Tag: Global Granary Drama List

Flipped (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

Drama

Flipped (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

Flipped poster

  • Genre: Modern Romance; Supernatural powers, mystery
  • Release Date: 24 December 2018
  • Origin: Chine
  • CDrama: 24 Episodes

Cast: 

  • Gao Hanyu as Qi Xun
  • Chen Yumi as Feng Shuang Shuang
  • Gu Landi as Kun Lan
  • Lin YanRou as Qi Tian
  • Zhu Wen Chao as He Zhengchang
  • Jack Sun Keiji as Shi Lang
  • Jenna Wang Siping as Du Wan Tian
  • Miao Zijie as Feng Yun

Episode 1

Qi Xun is a genius architect, who is the CEO of MIST.  He has the power to teleport from one place to another but does cause him dizziness when he does it.  He has a sister, Qi Tian, who he doted on.

Qi Tian or Tian Tian has a terminal illness.  There was a doctor who could possibly help her but had vanished about 10 years ago.  Despite her condition, Tian Tian remains cheerful.  She has also the power to see into the future.  And she saw that her brother was about to start a romance with a girl who paints.

What do you know?  At that same day, he teleported himself into his office building where a girl was painting a huge mural.  He bumped into the girl causing her to leave a colorful stain on his face with her paintbrush.

She is Feng Shuang Shuang, who is no ordinary girl.  It looks like she has a rather mysterious past.

And someone from her past was a boy of her own age who had been looking for her.  He was Kun Lan.

Shuang Shuang had to ask for Kun Lan’s help when a man, who she seemed to know, forced open her apartment door.  She was just able to climb into the next floor balcony with the help of Kun Lan as the man came to find her.

Meanwhile Qi Xun’s assistant who has a crush on his sister was able to find some news about the missing doctor.

Tian Tian teased her brother that he will be making progress with the painter lady.  He will end up kissing her.

So true, because he teleported straight in front of the girl with his lips gluing itself to the girl’s own lips.

Episode 2

For a few minutes, they remained in a kissing position, both too shocked to make a move.  They were still glued to one another when a few of the employees found them in this intimate position. When they finally got to their senses, they found that they can’t really entangle from each other because her hair was caught on his shirt button.  She had to use a blade to cut off the button from his shirt along with a few strands of her hair.

The man that broke into Shuang Shuang apartment had camped in her room.  It turned out that he was her father who had been looking for her since she escaped from being locked up.

Shuang Shuang said that she loves her father and he loves her but rather too much.  He was not always like this protective.  It was only after her mother died that his father had developed a pathological fear that something nasty might happened to her as well.  He used to lock her in the house or in a big chest when he was going out and can’t watch over her.

He even prevented her from going to university for fear of her running away.

And she ran away when it just got too much.  But however careful she was he seemed to always find her.

He found out that she was now employed by MIST.

Tian Tian can’t understand why she kept dreaming of  the same man (the man looks like Kun Lan) she doesn’t know.

Apparently, there were a few mutants who were created in the world.  They were called the Talented.  These mutants have superpowers.  In order that they can be kept in control or heal their pain, a healer is assigned to each Talented.  There is also another group whose aim is to protect the healer.  Kun Lan is a protector who had been looking for Shuang Shuang.  So is she a healer?

Episode 3

Shuang Shuang’s landlord was about to rent out her apartment to someone else because she was late with her rent.  Come Kun Lan to the rescue.  He paid her rent, unfortunately, she can’t really go into her flat as her father has been coming and going, often drunk.

Having nowhere to stay. Shuang Shuang was persuaded to share Kun Lan top apartment until her father leaves town permanently.

Shuang Shuang has become a permanent employee at MIST.  But she is finding it rather hard to do her job as she really doesn’t have the right background for it.

The vice president, Wan Tian, who is the co-founder of the company was rather jealous that the CEO personally picked Shuang Shuang to join the company so in her way she was making it hard of Shuang Shuang to settle down.

Thank goodness for the other employees who were ready to support and encourage Shuang Shuang as well as guide her along the way.  This was noticed by Qi Xun who became rather jealous.

Apparently, Shuang Shuang might be the healer they have been looking for to help his sister.

Was he after Shuang Shuang for his sister benefit or his?

Shuang Shuang and Qi Kun almost had another kissing moment but Qi Kun stopped himself in time.  So cute.

Episode 4

Shuang Shuang was in trouble again after disappearing from work without so much a by your leave.  Chief Inspector Wan Tian was in the middle of telling her off for her lack of good working etiquette when Qi Xun interrupted and said that Shuang Shuang was with him inspecting a project all day yesterday.

Wan Tian asked which project but Qi Xun told her point blank that he does not have to report to her.

Actually Qi Xun took Shuang Shuang to a place where he can’t cross the demarcation line protected by a spell.

To his surprise, Shuang Shuang can get in but became visibly upset after seeing a vignette of her own history with her mother in a house that suddenly appeared.  She fainted from the stress.  Qi Xun forced to get to her which caused him some harm.  He picked Shuang Shuang and then teleported to Shi Lang his assistant, house near a lake.

Qi Tian, who bunked off school, also happened to be there.  She wanted to ask Shi Lang about paragliding.

Wen Tian assigned Shuang Shuang to submit three reports, which meant SS would need to work overtime.  She was in the library when she saw Qi Xun again.

She said a quick hello and then she went back to her work.  Qi Xun followed her.

