Kannadin

What the fudge are you talking about?

I scrolled down, haven't seen a single comment bashing the Male Lead for doing his job. Everybody is talking about the casting choice i.e the people who are working IN the production.

Some of you really can't take any criticism with a cool head, anything is always taken personally as if people are always out there to troll your favorite shows or actors. Most people don't give a sheep about all your fanwars.

Also your last sentence is totally ridiculous. Young people are known to NOT be aware of their own actions, that's why they're targeted by companies and manipulators: Most famous example is obviously smoking and/or vaping. Very important to hook them while they're young... But actually anything goes: Gambling, Plastic surgery and make-up ( seriously teenagers these days using anti-aging creams...), showing sexy dance on TikTok to sell your butt on Only Fan as soon as you're an adult etc...

Until the age of 23 for girls, and 25 for boys, the brain is not fully developed (i.e notably your FRONTAL lobe including the prefrontal cortex responsible for decision-making) and even then, you need a little bit of life experience to make sound decisions.

Doesn't mean they can't make any, but as long as they're not 18, it's the production company's responsibility to avoid these type of situations.

Stop seeing hate for your favorites where there's not, take a step back and read with a cool head.

Lots of us here are ADULTS, real ones, not even YOUNG adults but OLD ones and we're way more aware of how disturbing this is.

In hindsight, you realize there's lots of situations you were put in when you were young, especially when you're a girl, that were never really a choice but more subtle manipulation to get you where people wanted you to be. ESPECIALLY when it comes to sexuality for that matter, though that's not the subject here.

So... Currently watching Love in the Clouds and thoroughly enjoying myself so I came here to take a look at some of Hou Ming Hao's next dramas and I'm like... I think I must have seen this actress before but wasn't she very young?

Turns out I saw her before in My Journey to You and in The Double... and well...

What to say. She's only 17 so from what I gather still a minor... And she was probably 16 when this was filmed.

Teenage dramas exist that features kiss scenes between teenagers but I personally can't watch a grown-ass man kiss a girl that isn't even legally an adult.

In fact even at 18, that would have been a problem to me... There's a difference between an 11 years old gap between a 30 year-old woman and a 41 year-old man who both have lived so to speak... and an 18 year-old girl who's just out of childhood ( or not because honestly you're only an adult on paper as far as I'm concerned) and a 29 year-old man who's got more than 10 years of adult-life under his belt.

But... it is acting and in the world of make-believe, so even if I'm a bit err... not at ease with the whole thing, at least if she was 18 years-old that would have been mildly ok.

SADLY, SHE'S NOT.

Which is... complicated. On one side, I don't see where is the problem as long as there's no intimate scenes.
On the other side... err What's the point of a romance drama without intimate scenes? I mean Chinese dramas are already very tame in that respect but here I'm left a bit puzzled.

I'm sorry, but even if there's not a lot of them, when there's ROMANCE, I need a couple of kisses here and there or at least some skinship... But how can they show any skinship here given this disturbing casting?

Truly, some people smoke some weed casting this girl as main. Couldn't they wait 2 more years seriously?
This is beyond ridiculous.

EDIT: Ah... And of course, I'm going to completely men-in-black myself the age of this FL and totally watch it, because I'm trash, and can go on a full discourse about how disturbing this is... all the while not being able to stand by my own principles.🙄🙄🙄

This guy is never coming back ever. He probably loves acting but hates all the hassle that comes with celebrity.

Or maybe he's waiting to come back when he's 60 or older to be sure he's not stalked by some sasaeng fan.
Can't blame the dude. Glad I haven't watched any of his project... Not a fan so I don't care but I truly feel for those who enjoyed watching him on their screen.

How I wish I could just binge this but sadly real life is getting in the way 😭😭😭

Best C drama I've watched this year so far. Already made it to my favorite list.

Also side note: Quan Yi Lun is too gorgeous, he's wasted as a side role. Please give this guy a lead role ASAP in a MAJOR drama, you're wasting his pretty face!

Can't really say because Bad Buddy is another genre all together. Lots of people loved it, I, though, Bad Buddy was just Ok.
Not Me does contain romance but it's much more politically oriented. It's a show that tries to tackle social issues in Thailand ( within the limits of censorship). Some of the issues talked about in it, such as gay marriage, have changed in Thailand since then, but the show still resonates today.
The only caveat is GMMTV's jarring product placement, but apart from that, as far as I'm concerned, it was great from start to finish.

Bottom line, It's not all fluff though the romance is also pretty great in my opinion.
Gun in particular is stellar in it. By far OffGun best series yet. I'm still waiting for something to top it.

I watched it 3 times and will probably keep watching it.

Well just started episode 9...
There's some good, there's some bad.
The pace is pretty consistent throughout. In episode 9, there's quite a lot of revelations but pace-wise it doesn't change. It's a show that is just slow. It moves at its own pace.

Personally right now, I would rate this one between 7.5 and 8.5. Jury is still out but it certainly won't be as high as the overall ratings of this show though I understand that I'm part of the minority.

