AyasKCorner

Built up a mastermind plot just to hand the wheel to romance and drive straight into mediocrity.

A story about power, corruption, and secrets—except the secrets weren’t that deep, and the power struggles weren’t that intense.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good
It was short
I genuinely struggled to find anything I truly enjoyed about this show. In the end, the main reason I finished it was simply because it only had seven episodes. At least it didn’t force unnecessary filler just to stretch the runtime.


The Bad
Where do I even begin?

A Revenge Plan With No Plan
I went into this show thinking Kang Ha was going to be this genius transfer student—someone with a master plan to expose the privileged kids and uncover the truth behind his brother’s death.
Instead, none of that happened. Rather than executing a clever strategy, Kang Ha spent most of the show playing boyfriend and getting lost in pointless drama. To make it worse, he didn’t even discover anything himself. The only investigative move he made was getting the pills in Ri An’s locker checked, which led to zero follow-up. Everything he should have uncovered was handed to him by Joo Won, who actually did the work. And then, at the very end, he swoops in acting like he’s the mastermind who pieced everything together. Boy, bye.

Empty Threats and Plot Armour Galore
How were we supposed to feel intimidated when every threat in this show was completely hollow? They literally beat In Han to the ground over a stained shirt, but somehow, Kang Ha—who made out with Jae I, constantly provoked Ri An, and walked around being smug—never got attacked once. At the very least, they could have had Kang Ha fight back in an attempted attack to justify why they never tried anything again. Kang Ha was a nuisance, yet everyone seemed too afraid to put him in his place. Why?

Romantic Detour? Seriously?
His whole downfall started because Jae I smiled at a dog. That was it. From that moment on, his entire reason for coming to the school started fading into the background, and suddenly, she was off-limits in his revenge plan. He was supposed to see everyone as a suspect, but she pets a dog and suddenly she’s innocent? She rides his bike a few times and he’s in love? Please. He was willing to keep her name out of everything, despite knowing full well that she let things happen. I— please be serious.

Plot? What Plot?
This show felt aimless. Was it about Kang Ha’s dead brother? Jae I’s unresolved trauma? Ri An’s mommy issues? Woo Jin’s weird relationship with his teacher? He Ra’s financial struggles? It kept shifting focus so many times that the main plot got completely lost in the shuffle. Sure, it all sort of connected in the end, but the middle was a mess. Too much screen time was wasted on subplots that didn’t matter.

Overhyped Villainy That Wasn’t There
Let me start by saying, bullying is terrible, and In Han was treated horribly. But the show oversold how bad things actually were. I expected the main four to be actively hunting scholarship kids for sport, torturing them for fun, or at the very least, getting their hands dirty. Instead? They were mostly bystanders, never directly involved beyond standing around watching.
And then we find out In Han’s death was a total accident caused by a teacher trying to cover up her inappropriate relationship. Like… huh? His death felt rushed, random, and frankly lazy. Yes, it was still tragic, and yes, he suffered. But compared to how dark the show implied it would be, it just didn’t land. Honestly, it would’ve been way more compelling if scholarship students were mysteriously disappearing and Kang Ha was the only one trying to uncover the truth. But what we got was one accidental death and a bunch of kids who weren’t as evil as advertised.

The Dead Brother? Barely a Priority.
I really can’t stress this enough how much the show did not turn out like it implied. Kang Ha wasn’t the strategic avenger we were led to expect. The first few episodes set up the main four as untouchable villains, yet in reality, they were just bystanders like everyone else at the school.
What’s crazy is that In Han’s death plot took a backseat, even for Kang Ha, which was supposed to be his entire reason for being at the school. In hindsight, it makes sense that Jae I is the one front and centre on the poster while Kang Ha & Co are shoved in the back. This wasn’t his story. It was hers. And that bait-and-switch was a huge letdown.

Jae I Was Annoying
Did anyone else feel like Jae I was constantly playing the victim?
She acted like she deserved comfort over In Han’s death, as if she had no power to stop what happened. And when she finally confessed to killing In Han, it felt less like accountability and more like “tell me it’s not my fault”. Let’s be real, the only reason she spoke up was because she was being blackmailed. Where was this righteous energy when In Han was still alive? Had she never been exposed or blackmailed, she likely would have buried the truth just like everyone else and simply sworn to do better next time.
And don’t forget, Ri An’s lackeys were the ones actively bullying In Han, and Ri An was obsessed with Jae I. If she had told him to make them stop, he would have immediately listened. She had so much influence over him but never used it to help her own friend. She stood there, day after day, letting him get harassed, and then played the victim when it came back around.
Jae I wasn’t just a bad friend to In Han, she was also a horrible friend to He Ra. Jae I ghosted her for three months, never telling her where she went or what was going on. Then, after months of silence, she suddenly shows up and starts barking orders like she never left. And somehow, she never told He Ra about her pregnancy, but did tell a random guy who showed up a month ago. She really treated He Ra like a sidekick, only calling her a “friend” when it was convenient for her.

Jae I’s Emotional Plot Twist That Wasn’t
Let’s talk about Jae I’s sudden 180. For most of the show, Jae I treated Ri An like an annoying ex who couldn’t take a hint; constantly acting like she didn’t care and wanted nothing to do with him.And then suddenly, she’ll do anything for him?
For most of the drama, she stared at him with a deadpan expression, talked to him like he was a pest, and barely tolerated his presence. And the issue wasn’t just the inconsistency, but the fact that she showed little to no emotion throughout the show, making the sudden change hard to believe. If we saw her struggling more: visibly torn or emotionally conflicted, it would’ve added some weight. But because she delivered everything with that same blank face and emotionless voice, the twist didn’t land.

Kang Ha: The Walking Plot Device
Few things annoy me more than obvious main character energy, and Kang Ha was the prime example.
He was some random kid who showed up and single-handedly changed everything, despite having no real plan. He walked around like he owned the school, like he had everyone wrapped around his finger, but the reality? He had nothing but vibes and a vendetta.
The most convenient moment? Flirting a little, acting smug and then magically stumbling upon a hard drive with everything he needed to take down the elites. Like how did Kang Ha even figure out Joo Won was blackmailing Jae I? He just showed up at the party fully in the know. Like… what?
Then, we get a pointless after-credits scene where a guy is dead, and Kang Ha walks around smiling, acting like he just pulled off some brilliant victory like he didn’t do the bare minimum the entire time.
Please.

Kang Ha’s Nonexistent Outside Life
This might’ve flown under the radar, but it really bothered me: for a show that centres Kang Ha, we know absolutely nothing about him outside of school. He lives with his uncle, but where are his parents? What’s his home life like? Why would any guardian let him enroll in the same school where his brother literally died?
The only time we see him outside of school is when he’s working at the market and that scene was only included because Jae I happened to be there. Otherwise, he doesn’t exist beyond the gates of the school. For a character with so much supposed depth, we sure got served the shallowest version of him possible.


