I absolutely loved it. The schemes, the plot twists, the pain 😔 all of it. I kept having to check it was actually made in 2025 because it has that 2020 or even earlier quality: proper character development, solid acting, and just the right emotional depth.
I adore this BL!! Sure, there are some sound issues and the dialogue doesn’t always flow naturally, but all the actors are absolutely charming and giving their best.🩵. And those underwater mermaid scenes? breathtakingly beautiful! 🧜🏼♂️ 🧜🏼♂️
I dont wanna imagine what you'll do if she'll take a drama where her char is evil/ villain or red flag to the…
@twinty Thank you for your honest opinion! You’re absolutely right 😊 we all have different tastes. On my watchlist, I keep the non-BL dramas I’ve finished under “On Hold” just to keep things organized. I checked, and the Kdramas that were popular but that I gave my lowest scores and honestly couldn’t stand 😅 were: Descendants of the Sun, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, and Memories of the Alhambra.
I have my own (and many) problems with this drama, but I think the FL is better written than the ML. From what…
I wish I could feel the same way you do! I really wish what you wrote felt true to me. I love the actress so much, and it broke my heart a little because I felt the script didn’t do her justice. As I said, I couldn’t believe anything the character did, and I just couldn’t feel any redemption or empathy. 😔 I’ll give you an example of a manipulative character done right : Flower of Evil. That’s how you write a good arc. Don’t get upset though, I know my opinion is really unpopular and most people love this drama a lot. 😅 A LOT ❤️
I dont wanna imagine what you'll do if she'll take a drama where her char is evil/ villain or red flag to the…
I love villains! you got me wrong here. The prob is they don't show the character as villain but only as a victim (maybe its in the ep I haven't seen??). Exmp of Villains I liked in modern Kdramas: Marry My Husband - Park Min Hwan and Jung Soo Min (in fact Love them both more than FL or ML) The Atypical family -Baek Il Hong [Da Hae's mother] Tempted - Choi Su Ji Weak hero 2 - Na Baek Jin Secret Relationships - Kim Su Hyeon
Very Unpopular opinion: I stopped watching this series at episode 27 and I don’t even know how I made it that far. Ranting: 1. The actress who I usually adore: Why is her makeup so heavy? Why is she always wearing high heels that torture her feet? And most important Where’s her usual charm and spark? 2. Am I really supposed to root for this very manipulative character who lied her way to luxury by lying to everyone and hurting them just because she claims it was out of love? She’s so manipulative I couldn’t believe a single word or action coming from her. 3. The male lead felt slightly more believable, but still hard to connect with , plus, the age gap between them is handled so poorly it becomes uncomfortable.
I kept watching, hoping for a redemption arc but it never came 🥺 imo The message feels totally wrong, yet the series tries to romanticize it.
So happy the last two episodes saved the series for me.😍 Those last 2 episodes brought the heart back into the story (the previous 2 ep almost made me drop the BL 🥺)
It’s the first time I’ve felt such strong GL vibes in a wuxia. ❤️ Is it just my imagination? Is it in the OG novel? I’m usually not a delulu fan, but it really feels like Zuo Qingluan is, you know, very much in love. I’m on ep 26. I also don’t get the low ratings 😬 maybe it’s the ending?
Fair point. I used “idol” loosely. If you mean active idols under agency rules, that’s a tighter category BUT my critique was about writing and pacing, not intimacy or kissing. The show so far still didn’t land for me. Your list contains Meh BLs but lets take examples from 5 BLs with no kiss or very basic that still worked perfectly: Cherry Magic! (30-sai) Where Your Eyes Linger My School President Light On Me My Love Mix-Up! (Kieta Hatsukoi)
I am not very familiar with the Idols from Korea but I think very good KBLs that had Idols are: Love for Love's Sake, Semantic Error, You Want Some?, Jazz for Two, Love Class Season 2, The Time of Fever
Edit- and also very happy to see Takeda Kouhei 😍 missed him
I kept having to check it was actually made in 2025 because it has that 2020 or even earlier quality: proper character development, solid acting, and just the right emotional depth.
And those underwater mermaid scenes? breathtakingly beautiful! 🧜🏼♂️ 🧜🏼♂️
On my watchlist, I keep the non-BL dramas I’ve finished under “On Hold” just to keep things organized.
I checked, and the Kdramas that were popular but that I gave my lowest scores and honestly couldn’t stand 😅 were: Descendants of the Sun, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, and Memories of the Alhambra.
I’ll give you an example of a manipulative character done right : Flower of Evil. That’s how you write a good arc.
Don’t get upset though, I know my opinion is really unpopular and most people love this drama a lot. 😅 A LOT ❤️
Exmp of Villains I liked in modern Kdramas:
Marry My Husband - Park Min Hwan and Jung Soo Min (in fact Love them both more than FL or ML)
The Atypical family -Baek Il Hong [Da Hae's mother]
Tempted - Choi Su Ji
Weak hero 2 - Na Baek Jin
Secret Relationships - Kim Su Hyeon
I stopped watching this series at episode 27 and I don’t even know how I made it that far.
Ranting:
1. The actress who I usually adore: Why is her makeup so heavy? Why is she always wearing high heels that torture her feet? And most important Where’s her usual charm and spark?
2. Am I really supposed to root for this very manipulative character who lied her way to luxury by lying to everyone and hurting them just because she claims it was out of love? She’s so manipulative I couldn’t believe a single word or action coming from her.
3. The male lead felt slightly more believable, but still hard to connect with , plus, the age gap between them is handled so poorly it becomes uncomfortable.
I kept watching, hoping for a redemption arc but it never came 🥺
imo The message feels totally wrong, yet the series tries to romanticize it.
Those last 2 episodes brought the heart back into the story (the previous 2 ep almost made me drop the BL 🥺)
Is it just my imagination? Is it in the OG novel?
I’m usually not a delulu fan, but it really feels like Zuo Qingluan is, you know, very much in love.
I’m on ep 26. I also don’t get the low ratings 😬 maybe it’s the ending?
BUT my critique was about writing and pacing, not intimacy or kissing. The show so far still didn’t land for me. Your list contains Meh BLs but lets take examples from 5 BLs with no kiss or very basic that still worked perfectly:
Cherry Magic! (30-sai)
Where Your Eyes Linger
My School President
Light On Me
My Love Mix-Up! (Kieta Hatsukoi)
Love for Love's Sake, Semantic Error, You Want Some?, Jazz for Two, Love Class Season 2, The Time of Fever
A pity, because the young actors clearly worked hard