Episode 5

Kun Lan is becoming a permanent fixture at MIST.  He was often visiting to bring food to the group.  The first time was when he brought hotpot.  Shuang Shuang invited Qi Xun and  Tian Tian to join them to partake the ‘steamboat’ hotpot.  Qi Tian immediately declined but Tian Tian against Qi Xun’s advised followed Shuang Shuang.

She was thunderstruck when she saw the man in her dreams.  Kun Lan was there before her.  She was mesmerised.

Shuang Shuang met a woman who apparently is a doctor and a regular visitor to a nursing home, which is a current project for MIST.  While they are chatting on the way to the hospice, they were being followed by He Zhengchang, who was after revenge for the death of his beloved brother.

He was after a woman with a red mole on her neck, which the doctor has.

He kidnapped the doctor and was asking her why she treated his brother so appallingly when Shuang Shuang heard the cry for help of the woman.   Shuang Shuang followed the sound into the forest.  Before long she was captured as well and tied to a tree blindfolded.

He Zhengchang realised that he got the wrong doctor, and let her go.  He was also about to release Shuang Shuang when Qi Xun appeared suddenly.

After some fighting, he took Shuang Shuang away with him.

Shuang Shuang then noticed that he was hurt and bleeding.  They ended up in his house.

Tian Tian gave the first aid box to  Shuang Shuang and left her to tend to her brother.

Episode 6

Tian Tian was still thinking about Kun Lan.  She can’t help herself, she just had to take a peek at him in the future. She was giddily happy but in the process she felt her strength ebbing.

Shuang Shuang found her sleeping in the sofa.  She touched to wake Tian Tian up but it looks like they have a connection as a force coming from her has invigurated Tian Tian, who felt well once again.

Tian Tian asked Shuang Shuang if she felt weird.

Shuang Shuang replied in the affirmative.  It looks like Shuang Shuang might be Tian Tian’s healer, probably the daughter of her original healer, who disappeared ten years ago.

Shuang Shuang and Qi Xun are starting to get on well much to the disappointment of Wan Tian, who had loved Qi Xun since there were in college.

The episode ended with Shuang Shuang humiliated during a general product conference when her powerpoint was sabotaged by bitchy emails about bitchy Wan Tain and the love life of their boss.

Episode 7

Shuang Shuang was absolutely humiliated and was not helped at all when Qi Xun jealously told her that she if was doing her job rather that continuously flirting with every man she comes across with, then she might do her job well. This was because just prior to the project meeting, Qi Xun saw Kun Lan being chummy with Shuang Shuang.

To cheer her, Kun Lan took her to dinner, where Wan Tian was busy getting drunk having finally accepted that Qi Xun was just not into her.

Shuang Shuang also drank quite a lot.

While Kun Lan was paying the bill, Shuang Shuang went to the loo and found a drunk Wan Tian.

Wan Tian told her that she does like Qi Xun but her resolution was to keep away from him from now on.

She said she was going to do her own project.  Shuang Shuang drunkenly said that she wanted to be in the project with her.  She will follow her wherever she goes.

And she did because the next morning, Qi Xun wanted to find out where Shuang Shuang was but was told that she went with Qi Xun to do a hotel project.

At the hotel where they were staying in Wan Tian invited Shuang Shuang to go to the spa with her.  She told Shuang Shuang that she hates her because she got her job so easily without the proper background and accreditation.

Shuang Shuang, on the other hand, said that she admires Wan Tian so much she wanted to be like her.

Want Tian was rather moved but told her that she still does not like her.

On their project tour, Shuang Shuang seems to be in a world of her own, that is why she missed their transport back to the hotel.

It got so dark and she realised that she was alone and her workmates have gone. She runs in the rain and being chased by thunder and lightning.

Qi Xun heard the news about some inclement weather where his employees went.

He called Shuang Shuang several times but she was out of reach.  He then called Wan Tian who found out that they were missing Shuang Shuang.

Her hotel roommate was jealous of Shuang Shuang so despite knowing that Shuang Shuang was not with them in the bus, she pretended they were all accounted for as the bus was leaving the hotel project.

Qi Xun immediately teleported to the hotel but to his surprise, he was back in his office.

Episode 8

Qi Xun’s teleporting was being affected by the magnetic field of the thunder and lightning.  He got a precised location of the hotel and teleported again and this time he was successful.

He asked  a surprised Wan Tian if she had a car to drive to their hotel project to look for Shuang Shuang.

Wan Tian was very worried for him as he does not drive usually becasue there was a backstory where someone died while he was driving.

But as Fu Zi in Evernight said, “Affection is a great motivation”, so he drove the car like a maniac and did find Shuang Shuang alive and well.

He hugged her as soon as he saw her.

They had a heart to heart where Qi Xun confessed that he can teleport, he gave her a quick gist of Quantum Physics where with a wormhole, you can bend space and time.

She was so impressed with him but he told her that he might have been given by this talent by God but He took something from him in return.  So in reality is just ordinary person that can teleport.  He also mentioned that Qi Tian has talent as well.  She can predict the future but this was damaging her health and she needed a healer.

Shuang Shuang immediately volunteered to help look fo the missing healer.

This did it for Qi Xun, he can’t help but give her a long, very lonnnnng kiss.

Back at the office, everything went back to normal but Qi Xun seemed to have truly fallen in love with Shuang Shuang.  It brings him joy just to be able to look at her picture in his mobile phone.  Awww

Episode 9

This is such a cute episode.  They are officially going out together and they have plenty of skinship.  She kissed him just after he brushed his teeth.  He then asked her to shave his face, which ended in him kissing her and rolled around in bed.

