Eli Vang

Just finished season 2 and boy is this show a ride. The casting is great and they each play their roles so well! Even the youngest member of the cast is phenomenal and has great comedic timing. The best part of this show is the arc with Bernard, and we barely get to see him. The drawn out and tired plot of Bennie messing things up and Regina scolding him while ultimately enabling him, and Creshia bagging on him is over used. I hope season 3 gives up more screen time for Bernard, growth and maturity in Bennie, and room for Regina to get what she wants and what she deserves.

I can’t stop crying from a heart full of joy

THIS MOVIE IS NOT DIVERSE, DONT LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE. EVERY PERSON WHO ISNT WHITE OR STRAIGHT (other than Camilla) EXISTS ON THE FRINGE OF THE STORY AS BACKGROUND CHARACTERS OR CHARACTERS WHO ASSIST THE PROTAGONIST RATHER THAN CRUCIALLY SUBSTANTIAL CHARACTERS WHO ARE SUBSTANTIAL TO THE PLOT. The world did not need another reiteration of Cinderella, especially one that was so unrecognizable from the original and well beloved story. Filled to the brim with white woman feminism that takes some powerful songs out of their contexts and plops them into nonsensical musical numbers. As such, the moments when the cast is singing, we gain nothing that furthers the story or gives depth and rather, just get something that feels like it’s places to pass the time. This is less a fantastical story of girl finding love and escaping poverty, and more about a girl boss — which isn’t inherently a bad thing, it’s just not the Cinderella story. Furthermore, as a womanist, the critique of society feels sooo forced in the “I’m here to teach you about [subject]” rather than a film that shows how the inconsistencies of oppressive systems are harmful to people through the viewing experience and makes people think critically and invokes change. Considering how film is such a powerful medium where the experiences of others are felt through site, hearing, and empathy, this film really should’ve been so much more.

What could have been an amazing film falls into something lack luster due to the unanswered questions and weird trope of revenge changing someone’s character and relations over night. This isn’t to say that the cast wasn’t amazing. They were phenomenal and I can’t imagine any of the roles being played by anyone else. As such, the main character’s descent into “madness” is too abrupt and would have been much more believable had it taken time. Furthermore, the entire “Cruella” persona was too much to handle as it felt too close to making a caricature of mental illness. Maybe next just have her come up with a persona and not have it be an actual thing since childhood.

This series is basically another one of those "unqualified random girl becomes the hero of the story even when there are extremely qualified other women in the room" stories that drain our lives as we watch each minute of this too long for its own good series. Where there was so much good potential that was wasted in trying to make us feel like our main protagonist shouldn't have just been offed the moment they caught her. Don't waste your time.

This series really said, "let's take a beautiful Asian story, and remake it for non-Asian people." If you're looking for a caricature of Journey to the West, here you go. This is film colonization.

Like many c-dramas, this series starts out promisingly. It’s visually beautiful in every respect and the premise pulls at our heart strings because the idea of family being pitted against each other is painful. But, the main plot of the story gets lost somewhere in the middle, and when it does come back at the end, we aren’t convinced any of this matters anymore. We see very little of these two brothers as enemies, potential friends, and then as reunited brothers. We see very little chemistry between them and find it difficult to hope for the best for them from anything on screen. This series is a great example of a stellar cast who gets dragged by subpar writing. Every major character is one dimensional, and there’s never any room for nuance. And there are too many side characters who come and go, but play little meaning to the original plot. For example, the group of evil villains are presented as the worst people and the martial world fears them, but then they just die. Or the hero who spent 18 years in a medicinal bath, and is the most powerful hero, shows up, and does nothing substantial. And why is the girl in red a psychopath? Who hurt her? Furthermore, it’s clear from how the women are written, the writers hate women. Don’t waste your time here. Go watch something else.

The only couple in this series who had any form of chemistry did not get together. The main couple should never have gotten together. In fact, their friendship should have ended because Third should have just gotten some self respect and left after all the ways Khai was a terrible person to him. We finish this series not convinced that they should be together, and we never even learn why Third liked Khai so much other than just his face. Y’all, if you’re looking for TOXIC, this is it. Khai is toxic in the way he blows off his best friend, Third, for girls all the time and how he’s actually just a sucky person. Third is toxic in that he blames Khai for his hurt feelings that he kept to himself for three years. Y’all, I’ve had unrequited feelings, and let me tell you, they only go so far unless you’re fanning the flame! Third allowed himself to be mistreated and that’s on him. Their other two friends are the definition of bystanders Y’all. Don’t waste your time.

What starts out as a cinematically beautiful show falls into a lack luster drawn out series of events that don't tell a completed story by the time you reach the last episode. As is typical of a lot of Chinese series, there's A LOT of talking and not enough showing. I'm not really sure what everyone else saw in this series that made them fall so in love with it, maybe it's the fact that it's adapted from a BL novel, but for me, it just wasn't a good time spent. After having finished this series, I want to say that there are three good things: beautiful art, lovely score, and great themes. BUT, if you're looking for a series with substantial plot movement, this isn't going to be for you. I feel like after having finished watching all the episodes, I know just as much about the characters as I did at the beginning, which is not much nor enough to be endeared to them. Don't get me wrong, I do want to like the characters! The issue is that we don't actually get to see enough of these characters to know who they are, what their motivations are, and why we should care. Maybe they'll make a season 2, and if they do, I hope that character development is a primary focus because although these characters have good framework, they don't have the substance or organization to matter. We make it all the way to the end and FINALLY it's made clear (as if it weren't already) that San Lang is Hua Cheng the feared ghost king. But by the time that this revelation is spoken, the series has come to the end and it no longer matters. Y'all, I wanted to love this series so bad. I really did. (In fairness, this was originally made for Chinese viewers, so chances are this story is told more in a way that appeals to the intended audience, rather than people who like a linear storyline and that's why it was hard for me to fully enjoy. But, whatever the case may be, I think there should have been more attention to character and plot movement.)

Absolutely beautiful. Fantastic casting. What I enjoyed most about this film was how beautiful it was. I never got tired of watching the screen and following the story because the cinematography and graphics were so good. Also, to pair with good story telling makes this film enjoyable and easy to follow. This is a very layered film so be sure to put aside your phone when watching or else you will miss out on integral details. However, for some reason, I don't think I will be rewatching this film. I'm not sure why, but I just don't have the desire to watch it again. And perhaps that's okay, to be so satisfied with a film that once is enough.