Final Thoughts
This was a huge letdown x1000000. This time, it wasn’t because I expected a good show going into this, but because the first two episodes set this show up for something huge. Especially with how Kang Ha carried himself. Him coming in like he was going to turn the school upside down was exciting. But seeing him be all about revenge for all of two episodes, then fall in love and switch up? Took me way off guard.
I usually avoid reading reviews before watching shows because I don’t like going in with bias, but for this one?
I really should have. The comments called it perfectly, and honestly? I should have trusted the collective suffering of previous viewers.
Lesson learned.

~~~
Did anyone actually enjoy this show? If you did, please help me to understand why? This didn’t even cover everything I had to say and yet has so many questions in it.

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This Drama started strong but had too many issues to ignore

A drama that started strong with a clear antagonist, storyline and two attractive leads, ends disappointing and kind of sad. With all the good reviews I feel kind of bad for not being able to relate, but regardless, here we are.

Before we begin, I just want to clarify that this is my opinion and I'm not here to start a war (but different opinions are welcome). I can and will be brutally honest but it's all lighthearted! MANY SPOILERS AHEAD so please read AFTER you finish this review or at least if you have no interest in watching it! This will be long so let's get right into it! let's keep this discussing respectful and fun.

The Good
Best travels - fox clan (and the love story) and outlanders
Even though I mention this slightly in "The Bad" the first times they traveled, I really enjoyed watching that. It was interesting to watch them travel around. I really liked when they got sucked into the cave and Bai Shuo was the fox clan girl. And I think we can all agree that Fan Yue with the black tips was his best look--- I still miss it. Even though it eventually got old, it helped with the story and kept me interested for a good minute.

Best love: Xing Yue/ Jing Yuan (could've been Tian Huo/Mu Jiu) "She's not here so I no longer have a reason to still be here." - He Died so he could go and find her! :(((

Jing Yuan supremacy for life. I loved Xing Yue and Jing Yuan's love story. I especially loved how in love he was with her. I loved when he came back in Fan Yue's body and talked about how much he wanted Bai Shuo and Xing Yue to be the same person. I loved it! The whole storyline of them up until their death was beautiful.

Mu Jiu's death was the most painful
I loved Mu Jiu! I was so heartbroken to see him die. I really enjoyed his character and I was looking forward to some relationship building scenes with Tian Huo. His death scene was the saddest death scene and I just loved when he ran back towards her to hug her once more only to disappear. Even though I had some notes on their relationship and how the scene could've hit better (down below), it was such a beautifully heartbreaking scene to see her turn around right as he disappeared. Just beautiful.

The Bad
Too much death - everybody died
I think one of the biggest shocks in the drama was how every single side character (and the male lead for a bit) died. I get that they died for a reason but it was kind of a letdown that in the final episodes, everyone just starts dropping like flies. It's like one by one, they sacrifice themselves for the Bai Shuo's mission. I kind of figured this wasn't gonna end on the happiest note but I wasn't expecting her to be the last one standing. I think because they all died (and around the same time), I felt more confusion than I did sadness. I wish at least Fu Ling and Chong Zhao lived so they could be together. And I don't think it would've hurt to keep Tian Huo alive. Even the male lead got killed off-- which actually made sense but still. Nobody was safe and while it was a bold move, I'm still not sure if it was the right one.

Overdone "Wolf in sheep's clothing"
I feel like the "bad guy who's actually just misunderstood" persona has gotten kind of old. Everyone feared him and thought he was a monster when he was the most caring guy around. Been there. He's so kind and caring yet cold for whatever reason. Done that. Since this has been done since the beginning of "bad boy" romances and stories, it's boring now. It also doesn't even make sense. All he does is create a safe place for orphans and wonderers and yet nobody in any other kingdom knows about that? We barely saw any flashbacks of him looking evil so where did the prejudice come from? How did nobody he helped tell anyone else about his kindness? He's so dangerous but has never done anything that bad and it was all to help puppies and kittens. Cute but we get it. I wish for once the bad guy was just bad. He's got his reputation for a reason. He's cold simply because he's a cold guy. I don't understand how someone so kind and caring would be so stand-offish to everyone else.

A little long
Anyone else find the drama unnecessarily long? I don't mind watching a long drama but only if it's necessary. I thought the whole point of the drama was for Fan Yue to be healed from the star curse he had on his chest. So once that plot ended (he died I think, I watched this a while ago so I don't exactly remember), the show should've reached it's close. But then we have Jing Yuan and adding extra bits that weren't really necessary. So much death and whatnot could've been avoided if they stuck with the original plot. Don't get me wrong, they did successfully add this part in and it didn't feel all that random, but I can't help but wonder if this drama would've turned out better had they left it out.

Love wasn't developed enough - Fan Yue/ Bai Shuo and Tian Huo/ Mu Jiu
If you've read any of my other reviews, you would know that I love properly developed love tropes with the leads. Here, we didn't really get that. At All. Episode 1 they meet and by episode 3 or 4 he's already questioning whether or not he cares about her for his purpose or because he genuinely has feelings for her. What? How did we get here? I thought they were gonna have like nightly chats on that phone-thing when she went to work with the turtle, but that was only for the one day. The beginning of their relationship felt a bit disconnected especially with how much Fan Yue looked down on humans at the beginning. It didn't make sense how someone who looked down on humans so harshly would then fall in love with one in the next two - three episodes. I wish we saw then fall in love, whether through nightly calls, or whatever. While I did like the way they loved each other and how deeply they loved each other, I didn't like how it started.

Let's move on to the biggest disappointing relationship in the show: Tian Huo and Mu Jiu. This was another relationship where the love felt disconnected. He fell for her because she saved him and then stuck around for like a month after before he died. My biggest issue is that final scene when he's hugging her before he disappears. Usually when you ask someone what they'll do without you in certain situations, it's because you've helped them before in those situations. For example, he goes on to ask her what she'd do without him when she's mad, sad, scared, etc. but he was never there for her before. So she'd just do the same things she did before. Do you get what I'm trying to say? In other words, she wouldn't necessarily acknowledge his absence in those moments because he's never been there for her in those moments. I wish they formed a bond where he actually WAS there for her in those moments so we understand his questions. Maybe when she's sad, he's the only one who she allows to comfort her or make her laugh. Maybe when she's angry, he's the only one who can calm her down and stop her from raging out. And so on and so forth. His death was sad because I actually liked him but I wasn't really sad for her and their relationship. She also barely showed any interest in him (which makes sense granted they just met and she never thought much of him in the first place) so it also weakens the sadness in his final scene. They should've had more time together so their love could feel real and we could've felt more heartbroken. Instead we're left feeling a bit awkward watching a scene that's supposed to break our hearts.

So much jumping - kind of lost the plot
this was kind of mentioned above but it still needs its own part. Don't get me wrong, when they were traveling to different places, it was entertaining at first. But after a while, it became a lot. It became, kind of, too much. After episode 25, I forgot what the whole point of the show even was. Since each place had a different issue, it was hard to keep track of what's really going on. It kind of felt like watching a really long anime where they travel to different parts of the world and do whatever. This isn't a major point and not that big of a deal but I just remember being at episode 32 and just wanting the drama to be over already.

The aging was weird
This is another small point but anybody else thought he was like hundreds to thousands of years old? I certainly did. So when I realised he was probably around the same age as Bai Shuo (a human), I was a little disappointed. When they went to that dessert place that Tian Huo was from, it didn't hit the same when they said that they hadn't held their "games" (i don't remember exactly what it's called) in 7 years. 7 years. that's it. That's not even a long time in human years (not really). I was kind of expecting everyone to be hundreds of years old but they were all in their 20s and 30s. That made the fantasy part dim a bit. It's not a big deal, like I said, but it would've been better if they aged them up. Everything he went through happened in all our lifetimes (minus a few years for the younger ones) and must've happened quite fast. I thought that he got his curse after centuries of trying, not a couple years at best.

Zhen Yu's death was disappointing
The biggest letdown in this entire drama was the antagonists death. He caused nothing but chaos and was just about unstoppable... only to sacrifice himself. His big demise was him willingly getting his life sucked out for the other dude. It was so incredibly disappointing to see him cause such issues and not be defeated by Fan Yue and Bai Shuo. We missed out on such a good fight scene because of that. He was so incredibly unstoppable that him willingly stopping actually kind of hurt.

And Yeah. that's kind of it. Keep in mind I watched this months ago so this review isn't as specific (I've been procrastinating). But what did you think? all the comments seem to love this so it'd be interesting to see if anyone agrees with anything I mentioned.

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Enemies to Lovers in what world??

This drama wasn't enemies to lovers but more like fake dating to real dating.

Before we get into it, keep in mind that this is my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone!!

The Good:
I liked her attitude throughout the show. She taught herself every fighting technique she could to avoid being the damsel in distress and I liked that.
I also thought it was a nice reality check to reporters out there who have no problems ruining someone's life for a buck. It was also like a reality check for fans out there who are more like stalkers than genuine fans. Some fans out there really believe that they own their idols and get the final say on their relationships. It's sad to see that fans can't even be happy for a guy if they don't deem the female "worthy" of him.

The Bad:
It wasn't enemies to lovers at all. She thought he was a predator and hated him for that (valid). But when she found out he wasn't (like two episodes later), not only did she not hate him, she saw him as an angel. As if not being a pedophile makes you an amazing guy. That shouldn't even be a thought, that's not even the bare minimum-- that should be a given.
Also, he didn't hate her at any point. I can't stand when people call a relationship enemies to lovers when only one of the two hates the other. He actually liked her from the start. He wanted the fake relationship in hopes of it becoming a real thing. In what world is that enemies?

I also felt like their reasonings for hating the entire opposite gender didn't really stand. She hated all men because out of all the men she's been with, they've been horrible. But she only ever surrounded herself with bad men. Obviously if you surround yourself around bad people, they are going to do bad things-- that's also a given. Then they make it seem like he was the best guy ever when he was just acting like a normal guy in a relationship. She was down bad simply because he wasn't like all the horrible guys she chose to be around. I kind of wish she had a valid reason for hating men. Even when she got cheated on in school, she didn't seem to care. I get her not wanting to get married because of her dad but even that's kind of just choosing the wrong man. I wish he'd have been a good partner before they got married then did a 180 when they got married. That would make more sense for why she didn't want to get married.

As for the guy, his mom was a gold digger and so now he assumes every other women is like that..? He hated all women but it was more like he couldn't stand entitled actresses (which makes sense). I don't know why they were both around horrible people and assume the whole gender is like that. Then when they meet each other their like "Maybe all women/men aren't so bad" which was like DUH!!

Then this anxiety thing that didn't make sense. He got nauseous around all woman because one girl broke up with him and called him a stalker like 10 years ago. bsfr. And how come she was the only one who didn't give him anxiety? that fact was kind of thrown in and it didn't even make much sense. They should've just said that he likes tough, independent women and called it a day. Him brushing his teeth and gagging after the kiss was something else. he did not have to do all that lolll.

Did anyone else feel like the hatred to the other gender was random? It didn't really add anything to the storyline. Yeah the girl made it seem like he was gay but that just ties in to the anxiety thing. I thought they would've hated each other as they reflected everything they thought they hated in the gender but actually ended up liking each other. OR SOMETHING.

Then my next issue, there was no antagonist or anything that gave this series life. I only finished this show because it was 10 episodes long and I was playing games on my phone at the same time. There was nothing that really made this show interesting. Maybe it would've been better if they actually hated each other but were forced into a fake relationship or something! Instead it was just two people in a fake relationship slowly fall in love. Which was nice but boring.

I also didn't get why Won Joon liked Na Eun even though she was just a regular girl. None of the characters stood out so it didn't make sense that the guy who was surrounded by a bunch of girls couldn't stop thinking about another regular girl. Like she acted just like the rest of the girls so what about her made him stop and change everything? Same with him. Neither of them stood out (actions wise) so why fall for each other?

Final Thoughts:
Like I said this show was okay. It had more problems than good things and that brought it down a bunch. I liked her bad b personality but that was mostly it. There was nothing in the show that added life and that also made it a struggle to watch. I liked the actors but that was also about it. They should've changed the name and not make it seem like two people who hate each other are forced into a fake relationship and make it seem like how it is: two people in a fake relationship falling in love.

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Packed with heart and pretty faces, but weighed down by logic gaps and narrative loops.

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️
This one's a bit long- so if you like slightly detailed reviews, you're gonna (hopefully) love this.

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good

The Casting Was a Gift
Let’s be real: watching Byeon Woo Seok and Song Geon Hee for 16 episodes was a blessing. The entire cast was easy on the eyes, but these two definitely carried a chunk of the show's watchability on their ridiculously attractive backs.

That Soundtrack Slapped
Honestly, the music was the MVP. The song Sun Jae wrote for her? Instant classic. The rest of the OST was just as strong — emotional, memorable, and the kind you keep on your playlist long after the drama ends.

Sun Jae’s Over-the-Top Love
Some people thought his love was too much — and yeah, the air-kissing scene was… a choice — but overall, I found it sweet. There’s something adorable about someone being head-over-heels, timeline-spanning in love. I just wish it had felt more earned. With a bit more depth to their story, this could’ve hit me even harder.

The Bad

Im Sol’s Lack of a Plan
Im Sol’s entire approach to time travel is… questionable, to say the least. After Sun Jae dies, instead of focusing on stopping the serial killer or figuring out how to protect him, her first instinct is to ghost him. Really? You’ve got a chance to save him, and you choose to avoid him like he's the one toxic ex you can’t escape? She spends her time reacting emotionally, but there's little thought behind her actions. She’s supposed to be a grown woman with life experience, yet she acts like a teenager with no game plan. Avoiding Sun Jae just wasn’t the move here.

Im Sol’s Lack of Survival Skills
Then there’s the sheer recklessness of her actions. She decides to lure the serial killer by herself, walking down a creepy alley with zero backup plan. Was she expecting him to follow her into a trap? If he had, no one would have known where she was. She’s a 30-something-year-old woman, but here she is, making choices that scream “I never learned basic survival skills.” This is especially frustrating because her lack of caution directly contributes to Sun Jae’s death. The serial killer was around, and she had no plan—just bad decisions all around.

The Villain That Wasn’t
Young Soo, the villain, is a major letdown. There’s no backstory, no motive, and he has no real purpose other than to create unnecessary drama. He’s obsessed with Im Sol for reasons unknown, and we never get any answers. For a character who’s supposed to be a threat, he’s more of a plot device. His death is anticlimactic—taken out by a random truck. What was the point of all the buildup? His character never really adds anything substantial to the story, and his unsatisfying end just leaves more questions than answers.

A Love Story That Did the Most