But at work, Shuang Shuang wanted to keep their relationship a secret but Qi Xun was not too happy especially when he heard that she described him as just an ordinary friend.

Qi Tian had another episode when she was out with Shi Lang buying roses.  She hurt her finger with a thorny flower which drew blood and then she then fainted.

Poor Kun Lan texted Shuang Shuang that he made a feast for her and that she should come home immediately but she was just too focused on Qi Xun to answer her phone.

Episode 10

He Zhengchang is hell-bent on revenge.  He kidnapped Shuang Shuang’s father and beat him up.  He wants to know the whereabouts of Xun Xie, who was the mother os Shuang Shuang.

Zhengchang had a doppelganger brother who looked after him.  Both brothers have incurable disable.  The elder brother, though he was just 30 at that time 7 years ago, looked more like he was in his 60s.  He was aging so fast, just like their father before them.

Every day, the brother would go and knocked at Xun Xie’s house to beg her to cure his younger brother.  She doesn’t need to bother with him.

Xun Xie said that it was not that she does not want to cure them, she just can’t.

In the end, she died in a fire.  Who killed her?  it is yet to be revealed.

Anyway, Zhengchang seemed to have survived because of medicine that he had concocted himself.  Yet, he was out for revenge, targeting the whole family of Xun Xie.

After beating up Shuang Shuang’s dad, he left him near a hospital.

The hospital then called Shuang Shuang.

Shuang Shuang was really worried about her dad but at the same time wary that she gets sucked into his obsessive way of protecting her.

Kun Lan was with her to see her father.  Her father wanted her to come nearer but Shuang Shuang refused.

Shuang Shuang was scared.  She told him that she can’t go through being locked up in a box.

Her sad story was heard by Qi Xun, who was waiting for her with a tight hug.

In the end, Kun Lan assured her father that he will look after her, he will be her protector.

Her father got more bitter and worried upon hearing that Kun Lan belongs to the Kun family who was supposed to protect his wife.

Episode 11

Shuang Shuang and her father finally made up.  She remembered that he was really good to her in his own way.  It must have been hard to bring her up alone after her mother died.

Kun Lan was also able to convince the father that he is able to look after Shuang Shuang.

It was Shuang Shuang’s birthday.  Everyone seemed to know except her.

Episode 12

Shuang Shuang’s father found her in a tight embrace with Qi Xun.  As it was Shuang Shuang’s birthday he invited them, including Kun Lan to a hotpot dinner.

They got talking about the father’s background as a painter.

He told them that he was just about to open his exhibition of all his paintings when Luo Bao, his business partner, had stolen every single one of them.

He said that he was particularly sorry to have missed a painting of a girl by the lake.

Both Qi Xun and Kan Lun offered to help get back the painting.

They went to Liu Bao.  After tickling him he told them that the painting was in his van.

Qi Xun got in there first and found the painting and realised that lady was Xue Xie, his sister’s healer.  He then pondered that since her mother is gone, then Shuang Shuang must be the new healer.

At that time, his crazy sister, Qi Tian was day-dreaming of marrying Kan Lun but he appeared to be crying.

She then saw that he was not attending a wedding but a funeral, her funeral.

She was so upset, she fell on the swimming pool.

At that time Shuang Shuang with Kan Lun had just arrived and saw her falling.

They got her back from the pool almost lifeless.

Shuang Shuang gave her a CPR, including a mouth to mouth resuscitation.  As Qi Tian was becoming alert, Shuang Shuang fell into a dead faint.

Episode 13

Qi Xun realised that Shuang Shuang is a healer, the healer who they have been looking for to cure Qi Tian.

Shuang Shuang’s father found out about what had occurred and told her to rest for a few days.

When he found that she was on the phone to Qi Xun, the father went absolutely mental, even Kan Lun was rather shocked to find him going overboard, almost turning violent.

When the father calmed down, he recounted how his wife really died.

Apparently, Zhengchang brother came to beg his wife to cure his family, who suffers from an incurable disease.

The mother couldn’t really help as Zhengchang’s family are not the ‘talented’.  She could not really explain this to Zhengchang’s brother, who took the inability of the mother to help as a form of a slight, a snub to his lowly family.

The brother, as revenge, burned the house with him and Shuang Shuang’s mother still inside.

That’s how the father became wary of anyone approaching them.

Kun Lan also added that it is probable that Qi Xun approached her for her abilities rather than an attraction to her personally.  As proof, he reminded her that did Qi Xun bring her to her old house where her mother died to test that she was a healer?

Despite all these talks, she still firmly believed in Qi Xun.

She had to hear the truth from him.  Shuang Shuang quickly left the house to go to Qi Xun.

Qi Xun was missing her but feeling guilty of what he might have to ask her for his sister’s sake.

I think the sister is babied too much, too indulged.  They should sit her down and seriously tell her not to use her power for her romantic desires.  Tell her to go out there and mingle with boys.  Every time she uses her power she loses a bit of herself which weakens her.  But does she learn? No.

Anyway, Lan Shing was with Qi Xun and telling him that they should use the healer, who they have been looking for like eternity.

Qi Xun was reluctant at first despite Lan Shing asking him whether he wanted his sister cured or not.

Anyway, Qi Xun and Lan Shing was drinking brandy, neat, and was getting drunk when Shuang Shuang party heard what they were talking about.

It sounded that her father and Kan Lun were right all along that Qi Xun was just using her because she can help his sister.

Qi Xun was devastated when he realised that Shuang Shuang heard and misinterpreted what were said.

Poor Shuang Shuang.

