Nat

The amount of kissing this drama has...

This was the kind of drama I love when I watch xianxia: heartbreaking romance, reincarnation, worldbuilding, high stakes.

What I really liked is that this drama did not waste time setting up a lengthy exposition like we had in Ancient Love Poetry (15 episodes almost to get it going, as far as I remember).

Here we get right to the point without unnecessary bells and whistles. We get our FL, our ML, our antagonists, and go right to the love story. I actually liked that the story was heavily concentrated on the relationship between the leads instead of all other side characters and such. In all honesty, in C-dramas, it's very, very rare that I find the secondary CP or supporting characters interesting. Extra couple always seems like it's a filler to make sure there is enough content for the drama to lasts at least 30 episodes.

I liked the intimacy between the leads and the way the romance developed. I think the actors did a stellar job. I also adored the actress. Never seen her in anything, but she was so good in the first arc, playing the role of a clueless girl who just wanted to get by without getting involved.

Now, the amount of kissing this drama has shocked me a little. In a good way, of couse. At least half the episodes have kisses, which is rare for a C-drama. I loved the intimacy in general.

I believe the only complaint I have is that the last two arcs were a tad short. Especially the third one. I think either adding more episodes to make sure each arc has equal amount of screen time or shortening the first arc to make room for the other two stories would have been a better choice. I feel like there were a lot of wasted opportunities in the third arc in the mortal realm. I would have loved to see the relationship between the leads develop differently over a longer course of time in the last bit of the story. There was room to work with more palace intrigue too. As a writer, I would follow this guidelines. But again, I don't watch to critique professionally, neither do I write xainxia scripts. I'll watch for entertainment and to get away from my real-life problems before sleep. So for me, this was a chef's kiss.

Things I look for in the epic xianxias are always timeless love, character development for both ML and FL, chemistry, decent CGI and good worldbuilding and acting of course. This drama has it all.

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An In-Depth Exploration of Childhood Trauma Set Against a Romantic Backdrop

If you’re going into *Can This Love Be Translated?* expecting swoony romance (I mean Kim Seon Ho paired up with Go Youn Jung!), adjust your expectations accordingly.

While the drama features romance, it’s important to note that it’s more focused on the complexities of mental health and the healing journey for our female lead rather than a traditional K-Drama love story. It will be evident when you start watching and notice that Cha Mu Hui gets quite a lot of screen time as opposed to her love interest. And obviously, this is for a reason.

I typically divide K-dramas into two categories: the quirky, over-the-top madness that follows a typical formula and is a full-on cliche ride that’s totally a wild ride, and those that stray from it. Lowkey, slow-paced, and nuanced stories. And they can be real gems. *Can This Love Be Translated?* belongs to the second category and, while I often find these dramas can really stand out from the crowd (Worst of Evil, Somebody, Eat, Love, Kill to name a few), this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

To be honest, I’m disappointed because I truly enjoy both actors, especially Kim Seon Ho as Ju Ho Jin. I’ve been waiting for a new romance drama featuring him for a while.

The drama starts off slowly but the first episode sets up the story’s foundation really well and I think it almost does the drama disservice because I expected that we would progress in the same manner. But the pacing for some reason did not take off or kept up. I don’t mind the slow pace at first because I know sometimes Asian dramas like to get really detailed with their exposition. However, my expectation is that once the foundation is laid, we need to make sure we start building upon it rather quickly, or build towards something.

But in *Can This Love Be Translated?* the plot kind of just wobbles through the motions. Yes things are happening and yes, some of them are interesting and there is a secondary couple. That’s quite cute, and I liked that there was not a lot of drama around them and things got resolved pretty quickly. But I think our leading couple deserved a little bit more. While they had some really great scenes and dialogues, they also had some strange ones too.

The drama attempts to explore deeper themes like childhood trauma, mental health, and the complexities of human relationships. However, it stumbled in the execution, particularly in how characters communicated with one another. I understood what the writers aimed to convey, and why the communication was meant to be still good and not clear (I mean, the show is literally about translating and understanding), but some dialogues missed the mark and didn’t effectively get to the point. I'm pretty decent at reading between the lines, but even I struggled to get the idea behind their interactions.

While I appreciated the detailed portrayal of Cha Mu Hui’s character and the focus on mental health, Ju Ho Jin felt underdeveloped. He seemed to have his own issues to tackle, yet we barely got to understand him beyond the family drama presented, and the situation with his mother was resolved pretty quickly. But why he was the way he was (because let's be honest, the guy was kind of a dick 70% of the time) wasn’t explained. There was a lot to explore about him that was left untouched.

I’d say overall, *Can This Love Be Translated?* is a decent drama; it’s well-written with great acting and good storytelling. It’s a quality TV. However, I do think the pacing could have been faster to address the elements that would have made it more engaging. For those expecting a romance-centric story, you might want to adjust your expectations. While there’s a lot of romance, the focus is more on overcoming trauma and navigating human relationships and it feels almost one-sided because we are mostly going through it with Cha Mu Hui.

I think a lot of people will still love it. But for a seasoned Asian drama lover like me, I have seen better dramas.

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An Inside Look at the Harsh Truth of Idol Culture: Good Drama but Something Was Missing

I personally love stories set in the entertainment industry since I’m myself a former …(not an idol, no. Do not get any ideas. I will simply omit my profession here that had me working backstage to avoid my friends finding this page, haha).

In any case, this is not supposed to be any kind of teasing, but since I worked in entertainment for a bit, I have my own ideas about celebrity dramas. The key takeaway here is that I think up until this particular drama, we have only had watered-down versions of dramas about the actual issues celebrities face.

Idol I is an honest and raw take on the topic, which I really appreciated. I have been waiting for Kim Jae Yeong for years to get this kind of role. He’s a talented actor, and he deserves all the love he’s getting for the role of Do La Ik. He’s given us some superb acting here. I have seen some reviews online saying that the acting was subpar.

I disagree.

I do think that, as far as chemistry goes between Kim Jae Yeong and Choi Soo Young, it wasn’t anything special. Nothing like I’ve seen from other dramas, but it also wasn’t bad. I did not doubt their romance for a second as I watched the drama. They both did their job well, and I absolutely did not feel that it was flat or underdeveloped or anything in particular was wrong with their relationship. If anything, perhaps they could have had more moments together, but again, this is a fault in the script, not acting.

If you see others complaining online that the acting and the chemistry are not great, ignore it. Do not let it stop you from checking it out. Just watch it and decide for yourself.

I think the biggest issue with this drama was actually the script because it has given us an organic, slow-burning romance and great character development, but it failed in the aspect of the mystery surrounding the murderer. I think writers should have approached it differently. The investigation bits needed to be amplified. The court scenes should have been added. And the forensics… I was baffled. Does the CSI team in Korea not exist at all? One sweep of the forensics team would have found either fingerprints or other DNA traces of the actual murderer in the apartment. I think this part needed to be approached with more care when it came to writing. And I think this is what's missing from the show.