Sun Jae and Im Sol’s love story was sweet... if you only focus on the small moments. But zoom out, and it quickly becomes way too much. Im Sol’s side of things felt like an unhealthy obsession with Sun Jae. She’s so caught up in him that she neglects her family, especially her grandma, who has dementia. Hello? You had a chance to reconnect, and instead, you’re running around saving the guy? It made her love feel a bit too consuming, like everyone else existed just as a backdrop to Sun Jae. On Sun Jae’s side? The whole “obsessed after one rainy day” thing was hard to believe. A yellow umbrella and some candy, and suddenly he’s writing songs and tracking her down? Cute, but totally insane. And the weird part? He’s been obsessed the whole time, but in the beginning, he acts like she’s the annoying one. The disconnect here was maddening and made it hard to buy into his whole “I’ve always loved you” act.

The Friend & Brother Duo No One Asked For
Let’s talk about Hyun Joo and Im Geum. Their relationship was a mess. Hyun Joo’s undying love for Im Geum felt utterly undeserved. The guy made so many poor decisions, like blowing all their money on some random friend’s company and giving away lottery numbers. And yet, we’re supposed to root for them? Why? She had three kids with this guy, but I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d packed up and left after the first dumb investment. Im Geum was a walking disaster. From his absurd crying over an ex at a camp retreat to his general lack of maturity, he was nothing but a giant, unnecessary subplot. Purposefully dumb characters like him are a pain to watch, and this pair’s scenes were the hardest to sit through.

Grandma Knows Everything?
Okay, can we talk about Grandma for a second? How did she know everything about the past without the watch? How was she time traveling? She was like the show’s magical plot hole, and the writers never bothered to explain any of it. It was beyond frustrating, especially when even Sun Jae couldn’t figure things out until the very end. She was a walking mystery that the show never even tried to solve, leaving me scratching my head over how she could be so all-knowing without any actual explanation.

The Drama Refused to End
By episode 12, I was done. I swear, this drama just kept going in circles. Sol avoids him, Sun Jae chases her, they get cute, and then… rinse and repeat. It felt like we were watching the same cycle over and over, and I honestly started zoning out by the end. The drama dragged, and by the time we got to the last episodes, I was begging for it to just end. We were running a marathon, not watching a K-drama. The fluff piled on, and the episodes started to feel like filler. At a certain point, you have to ask, “Is this a K-drama, or are we just going through the motions?”

The Ending
Let’s break the ending down into two parts.
First, the time travel—suddenly, it’s all perfectly controlled. Im Sol just so happens to travel to the exact moment when Sun Jae falls for her? Convenient, but totally unrealistic. It felt like lazy storytelling, making everything fit neatly into the plot when we’d spent the whole drama dealing with time travel randomness.
And then there’s the paralyzed body mystery. In the final life, where she prevents Sun Jae from falling for her, how was she able to avoid the accident she was supposed to have? The taxi driver randomly decides to become a silent stalker instead of finishing the job? The logic didn’t add up.
Lastly, Sun Jae’s suicide. Was it on purpose or just a random accident? We’re never really told. His depression seemed to only exist in one timeline, but did Young Soo push him? It’s another thread left dangling, with no closure.

Final Thoughts:
Lovely Runner had all the ingredients to be great—a unique premise, a gorgeous cast, strong performances, and an OST worthy of repeat listens. But somewhere along the way, it traded depth for swoon, and logic for vibes. The writers seemed so focused on making Sun Jae the ultimate simp that they forgot to build a believable love story—or a plot that made sense.

Despite the setup, the romance never felt earned, the villain was more plot device than person, and the side characters took up way too much screen time for how little they contributed. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cast, I doubt this show would’ve made half the noise it did.

By the final stretch, the endless loop of tragedy and reset got exhausting. And let’s be real—just because a drama can be 16 episodes doesn’t mean it should be. In the end, Lovely Runner wasn’t a sprint or a marathon—it was more of a scenic detour with great visuals, killer tracks, and way too many slow-mo stares

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"I hope you're hungry... For nothing"

This drama was the biggest let down of the year. From the reviews to the edits, I expected a masterpiece enemies-to-lovers. But instead, I got an arrogant, bare-minimum, (lowkey) narcissistic male lead, and a female lead who (while smart, quick witted, and brave) not only justifies every single thing he does, but accepts his bare minimum acts as if it's out-of-this-world love instead of what it is.

Quick Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! I respect everyone's opinions who liked this show! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

I had such high hopes walking into this drama because of how many people recommended it and at first, I got the hype. When the female lead, Qiao Man, set the sulfur on fire and then ran to him with a bunch of arrows behind her, I can't tell you how many times I went back. They really set this show up during the beginning. But sadly, as the episodes went on, it quickly went down hill. Let's break this up into "Good" and "Bad" (with subtitles) to keep it organized.

The Good
Qiao Man Really Stepped Up
Qiao Man was such a queen. I love when women in historical shows break the norms and act like a boss. She was so clever and she was guiding armies and slaying the game. Despite the relationship part (that I mention below) she was such a queen.

The Side Characters' Romance Carried
The best part of the show was the side characters' relationship. Wei Liang and Xiotao, and Bi Zhi and Qiao Fan were so cute. I loved watching their scenes and watching their relationships develop. They made the main relationship bareable.

The Bad
I Couldn't Stand Wei Shao
Wei Shao was so annoying, like, 90% of the time. He had such toxic masculinity that it was so hard to like him. I get that back in the day, most men had toxic masculinity, but this is a drama and things can be altered. Plus Wei Liang and Bi Zhi didn't act the way that he did. For example, he's the type of guy who would miss his wife terribly and yet would refuse to go and see her unless she came to him or asked for him. Like just go see your wife, we're tired. He never took the time to truly understand who Qiao Man was and it showed. I get that at first it's the thought that counts, but after a while, it becomes ridiculous.

And he was also incredibly PETTY! I couldn't stand how petty this man was. He was always overly mad at her for no reason and she always either justified it, or apologised (even if it wasn't her fault). It was like he loved a reason to be mad at her. And he'd be mad for so long too-- he'd even go as far as to sleep in the freezing government office because of his pettiness. Like when he read her wish boat and hurt because he thought he loved her more. First off, why does it matter if you love your wife more? And second, why go behind her back to read her note and then randomly be mad at her without even saying anything? It was like walking on eggshells with him and it was so overdone and not even worth it. I think he apologised once the entire show (and that wasn't even when he literally choked her).

I also couldn't stand how he did nothing but the bare minimum the entire show and everyone (in the show) seemed to have eaten it up. I get that he's a war lord and had his issues, but when he fell in love, he didn't do anything that wasn't already expected of a husband. When I watch dramas, I usually like/expect the husband to go above and beyond and do things many husbands/ men wouldn't do in the real world (like Sang Yan in The First Frost). I want to kick my feet and scream in my pillow! So when they not only act like a arrogant jerk the whole time but their redemption ark is just basic level husband things, it fails to land. He didn't bring much in terms of "husband goals" to begin with and what he brought, wasn't good enough. It just wasn't.

SLOWWWW Burn
Now I love a slow burn as much as the next person, but a show still needs to flow. This was much too much of a slow burn that they didn't even kiss until episode 29 (not drunk). Out of 36. This was much too slow and what made it worse is that they gave us nothing to kick our feet at until the near end of the show. And don't get me wrong, I fully understand that love is SOOO much more than intimate moments, but they didn't even give us any cute scenes continually throughout the show. We get like two cute scenes during the whole show up until ep 29..? What even is that? Like with Hidden Love, even though they didn't get together until later in the series, we were given enough cute scenes, full of chemistry, in the episodes leading up to it. And the male lead wasn't overly rude and blind during that time. So while it was also a slow burn, it wasn't the ML fighting his feelings for 60% of the show, then bare minimum effort for the next 20% before they finally kiss (and then some...) from episode 29 and up. It's like, I get slow and steady wins the race but it also doesn't. This didn't. Everyone finished and went home.

Qiao Man Was Too Good for Him
While Qiao Man had plenty of lovely qualities, she was way too lenient and forgiving for this man. Everytime he did something to her, she either justified it or blamed herself. Even when he chocked her, she justified it. It was so annoying watching her try so hard for a man that wasn't giving anything in return. She seemed to love him WAY MORE than he loved her and the writers didn't even bother to hide it.

And on top of that, I never understood when she said "He just seems cold but he's actually super kind and warm <3" Girl What? When? He was always mad and always cold. Once again, he gave her the bare minimum and she confused it for "Warmth and Kindness". I just couldn't wrap my head around their relationship and was way more interested in Bi Zhi and Qiao Fan.

Boya and Bi Zhi

Enough of the relationship, let's get into the storyline now. Anyone else think that Bi Zhi would've become the ruler of Boya and team up with Wei Shao to take control of other states? It was a bit disappointing when Bi Zhi became the Commander and then they just left it there. Like when they put the Qiao flag down, I thought it would've been the beginning of him taking control but they kind of just left it there.

The Ending
The ending was so unfortunately rushed. The show had nothing but filler for most of the middle episodes and when it finally got good, the show was at the end. The huge war and fights were squished into the last episode and the episode wasn't even longer than the rest. Most of the villains' in this show died off... quite pathetically. There was no fight, no intense near-death experiences, nothing. Despite the fact that they made such an uproar and shook the comfort of the Wei State, they died off in the span of 20 minutes. It really looked like the Wei Clan was going to be defeated and yet they won with a couple of speeches and like five really lucky, unkillable men. I wish they had the war brewing through the whole show and didn't wait until the final episode for the showdown. The defeat didn't go the way I expected and that wasn't a good thing. We didn't get enough time to process it and get into it.


I could keep going but this is getting long and you get my point. I really wanted to like this drama but I found it so hard too. I'm a drama reviewer (I have a blog) and I think it's forced me to take off the rose coloured glasses and see all the issues with dramas that I once overlooked. This show was so hard to like that the only reason I finished it was to tick it off my list. I hope no one got offended as that wasn't my intention.
Since everyone loved this drama (based on the reviews), what did you think of my points? Do any of you agree with me?

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The show that wanted to be deep, but tripped over its own punchlines

A show about success, failure, and mental illness—except the mental illness part was mostly sidelined for comedy.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good
The Side Couple That Saved Me
Honestly, Hong Ran and Dae Yeong carried this show. Their dynamic kept me going through a lot of it and I don’t know if I would’ve made it through the show without them.

Mental Illness Done Right (Mostly)
Jeong Woo’s portrayal of PTSD was done really well. It felt authentic, uncomfortable in the right ways, and was portrayed with strong emotional depth. Ha Neul’s depression arc was also meaningful—though I have a few mixed thoughts on how it played out (we’ll get to that below).

The Rivalry That Was Pure Entertainment
Was their academic rivalry necessary for the plot? No. Was it ridiculously petty and fun to watch? Absolutely. Their competitive antics provided a nice little break from the heavier stuff, and honestly, I appreciated those moments more than I expected.


The Bad
An Obnoxious Amount of Drinking
This show was 90% drinking, and honestly? Why?
I won’t get into the drinking-on-meds situation since that’s been thoroughly dragged elsewhere (lol), but beyond that, it was just too much. The drinking rarely added to the story and eventually felt like filler—like they didn’t know what else to do with a scene, so they tossed in a soju bottle and called it a day. It started off funny but quickly veered into “okay, we get it” territory.

Her Depression Arc Could Have Been Way Stronger
I saw a lot of comments praising Ha Neul’s portrayal of depression, but honestly? I kind of disagree.
While they acknowledged her struggle, the show never fully explored the real depth of depression: things like exhaustion, hopelessness, isolation, difficulty even getting out of bed. They leaned so hard into the comedy that the entire theme of mental illness got pushed to the side.
Sure, Ha Neul had moments where she talked about her struggles, but that was pretty much it. She mostly seemed fine throughout the series—and while I get that depression isn’t always visible, this is a drama.
And then there’s the psychiatrist situation. So she gets taken off meds and told she doesn’t need therapy anymore because she “feels better”? That didn’t sit right. Depression doesn’t magically disappear when your circumstances improve or you start dating someone. It comes in waves and doesn’t always align with external “success.” This show made it seem like all you need is a good man and a less toxic job and voilà, you’re cured.
For a show that marketed itself around two doctors leaning on each other through mental health struggles, it didn’t seem all that interested in actually exploring that theme beyond surface level.

They Should Have Stayed Just Friends
As much as the show wanted us to believe they had chemistry, their interactions screamed friend zone more than romance. The writers should have adjusted the story to make them feel like actual romantic leads instead of just throwing them together because, well… lead characters must date, I guess.

Bada Deserved Actual Development
Bada was basically the “useless younger brother” label personified. Why?
He was treated like the sibling who was always lesser, always the disappointment, and always overlooked. Imagine if he and Ha Neul had a real argument about it. Then, a proper reconciliation where they talked through it, shifting his mindset from “I’ll always be behind her” to “I have my own strengths”.
Instead, we got a guilt-ridden monologue about being a burden, and then nothing. Every side character ended up revolving around Ha Neul, as if their only functions were to orbit her, “fix themselves” for her sake, or support her growth.

His Parents Should Have Stayed a Mystery
There’s nothing more obvious than randomly added storylines, and this show had a lot of them, including the barely-there, cold parents reveal. While Jeong Woo’s mom made sense in relation to Kyung Min’s grudge, her distant, emotionally unavailable persona never actually affected Jeong Woo. Like, when he came in second place, his reaction was shock when it should’ve been fear or something tied to his childhood. Instead, they just tossed the emotionally distant parent subplot into the mix without really doing anything with it. (Sigh)

Kyung Min Deserved a Different Ending
His ending? Disappointing. Instead of facing real consequences or reconciling with Jeong Woo, he just… died.
He had moments where he genuinely cared for Jeong Woo—he was there at his graduation, he had their shared history, and yet? The writers didn’t give him the chance to actually make amends before his death. They had no problem adding drunk scenes every episode and dragging them out, yet they were so quick to wrap up the storyline that actually mattered to the plot…?


The Ending Was a Mess
I’ve said this before, but let me say it louder: the ending made no sense. The therapist tells Ha Neul she’s healed, but how? When did we ever see her actually build coping mechanisms or face her depression head-on? All we saw was her vibe better because she got a boyfriend and a new job. What happens when life gets hard again? What happens if they break up? Instead of making it seem like they were each other’s only saving grace, they should have learned real ways to cope together.
Depression doesn’t just vanish when things start looking up—and especially not when your coping method is “have fun with your new man.” The way they handled mental illness felt more like a plot tool for romance rather than something they actually wanted to explore. Don’t centre your plot around two doctors (hello??) dealing with mental health and then make them behave like they know nothing about it.
Why is the woman who reads dissertations for fun not reading a single one on depression? Why are two literal doctors drinking heavily on meds and making wildly irresponsible decisions like they’re in college? It just didn’t line up.


Final Thoughts
I feel like I’ve made my stance pretty clear throughout, but here’s the nice little bow on top. This show was disappointing, to say the least. It started off promising and had me intrigued with its setup, the trauma, the mystery. But it went downhill fast. I originally rated this a 6/10, but honestly? No clue why I was feeling so generous. Maybe I had emotions back then that I just don’t have now.
The biggest issue? This drama wanted to be a comedy so badly that it completely sidelined its serious themes for cheap laughs. Worse, it forgot that its characters were supposed to be doctors. So things that might be a bit more understandable for the average person made zero sense when professionals were making the same bad choices. I guess it was my fault for expecting this to be a drama highlighting the struggles of success and mental illness. But hey, that’s exactly how they marketed it. Lesson learned: next time, I won’t believe the trailer or any overly promising descriptions.

