Scratching her Liu Xueyi itch yet again, Elle decided to check out the 2024 modern split timeline drama “What If” in which he is one of the leads. Despite being only 20 episodes, it still delivered a good dose of annoyance and frustration. Elle persevered so that she could share her thoughts with the world. Juniper didn’t make it past episode 2, but also has thoughts.

(00:31) Introduction
(02:47) The Plot & Dual Storylines
(12:45) Themes & Character Critique
(22:01) Final Impressions & Ratings

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#WhatIfDrama #生活在别处的我 #JuniperAndElle #CDramaPodcast #PodcastReview #TVAndFilmPodcast #Cdrama #AsianDramaPodcast #Podcast #AsianDrama #DramaDiscussion #ChineseDrama #ChineseDramaReview #CdramaLover #CdramaFans #DramaReview #AsianDrama #AsianDramaLover #CdramaRomance #RomanceDrama #DramaImpressions #DramaCritique #TVShowReview #TwoTimelines #FlawedCharacters #ZhongChuXi #钟楚曦 #LiuXueYi #刘学义

Taking another break from long-form Asian dramas, this week we talk about Netflix’s movie adaptation of the popular mystery novel “The Thursday Murder Club”. Juniper read the books and had plenty of anticipation for the film; Elle had never heard of the book and had no idea who starred in the adaptation beforehand. So what was the verdict of our respective viewings? Let’s find out..

(00:31) Introduction and Overall Impressions
(04:57) Charming Cast and Cozy Vibes
(08:05) The Mystery: Weaknesses & Missed Potential
(16:30) Deviations from the Book
(22:21) Wrap Up, Ratings, & Recommendations

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#juniperandelle #podcast #PodcastReview #MovieDiscussion #FilmCritique #TVAndFilmPodcast #netflixmovie #netflix #moviereview #filmreview #moviebuff #ThursdayMurderClub #murdermystery #cozymystery #BritishMystery #BookVsMovie #NetflixAdaptation #StarStuddedCast #SeniorSleuths #Whodunit #HelenMirren #PierceBrosnan #BenKingsley #DavidTennant #TomEllis

“When Destiny Brings the Demon” hooked us with its refreshing dynamics between a modern slacker woman and a powerful, menacing grandmaster. But somewhere around the middle, the drama took a dive into subpar story tropes and underwhelming villains. Despite this, we managed to make it all the way through, saved by a redeeming ending. Take a listen and learn why we’d still recommend this drama and how we think people could enjoy it.

(00:31) Introduction
(02:15) What Went Wrong After A Promising Start
(15:23) Comparisons to the Book
(18:44) Support Characters - A Mostly Thankless Bunch
(21:59) The Last Arc, An Abundance of Sexy Times, and Other Observations
(26:00) Unpacking the Ending
(34:14) Ratings & Wrap Up

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#WhenDestinyBringstheDemon #献鱼 #向师祖献上咸鱼 #juniperandelle #podcast #cdrama #cdramaromance #asiandramapodcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #swoonyromance #cdramaromance #romancedrama #dramaimpressions #romcom #ArthurChen #ChenFeiYu #陈飞宇 #WangYingLu #王影璐

Let’s take a look at two recent dramas with themes anchored in time travel and transmigration. First, we unpack the first two episodes of the Korean drama “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty”, about a Michelin-starred chef who finds herself sent 500 years back in time, facing a tyrant king. There is much to like about the food and the story. Then, we take a brief detour into Chinese drama “When Destiny Brings the Demon”. Despite seeming simple at first glance, we find ourselves quite amused by the comedic and endearing antics in this story about a slacker modern office worker who finds herself attending to the most feared grandmaster of a cultivation sect.

