Esther Yu is back with yet another amateurish and childish character who is not only annoying but downright unbearable. Many people will think im a hater but most of her characters have the same tone, there is no variation, just the same childish, annoying roles (with only a few exceptions).
I know i will get a lot of hate for saying this, but her voice is simply cringe worthy. I dont need an explanation about how her voice is in demand in china etc. Im just expressing how i always feel while watching her shows. And before anyone asks why im watching it, its because of Lin Yi.
The first episode was pretty much below average. I will give it a few more episodes to see if it improves.
I find both Daon and Ju Seong hyeon really boring but Shin Jaemin and Kim Suhyeon are keeping my interest alive. Daon and Ju Seong hyeon feel like your typical one dimensional cliche protagonists, even their scenes lack excitement. But the moment Jaemin and Suhyeon appear, its pure fire lol.
Honestly Ju Seong hyeon's character feels unnecessary. They could have made Kim Suhyeon the main lead, misunderstood by Daon with Jaemin as psycho second lead.
The whole situation reminds me of that childhood story about the two cats and the monkey, when two cats fight over bread, monkey seize it all lol.
I do feel sympathy for Baabin but do i want him to end up with Fou4mod? No. Do i dislike or hate Fou4mod for ignoring Baabin because of his love for Chian? No. Do i hate Chian or even Bua for breadcrumbing people who have crushes on them? No.
Just like Baabin has a crush on Fou4mod, Fou4mod has a crush on Chian and Chian has a crush on Bua. But the twist here is that neither Bua likes Chian nor Fou4mod likes Baabin. So i dont want Bua or Fou4mod to accept those unnecessary feelings from their best friends out of pity or obligation. However Fou4mod and Chian actually have a chance, although Chian is using Fou4mod, he is at least developing some soft feelings for him so there is a possibility for them to end up together. Thats why i root for them.
On the other hand, for Fou4mod-Baabin and Bua-Chian there is no chance as Bua and Fou4mod dont see them as more than friends. So even though i feel some sympathy for Baabin, i dont dislike others whether its Fou4mod or Chian for ignoring his feelings because Baabin is doing the same thing, having a one sided crush just like Fou4mod and Chian.
I binge watched all 4 episodes of this drama today and i must say, its the most accurate GenZ representation i have ever seen in a tv or web drama. It stands out as one of the most unique shows i have watched with a cinematic quality that reminds me of the thai film Love Stuck but with an even more refined and advanced approach. While its a BL, the story and characters are so well crafted that anyone regardless of gender, sexuality or generation can relate to them. Most filmmakers struggle to capture GenZ authentically but this director clearly knows what he is doing. The cinematography, execution and direction are all uniquely done and i was even more impressed to learn that the series was shot on a mobile phone (as per mdl tags). The urban and GenZ representation is top tier, feeling natural rather than forced unlike dramas like Hierarchy, Fabulous or XO Kitty, which often come across as artificial and pretentious.
The characters are incredibly relatable, regardless of sexuality. The portrayal of one sided crushes, the silly things people do to impress their crushes and the struggle to hide feelings all feel painfully real. One of the most relatable moments for me was when the ML watched Love Between Fairy and Devil at normal speed, only for the MC to walk in, speed up the video to 2x and later, in another scene, the ML started doing the same. That hit home because i also watch dramas at double speed. Another moment that felt spot on was the habit of adding lol at the end of every sentence (unnecessarily), i do that too.
The show also nails kpop fan culture. Baabin is a huge blackpink and Lisa fan with his entire room covered in blackpink merch lol. E4 even featured a blackpink concert, which looked quite realistic and the depiction of buying and reselling tickets was surprisingly accurate. Another standout aspect is its focus on nail art, with many male characters bonding over nail designs, Spotify playlists and other shared interests. I would never get nail art myself but I have to admit, the designs were stunning lol.
The storyline is somewhat messy but the characters arent unlikable. MC Fou4mod, has a crush on the ML Chian, while Chian has feelings for his best friend Bua, who only sees him as a friend. Meanwhile Fou4mod’s friend, Baabin, has a crush on him. Its a tangled love square but from each character’s perspective their actions make sense. You will definitely feel the most sympathy for Baabin but at the end of the day, he is doing the same thing as Fou4mod and Chian, having a one sided crush on a friend. Fou4mod and Chian are in a situationship but from Chian’s side, it almost feels like he is breadcrumbing Fou4mod.