Overall, I enjoyed the approach to the exploration of the effect of early fame and being a childhood star on a person’s wellbeing, in particular, mental health. This is not discussed enough. And I think writers were very honest with Do La Ik’s character, not making him into a saint, but actually making him a person with his own demons and his own flaws. Which only made his healing journey of self-discovery more meaningful. Writers did Maeng Se Na’s character dirty by not including her own story into the drama properly. It was basically left as an afterthought for the last episode. Introducing her own fight for justice early on would have been better.


However, despite its flaws, this is still a really good drama that talks about the real price of fame.


Some of my personal notes on the (ridiculous) online controversy.

I believe people complaining about a romance drama between an idol and a fan should really not watch Asian romantic drama. Period. Fiction is fiction. Real life is real life. If you cannot differentiate between the two and constantly try to apply fictional scenarios to real life, you should not be consuming romantic fiction. Additionally, fiction also exists to explore topics and show us some truths that are hidden behind the glamour of stardom.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this scenario because this is an extremely popular romantic trope. I don’t know why this is such a big deal for those who are watching not from the west but celebrity/regular person romantic fiction. Here is extremely popular and no one bats an eye. When we discuss romance between a celebrity and a fan in the realm of fiction, it's all about the power dynamics. When the power dynamics are not even, this tips the scales. However, here our characters actually have known each other since they were teens, since before both of them were successful adults, and the power dynamics between them is pretty even. As far as social standing, they are actually on the same level. Just because one of them is a celebrity does not make the other one less. She is an attorney (perhaps a better, more well respected and high earning job then an singer) and her own person. The situation would be different when one of them were a celebrity and the other—a suga baby who needed saving. I would complain about this scenario. You can be someone's fan and date them. As a matter of fact, you should be a fan of the person you're dating. That's how you support your loved one.

So, I’d say the snowflakes complaining about this being a taboo should check themselves or stop watching K-dramas. Or better yet-get a life. Just as Maeng Se Na said in the show, you support your idols from a distance and wish them well. That makes you a true fan. But if you think you own that person because you invest money in them, by buying merch and attending a show, that's not support. That's delusion.

Also, there are a lot of other idol/fan dramas, so criticizing this particular one seems strange.

I, in general, do not understand idol culture or why it's a requirement for them in Asia to stay single. This has never been something important here in the West. People ship their idols with their loved ones, or whoever they are dating, and that's normal.

Everyone deserves to have their private life. I don’t understand why two single people of age seen together is called a dating scandal. I know it’s an Asian only thing so I always adjust my expectations when I watch Asian dramas, but I think this drama showed us exactly why this culture is toxic and perhaps reasons why this needs to change.

To sum this up, just watch the show. It's not perfect and it does feel like it's missing something, at least for me. And I think after finishing it up, I understand what. I wanted more on the police investigation and courtroom politics. And this part was skipped, which I think made it a little bit less intense that I expected. But the acting is great, the character development is great, the romance is solid and the premise is fresh. It does make you think about certain things. Watch it with an open mind. A lot of people who loved it. You might love it too.

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Sweet but Slow and Overhyped

"Shine On Me" is a typical sweet C-drama romance, that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. I personally feel it’s been quite overhyped. Probably because of Song Wei Long’s visuals in a suit.

If you're a fan of slow, sugary romance dramas with seemingly unnecessary characters, this one might be right up your alley.

The show starts off extremely slow—almost like a slice-of-life narrative. It lingers on conflicts that feel underdeveloped as the show progresses. The focus is primarily on our female lead, whose frustrating communication style detracts from the story. Her unrequited love for Zhuang Xu feels like it drags on for too long and for no particular reason, except for him being her unrequited crush. Honestly, if you haven’t had an intimate relationship with someone, why take years to move on? Maybe I’m just too Westernized, but this aspect felt unbelievable to me. And I’m absolutely fine with suspending my belief where it’s needed. I get what fiction is. I don’t watch romance for reality.

Zhao Jin Mai, usually praised for her acting skills, appeared somewhat unfocused in her role. At least at the beginning. She’s cast as an assertive and hardworking young woman with a family from a wealthy background, yet her behavior at times didn’t align with this characterization. The dialogue, especially between her and some other characters revolving around her in the first half of the drama, suffers from awkward pauses that made it seem as though the actors were struggling to remember their lines, which was frustrating. I get it. This was way of directors to show the characters and who they were at the beginning of their journey, but it made them look like they were teenagers instead of college graduates.

On the other hand, Song Wei Long certainly looks great in a suit. However, some of his early scenes seemed strangely mechanical, almost as if he was still rehearsing. By the later episodes, the acting improves significantly, which makes me wonder if it was a directing issue.

There are far too many characters introduced in earlier episodes, many of whom end up as mere afterthoughts rather than having substantial storylines. For example, Xi Guang’s college friends and even Zhuang Xu had screen time that was wasted, particularly when he spent far too long just staring out a window. If the writers chose to give characters like them significant screen time, they should have crafted deeper narrative for them. I think they did try, but Zhuang Xu had so much screen time and there are minutes and minutes of him just drinking and remembering the past. Writers should have given him a better, more rounded story. He should have gotten a love of interest for himself at the end.

As for romance, prepare for an extreme slow burn: it takes 25 episodes just for the couple to hold hands after they decided that they want to be together, and even longer for a proper kiss. The sweetness of the romance is undeniable, but the pacing makes it tedious at times. And to be honest, the issues I had are mostly with the first 20 episodes of the show. After that, the pacing and the storyline picked up and the acting was a lot better. Also don’t worry, even though the romance is very slow, they catch up in the last few episode. There’s plenty of really great kissing.

The family conflict could have been introduced earlier. Because once it came into the picture, the show felt more interesting. The stakes becamea lot more interesting as opposed to the episodes in the drama when we had Xi Guang try to get over some guy whose hand she’d never held when such a sweetheart of a man was right in front of her, ready to give her the world. Sometimes I wanted to scream at her: girl, are you stupid?

"Shine On Me" isn’t a horrible drama. I liked it. But again it wasn’t anything special to think about for days after you finish watching. It lacks the cinematic flair to make it a standout. The cinematography is just okay, with some bland color choices. The main couple is charming, but the unnecessary screen time wasted on unimportant plot points diminishes the overall experience. The happy ending is sweet and swoony, and honestly, I found myself needing a couple of attempts to finish the final episode. If you enjoy clean, sweet romance without the angst, this may be for you. I think the writing could have been better and if they were different choices made when it came to the script, I would have loved it a lot more.

I know a lot of people love this drama, but in my opinion, it’s is overrated and doesn’t deserve its high rating. For me, "Speed and Love," "The First Frost," or "Hidden Love" are by far better-written romances with the better central conflict.

PS I skipped a lot of scenes, in particular the ones with Xi Guang and her coworkers. And I did not miss a single thing.