(00:31) Introduction
(02:38) Bon Appetit, Your Majesty - Episode 1 & 2 Impressions
(33:47) When Destiny Brings the Demon - Midway Impressions

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#BonAppetitYourMajesty #폭군의셰프 #WhenDestinyBringstheDemon #献鱼 #向师祖献上咸鱼 #juniperandelle #podcast #cdrama #cdramaromance #asiandramapodcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #swoonyromance #cdramaromance #romancedrama #dramaimpressions #romcom #kdrama #kdramareview #netflixreview #LimYooA #임윤아 #LeeChaeMin #이채민 #ArthurChen #ChenFeiYu #陈飞宇 #WangYingLu #王影璐

We step away from C-drama binging to revisit two very different romances from the 1990s - Wong Kar Wai’s moody Chungking Express and Keanu Reeves’ vineyard fairytale A Walk in the Clouds. Do these films still evoke the same sentiments after 30 years? How do we like canned pineapples, Tony Leung in tighty whities, Keanu being Keanu, and schmaltzy love? Let’s hop in the movie time machine and find out.

(00:31) Introduction
(02:30) Chungking Express - Cool or Overrated?
(22:05) A Walk in the Clouds - Schmaltz in the Vineyard
(31:58) Final verdicts and wrap up

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#ChungKingExpress #重慶森林 #AWalkInTheClouds #juniperandelle #podcast #swoonyromance #90smovies #filmreview #moviebuff #moviereview #oldmovie #romcom #TonyLeung #梁朝偉 #TakeshiKaneshiro #金城武 #FayeWang #王菲 #BrigitteLin #林青霞 #WongKarWai #王家衞 #KeanuReeves #AitanaSánchezGijón #AlfonsoArau

Coming off the high of Coroner’s Diary, we polished off two additional shows from our summer watchlist and peeked into two new ones. In this episode, we wrap up “Deep Affection Eyes” 深情眼 and “Seven Relics of Ill Omen” 七根心简, two dramas that diversified our summer viewing experience in different but good ways. We also share early impressions on two recent premieres - “The Immortal Ascension” 凡人修仙传 and “Legend of the Female General” 锦月如歌.

(00:31) Introduction
(02:02) Deep Affection Eyes wrap up - A Complete Package
(19:29) Seven Relics of Ill Omen wrap up - Fun with Found Family
(30:08) The Immortal Ascension early impressions - Yang Yang Levels Up
(45:23) Legend of the Female General early impressions - Not Quite On the Mark

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#DeepAffectionEyes #深情眼 #SevenRelicsofIllOmen #七根心简 #TheImmortalAscension #凡人修仙传 #LegendoftheFemaleGeneral #锦月如歌 #cdrama #cdramaromance #asiandramapodcast #juniperandelle #podcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #swoonyromance #cdramaromance #romancedrama #dramaimpressions #ZhangYuxi #张予曦 #BiWenjun #毕雯珺 #SongWeilong #宋威龙 #LiuHaoCun #刘浩存 #AoRuiPeng #敖瑞鹏 #WangYiTing #王奕婷 #ZhangYiChi #张亦驰 #罗韧 #木代 #一万三 #炎红砂 #曹严华 #PhoenixSquad #凤凰小队 #YangYang #杨洋 #ZhouYe #周也 #RyanCheng #ChengLei #丞磊

Let’s dive headfirst into the whirlwind final episodes of “Coroner’s Diary” 朝雪录. We loved the first half, so how did the second half pan out? Well, it took a surprising sharp turn and took us on a wild ride. The initial calm energy gives way to chaos, everybody’s scheming, and our sweet main couple navigates palace hell. But you know what, we were there for it. Let’s park our critical brains for a bit and enjoy the ride.