On paper the show should have been great, and visually it is quite pretty, but I find the writings for some characters to be lacking... It's especially the case for Khemjira ( more on that by another commenter below who as usual got attacked by the opinion police).

I wish I could love this as much as everyone but I just can't connect with most of these characters. So far my favorite character is Peem but sadly he's paired with the most dull character ever, so one of the main draw of the show falls flat to me.

I feel the pace is sluggish, the mystic and religious/cultish vibe is great but the romance is subpar ( for the life of me I just don't get the first couple. The second couple is OK though).

Anyway, can't tell you to do drop it because I do think this show has lots of good qualities... But can't tell you not to, because I get your comment about the pace.

Mind you, compared to most BLs (especially GMMTVs), this one is so unique and different that it deserves to be given a shot just for that.

At the end of the day though... We watch dramas for entertainment... If you're not entertained，what's the point of sticking with it?

3 episodes is already a quarter of a series... I think it's a pretty good number to see if a show connects with you or not.

I never said nor thought you made in personal. I understand your answer though, given the answers above. MDL is filled with people who are taking personally any criticisms regarding their favorite shows and/or actors.

The concept of "we can agree to disagree" without having to trade insults and/or personal attacks seems to be a foreign concept for lots of members.

Fortunately, there's a quick solution for that called the "Block button"... of which I'm particularly fond of.

I wouldn't have phrased it like that... But let's just say that I get your point and I agree with it. Khem is just terribly bland. 8 episodes in and I just don't get why Peem has feelings for him. The character he is reincarnated from , Khemmika, had more spunk than him.

I like the whole concept but I just can't connect with this character. I'm not familiar with this actor so I don't know if it comes from the way he's acting or the writing...
Probably a mix of both.

Bottom line... I don't like this show as much as everyone else and it's mostly due to his portrayal... But it still a cut WAY ABOVE most Thai BLs out there, so I've just decided to try not to be annoyed at how bland and lifeless this character is.

Side Note: Also I have to say that at least you're one of the few members that own up to their own opinion and doesn't create a fake account to post controversial opinions so just for that, you get my thumb up.

Yeah well comedy shows are a specific branch... It's more one episode - one story... It's not really my thing, but yeah. I guess that's one genre where the multi seasons format works fine.

Yumi's Cells, Study Group and Weak Hero Class One are all webtoon adaptations so having several seasons is normal since one season just can't cover everything...

My point is more regarding series specifically made for TV... Though again that doesn't mean I'm always against it.... but honestly most of the time, I am.

I was a bit on edge regarding the second season of Alchemy of Souls but at the end of the day, it worked with the plot. They didn't change the actress for no reason... Though I've got to admit... I wish they had taken another actress... for some reason I couldn't connect well with the new one. But plotwise it was fine imho.

Lol also... I like action scenes... I don't like things which are gory... These are two different things.

I have absolutely no issues with Chinese costume dramas and there's often lots of fighting scenes in those, well -choregraphed. It's almost like watching a dance show. But you're not going to see gory details such as an eyeball being taken out, a guy being beheaded, a wound with pus coming out or whatnot. If it's graphic, they're going to cut it at the last second. We don't need to see more.

K dramas used to be like that ( I mean in the early 2000s they would even blur knives) but a couple of years ago, a shift happened and here we are.

THANK YOU very much for the link!

Always a nightmare to find anything on the platform... I usually try with the title in Pinyin or the name of the author but both methods didn't work this time...

I don't mind a bit of violence... But I don't like when it feels gratuitous or when it's too graphic. I don't really see the point of showing an eye out of its eye socket, a detached arm or whatever...

It's not like I avoid violence all together... But again, It feels to me that people are increasingly desensitized to it due to being overexposed and so when I talk about my concerns , sometimes I get strong reactions from people telling me I'm too sensitive or whatnot (not talking about you, just saying globally).

I was planning on watching "Walking on Thin Ice" at some point though... Is it really graphic?

I have yet to watch Weak Hero Class One... I'm interested but this one is like "The Glory". I read it's about school bullying and as someone who's gone through that myself in Middle school ( and I'm old btw, turning 40 next year - these things don't ever disappear from one's head sadly) the bullying part always gets to me. I really need to be in a good state of mind to watch shows that deal with this particular issue.

I'll get around to watch both eventually though.

I'm not too much into political heavy shows either but I do enjoy straying from my favorite genres from time to time... This being said in that area, I'm more interested in "The Art of Negociation".

Also planning on watching Death Game at some point as well.... My TBW list is ridiculously long: K, C, Thai Dramas + Anime and Donghua.
And life is busy... Maybe when I'm retired I'll manage to make them shorter, but sadly for the moment, these lists are getting longer each year.

Especially since I'm also an avid reader.

I was planning on watching The Defect but I've fortunately been warned by another watcher earlier this year, so didn't bother.

Finally on the topic of multi-seasons... The issue for me is that a story should have a Beginning, a Middle and an End.

The issue with that system is that these multi-seasons shows are not here to tell you a complete story. They're made to hook an audience. They often have a strong 1st season to get you hooked and attached to the characters and then they pile up seasons after seasons after seasons not to get to an end but to keep their audience ( and sell subscriptions/ads or both).

