Jairen

"Becoming better together is the coolest thing"

There are so many high school dramas about a bubbly, extroverted girl crushing on a quiet, aloof smart boy. Usually, the girl in these dramas are portrayed as quite dumb and needs tutoring or something from the guy. "When I Fly Towards You" does not stray too far from that. However, Zai Zai has has a good head on her shoulder and actually not dumb when it comes to the important things. Everyone has something they are good at and weak at, and this series shows that realistically. She's not someone who will gamble her life to pursue a guy and I absolutely loved that. I also adore the friends in this series. Every character has their own story and their own struggles and I enjoyed the friends being there for one another. Lots of fun and cute moments.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- Love the dynamics of the friends and how they cared for each other
-- Female lead has her strength academically and not some low ranking student. She also planned her future carefully and not just around her boyfriend
-- Misunderstandings are not dragged out and female is quick to clear things up when she realizes there may be something up
-- I enjoy the little clips at the end of each episode where she is documenting her life


DISLIKES:
-- Strict mom who puts pressure on Lu Rang to be perfect academically
-- Issue with mom mostly resolved off-screen and just brushed off
-- Would've love to spend more time in their life during college and after.
-- Jealous girl in high school and a devious female character in college trying to create misunderstanding for the couple (whereas the male character who was interested in Zai Zai was respectful and gave up as soon as he realizes she had a girlfriend.)

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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

I've seen quite a few high dramas about a cute girl chasing after a smart guy, and this series is not all that different. But honestly, I don't watch high school dramas for a unique take. The important part is how well they do the characters and how natural the story progresses. And also, the friendships. I think this series does all that pretty well. I will talk more in-dept about each of the main characters later, but I loved that I ended up caring about all the characters and their stories. There really isn't much for me to say about the plot/story as it's a very slice of life high school drama. If there was something I could change, it would just be that we spend a little less time in high school. I would have loved to see more time spent in their university life and even their lives after.

[ --THOUGHTS ON CHARACTERS-- ]

Su Zai Zai - In these kind of dramas, the female is usually portray as very clingy, Zai Zai is very social and straight forward, which I feel can make some viewers see her as clingy/stalkerish at times in the beginning but I never really felt that way about her. I'm not sure exactly but if I had to guess, it would be because our lead Lu Rang never seemed to mind her presense. To me, I feel like she would've left him alone if she felt like she wasn't welcomed. In fact, there was a part where she misunderstood that he was annoyed with her and stopped following/talking to him. So if he had set boundaries, I think she would have left him alone. Mostly, she was just trying to get to know him and I think that's fine.

I think one thing that is most definitely different from some of the other series I've seen is that Su Zai Zai is shown to have strengths of her own compared to our male lead Lu Rang. I loved that she wasn't one of the girls who is at the bottom of her class in rank. She has stuff she is good at like English and stuff that she is bad at like Math/Physics. That's realistic. And likewise, Lu Rang wasn't perfect. He needed tutoring in English and Zai Zai was able to help him with that. Another thing I loved about her is that she tries to make things clear when she realizes there are misunderstandings. She is good at communicating compared to our male lead. The example that pop to mind is when he misunderstood that she wrote a love letter to someone else. Another example was when she realized another boy was interested in her so she make it known she has a boyfriend. She doesn't let things drag on. She is very aware of the people around her. There is a lot of good qualities about her that I like. She's brave, she tries to take initiatives to do things, and most importantly, she takes her future seriously. Episode 18 was one of episode that stood out to me because she told Lu Rang she is making backup plans in case she doesn't end up at the same school as him. She was carefully planning her future and not just blindly following some guy. And I loved that.

Zhang Lu Rang - Our male lead is smart and quiet, nothing new there. He is living in the shadow of his younger brother Zhang Lu Li, who is an academic prodigy. And because of that, their mother puts a lot of pressure on Lu Rang to be more like Lu Li. And I hated that, but it's such a relatable and realistic thing for a parent to compare one kid to another, especially in an academic household. I felt so bad for Lu Rang. Even his brother Lu Li felt bad that their mom is always comparing them. Due to always being compared and pressured, I can understand why Lu Rang is reserved and somewhat distant. And I like that I could understand because it shows that the character isn't just some arrogant, cold guy who thinks he's too cool for others. In fact, I never felt like Lu Rang was ever annoyed by our female lead Zai Zai who just kind of forced her friendship on him. Maybe there was a bit of tolerating at first, but he becomes amused by her energy and presence. People grow on you and Su Zai Zai's personality complements his introverted nature.

Lu Rang is also shown to care about the people around him. Sometimes, when you grew in a household where people only take about accomplishments and not emotions, it's hard to show affection. However, simple little actions can say a lot. Like visiting your friend while they are sick and keeping them company. Lu Rang could be cozy in his own bed but instead, spends the night on the floor cramped up with his guy friends. He comforts his friend Gu Ran when Gu Ran is feeling neglected by his parents. There are lots of moments like this amongst the friend group that I adore. Also, very cute that he rubs his neck whenever he lies. And love that Zai Zai teases him about it whenever he tries to lie.

Gu Ran - One of Lu Rang's best friends and often shown to be carefree, proud, playful, and just your stereotypical boy. As the series goes on, we start to see how selfless and caring he is also. None of the characters in this series are one dimensional and there is some depth to them. Gu Ran's character development was one I enjoyed. We get a glimpse into his home life where his parents are occasionally away due to being doctors. He plays it off and doesn't seem to complain to his parents as he understands that what they do is important. And it's not even that he doesn't get love. His parents love him and we can see that. However, it's still natural to feel lonely and neglected sometimes, especially during the holidays. Gu Ran however just silently endures it instead of voicing his sadness. This is a trait we see again when it comes to his love interest Jiang Jia, the female lead's best friend. He grows to like her but never works up the courage to tell her. In fact, he even helps her pursue her crush. He is shown to be someone who loves selflessly, whether it comes to his family or romantic interest.

Jiang Jia - The female's best friend and love interest of Gu Ran. She, however, for most of the series, crushes on and pursues a senior at their school. For the most part, she was very oblivious to Gu Ran's feelings for her, which was a little frustrating to watch since Gu Ran was shown to do little things for her. She does eventually start noticing him in a romantic way, but by then, he was already planning to leave to study abroad. I think the most memorable moment for me was when she took care of Gu Ran when he was sick. Another moment was trying to confess to her crush. However, in the end, she decided not to. These moments vulnerability and softness in her character who is normally very fierce, bold, and brave.

Guan Fang - Guan Fang is probably my favorite character in the series. He takes care of the people around him. A former troubled kid, he turned his life around for the sake of his grandma. Very chill and friendly. A lot of Guan Fang's story revolve around his relationship with his grandma. He is be very upbeat and tries to avoid conflict to avoid making her worry. Aside from taking care of her, he also takes care of his friends. When Guan Fang was unable to reach Gu Ran due to the latter being sick, he goes to check on his friend, even calling Jiang Jia for help. When he finds out Gu Ran is alone, he takes his friend back to his place so he could be taken care of. I love the moment where he was tucking his friends in, making sure they are covered. I like that he was always included in a lot of their activities even though he was not paired with anyone. Not everyone finds their love in high school and it's realistic that Guan Fang didn't end up with anyone. However, I do kind of wish we got to see more into his life outside of grandma and his friend group. He's not a bad looking guy, so I wonder if he was dating or seeing anyone at any point. This is where I wished we saw more of life in university and after for everyone besides the main couple.


[ --FINAL THOUGHTS -- ]

It's hard to find good friends, especially as we grow older. So I'm happy that Lu Rang has several good friends to help him through high school. Building a relationship is hard and it's harder to maintain. So having people who are very extroverted like Su Zai Zai around can help. Her straightforward personality definitely helped Lu Rang come out of his shell and grow as a person. And while this is nothing new in term of high school romance drama, it's the dynamics and moments between the friends during the journey that makes each story unique and fun to watch.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Would you make a deal with the devil?

If you knew you were about to die, and a demon showed up to grant a wish, what would your wish be? Would it be to save yourself or would you use it on someone else?

I'm going to admit right now that writing an unbiased review for this will be a little hard as god dang, the leads are fine as hell. Are you sure the male lead is not an angel because the bright halo from his handsomeness blinded me, making it hard to stare at the screen and watch. Jokes aside, this series was cute, funny, and very interesting to watch. I've always been a fan of supernatural fantasy series. While this series is full of cute/funny moments, it also touches on the subject of human nature and people in their most desperate moments. Overall, this was a very fun watch. Not much layer to it, but still a good watch nevertheless.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- I enjoyed the chemistry of the leads
-- lots of cute/funny moments
-- enjoyed the backstory of their past lives


DISLIKES:
-- I did feel the story of the villains dragged on too long, especially once Gu Won got his powers back


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

Behind the romcom and the story of a demon doing cute, silly, and romantic things, this is also a story about human nature and what people will do in their most desperate moments. Many people will act selfishly as self-preservation is a basic instinct. However, there are some who are willing to selflessly sacrifice themselves in the face of death. In their past lives, our female lead was thrown under the bus by people who all wanted to protect themselves from execution. She became their scapegoat, but instead of naming names, she accepted her fate selflessly. Her modern day reincarnation is no less selfless. When it came to the choice of protecting her demon lover, she always made the choice to save him. And likewise, he was willing to sacrifice everything to protect her. Meanwhile, as a contrast, the big villain of the story was willing to kill his own family members out of greed and self-preservation.