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Daou and Offroad Deserve Better Budget and Better Script

Oh boy, where do I even begin with this hot mess of a show?

As a big fan of Daou and Offroad, I was so hyped for The Wicked Game to drop, especially after loving their work in Love in Translation and one of my favorites—Century of Love. I mean, the chemistry between these two is off the charts, both on-screen and off.

But let me tell you, when I actually sat down to watch this latest offering, I was shocked at how hard it was for me to get through the first two episodes. From the very first five minutes, I was scratching my head, wondering if I had accidentally stumbled into some low-budget 2013 K-drama reject. The sound editing was like nails on a chalkboard, and the cinematography… I don’t even know. Seriously, who was in charge of the camera work and lighting? It looked like they had just grabbed the nearest intern to handle that!

And don't even get me started on the script. The script was the biggest problem with this show. Let's be honest, the premise had a lot of potential, with this whole morally grey character and ex-cop dynamic. They could have done so many great things with that story. But it felt like the writers just jotted down a bunch of random bullet points and then called it a day, without bothering to flesh anything out properly. Where was the depth for the rest of the characters? Some of the motivations of the main characters made little sense too, because there was not enough screen time to show/explain. I was expecting something like gritty realness we got in KinnPorsche.

I mean, sure, there were some decent moments sprinkled in here and there, but it just wasn't enough to save the rest of the drama. And for a show with such complex characters, I really think they needed more episodes to do it justice. Like, come on, how are you going to cram all that into a measly 10 episodes?

The romance part in the middle really suffered. It was just one or two episodes that they got together for, and then the fallout.

Honestly, I'm just really disappointed, you know?

Daou and Offroad deserve so much better than this. If only they had the same production team Khemjira had. Now that's the kind of quality I was hoping for in terms of camera work, sound and special effects and script. I mean, Khemjira had its own character arc issues, but that's not the point. The Wicked Game had no character arc issues, but script issues because characters were interesting to begin with. The writers didn't bother to develop them better.

Ugh, I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh, but I just feel like this show had so much potential, and they completely squandered it with a script to begin with.

At least Daou and Offroad still have their undeniable on-screen magic to fall back on. But still, I can't help but wonder what could have been if they had a better team behind the scenes.

Also, what the hell happened with those hot scenes they gave us in the trailer? Final cut NC scenes felt like they belonged to a college romance drama. Not a crime drama. This was a bit of a letdown too.

Again, I love Daou and Offroad a lot. They did the best they could with whatever they were given.

Here's hoping their next project has a better team and a better script. I’ll still support them.

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A Delightful Dive into Classic Sageuk Tropes with a Dash of Fantasy

*Moon River* is a standard sageuk drama that brings together all the classic themes: palace intrigue, power struggles, self-sacrifice, and of course, epic romance with just enough fantasy to make it interesting, but not overwhelming due to the world building.

While I wouldn’t say this drama stands out from the other historical K-dramas I’ve seen, its charm lies in not trying to reinvent the wheel, but in the simplicity, which ultimately appealed to me.

This story revolves around separated lovers, along with a central mystery behind the past events that triggered the current situation. The mystery slowly unfolds as the show progresses and is set against a power struggle in the royal palace. Again, this is nothing new, but it worked for me.

What I Loved About *Moon River*

Superb Acting

The acting was fantastic, especially during the body swap scenes—I laughed so hard! I also appreciated that both leads looked like regular people. After watching a string of Chinese dramas recently where everyone’s faces are heavily filtered and appear unblemished, it was refreshing to see actors who looked more realistic, especially during emotional moments. I mean, I could actually see pores in their faces.

Comedic Relief

The body swap parts were a great source of comedy, alongside the amazing side characters that added to the humor throughout the show. I know not everyone likes the body swap trope. I think the way it was done in Moon River was refreshing and it was driving the plot forward.

Well-Developed Characters

I liked that all the characters had their backstories, including the main antagonist. No matter how much I hated Kim Han Cheol throughout the show, I really felt sorry for him at the very end. He didn’t deserve to give that headpiece to the queen, but I think if he had been able to, it would have provided him some closure. Again, he didn’t deserve it, but I could understand what drove him to become who he was. He simply got lost in his revenge.

No Tragic Deaths

I liked that we had literally almost no significant characters who tragically died at the end. I am still not over Moo-yeon’s death from *100 Days My Prince* all these years later!

Somewhat Spicy Romance with Substance

Having seen tons of historical K-dramas, I was honestly surprised at how much skinship we got here, and we even witness bare bodies. I mean, seeing the bare female shoulders in any Asian drama is like seen UFO. While obviously all the interesting bits are cut off, it’s refreshing to see a K-drama that doesn’t make us guess whether the characters actually consummate their marriage. If you want a romance with more than one dead fish kiss and tons of spice, you’ll love this one. While the said spice is not featured in every episode, it’s incredibly satisfying compared to 95% of other non-Netflix K-dramas.

I also really like the OST. It was beautiful and added to the overall emotional atmosphere of the drama and was fitting in all of the scenes.

I don’t have much to add in terms of things I didn’t like. While this wasn’t a particularly wow or standout drama like *Alchemy of Souls*, I still enjoyed it. It’s a historical drama with good acting, great costumes and settings, and a little bit of comedy and fantasy sprinkled throughout. Plus, we get a very nice happy ending for pretty much every character, including the secondary couple, which had a really great backstory.

Another aspect I enjoyed—no filler scenes. I did not skip a single frame. It’s rare when I watch an Asian drama and don’t skip. I think 14 episodes was the right amount. If you’re looking for something new or fresh, you probably will not enjoy this as much. But if you just starting to get into historical K drama or simply looking for a romance drama with great acting and don’t want to think too hard, Moon River is perfect.

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That’s how you do enemies to lovers romance!

This was really good. And I mean REALLY GOOD.

I was literally floored after I finished it. Admittedly this was my first Chen Zhe Yuan drama (I had never gotten on that Hidden Love bandwagon when it came out). And oh boy! The man can act. He is perfect for historical bad a$$ leads.

Things I loved:

Great character development, and in general character arcs for every character, including all the villains, made total sense. I liked that most of them were toeing in the shades of gray.

Great quality production too. Awesome fight scenes. Very, very impressive. Beautiful sets and costumes.

The romance part of the show was my favorite. The enemies to lovers’s vibe was real and so delicious to watch. Even though it started off quite violently, the way Fu Yi Xiao and Feng Sui Ge supported each other through the drama once they started to warm up to each other was very satisfying to watch.

This is basically everything I want from a historical drama. Heart pounding, dramatic, romance, and exciting execution of popular tropes, along with healthy relationship between the lead couple. Supporting characters all had great back stories. I was invested in many, wanting to know how it ends for some.

As far as entertainment value goes, it was just what I needed.

