K-Drama 
1
I Almost Dropped It — I’m So Glad I Didn’t
Review after finale:
Ash had one of the strongest turnarounds of any drama I’ve watched recently. I nearly gave up in the first couple of episodes because some of the production choices were actively working against the story: the dubbing did not always match the actors’ lip movements, the music was often wildly tonally wrong for romantic or intimate scenes, and there were a few strange old-fashioned comic-strip/AI-style sequences that felt completely disconnected from the visual language of the rest of the drama.
Thankfully, those problems became much less noticeable as the series continued, because the actual story just kept getting better.
At its core, Ash is not simply a romance with a crime plot attached. The police investigation, organized crime, family loyalties, corporate power struggles, undercover work, and romance become increasingly intertwined, and the story grows more complicated without becoming difficult to follow. Mok Fei Foon is an especially strong protagonist: intelligent, resourceful, emotionally grounded, and consistently written as someone who actually thinks his way through dangerous situations rather than surviving because the script suddenly makes everyone around him stupid.
The relationship between Fei Foon and Hui Leuk To is complicated, beautiful, messy, and central. Their chemistry is excellent from the beginning, but it is not dependent on kissing or NC scenes. It is there when they argue, talk quietly, walk beside each other, or simply look at one another. As the story progresses, their relationship gains real emotional weight because of everything they have gone through separately and together.
The supporting characters are also more important than I expected, particularly Shawn, whose role becomes increasingly important to both the crime story and Fei Foon and Hui Leuk To’s relationship.
The early production hiccups keep this from being flawless for me, and I thought the finale could have landed with slightly more emotional force. But overall, Ash became a genuinely compelling crime drama with a strong romance at its center, excellent chemistry, and two leads who carry increasingly demanding material very well.
Happy ending for anyone who needs to know before watching.
Update at episode 5: it gets better as it goes. Even the music is better. The story is awesome, the acting is great, and the chemistry between leads is outstanding.
Initial review after a few episodes:
I watched the available episodes and I like the premise; it is genuinely good. I haven’t had a cop show to watch in a long time. I love the tension. The chemistry is outstanding. The actors are handsome and are perfect for their respective roles. It is interesting and the plot pulls you in fast, not to mention the delicious tension between the leads right out of the gate.
BUT…
The music is the worst. And I don’t mean in a “well I don’t like that song” way but in a “this music choice is so mismatched with what is happening on screen it is actively pulling me out of the story” way. I stopped halfway through episode 2 because it is jarring. I picked it up again, but for now I’m left wondering who chose this music and if they watched a playback of the screen-ready scenes before they released it. The music playing during romantic or NC scenes is especially mismatched.
If you aren’t sound sensitive, the music might not bother you. But the tonal mismatch I’m finding hard to ignore. It isn’t enough for me to drop it - yet.
Ash had one of the strongest turnarounds of any drama I’ve watched recently. I nearly gave up in the first couple of episodes because some of the production choices were actively working against the story: the dubbing did not always match the actors’ lip movements, the music was often wildly tonally wrong for romantic or intimate scenes, and there were a few strange old-fashioned comic-strip/AI-style sequences that felt completely disconnected from the visual language of the rest of the drama.
Thankfully, those problems became much less noticeable as the series continued, because the actual story just kept getting better.
At its core, Ash is not simply a romance with a crime plot attached. The police investigation, organized crime, family loyalties, corporate power struggles, undercover work, and romance become increasingly intertwined, and the story grows more complicated without becoming difficult to follow. Mok Fei Foon is an especially strong protagonist: intelligent, resourceful, emotionally grounded, and consistently written as someone who actually thinks his way through dangerous situations rather than surviving because the script suddenly makes everyone around him stupid.
The relationship between Fei Foon and Hui Leuk To is complicated, beautiful, messy, and central. Their chemistry is excellent from the beginning, but it is not dependent on kissing or NC scenes. It is there when they argue, talk quietly, walk beside each other, or simply look at one another. As the story progresses, their relationship gains real emotional weight because of everything they have gone through separately and together.
The supporting characters are also more important than I expected, particularly Shawn, whose role becomes increasingly important to both the crime story and Fei Foon and Hui Leuk To’s relationship.
The early production hiccups keep this from being flawless for me, and I thought the finale could have landed with slightly more emotional force. But overall, Ash became a genuinely compelling crime drama with a strong romance at its center, excellent chemistry, and two leads who carry increasingly demanding material very well.
Happy ending for anyone who needs to know before watching.
Update at episode 5: it gets better as it goes. Even the music is better. The story is awesome, the acting is great, and the chemistry between leads is outstanding.
Initial review after a few episodes:
I watched the available episodes and I like the premise; it is genuinely good. I haven’t had a cop show to watch in a long time. I love the tension. The chemistry is outstanding. The actors are handsome and are perfect for their respective roles. It is interesting and the plot pulls you in fast, not to mention the delicious tension between the leads right out of the gate.
BUT…
The music is the worst. And I don’t mean in a “well I don’t like that song” way but in a “this music choice is so mismatched with what is happening on screen it is actively pulling me out of the story” way. I stopped halfway through episode 2 because it is jarring. I picked it up again, but for now I’m left wondering who chose this music and if they watched a playback of the screen-ready scenes before they released it. The music playing during romantic or NC scenes is especially mismatched.
If you aren’t sound sensitive, the music might not bother you. But the tonal mismatch I’m finding hard to ignore. It isn’t enough for me to drop it - yet.
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