This series also shows that people don't have to completely change themselves to be loved. People aren't perfect. But we can still love them anyway with their imperfections. In the end, Do Do Hee was still human with all her human traits, but Gu Won loves her anyway. Gu Won, in the end, remained a demon. He will continue to make deals with humans (though probably with more compassion) and Do Do Hee will still accept him for what he is. They developed as characters but at the core, they are still who they were, a human and a demon. They didn't have to become something else to stay together and I love that.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I've seen a few of Kang's work, but I don't know if I've seen anything else with You Jung yet. It'll be something I look forward to in the future as this series definitely made me aware of her. I love the lead's chemistry. During both the thrilling moments and the soft romantic moments, I can definitely got the feels whenever they look at each other. It also helps that visually they are both beautiful people and work well with one another. I also very much enjoyed the performances of all the all cast members as well, especially the villains. The big villain's characterization kind of felt off towards the end of the series, but more of a character thing and less of an acting thing.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I don't really have much to say about the music in this series because there wasn't anything that stood out to me that I didn't like. I think throughout the series, whenever a new song played, some would sound familiar. And I was happy to see quite a few names I recognized when I looked up the OST. I'm not huge on ballads but when I am able to associate them to a series, it helps in their appeal to me. I think "True" from Yoari and "Say You Love Me" from Sam Kim are probably my favorites.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

Honestly, this series was pretty straightforward for me. Not much layer and the story, while interesting on a first watch, I'm not sure it is not something I would rewatch in its entirety. At the same time, it might be worth just for seeing a demon act cute, silly, and hopelessly in love. So maybe just some episodes and some scenes.


[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Overall, this series is worth the watch for me. Very fluffy. Very cute. Very thrilling. Very demure. :P I like the series for the most part. It fell off a little for me towards the end due to the villain story feeling a bit draggy to me. Some of the suspense aspects of the series weren't all that suspenseful either as one would have to believe the writer was willing to kill off a lead character way before the end. So I feel like the threat of death is not a good suspense moment unless it's towards the end. However, I still enjoyed all the characters and watching the romcom moments.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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A stress-free story with the theme of sincerity.

Whether it's romance, family, or career; the series shows us that if do things with sincerity, it will not go unnoticed. Not everyone will be moved by it, but there will always be people who will see and feel it. The story is simple, nothing ambitious or unique. However, the chemistry, the heartfelt moments, and honest interactions between characters made this series very memorable for me.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- Very likable leads and a mature relationship. Loved the chemistry. A very capable female character and a very green-flag and sincere male lead.
-- Good communications between the lead. Very drama-free relationship
-- Lots of cute moments


DISLIKES:
-- While I loved Ro Woon with Pyung Hwa, his inclusion in the Sibling Six or whatever they called themselves felt rushed. Would've loved to see more development and him building relationhip with the others.
-- The resolution for both Pyung Hwa's and Da Eul's felt too easy given the time we spent seeing their struggle.
-- Sa Rang's exile to the tourist hotel seemed pointless to me since she was easily brought back to King The Land. Just felt like a nice vacation to me.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The story around the workplace politic and the power struggle between the brother and sister wasn't something I was super interested in. I can't even say that it was the journey of their love that kept me interested as they got together relatively quick. What truly captivated me about the series were the characters themselves and the sincere interactions between them, whether it be cute, funny, heart fluttering, or just pure honesty.

Gu Won is our main male lead. Initially, he was just some chaebol who hated pretentious smiles and could not care less about his family's hotel business. However, he became more interested in the hotel when he meets Sa Rang, whom he falls for. What I absolutely loved about his pursuit of her is was his sincerity and willingness to learn how to be in a relationship. He got to know her bestest friends and her grandma, and they all had advice for him. The core advice was honesty and clarity. Showing how we feel with actions is great, but saying how we feel and what we're thinking helps avoid drama and miscommunication. It's also very romantic to me. Consent is also very sexy. Loved that he asked permission before kissing her during their date. Also, Gu Won's dad was a very likable parent for me. He never really forced his son (mostly since he knew he couldn't) and there were lots of nice father-son moments where he was understanding. The only thing I disliked was when he sent Sa Rang to the tourist hotel. I don't even know what the point was since Won easily just brought her back.

Sa Rang is our beautiful female lead. She is a very capable and hard working girl. She doesn't needs much saving for the most part and was able to take care of herself. The employees of King The Land did not like her at first but her sincere attitude won them over eventually. Sa Rang's growth in this series has less to do with her character development, but more a realization on what she truly wanted to do as her dream career. I wished we had spent more time earlier in the series to build up to the idea of Sa Rang wanting to start her own hotel. Maybe they did sprinkle the idea that she was not happy doing what she was doing subtlely and I missed it, but it felt sudden to me. I'm happy though that she found what she wanted to do at the end. I also absolutely loved Sa Rang's grandma. Most memorable for me with her was where she was helping Won set up a savings account, it really touched me.

They pair was great at talking to each other. There was a lot of honesty between the characters and I'm thinking that's what I like so much. Even the interaction between the villain and her brother was for the most part very honest. And the characterizations of the characters were honest in that we knew who to root for and who not to.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I can't lie, 2PM was the first KPOP ground that I really got to know so the members hold a special place in my heart, even if they aren't my favorite group. With that said, I think this the first series with Junho that I was interested in seeing. I might go watch some of his previous stuff later but they're not super high priority. Watching King The Land, however, did leave a good impression on me with his acting. And I loved his chemistry with Im Yoon Ah. She's so pretty. I need to dive deeper in Girls' Generations. I think everyone did a group job, I felt the feels when I needed to feel them. Special shoutout to Kim Sun Young who play Won's sister. Great antagonist!

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

"Yellow Light" from Gaho and "Confess To You" from Kim Ye Yim both stood out to me as my favorites, but all the OST were great! Need to relisten to some of them and see which ones I need for my playlists, but they're all great songs. Not much else to say in that regard.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I can't say I will watch this in its entirety but there were so many cute, romantic, and funny scenes that I adored. So I wouldn't watch it again for the plot, but I would rewatch clips just to feel the butterflies.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

So my overall impressions was that this was a very light, fluffy cute series where I didn't need to stress about the villain, overthink anything, or even get overly frustrated by anyone. Very stress-free watch for me. It was funny and it was romantic. Checks both the boxes for a romcom for me. Also, lots of scenic scenes. Loved Thailand. Loved the forest vibe of the tourist hotel. Loved the cityscape shots. Yeah, this was an easy watch and very enjoyable watch. I've watch so much kdramas so one would think it would be boring and stale for me, but it wasn't. This series has a lot of charm due the characters and I definitely recommend watching it at least once.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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an idol's relationships with faen, friends, and fans

It was very cute. The relationship between Thame and Po was very sweet. I also really liked the bonds built between the the members of Mars. This was a good introduction and starting point for me into LYKN and their music. There was also some thought-provoking commentary on the dynamic between idols and their fan, as well as other insights and messages throughout the series to think about. It was a fun and cute watch.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- While I don't think it's a deep dive into the world of being an idol group, it does touch upon quite a few topic regarding the struggles and politics of an idol group. It may not be representative of all groups and their companies, but the series offers a glimpse into some.
-- In general, there is also depth to the story with an important lesson about our value as individuals, no matter who we are.
-- I like the chemistry of William and Est. It is sort, sweet ,and subtle. I enjoyed the progression of Thame and Po's relationship a lot. It was cute.
-- There are a lot of cute moments that makes the heart feel kilig and a few moments that shatter your heart.
-- The series show problems are resolved through sincere communication and discussion and through working together.
-- I really liked the episode where Thame got jealous of Earn. In a lot of series, this would have turned into a bigger argument with Thame angrily storming off, but they didn't go that route.
-- Leads are likable. Very selfless, considerate, understanding, caring, and patient with one another.


DISLIKES:
-- I wasn't fully convinced by Oner's CEO's change of heart at the end. Pemika spent most of the series with a plan for Mars (mostly Thame), so her suddenly deciding to let them off the hook fells abrupt to me. I understand she might have either thought it was too much hassle to keep fighting them and/or she was moved by Mars' sincerity to stay together, but they could've have shown more of that process and her character development to get to that point.
-- I also don't really think it was really necessary to bring Earn back at all towards the end. It didn't really add much, if anything at all. He was just a past relationship that we could probably draw lessons from but we could've just left it at that.
-- One thing I really wish the story didn't do was have Pepper and Gam break up and then have Thame and Po also break up. Instead, I wish the story went the route of having them stay together and face the problem together, as originally planned by the characters. I think that could've been a great lesson. Breaking up isn't always necessary to solve issues. I understand this is how the story is, though. This is mostly just me wishing that we didn't need to have a breakup in order to learn a lesson, achieve a goal, or facilitate the plot.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

There are two major themes in the series that I'll use to talk about the plot in regards to. The first theme is selflessness and sacrifice. They're two ideas but they're related. It is used to set up the beginning and ending arcs of the series. In the beginning, we have Thame who appears to be very standoffish and distant from the other members of the group Mars. However, Po intervenes and unmasks Thame's true nature. We learn that Thame actually cares a lot about his group, but he was willing to sacrifice his hope and dream for the group to stay together to instead do what he thought was best for his group members. Thame isn't the only one being selfless and trying to sacrifice himself for the other members though. Jun, his best friend in Mars, is also doing the same thing. Jun thinks the group is holding Thame back, so Jun is willing to act like he doesn't care so that his friend can go to South Korea. Fortunately, Po enters the story and helps Thame fight for what he truly wants and reunite Mars. Ironically, this same person who help Thame realized that it's okay to want to be selfish sometimes is also someone who later makes a selfless sacrifice unnecessarily. However, it does help the story come full circle in the end with the group banding together to reach out to Thame in the same way Thame reached out to them at the start.

