Review: The Prisoner Of Beauty [China]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show starts out really strong, and manages to end on a solid note, but it does kind of waffle a bit, in the middle stretch, which takes away from its overall quality, I feel.

The premise is great, with two very smart, very shrewd leads up against each other, in a political marriage, and who eventually fall in love and become a real couple instead of just a diplomatic one.

Liu Yu Ning and Song Zu Er bring our leads to life very well, so much so that I was hooked from pretty early on, in my watch.

Would have been much better as a shorter series, I think, but at least Show manages to stick the landing in a way that feels worthwhile and meaningful.

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Flash Review: To Fly With You [China]

In case you were wondering, my soft spot for Wang An Yu is still very much alive and well; I find him so expressive and I love his warm screen presence a whole lot. 😍😍

Which is why, after watching him in Falling Into You and Forever Love (reviews here and here!), I just had to add this show to my list as well.

And yes, I did end up enjoying this one very well too. 🥰

If you like sports-themed stories &/or romances, this one is worth a look, I do think. 🥲

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Review: The Bond [China]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

The Bond is basically a sprawling slice-of-life family drama, that is showcased in a pretty condensed sort of format.

Show does a very good job of making its characters feel like real people with real flaws and real struggles, and one can’t help but be interested in the lives of these characters, as a result.

Our cast is strong, in the sense that you don’t really feel like these are actors putting forth their best performance; you just feel like these are real people, with some flaws more glaring than others, all trying to do their best, with their varying lots in life.

A solid watch, particularly if you enjoy everyday insights into Chinese culture and China’s modern history.

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