~~~

What were your thoughts on this drama? Did you enjoy it like a lot of people or did you agree with some of the points I mentioned??

This didn’t even include everything 😂😂. But I still hope you got what I meant.

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Twenty Five Twenty One: I Came for the Romance, Stayed for the Edits

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good

The Actors
I say this in almost every review, but the acting? Chef’s kiss. Especially Kim Tae-ri as Hee Do—her crying scenes hit hard, and not in a dramatic K-drama way, but in a “wait, am I intruding on a real moment?” way. The raw emotion, the red eyes, the realism—it was so good it blurred the line between fiction and reality.

The Breakup
People say Hee Do would’ve fought harder for the relationship, but honestly? She did. She waited, she compromised, she swallowed a lot of disappointment. But after months of being stood up and feeling like a background character in her own love story, even Hee Do had her limits. When Yi Jin missed dinner with her mom, it wasn't just a scheduling conflict—it was a turning point.

Her breakup wasn’t abrupt, it was a slow, painful realization that she was walking into the same lonely life she lived as a kid with her mom. She saw the future and it looked like emotional déjà vu: workaholic partner, neglected family, inner child re-traumatized. Letting go wasn’t giving up—it was an act of self-preservation. Sometimes love is knowing when to leave before resentment replaces what was once beautiful.

The Scenes
The drama had its mess (see: “The Bad”), but wow, some scenes were cinematic gold. The friend group scenes were both heartwarming and a little heartbreaking for us friendship-deprived viewers (just me?). The fencing matches were so intense I forgot to blink, and the Madrid scene? Just pain. Soul-crushing, beautiful pain.

The Bad

Fencing Skills—Too Fast, Too Furious
I know K-drama characters are built different, but Hee Do’s glow-up in fencing felt a little too miraculous. One week she’s getting clowned at her old school, and the next she’s out-dueling Yu Rim, the fencing queen of Korea? Sure, she trained hard, but that kind of level-up usually comes with a time skip, not a montage. Did she just suddenly become psychic with everyone else's moves too? Unclear.

Yi Jin’s Big Apple Detour
Why did Yi Jin move to New York? Genuinely asking. The man had unresolved trauma there, looked miserable, and yet just… went? It felt like the writers spun a globe and said, “Here, New York.” Not to mention he made that choice without much thought for Hee Do, his brother, or, you know, anyone. And calling Hee Do’s support a burden? Sir, please go sit in the time-out corner.

So What Was This Drama About?
Romance? Yes. Fencing? Kinda. Friendship? Also yes? The show felt like it wanted to be ten things at once and ended up spreading itself too thin. It never fully committed to one storyline, so even great moments got a little lost in the shuffle. A tighter focus—like making Madrid the climax for both sports and emotional arcs—could’ve made the story land harder. Instead, it wandered, and at times... yeah, it got a little boring.

Too Real, Too Painful
This drama said, “Let’s talk about how nothing lasts forever,” and I was not emotionally prepared. It hit too close to home with its realism—watching friends drift apart, love fade, and life move on was depressing in the “ugh, fine, you're right” kind of way. I get that slice-of-life doesn’t always mean happy endings, but sometimes I want to be delusional. Let me pretend things work out perfectly forever, okay? That’s why I’m here!

Final Thoughts
This drama was just… fine. Not bad, not great—just aggressively average. It didn’t live up to the hype, and if I’m being honest, the only reason it’s not rated lower is because of that one beach scene song and the emotional edits people made online (they really did the heavy lifting).

The cast was great and there were cute moments, but it didn’t land for me the way it clearly did for others. It’s one of those shows I’ll forget the second I hit “post.” Moral of the story? Keep your expectations in check, or you’ll end up more disappointed than necessary. Glad I watched it—gladder it’s off my watchlist.

