余Lynn

Walked in with really low expectations because I saw critic reviews prior. Shockingly bad. For a film called "The Crow", it is ironic that the crow is just there for ambience. Lol. My bf and I had never watched the original so we decided to watch it after watching this. The original is also bad, but I would at least rate that 2/5. If you like films like John Wick or Taken, this would probably be your cup of tea. Those have never been my style to begin with, but even within those genres, "The Crow" feels pretentious and lost. With that cast and cinematography, it is such wasted potential.

A waste of Hans Zimmers' talent. Dune 1 was bad enough, bf made me watch Dune 2. So... That's 5h of my life I won't be getting back.

In contrast to most, I found the show quite boring. Considering many Netflix shows have horrible acting, this was a real waste of talent because these actors could act. That's the only reason I give it 2*, for the actors. Disclaimer, I am a scientist so the science aspect wasn't mind-blowing or anything, it's stuff we've known for a pretty long time used in a somewhat believable context. However, because I am a scientist and it's sci-fi my bf thought I would enjoy it due to the many good reviews. I generally don't like watching TV and tend to leave it on as background noise while I do other things. My bf and I binged it over a weekend, so we didn't find it confusing like what most people have claimed. Most people call this a slow burn, I call it extremely slow and frigid, if I had burns it was from falling asleep on ice. The problem isn't the premise of the show, it's that it requires one to completely disregard any form of common sense. To be fair, the show had a better script than almost all Netflix shows, they rarely said anything redundant or dumb, the camera and setting were all great, and within the realm of this made-up world, every puzzle seems to fit. Unfortunately, the biggest issue is the suspension of disbelief that has become the theme for many TV shows nowadays, requiring the audience to lock their brains away in a safe. Do not question a single decision made by the characters or everything will fall apart. If any of the characters figured out they could time travel and have been through the timeline at least once, why is the only plot a bunch of people killing or having sex with each other? Let's be honest, if I could time travel, I'd just settle down somewhere, buy myself a whole lot of stock options and invest in building my family fortune. It was obvious from the beginning the main characters were the source of the problem, yet at no point did anyone think to pack a bag, leave Germany and head to say Australia to avoid the whole incestuous plotline. I mean... It's the sci-fi equivalent of mass produced horror films, whereby a bunch of stupid teens will always investigate the horror house. Some people may enjoy it, I found it completely idiotic. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a mundane film about people doing regular human things, it'd be more believable. Maybe I'm just more of a documentary-sort of person. Edit: I just went through some other low ratings and it's funny someone else pointed out it's like a Telenovela, because I said that exact same thing to my bf about halfway into Season 1. It feels like a Spanish Telenovela with time-travel, and that's just not my cup of tea.

Really struggling to get through the last 10 episodes because I feel my invested time should mean something. It's just so bad. None of the characters have any growth. What an immense waste of time, especially the last 5 episodes. It's just tropes after tropes, and a bunch of bad acting. I was so happy to reach the finale, and now, it's been almost 2 hours, I am still struggling to get through it. Just kill me. Who writes these stories nowadays. I am all for a tragic ending, but it isn't even the ending that's bothering me. I can't even get to the ending, that's how bad the plot is. Is there even anything worth watching anymore? 🤦🏻‍♂️ At this point, I can only watch Centaurworld. Sigh...

Lol. This turned into a comedy for my bf and I. I'm a scientist, you can imagine how stupid this show was for me. XD Too funny, lacking in logic in every way, it's like every other zombie film (which I often avoid like the plague). No puns intended. Rofl. This cast was painful to watch, there are so many annoying characters. The decent-looking people barely had airtime. I wish I could outline the stupidity of this drama, but there are so many, I can't even... I don't even know where to begin. There are so many inconsistencies, like every 10 minutes, there will be something that does not line up with the 'plot'. None of the characters have a single, functional brain cell. Meh... We tend to have Netflix shows running in the background while we work or game, but Netflix has seriously gone downhill, all the shows are so bad nowadays. I don't think I've seen a decent one in over a couple of years.

Although I love period dramas (English, Chinese, literally any), I could not like the main leads of this series. The plot is also underwhelming. That is not to say I did not enjoy the show. I enjoyed the supporting cast very much, adored the costumes, the lovely voice acting (<3 Julie Andrews), the cast did an excellent job and the music is wonderful. Having said that, I simply could not bring myself to like Daphne and Simon. This was prior to the part where Daphne sexploits her husband by guilt-tripping him into having a child (I was absolutely mortified, not by the act alone, but by the rubbish that she spewed after that). There is far too much sex in this show without much substance. Daphne's character did not grow, she is simple-minded and selfish, wanting only to marry an affluent husband ("love" she claims, HAH!) and to bear children. Simon is no better; being a vengeful manchild, who makes a vow that he ultimately does not keep. Yet, they are both praised by all and sold by the TV producers and writers as the most esteemed bachelor/bachelorette. Though the setting carried an Austenesque feel, it left me wanting and huge gaps that I feel will never be fulfilled in subsequent seasons. Eloise's personality seemed more to my liking and in the beginning, seemed like she would redeem the show, but the actress came across as rather annoying and that really put me off. My favourite is Lady Danbury, she was an absolute thrill to watch and honestly, the only reason anyone should watch this show. In contrast to another reviewer's comment, I may be Asian and one would think I would support the diverse cast, I do not. Though I can see past colour (some of the actors are no doubt great at their roles and I would certainly not have it any other way), it is a little irritating that this has become such a big deal in casting and producers feel a need to hire people from all backgrounds. Personally, I would have liked retaining a white cast for no other reason than the fact that it would be more historically accurate. Just think about how ridiculous it would look to have a historical Chinese drama with 10 white guys in the background. Inclusivity is one thing, inclusivity and compromising authenticity is another. P/S: I have not read the book and if the book is anything like the show, I will probably never touch it.

