Alice_01

I guess everyone has their preferences lol Personally, I’ve been watching BLs for some years now and while Thai BLs are definitely the most abundant and high budgeted ones I find that only a handful stand out among them. A lot of them tend to rely heavily on fanservice/flashy production but sadly with the acting not matching the scale of the production. It can also feel like most r-rated scenes are added just to mask what’s lacking in acting performance or writing. Instead of showing the raw emotions and deep feelings through their facial expressions, they just dive into making out.
That said, there are some great Thai BL that show how good things can get when everything clicks like ITSAY, Bad Buddy, Triage, Moonlight Chicken, Last Twilight and Manner of Death. I just wish more shows focused on quality over quantity.
For me, Chinese BL (even with the censorship) often delivers deeper emotional storytelling and stronger acting. Korean BL can be hit-or-miss depending on budget, sometimes the story feels rushed or undercooked due to short runtimes or bad script. Japanese BL are mostly adapted from manga, hence the more cartoonish feel to them but as long as the actor can carry their character like in Cherry Magic or Kieta Hatsukoi I don't see the issue.
As for Taiwanese BLs, while recent series have leaned into a certain recurring theme to adapt, at least the quality and storytelling were solid.
Btw don’t take this as a personal dig I am just sharing my perspective since the topic came up in the comment section and I have been thinking about this for a while.
These past few months, there has barely been any BL that could catch my eye from anywhere...Quite the drought, so hopefully this will turn out good!

WAIT A SEC OMG!! So this is a re-adaptation of Chai Ji Dan's "Counter Attack"?? The same person who wrote Addicted and Advance Bravely?? The way I've read almost all of her novels... I remember watching her first adaptation of Counter attack many years ago called "Falling in Love with a Rival " and it was one of my first CBL, like Addicted! The nostalgia.
Now I guess just like how she made Stay with Me for Addicted, she is remaking this one as well??
This makes me so excited!! And seeing 24 eps made me even happier. I have faith that this version can be even more splendid, just like how Stay with Me was!
My expectations are high!!

I see thanks!

You're welcome! I kinda became interested myself and since it's been years since I read the manhwa, I decided to do some searching!

Idk how the Korean royal system works, but I think his rank is similar to a duke here, cause even though he is a prince, I don't think he is a son of the current king! Even though in the drama we have little info about his lineage so far, I think he might be a nephew or younger brother of the king? (hence the Prince rank here)
Because the scene of him talking to the King and later the Queen shows how clearly hostile they both are towards him and keeping him under their watch as if he is a threat to them!
Take Cdrama for example, the emperor's sons, brothers and nephews were all called princes (wang) but their actual rank and importance were distinguished by the type of "prince" title they held, often signified by different characters.

Yes they do in fact sleep together for real and they both had their first time...
After some research, I found that in the novel ver. the Duke did ask Ripley for consent. And while she was still drunk the author made it clear on Instagram (someone translated it and shared about it) that she was still in a solid enough state of mind to reject him if she wanted to. And considering she remembers it as a fond memory later on in the story, she must have liked it? And based on Ripley's monologues, she does indeed seem to like him. And she only strongly rejects him after realizing he is the ML, because she thinks he is making a mistake by marrying her since she's not the FL and his rightful match. Plus, she doesn't want to face the troubles of a FL.
While in the manhwa ver. the artist cut a few scenes and dialogues, which made their one-night stand with her under the influence seem worse compared to how it was explained in the novel.
Personally, in my head I keep the novel as the canon plot for that particular scene since it was better presented and explained there! As for the drama they kept it vague like the manhwa but they might show and talk about it more in the upcoming eps!
I wrote all this because many users, even before you, seem to be curious about it! ^^

Maybe she became poor thanks to her credit card getting maxed out due to overconsumption and debt? She does seem to love money and to spend them quite a bit after all lol

I'll be honest, after watching Ep1 the only reason I stuck with it was because the synopsis sounded so promising. The idea of former Olympic medalists working as cops really intrigued me and I was curious to see where it would go. Plus that intense fight scene near the end of the episode, accompanied by the ost. That last scene alone was enough to make me hit the "Next Episode" button and I'm so glad I did!!