The setting and locations also feel much more modern, Siam Square, bustling streets, the metro giving a fresh perspective on thailand. Even the fashion and accessories are trendy and flashy. Even small details like the smartphone charger with colorful lights flowing through the cable, make the world feel vibrant and fresh. I also loved how the director seamlessly integrated the social media apps into the plot. In some scenes it serves as a catalyst in the leads relationship, like how creating, sharing & adding songs to Spotify playlists brings Fou4mod and Chian closer. Other times, it reflects the emotional struggles of GenZ capturing their inner turmoil. For instance, Chian adding and removing Fou4mod from his close friends list on insta subtly reveals his shifting feelings while Fou4mod deliberately ruining Chian’s picture through editing expresses his frustration and anger. I definitely want more shows like this.
His screen time is very limited in each of these dramas. Plus im pretty sure all these dramas were filmed at different…
An actor whose scenes have been shot and completed can leave the set, they dont need to remain there. They can allocate their available dates to other projects. Additionally shoots take place in different shifts so if an actor is scheduled to film some of their scenes in a later shift, they can use the in between dates for other projects provided that the new project doesnt require a change in their appearance (such as gaining or losing weight cutting their hair etc).
As for live broadcast dramas, most tv dramas that air twice a week typically have a few episodes (around 4-6) filmed before the show begins airing. The remaining episodes are shot as the series progresses. In most cases, filming wraps up about 2-3 weeks before the finale, at least thats what i have observed in most productions.
Chaa Woo min is literally everywhere this year. But how exactly does it work? Because yes I agree that a secondary…
His screen time is very limited in each of these dramas. Plus im pretty sure all these dramas were filmed at different times. Study Group was filmed a long time ago and was supposed to air in first half of 2024 but was pushed back for some reason. Melomovie was also a preshot production since its a Netflix original, it was filmed last year. Meanwhile Buried Hearts is a tv drama meaning they are currently shooting as episodes air every week. Additionally in all these shows, he has very little screen time even in Study Group. Although he is the main antagonist his screen time is barely five minutes per episode except for the last two. This gives him plenty of time to take on other projects, unlike primary lead characters who appear in every episode with more than half of the screen time.
Btw sometimes even main lead actors can have multiple dramas airing at the same time if they were filmed at different periods but released around the same time. For example, Ju Jihoon's three dramas aired back to back because two of them were preshot while the third was an ongoing drama being filmed as episodes were airing. First, Love Your Enemy premiered in November 2024. Then in December his D+ drama Light Shop was released followed by Netflix’s Trauma Code in January 2025. Both Light Shop and Trauma Code were pre-shot. Trauma Code was filmed a long time ago but faced delays due to the doctors strike in Korea. Meanwhile Light Shop was filmed last year but didnt require much of his time since, despite being the main lead, it was a multistarrer drama and his screen time in each episode was minimal. On the other hand, Love Your Enemy was a live shoot drama, meaning he was filming while episodes were airing, making it manageable to juggle all three projects.
In the last episode of Study Group, i really wanted the study group to completely overpower Pi Hanul's gang but they didnt beat them as decisively as i had hoped. I also feel the finale should have been about 20 minutes longer as the last 5-10 mins felt a bit rushed. Otherwise it was a fantastic finale.
What an exhilarating academia action drama!! From start to finish, there wasnt a single dull moment. The action sequences were intense, thrilling and often gave me goosebumps.
This was an absolute blast to watch even though, in reality it would be highly unrealistic for high schoolers to possess such advanced fighting skills and engage in this level of action.
I loved the entire study group but my favorite character was Kim Sehyeon, he reminded me of a little hamster. He was definitely the pookie of the group.
I would rate this drama 9.5/10. In terms of pure enjoyment and satisfaction, it was a 10/10 but considering its ott yet incredibly entertaining action, im settling on 9.5/10.