Episode 14

Shuang Shuang and Qi Xun have not spoken as she was really upset while Qi Xun’s effort to contact her is being thwarted by both the father and Kan Lun.

Zhengcheng has now injected some chemicals into a probiotic drink that Shuang Shuang drank while blissfully imagining Qi Xun.

Episode 15

Shuang Shuang was about to leave with her father for somewhere where no one knows about them.  She left the protective ring of Kun Lan as well.

While she was walking with her father, she kept feeling disorientated and then eventually fainted.  She was taken to the hospital by her father.

The security at the hospital was very lax.  Shengcheng was able to get to her by pretending to be her doctor.  For a few days Shuang Shuang was out of it until one morning she came out of her ‘comatose’ state.  She seemed to have the ability to self-heal which puzzled and annoyed the thwarted Shengcheng.

At the hospital. she met another patient who was just a boy.  The boy is very upset and rather suicidal.

Shuang Shuang stopped him from jumping off the rooftop.  He said that because of his illness, his parents have abandoned him.  The only one who cares for him was sister Shen.

Right on cue, sister Cue was there.  As Sister Shen and Shuang Shuang shook hands, they both feel something.

Sister Shen is a healer and she has that ability to encourage one to spill one’s secret.

Before she knows it, Shuang Shuang was spilling her guts out.  She was telling Sister Shen about her aborted love affair with Qi Xun.  She told her that she was not sure whether Qi Xun loves her for herself or because she was a healer.

Shuang Shuang was well enough to go home and therefore missed Qi Xun, Kun Lan, Qi Tian and Shi Lang who came to find her at the hospital.

Qi Xun met with Sister Shen.  They shook hands and immediately he knew she was a healer.

Unfortunately, Shuang Shuang and her father had gone.

Qi Xun continued to roam the street hoping to find Shuang Shuang until he got a text from Sister Shen giving an address as Shuang Shuang would be there.

Qi Xun arrived at the place but he found Sister Shen in a bathrobe.  He told her to put something decent on.

They were having dinner when Sister Shen started seducing him. Asking why does he like Shuang Shuang?

Has Sister Shen have a hidden agenda?  Was she helping Shuang Shuang to ascertain that Qi Xun is true to her?

Episode 16

Who is Sister Shen Tong?  Is she perhaps Shuang Shuang’s mother in another body?

Shen Tong , though helping Shuang Shuang, is also secretly seducing Qi Xun.

Anyway, Shaung Shaung is back working at MIST.

Qi Tian took a chance!  She told Kun Lan that she likes him.

He was very surprised at how forward she was.

She said that she dreams of him and in it, he likes her too.

Kun Lan told her rather bluntly to stop dreaming as he will never like her.

She just smiled.

Episode 17

Qi Xun and Shi Lang can’t find much information about Shen Ton, who continues to flirt with Qi Xun.

Qi Xun met up with Shen Tong to ask her if she was really a healer and if she can really help his sister.

Shen Tong said that she will answer him if he kisses her first.

Qi Xun just can’t do it.

Meanwhile, Shuang Shuang was having dinner Kun Lan.

Kun Lan confessed to her that he likes far more than just a protector to her. That it was her fault that she made him adore her so much.

Shuang Shuang was starting to panic which Kun Lan noticed.  To make her less uncomfortable, he burst out laughing and made it confession like it was just a joke.

Shuang Shuang received a couple of packages at work which frightened her. Qi Xun was there to help but the situation ended up ridiculously funny as the second box was full of sanitary napkins.

Shuang Shuang noticed that she was being followed while on her way home.  She hid and then attack her stalker with her handbag but found that it was Qi Xun who was following her.

Episode 18

Shuang Shuang and Qi Xun made up after having a drinking bout.

Shuang Shuang confessed to Qi Xun that she likes him while Qi Xun apologised wholeheartedly.  And they really felt really loved by each other.

In the office the next day, Xi Qun wanted to buy Shuang Shuang a gift and took Wan Tian to help with the choosing the present.

Unfortunately Wan Tian mistook it as Qi Xun finally showing some interest in her.

In a birthday party arranged for her by her colleague, feeling giddy with happiness, she confessed her feelings to Qi Xun.

Qi Qun felt uncomfortable and said that there can never be more between because they are like to machine, they function and that it is.

Wan Tian then asked if it is because of Shuang Shuang, Qi Xun readily said yes.

Wan Tian what is Shuang Shuang to him.

Qi Xun said, “She is my heart.”  ahhhhh

Episode 19 – 20

Poor Wan Tian’s confession was a disaster and it was her birthday too.  She left her own party and had a good cry in the rain.

The next day, she can’t help taking out her pain and sorrow on Shuang Shuang.

Shuang Shuang went into the movies and watch The Notebook.  They were both embarrassed watching the torrid scenes but in the end, they went with the flow and kissed their faces off. 🙂

Shengcheng is out of control.  He emotionally blackmails the girl working for MIST to help him upload an apps to monitor Shuang Shuang’s phone.  He can then hear Shuang Shuang’s evert movement including when she was in the hospital with her father helping a terminal boy to pack his stuff to move to another hospital.

Shengcheng used the time to kidnap Shuang Shuang’s father and then her.

Episode 21

Shuang Shuang and her father were drenched in petrol by Zhengcheng ready to be burnt.

Qi Xun, meanwhile, was getting weaker and weaker after teleporting from place to place to find Shuang Shuang.

Finally, he found Shuang Shuang and her father at a very crucial moment when Zheng Cheng was about to light them with a burning torch.