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When the Phone rings: a show that progressively got more disappointing as it went on

The good:
The Casting & Plot Twist
Chae Soo Bin as Hee Joo was perfect and Yoo Yeon Seok as Baek Sa Eon was also a good choice. The first two episodes were amazing, it really had you interested instantly which can be difficult for a lot of shows. The plot twist with Baek Sa Eon not actually being Baek Sa Eon and that linking to the orphanage was a good twist. One other thing that I sort of understood and liked was how he started to care for her after she almost died. I especially liked the scene at the beginning when he sees her safe and we see him visibly relax.

The Bad
Buckle up — this is going to be a lot.
Their Relationship (or Lack Thereof)
This had the potential to be a great romance, but instead, it was rushed, messy, and absolutely ridiculous. Let’s break it down.
First off, why was Sa Eon so cold and distant toward Hee Joo for three whole years if he actually wanted the marriage? He planned the whole bride swap and then acted like it was some massive inconvenience to him. At first, I genuinely thought he wanted the older sister and got stuck with Hee Joo by accident. Turns out, he actually wanted to marry her — but his reasoning for being cold was ridiculous. He was “scared to let her in and care for her.” WHAT? WHY? We’re given no real explanation beyond that. Some people theorize it’s because of his childhood trauma, but that doesn’t really make sense to me. He was supposed to be Sa Eon until death — there was no replacing him after that. It’s not like they could swap him out again! Plus she didn’t have the money to leave even if she wanted to. So what exactly was stopping him from treating Hee Joo like a human being?
What exactly was preventing him from just… being with her? It’s like they wanted to write a brooding, conflicted male lead but forgot to give him an actual reason to brood or be conflicted. Real Baek Sa Eon would’ve come after her regardless, no hesitation.
Speaking of which, Hee Joo getting over those three awful years in, like, two minutes was absurd. She spent all that time hating her life, feeling invisible, only for him to show up a couple of times, and suddenly, she’s completely over it? The deep, unconditional love she had for him was never earned, and frankly, he didn’t deserve it. We should’ve seen him work for her forgiveness, fight for their relationship, and prove himself. Instead, we got… what? One camp retreat? That was it? Very disappointing to say the least..

The Jealousy…?
This ties into the relationship issue, so let’s address it. Sa Eon had absolutely no reason to be jealous of Sang Woo or the co-worker from the camp retreat. Just because they liked her doesn’t mean she liked them. It was obvious Hee Joo didn’t feel anything for Sang Woo, so his jealousy just felt forced. Sang Woo was just a good guy who learned sign language to be a supportive friend. The co-worker? Literally just being polite. And yet, Sa Eon was throwing around attitude like he owned her. It felt like he was mad that Hee Joo had any kind of chemistry (even non-romantic) with other men because he hadn’t built any chemistry with her — which was entirely his fault. Let’s not forget that regardless if she had chemistry or not with the others, she’s MARRIED to HIM! His whole vibe was giving, “I don’t want her, but I don’t want anyone else to have her either,” which was beyond annoying.

The Sign Language Fail
The show completely dropped the ball on this. This could’ve been such a sweet way to develop their relationship, but no. Despite supposedly liking her for years, Sa Eon never bothered to learn sign language? If they wanted to sell this whole “he loved her all along” narrative, why not have him secretly learn sign language? Imagine how much more powerful it would’ve been if, during that moment at the British Event (in the first or second episode) when she was angrily signing at him for calling her his weakness, he actually understood her. He could’ve understood her frustration and grown from it. For example, if she’s sick of him leaving dirty dishes in the sink, she could sign her annoyance. The next day, the sink would be spotless, leaving her both confused and touched. Think about it!!

Sang Woo Married… Who Now?
Sang Woo marrying Yu Ri was a surprise — and not in a good way. There was zero romantic chemistry between them at any point in the show. When they worked on the case together, they acted like two buddies solving a mystery, not two people falling in love. What made it worse (and kind of funny) was that Sang Woo was still obviously into Hee Joo, and Yu Ri had always had a crush on Sa Eon. The engagement announcement was so awkward, I thought it was a joke. At the end, when they’re all invited to Hee Joo and Sa Eon’s new home, Sang Woo looks visibly jealous when Hee Joo and Sa Eon share a cute moment. Then, when he and Yu Ri hold hands, he seems shy and not exactly thrilled. Man really settled for the next available option. Tough break.

The Family Dynamics…?
Hee Joo must have superhuman levels of forgiveness because her mother put her through years of emotional trauma, and it’s just… fine? No big deal? Her mom literally forced her into silence, yet we never get a proper reconciliation or even a moment where Hee Joo decides to cut her off. Her mom was manipulative and rude to her throughout the whole show, and we only saw her caring when she thought Hee Joo was dead.
Also, what was her relationship with her stepdad like? They interact maybe once the entire show, and that’s it. Whenever something happens to Hee Joo, he doesn’t seem to care or be worried at all. Meanwhile, the older sister’s return felt pointless. She revealed some information to Hee Joo, but that could’ve been discovered in other ways. Her messing with Sa Eon’s parents during the cooking thing was just random. She didn’t add much to the story after her initial revelations.

The Last Episode Was a Whole Different Show
The final episode went so off the rails, I had to double-check if I was still watching the same drama.
First, Sa Eon sells all his stuff and disappears after hearing “bad” news from real Sa Eon. Then Hee Joo finds out he’s in a war-torn country (that doesn’t exist). So naturally, she flies there alone and immediately heads straight to the most dangerous part, because why not? Predictably, she gets captured and then in the most ridiculous plot twist ever, she’s randomly rescued by a group of good guys — and who else but Baek Sa Eon just happens to be among them? What are the odds! The whiplash from this storyline was insane. The plot was so lost that by the end, the title of the show didn’t even make sense anymore. It’s ‘When the Phone Rings’ until about episode 6, and then it’s a complete mess.
And let’s not forget why Sa Eon left in the first place. He was punishing himself. It was his father's fault certain things happened. And what was Sa Eon doing during all of this? Fishing. In the woods. With some random old man. But somehow, he feels guilty? Make it make sense.

Small Things That Annoyed Me
Hee Joo and Yu Ri’s Friendship: I never felt like they were actually friends. They barely spoke the entire show. When Yu Ri finds out Hee Joo can talk, she’s upset she was never told — but they weren’t even that close.
The Wattpad Vibes: This show felt like it was written for 13-year-old girls. While that might work in a Wattpad story, it doesn’t translate well to a show meant for older teens and adults. The story would’ve been so much better if it had been adapted for a more mature audience.
Park Do-Jae’s Survival: Park Do-Jae (the friend) surviving after being beaten, drowned, and stabbed in the span of a few hours was insane. Is he immortal?
Hee Joo on the Phone: Hee Joo talking to Sa Eon on the “406” phone dragged on forever. When she fell off the cliff, she was clearly in pain and out of breath — on the phone — and still didn’t think he’d notice? It was so obvious, and the whole thing felt unnecessarily drawn out.
Hee Joo’s Sudden Speech: After years of being mute, Hee Joo starts speaking, and no one really cares? Everyone was shocked but moved on so quickly. There were no real questions or explanations — it was just accepted and forgotten. Huh?

Final Points:
At the end of the day, When the Phone Rings had so much potential but got lost in its own chaos. From rushed relationships to a finale that felt like a different show, it’s a K-drama that could’ve been great but ended up being… well, a mess. Still, it gave us plenty to talk about — and sometimes, that’s half the fun. Would I recommend it? Maybe, but only if you’re ready for a wild ride (and a few facepalms along the way)!

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Come for the supernatural justice, stay for the complete disregard for logic around episode five

A Killer Paradox is a gritty thriller where justice, murder, and confusion all try (and sometimes fail) to play nice.

This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good
A Premise That’s Equal Parts Clever and Chaotic
Leave it to Korean dramas to casually invent a concept where a guy can sense evil, kill people, and somehow walk away squeaky clean. It’s not just unique, it’s genius.

Casting That Actually Understood the Assignment
These actors didn’t just play their roles—they became them. Tang’s awkward dread? Perfectly unhinged. Nan Gam’s deadpan, vague “I’d rather be anywhere else” vibe? Chef’s kiss. So hats off to the casting directors, you did your job right.


The Bad
The Momentum Died After Episode 4
It started strong, dripping with thriller vibes and edge-of-your-seat pacing. But around episode 4? The spark dimmed. The tension unraveled, the pacing dragged, and all the intensity that made the first few episodes addictive faded away. By the time Chon entered the chat, it felt like the writers reached into a grab bag labeled “plot twists?” and pulled out whatever came first.

Logic? We Don’t Know Her.
Roh Bin’s arrival sparked more chaos than clarity. The flashbacks tried to tether the plot together, but they couldn’t patch over the avalanche of unanswered questions. Like:
How did Roh Bin know about Tang and the others?
How did Nan Gam connect all these dots that apparently don’t exist? How did Roh Bin catch on too?
Chon’s sudden intel on Tang?
It’s one thing to leave breadcrumbs. It’s another to hand us a half-baked loaf and say “figure it out.” When the big questions stay unanswered, the mystery doesn’t deepen. It just dissolves into confusion.


Chon’s Fingers & The Decay Mystery
Was his body falling apart one digit at a time? Possibly. But instead of a reveal, we got finger-flicking montages and zero explanation. If it matters to the character, it should matter to the audience. And if you expect viewers to fill in the blanks, that’s not subtle storytelling, it’s sloppy execution. If the show doesn’t say it, it doesn’t exist.

Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, A Killer Paradox wasn’t a disaster… it just wasn’t good. The premise had bite: a guy who kills evil people and walks away clean? Intriguing. But what started with promise unraveled into a mess of unanswered questions and narrative confusion.
One of the core issues? The excitement around the premise overshadowed the basic groundwork. Not every moment has to be thrilling, but it does need to make sense. Why did Tang get his power? How did Roh Bin know about Tang and the other’s powers? These aren’t minor questions, they’re foundational. And when those answers are skipped, the story can’t land no matter how good the hook is.
Sometimes the quiet moments: where characters explain, reflect, or even argue, are exactly what tie everything together. Without those, you’re just left with goosebumps, a hammer, and a pile of plot holes that won’t disappear no matter how much evidence does.

~~~

That’s it for the review! This one was kind of shorter and I think it’s because I didn’t really have a lot to say about this, I really kind of just wanted to get this over with lol. But if you want the full version, lmk!

What did you think of this show? Maybe you saw things in a different way, let me know!

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This is what happens when a girlboss lawyer refuses to stay down, no matter who tries to bury her.

Why Her? follows Oh Soo Jae — a brilliant lawyer turned professor — as she fights corruption, old secrets, and questionable romance.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good
A Plot That Actually Held Up in Court
For a 16-episode legal drama with revenge, corruption, murder, and romance, it never lost momentum. The pacing had purpose, and every episode gave just enough to keep you hooked without tipping its hand too soon. When a drama leans into its own complexity and still keeps the viewer locked in? That’s not just good writing, it’s a rare achievement.

Oh Soo Jae Was That Girl
From the very first scene, Soo Jae walked in like the building owed her rent. Calculated, sharp, emotionally armored and yet still deeply human. Whether she was wiping blood off her face, shutting down political pawns, or casually threatening billionaires, she never lost control.

Every Thread Wove the Same Tapestry
You have to respect a writer who remembers their own plot. The fact that Jin Ki’s daughter, Chan’s sister, the three spoiled sons, Se Pil, Hansu Bio — literally everything — tied back into the main plot was so satisfying. Every loose end got resolved, every puzzle piece snapped into place. And let’s be honest, the only unanswered question was what we’re supposed to do with ourselves now that it’s over. And honestly? I’m okay with that.

The Bad
Oh Soo Jae: Girlboss… or Loyal Employee #457?
Let’s talk about that ending. After years of enduring Tae Kook’s manipulation, betrayal, and literal criminal coverups, Oh Soo Jae’s “final form” was a small firm and a university classroom? Sure, peace over power is valid, but it felt like she settled more than she triumphed. She walked straight into the lion’s den, vowed revenge, and then quietly filed paperwork for ten years instead. She spent years doing every vile thing he ordered her to do, only for it to amount to… basically nothing.
What made it worse was the irony: she called Jin Ki out for his decade of silence while doing the exact same thing. Like he literally faked her child’s death. Hello?



Chan: Boundary Issues in a Cinnamon Roll Wrapper
There’s persistent, and then there’s Gong Chan. Every time he showed up uninvited, declared he was sleeping at her house, or forced his “support” during trauma cooldown moments, I couldn’t help but cringe. Soo Jae repeatedly told him he was crossing the line, yet he kept vaulting over it like it wasn’t even painted. It gave strong “I know what’s best for you even though you said no” energy.
He didn’t respect her boundaries, and while Soo Jae eventually let him in, it doesn’t erase the manipulative undertone and the fact that he took advantage of every crisis. I just couldn’t stand how persistent and boundary-stomping he was and how the show expected us to swoon over it.

How Was Everyone Okay With The Teacher-Student Thing?
Let’s be blunt: it’s not just about age. It’s about power dynamics. Soo Jae was his professor. He called her “Ms. Oh.” She graded his papers. And she kissed him before midterms. That alone should have been enough for HR intervention or, at the very least, a serious conversation.


Jae Yi’s Death Felt Emotionally Manipulative
Why did Jae Yi have to die? I’m still irritated about it. That plot twist did nothing except slap Soo Jae with extra pain for shock value. Either the baby should’ve stayed dead at birth, or Jae Yi should’ve stayed alive. Pick one.

Having her survive just so she could get hit by a truck out of nowhere was so unnecessary; especially since the accident itself made no sense. She looked both ways. It was a quiet road. The truck should’ve seen her from a mile away. Why did no one see it until the last second? The whole thing was tragic for no good reason, and it honestly knocked the show down to an 8/10 for me. Sometimes sad for the sake of sad just feels cheap and this was one of those times.

Chan’s Cellmates: Friendship by Vibes Only
Let’s break this down: Chan was in prison for allegedly murdering his own sister. So when two older cellmates decided to befriend him and help him build a new life… how did they just know he didn’t do it? I mean we know he didn’t do it, but without knowing, how would you know? The evidence was mounting and he even said he did it during the prison tussle he got into. So what made them stop and think “I know he said he did it and all the evidence points to him, but I just know he didn’t do it”..? We got no backstory, no heart-to-heart, no “we’ve seen injustice before” bonding moment, just instant loyalty.

Money Is a Real Villain and That’s the Scariest Part
Honestly? The show felt almost too real in its depiction of elite corruption. What’s wild is that if you swapped out the names for real-life companies and politicians, you wouldn’t even blink. Coverups, false trials, bribery, buried evidence—it’s horrifying how plausible all of it is. The only thing that broke realism? That the rich people actually got exposed. Because in real life, they don’t always get courtroom monologues and public shame. They get settlements, NDAs, promotions, and vacations.

Justice Had Great Lighting, But No Teeth
I think what disappointed me most about the ending, besides Soo Jae’s half-baked “happy” ending, was that justice didn’t even feel properly served. When Tae Kook died, it wasn’t satisfying. It wasn’t earned. It was a sudden exit-stage-left that robbed the audience of watching him feel the consequences.
And what happened to the rest of the villains? Chairman Seong Beom? Hansu Bio? Assemblyman In Soo? The show hinted they’d face fallout but never showed it. So yeah, the ending didn’t hit nearly as hard as it could have, and it felt like it skipped the final chapter just to give Gong Chan and Soo Jae their umbrella moment. Cute. But not enough for a show this good.

Final Thoughts
This show was a near masterpiece, in my opinion. I was hooked from the second I hit play. With Oh Soo Jae being an absolute icon and the crime twist keeping every episode tense, what wasn’t to love? Even when I reached the end, the parts that annoyed me didn’t ruin the experience.

And honestly? If a drama can keep me glued to the screen, not drag things out just to hit 16 episodes, and give me a female lawyer lead who chews men up and spits them out, then I’m not complaining. Well, not too much.

Next time, just keep the student crushes out of the syllabus and we’re good.

~~~
What did you think of this show? It’s still one of my favourites despite its issues. If I choose to watch a show more than once, you know it’s a fav!

Did you like the relationship between Oh Soo Jae and Gong Chan or are you normal? Joking, you’re great 😉

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Cinderella at 2AM proved that even 10 episodes can feel long when nothing happens.

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️
This one's a bit long- so if you like slightly detailed reviews, you're gonna (hopefully) love this.

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good

Moon Sang Min as Joo Won
Let’s be real—Moon Sang Min carried this drama. His character was the only reason I powered through. Joo Won was so my type, and I don’t care what anyone says!! He was adorable, loyal, and had me seriously questioning my own standards. The casting? Chef’s kiss. He fit the role perfectly.

Si Won & Mi Jin’s Side Romance
Si Won and Mi Jin’s relationship was the real saving grace of this show. Their romance was way more entertaining than the main couple’s, and they stole the spotlight every single time they were on screen. Si Won was hilarious, Mi Jin had charm, and together they made every scene better. Usually, side character arcs bore me or feel like filler, but not this time—I was all in.

The Bad

Boring Story & Endless Loops
This drama was painfully slow and uneventful. Like… how does a show with fewer episodes than usual still feel like a marathon? From episode 3 to the very end, it was the same tired loop: Joo Won chasing, her pushing him away—and not in a flirty, will-they-won’t-they way. Just… pushing.

Her Unbalanced “Love”
Their love felt more like 20/80 than 50/50. Joo Won was out here treating her like his entire world, while she was giving the emotional equivalent of dry toast. I get that she was the one who ended things, but come on—where was the longing? The late-night breakdowns? The “almost called you but didn’t” scenes?
Sure, she mentions her feelings later, but by then it felt like a random info drop. There was no emotional buildup, so it didn’t land. And don’t get me started on the wedding. She put zero effort into planning and genuinely thought work achievements were more important than showing up for their future together. Like girl, be serious. He was rightfully upset, and I felt zero sympathy for her.

Underwhelming Acting Choices
No shade—it’s not easy being an actor—but I needed more range from Yoon Seo. Every time she was annoyed or uncomfortable, it was the same expression. If you’ve seen it, you know exactly which one I’m talking about. It got repetitive fast.

No Antagonist & Wasted Trauma
The show dragged because there was no real antagonist or tension. Joo Won’s mom? A minor inconvenience at best. No external pressure, no urgency—just vibes.
And the abuse storyline? Wasted. It could’ve added depth, but instead it felt like a sympathy card that went nowhere. Her trauma was barely explored. Her parents die off-screen, and the whole thing is forgotten. If they’d actually shown how that trauma affected her current relationship—maybe fears of repeating past patterns—it would’ve brought some much-needed emotional complexity.

Everyone Felt Like a Side Character
No one in this show had real development. It felt like everyone—even the leads—were just floating through. No character arcs, no personal growth. While Si Won & Mi Jin came close, the rest were flat and forgettable. It made the show feel hollow.

The “Block” Button?
This one's short: why didn’t she just block the number? Before she knew it was the artist, she had no reason to keep responding. Watching her get mad at texts she could’ve stopped instantly? Infuriating. Girl, just hit “block” and move on.

Final Thoughts

Cinderella at 2AM somehow made 10 episodes feel like 20. I didn’t go in with high expectations, and it still managed to underwhelm. By the end, I was half-watching—just trying to get through it.

Joo Won was perfection, and Si Won and Mi Jin brought some much-needed life, but it wasn’t enough to save a flat plot and one-sided romance. The pacing dragged, there were no real stakes, and the “other lover” subplot was as weak as the rushed wedding.

Honestly, the only reason I’d revisit this show is to remind myself what true loyalty looks like—because Joo Won really set the bar. So for that… I guess I owe it a tiny thanks. Just a little.

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A Psychological Tragedy About Survival, Control, and Obsession

A deep dive into Dear X, where loyalty, usefulness, and ambition collide in a story that feels less like a twist and more like a tragic inevitability.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

**Quick heads-up: I want to make it clear that I’m not a psychologist and I’m not trying to force a diagnosis onto these characters. Everything I’ve written comes from my own interpretation through research, and I could very well be wrong. My goal isn’t to excuse their actions, but to explore the psychological roots behind them in a way that makes their stories easier to understand.**

~~

Baek Ah Jin: Why “Selfishness” Was Survival
Baek Ah Jin is one of those characters who looks cruel on the surface but starts to make sense once you look at the world she grew up in. From the start, her life taught her that love was dangerous and trust was a trap. An alcoholic mother who beat her, a father who killed that mother in front of her eyes, and a stepmother who plotted to exploit her—none of the adults in her life ever offered safety. When you grow up in a house where affection is always conditional and betrayal is inevitable, you don’t learn how to be vulnerable. You learn how to survive.