The other major theme explored is an individual's worth and value. This is something we is touched upon throughout the entire series via different relationships. The biggest example of this is how Oner's CEO viewed the members of Mars. Mars is merely an asset and product to the company. Their value is evaluated based on metrics such as ranking on top charts, awards received, the money they brings in, and other numbers. The CEO also values Thame more than the other members. A lot of the characters also reflect on their own self-worth. This is seen in the beginning when Thame and Po are trying to bring Mars back together. Pepper, for example, thought that as a jack of all trade, he was not that important as there is always another member that can do what he can. He didn't think his role was important. Nano is another great example. He contemplates his future and fears that he is not good at anything other than dancing, so he ends up trying different things so he doesn't have to be dependent on the the group's success.

We see a lot of different perspective on a person's value. We see Mars' value through the lens of the company. We see how some of the fans value Mars. We see how underground artists/rappers view Mars. We have characters reflect on their own values. We see the value of a person through the relationships of those closest to them. We see how Pepper and Gam value each other. We see how Thame and Po value each other. We see how Jun and Po value each other. We see how each member of Mars' value one another. In a letter to Po, Thame expresses his thoughts on this topic and I think there is a lot of draw from it.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Even disregarding that this is LYKN's full series debut, I think they did a great job. Whether it was the bonding moments or the ones where they bicker, they felt like a real group. I guess it helps that Mars is played by a real group so they are able to draw upon their own feelings and experiences to play their characters. And even for the parts outside of the idol experience and camaraderie, they delivered well on the humor, romance, and heartfelt scenes. Est also did a great job. This is also really my first time seeing Est's acting. I saw him a bit in "High School Frenemy", there wasn't much there for him to showcase, so I'm glad to see him now in a bigger role. The chemistry between William and Est was good. There wasn't anything intense or crazy, but it was subtle and sweet. The chemistry is portrayed in the small gestures and actions like smiles and glances. And their cute scenes definitely delivered the kilig.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Since Mars is played by a real music group and the plot revolved around the music industry, I started watching with the expectation I would find at least one or two songs to add to my Thai playlist. I liked a lot of the songs, so there was no disappointment there. It was definitely a good starting point for me to get into LYKN and its members' music.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

The series isn't that long, and the episodes were also engaging enough with some depth to them. Plus, the relationship of Thame and Po was very cute, so I think it's something I could re-watch again just for the cuteness alone. I don't know if I will by myself as I don't feel super strongly about it, but the potential is there. I'll more likely rewatch it if I'm watching it with someone else.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

While I admit there were some things in the series that felt unrealistic, inaccurate, or exaggerated, it didn't really detract from the overall story, lessons, and cuteness of this series. A lot of the good feelings I got came from the soft, subtle moments between Thame and Po. And there were a lot of those. Their romance was just very innocent for the most part. The members of Mars were also all interesting and fun to watch. I enjoyed their camaraderie. Ultimately, the series was very cute and left a good impression.

-------------------------------------------
● NOTE
-------------------------------------------

I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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colorful show, bleak reality

If I was to describe this series, I would say it's similar to Squid Games but instead of a survival game, it's a silly dating game show. Instead of dying, you just don't get to find love with a guy. Heck, this series even have an undercover/spy character trying to expose the secrets of the game and at some point, ends up in a situation that is similar to the cop in Squid Games. It's a very fun series. Lots of comedic moments, but it's not shallow at all. There is some depth as it deals with family, being sincere, and striving to create a better life.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
--A lot of the characters are likable, both Gentlemen and Ladies. I think my favorite character was Chanel and her development throughout. There was a lot of depth to her character that I liked.
--Love the style of editing/production. Some fun camera work/play (an example is episode 3, when Day finds out she is going to be on Son's team. Day pushing cam away and Son throwing it back). Enjoy the bright vivid colors
--Lots of fun silly moments but also heartfelt and emotional moments as well.
--LGBTQ+ representation is nice to see, especially gay male relationship in a world where men are scarce.

DISLIKES:
--I was still left with a lot of holes and questions about this universe. Given the length of the series, it's understandable we can't cover everything and answer every plot hole, but I still felt the birthrate disease, the story of the previously existing men, and this world could be explored more.

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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The series shows us a very fun and colorful world on the surface, but it's a lot darker than it appears. Beyond the exterior, beyond the surface, beyond the pretenses, reality is not what it seems. We have men being rounded up under the pretense of protecting them, but it's merely a way for the rich and powerful to control their supply. We have what seems to be fun and silly dating gameshow, but it only exists to mask corruption, very Hunger Game-ish in that respect. It's a world full of fakeness, pretenses, and happy bright colors to hide a sadder reality. Baby boys are separated from their family and raised in a bubble. When they are old enough, they are treated a merely a commodity for women. Those that dare fight the system are imprisoned. But there is hope. There is resistant group exists call City Ground. It's a place where men can live freely with their family. One thing I liked was that, in contrast to the artificialness of The Farm/The Family, City Ground's vibe felt more natural.

I also love the characters in this series, as well as their relationships with other characters whether it's romantic or friendship. Initially, several of the characters put up pretenses. Son, acted very cool and aloof. Max appears shallow and competitive. Day was trying to say the right things so she could win. Chanel appears fierce and cold. However, as the series progress, we begin to see their true natures. There are a lot of genuine and sincere heart to heart conversations between the characters. Even main characters that seem antagonists, we are given enough development with them that we can understand why the make the decisions they did. I think, at the end, the only true antagonists are the rich powerful women who control the world like Chanel's mom.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Not much to say here as I think the cast members were good. Lots of over the top fun and silly moments, but there are lots of moments of sincerity and emotions as well. I thought the chemistry was good as well. There were some things I cringed at but I feel like I was suppose to because it's a love dating gameshow and I think they're suppose to be kind of cheesy.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I'm indifferent about the opening theme song but "Beyond the Wall" from Gabe Watskins is definitely a song I added to my playlist. It really sets a tone and fits the theme of the series of finding something real/better beyond the artificial bubble we live in.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

It's a great first watch. It's also short enough that I can be re-watched and I might if they come out with a sequel. Otherwise, I think once is enough for me unless someone I know watches it, then I don't mind watching it again with them.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Dystopian series are usually pretty bleak so I really enjoyed the silliness of this one while still touching on some much sadder topics. I would definitely recommend this and I do hope they come out with another season. I feel like there is still a lot of stories to be told in this universe.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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A series with moments of sonder and lessons in sincerity

The series is appropriately set in the winter, which is symbolic to the nature of the relationships between characters. It's a slice of life story with two lonely leads who both have a tragic past. A lot of the characters, regardless of whether they are the main or support cast, have a story of their own (though not quite as tragic fortunately). This is one thing I love about this series. We have complex and well developed characters, sad and heartfelt stories, and moments of cuteness and comedy sprinkled occasionally throughout to provide relief from the more emotionally heavy plot. Although it's a small town setting in the winter, which makes the pace feel slow, I feel like a lot actually happens narratively.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- I love the use of the book club and literary pieces of work to allow characters to express/analyze their feelings on human relationships. It allows the characters to give insights, thoughts/emotions, or make parallels with what the characters are going through.
-- The series contains lessons in many topics including loneliness, happiness, how lies can cause sufferings, and the importance of sincere and honest communication.
-- Lots of great, complex character. Everyone has their own story and personality. While not everyone is equally important to the overall narrative, they all at least feel real and are interesting.
-- Female lead taking initiative in confessing to male lead. I like that she can be straight forward about her feelings. Her telling her exfriend and her mom how she feels, her being honest to Youngwoo on liking someone, her confessing to Eunseob, her asking him to give her a proper response to her confession, and her expressing her feelings to Eunseob on top of the mountain. Later, she wasn't even shy about telling him she wants to sleep with him.
-- Male lead is very cute, especially when he is feeling awkward or flustered due to his shy and introverted nature. He requires a little more poking to express his feelings, but it's a nice representation for guys who are not as expressive.
-- A lot of beautiful acoustic and orchestral instrumental music
-- I very much enjoyed the inclusion of Jangwoo and Eunsil's love story to add some cuter, lighter moments that balances out the lead's more emotionally heavy story. Eunseob's little sister's romance was also fun to watch, adding more color to the general vibe of the series.