But Qi Xun was too weak to beat up the deranged Zheng Cheng.

The girl working for MIST who was helping Zheng Cheng suddenly appeared and stopping him from hurting Qi Xun.

Qi Xun suddenly realised that he had was there when Shuang Shuang’s mother, Xun Xue, died.

Qi Xun started recounting the event that happened many years ago.  He was in a car with his mother and father when it crashed.  For the first time, he used his fledging power to get out from the car and teleported almost on the feet of Xun Xue, who gave him the kiss of life.  She then took him back to the cottage where a young Shuang Shuang was waiting.

She was boiling a kettle when she fainted and the bamboo window blinds caught on fire.

The fire grew rapidly.

At that moment, ZhengCheng brother turned up. He immediately takes control and took little Shuang Shuang out first, followed by a sleepy Qi Xun.  When he returned to rescue Xun Xue the fire had really taken over the whole cottage.  Xun Xue, being a healer disintegrated into small bits in front of the brother, who was trapped and died in the fire.

Even with this declaration, Zhengcheng refuses to believe and still vent on burning Shuang Shuang with her father.  With renewed adrenalin, Qi Xun runs into the Shuang Shuang and her father and teleported with them.

Episode 22

Shen Tong is dying.  She recounted her story.  She is a talented rather than a healer.

When she was in college, she fell in love for the first time.  The boyfriend was a good man, they were happy together and love being just going out together by themselves.

One day while they were out and about, her boyfriend collapsed and died of a heart attack.  She had never forgotten him.

After his death, she started helping in hospice and that’s how she met a boy with a weak heart.

Anyway, she knew that her life is ending.  She arranged for her heart to be donated to the boy she had grown very close with.  He was like a brother to her.

Qi Tian had another episode where she saw in a dream that her living is in exchange for Shuang Shuang’s life.

Shuang Shuang is her healer and a healer’s life diminishes as she helps a talented.

Episode 23

Kun Lan has finally given up on Shuang Shuang.  He left her alone telling her that his personal feeling for her was affecting how he looks after her as her protector.

He knew that she has a better protector now on Qi Xun.

Qi Xun had proposed to her to start a family with him.  While he is happily loved up with Qi Xun, Qi Tian is …

Seriously, Qi Tian’s character is the most infuriating.  She knew that every time she looks into the future and uses her power, she becomes weaker or a little bit of her dies.  And yet she kept looking until she exhausted all her lifeline and the only thing to save her is to find the healer that would sacrifice her all energy/life for her.

The healer was Shuang Shuang.

Qi Xun went to Shuang Shuang to persuade her to help cure his immature sister.

Rightly so, Shuang Shuang’s father did not take too kindly to Qi Xun coming round to get Shuang Shuang; to exchange her own life for Qi Tian.  The father told Qi Xun that his wife died for him already, wasn’t that enough?

Qi Xun surrendered to the logic of it.

Episode 24 – Final

It is the end and I have to say it was a bit lackluster.

Anyway, Qi Tian died but she had a convoluted plan of action to make her brother feel not too sad.  She pretended that she married Shi Lang and then are having an extended honeymoon around the world.  Shi Lang had been sending postcards of photos of him and Qi Tian posing in some of the landmarks of the world to Qi Xun.

Shi Lang is being helped by Kun Lan.

Qi Xun was near breaking point because deep down he knew his sister is gone.

After coming to terms with what happened, he went back to Shuang Shuang, who at first was annoyed at Qi Xun for having abandoned her.  But their love is so deep and total.

Shengcheng was praying to Buddha and looked lighter and more at peace.

The surprise ending was a possible happy ending for Wan Tian as well.

She was about to interview an intern architect who happens to be the spitting image of Qi Xun.  She was enamored!

The End

 

Like A Flowing River (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

Drama

Like A Flowing River (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

Like a Flowing River poster

  • Genre: Business, Historical, Romance
  • Release Date: December 2018
  • Origin: China; Based on the novel by A Nai called  Big River Goes East
  • CDrama: 47 Episodes

Cast:


Quick Precis:

Three men with their individual personality pursue their goals during the economic reform of 1978-1992.

This would be a lovely drama, it has Wang Kai and Tong Yao, who is currently playing the princess of Tang in Ever Night.

Episode 1

Song Yan Hui was a genius 19 years old boy who top the examination in their country, making him eligible for entrance to a university.

Together with his sister, Song Yun Ping, they apply to their local communist leader to submit their application to their ruling party.

They, however, received only negative feedback from the director and leader.  Apparently, they were not university material because they were too poor plus the fact that universities teach pro-social democracy mentality.

At the same time, a newspaper had published a new governmental edict that leading cadres of the community should support young people’s entrance into college in compliance with long-term modernisation of the country.  This was in 1978.

Despite being turned down, the brother and sister did everything they could to change the mind of Director Li.

Episode 2

Director Li changed his mind.  Unfortunately, from advisement of his elders, it was decided that only one from Ping Ping and Yun Hui can go to the university because of their family situation.

Ping Ping, though her heart was breaking decided to withdraw her claim and allow her younger brother to go to college.

When Yun Hui found out what his sister did, he was distraught and blamed his father for giving them such a poor life.

The father felt so guilty he was hospitalised.

Yun Hui promised his sister that he will study so hard to repay her and their parents and that was he did.  He hardly socialise his university but had his head buried in books.

Episode 3

Dong Bao has just come out of the army after many years of service.  He met Ping Ping who just came back from visiting her brother from the university.

