Pretty Li Hui Zhen (Chinese Drama)

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 46

Remake of: She Was Pretty

Main Cast:

Dilraba Dilmurat as Li Hui Zhen

Peter Sheng as Bai Hao Yu

Sierra Li as Xia Qiao

Zhang Vin as Lin Yi Mu

Synopsis:

Li Hui Zhen used to be gorgeous, but years of declining family fortune added much pain to her life, and her looks slowly drifted away. Her friend Bai Hao Yu, on the other hand, was once an ordinary looking guy and grew up to be suave, successful, and immensely likable. So when she comes across him years later and witnesses their reversal of fortune, Li Hui Zhen is too embarrassed to even meet him and instead asks her stylish friend and roommate Xia Qiao to assume her identity. 

However, that amazing plan also has a problem in that Bai Hao Yu is actually Li Hui Zhen’s boss, and she now has to pretend to be someone else while working for him. Slowly, even without knowing her true identity, Bai Hao Yu becomes attracted to Li Hui Zhen. Li Hui Zhen's supervisor Lin Yi Mu also starts to take an interest in his new intern. Can Li Hui Zhen break away from the insecurity that came from once being pretty and open up to the man she truly cares about, or will she forever live in fear because she thinks she once was pretty?

My Thoughts:

I just recently watched this drama and also binge-watch it all the way to episode 30. I gotta say this is pretty much a cliche love story of a reverse-reality of the leads. Like a pretty young pre-teen into a not so pretty adult and vice-versa. It is usually the cliche stuffs that get me watching because I want to see how a team can make something cliche into a unique item of its own. By the way, this is a remake of a Korean drama, She was Pretty which I once was interested to watch but rejected due to my disinterest in the actors and actresses and besides too much Korean in my hands already. This drama, I accepted due to it being a different language and the actors and actresses are an unknown to me. I would love to see how an unknown portray a character in a story that is cliche. Hehe...

So, about the story and plot, it was smooth, like normal, there were some things that I did not expect and some I did. Some I sincerely hoped not to happen and some I hope it would. Hahaha.... Well, in the beginning chapters, I was just too disappointed with the female lead who was too kind for her own good and too un-energetic and not proactive. I get so mad at times that the male lead who was thought to be quite bad in the eyes of other characters but was actually saying the right things like how the female lead likes to make excuses instead of trying to fix her faults, justifying that she was not wrong instead of improving herself. Well, moving on, I just endured all that and kept watching. Slowly, other characters made the female lead wanting to improve and from then on, I begin to immerse myself in the story and the characters.

There were many things in the story that common sense-wise is not right so I just get uncomfortable watching it sometimes, like a best friend not doing the right thing for the best friend that is like family. A person who does not want to change herself after being nitpicked by the employer. But, I guess it was fine to watch that all because of the cute humour and the mental relief you get between each chapter.

The one thing that got me really motivated to watch this drama to the end was the episode where the female lead will finally, as predicted in the laws of cliche, get her makeover. I got really excited to watch that episode but when I watch it, I get really down because I find myself actually liking her former look now after so many episodes watching her like that. On another level, she got pretty so all's well that ends well.

This is a serious Chinese drama to watch because unlike cliche Korean dramas who can get so dramatic and over sometimes, this drama is more slow-paced(maybe because it is long) and more in-depth to the characters. I feel less suspenseful and feel kinda calm watching it. Like no stress watching it or what thinking of what twist can come in the drama's way. Not too much drama, just pure story-focused. Go ahead and watch this drama! You'll sure to love the characters so much and then hate them and love them all over again. Hahahaha....

Ku Woon Lun Paen Ruk ~ The Fussy Couple's Deceiving Love Plan (Thai Drama)

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Episodes: 14

Website To Watch: Neko Meow Meow ~ Koo Woon Loon Paen Ruk

Main Cast:

Win Tawin as Sila

Kwan Usamanee as Korjan

Bank Artit as Natee

Aun Chayapol as Tawanchai

Aoom Angkana as Deunwari

Synopsis:

A romantic comedy. The story of a gardener's daughter Korjan who was once labeled as an ugly duckling by the brother of a cold businessman Sila. As they grew up, Sila continues to be the obedient, strategic, and mature son while Natee, Sila's brother is a womanizer, dating women until he becomes bored of them. Korjan, now called Angie, returns from studying in the States as a beautiful girl. Her goal is to charm Natee into loving her then dumping him as he did to her when they were younger. Unintentionally, Korjan is drawn to Natee after he helps her escape a fashion show. Natee also returns her feelings this time, however Sila has another plan of his own. Sila wanted Natee to marry a girl (Lena) that he has chosen for him. Lena's father is a well-off businessman who can help support Sila's company which is suffering financially. Sila tries to break the two apart without success, even locking her in his bathroom once. He eventually tries to make Korjan fall in love with him. Love begins to blossom as he gets closer to her. Therefore, the two must choose to continue following their plans or follow their hearts.

My Thoughts:

Yay.... finally finished a thai lakorn. And heck of an amazing one at that as I binge-watched several episodes immediately after finding out about this lakorn even though it's like 90 minutes long per episode but it did not matter. That's because of the comedy of this drama like it gets super funny at times that I get really excited watching it. I will sometimes have to pause it for awhile to let the comedic element register and laugh it out.

This story was something fresh and different for me in terms of the character setting and plot. Like an ugly duckling turned into a swan who decides to get her revenge on those who wronged her while she was an ugly duckling. The loveline was interesting as well as I had thought that the lwo leads do not match or fit each other on some levels but as I continue watching it, I find different sides of the leads that just proves to me that these two characters are meant to be for sure. The story develops their relationship to a point that I just know these things.

On to the somehow negative parts, well parts I wished were given more attention to in the drama, the OTHER love lines in my case. Like the younger couple or the brother's relationship, both were not given the attention they deserved because I was constantly hoping for more development for the two love lines. Like on the final episode, I had thought that as per the norm, I will get to see the other two love lines enjoy their happy ending already. I mean usually the other love lines are given their happy ending much earlier than the main couple so I was hoping to enjoy their sweet times but no... they were just given a simple ambiguous possibility. I would watch a whole other series just to see the love lines actually becomes concrete.

On to the main couple who I absolutely love due to the way the characters act with each other which is different than how they represent themselves in front of others because I get to see their vulnerable side and clingy side. How they care for each other despite all the drama and unwanted twists. I do have to mention that the dramatic stuffs that leads to the end is sometimes absurd and uncalled for because they never build it up to make it happen like that. Things like that are supposed to be made super obvious since the early beginning. But well, this story just pays attention to the main couple's development which I don't mind and the company which I mind a lot because there's like so many things about that company.

But they do know how to make things excited with a few twists and turns that is truly unexpected because they created hints of one thing but in the end, it was another hint that came out to reveal the truth. It got me so excited thinking of the mystery. This story is one lakorn you gotta watch because it is fun and enjoyable and they just really know their way through the game. Enjoy and have fun watching!