads, I think BP’s sweet personality managed to not make it cliche. Although I still didn’t feel the chemistry and wanted more on the romance side from the actors, Taec really made Bong Pal a strong yet very approachable character.
Kim So Hyun’s performance elevated her character who had some annoying moments (like that blind date in the last episode; and I don’t get demonizing your interest’s crush who is otherwise a very nice girl). Although I love a female lead that knows how to kick ass, she won’t make my favorite heroines list. But I wouldn’t change Hyun Ji. I think she’s exactly what Bong Pal needs. Her flaws make her interesting, pulls him out of his shell, and her jealousy seems actually comforting for Bong Pal who grew up isolating himself. Big points for Hyun Ji (and Bong Pal when she woke up) for being proactive and very forward in their relationship. They don’t beat around the bush which made this couple very satisfying.
This drama had a small main cast and upon finishing, I’m glad to say I thought every character had a purpose and I liked all the good and bad characters in the end. Especially the duo and the monk really grew on me. The puppy crush that the friend had on Hyun Ji really made it much more interesting. Also, hail that relentless detective that wouldn’t give up investigating Professor Joo. I also really liked the second female lead who until the very end was a nice college girl and a good friend to Bong Pal – although she wasn’t that interesting as a character, it was just satisfying to see a 2nd lead female that was deserving of being Bong Pal’s first crush and remained a good and very normal person until the end.
kx
July 3, 2019 at 10:05 PM
Story: It got interesting when Hyun Ji woke up but unfortunately that was the peak of the drama and the following didn’t reach its potential. I couldn’t wait until the waking up part in the story and then when we finally got to there and lost steam in the second half, I wanted to return to the first half.
It felt like 10 episodes of exposition, 5 episodes of frustrating story and secrets and plot, and 1 episode to wrap everything up. I like that the last episode was spent almost entirely on epilogue because it fit this story, gave good screen time to say goodbye to our characters and see them moving on.
One big thing I was disappointed in was how little our OTP did and knew about the villain and everything going on up to the final showdown. Until those few nights accumulated in that one episode, they naively existed in a vacuum while everyone else flitted around them uncovering truths and connecting the dots for their happy ending.
I’m conflicted about Hyun Ji not remembering about her ghost times with Bong Pal. I didn’t want her to remember only because even in a supernatural based story it was to me so unrealistic. But my romantic heart wished she knew how much Bong Pal did for her and how much they loved each other. It makes me sad when only one partner remembers their time together. But am glad she easily fell for our sweet hero again and that Bong Pal doesn’t mind. He knows she is still the same ghost person he loves.
I’m very prone to fast forwarding these days and I can gladly say that I did very little of that in the drama, surprising since I don’t gel with ghosts and demons. Despite some flaws, overall I’m glad I picked up this drama.
JiaYou
July 3, 2019 at 11:53 PM
Male leads that know how to cook PLUS he’s hot. Kekeke
suk
July 4, 2019 at 12:21 AM
The male lead that is Ok Taec-yeon <3 <3 <3
kx
July 1, 2019 at 6:32 AM
Bring It On Ghost thoughts
on ep 11 of 16 / Personal rating: (currently) 3 out of 5
Picked it up because I wanted to watch something with a dose of romance starring Taecyeon and it was apparently one of his better acting projects; the deciding factor was him leading opposite Kim So Hyun. KSH is phenomenal and Taec fits Bong Pal fits quite well. Still, I can\’t help thinking about the possiblities if they\’d casted another actor.
I don\’t mind the age difference irl, but the lack in chemistry is throwing me off. The romance between human and ghost is what I look forward to most and every new episode as I watch them go through the motions of falling in love, I keep thinking, \”This time, definitely; this is when I will feel their burning love for each other.\” It\’s not a blackhole, but feels like a one-sided puppy crush from KSH and Taec awkwardly trying to accommodate the feelings of his younger cousin. I can\’t make sense of this supposedly strong bond between them that makes Bong Pal throw away his long-time goal for the eye surgery, history that shaped his character, and everything in between to be with a ghost. It definitely feels like something\’s wrong when the tragic backstories of the ghost-of-the-days are revealed in flashbacks and I end up getting sucked into it even though its just minutes, finding myself easily forgetting about our OTP. When contrasted against the sunbae-hoobae friendship of the two club members (which is given loads of screentime), it falls short in comparison.
Despite my doubts, I\’m still sticking this one out for Taec and KSH though — since I would\’ve never picked up this drama about ghosts otherwise; although funny and cute, the two club members\’ adventures and issues I\’d rather do without as it detracts from the main story; and the evil professor\’s parts are boring as while the actor does okay when he\’s being cute and kind, his evil staring into space and smirk moments aren\’t anything to write home about.
kx
May 29, 2019 at 11:34 PM
2pm Junho enlisted today.
Just realized that we don’t get enough foreheads in kdrama-land, but with the wave of hallyu actors that have returned from their service and a handful of them jumping into projects, we might get some glorious foreheads soon.
Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
May 30, 2019 at 3:46 AM
One oppa coming, and another going!
It’s a never-ending cycle of being happy that some are back and crying over the ones going!
thatstp
May 30, 2019 at 10:13 AM
YASSS!!! Release the foreheads.