Ping Ping heard from a woman seller that rearing long tail rabbits can be profitable.  So as a start-up, Ping Ping bought four rabbits.

Someone bumped into her causing her to drop the cage and the rabbits got away.  Dong Bao kindly caught each of the rabbits except for one that he stepped on and died.

He offered to pay Ping Ping for it bit all he has under his name is 20 cent. He does have the money until his army pension comes through.  Ping Ping said for him to just forget about it.

Dong Bao went to his uncle to ask for a job.  His uncle promptly made him his assistant secretary of their village commune and gave him a document, which he had to do a feasibility study on how to make their village prosper.  Compared to other nearby villages where the minimum wage if 32 cents per hour, their village only averages at 2 cents.

Dong Bao did not know where to start.

But as luck would have it.  He met Ping Ping again and Hun Yui was with her.  He mentioned about the land/village reform document which Hun Yui said he knew something about it.

Over a few hot boiled sweet potatoes, Hun Yui discussed the basics of the village reform.

Episode 4

With some insight from Hun Yui, Dong Bao went back to his uncle and advised him to adopt a new system of tenanting the lands equally to the people.  It would not be a group system because giving lands to individuals have been found to yield better harvest rather than if a group work on a land.

His uncle is very old school communist and very set on his way.  He likes the idea of progress in theory but actually, imposing is another matter.

Dong Bao then had to be sneaky and was economical with the truth so his uncle would approve their new land regime.

Ping Ping seemed to have become Dong Bao’s muse and when he brought her to the village centre with her brother, his comrade started teasing him and called Ping Ping as their sister-in-law.

Hun Yui was more upset than his sister, who actually asked her family before if they had someone like Dong Bao as a member of their family, would their standing in the community increase?

29 December 2018 update!

This drama is such a massive hit that a second season is already under planning stage!

Fates & Furies (KDrama Review & Summary)

Drama

Fates & Furies (KDrama Review & Summary)

Fates & Furies poster

  • Genre:  Chaebol/Poor Woman Romance;  Comedy; Drama
  • Date Released: 1 December 2018
  • Origin: South Korea
  • KDrama: 40 Episodes

 

Cast:

Quick Precis: 

A beautiful woman lied her way into the love and affection of a chaebol.

Memories of the Alhambra (KDrama Review & Summary)

KDrama 2018

Memories of the Alhambra (KDrama Review & Summary)


Memories of the Alhambra poster

  • Genre: Mystery, Gaming, Business, Si-Fi, Romance
  • Release Date: 1 December 2018
  • Origin: South Korea
  • KDrama: 16 Episodes
  • Netflix Original

Cast:

  • Hyun Bin as Yoo Jin-Woo
  • Park Shin Hye as Jung Hee-Joo
  • Park Chanyeol as  Jung Se-Joo
  • Park Hoon as Cha Hyung-Seok

Quick Precis: Race against time:  the search for Jung Se Joo.

Hurrah Park Shin Hye is back and with the most handsome leading man as well in Hyun Bin.  They almost starred in Fox Bride, thank goodness they did not take the roles.

Episode 1

The drama started with Jung Se-Joo (Chanyeol) who was in Barcelona.  He was on the public telephone to Jin Woo.

Their conversation was cut short because Jung Se-Joo was being followed.  He ran for the train going for Granada and nervously sat on one of the bunk beds in the sleeper compartment, waiting and counting every mile until the train reaches its destination.

He did fall asleep but woken by the announcement that they were approaching Granada Station.

The sudden burst of thunder and rain worried him, he opened the compartment door and then there was a gun being fired and blood splattered all over.

(The other person in the compartment wondered why the boy (Se Joon) left the cabin without his rucksack. Strange that he did not hear the gunshot and there were no blood in sight!  Hmmm. – What is going on?)

Meanwhile, Jin Woo, CEO of Jaywon Holdings, was also in Spain after introducing a smart lens, which revolutionalises virtual reality programs, thereby putting South Korea in the gaming map.  Jin Woo also invests in games development.  He was the person Se Joo was speaking to before he caught the train.

Se Joo, during their telephone conversation, arranged to meet up with Jin Woo in Granada, whose most famous landmark in the palace of Alhambra.

When Se Joo mentioned Cha Hyung Seok being a bad man and he doesn’t want him to get his hand on his game, Jin Woo was more than intrigued.

He flew immediately to Granada and stayed at the Bonita Hotel as advised by Se Joo.

Hotel Bonita is a rat infested, derelict backpackers/student hostel.  It is run by Jung Hee Joo.

Seeing that Jin Woo looks very prosperous, Hee Joo tried to discourage him from staying in her hostel.

There was only one room that caters for a single traveller and that was located on the 6th floor.  To reach the room would involve navigating a long and winding staircase.  Jin Woo got a shock when they finally got to the room.  It has not been cleaned for months or even a year or two.  There were cobwebs everywhere and inch-thick dust covering the top furniture, rats are running loose, the toilet is blocked and there were no suitable sockets to charge his mobile phone.

But he did not overly mind as he was thinking of the game that Se Joo had sent him.

He called his programmer in South Korea, and then he was advised that everything has been arranged.

He went to the piazza and it then got mysterious and magical.  Suddenly there was an explosion.  Before he can collect himself together, he saw a knight in steel armour riding a horse coming towards him.  He noticed that the knight had about 5 arrows firmly embedded on his back.  The knight then collapsed in front of him.  He was aghast but his trouble was just beginning.  The hero on top of the monument suddenly came alive and ferociously jumped down in front of him and sliced his arm.  Blood started dripping and pouring into the ground … and then from his right eye, there was suddenly a message that the game was over, he is dead.