Sang Yan fell first and even harder. He is the kind of lover who would do anything for her while Wen Yifan only needed to say yes. But having been through so much in life, she always keeps a certain distance between them. I absolutely love this pairing. Though i havent quite warmed up to their friends yet they are just okay for me.
ig you haven't read the novel or the manhwa that's why you're feeling ut confusing.... dw it will be all explained…
Yes, i havent read the manhua or novel but for fresh viewers, its quite confusing and unclear. It would be good if they explained everything in the upcoming episodes so lets see.
I loved the first 4 episodes of The First Frost. The main selling point of the show is the chemistry between Sang Yan and Wen Yifan, they have incredible on screen presence together. While i have enjoyed everything shown so far, i found the FL’s story arc somewhat unclear and a bit confusing. I understand that she fits the classic damsel in distress trope, which i have no issue with but her storyline needs to be explained more clearly. Maybe its just me but i feel the writing could have done a better job establishing her arc in the initial episodes.
Sang Yan’s character in The First Frost is a complete different from his Hidden Love counterpart. In Hidden Love, he was an outgoing extrovert whereas here, he is aloof, mysterious and fits the mold of a typical modern cdrama ML, yet remains undeniably charming. I also love how Bai Jingting looks so different from his previous projects while still exuding the same charisma.
Im especially happy that Sang Yan and Wen Yifan are already living together as flatmates, which means we will get plenty of interactions between them. So far so good, im really looking forward to the next episodes.
I liked The Witch E2 more than E1. E2 was from FL's perspective and i preferred that over E1, which was from ML's perspective. I also think Roh Jeong Eui's acting is quite good here.
It's abt the drama it's good frm the beginning so it's not worth this low rating
Its about a drama, iknw. I thought the episode was good/okay and rated it 8.5 but i cant expect everyone to feel the same. People will rate it based on their own preferences. These are just early ratings, so why overreact?? This isnt the final score, ratings are still fluctuating. Give it a couple of days for a clearer picture.
Why do people put so much weight on early ratings?? Its been less than 12 hrs since ep1 aired so how can anyone take them seriously and call MDL ratings shitty??
Many shows start with low ratings, sometimes around 4-5 but as more viewers watch and rate them, the scores naturally stabilize. A 4.2 or 5.9 wont stay the same forever, it will likely change (most likely increase) within a day or two.
Its best to ignore ratings for at least a week. After that, you will get a more accurate picture.
Edit: Additionally i dont think there are any antis/trolls, people are just making excuses. Jinyoung is a highly loved idol and actor and his group, GOT7, doesnt really have antis, they are widely adored. Moreover this show isnt big enough to attract antis.
As for the FL Roh Jeong Eui, she is a rookie so she likely doesnt have many antis who would go out of their way to rate down her drama. People need to relax, the current ratings are fluctuating. Give it a day or two and then see how the ratings settle.
I have seen plenty of dramas where the early ratings were around 4-5, but within a day or two, they stabilized between 7.5 and 9. So just wait and watch.
I know a lot of people didnt like the second lead couple and found them frustrating at times but i think their story and conclusion were the most realistic out of the two couples. While the main lead couple’s theme was healing, the second lead couple highlighted different relationship issues such as misunderstandings and miscommunication. The way their story unfolded felt incredibly real.
Considering its Valentine's release, i think the makers did a great job balancing romance with real life relationship struggles through the two couples. In the case of the second leads, neither of them was truly at fault. Initially, you might dislike the SFL but once you understand her perspective, you realize where she was coming from. She had been sacrificing everything for the SML for seven years and when she reached her breaking point, she ended the relationship. The bar owner once told her to stop acting like a mother to the SML and thats when she realized what was actually wrong between them.
At the same time, the SML wasnt wrong either, he simply had a different personality. They both loved each other and still did but they never truly understood one another. In the end, they werent wrong in their positions but they also werent right for each other. This is an important issue that many young people face today. Love alone isnt enough, understanding, loyalty and honesty are just as essential. A relationship cant survive on love alone and thats exactly what happened with the second leads.