When she later manipulated Jun Seo as a child, it wasn’t because she enjoyed hurting him. It was because she understood that being needed, believed, and protected was the only way she wouldn’t be discarded. Ah Jin didn’t see manipulation as immoral. She saw it as necessary. She grew up viewing people less as emotional connections and more as variables: who is safe, who is useful, who is a threat. She avoided attachment not because she felt nothing, but because feeling something always ended badly.
Ah Jin wasn’t driven by ambition or malice as much as she was by a deep belief that closeness led to harm and that the only way to stay standing was to stay ahead.


Yun Jun Seo: Devotion Without a Self
Yun Jun Seo’s devotion felt extreme until you realise his entire sense of self was built around guilt and moral splitting. From childhood, he learned that love meant responsibility and that protection meant sacrifice. When Ah Jin entered his life, she didn’t just need help, she gave him clarity. By framing herself as the only one who cared and his mother as the threat, she offered a simple moral map to a child who desperately needed one. Watching his mother try to drown her didn’t just traumatise him, it locked that map in place.

That’s why her manipulation worked so well: his childhood had already primed him to believe that his mother was “bad” and Ah Jin was “good,” and once that split took hold, it never left. What complicated Jun Seo was that even as he grew older and became aware of Ah Jin’s manipulation, that moral framework never fully dissolved. He could recognise her actions as wrong without being able to reclassify her as bad because doing so would collapse the meaning of his entire childhood. So he separated the two: Ah Jin does terrible things, but Ah Jin herself is still good and needs protection. That was why her manipulation continued to work into adulthood. It didn’t rely on deception anymore, it relied on identity.

Jun Seo fused himself to Ah Jin so completely that without her, he had no sense of self. That’s why he carried guilt for not protecting her, why he wrote a book about her life, and why he kept orbiting her even when she didn’t need him anymore. His obsession wasn’t something he wanted or enjoyed, it was something he felt trapped inside. By the time Jun Seo reached adulthood, his life was no longer about wanting Ah Jin in a romantic sense, but about not knowing who he was without her. That’s why leaving was never an option, and why exposing her became the final, desperate attempt to resolve an impossible conflict. If he couldn’t save her and he couldn’t detach from her, then ending everything became the only way to remain consistent with the person he believed himself to be. His loyalty was suffocating, but it was also the only thing keeping him alive. Betraying Ah Jin was the last thing he ever allowed himself to do, and only because he didn’t plan to survive it.
Jun Seo wasn’t tragic because he loved too much. He was tragic because he was taught too young that loyalty was the only way to survive.


Kim Jae Oh: A Life Defined by Usefulness
Jae Oh’s loyalty may look noble but it’s really the product of emptiness. Growing up under an abusive father who seemed lost in delusion, he never learned to see himself as valuable. He wasn’t protected, praised, or guided, only tolerated. In that kind of environment, you don’t grow up wondering who you are, you grow up wondering what use you serve. So when Ah Jin told him he had “use,” he mistook that for validation. It didn’t matter that she meant it in the coldest, most transactional way, he heard it as proof that he mattered. He wasn’t looking for love or belonging, he was looking for permission to exist. That single moment rewired his sense of identity, and from then on, his life revolved around being useful to her.

What made Jae Oh different from Jun Seo was that his loyalty didn’t come from guilt or moral duty, but from validation. He never needed Ah Jin to be good. He only needed her to need him. That’s why her manipulation worked so easily and why it never truly stopped. He didn’t need promises or affection, he needed to believe he had a role. When Ah Jin begged for help, sacrificing himself felt like the ultimate fulfillment of his identity. Dying for her wasn’t tragic in his mind, it was the perfect ending. It was proof that his existence had meaning. His loyalty wasn’t driven by cruelty or romance, but by a lifetime of emptiness that convinced him that being used was the closest thing to being loved.

Unlike Jun Seo, who collapsed under the weight of obsession, Jae Oh’s ending was almost serene. Jae Oh died because he wanted to. Jun Seo died because he could no longer endure living. Jae Oh erased himself completely, leaving nothing behind but the certainty that he had been useful.
Jae Oh wasn’t tragic because he gave his life away. He was tragic because no one ever taught him that his life was his to keep.


The Triangle of Survival
What binds Ah Jin, Jun Seo, and Jae Oh together is not circumstance, but compatibility at the level of survival psychology. Each of them learned how to exist in a hostile world in a different way. Ah Jin survived by using people, Jun Seo survived by enduring people, and Jae Oh survived by erasing himself for people.

Understanding them doesn’t mean defending their choices. It means recognising that their actions didn’t appear out of nowhere. For Ah Jin, the world was cruel, weakness was unforgivable, and survival meant control. She didn’t experience events as choices she made, but as inevitabilities forced on her. Jun Seo, bonded to her through shared terror and loyalty. His identity fused around staying, protecting, and remaining faithful, because loyalty felt like morality to him. Jae Oh, bonded through usefulness, erasing himself in service. He believed, “If I’m useful, I deserve to exist.” Both looked to Ah Jin not for love, but for meaning — Jun Seo needed her to mean something, and Jae Oh needed her to assign meaning.

Trauma doesn’t justify harm, but it does explain why certain choices feel inevitable to the people making them. Ah Jin’s detachment, Jun Seo’s obsession, and Jae Oh’s self-erasure weren’t random dramatics; they’re the inevitable outcomes of lives built on abuse, abandonment, and the desperate need to matter. Their triangle doesn’t exist because Ah Jin is evil or because Jun Seo and Jae Oh are weak, but because each of them learned a different answer to the same question: how do you survive a world that never taught you how to be safe?

~~
The full version of this is on my blog if you want to go more in-depth!

And if you want to know how their mindsets affected their actions (Like Ah Jin’s cruelty to In Gang) and led to Jun Seo and Jae Oh’s eventual death (I break down the months prior and the thought processes in the moment), check out my blog (in my bio)!

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Nothing says ‘romance’ like ignoring your whole survival plan because of a pretty comic book boy

A girl rewrites her destiny inside a comic book world where every heartbeat might be her last.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕


The Good
A One-of-a-Kind Concept
The idea of high schoolers being trapped in a comic book and forced to say whatever the writer scripts? Absolute brilliance. Dan Oh discovering she’s not even the lead, but an extra with a tragic storyline and pre-scheduled death? Deliciously heartbreaking.

Kept the Momentum Without Dragging
Some viewers felt the middle episodes dipped, but I didn’t. Every new twist: Haru’s memory loss, more characters waking up, the previous story, added layers without slowing the pace.

She Chose Peace (And the Right Man)
Dan Oh not ending up with Kyung outside the stage storyline? That was the real reward. His redemption arc might’ve added nuance, but it didn’t erase the disrespect he dished out earlier. Even with his self-awareness, Kyung still reeked of long-term toxicity. So thank you, Dan Oh, for choosing Haru. Soft boy supremacy lives on.


The Bad
So Many Questions, Zero Answers
This drama dropped a truckload of questions and then backed away like it hadn’t. Haru changed the story… how? Who’s the writer pulling the strings? Why does the shadow even exist? Shouldn’t the characters just vanish until their next scene? And what exactly is the portal? Why was Kyung’s brother self-aware for all of five minutes, adding absolutely nothing? Why was the Squid Fairy basically the Comic Universe Wiki? These weren’t small plotholes, they were gaping wormholes. Instead of telling us, we got Haru and Dan Oh doing sad couple laps around the shadow dimension while the script was begging for answers.

Girl, You Had a Mission And Then You Saw a Jawline
Dan Oh came in swinging: determined to survive, rewrite her destiny, and reclaim control. But as soon as Haru entered frame, survival took a backseat and her only mission was to hang out with him. She had tunnel vision for a guy who, frankly, kept glitching in and out of existence. She went from “I’m rewriting my destiny” to “If I die, I die — as long as we hold hands in the forest.” Girl what?

Haru: Pretty, Powerful, but a Whole Blank Page
One question still drives me nuts: Who was Haru really? Because if you look closely, he didn’t exist outside of Dan Oh. Every scene? He’s either staring at her, thinking about her, talking to her or taking her away from Kyung. That’s it. No backstory, no parents, no hobbies, not even a room to sleep in, apparently.

I know, he started as an unnamed extra, but once he became a “real” character with a name and a bit of plot impact, you’d think we’d get something. He literally bent the rules of the comic world but had zero depth outside of “I like Dan Oh.”

The Squid Fairy Knew Too Much… and Told Too Little
How did the dried seafood mascot know everything? He was suspiciously informed for an extra. He knew the previous comic, the current comic, all the rules, the risks, pretty much everything. And yet, we never found out how. He was an extra in the past story and an extra here. So how does he get all the spoilers?

That Past Comic Was Just… There
Let’s be real, the Trumpet Creeper storyline was more confusing than helpful. It gave us a hint about Squid Fairy’s backstory and vaguely justified Haru’s attachment to Dan Oh, but as for actual relevance? Not much. Kyung digging through it like he was about to crack the Da Vinci Code only to… not crack anything was pointless. History repeating itself didn’t even deliver tension because, spoiler, Dan Oh survives anyway. It felt like a setup with no satisfying payoff. Like the show whispered, “This is deep,” and then walked away without explaining anything.

The Writer Was the Real Villain (and Also Lowkey Lazy)
I needed the author to show up in the final scenes with some dramatic flourish, or at least a post-it note of explanation. Instead, we’re left guessing: were these changes driven by character chaos, or did the writer just decide to pivot mid-story? Duh, it was the latter. The whole idea that Haru was “disrupting” the story makes zero sense. You’re fictional. The writer is just hitting backspace and rewriting you. That’s it. He got deleted because he was an extra who outlived his purpose. That’s not defiance, that’s editing.

Justice for Do Hwa—The Real MVP
Joo Da choosing Nam Joo over Do Hwa will forever baffle me. The scene that did it for me was when everyone bullied her about her old shoes so Do Hwa got her new ones. Nam Joo? A doll. Sir, she needed dignity, not decor. Joo Da claiming Nam Joo needed her in the shadow was confusing since he wouldn’t remember it anyway. What exactly were they preserving? Once she became self-aware, Nam Joo offered vibes at best and bare-minimum effort at worst. The fact that she chose the chaotic cardboard lead over someone who actually supported her? It’s giving True Beauty all over again.