It was a game!  And He was mighty impressed.  It was so addictive. It was a 3D (3 Dimensional) – 4D holographic sort of a game.  You feel it, you do it.

He can reset it as many times as he wishes to increase his experience.

He was excited and wanted to meet the creator of the game immediately.

He went back to the hostel and hoping to see the creator of the game.  He was charging and answering his phone in the kitchen when the smoke alarm set in.

Hee Joo had trouble stopping the noisy alarm.

The tired and sleep-deprived Jin Woo took his frustration out of Hee Joo.  He made her cry.

He then learned that the creator of the Alhambra game was a minor at only 17 years of age.  So he needed a guardian to sign the contract for him.

Yep, you guessed it, the guardian was the crying Hee Joo.

Jin Woo then tried his most winning dimpled smile on Hee Joo.

So far so good but I have to be totally honest here as I always am: remember Honesty is the best policy.

Anyway, as much as I am loving this drama, I thought the gaming scene went a bit too long.  I have to be honest here, the gaming/fighting scene was boring.  I got it, it was trying to make a point that Se Joo was a genius boy who created very innovative and exciting virtual reality game but I realised that during the first instant that it showed Jin Woo, the gamer died at the hands or sword of the Nasher guy.

I hope this drama will be more on reality rather than inside a virtual bubble.

Episode 2

omg, Hyun Bin is just so gorgeous!  Whatever angle you look at him, he is perfection!  A real oppa! ha ha ha.

Anyway, this episode introduces the characters a little bit more.

Jin Woo is now on his second marriage, which only lasted a year as his current wife who is an actress wanted a divorce and half of his fortune in alimony.

His first wife, who he still feels a little tenderness but a lot of bitterness, was stolen by his friend and business partner, who co-founded his company, Jaywon Holdings.

This episode is slightly confusing because Se Joo was shown on his way to Granada as per the first episode.  Jin Woo took a plane from Barcelona to Granada that’s why he arrived in Granada ahead of Se Joo.

Anyway, after upsetting and making Hee Joo cry, Jin Woo used his cuteness to calm her down.  It did not work much. 🙂

He learned from her the time of Se Joo’s train arrival.

He went to the station to wait for him.  Se Joo never showed up .  He then found it strange that Hee Joo and her family seemed not overly bothered with the brother’s no-show.

While at the station, he bumped into his ex-wife, the first one, who he was so surprised to see was heavily pregnant.

She said that they had been in Granada since yesterday and that she was going back to Barcelona with her sister.

He put two and two together and realised that Cha Hyung Seok must also be in Granada.

Jin Woo’s programmer and his manager who were monitoring him in real time were surprised to find that Jin Woo commenced a game rather than look for the still missing Se Joo.

Through his virtual smart lens, he was advised that another person had joined in the game.  He and his minders thought that it might be Se Joo but Jin Woo was not surprised when it turned out that it was Cha Hyung Seok himself and he had a higher level, thus better weapons.

Jin Woo was ready to duel but his minder reminded him that one nik from Cha Hyung seok’s blade would kill him in the game.

So they postponed the duel.

Meanwhile, Hee Joo was informed that Jin Woo was far from being a poor man who wears knock-offs because he is actually the CEO of the biggest company in their area of expertise.

Thinking that he was going to sue her, Hee Joo agreed to meet Jin Woo in a nearby cafe.

He told her that she should renovate her hotel or better sell the current one and buy a better and bigger one because Granada will become a magic city, where tourists would stay for months.

One year later… Jin Woo was on a train, looking rather unkempt.  The train was just approaching Granada when he stood up and went into the lavatory where he sorted his guns.  He then went out and started shooting masked terrorists.

So exciting, that the minutes went so quickly.

Episode 3

Apparently the gorgeous Park Shin Hye is trending.  Some netizens think her acting only comprise of one expression:  confused with a bunny rabbit teeth.

So many mean people.  I think she is doing a good job.  I wanted to see more of her, or rather more of her and Hyun Bin together,

Jin Woo offered to buy the Hostal Bonita from Hee Joo for 10,000,000,000SKW which is about 7,794,000 Euros.

After thinking over, she sold the hostel;  it was a no-brainer really.

What Hee Joo did not know at that time is that Hostal Bonita owns everything connected to the game her brother had created.  So Hee Joo unknowingly sold all the rights on the game and merchandising.

Oh come on, I would have sold the game for £100K. LOL  She got £7M+.

Feeling happy with himself, Jin Woo called Cha Hyung Seok to commence their duel.

Jin Woo had been practicing and improving his level all day long.  He has the assassin sword.

Within the game, opponents are not allowed to touch each other.  Fighting should only be carried out with the level allotted weapons.

However, the two ex-friends did have a bit of psychological warfare.  But in the end, Jin Woo prevailed.  He beat and cut up Cha Hyung Seok well and good.  He left him catatonic on a bench in the park.

He then caught a plane to Barcelona.

He was dog-tired when he got to his apartment/hotel room but woken up the next morning with a call from his assistant who stayed in Granada.

He bears bad news.  The police found Cha Hyung Seok cold and dead in the park.

Episode 4

Jin Woo raced back to Granada.  His ex-wife blamed him for the death of her husband.

He then went to the hospital morgue to see Hyungseok’s body.  The pathologist remarked that there was something weird with the body.  It looks like it had been drained of blood and yet there is no visible sign of wounds for the blood to drain.