DISLIKES:
-- It sucks that an abused woman is punished for killing an abusive man, especially when her life was being threatened.
-- One of the characters I wished we explored more but didn't was Oh Youngwoo. He played an important part in Haewon's high school days as he used his popularity to help her not be an outcast by sitting with her at lunch and making sure everyone noticed. As a result, she made some friends. We can see he has somewhat of an interest in her, but I wonder to what degree. I think he could have been a cool character to explore, but we really only saw him once and then a little bit at the end. Sadly, he was mostly a plot device.
-- While I understand needing time to process, Haewon's reaction to finding out the role that the aunt played in her mom going to prison sat poorly with me. Maybe it was because she didn't know everything we as a view knew, but it still felt very harsh.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

While the romance between our two leads are a significant part of the story, it's not the only story or focus. "When the Weather is Fine" is a series about the relationships between people, whether it is between lovers, family, friends, or strangers. We are introduce to many characters, who each have a story to explore. We dive into the related topic of loneliness, the search for happiness, and the desire for sincere human connection and interactions. It's a story of love and healing. Like the progression from winter into spring, the characters begin to thaw/melt and heal from their cold, harsh past and their relationship with others begin to get warmer.

Our main leads Haewon and Eunseob have a lot in common. They both have a sad past that affects their current personalities and relationships with other people, mostly with their respective families. However, Haewon is a little more expressive than Eunseob is. She is able to communicate her feelings honestly to the people around her even if she keeps a distance. Meanwhile Eunseob is more secretive and struggles with expressing himself. However, they are able to connect with one another and begin healing from their past traumas. In the coldness of winter, they are able to warm each other. There are a lot of heartfelt moments and once they get together, a lot of cute ones as well.

Speaking of cute, we also get a lighter, fluffier romance with Jangwoo and Eunsil's story. Their story, as well as Eunseob's little sister's story, bring some much needed light-heartedness and energy to balance out the quieter romance of Haewon and Eunseob's story.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Nothing bad to really say as the acting and casts were great. The actors did a great job at portraying the depth and emotions that comes along with the story. Even in the moments where it seems like the characters like our leads were expressionless, it fits because of their cold, lonely nature. However, you can still see the emotions/hurt, hesitation, or affection in their eyes. The acting was subtle but it was there. And when it was time to be cute, they were cute.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I'm not huge on the ballads or slower songs, however, the acoustic and orchestral instrumentals for some scenes were pretty nice and they fit the vibes of the scene. A lot were pretty calming and relaxing to listen to. However, there really wasn't anything that stood out to me as something I needed to keep listening to.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

The story has a lot of depth and thought-provoking insights into the relationship between people. It also makes a lot of books and poetry references which invokes thought as we try to draw lessons from them. There is also a bit of cute, funny moments I enjoyed. I don't think I would watch again in its entirety but there are episodes and moments I would like to go back to watch in greater detail and enjoy or contemplate about.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Overall, this was a very endearing and heartfelt series. The characters are well developed and interesting, each with a history to unravel. Everyone has a reason for being the way they are, which is explored through great use of flashbacks. We also get different perspective on events that happened. I also liked that the book club also played an important role as members offer they own insights into different aspects of human relationships. I really love the way different pieces of literature are referenced to help tell the story and draw lessons from. There was a lot of symbolism both narratively and visually. It's also not a series with a lot of action or big moments, but one with a lot of quieter moments to reflect upon and think about.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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They saved each other

I really enjoy time-travel dramas and have seen quite a bit of them. Lovely Runner doesn't really do anything new that comes to mind or stand out, but I don't think it has to. Very few things are truly unique these days. As long as it's enjoyable to watch, it doesn't really matter. I fall into the group of people who really enjoyed this series.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- Characters were very likable to me. The main leads were both sincere and selfless in their goals. I'm able to relate to them both.
-- Story had layers and complexities
-- Lots of emotional moments but also lots of cute moments
-- While a lot of topics and themes weren't explored very deeply, there is still some depth. Themes/topics include mental health, pressure, the impact we have on the lives of others, goals and ambitions, grief/loss, fate/destiny, and selflessness.


DISLIKES:
-- Vague time travel rules and hardly any explanation for magic watch
-- Drunk kiss and forgotten confession
-- We know very little about the villain. His motive and character were under-developed.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

So the first comparison that came to mind when I was watching this series was "Someday or One Day", another time travel series that I really love for its depth, layers and complexities. "Lovely Runner" is similar in that it's also has layers to it. The time travel aspect is also not as straightforward as just going back in time, completing a mission, and then going back to the present where everything is fixed. It's trial and error, and that's part of why love these complex time-travel stories. I like the characters attempting to fix things but never truly knowing if the thing they tried work until they return to present time. In this case, with every timeline, Im Sol tries to avoid Seon Jae more and more because it is his involvement with her that gets him killed later. Is it her fault though? No. It's not her fault that she got targeted by a serial killer who becomes obsessed with them both when they are the reason he is caught.

In a lot of the series I watch, there is usually some object that is the trigger for the time travel. In this one, it's our ML's watch. But why can it do that? What sorcery is dictating how much information Im Sol can tell the other characters in the past? Why does this time deity want her to save Seon Jae? Is he the chosen one? Do other magical watches exists in this universe? If not, why? We will never know. But I guess, plot-wise, none of that is important. In every timeline, Seon Jae always ends up trying to save Im Sol and getting targeted by the serial killer. In order to save our male lead, she has to prevent him from saving her. It's a bit of a circle and ultimately, she finds that the only way is to keep him out of her life. But the universe seems to always favor Seon Jae and he ends up in her life anyway and falling for her once again. He must have accumulated a lot of merits in his past life or something. Obviously, the great time god really wants Seon Jae to live cause why else would Im Sol be given so many chances to save him. And it's obvious that it is inevitable that they meet, and Seon Jae will fall in love all over again. So I feel like this digital watch deity could've just skipped all the trouble of Im Sol time traveling and just remove the killer from history to skip all the unnecessary steps. Surely a time god can do that, right? Right? No? Oh. xD

With time-travel, there is also an element of fate. You can change the events that happen, but ultimately, some things are fated to happen. And some people will forever be connected by the red thread of fate. Regardless of how much she tries to avoid it, they always meet again and Seon Jae always end up falling for Im Sol. Like, Fate is always rooting for them. There is a moment in this series where our male lead gets back his memories (kind of reminds me of "The Legend of the Blue Sea") from the alternate timelines that were changed. Again, what magical force is at work and why do they love Seon Jae so much? xD Jest aside, the reason they give is that memories are never truly erased, they just get buried deep in our soul... or something like that. I can't remember the exact phrasing Grandma gave but that was the vibe of it. Now I can't help but wonder if all my feelings of deja vu in my life was because someone was messing with time.

Anyway, let me share my thoughts on each character below.

[ --Thoughts on Characters-- ]

Im Sol - At first, I thought she was just going to be just another clumsy, ditzy girl that did nothing but get in the male lead's way but I found her very likable and relatable. Was she perfect? Of course not. There were definitely moments where I felt she could come up with better excuses/lies to explain herself or made slightly different choices. However, overall, for the major decisions, her choices were fine/reasonable. I watched this on Viki and a lot of the timed comments I saw was about her being annoying. Most of that annoyance came from her causing our handsome male lead Seon Jae some heartaches. Personally, I think her choices regarding him were rational given the circumstances, what she knew, and that her goal was to make sure he doesn't die. Her goal wasn't to date him. I get it, he's a sweet puppy and it sucks for him sometimes, but that doesn't mean Im Sol did anything wrong. Another thing I read a lot was people saying she is spending a lot of effort chasing a celebrity crush. To that, I say sure... but he's also a guy that saved her life in a dark moment of her life. Words can hold a lot of power and Seon Jae's words of encourage gave her the strength to keep living. And I'm sure that is relatable to a significant number of idol stans out there. Im Sol is trying to save the person who saved her. Let's not minimalize that to a mere crush. If I had the chance to save a life that greatly impacted me, I would take it. In all, I think she's pretty selfless and cute.

Seon Jae - So when I first started watching this series, my expectation was that he would slowly fall for Im Sol over time. However, it is established pretty quickly that he was already crushing on her way before she even took notice of him. I find it somewhat endearing how he tries to act so cool in front of her but is really just a lovesick puppy. I think the scenes that stand out in my mind is when Im Sol is making the stupid puns and he has to turn to hide his smiles because she knows his humor so well. I also like that Seon Jae was shown to be adaptable. He is a swimmer who was forced to give up that dream due to a shoulder injury. Instead of dwelling on it, he moved on and helped those around him move on. Even when he was given the chance to do rehab, he chose not to after realizing his enthusiasm for the sport is no longer there. And that's just how life can be sometimes. It's a really down to earth and relatable story for an athlete. Or anyone really. He, like Im Sol, also pretty selfless and cute.

Tae Sung - What I really loved about Tae Sung is that he never truly forced anything and never became an annoying third wheel. He always seems pretty honest and respected her feelings. There was small moments of animosity between him and our male lead, but it was never truly anything serious. I'm glad they were able to remain friends in the newest timeline. I'm also glad he mended his relationship with is father and ended up also being a cop.