I do think some villains didn’t need to have that many draggy scenes. And the last few episodes could have been longer to flesh out certain events, but overall one of the better costume dramas I’ve seen this year. Plus, it has a happy ending for our lead couple. This is all I need.

Fated Hearts absolutely deserves the high ratings.

P.S. I’m totally enjoying all the new empowering female leads in C-dramas in general this year. I’m glad the immature bubbly ones are fading away.

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Top-notch romance drama with great chemistry

Love Between Lines is a superbly well-written, quality TV that combines romance, family drama, and suspense in a way where it’s just the right amount of everything and you want to keep watching even when you have to get up for work at the crack of dawn.

Our main characters Xiao Zhi Yu and Hu Xiu meet during a murder mystery game. Then their lives intersect in reality. As they navigate their roles in the game, they also begin to uncover each other’s true selves in reality.

This part I absolutely adored—how the story masterfully intertwines their fictional interactions with their real-life encounters. Whoever wrote the dialogues between Xiao Zhi Yu and Hu Xiu is a genius. The fact that they could tell each other some things and could be what they wanted to be in the game when they couldn’t in reality was a very nicely set parallel.

You really feel for both characters as you watch the drama because they both have so much to overcome and deal with in their lives. Xiao Zhi Yu has been living his entire live pretty much as someone else. And Hu Xiu couldn’t do what she always wanted to do and things finally are starting to change when they meet each other.

You also know early on—as you witness them falling in love—about the revelation of how they are actually sort of connected through past events. You know it’s going to ruin them when you find out, but you keep on watching anyway through all your anxiety because their interactions are just so swoony.

Thankfully, the hated third act break up did not last long.

The best part is that the romance between the leads is very well executed.

It’s a healthy, mature kind of relationship you’d want for yourself. It has none of that nonsense about purity you sometimes see in a C-Drama where women are often portrayed like they’re just sitting and waiting for that one guy. I liked that writers left it up to our imagination in terms of their previous partners/relationships, if they had any. Sometimes when romance culminates writers like to show women in their 20s as very inexperienced, which is extremely unrealistic. The silly “shy the morning after” moments absolutely drive me nuts.

So I enjoyed the fact that here this was presented to us. We just had two people in love going with the flow and simply enjoying being with each other without being prude about it. Who and what came before did not matter.

Other aspect I appreciated in the romance was how Xiao Zhi Yu recognized Hu Xiu's talent and genuinely supported her, allowing her to shine in her own right. This dynamic added depth to their relationship and showcased a refreshing take on C-Drama romance. Yes, they in general had a bumpy beginning with him being that typical grumpy male lead that felt almost red-flag-ish but that never came to fruition. And I’m happy. There were some hurdles to overcome, his initial rejection of her, to be exact, but I liked that it didn’t take long for things to get resolved. I liked that they both fought and won their personal battles along the way too. I like that she was also assertive of what she wanted.

Oh, and I have to mention that Love Between Lines features one of the best on-screen first kiss setups. I literally squealed and had to rewatch that scene twice! It was very well done. The music, the moment, the emotions, the entire leading up to it, the background, the colors, the camera angles.

It’s also worth mentioning that the backdrop of the architecture business and the competitive spirit that surrounded it was very interesting and added another layer to the drama. I don’t always like the business aspects added to romance, but when they are well done, they end up being quite entertaining and interesting.

All the side characters were wonderfully developed (especially Pei Zhen; he had a great character arc and I’m glad to see he didn’t follow his father’s path) and had their right place in the story. The camera work was amazing, especially during the game scenes. The whole sequence was just so dreamy.

We also did not have any non-essential characters getting a bunch of screen time for no reason just to make sure there’s content. Every scene was important and easy to watch and I did not skip much except for maybe some of the scenes between Zhao Xiao Rou and her husband. I think too many episodes were wasted on their storyline just to set up the divorce, and if the plan was to pair her up with Gong Huai Cong, it felt kinda incomplete because we were sort of left hanging at the end. I would love a bit of a closure for her or perhaps a scene where she meets her ex later down the road and it’s clear that she has someone else (someone better) just to rub it into his face because he did her so dirty. But it’s not something that’s going to affect my rating.

It’s still a 10 out of 10 for me. If you want good romance, watch it. Definitely MY top 10 contemporary romance C-dramas.

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Brave attempt to create a romantic horror BL drama that failed

I’m going to preface my review with the warning for people who are simply fans of PoohPavel because they look cute together on screen and off screen.

I don’t watch dramas just to have something in the background while I’m doing something else. I watch fully engrossed in every detail because I also write and I’m always looking for fresh ideas or interesting delivery methods. And of course, I also watch to get away from real life. The drama has to be entertaining for me to like it. And I consider it entertaining if I have to go to sleep or do some adulting, and instead I keep on watching TV.

Sadly, Goddess Bless You From Death did not deliver. Perhaps I set my expectations way too high after seeing a trailer and then seeing the ratings.

I honestly only saw this duo in PitBabe when it came out, and I never watched the second season because I remember not being overly into it. I saw too many really good BL dramas to remember their acting in PB.

Let’s start from the beginning.

The drama had an interesting and promising premise and I was waiting for things to happen, but everything was just unveiling very slow and there wasn’t anything particular engaging happening on screen.

The bones were there, but the execution and the writing wasn’t very good. I think writing, specifically character interaction and dialogues were poor and sometimes cringey.

The supernatural concept was quite interesting but again all logic was just ignored in most on screen scenarios.

Let’s move on to the romance part.

Again, considering the premise given to us, so much could have been done with Thup and Singha’s a relationship development. Instead, we just have Thup insert himself into Singha’s house and do a couple of chores and that basically turns them into a couple. Angst and real conflict were lacking. Considering we had a policeman and a witness/a person of interest crossing the line, there was so much potential for more. It just felt like a very lazy writing. As if someone said ‘OK, we have a lot of supernatural and freaky stuff, so we don’t really need to make romance interesting.’

There were only two interesting moments between the lead couple, counting the first meeting and the first kiss.

As far as chemistry goes, Pooh and Pavel actually do pretty well. Despite some very abhorrent acting for the most portion of the drama, the intimate scenes seem very natural, which I appreciate. I’ve seen some dramas with amazing acting, but when it came to intimate scenes, acting was immediately downgraded. Also, if you’re going into this show because you have seen this duo in PitBabe, do not expect the same kind of steam. This show is rated 13+ which kind of baffled me a little bit when I started watching, but once we got to the intimate moments, I realized why it was rated like this. The chemistry is there, but this is not the show that concentrates too much on physical relationship between the characters. Which can be a breath of fresh air, if you are looking for less steam and more plot.

Unfortunately, while the plot was not bad, I still found myself constantly taking breaks. At some point watching the drama felt like a chore. I wanted it to be over with so I could watch the next one. Mostly I kept on watching because the rating is extremely high and I wanted to see why. I still haven’t found the answer to this question after watching all 13 episodes.