Jin Woo then went to the park bench where Hyungseok died.  With his smart virtual lens he saw that Hyungseok inside the game was bleeding to death.

The most extraordinary happened.  He had to kill Hyungseok all over again within the game as he had come alive.

To investigate, he went to Hostal Bonita and asked if he can use a high specs computer, which of course Hee Joo would offer him the use of her brother’s gaming computers.

He stayed looking around at the brother’s bedroom and found some useful information.

He then told Hee Joo not to just lend her mobile phone to anyone as she will get into trouble, after returning the phone to her.

Hee Joo innocently smiled at him saying there is nothing of value on her phone.  Their chemistry is electric in this part.  So cute.  Hyun Bin had turned into a sexy wolf, momentarily only though.

He spent the night in his old room on the sixth floor.

He was just about to doze off when there was a loud knock on the door.

He opened it and it was the bloodied Hyung Seok  They ended up having another sword duel.  He tried to call his programmer but it was too late.  Jin Woo fell into the ground floor from the 5th floor at least.

Was he going to die in the hands of someone existing only inside a game?.

Can’t wait for the next episode.

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Clean With A Passion For Now (KDrama Review & Summary)

Drama

Clean With A Passion For Now (KDrama Review & Summary)

Clean With Passion For Now promotional poster

  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, OCD, Mysophobia
  • Release Date: 26 November 2018
  • Origin: South Korean; Based on a webtoon by Aengo
  • Kdrama: 16 Episodes

Cast:

  • Kim Yoo-Jung as Gil Oh Sol
  • Yoon Kyun Sang as Jang Seol Kyul
  • Song Jae Rim as Mr Choi

Quick Precis:

A young beautiful slob meets a clean-freak CEO. They rubbed together into a romance 🙂

Episode 1

This first episode is a pretty good start, lots of laughs, lots of sweet romance, gorgeous young men and an outstandingly beautiful female lead.

Kim Yoo Jung delivers a solid performance despite having been away for a couple of years in the Kdramas.

She is growing more beautiful and still has that radiance and charisma that is scene-stealing (A very young Yoo Jung was the one who made an impression with me in Dongyi).

Oh Sol has graduated from university but is unable to find a gainful employment despite countless applications.  Instead, she makes ends meet by doing part-time jobs, which does not require good hygiene and fashionable attires, she is sloppy and wears clothes which seen better days.

She is desperate to find a permanent job and was continuously reviewing so she can take the civil service exam.  Once she gets that elusive job, she promised herself that she will confess to her sanbae she had had a crush since she started university.  For three years all she thought about was to be with Do Jin.  Just thinking of him makes her happy and kilig to the bones.  She was so cute.

The male lead is at least 10 years older than Yoo Joong but then again the story calls for it as the character is already established in the business world, having started his own business with his own drive, perseverance, and ambition.

Seol Kyul owns a cleaning company, which mainly employs sexy good looking young men as cleaners.  Seol Kyul knows the cleaning business inside and out because he suffers from mysophobia.

Due to his fear of germs and contamination, he also suffers from OCD, which makes him washed his hands again and again and showers for at least an hour each day.

His backstory was when he was about 7 years old, he went into a playground where he saw a girl having fun playing in the sandpit.  He asked the girl if he could play with her but when the girl turned around to face him she was cleaning her nose and flicked the most enormous bogie straight into his gaping screaming mouth.  :}

He might have been a rather neglected child, being a chaebol whose parents are busy with business and socialising. He grew up under the care of a kind housekeeper She eventually ended up in the hospital.  She gave him a present to remember her by.

The gift was a robotic vacuum cleaner, which he named after the housekeeper. ‘Geum Je’.  This appliance became a companion to him.  He tells it all of his thoughts.

He was not averse to going on a blind dates, in fact, he was looking forward to it but it turned out that the girl does not clean her ears, which frightened the life out of him.

His ‘mother’ turned up at his house.  She was annoyed with what happened because she set up the blind date herself.  Unfortunately, she left the door widely opened so  Geum Je roll out of the door, into the lift, out in the street and ended near a pile of rubbish.

It so happened that Oh Sol was passing by and picked up the robotic vacuum cleaner, this was caught in CCTV.

There is so much happening in the first episode, there was also a new lodger for the rooftop at Oh Sol house.

And she finally found out that she was more in love with love that with Do JIn, who badly let her down.

I love this drama.  I shall reevaluate everything to do with public transport.  LOL

Episode 2

Today’s episode is a contrast of yesterday’s rather comedic first offering.

This is more dramatic.  It mainly tackles unemployment.  It seems it is quite hard to get an office job in South Korea.  You made to jump hoops and then it may still come to nothing as what Oh Sol had experienced evidenced by a tub of 97 pens and pencils representing her hopes, dreams and job applications, all turned down.

Her father who was a street cleaner was suddenly made redundant for no apparent reason.

There were also two employees of the Clean With a Passion agency who were almost let go from their job because of their involvement in a brawl.

This episode also shows more of the backstory of Seol Kyul.  His mother was a single parent, who was also an absent parent most of the time.  His nanny.housekeeper became his stand-in mother who soothed him every time his over disciplinarian grandfather used the cane on him for being dirty or unkempt.

The grandfather then later said that he can’t understand why Seol Kyul has germaphobia and despite being sent to America for treatment, he was not cured.

Mr Choi’s role in the drama is still not too clear.  He’s just a rooftop lodger who seemed to entertain women quite a lot.

Towards the end, Oh Sol is shown as having gotten herself employed at last at …Clean with a Passion for Now.

Can’t wait for the next episode.