Partial Preview: The Early Spring Episodes 1-4 [Part 1]

| kfangurl

I’m doing it, friends; I’m diving in.

After seeing so much said about this drama, with opinions so wildly divided, I decided that I had to see it for myself – if only out of FOMO. 😁

I’m approaching this one with a deeply investigative lens, to figure out exactly what the show is and is not, based on the text, context and subtext that it serves up.

I’ll be examining evidence, testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions – as well as digging into multiple language nuggets that are lost in translation.

And I wanted to let you guys know, in case you’d like to join me. 🤗

This deep-dive will be a Patreon-exclusive experience, with only selected highlights featured in the eventual public review here on the blog.

As you might have already noticed, my new approach to reviews is to have the review be a separate, condensed retrospective. The immersive, expansive episode-by-episode breakdown lives on Patreon as a separate experience.

To give you a proper flavor for what I’m doing with this show over on Patreon, here’s a partial preview of my episode notes for episodes 1-4.

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Review: Spooky In Love

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Spooky in Love is, for the most part, a pretty great homage to the Classic k-rom-com.

At its best, Show blithely serves up tropes and serves them up well – while occasionally also freshening things up by turning some of the tropes on their heads.

Beyond the fun and hijinks, our OTP is wonderfully wholesome while sharing a warm, endearing sort of vibe. Park Eun Bin and Yang Se Jong pair surprisingly well as our slightly awkward, dorky OTP.

I do think that Show ends on a comparatively weaker note than the one on which it started, but overall, I did have a good time and would consider this one worthwhile.

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Review: Dazzling [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A warm, comforting slice-of-life coming-of-age story that’s just very solidly done.

The plot of this story isn’t that inventive or different compared to other shows in this genre, but it’s the writing and execution that really makes it pop for me.

The writing nudges our characters and relationships forward in such organic ways that all the character and relationship growth feels natural, believable and completely earned. Extra brownie points to Show for ensuring that our OTP prioritizes communication, as a general rule.

Guan Xiao Tong and Li Yun Rui are both excellent in this, though I have to admit that my soft spot is for Li Yun Rui, whom I found super appealing as our male lead Xing Wu.

Even though the ending is a touch weaker than I would have liked, I still think of this show fondly. 🥰

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Review: Love In The Clouds [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

I’d say that this is a xianxia with broad enough appeal that it should be easily enjoyed by non-xianxia-loving drama fans.

Not only is the magic and mythology pretty accessible in this show, it’s written in a manner that puts the primary focus on our characters and relationships.

Hou Ming Hao and Lu Yu Xiao are both excellent as our leads, and share a warm, sparky sort of chemistry that I found very enjoyable.

Show does a solid job of teasing out the burgeoning connection between our OTP, and that really is the centerpiece of this story.

Surprisingly stirring, for a show that I’d imagined would be a fun little bonbon.

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Review: My Royal Nemesis

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A show with a fun concept that largely manages to deliver on its promises – quite a rarity in Dramaland these days, yes?

Im Ji Yeon sparkles in this and I absolutely love her, but I have to admit that it’s Heo Nam Jun who truly surprises, by infusing his character with layers and fun quirks – and the best swallowed leaked smiles that I’ve seen in quite a while. 😍

Our OTP is sparky and great together, and combined with Show’s blithe first half, make for a watch experience that feels both fun and satisfying.

Show’s final stretch does let up on the fun hijinks in favor of dealing with bad people and bad fates, but I do see this as par for the course, since these are built into the narrative from the beginning.

Stops short of being amazing because of some missteps, but I’d still say this is very, very solid.

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Review: The WONDERfools

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show might look like simple quirky fun on the surface, but under the hood, there’s a great deal of confidence, creativity and deftness that I find truly impressive.

To make things even better, our characters are all very well-cast, in my opinion. Each actor feels well-suited to their role, and they even play off well against one another. That’s no small deal, particularly in an ensemble cast.

I found myself growing extremely fond of these absurd characters, even as I stayed entertained and engaged, all the way to the very end.

Altogether absolutely delightful, and I would heartily recommend. ❤️

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Review: Yumi’s Cells 3

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Despite the difficulty of re-entry, with Season 3 airing a full 4 years after Season 2, and the challenge of a markedly shorter runtime, Season 3 manages to feel both complete and satisfying.

Show still demonstrates its deft understanding of human psychology via its creative use of the cartoon cell metaphor, and I love that it brings back familiar cell theory that existing fans know and love, as well as introduces new layers for us to explore.

Kim Go Eun is, as always, wonderfully nuanced and relatable as Yumi, while Kim Jae Won is surprisingly endearing, given Season 3’s short runtime.

A worthy follow-up to Seasons 1 and 2, and a worthwhile wrap-up to Yumi’s story.

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Review: Love Story in the 1970s [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A love story that’s simple, earnest and very wholesome, set against the really interesting backdrop of the Cultural Revolution.

Both Sun Qian and Arthur Chen became their characters for me, making both leads extremely likable; it was very easy to root for their love.

Our supporting characters are also well-drawn as a general rule, and together, they make this story world come alive.

Big props too, to Show, for making this unique setting pop in a way that made me feel like I was a fly on the wall of this particular period in China’s history – without making it feel heavy.

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Open Thread: Alchemy of Souls 2 Episodes 9-10

| kfangurl

Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone!

This is the last one! 🥲

Which means, no more spoiler restrictions, finally! 😁

Without further ado, here are my reactions to this set of episodes. Have fun in the comments! ❤️

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Open Thread: Alchemy of Souls 2 Episodes 7-8

| kfangurl

Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining this group watch! ❤️

We’re still using the:

ZERO SPOILER POLICY

Only events that occur in the episodes discussed here may be referenced.

No future developments, relationship outcomes, mythology reveals, major twists, or “just wait…” hints — even vague foreshadowing can affect first-time viewers.

If you’re ahead of the group watch, please keep that knowledge to yourself. Let’s protect the innocent! 😉

Since spoiler tags don’t work in email notifications, we will not be using spoiler tags in this Open Thread.

Without further ado, here are my reactions to this set of episodes. Have fun in the comments! ❤️

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