Basically, it is a Chinese version of Black Mirror. Even the problems are culturally Asian such as overbearing parents, enforcing strict discipline and forcing children to study and pick specific careers. Though it was somewhat relatable in a cultural sense, I cannot find any means to internalise the concepts because they were too unrealistic or far-fetched. This is where Black Mirror shines, and this show sadly doesn't. In many instances, they pit the idea of technology, social standing, amongst other things that the parents deem more valuable than their own children's wellbeing. Although it does show an extreme side of Asian values, the concocted scenarios are rather impossible since the biggest value in Asian culture is valuing your family. The show was unnecessarily slow, boring at times, I had to skip past quite a lot of fillers. I cannot believe this was rated as a psychological thriller. It was so slow that I felt absolutely no thrill, and I am extremely easy to scare. I avoid horror at all cost because I'm such a wimp. This show, however, I felt absolutely nothing. Some of the stories were more creative than others. The only two worth watching for a 'plot' would be the first episode and last episode, the rest is trash or so predictable, it would be a waste of your 2 hours. As for the acting, it was a hit or miss. Some actors were great, but many were terrible. It was such a mix of good and terrible acting, that I can only conclude it was an average cast. The filming was fine a little amateurish at times, such as one of the episodes where they tried to turn the camera upside-down to annoy the hell out of me. It gave no other purpose than the idea of 'viewing from a different angle', could've been executed in any other way. The music was probably the only thing that salvaged the show.

I did not think I would enjoy this show, and I did not enjoy this show. Despite people raving about how great this movie is, it is very mediocre. From the plot to the script, everything was very average. It did not help that the entire cast comprised of people who I do not consider to be physically appealing. Also, Singapore got so much credit for this when literally two scenes were filmed in Singapore. Why didn't Malaysia get any credit? Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that they tried making a film with an entirely Asian cast, thus, the 2* (extra star for the effort), but this is possibly the least Asian "Asian" film ever made. The entire cast spoke in English, which was not even the worst part. They all adopted an American/British accent. Granted, the male lead is half British, sure, you are excused. The rest of them spoke American English which is the most unlikely thing. Yes, it is a Hollywood version of Asian life, but it is very inaccurate, it is very anglicised and it is very fake. Particularly since I have lived in both Malaysia and Singapore! I concur that our version of English is atrocious, but that is OUR version and should be depicted as such in a film about OUR region and OUR culture. I dated a "Crazy Rich Asian" several years ago and I cannot begin to explain, nor could anyone possibly fathom how absolutely Chinese the entire family was. Until I started to date this guy, I have never in my life needed to burn a cardboard bungalow, BMW and Ipad for any ancestors. Lol. They had recordings of a monk chanting that would play in the hallways of their mansion after dark (8 pm or so), I was told this was to ensure the safety of everyone in the home by ridding potential wandering or evil spirits because their house was too large for their servants to roam and patrol the halls. I know it sounds insane, but it is true. Lmao. In addition, I am a native English speaker and would speak in English, but I would be told off. They would pressure me to use Mandarin since they were extremely proud to be Chinese. Mind you, my Chinese is worse than a four-year-old's. Would any Americans understand the significance of this? No, because this is what it is being an actual Asian dating a real "CRAZY Rich Asian". What is depicted in this film, is far from Asian. The only thing that was Asian about this is how they look. Rich Asian Americans perhaps, but certainly not Crazy Rich Asians.

Disclaimer: I am not a fan of the manhua, anime or TV series. I strongly believe that the book will always be better. Pros: Undeniably a good read. I am an avid reader and what was most captivating about this book is how the storytelling is rather realistic, almost believable. That is despite this book being of the fantasy genre incorporating zombies, demon and magic. Unlike a lot of wuxia/xianxia books that often emphasises very black and white narratives, this one stands out because every character is simply human. As humans, it is often in the self-interest of the character, so no one is truly good or evil (although one can be more of one or the other). The author found a perfect balance building an imaginative landscape that one's mind can wander in and get lost while retaining the very essence of humanity. As someone who loves to read and write, I sing high praises for this book. I mean no offence to the translators (I do admire your hard work), but given that the English translation was made by fans, it truly is not at par with the original. Unfortunately, the English translation cannot fully 'recapitulate' the Chinese idioms and wordplay, I implore you to read the original if you can. Cons: Although I very much enjoyed the overall storyline, I cannot appreciate the style of writing. Perhaps I like having some things left to the imagination. Having to read every thought from the perspective of all characters can be a little annoying. I would have also appreciated if the writing was more descriptive and elegant. It almost seems like there is so much happening with the characters, yet we do not fully immerse ourselves in the novel because details of the settings are provided at a bare minimum. Granted it is a web-novel not some literary classic, I can let those slide. Some characters are also not as well-developed and the book felt rushed or disconnected at some points. Since the author incorporated a separate storyline into this book (Xue Yang portion), those characters appear and disappear and their presence or impact to the overall story felt almost insignificant. Lengthening the book and balancing it out would have made it better. Conclusion: It is a good book, it is not an excellent book.