Now let’s talk a little bit about the acting. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s been a while since I’ve seen PitBabe. But I feel almost as if Pooh’s acting has gotten worse. I saw some comments online where fans were defending him because he’s too young. I’m sorry but too young is not an excuse. If you want to be a professional actor, you need to work on your craft. And if you have 3 major dramas under your belt, you need to be somewhat capable. No one‘s asking for Oscar worthy acting chops, but I expect decent skill from someone with such a huge fandom and a drama rated above 8.5.

I think Pavel’s acting was fine. I didn’t find anything distracting. However, Pooh really needs to work on his facial expressions and micro expressions. In half of the situations where he is supposed to convey a specific feeling, he just smiles. At some point, it becomes distracting because that’s his reaction to pretty much anything. And you start wondering if he’s playing a character on spectrum.

And I’m not sure why no one is directing him because he does certain scenes where he needs to express anger or sadness really well. His kissing scenes are also fine, but some of the other reactions he just cannot pull off. I’m honestly hoping this is just poor directing because if the show they have announced just recently where he’ll play Grim Reaper is going to have the same expression on his face, I’m not going to watch anymore dramas from this duo.

I also want to note that I am not bashing the actors in any way. I think it’s admirable that they are pursuing their dreams and that they are not afraid to place themselves in such a niche sector of TV dramas.

However, my expectation is that if you are picked up for a leading role again, I want acting thats’s believable or passable at the very least. Regardless of my thoughts, I still respect the actors and I hope they do well, even if what I saw did not appeal to me. I’m not a spiteful person. If something is not up to my liking doesn’t mean that people should not be acting.

Finally, I want to comment on the subtitle translation. I think confusing pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ is nearly impossible. I first noticed the incorrect translation when Sey referred to Darin as she/her. I had to pause and rewind to make sure I wasn’t wrong because the first two episodes the pronounced were ‘he’. Then they were switched to ‘she’ at some point. I couldn’t recollect if it had been mentioned anywhere in the first couple of episode about Darin being trans. But then I started noticing that this was pretty much a common mistake throughout the entire show. Some of the police officers were referred as ‘he’ for eight episodes and then they would become a ‘she.’

It’s not a big deal. I figured this was just a mistake, but it was confusing, especially in light of this being LGBTQ+ show. Getting everyone’s pronouns and gender identity is important to me. It helps to understand the character better. And it’s just general respect.

Overall, Goddess Bless You From Death was indeed a valiant attempt to create a different kind of BL, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t interesting enough for me. The characters were not compelling enough. The writing, specifically dialogues, were not very well done. The romance was kind of subpar. And Pooh needs to work on his acting more.

The rating for the show is kinda inflated in my opinion. Some people may like it. Because apparently a lot already do judging by the reviews, but I have seen much better dramas with lower rating. I think the quality is not quite there.

One thing I really loved about this drama though is the music. There are two gorgeous tracks performed by Pooh and Pavel. I added them to my playlist.

I’m crossing my fingers their next drama is an improvement.

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The chemistry was chemistrying, but the romance wasn’t romancing for the main couple

As someone who's been dipping my toes into the Thai BL dramas for a few years, I have been expecting a lot more from Khemjira. Let me tell you, this series had me feeling some pretty mixed emotions.

On one hand, I truly enjoyed watching the rich cultural and supernatural elements woven throughout the story. The show's deep dive into Thai mythology, shamanism, and the paranormal was a refreshing change of pace from the typical BL fare.

It was like a crash course in fascinating local folklore, and I ate it up. The production quality was also top-notch, with the longer episode runtime allowing the narrative to unfold at a more leisurely pace. As someone who appreciates a slow burn, I definitely liked that we had a lot of fleshed out scenes.

However, despite all these enticing aspects, I have to admit that Khemjira didn't quite live up to the hype for me. When I saw that rating here was 8.8, I was really expecting something extra extraordinary, especially in the romance department.

And the biggest issue I had with the drama is the lack of properly developed romance between the main leads, Khem and Peem. While their connection was rooted in a past-life narrative, the present-day development of their relationship felt incomplete and almost one-sided. Khem, in particular, came across as a passive and rather uninteresting character, failing to garner my sympathy and investment in his journey.

Khem's character development, or lack thereof was very disappointing. Of course, I did not expect from him to be doing some unnatural acrobatics, but he was reduced to cooking and washing dishes. He didn't seem to have any other interests. I think if the storyline about him being into art was developed a little bit more that would probably make him at least a bit more interesting.

Compared to Knockout," where the physically weaker protagonist actively participates in problem-solving and team efforts, Khem's passivity and reliance on others felt frustrating. As a viewer, I found it challenging to root for a character who seemed to be merely a "damsel in distress" rather than an active participant in his own story. I basically agree with everyone that I have seen said the same thing about the character.

Acting:

Keng’s performance of the shaman was a particular highlight. His Master was way too believable. I also am not going to put down Namping’s acting because I think he had to work with whatever was in the script. And as I have mentioned above, his character was not written very well. So I am not going to compare their acting because I haven't seen them in any other drama before.


In contrast, the secondary couple's storyline felt much more well-rounded and engaging, with a stronger sense of chemistry and emotional investment. This disparity between the main and supporting narratives was a bit jarring. I mean, the writers missed an opportunity to truly capitalize on the potential of the central romance.

NC scenes: they were well done, especially Charn and Jet’s scene. I thought it was the best one of the series. The NC in the final episode for lead couple wasn’t as good as the first scene they had in the earlier episode. But that’s just me.

Let’s put it this way: the chemistry was chemistrying, but the romance wasn’t romancing for the lead couple.


That being said, I did like the series for its bold departure from the traditional BL formula. Its cultural depth and production value is great, but ultimately the drama falls short in the crucial area of the well-developed romance between the main characters. While it may not have lived up to the hype for me, the series still offers a unique and thought-provoking experience. With more attention to the main character development and a stronger central romance it could have been a 15 out of ten for me. It's still worth a watch if you like slow burn.

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Gorgeous visuals, talented cast, amazing romance… and a C-drama curse of a last third slump.

Pursuit of Jade is basically half romance half adrenaline-fueled ride for a huge chunk of the runtime, and honestly… the drama fully deserves the hype people are throwing at it right now despite some of its flaws most C dramas suffer in the second half.

The production is doing THE MOST (in the best way) in this drama. So let me start here because if you are like me and you care even a little about visuals, this show will feed you. I don’t care what others say about excessive filters and other gimmicks but C-dramas are a guilty pleasure for me and I don’t expect much realism from them when I watch them as long as I can wrap my head around it the ideas.

Cinematography: absolutely gorgeous, super vibrant, and honestly imaginative—especially the winter setting. It’s cinematic in a “wait—pause—this is art” way. The cozy small town scenery in the first third) is everything.

Battle scenes + war scenery are masterfully choreographed and shot. The energy feels real, and the staging/camera work makes it way more immersive than “generic C-drama fighting.”