Each season the story gets worse... because again, the idea is not to complete the story but rather to make it last as long as possible.

You keep on watching because you're always hoping the spark of the first season comes back... which never happens.

Still, in spite of the overall quality going downhill, you still stick to it because you've invested so much time, it would be a complete waste to drop the series without knowing the end...

Sadly at some point even that twisted reasoning doesn't work anymore when you're past season 9, and you end up dropping it, cursing yourself for not having dropped it earlier.

Once lots of people have dropped said show and it no longer brings enough profits compared to the money invested, finally these scriptwriters bother to conclude their series...

And usually the end is pretty shitty because obviously it's not like they planned it in the first place and with all the twists and turns to milk the series' potential until the last drop of milk, even if the ending had been planned in the beginning, it just no longer make sense by the end of the series' run.

So yeah nope. Not a big fan... I see Netflix and Disney + are trying to change the K drama landscape with their BS and I'm not happy about it... But at the end of the day, that will just make me watch less K dramas... Which is not that bad given the number of dramas from other countries that I want to watch.

Yes, I always look at things on the bright side 😎

EDIT: Of course there's some exceptions such as Alchemy of Soul or Signal but in both cases. I'd say it's more Part 1 and Part 2 then Season 1 and 2 if you see what I mean.

Personally it's the "enemies to lovers" vibe... I mean the sexual tension would have been so much higher if it was with Prince Annan and not Puppy Jin An... Like... I get it from a narrative point of view... BUUUUUUUUUUUT We should have had a longer period with Prince Annan imho.

Oh I get it... Sometimes you want to like a show and objectively all the ingredients are there but it just doesn't click with you. Can't help it.

The Manipulated just started to air yesterday if I'm not mistaken but yeah it's a Disney + exclusive.

I personally didn't bother with Tempest because from what I read it's an open ending hinting at a potential second season and that's just NO for me.

I haven't watched the Light Shop yet... As for Moving... I watched it... I didn't like it as much as most people but my main issue was the overly violent scenes... Same problem with A Shop for Killers. Very typical of anything Americans tend to put their money into... The ending was sort of open for both... They've already announced a second season for both but honestly I'm not sure I'll bother.

I like the premise but I just abhor gratuitous violence for the sake of shock value and that's been a stapple of for most Disney +/Netflix exclusives... And on top of that, one of the main reason I've almost completely given up on US shows for over 20 years now is because I HATE multi-seasons.

But back to the main topic, it's true old K dramas can't compare action wise, but the stories still do. Personally I've been thoroughly disappointed with all 2025 K dramas I've tried to watch albeit for one (Study Group for the record) so I've mostly stuck to C Dramas for a couple of months now. Still planning to watch some K dramas this year... just not any of the 2025 ones.

I feel there's some form of curse this year so if I see a 2025 K dramas that's tempting... I'll watch it in 2026😝

Lol I kept repeating this drama should have focused on him. Jin An is cute but Prince Annan is soooooooooooooo much better.

See random comment: https://kisskh.at/716245-shadow-love#comment-23980890

I think you've made the right call.

He's truly a versatile actor but the script just didn't live up to expectations...
When it aired, from what I remember it was his post-army project and he truly trained hard for the role. He explained he wasn't planning to do any action-packed drama for a while given how much it took out of him to act in this one .

I'm waiting until all episodes are released and there's a bit more feedback for The Manipulated but maybe this one will be better. From the trailer, it looks like it's action packed, something he's really good at, and hopefully the story is better.

Maybe if next time you're in the mood for something action-packed in which he is in... you could try this one?

Otherwise, if you've never watched "Healer" that would be my go-to Ji Chang Wook recommendation. There's action, romance and secret identity. Watched it twice no regret. Still in the mood to rewatch it from time to time.

It's my favorite action-drama in which he's a lead.

It is literally a waste of time. I finished it for completion sake and also because it had been a while I hadn't watched Ji Chang Wook... Should have chosen another drama though.

Well I can say I've watched it at least.

I don't think you need to find an excuse to drop this. The story does pick up but since it sucked I ended up wondering why I even bothered to watch this. Also... I was just too fed up to bother with a review but I ended up rating this 4.5 for Ji Chang Wook and his female boss.

The story sucked but both were good.

EDIT: Btw my comment just below this one is a sorta comment-review about the whole drama if you're interested.

Who changed the poster? The other one was cooler 😒

Err Nah... I suggest you look at my own list and ratings and see if our taste align and then pick up whichever drama I've rated highly which you haven't yet seen if our taste align.

Unless you're a big fan of Ji Chang Wook or Lim Yoo Na... I say don't bother. The ML has more chemistry with the other lady... Sadly the drama decides to focus on the bland romance between both leads. Lim Yoo Na's character is also the most bland and insipid FL I've seen in a while.
The story is also pretty meh. Lots of good actions scenes though.

Nah ^^You're welcome ^^ I'm not the one who wrote these articles but I remember them being really well written which is why I could find both of those relatively easily ^^