(00:31) Introduction
(06:29) Let’s get past the worst part - wild onion soup in the forest
(11:55) General thoughts about the last arc
(20:04) Deep dive on the end twists that still worked *spoilers galore*
(34:31) Sidebar about Yan Chi as the perfect Chinese husband
(36:16) Summing up the good vs. bad
(54:34) Ratings and wrap up

For those interested in the Coroner’s Diary cast variety special, you can view it on iq.com or catch it on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDucky32c-0&t=4532s

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#CoronersDiary #朝雪录 #cdrama #cdramaromance #cdramamystery #asiandramapodcast #juniperandelle #podcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #swoonyromance #cdramaromance #romancedrama #dramaimpressions #LiLandi #LandyLi #李兰迪 #AoRuipeng #敖瑞鹏 #QinWan #YanChi #秦莞 #燕迟

The currently airing Chinese modern romance “Deep Affection Eyes” 深情眼 wasn’t on our radar until Juniper was intrigued by its trailer. This unexpectedly swoony age-gap romance starring Zhang Yuxi and Bi Wenjun turns up the summer heat with its fiery chemistry, steamy love scenes, and likeable characters. Listen in as we share our thoughts on the first 10 episodes.

(00:31) Introduction & Overview
(04:13) Why it’s working for us so far
(14:06) Let’s talk about episode 8
(16:51) The charm of the side characters and other elements
(25:41) Sidebar about Zhang Yuxi and her dramas
(32:24) Preliminary ratings & wrap up

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#DeepAffectionEyes #深情眼 #cdrama #asiandramapodcast #juniperandelle #podcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #cdramaromance #romancedrama #dramaimpressions #ZhangYuxi #张予曦 #BiWenjun #毕雯珺

We previously previewed two Chinese costume dramas that aired at the same time - “The Princess’s Gambit” 桃花映江山 and “A Dream Within A Dream” 书卷一梦. Each of us ended up sticking with only one; Elle chose Liu Xueyi while Juniper went with comedy. Now that we’ve finished watching them, did we love them? Not exactly. Despite promising premises, they each delivered many frustrations. Listen as we discuss what worked for us, what didn’t, and what we would’ve changed.

(00:31) Introduction
(01:28) The Princess’s Gambit - final thoughts
(24:04) A Dream Within A Dream - final thoughts

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#ThePrincessGambit #桃花映江山 #ADreamWithinADream #书卷一梦 #cdrama #asiandramapodcast #juniperandelle #podcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #LiuXueyi #刘学义 #MengZiyi #孟子义 #LiYitong #李一桐 #LiuYuning #刘宇宁

Who knew watching people make googly eyes while dissecting corpses and solving crimes in ancient China could be so engrossing, but that’s exactly what we get with the costume drama “Coroner’s Diary” 朝雪录. It deftly interweaves medical forensics and swoony romance, helped along by an appealing and convincing cast. Compared to the recent spate of C-dramas that drummed up high promise but became tedious slogfests, this romantic, often funny, and thoroughly enjoyable ride has Juniper and Elle hooked and waiting eagerly for the coming episodes.

(00:31) Introduction
(03:53) Plot Setup and Main Leads
(13:59) Show’s Approach to Murder, Mystery, Mayhem & Characters
(25:44) Enjoyable CP Dynamics
(33:11) Story Progression and Case Arcs So Far (through episode 16)
(39:09) Actor Spotting - Spying People From Other Shows
(44:23) About the Visuals and Wrap Up

Disclaimer: Our podcast chats are intended to be casual banter in the name of good fun. There may be jokey remarks and tangents. Don’t take anything said too seriously, and no offense is ever intended!

You can catch us on the below platforms:
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JuniperandElle
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2AduAS26DSekKPO0zA7TwL?si=5e2615385c294083

Music by penguinmusic - “Better Day” from Pixabay

#CoronersDiary #朝雪录 #cdrama #cdramaromance #cdramamystery #asiandramapodcast #juniperandelle #podcast #asiandramadiscussion #chinesedrama #cdramalover #cdramafans #dramareview #asiandrama #asiandramalover #costumedrama #costumedramachinese #swoonyromance #LiLandi #LandyLi #李兰迪 #AoRuipeng #敖瑞鹏 #QinWan #YanChi #秦莞 #燕迟