From the very beginning, the drama sets a really high bar, and it stays there more often than not. And when I say high bar, I don’t mean just the production value. I mean, as far as the romance goes.

Romance occupies first 10 episodes almost entirely, laying a foundation for later. After episode 10 the story begins to expand (and it works… mostly).
We start getting deeper backstory for other important characters and the whole thing starts widening into a bigger picture.

Now, I’m picky about this because I usually watch Asian dramas for romance (and yes, they often do it better than Western shows). Sometimes when romance is super intense at the start and then “becomes a background story,” it loses its spark. That’s why this drama is a bit of a mixed bag for me. It’s heavy on romance at first, and it sets up a mood and an expectation for the rest of the series, then it steers towards other areas and never quite gets back to romance in the same capacity it’s presented to us at the beginning. Romance magic does come very close in the final couple of episodes to the romance at the beginning of the drama.

Overall if you’re watching Pursuit of Jade for romance, you’ll still get what you want here. While it wobbles a little, it remains consistent throughout the 40 episodes. And if you want romance *plus* other historical high stakes stuff, you’ll enjoy it too.

The characters (including villains) feel real. I liked how the cast was fleshed out—not just the main couple. But the pig slaughtering squad, the villagers, the children. The villains aren’t just “villains because plot said so.” They are multifaceted.

Zhang Ling He as Marquis of Wu’an aka Yan Zheng is stunning. Like… he’s gorgeous (and we all know it) and the performance is strong. Doesn’t matter that he stays in bed and is mostly wounded for at least half the drama if not more. I think this actually makes it more realistic. He does have pretty good fighting scenes, but as far as palace setting stretch of episodes, I wish he would have done more scheming of his own. But again, I think it has a lot to do with the source material.

And regarding all the online criticism going around about his makeup: it’s irrelevant and driven by haters. The reason you’ll see people picking at it is probably because Zhang Ling He’s popularity is rising internationally—so of course the haters get louder. People will look for anything to pick on. Also—let’s be real—both Luo Yunxi as Tantai Jin and Chen Zheyuan as Prince Feng Suige in their respective dramas have way heavier makeup. Somehow no one has said anything at the time. So yeah. Ignore the nonsense.

Zhang Ling He’s performance is versatile and he delivers the kind of male lead energy you want in a romantic historical drama. He has been working very hard this past few years. He deserves all the success because I can’t imagine to star in as many successful dramas he has since Love Between Fairy and Devil came out. I’m looking forward to more of his work.

Tian Xi Wei as Fan Chang Yu is also convincingly great. She feels natural in the role and carries the emotional beats well. The “country bumpkin” arc dragged a bit in my opinion. But her change in episode 26 was INTENSE. I actually liked seeing her true colors open up because she looks like a completely different person in that battle scene. That’s one of the most intense battle scenes in the whole drama. The only thing that bothers me here is that the transition wasn’t seamless, but rather immediate. I would have liked to see her transition from a simple country girl to military power house slower, but more organic.

The chemistry? Yeah, it’s one of the best I’ve seen in a while between leads. It’s genuinely top tier—like, not forced. You believe they’re in love on screen.

If I’m being honest, the romance is the reason I stuck so hard and rewatched certain moments.

And I think the production crew matters a lot here too—direction, cinematography, how intimate moments are translated. I’m not the kind of person who replays scenes for fun, but I did rewatch several of theirs because the acting and execution were just that good. Their emotional scenes are very well acted out. You can feel it.

I enjoyed the power dynamic shifts, the dramatic moments between them, and the amount of skinship we got. I feel their story is mostly satisfying—with just a few could’ve been slightly more opportunities for more interesting romance high stakes situations. Specifically towards words the end.

One thing I really didn’t love (my personal pet peeve) is the separation.

This is personal preference, but it bothers me: I’m not a fan of third-act breakups/separations where one person just decides to step back because they “think it’s best,” instead of it being clearly justified, discussed, and agreed in a healthier way.

Without actually asking the other one what they want—Fan Chang Yu suddenly draws that line between herself and Yan Zheng aka Marquis of Wu’an, first because of difference in status, and then other factors. Girl didn’t even ask him. Just made a decision for him while he is simping so hard, it’s difficult to watch. I was like *okay… I’m supposed to take this seriously… right?* Because how come she can be a strong female lead in every way except for *keeping your man in your grabby hands* way? I was expecting that this separation was there for a reason. It made me think that something would come off it later in the drama. But it didn’t really pay off in a way that felt meaningful later.

Eventually they got back together, and it felt like the separation happened mostly because that’s what the plot requires.

Again—this is just my gripe. I’ve watched too many C-dramas so I already know what I’ll like and what will annoy me.

Side story: Yu Qian Qian + Qi Min / Sui Yuan Huai felt dark… but also messy.

I found Qi Min’s character very compelling. But… I don’t think he was written in a super organic way in the script.

He doesn’t feel introduced with a clean flow. It took me a lot of the drama to finally piece together what the relationship between him and Qian Qian even truly was. I didn’t understand what he saw in her until the last episode, and we didn’t get much insight into her mental state either. I also didn’t understand why he didn’t want his son to live. Some motivations felt unclear to me—like the presentation was all over the place. I basically had to piece together his character from the choppy pieces of the story we were given. I think having better written dialogues for them would have clarified some of the things.

That said Deng Kai does really well in the role. I’m pretty sure he’s ML-material, he just needs the right kind of projects.

Another small thing that bothered me were pointless characters that were introduced that eventually get deserted or get endings that feel kind of “that’s it?”

We don’t hear from them again much, and it makes it feel like some setup doesn’t land.

For example: Sui Yuan Qing. There’s a lot of fuss in the beginning implying he’ll matter hugely… but he’s basically dead 2/3 into the drama. A chunk of screen time early on that was given to him and his feud between our lead couple feels wasted. He has such insane chemistry and potential for a great conflict with Fan Chang Yu. But apparently, poor guy was mostly there to be a tool for something else. His ending is pitiful. Similar vibe with Wei Xuan and a few others, including Li Wen Kan. He just kind of got forgotten halfway through the show after he served his purpose. He only shows up at the end to provide military support.

My biggest issue is pacing, mostly the last third slump. This is probably the core reason this didn’t become a perfect experience.

First and second thirds were interesting, romantic, and super satisfying. Romance is strong early, then military action ramps up, and that actually works. But after episode 30, like… very many Chinese dramas do this, and I felt it happen here too: the drama starts losing steam.

I almost wish they had fewer episodes and a tighter last third instead of all those longer dragging scenes for characters who only appear briefly no one cares to know what they think, plotlines that exist mainly so the characters can die for someone.

The ending is still satisfactory and production quality stays high—BUT the ending still feels a little anti-climactic. The big reveal about who Fan Chang Yu’s father is and the consequences and the revenge were glossed over. Her husband it’s supposed to help her figure it out, but he wasn’t even around half the times. there is a lot of wasted potential here with this storyline. And then in the very last episode, we need to go back in time and see what happened. At this point of the drama, viewers don’t care what happened in the past.