Everyone Else - I don't have much to say about everyone else and this is already super long, so I will just condense them altogether. One of the emotional moments for me was when Seon Jae and his dad were talking after his dad found about his son's shoulder injury. Both were emotional and I could feel it. It was a heartfelt moment that stood out to me. Similarly, Im Sol learning her mom had been sick but never told her. It's hard to find out when a family member is hiding a illness so you don't worry, especially when you misunderstood before.

I wasn't super invested in Im Sol's brother and her best friend love story. A lot of it was comedic moments and I just didn't feel like there was enough time or dept invested in their story for me to feel any kind of way. I'm glad they are happy, they are cute together, and they have cute kids, but I wish their story was fleshed out some more or taken more seriously. Same with Grandma. I want to know more about her and her time-traveling adventures. In all, it would've been nice to see more family moments. But I also get that this isn't like "Twinkling Watermelon" where family is the focus of the story. The serial killer was also another character that we did not know much about despite being an important factor in the story. He was merely a plot device and nothing more. All I learned of his obsessive stalking of our lead was that he was a vengeful person and wanted to kill the witness that put him in jail.

And then there was Eclipse. Love the band. Liked their music. 10/10 would stan. I don't really have much to say about the band members other than In Hyuk. In Hyuk seems like he kind of resented our female lead in some parts and I get it. She caused our male lead a lot of trouble, so it makes sense that as the best friend of Seon Jae, he would kind of be annoyed his friend keeps going after her. I always like it in series when best friends also become friends with the love interest even if it's just a bickering relationship. In Hyuk also did get his only little story when he temporarily quit the band that resulted in some fun times at the ocean, but overall he wasn't super involved in the overall plot either and I wish we got to see more band interactions in general.

[ --Closing Thoughts-- ]

Again, I thought this was a cute series with some layers and depths to it. It's definitely not as shallow as it seems. And basically, this is a story of two people trying to save each other. He's her hero and she is his heroine. I don't really have much to say about the casts other than that I enjoyed their performances. I smiled at the cute/funny moments and I got teary eyes during the emotional ones so I think they did good. I also don't think it's overrated or underrated. It is the hype level that it is. I don't like to say something is over or under hyped because there is always a reason for the level of hype something gets. Whether we agree or understand it doesn't mean it's not deserved or is unworthy. To me, that is reminiscent of a sore loser's mentality. Criticism is fine, but let's not insult others' standards/taste. We are better than that. I've seen a lot of series where the rating doesn't reflect my own feeling about it, but my thought wasn't "Wow, everyone else is wrong, shallow, or high." We are just looking for different things.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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fantastic world, characters, and story

"Fangs of Fortune" lured me in with its beautiful cinematography, lore-rich world, and interesting characters but kept me with its captivating and stimulating storyline. The series is an examination and reflection on the nature of humans and demons. Is one more inherently more evil than the other? The series raise this as a topic of contemplation as well as many others. We explore themes of choice and free will, hate and anger, life and death, love, friendship, forgiveness, and much more. There are some great developments and backstories to help us understand the motivations of a lot the characters, including the villains. There are lots of emotional moments that really hit the feels, some nice comedic breaks here and there, and just a lot of philosophical questions to think about. Overall, I thought this was a well-done series. And as a Pentagon fan, seeing Yanan as Li Lun was a nice bonus. I think a lot of the cast has some kind of music/idol background but I'm not familiar with a lot of them.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- I love the intricate storytelling. Backstories and flashbacks are used to unravel plot and character developments. Characters who seemingly have simple motives are revealed to be more complex ones as we learn more about them. This includes the villains. They aren't villains just for the sake of being villains.
-- Along with the thought-provoking nature of the story, the series offers many great lessons about life and adversity.
-- Great world and lore building and beautiful cinematography. Although visually, it feels very bleak and gray, it was still aesthetically nice. Best I can describe it is that it's like watching the captivating rain even if the day feels gray.


DISLIKES:
-- scenes sometimes feel like they linger too long just to drag out and fill the time.
-- lots of mourning, grieving, remembrance, and reflection scenes. Related to my first point, a lot of those scene go on longer than I feel they need, which wouldn't be so bad if there weren't so many of them.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The series right away does a good job of setting up the heart of the story. We see a deceptive rabbit beast fall into the custody of Wen Xiao, a fair and just demon hunter. However, we are also introduce to the merciless hunters of the Chongwu Camp who kills demons indiscriminately. Their goal seems to be to eradicate all demons, while also profiting off some of them. Meanwhile, the great demon lord Zhu Yan wants to die. Zhuo Yichen of the demon-hunting bureau wants to kill the great demon. However, he cannot, at least, not yet. Until that day comes, Zhu Yan volunteers to help the bureau in its tasks. Several other members join the bureau, each with their own goals and motivations. As we progress though the story, flashbacks are used to help us understand each of the characters better. The bureau takes on and investigates several cases throughout the series, each one presenting questions and themes to think about. There is also a larger over-arching plot involving the Chongwu Camp's quest to kill all demon . We also have Li Lun, a great demon who resent humans. However, motivated by past events, hatred blinded both the leader of Chongwu Camp and Li Lun, leading one to hate demon and the other to hate humankind.

The series really reinforce the idea that "villains are not born, they are made." A lot of the bad actions of the demons in the story are due the actions or influence of others. Human or demon, what does it really mean to be one or the other? Both have the same potentials to be good are evil.

Choice is another heavy theme in this series. The weight, burden, and consequence of our choices but also the choices of others that affect us. There are many example of this theme. The willingness to sacrifice for one another. The courage and determination to carry on in spite of fear or adversity. The will to defy fate. We often have a choice in how we react to things. Ultimately, we shouldn't let the evil and cruelty of others affected our own kindness. Our choices can also have lasting effects on how the world perceives and remembers us. In the past, a character chose to die to protect innocent lives, but ultimately was deemed a demon. Another was a god and revered as a hero but ultimately chose to be mortal.

There are also the circumstances and situations where the freedom of choice is no longer in one's own hands. They are merely a puppet. If they are made to do evil things, what level of burden, accountability, and responsibility do they hold for those actions? There are a lot of complications and complexities to the theme of nature and choice, and this series does a great job at making us think about them.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

There were a lot moments where my eyes became watery and blurry. Either I'm just allergic to this series, or the cast was just skilled at poking at the heart. There are so many sad scenes and the cast did a great job portraying the longing, hurt, will to sacrifice, anger, hesitation, and sadness. There were also some nice comedic moments as a break from the more serious acting. We get some awkwardness, cuteness, and just more bright/colorful acting, which is a much welcomed relief in a series like this. The chemistry and bonds built between characters are also noteworthy. Cast and crew did a great job.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The series has a lot of beautiful OSTs that invoke emotions and greatly enhance the scene when they are played, leaving an impact in your heart. 大梦归离 (Return After A Long Dream) from 李宇春 specifically is still etched in my brain. And there are also inspirational and hard hitters like 无心生大梦 (Unintentional Big Dream) from 刘宇宁 that gets me hyped/pumped, ready to take on any challenge/obstacle. There are many songs I need to go back, listen to, and review, but I've already added a few to my playlists.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I thought long and hard about whether this was something I could rewatch, mostly because there is a lot heavy heart-wrenching scenes. However, the lesson to be drawn, the talents of the cast, and the layers in storytelling are all compelling enough that it's worth at least another revisit. There are just so many great dialogues/quotes and beautifully emotional moments that deserves a second viewing.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

In the cases that the bureau investigated, I ended up feeling sad for the demons involved. A lot of the stories ended tragically. Aside from our main casts, the series does a great job at building complex characters that I could feel sympathy for. Even the antagonists' motivations stemmed from a place I could understand, even if they were on the extreme end. There was just great character development for everyone. I loved the journey the series took us on to learn about why certain characters are the way the are and how events in the past affected current events. Very aesthetic world and costumes. Great accompanying soundtracks. Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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very somber, but also very swoon-worthy

I initially became interested in watching this drama because I watched "Hidden Love". While initially saddened that this drama would have a different set of cast, I was not disappointed in the choices, especially Bai Jingting as Sang Yan. I have seen him in "Destined", and I absolutely loved him there. I think my favorite thing was just trying to imagine Jingting replacing Victor in "Hidden Love" scenes and vice versa with picturing Victor in "The First Frost". I also recognized Edward Chen from "Your Name Engraved Herein" and Zhang Miaoyi from "When I Fly Towards You", so I was pretty familiar most of the central roles aside from the female lead. After watching this, I will say Zhang Ruonan will be another name and face I will recognize and look out for in the future.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
--Amazing OSTs
--Beautiful cinematography
--Strong female lead capable of standing up for herself. Despite her introverted and soft nature, she is far from weak. On multiple occasions and scenario, she has been shown to stand up and defend herself, not needing someone to come save her. She is her own heroine.
-- Male lead is likable. Although he tries to act cool and nonchalant, he is very caring and sincere.
--Yifan's friend Siqiao is smart, capable, and cares a lot for her friends.
--Loved when Yifan's current superior Mr. Gan made sure no one was causing her problems at work and also helps defends her when her job is questioned due to gossip.
--Enough cute and romantic moments to balance out the bleakness of Yifan's story
--Love the consistent format of the series with a flashback at the beginning and a bonus scene at the end