Final Thoughts
In the end, I can only sum this review up with one thing: “?”. This show had an excellent premise and a solid A+ for originality, but it felt like they didn’t really know what to do with all that originality once they had it. Fresh ideas like this need actual explanations, but instead they used a brilliant plot to stage what turned into a half-hearted high school romance.

There was so much potential in the world they created, and it feels like they skimmed the surface instead of diving in. If you’re going to invent a layered, reality-bending setup, you need to stick the landing. Preferably with clear answers and characters who are more than just walking plot tools with romantic side quests.

In the end, the original concept carried the entire show… but it needed far fewer tears, way more answers, and maybe just a little less “I’d rather die than not date my shadow boyfriend.”

~~~

I always see this drama recommended, so what did you think? I was actually pleasantly surprised because I did think that by episode 16, I’d be bored out of my mind.

I cover more topics elsewhere so let me know if you want the full review (+What I Would Do!)

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A visually gorgeous drama that makes you work harder than a detective to figure out what's going on

Two storylines, zero correlation, and a cop who barely does her job—The Frog is a masterclass in how not to structure a thriller.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good

A Mystery Wrapped in a Postcard
I was about to say there was nothing good about this show until I remembered how visually stunning it was. Yeong Ha’s rental home was tucked away in one of the most breathtaking locations I’ve seen in a drama yet. If scenery could carry a plot, this show would’ve been a masterpiece.


The Bad
When the Comment Section Becomes a Study Guide
I originally gave this show a 1.5/10 until I dove into the comments and realized other viewers had become full-time detectives trying to make sense of it all. And while I appreciate the effort… that’s exactly the problem. If random internet strangers can explain the story better than the show itself, something’s off.


Two Timelines, Zero Connection
My biggest issue? The two stories had no meaningful correlation. Aside from the shared presence of the police officer, they may as well have been happening in alternate universes. These weren’t parallel stories; they were just two separate cases loosely glued together by theme. Yeong Ha could’ve sold his property at any time (which he eventually did), had a wealthy daughter, and wasn’t exactly struggling. Sang Jun, on the other hand, poured everything into his motel and lost it all.
And may I remind you, Yeong Ha got his happy ending. Everyone lived, he became a grandfather, and got to sell his home for (most-likely) a lot of money. Sang Jun lost everything. His wife killed herself, his son became a killer and almost killed himself too, and for a cherry on top, he lost his mind and is now trapped in a time that no longer exists. The contrast is so big, it’s almost laughable.

The Proverb Stretch
And that brings us to the frog proverb. “A frog dies from a stone thrown inadvertently.” Which is a poetic way of saying: careless actions can cause unexpected harm. Except in The Frog, no one’s careless. Hyang Cheol knew exactly what he was doing. He was malicious, intentional, and had no regrets. And Seong A? Her actions weren’t accidental—they were extremely personal. If anyone caused damage by accident, it was Yeong Ha, and even then, he was more passive than careless. His suffering came from deliberate inaction, not from being blindsided. A better fit would be “The frog pays for the hand that chooses to strike.” or something more fitting.
*I do realise that the proverb does kind of work with Sang Jun. He innocently gave the killer a room and then the whole thing played out.*

Plot Convenience Was Doing Overtime
Apparently, the police in this drama were just there for decoration until the final act. Seong A literally rammed Yeong Ha’s car in the middle of the day, in front of a police station and somehow, she’s back home in the next scene, like nothing happened. And Bo Min? Queen of being suspicious at all the wrong times. She’s always circling the cabin when nothing’s happening, yet nowhere to be found when a cop is killed, a man is beaten nearly to death, and a girl gets choked out. How are you suspicious about the cabin for five episodes straight but miss all the actual crimes?

Then there’s Gi Ho and his magical rifle. In case it needs saying: owning a gun, especially a rifle, in South Korea is near impossible, let alone sneaking one around, practicing with it, and staging a public hospital assassination without being caught. But somehow, he pulls it off. He misses his shot (sigh), dashes through the hospital like he’s in an action movie, shoots the killer point-blank, and escapes through a window… completely unseen. No security footage. No witnesses. Not even a blurry hospital hallway clip.


The Man Who Dug His Own Grave (Then Complained About It)
Yeong Ha was his own worst enemy. Let’s be real, Seong A murdered a child and he just… cleaned it up? He stayed quiet and endangered everyone, treating Seong A like a minor inconvenience instead of what she actually was—a literal murderer. He didn’t act scared of her or the police. He just… wanted the whole thing to go away.
And the worst part? He gets a happy ending. After actively endangering everyone around him, wiping away evidence of a brutal child murder, and indirectly getting a cop killed, he ends the show laughing over dinner like he didn’t throw gasoline on the entire plot. Incredible.


Final Thoughts
This entire drama tried to sell me a frog proverb and then fed me plot holes, weak connections, and a cast of characters who either did too much or nothing at all. At some point, it stopped being a thriller and started feeling like a cautionary tale about what happens when your protagonist does literally nothing for a year straight.

The biggest issue? There was no meaningful connection between the two plotlines. When Yeong Ha finally met Gi Ho, it should’ve been the moment everything clicked… but instead, it barely registered as significant. If they’d made them the same person or given Sang Jun a real reason to intervene, some kind of déjà vu storyline, it would’ve elevated the entire show.

It felt like the writers trusted us to just “get it” without doing the work to guide us there. I kept waiting. For it all to tie together. For the chaos to converge into clarity. Instead, I got beautifully shot confusion and a finale that said, “We good?” when all I had was more questions. So yes, it looked great. But no amount of cinematic sunsets can hide a plot that forgot to finish the puzzle. Sometimes a story needs to show you the frog instead of just telling you that it jumped.

~~~

What were your thoughts? Were you on team “We love a metaphor moment” or “what the heck is going on?”

This isn’t even everything loll! I even went into detail on what I would do instead if anyone’s interested 💕

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Strong aesthetics couldn’t distract from the demon who fell faster than you can say “contract"

A dark, supernatural romance, but delivered a baby-faced demon, predictable villain, and a full moon’s worth of missed potential.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good

Ga Young’s Character Development
I didn’t expect to like Ga Young as much as I did by the end. While I wouldn’t say she wasn’t annoying, she definitely gave second-lead energy in the worst way. But her character genuinely grew on me. She toned down the obsession, started thinking more rationally, and even formed a healthier relationship with Goo Won. A few people found her annoying throughout the show but when you think about it, her actions are valid. Her constantly reminding Do Hee that she was the problem? Valid. Her wanting Do Hee to die instead of Goo Won? Still valid. Goo Won saved her from an abusive father (more or less), and Do Hee, at least in Ga Young’s eyes, was the reason Goo Won was losing everything. She didn’t owe Do Hee anything, and her willingness to sacrifice Do Hee for Goo Won’s survival came from a place of loyalty. It wasn’t villainous. It was real.


Her “Reliance” on Goo Won
Some people complained that Do Hee became weak once she started relying on Goo Won. I disagree. She was still capable and grounded, just not superhuman. He was literally a demon with teleportation powers and the ability to launch grown men across rooms. And she? She was a regular human dealing with a deranged serial killer and an entire company of people trying to sabotage her. Why would she not depend on him? Hiding behind a guy who could literally bend reality isn’t a flaw, it’s called knowing your odds.


The Bad

The Villain Reveal Was… Exactly What We Expected
One of the biggest letdowns of this show was the villain reveal… or should I say, the lack of one. Most of us thought the villain was actually Seok Hoon but nope, the most evil-looking character really was just evil. That’s it. No subversion, no surprise.

It also would’ve been a great twist to see Seok Hoon as the villain, especially since that actor always plays the second lead who never gets the girl. Watching him step out of his usual role and into something darker could’ve been a refreshing change.

Goo Won Looked Way Too Cute to Be Scary
Let’s be honest, Song Kang is attractive. But not in the “hot, intimidating, soul-snatching, rip-your-heart-out” way. He’s attractive in the soft-boy, pretty-face, “are-you-wearing-tinted-lip-balm?” kind of way. Like, here he is about to drop a man off a rooftop, and all I could think was, “His face is so pretty.” Scene intensity? Gone. Mood? Ruined by the baby face.

The Historical Romance Tie-In Felt Tacked On
Maybe it’s just me, but that whole historical storyline felt random. Yes, the Wolsim and Yi Sun arc was tragic and well-shot, but it ultimately added nothing to the actual plot. If Goo Won had remembered her from the past and been drawn to Do Hee because of it, maybe it would’ve worked. I wanted to enjoy it more but without a meaningful connection to the present, it just became a beautifully tragic detour that didn’t go anywhere.

For a Demon, He Fell Hard and Fast
Let’s talk about the timeline. They fell in love in a month. Not exaggerating. One full moon to the next. The gas station fire? Marked their one-month anniversary.

This man had spent over 200 years making shady blood contracts and mocking humans, but suddenly he’s ready to give it all up for a woman he met four weeks ago? Please. That’s emotionally impulsive behavior with a supernatural backdrop.

This is where the historical flashback could’ve actually served a purpose. If he remembered Wolsim and that connection drew him to Do Hee, their quick relationship might’ve felt less ridiculous. The more you think about it, the flimsier the romance becomes. They’re ready to die for each other by week five. Be serious.

Side Characters Were the Worst
Rom-coms need to stop making their side characters aggressively unfunny. I mean it. Every time those assistants popped on screen, I had to fast-forward like my sanity depended on it. Their “romance” was the kind of forced comedic relief that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor.


Final Thoughts
To wrap this up: this drama was overhyped, to say the least. When everyone started obsessing over it and the leads were giving runway-model energy, I really thought I was in for something great. I wasn’t.
There were just too many cracks to ignore, and after a while, I got tired of pretending I couldn’t see them. Between the painfully obvious villain, the baby-faced “demon,” the plot holes, and that random historical twist no one asked for, enjoying this drama started to feel like a group project where only the OST showed up to work.

~~~

What did you think? I realised this may have been a bit harsh so I can’t stress enough how this is all fun. I meant no disrespect to any of the actors or people involved. Brutally honest is my thing so that’s what you get.

I didn’t include everything, so if you want the full version, lmk!!

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