To anyone starting this show, if you're not fully sold after the 1st episode like me, give it a bit more time. Trust me, it gets so much better. By Ep3 (which I just finished) I became fully invested, my heart pumping up and everything! I'm so ready for this roller coaster of emotions! May our champions rise to the top, trampling on every sleazy scammer's head along the way! 👊

As for the romance it feels more like a subplot so far, it feels like comic relief to balance the heavier themes, which I am actually glad for. Normally, I prefer these types of shows without any romance but I’m okay with it here as long as it stays in the background and progresses naturally. One thing I cannot stand though, is messy love triangles. Please, writers, I beg you keep it simple and don't turn this into a soap opera just a solid gripping storyline will do! Plus I would love it more to see all five of our cast become close with a wholesome relationship with each other on this journey!

Okay, I couldn’t help myself and I ended up starting it today after all! ><
First impressions: Ep1 felt a bit lukewarm for me. With so much of the runtime spent on introduction, it started to drag a little and the drinking party scene felt unnecessarily long. BUT I’m really glad I stuck with it, because Episode 2 was much better!
The opening of today's ep had me laughing right away and the chemistry between the leads? Sparks are definitely flying already! Watching our girl constantly freaking out was both hilarious and entertaining and the ML has this mischievous charm that’s really growing on me.

Nope, not at all! This is an adaptation of an isekai manhwa called "The First Night With the Duke". But I guess both stem from the same genre aka being about FL who transmigrate into other worlds within novels? The last couple of years it has become quite popular theme both for novels and manhwa^^

OMG FINALLY!! I've been so interested in this one after reading the synopsis and checking the cast! I hope everything turns out well and the potential isn't lost!

I guess all countries have their own fave words to reuse in dramaland haha For Cdramas it's usually "The legend of", "love" and "blossom". I do think the English titles could use a bit more creativity honestly, it feels like they often just recycle the same handful of words. And yeah, I’ve noticed that both Cdramas and Kdramas often change the original title when translating it to English. It’s like they have a pool of standard buzzwords they pull from and just mix them with part of the original title for convenience. Sometimes it works, but other times it feels super generic imo.

"That basically means, you're rating those shows lower than 6, probably. Also, you don't rate dropped shows at all, as far as I can see. Even when you watched more than half of it."

I choose not to rate shows I haven’t finished because I don’t believe it’s fair to judge something without experiencing it in its entirety. The ending and eps I didn't watch can significantly affect how a story lands and without watching it, I can't give an informed or accurate rating imo. As for why I drop shows even when I’m halfway through, it’s simply a matter of time. If I’m no longer enjoying something, I’d rather move on than force myself to finish it just so I can give it a low score. On some rare occasions,that I do stick to the end for whatever reason, I do give my 7 or 6 but lately as the years go I find it a waste of time to watch something I don't enjoy anymore especially when there are so many kdrama/cdrama etc. coming out constantly.

"Okay, but you can see the 18+ rating, if someone don't like nudity or adult stuff like killing etc, they don't have to watch it, just to rate it lower later and call it p*rn."

Hmm I actually partly agree with you here, there are definitely users who skip over tags or content warnings and then complain about things they should’ve expected. But I don’t think that’s the whole story though. Sometimes, it’s not the presence of adult content itself that leads to a lower rating but rather how that content is presented to viewers. Personally, I don’t have a problem with R-rated material be it violence or nudity as long as it’s done well. And of course, what counts as “done well” can be pretty subjective. The way it’s directed, written or acted can really affect how it comes across. So I think criticism often comes down to how something is handled, not just what it includes.

Personally, I’m still in my early twenties, so I haven’t been watching for as long as you have. I started watching Kdramas, Cdramas and other series around 2015, so I’m still figuring out what kind of shows really click with me. But, over the last few years, I’ve definitely gotten a better sense of what types of dramas appeal to me the most.
As for Descendants of the Sun, it was one of my first Kdrama and I remember loving it back then. But after watching more shows and expanding my horizons, if you were to ask me now, I don’t see it the same way anymore though there is some nostalgia it’s just one of those things where you evolve as a viewer. Maybe, like you, I’ll reach a point where I can predict the quality of a show just from the trailer or synopsis. But I’m not quite there yet.