DISLIKES:
-- I admit the beginning of this series was slow for me. The sadness of the female lead's situation made it a lot harder to watch, especially compared to the lighter vibe of Hidden Love. Being set in winter also adds to the somber vibes. However, it gets better as the story progresses and we also get some cuter, lighter moments.
-- Not sure how I feel about Mu Chengyun as a character. I felt like his character was there just for the sake of being there, but he never felt like anyone with an effect on the lead's relationship other than being a slight annoyance. He did a couple of annoying things like self inviting himself into Yifan's apartment and also lying about things Sang Yan said, but neither of those scenario were shown to really impact the leads' actions in the grand scheme of things. Our male lead was confident and the female lead never wavered or sided with Chengyun. I feel like we could've removed his character and it wouldn't change the story much, if any. I felt maybe having Xiang Lang (the guy best friend) was sufficient enough.
-- I love Siqiao and Haoan's story, but I wish we spent a little less time on the grandparents' story. Would have loved more of Siqiao and Haoan's story outside the context of the Haoan's family stuff.
-- Probably because I watched Hidden Love and adored the siblings interaction there, I kinda hoped there would be more scenes with the Sang siblings. I loved their bickering in HL, and I also understand First Frost has a more serious tone but I peronally would have loved a few more scenes/interactions with the sister, even if it's more serious and heartfelt rather than light and comedic.

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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

I'll begin by saying that even though "The First Frost" shares the same universe as "Hidden Love" and involves some of the same characters, you don't really need to have seen HL. With that said, I do recommend checking out HL though if you haven't, especially if you want to learn more about Sang Yan's sister Zhi and his best friend Jiaxu. It's kind of fun to see how the timeline/events line up between the two. The vibe is also a lot more lighter.

"The First Frost" adopts a more sad and serious tone and deals with much heavier topics. Yifan's life has been full of hardship. She deals with loss, assault, workplace harassment and gossip, and lacks love, care, and protection from the people who are suppose to be her family, especially her mother. However, when there was no one there to save and protect her, Yifan defended and stood up for herself. She does this on multiple occasions and I love that about her. While she appears to have a quiet and gentle nature, she is far from weak. She is capable of fighting for herself when it matters. Yifan is the hero of her own story. As a result, she is independent. This is both a good and bad thing. It's good that she is capable and solves problems on her own. However, since she's so use to handling things herself, she keeps her problems to herself and suffers alone instead of asking for help. It's understandable though given her own mother ignored her in the past. Despite it, she does her best to take of herself and even tries to protect Sang Yan from the traumas that haunt her.

As a contrast to Yifan, we have Sang Yan, who comes from a loving family. In the somber vibe that is Yifan's story, Yan brings light and warmth to it. He gives Yifan the deserved love, care, and comfort she lacks in her life. He is someone who makes her feel comfortable and helps her (and the viewers) smile. It's funny watching the male lead keep up a cool and calm demeanor but is actually really caring, cute, and sometimes even silly. I think that was much needed when the series feels very melancholic. The first time I actually grinned during this series was during a flashback of Yan getting his sister Zhi to pretend to be lost so he could meet up with Yifan. For me, that was my first impression of a lighter moment in such a heavy series. He does a lot of things like that to get her to notice him and it's somewhat endearing. Yan's involvement in Yifan's life gives us quite a few swoon-worthy moments with some nice cinematography. An example that stood out for me was after their Ferris wheel kiss, when Yifan was thinking about it. I loved the artistic way they showed her thinking about the kiss while lying in her room.

Yifan is not the only capable female in this series. Her best friend Zhong Siqiao is also very capable, hard-working, and smart. Siqiao is also selfless and cares a lot about the people around her. This is shown through her interaction with Su Haoan and helping him deal with his family problems. She is very likeable and I appreciated that. Sometimes, with Chinese series, the support female best friend role can have an annoying personality or traits, but the main females are both strong characters and I love that. Siqiao and Haoan's story is much lighter but still have a lot of heartfelt moments that should not be overlooked. Their story also deals with similar themes of love, family, trauma, and healing.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

As briefly mentioned before, I was already acquainted with some of the cast going in. I was already a fan of Bai Jingting from watching "Destined", Edward Chen from "Your Name Engraved Herein", and Zhang Miaoyi from "When I Fly Towards You". All of which are series and a movie that I've rated highly, so I already suspected I would like this series a lot. I didn't know Zhang Ruonan, but after watching this series, her name is one I will look more into. I think everyone, main and supporting case alike, did a great job. Che Xingde, the aunt, and mom invoked anger in me so I commend the actors for their portrayal. Both our male and female leads conveyed the emotional and heartfelt scene very well and very naturally. Whether it was Sang Yan's sincere, tender, and persistent care and love or Wen Yifan's anxieties and sadness, I felt it all.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Much like Hidden Love, this series introduced to me so many great OSTs that gave me the feels. They were all memorable. Each added values and greatly enhanced the scenes they played in. I added most of them to my playlist, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be '像晴天像雨天' (Like A Sunny Day, Like A Rainy Day) sang by Silence Wang.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

As far as romance series go, this one is up at the top as one of the contenders for my favorite.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Overall, this series has a lot of memorable scenes enhanced by great cinematography and/or great music, supported by great acting, and features likable main characters. The story is somber but balances it out with some very sweet moment. I loved the Sang Yan in "Hidden Love", but I like the character even more here in "The First Frost". Wen Yifan is a survivor, and I absolutely love her. I also really enjoyed the second couple, and they also had a lot of cute moments. The first couple of episodes will be kind of rough to get past, but much like Wen Yifan's life, it will get better with persistent like Sang Yan's love.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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[ Alfred is a very relatable and well-developed character ]

This is one of those k-dramas that I would consider a romance "classic", but procrastinated on watching. I guess, in my head, over the years, I built up the idea that it was going to be a really angsty soap opera kind of conflicts and the the male lead was going to be some insufferable jerk based on the things I've heard and read. And while that's not entirely untrue, it actually wasn't that bad. I even kind of liked it. There is definitely some nostalgia factor at play here though as this is the kind of k-drama I use to watch with my family. I don't know if I would like this as much had I grown up in a more recent era. There were some cute moments and some frustrating ones, but overall, I thought it was good. Not great but a little better than ok. It was worth watching at least once.

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● REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ the motives feel real and understandable. I may not agree, but I can understand why most characters are the way they are.

✔ Cute teddy bear scenery at the end of each episode.

✔ There are some cute, sweet, and funny moments throughout that helps build the relationship of the ML and FL. I like their relationship dynamic when they are just bickering, and ML is not being overly mean. There is a level of comfort they have with each other that I like.

✔ Although the ML is initially uncaring and can be sharp with his words, he does sometimes show subtle consideration/thoughtfulness for the FL, which is sweet. I wish that was more consistent though.

✔ My favorite character was Alfred. He didn't say or do much, but his presence was felt and contributed greatly to my enjoyment of this series. Life in the palace can be lonely so I'm glad the ML had a friend like Alfred.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ I don't think this series needed to be 24 episodes at about 1hr long each. I think the series length could have been cut in half. I'm even willing to let it push to 16 episodes, but 24 is too much. I think the pacing could have been better.

✖ To be honest, I wasn't feeling either of friend groups. Prince's friends are snobby. Princess' friends are over-the-top (minus glasses girl) but I guess at least they are friendly compared to the Prince's friends.

✖ Crowned Prince letting Hyorin kiss him. Regardless of how he feels or of his intentions, as someone who agreed to get married, he should turned away in that moment. Even if he has zero feelings for Chaekyung, he should still respect her as his wife (unless they agreed to an open relationship).



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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The course of one's life can change pretty quickly. Sometimes we have a choice in the matter, and other times, it is beyond our control. Yul's father was originally next in line to be king, but he passed away in an unfortunate accident, so Shin's dad became king instead. Per royal regulations and the decree of the former king, Yul and his mother were exiled from the palace. With Shin's dad becoming king, Shin became the new crowned prince. Yul did not have a choice in his exile and Shin did not have choice in becoming crown prince. It was just the circumstances of the families they were born into. One was ripped away from the life and home he had always known at a young age and forced to move to another country, while the other was suddenly burdened with a lot more responsibility. Both had a life that was thrust upon them.

Then we have Hyorin and Chaekyung. Both were given a choice in how the course of their life would go, and both had to bear the consequence of their choice. Shin first asked Hyorin if she wanted to marry him so he could avoid marrying a total stranger. However, Hyorin made the choice to reject him, as she wanted to pursue her dream first. It's an understandable choice. They are young and marriage is not something most minors think about. No one wants to be trapped by the rules and customs of the palace life, as luxurious as it may seem from the outside. Hyorin made the choice to live her life freely, but she later comes to regret it. She was greedy and wanted both Shin and the freedom to follow her dream.

Chaekyung also had a choice in if she wanted to marry Shin. She initially opposed the idea of an arrange marriage. However, her family circumstance forced her to rethink the idea, and she reluctantly accepted. She made the choice to accept the marriage and she then had to face the consequence, which is a strict palace life and the responsibilities of being a princess. Both Chaekyung and Hyorin were unhappy due to their choices, but both also ultimately came to accept it.

