320. Martial Universe 武动乾坤 (2018) Chinese

Yang Yang, Zhang Tianai, Wang Likun, Wu Chun

Drama Rating: Dropped     Neck Score: A+

So this is different. I don't think I've done one of these for a while, because I am a finisher and I don't want to give up when I've already invested 20 hours in a drama. But I know I will probably never get back to this drama, so I'm officially dropping it and writing a review of it to the point where I just couldn't get myself to go on. I liked the premise of this drama, I liked most of the characters, I like all the actors, but I just couldn't stick with all the stupidity and drama. I like that the main character Lin Dong starts off as basically a loser and then does the classic fighting anime level up to become the best. But it was just taking too long. It's okay to have heroes who start off as losers, but have them start improving sooner instead of dragging it out. Yang Yang was doing a good job of it too at first. I totally forgot he was the same guy as in Love 020, who was a "Mr. Perfect" type. I'm not saying become perfect overnight, but it got really draggy seeing the same thing over and over. He can't win by dumb luck and the sacrifice of his comrades for forever. If you're going to Dragon Ball it up, then actually level up, dude.

223. Just One Smile is Very Alluring (Love 020) 微微一笑很倾城 (2016) Chinese

Yang Yang, Zheng Shuang, Mao Xiaotong, Bai Yu, Ma Chunrui, Zhang He

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

I was pleasantly surprised with this show.  I didn't have any expectations, I was just bored when I started it, but it had me smiling the whole way through.  It was a ridiculous story about a pair of seemingly perfect people who are just the best having to overcome all of the crap that the lesser humans throw at them because they are petty and not as cool.  That being said, it was nice to see a couple so stalwart that they would not falter at any of the bitca or jerk's slimy tactics.  They were never tricked and there was no noble idiocy.  That was pretty refreshing.  I also liked that even the jerks and bitcas were not 100% losers, but that they all had learning curves.  I especially liked how awkward Wei Wei (Zheng Shuang) was all the time and expressed her inner thoughts, like checking out and feeling hot and bothered about how sexy he was.  I did get too invested in Er Xi's relationship with Cao Guang.  It was like a huge part of the plot, but then they resolved it by only hinting that they were going to get together and not letting them get together.  I liked the main couple, but I wanted more balance with the other peeps in the show too, so that was a little boring to me in spots.  I guess I'm too used to the main couple getting mopey that them being cute the whole time got a little boring.  It still made me smile, I just wanted more resolution for the other characters, so spending so much time at the end for them to plan their wedding when there was no other conflict got boring for me, but it was a really good solid show.  Plus the nerd F4.  All of them so good looking, and all of them so nerdy.  I also really loved how they acted out the game sequences and portrayed the moments when someone would step away from the computer.  As a gamer, I thought those aspects were really well done.  It also gave a good excuse for those sequences to be really cheesy, since they were a blend of real life and video game.