Arali69

I have grown up listening to Luis Miguel's music and enjoying his television appearances on shows like Siempre en Domingo, which showcased all kinds of musical talent from Latin America and Europe. I never knew anything about his personal life and this television biopic is well produced and performed. Luis Miguel, the singer, felt like an enigma, reclusive and unreachable. Perhaps it's why the media has always remained rabid to publish stories, true or fabricated, about him.

It took me a while to recognize the real life people because the sound made it hard to catch what was being said. Some characters were based on real people and some were fictitious. It opened up situations that I never knew about, mainly, an unsurprisingly, the sacrifices Luismi had to make in order to become famous.

The performances range from mediocre in some of the younger, minor characters, to stellar among the seasoned actors. Diego Boneta nails his performance in the title role in both looks and charisma. He delivers in Luismi's essence and mannerisms. (Diego uses mostly Luismi's voice tracks when singing, so I can't say much about that.) Even the younger Luismi characters shined in their roles, particularly Luismi at age 12, played by Izan Llunas. His performance as the vulnerable child who just wants to make his parents happy is on point. (The young actor is actually the grandson of famous Spanish pop star, Dyango, and a musician in his own right). Oscar Jaenda blew me away as Luisito Rey, the overbearing and abusive father, but I would have preferred him to be a little more human and expressed a little more vulnerability in order to feel like a multi-dimensional character. The lovely Anna Favella does justice in her portrayal of Luis Miguel's long suffering mother.

I don't recommend this for viewers under 17. There is nudity, drug abuse, a lot of vile swearing, and some over-the-top sex scenes.

For those of you who've watched the Netflix series Eternal Love and need another C-drama to deal with the withdrawal, or just want a good fantasy romance, this is a good pick. It comes out a year after Eternal Love so there are many similarities, but has enough of its own merits to make it worth watching.

I will be honest. It took 20 episodes for me to decide whether to drop it or not. I am glad I didn't. The first 20 episodes were campy and since I like dramas, wasn't sure this would be my cup of tea. But that all got settled as the pace quickened and things started to move along.

Jinmi is the daughter of the great Floral Fairy goddess who passes away from lovesickness and giving birth. Before she passes, she gives her infant daughter an elixir to swallow which keeps her from falling in love. This impediment is the root cause of all Jinmi's troubles as they keep her from forming love attachments. Growing up thinking she is a grape elf and without a care in the world, her life is soon turned upside down when a great phoenix bird accidentally lands in the floral realm during rebirth. He is actually a prince from the Heavenly realm who befriends Jinmi after she saves his life.

This show was surprisingly good and even though it isn't as good as Eternal Love, it has enough twists and turns that I never saw coming. I like a show that surprises me. The performances were rock-solid. I love the beautiful actress who plays Jinmi and the actors who portrays Runyu, her fiance. For a young actor, he does a solid job of making you love and despise him all at once. He was the most interesting character of all. I felt like the show doesn't reveal anything before it's time and when Jinmi finds out the truth about people, you find out right along with her.

Great love story, though the chemistry isn't as good between the main characters as in Eternal Love. But I chalk this up the the actors being slightly younger and less experienced with the love scenes. Another great C-drama top put on your to-watch list.

This is the most intensely romantic TV series I have ever watched. I love a drama where the chemistry works between the leads making it a joy to watch them. Mark Chao and Yang Mi were amazing. Two beautiful people who got lost in their characters and made them come alive was a true joy to watch, The performances are first rate, the sets are gorgeous and the costumes breathtaking, with an equally beautiful soundtrack. Because I love epic love stories between people who experience love and loss, I knew this would be something I would enjoy. The fact that it spans lifetimes makes it all the more intriguing. I bought into the drama and have now watched it twice. It's hard to let go.

Though many people want to pan the series because it comes from plagiarized works, I don't think that is fair to the production. The script writers made something wonderful out of a mediocre novel, and that should be appreciated for its own merits. This was a beautiful piece of work and I appreciate the time, talents, and hard work of the production team.