So… should you watch it?
Yes. Strongly.

Pursuit of Jade is still a very well-made drama and I genuinely recommend it to people who want:

- adrenaline-fueled battle scenes
- high-stakes energy
- mind-blowing romance
- charming and talented leads
- lots of comedic elements
- gorgeous visuals, including color grading + vibrant cinematography
- a talented cast + intrigue + backstories

Are there a couple of better ones I’ve personally loved more? Sure. But this is absolutely worth checking out, especially if you’re the type who wants romance + action that doesn’t feel boring for most of the runtime.

If you’re on the fence, I’d say give it a shot—because the first stretch has serious momentum, and the production is too good to ignore. In the end, you will still want to stick around to see how it all wraps up. It’s still a really really good historical drama with strong romance, strong acting, and a very high production value.

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Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan is Why You Watch

Quick take

If you’re here for the romance, watch it for the romance — specifically if you like an obsessed, stalker-ish ML with a breathtaking on-screen presence who takes forever to grow. I personally started Generation to Generation because everyone was talking about that chair kiss, stayed for for Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan, and stuck around because the drama is actually not as bad as people say it is.

First impression

The sets and costumes are very pretty and create an interesting atmosphere, but the production feels uneven. It doesn’t read as a high-budget drama overall, and my suspicion is that a lot of the money went to pay Zhou Yiran’s salary (and maybe Li Yunrui’s gorgeous guest role). The post-production definitely suffered a lot.

Things I liked

- Zhou Yiran’s Mu Qingyan: I’ll give him his own paragraph below, but he’s the main reason I stayed.

- Music and action scenes composition: some action scenes are amazing — I re-watched a few just for the way they’re scored and framed. There are other really good emotional scenes that are done very well. The ending butterfly scene in episode 18 is a standout: great soundtrack, set design, and camera work.

- Supporting cast and backstories: there are a lot of supporting characters, and many of their backstories are interesting (my favorite is the Mu Zhengyang and Cai Pingshu relationship). They add flavor, loyalty, and fun to the broader story.

Things that didn’t work

- Choppy camera work and inconsistent effects: some scenes have gorgeous slow motion and thoughtful framing; others look cheap (like speed changes done manually because the crew didn’t have the same professional camera they did the day before or they had an intern do the post on select days). It often feels like different teams handled different scenes.

- Color and composition problems: costumes, sets, and backgrounds blend together too much. Characters often disappear into similarly toned backdrops. For example, earth-toned clothes against an earth-toned mountain, which makes it hard to tell who or what you’re looking at without concentrating. The color grading feels inconsistent, and that distracts from otherwise pretty visuals.

Main characters

Mu Qingyan
Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan is why I loved this one a lot. He’s a deliciously messy mix of a red flag and an occasional green flag, obsessive, manipulative, and needy, but also heartbreakingly loyal. He does awful things, and yet his sad backstory makes you root for him in spite of it. You might blame him for the things he does and for the fatc that he doesn’t grow up for the majority of the show but considering the first five years of his life, I’d say, it’s pretty normal. Zhou Yiran’s performance makes the character’s extremes compelling. The camera totally loves him. His close-ups are consistently gorgeous — if nothing else, it’s worth watching for the eye candy. He does grow toward the end of the show. Again, this is my first time seeing this actor in anyone at all, so I’ll check out his other work.

Cai Zhao
Cai Zhao is headstrong, stubborn, and mostly consistent. She’s decisive about a lot, except for accepting her feelings for Mu Qingyan — which drags on way too long. Her acting is solid, especially in episode 36, but the character itself isn’t particularly original; she’s a pretty classic “strong independent heroine” archetype. That said, she’s effective and sympathetic. And she as a character and her love story with Mu Qingyan are believable.

Supporting characters
There are a lot of sects and names thrown at you early, which makes it hard to track everyone at first. Still, many supporting roles are interesting and add texture. I just wish some of them had been integrated into the story more cleanly. Like we had one character for a first 6 episodes and then they are gone. But this is a writing problem.

Romance and pacing
Romance is mostly why I watched this drama. There’s a lot of push-and-pull between the leads that keeps you watching. The chair kiss is chef’s kiss, literally and figuratively. That said, don’t expect a lot of kissing. There’s more at the end and I wouldn’t say we’re getting the level of When Destiny Brings the Demon, but it’s also not the Long Ballad kiddie stuff. There are plenty of OTT high stakes moments that involve the conflict between the demon clan and the Six Sects, but here they largely work and add to the vibe. There are not too many draggy scenes. I only skipped a few times.

My main complaint in the romance department is Cai Zhao’s drawn-out denial. It’s obvious she likes Mu Qingyan almost immediately, and the prolonged inner conflict gets old. When she finally owns her feelings, the payoff is dramatic and very satisfying. I wish we'd had them together, I mean truly together a little longer.

Missed opportunities
The show wastes some chances to build stronger conflict and tension. For example, Mu Qingyan’s reintroduction after disappearing from the sect could have been handled in a way that created more lasting tension between the leads. Instead of just introducing him, having some sort of interesting situational reveal would be more impactful. There are other moments like that, but I won’t name them all. I think there is only that much you can do when you are rewriting a novel into a script.

Final verdict
This drama isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. Yes, post-production feels like it’s stuck in 2020. There are missed opportunities to raise tension and tighten the script. The last two episodes slow down, and the way Mu Qingyan’s survival is explained feels rushed and offhand. It’s a bit anticlimactic and feels strange after all that action-packed run we’ve had with these characters.

Still, most characters get their happy ending, and I found the romance genuinely satisfying. At least for me. I needed something a little trashy with crazy ML, and that hit the spot, haha. I ended up enjoying the drama more than I expected. If you go in knowing not to expect top-tier cinematography and CGI, there’s a lot here to like — strong romance, standout performances (especially Zhou Yiran), and some genuinely beautiful scenes. The plot itself isn’t bad at all. There’s a central mystery that keeps things going. The conflict between the Six Sects and the Demon Clan could have been explored better, but again, there’s only so much you can do with the source material.

I would say give it a try before reading all the negative reviews. I saw dramas with much higher ratings that I dropped because they didn’t hold my attention. Generation to Generation is definitely not for everyone, but some will love it.

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Ignore the hate and the negative reviews for this show.

Deserves a Much Higher Rating in My Opinion

The Last Immortal is exactly the kind of xianxia I love. Initially, I hesitated to continue after the first episode because I read the reviews and saw some spoilers, but I’m so glad I decided to return to it.

This drama features all the classic xianxia elements: stunning costumes, a talented cast, good CGI, and genuinely heartfelt acting. The ensemble is truly remarkable.

If you made the mistake to read the reviews first, and they deterred you from starting this drama, I recommend to set aside any preconceived notions about the main male character you may currently have. I know last couple of years have given us some pretty damn good male leads, but they can’t all be possessive demon gods there should be room for other type of characters as well.