When she reappeared in his life, i initially disliked her for being so clingy. But in the end, i understood that it was necessary for her to give him proper closure so he could finally move on. She had left without any explanation and returning allowed them to properly address their unresolved feelings. He had been stuck in the past but in the second to last episode, they were finally able to let go. I loved how their storyline was handled.
Overall Love Scout was a very sweet office romance but it started to bore me towards the end. I found myself skipping scenes in the last four episodes. However i liked it overall.
1 
I know i will get a lot of hate for saying this, but her voice is simply cringe worthy. I dont need an explanation about how her voice is in demand in china etc. Im just expressing how i always feel while watching her shows. And before anyone asks why im watching it, its because of Lin Yi.
The first episode was pretty much below average. I will give it a few more episodes to see if it improves.
He is bit similar to his reply1988 character but this character have much more layers compared to choi taek. So keep watching.
Honestly Ju Seong hyeon's character feels unnecessary. They could have made Kim Suhyeon the main lead, misunderstood by Daon with Jaemin as psycho second lead.
The whole situation reminds me of that childhood story about the two cats and the monkey, when two cats fight over bread, monkey seize it all lol.
Just like Baabin has a crush on Fou4mod, Fou4mod has a crush on Chian and Chian has a crush on Bua. But the twist here is that neither Bua likes Chian nor Fou4mod likes Baabin. So i dont want Bua or Fou4mod to accept those unnecessary feelings from their best friends out of pity or obligation. However Fou4mod and Chian actually have a chance, although Chian is using Fou4mod, he is at least developing some soft feelings for him so there is a possibility for them to end up together. Thats why i root for them.
On the other hand, for Fou4mod-Baabin and Bua-Chian there is no chance as Bua and Fou4mod dont see them as more than friends. So even though i feel some sympathy for Baabin, i dont dislike others whether its Fou4mod or Chian for ignoring his feelings because Baabin is doing the same thing, having a one sided crush just like Fou4mod and Chian.
The characters are incredibly relatable, regardless of sexuality. The portrayal of one sided crushes, the silly things people do to impress their crushes and the struggle to hide feelings all feel painfully real. One of the most relatable moments for me was when the ML watched Love Between Fairy and Devil at normal speed, only for the MC to walk in, speed up the video to 2x and later, in another scene, the ML started doing the same. That hit home because i also watch dramas at double speed. Another moment that felt spot on was the habit of adding lol at the end of every sentence (unnecessarily), i do that too.
The show also nails kpop fan culture. Baabin is a huge blackpink and Lisa fan with his entire room covered in blackpink merch lol. E4 even featured a blackpink concert, which looked quite realistic and the depiction of buying and reselling tickets was surprisingly accurate. Another standout aspect is its focus on nail art, with many male characters bonding over nail designs, Spotify playlists and other shared interests. I would never get nail art myself but I have to admit, the designs were stunning lol.
The storyline is somewhat messy but the characters arent unlikable. MC Fou4mod, has a crush on the ML Chian, while Chian has feelings for his best friend Bua, who only sees him as a friend. Meanwhile Fou4mod’s friend, Baabin, has a crush on him. Its a tangled love square but from each character’s perspective their actions make sense. You will definitely feel the most sympathy for Baabin but at the end of the day, he is doing the same thing as Fou4mod and Chian, having a one sided crush on a friend. Fou4mod and Chian are in a situationship but from Chian’s side, it almost feels like he is breadcrumbing Fou4mod.
The setting and locations also feel much more modern, Siam Square, bustling streets, the metro giving a fresh perspective on thailand. Even the fashion and accessories are trendy and flashy. Even small details like the smartphone charger with colorful lights flowing through the cable, make the world feel vibrant and fresh. I also loved how the director seamlessly integrated the social media apps into the plot. In some scenes it serves as a catalyst in the leads relationship, like how creating, sharing & adding songs to Spotify playlists brings Fou4mod and Chian closer. Other times, it reflects the emotional struggles of GenZ capturing their inner turmoil. For instance, Chian adding and removing Fou4mod from his close friends list on insta subtly reveals his shifting feelings while Fou4mod deliberately ruining Chian’s picture through editing expresses his frustration and anger. I definitely want more shows like this.