It’s no secret that a lot of users rate ongoing dramas and constantly adjust their scores after each episode. And of course there are also the so-called fans who give high ratings just because they love the actors or the romance, which can get a bit frustrating and definitely “dilutes” the authenticity of the score.
Personally, I only rate a drama after I’ve finished watching it, but we can’t really expect everyone to follow a similar approach. Still, no need to worry too much, since once a drama finishes airing that’s usually when the real score starts to take shape. At least in my experience, even shows with inflated ratings tend to stabilize a while after they’ve ended.
So for now, I’d say this current rating just means episode 1 showed promise and I doubt every voter is just a stan, right? Just my two cents. ^^

Yes! So far there have been only a few manhwa adaptations in recent years and especially isekai ones! I hope this becomes a trend and we will get more from now on! But ofc with them done properly!

I understand you especially as someone who's been around since 2012 with a few more years of watching up your back, but I think your view on ratings might oversimplify how different people approach scoring.
"For me: 1–3 is crap, 4–5 is below average or bad, 6–8 is average, and 9–10 is great."
Exactly, for you. That’s what makes it subjective. If everyone started comparing a drama’s final rating with their own personal scale, I think most of us would end up feeling disappointed in one way or another. What you see as a 6 might be someone else’s 8. (without necessarily being because of fandom bias but just based on plot preference, cinematography etc. )

"Most people find 8/10 a low score, because they give 9/10 for most things they watch — that's why on VIKI you can't find anything below 9.0."
Honestly, it’s hard to speak on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people using these platforms. Personally, I rarely rate anything below an 8, but that’s because I usually drop shows I’m not into early on. I’d rather not waste time on something I don’t enjoy and instead focus on dramas that keep me engaged and since I don't finish them, I don't deem it right to rate them. So sure some people rate generously because they’re fans of a genre or actor( I agree that this phenomenon occurs here), others use a tighter scale and many (like me) don’t even finish shows they’re not enjoying and focus mostly on rating stuff they do like.

"People care too much about ratings."
Totally agree with this part. But it also ties into psychology if you ask me, cause even if someone tries not to let scores or comments affect them (which I honestly try to do myself), it can still influence your perception. When you see average shows sitting at 8.5+ it makes you question why a genuinely decent series is rated lower. That alone can be discouraging for some.

I also get the frustration with how shows that take more grounded, realistic approaches or even just contain nudity or heavier themes often get lower ratings. But again, that says more about audience expectations and comfort zones than it does about objective quality. Ratings reflect popularity and perception, not always depth or merit. Sadly that's just the way it is.
In the end, I think you're right about one thing: you can’t put full trust in scores. They’re a tool, not a rule. Just like you, I base my decisions more depending on trailers or synopsis. But I also try to understand that the rating system isn't entirely useless, they’re just not absolute or perfect. They reflect trends, preferences and emotions, not universal truth.

This trope is also pretty common in Korean manhwa/novels in the last couple of years, at least that I've read! I am into both and yes Isekai has been dominating for a while now! I mean it's a very "appealing" concept that can help one let loose and take a break from reality...

If they followed the og manhwa opening, then yes it gets pretty hilarious in the beginning><

Excited for this one! But since it has just started airing, I guess I will have to marinate it a bit first! ><
For those who have already watched ep1, how was it in terms of budget, acting and scriptwriting?

I mean I get you but honestly it would’ve looked out of place if they hadn’t made that change... Adjusting things like that is kind of inevitable in a live-action adaptation. Plus, Korea has its own history and traditions when it comes to royalty and nobility, so setting it that way probably feels more natural for local viewers and easier for the actors to get into it too. Recreating a full Victorian era setting in Korea would’ve been a lot more challenging for the production team as well. So personally, I don’t really mind the change and I’d love to see even more of my favorite isekai manhwa get adapted! ><
Maybe in an animated version, we could get to watch a closer adaptation in terms of the characters and era setting. It's just that Korean isn't all that active in that department but maybe countries like Japan and China could buy them and make anime/donghua of some well known Isekai^^