All the characters mentioned above are about 19 in Korean age. This is about 17-18 internationally, but I would lean more towards 17. They are all still young. They all still have a lot of time to grow, develop, and mature. Right now, they are still kids, so I can understand a lot of their rationale, actions, and personalities. Even by the end of the series, they are just barely entering adulthood, so there is still much more development they are going to do as they progress in life. I'm basically saying all this to say that as frustrating as some of the main characters' actions are sometimes, I didn't find myself hating anyone. They all had a reason for being the way they were in addition to being young. If there were characters I didn't like, it was would be amongst the elders. The king also had moments that I didn't like, but he more just a mild annoyance. I think it was mostly just Yul's mom that was least likable to me. She was under the delusion that the royal family owed her something and she then pushed that delusion onto her son.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I don't really have much to say about the cast or their acting. It didn't really leave any kind of impact on me as either good are bad. I'm also not really familiar with any of the cast. This is actually the first time I've seen most of them. A lot of their more recent works, I haven't seen yet at the time of writing this. I guess the acting in the series was about as I expected, especially for an older series. Very dramatic and soap opera-like.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I think the series has some nice soundtracks. Off the top of my head, I know "Perhaps Love", "Always", and "Give Me a Little Try" as being a few of the ones that I liked. There are also some decent instrumental tracks. I don't think any of instrumentals ones are playlist material for me, but I thought they were ok while I was listening to them throughout the series.


[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

While this series was good, it kind of barely passed into that threshold for me. I don't think this is something I would rewatch. If the story were more condensed and less draggy in some part, I maybe would have considered it. However, I feel like this had too many episodes and a lot of it is palace politics or Shin trying to figure himself out, which is not something I would be interested in seeing again. While the romance and fluffier moments were good, it's not enough to make me want to go back to see those scenes. I think this series was worth a one time watch, but not something I would want to see again by myself.


[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Honestly, I think this was a series that could've had a proper sequel. I know there is "Goong S", but I don't really consider that a proper sequel as it isn't a continuation of this specific story. The main characters in this series were still pretty young and are still learning as they become adults. There is a lot of room for them to mature. I think it would've been cool to see a sequel to see them continue to learn about each other, marriage, and being a family as they try to live a more free life away from the palace life. Their story was only beginning. With that said, this was a good series. I liked it. Even though there were a lot of frustrations, I was only frustrated because I was on their side and was rooting for the characters to do better. The story also had some nice moments in between drama and angst. I just wish it was shorter, but I'm glad I watched it.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Great actors. Good music. Okay story.

Loved the actors/acting and loved the music. The story/plot was their weakest point but it's not bad. I thought it was okay. Just needs some work. The actors and the music are what bumps this from an 'okay' series to to a 'good' one for me.

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● REVIEW
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LIKES:
--The OST is very nice. I've always been a fan of the music SUKFILM uses and how they enhance the emotions of the scenes. Hopefully they release the soundtracks list soon.
--The actors and acting is also very good. I enjoy the chemistry and acting a lot.
--This relates back to the actors and acting. Although I may not agree with certain actions or allowing certain actions to happen, at the very least, I could understand the characters' emotions due to how well they were portrayed
--Although Dae Young cheated on Min Ji, at the very least, he confessed right away after it happened instead of hiding it. That's kind of a low bar, but I'm willing to give them some credit for that. They could've dragged that out or lie to her some more, but they didn't.
--The series was short enough that there wasn't really anything that made me feel annoyed or bored. I think the length worked in its favor in that aspect. Although, I also wouldn't mind a longer series for more character/plot development.

DISLIKES:
--I don't mind cheating in plots. However, when the same character cheats more than once, it becomes hard to root for the character or become attached to them, especially when it is a main character. It's hard to like a series when you can't sympathize with a character because they let the same mistakes repeat. I'm not taking too much points away for this as the acting/emotions during those kiss scenes with the ex were done well.
--Initially, the story sets up the friendship as being very important to Jeong Ha, but it didn't feel like such a big deal when we never saw Min Ji again. We could've focus on the friendship more and maybe the guys trying to reach out to Min Ji after the fallout. Instead, we just moved on to the next plot about the ex, making it seem like preserving the 10 year friendship was not really that important.
--There are some extended kiss scenes/dialogue that are behind a paywall. I'm not actually taking points away for this, but I felt the need to mention it as a dislike =P

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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be there for the people you care about =)

So I've seen School 2017, but I've never seen School 2013. After watching High School Frenemy, I need to go watch the original Korean version, School 2013, now. As far as bromances and friendship go, Sky and Nani are now one of my favorite pair. I haven't seen a lot of series from either of them. I think the only series I've seen before this was in the Project S: Side by Side series with Tor. Absolutely loved that for the brotherly love. As for Nani, I've also recall watching one series with him and that was F4 Thailand, also a remake like this series. F4 Thailand also featured some great friendship/bromance and great lessons in violence/bullying and being there for the people who care about like this series. All of these series have been amongst some of my favorite Thai series so I'm thinking I need to watch more from these two, specifically.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
--The chemistry of Saint and Shin was phenomenal. Sky and Nani are both great actors. Their pain, hesitation, and care for one another can be seen and felt.
--The series incorporated some great lessons about understanding and empathy for one another, the consequences of our actions, and practicing kindness.
--Great development of supporting characters
--There was always something happening so it never felt boring


DISLIKES:
--It took over half the series for Saint and Shin to resolve their conflict. Even so, I didn't feel like it dragged out, I just wish we got to see more of them being cute together and less of Shin being angry with Saint. Very angsty.
--We got some great backstory and developments for some of the supporting classmates, so I wish there was more. Specifically, I thinking of First, Tew, and some of the other girls. I think we mostly got Peeta, Eve, Airy, Chadjen, Ken, and the one twin who became studious.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

I love the friendships in this series. Every character is flawed and whether I agreed with their actions or not, I at least understood why act a certain way. At first, I thought there was a misunderstanding between Saint and Shin and that there was more to the reason Saint beat up his friend and broke Shin's leg. I can't imagine being so strict about a gang rule where I could hurt my friend that bad. But as we learned, he was angry at Shin for wanting to leave and he felt he was being abandoned. Sometimes, our emotions take over in the heat of the moment. It doesn't excuse his action, but it is understandable and relatable. Ironically, he then ended up abandoning Shin alone to deal with the consequences alone. But they were teens, so I can understand being scared. I also understand thinking the friend you beat up is better off without you, especially when their mother told you so. At the time, in the moment, these decision can make sense, but we ultimately regret it later. And Saint did end up regretting his choice. As angsty as it might be, it was somewhat heartwarming to hear that Shin wasn't angry about Saint breaking his legs, but rather that Saint avoided him. It shows that he just needed his friend to be there for him.

Just being there and being empathetic is a recurring them amongst the classmates in this series. We see this with Chatjen being there to help his friends in various instances. We see this with Peeta and Eve's story. I think my favorite showcasing on the power of friendship though is in Ken's redemption arc. Ken was a product of his environment and some bad choices, but we learned, beneath it, there is someone who trying to be a good guy. The scene where the friends and teachers were trying to reach out to him, where they all hugged him, was one of scenes that stood out the most to me in this series.

I also loved that the characters that were antagonistic at first went through their own character development arcs and came out better people. Except Jeng. I still don't like Jeng.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Whether it sadness/hurt, anger/frustration, or silly cuteness, I think the acting was great. This series really tugged at my heartstrings in many places, which is a reason I enjoy series without much romance. Typically, these kind of series have a lot of great teaching moments and are (at least to me), a lot more relatable. Actors get to showcase a lot more than romantic chemistry. There are a lot of different types of relationships out there and this series a good example of that. The ones between parents and children. The one between rivals. The one between ex-friends. The one between friends who are going through a rough patch. The ones with new friendships vs old ones. The relationships between teacher and students. Regardless of the dynamic, the casts did a great job showing the relationship and the communication struggles that come with each of them. Of course, it goes without saying the chemistry between our two main lead Sky and Nani stood out the most.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Not much to say here other than I love a lot of the songs. I think one of the ones that stood out the most to me was "Honest" from Adam Turley and Ethan Dufault. I think that one stood out cause it played during a very cute scene in episode 12 between Shin and Saint where Saint was taking pictures as they haven't taken any in years. It was a cute moment and one of my favorite scenes after they reconciled. And of course, I also love the main soundtrack "Promise" from Sky and Nani.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I need to watch School 2013 first, but for sure, I will be re-watching this version.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

I've been watching a lot of series about gangs, violence/fighting, and bromances and so far, this one has stood out a lot to me. I'm very glad I picked this from my infinite list of things to watch, and I definitely recommend this if you don't mind a lot of angst and the lack of romance. However, a lot of the dialogue between Saint and Shin are actually pretty romantic, so that and their chemistry more than makes up for it. Overall, this series was a very fun watch. Lots of great heartfelt moments and lessons.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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2AM is a moment of choice

I came into this series expecting a lot of cuteness and fluff and the series definitely delivered. What I didn't expect was the little life lessons sprinkled throughout. I also wasn't expecting so much honest and sincere conversations. Any misunderstandings that happen gets resolved pretty quickly and I loved that. The main reason I was interested in watching this was because of Moon Sang Min, who I saw in "Under the Queen's Umbrella", which was a series I loved. However, while he was very cute and adorable, it was the female lead that I truly loved. She was a strong and capable woman, who never really needed anyone to save her. Truly a different kind of Cinderella.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
--Her goal was revealed by Ju Won's brother in the first episode, so we didn't have to see her confuse Ju Won for two month in order to get him to break up with her. Everyone is on the same page as far the situation was, nobody was in the dark.
--Many great life lessons were presented in this series with some memorable dialogues/conversations.
--The series does a great job of showing how emotions are very complex and how trauma/adversity can affect us differently.
--Female lead was very capable and wasn't someone who needed saving. Ultimately, she's a hard worker and very sincere. For the major obstacles in her life, including the male lead's mother, she was able to resolve them with her own efforts.
--I enjoyed all the different relationships in the series. A key component of all of them was honesty, which I loved.
--And obviously, very cute/sweet, funny, and very sincere with some thoughtful, emotional ,and heartwarming moments.