As for live broadcast dramas, most tv dramas that air twice a week typically have a few episodes (around 4-6) filmed before the show begins airing. The remaining episodes are shot as the series progresses. In most cases, filming wraps up about 2-3 weeks before the finale, at least thats what i have observed in most productions.
Additionally in all these shows, he has very little screen time even in Study Group. Although he is the main antagonist his screen time is barely five minutes per episode except for the last two. This gives him plenty of time to take on other projects, unlike primary lead characters who appear in every episode with more than half of the screen time.
Btw sometimes even main lead actors can have multiple dramas airing at the same time if they were filmed at different periods but released around the same time. For example, Ju Jihoon's three dramas aired back to back because two of them were preshot while the third was an ongoing drama being filmed as episodes were airing.
First, Love Your Enemy premiered in November 2024. Then in December his D+ drama Light Shop was released followed by Netflix’s Trauma Code in January 2025. Both Light Shop and Trauma Code were pre-shot. Trauma Code was filmed a long time ago but faced delays due to the doctors strike in Korea. Meanwhile Light Shop was filmed last year but didnt require much of his time since, despite being the main lead, it was a multistarrer drama and his screen time in each episode was minimal. On the other hand, Love Your Enemy was a live shoot drama, meaning he was filming while episodes were airing, making it manageable to juggle all three projects.
This was an absolute blast to watch even though, in reality it would be highly unrealistic for high schoolers to possess such advanced fighting skills and engage in this level of action.
I loved the entire study group but my favorite character was Kim Sehyeon, he reminded me of a little hamster. He was definitely the pookie of the group.
I would rate this drama 9.5/10. In terms of pure enjoyment and satisfaction, it was a 10/10 but considering its ott yet incredibly entertaining action, im settling on 9.5/10.
Sang Yan’s character in The First Frost is a complete different from his Hidden Love counterpart. In Hidden Love, he was an outgoing extrovert whereas here, he is aloof, mysterious and fits the mold of a typical modern cdrama ML, yet remains undeniably charming. I also love how Bai Jingting looks so different from his previous projects while still exuding the same charisma.
Im especially happy that Sang Yan and Wen Yifan are already living together as flatmates, which means we will get plenty of interactions between them. So far so good, im really looking forward to the next episodes.
Many shows start with low ratings, sometimes around 4-5 but as more viewers watch and rate them, the scores naturally stabilize. A 4.2 or 5.9 wont stay the same forever, it will likely change (most likely increase) within a day or two.
Its best to ignore ratings for at least a week. After that, you will get a more accurate picture.
Edit: Additionally i dont think there are any antis/trolls, people are just making excuses. Jinyoung is a highly loved idol and actor and his group, GOT7, doesnt really have antis, they are widely adored. Moreover this show isnt big enough to attract antis.
As for the FL Roh Jeong Eui, she is a rookie so she likely doesnt have many antis who would go out of their way to rate down her drama. People need to relax, the current ratings are fluctuating. Give it a day or two and then see how the ratings settle.
I have seen plenty of dramas where the early ratings were around 4-5, but within a day or two, they stabilized between 7.5 and 9. So just wait and watch.
Considering its Valentine's release, i think the makers did a great job balancing romance with real life relationship struggles through the two couples. In the case of the second leads, neither of them was truly at fault. Initially, you might dislike the SFL but once you understand her perspective, you realize where she was coming from. She had been sacrificing everything for the SML for seven years and when she reached her breaking point, she ended the relationship. The bar owner once told her to stop acting like a mother to the SML and thats when she realized what was actually wrong between them.
At the same time, the SML wasnt wrong either, he simply had a different personality. They both loved each other and still did but they never truly understood one another. In the end, they werent wrong in their positions but they also werent right for each other. This is an important issue that many young people face today. Love alone isnt enough, understanding, loyalty and honesty are just as essential. A relationship cant survive on love alone and thats exactly what happened with the second leads.
When she reappeared in his life, i initially disliked her for being so clingy. But in the end, i understood that it was necessary for her to give him proper closure so he could finally move on. She had left without any explanation and returning allowed them to properly address their unresolved feelings. He had been stuck in the past but in the second to last episode, they were finally able to let go. I loved how their storyline was handled.
8.5/10