If you've watched dramas like TTEOM or LBFD, where the male lead is intensely flawed or vicious, approach The Last Immortal with a fresh perspective. This drama’s narrative focuses on a group of young, naive individuals navigating the world, making mistakes, and growing in the process. It’s a coming-of-age story that beautifully illustrates their development as they confront challenges and learn appreciation as they mature.

The central narrative revolves around a young man Gu Jin burdened by the weight of responsibility of being a true god, torn between his love for someone and the expectations placed upon him. Alongside him, A Yin, who is in fact not what she seems, faces her hardships and emerges stronger when her time comes. We’re introduced to a family dynamic steeped in manipulation, particularly a father who coerces his daughter into nefarious actions. The story also explores bonds formed between unlikely allies and the consuming desire for power—timeless themes of good versus evil.

I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie among the four leads. Initially, I felt A Yin should choose Hong Yi. Because I mean that guy was hubby material, but I guess because he was too young and too impulsive he came on too strong. But as the plot unfolds, it becomes clear why her fated match is meant to be. Plus, Hong Yi has his own love story, which develops nicely throughout. I wished the secondary couple had more scenes earlier on, but their relationship becomes increasingly engaging as the series progresses.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. I've learned to not let reviews dictate my viewing choices. The acting is stellar; there’s no slow pacing, and no dull episodes. It captures the quintessential essence of a xianxia C-drama, brimming with fantastical elements and intricate scheming.

I do agree with the sentiment that the ending for the main couple could have been more fulfilling. While it’s a happy ending, it doesn’t quite match the joy of the secondary couple’s conclusion. Despite this, their relationship was adorable, and I felt satisfied with their happy ending—quite a rarity for me, as I usually don't invest in second couples.

In conclusion, I believe The Last Immortal is an underrated gem that deserves higher praise. I’ve seen some lackluster dramas out there, with much higher score and poorer quality. I think if you said you’re expectations aside and keep an open mind you will enjoy this drama. For me personally, the drama is worth watching when I need to go to sleep and I keep telling myself another 10 minutes for the next two hours. this one was exactly like that.

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When the girl wants a specific man and goes after him before she even knows it

I’ll admit, I initially put off watching "Hidden Love" for almost a year. I first stumbled over “The First Frost" on Netflix while it was still airing. I clicked on it on a whim, and the cinematography drew me in. After finishing up The First Frost, I found out it was a spinoff of "Hidden Love”. I decided to start “Hidden Love” right after. But I can be a bit snobby when I watch a drama with really good cinematography. I'm looking for something of the same quality if I'm in the mood, so the difference in cinematography was actually what made me bench “Hidden Love” for a while.

I moved on to something else and then when I was out of all the quality dramas to watch, I decided to go back and give “Hidden Love another try mostly because I also liked Chen Zhe Yuan’s acting in Faded Hearts I watched last month.

Zhao Lu Si needs no introduction. I've seen her in a number of other works, and she's just so versatile – equally skilled at both comedy and more emotional, dramatic scenes. And that talent really shines through in her portrayal of Sang Zhi.

Now, I will say, the beginning of the story can be quite slow because we only get to see what Sang Zhi is experiencing and it's mostly pining after Duan Jia Xu for nearly 8 episodes. We don't really get to know Duan Jia Xu better until later in the drama.

Now, I'm also going to say that creating a romance story, where one of the characters is still a minor at the beginning of it, needs to be done very carefully because it can easily become icky.

We first meet Sang Zhi as a teenage girl who’s developing a crush on her older brother's friend. She is still in middle school while her crush is in college. But the writers handled that part really well, making sure there were no inappropriate reciprocated feelings or behavior from Duan Jia Xu while she was still a minor. He treats her as a little sister.

As the story progresses, we really get to see Sang Zhi's character develop and mature, transitioning from that spoiled, indecisive teenage girl with an obsession into a strong, assertive young woman who knows exactly what she wants.

In short, Sang Zhi is so mommy-coded and wifey-material even as a minor, it’s adorable. The way she offers money and help to Duan Jia Xu, the way she sneaks it into his wallet while at the airport, the way she takes care of him at the hospital or the way she returns that glass of water at the restaurant scene—it’s just swoony. She becomes a strong and emotionally intelligent young woman who stands up for herself and for her man.

And Zhao Lu Si absolutely nails that emotional journey.

The more we learn about Duan Jia Xu’s backstory, the more depth and complexity his character takes on. This guy has been through some serious trauma, yet he still manages to put on a cheerful, responsible front, especially in front of Sang Zhi. He slips just once in her presence before his departure right after college graduation.

He is a strong, resilient kind of guy who does not want to burden others with his problems. And I think with everything that has been happening in his life, it's very admirable that he manages to remain a decent, caring, and responsible person.

Now let's talk about acting. The two leads just absolutely killed it, especially in those gut-wrenching emotional scenes. I'll admit, I even got a little teary-eyed at a couple of points – which is saying a lot, since I'm not usually one to cry during dramas.

Special mention is the airport scene in episode seven, and then another airport scene at the end of the drama when they are already grown-ups.

One thing I really appreciated about "Hidden Love" is the lack of unnecessary side characters and their storylines. So often, dramas try to cram in too much, and it ends up slowing down the pacing. But here, it's really just focused on the central romance between Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu, and I think that works so much better.

Yes, of course, we have supporting cast. We have the parents and the brother and then we have her college girlfriends and his college friends. But they are only in the drama to do exactly what they're supposed to be doing—support our leads in their journey. They are given just enough screen time to make us understand what's happening with them, but they are not really slowing down the pace. I think it's also one of the reasons why this show is so highly rated.

Some of the things that really stood out to me is the banter between the leads and their friend group(s). It was hilarious. Those group gathering scenes were always a delight. Some of the jokes were ridiculously on point. The acting in those scenes was just natural.

I also wanted to share my thoughts on the age gap. To me, the age gap between the leads, especially when Sang Zhi went to college, didn't seem all that drastic. I understand that in the context of them being at different places in their lives when the story started, it really does matter. But I was almost wondering why the parents were exaggerating about the fact that he was older once she started college and became of legal age. But again, that's just me. Others may have different ideas so it's whatever works for you.

I want to talk about the chemistry because it's obvious that the chemistry is there. Both Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lu Si are very talented and capable of giving us exactly what the characters are feeling.

Overall, "Hidden Love" is the kind of slow-burning romance that I can really get behind. It's got depth, it's got heart, it’s got a green flag male lead and it's got a female lead, who knows exactly what—or who—she wants and isn't afraid to go after it—or him. If you're in the mood for a sweet, uncomplicated love story without all the typical drama clichés, this one is definitely worth checking out. It's one of the better ones. I've seen in a long time and I really can't find a single flaw in it.

It'll give you butterflies without doubt.

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