DISLIKES:
--While Yun Seo's colleagues were well-meaning and very good coworkers in the sense that they cared about Yun Seo, they were often misguided. Other than being comedic relief characters, I'm not really sure what value they added to the story. I say this because I know they were suppose to add humor but their scenes just felt unnecessary
--While I have nothing against people getting drunk, I dislike its use as a plot device for certain honest conversations or actions to happen. It makes it convenient for the characters to later deny something or use it as an excuse. So when I see scenes of characters getting drunk, I just feel like such a cliché direction to take. If it's used for humor, I don't mind so much depending on the scenario and what kind of a drunk they are.


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --THE TITLE: Cinderella at 2AM-- ]

You can skip this section if you want, this is mostly me giving my thoughts on the title of the series. In the classic fairytale, it's at 12am that the spell starts wearing off and the magic is lifted. It's a return to reality. So why 2am? What happens at 2am? The first thought was that 2am is a time after the magic ends, when Cinderella is back to living in reality...which describes the world Yun Seo has lived in. The second thought that came to mind was the kpop group named 2AM. Their name was given to them on the idea that 2:00am is a time to reflect on the previous day. What I loved about this series that there were a lot of self-reflection and moments of inner dialogue. The leads look back on their situation and reflect on their actions or feelings, giving us some both understanding on their choices or insight on their growth/development. From an internet search, 2:00 AM could also have spiritual significance relating to duality and balance. We can't be so caught up in romance that we can ignore the realities of life like social class differences. Life isn't a fairytale. At the same time, we shouldn't be so much of a realist that we stop believing that happiness and romance we want are not worth fighting for. There needs to be balance.

The actual answer to why 2AM is significant to the series is actually answered starting from episode 8. It is explained that from 2am until Prince Charming arrives, it is the most difficult hours of Cinderella's story. It's when the harsh reality sets in as she waits to be saved by the prince. But as the artist Seong Min points out, she's not the typical Cinderella. She's never been. Our female lead, like Cinderella also comes from a poor background where her parents abused her and her brother. The sad thing was that these were her actual parents and not even step-parents. It's a sad backstory, but unlike Cinderella who waited for Prince Charming to save her, Yun Seo was able to save Ji Seok and herself from their abusive situation. Already, she is shown to be very strong and capable. She worked hard to raise and take care of brother alone. She got herself through college and got a great job. There was no prince to save her. She is the heroine of her own story. 2:00AM represents a moment of choice for Cinderella. She can suffer until happiness finds her, or she can go fight for that happiness.

[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

There was so many things that stood out to me about this series that I liked, but at the heart of it are the sincere characters. I loved the female lead, if that is not already evident. There are so many series where when the female lead is in trouble, the male lead comes in to save the day. In this series, Ju Won is our Prince Charming, but there isn't anything major that happened where he needed to "save" Yun Seo. She did a great job at taking care of herself. If anything, Ju Won was only there for emotional support and to give her the fairytale happiness she deserved after overcoming her sad background. Her character is also pretty honest. The only major dishonesty was her initial plan to try to get the male lead to break up with her, but that didn't last long thanks to Ju Won's brother Si Won. I also love the way she take cares of her brother. It is very clear that she loves Ji Seok deeply. When you're young, it's easy to be selfish and focus on ourselves. However, Yun Seo made sure she saved her brother too from the abuse. Not only that, she imparts on him lessons about helping others, the consequence of inaction when someone needs help, following through with his education, and doing his best. At the same time, even when she is harsh, she makes sure he knows she love him. It is also clear that her brother loves her very much and how appreciative he is of her.

Our male lead, Ju Won, was also a very likable character. Cuteness aside, he was very sincere in his pursuit of Yun Seo after she broke up with him. Although he was aggressive in his pursuit of her initially, he learns to reign it back and respect her boundaries. Later, when she expresses her frustrations, he finally accepts her wishes of breaking up. Ju Won also expresses his feeling fairly well, whether it is jealousy or hurt. I think episode 5 was a memorable moment where he expressed his hurt over how "easy" she thinks the breakup is. It gave some depth to his character as well. A lot of the things he has were not the result of his own hard work. However, his relationship with Yun Seo was achieved with his own effort and so he clings to it dearly. It was also during this conversation that made realize selflessness and selfishness is matter of perspective. There is a duality to it.

I also liked Si Won and his wife Mi Jin's story very much. Although their marriage was arranged, they learned to love each other. The development of their story was cute. Any misunderstandings they had were always quickly resolved through communication. It was often very endearing. Individually, they also both great people. Si Won is a supportive brother who always has Ju Won's back. Mi Jin is also a strong, capable and perceptive female lead with great empathy. She was emotionally aware enough to recognized when her husband was feeling disappointed after a tennis photo session. She is the first to point out that even strong people can feel lonely, giving us some insight into the mother. In fact, I think it was both Yun Seo and Mi Jin who ultimately are the heroine of the story. It was their empathy that helped the two brothers gain some perspective on their mother and ultimately help mend the family's relationship.

The artist Seong Min was also an interesting character. His father was also an abusive one. Through an accidental interaction with Yun Seo, his life was saved. In return, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, he kind of becomes the fairy godmother of this Cinderella story. It was his actions and suggestion that motivated the female lead to finally fight for her love and go find her Prince Charming at the airport. I personally don't think we needed to introduce the artist to fill this role. I think maybe Si Won and Mi Jin could've fulfilled a similar role, or even the female lead's best friend. But I guess he's also here to add some kind of urgency/rival for our male lead. I initially didn't like him because Seong Min came on way too strong for someone Yun Seo has never met, but I liked that he ended up being a friend to both Yun Seo and Ju Won.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I saw a lot of comments about either the female lead being too old or the male lead being too young. While I was watching, it never really saw the age difference because I thought their chemistry was quite good. It would be a lie of me to say that physical attractiveness between individuals doesn't play a part in chemistry, but it only makes up a fraction. Compatibility/personality, familiarity, and actions/expressions all also play a part. Personally, I didn't think any of the actors in this show was lacking physically. All very pretty and/or handsome actors/actresses. And talented. I won't say there weren't some scenes where the humor didn't hit or the acting wasn't over the top, but I feel like usually, this is more of a director/characterization choice than an acting one.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The music definitely enhances this series. There wasn't any songs that I did not like. Shoutout to Vincent Blue, Sam Kim, Ha Hyun Sang, Yeonjun, Kim Haewon, Ejel, and Riwoo for their contributions to the soundtracks. Let me know if I missed anyone. I loved them all. Fitted well in the scenes they were played. They all left good impressions on me, not much else to say there. If I had to pick a favorite, I really like "Sailing" from Ha Hyun Sang. Of course, being a TXT fan, "Boyfriend" from Yeonjun was also quite memorable.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

Chances are good at I may revisit this series again someday. There was a lot of cuteness, but the most memorable moments for me were the conversations between characters that imparted some kind of perspective or lesson. I am also a sucker for series with good female leads and this was one of them for me.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

I would recommend giving this one a chance. For me, this series wasn't just another romcom. It was very thoughtful aside from being cute/funny. Some of the many lessons this series delivered:

---When someone is getting bullied/abused, doing nothing means you are actively letting the victim get hurt. You don't have to be confrontational but do something. Tell a teacher, tell a family, tell someone.
---Don't be so quick to judge how easy someone has got it. We all have different things/values we fight for.
---Humans are weird. Our emotions are complex. Even if someone has hurt us before, we can still have lingering/buried feelings that makes us mourn their loss.
---Know when to be angry and when to show understanding and compassion. It's about picking your moment. When you handle situation with sincerity, compassion, and maturity, it can be more effective than getting angry.
---The respect you get from others isn't as important as knowing your own worth.
---Be in control of your own happiness, don't wait for it to come to you.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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The Sign is a chimera of genres

Sometimes, when you try to be too many things, you end up not being great at any of the things, or things may start falling off. Was this series too ambitious? I don't know. I can say I stayed interested every episode until the very end. I cannot say the story was a masterpiece for me, but I think the series ended up balancing everything it had going pretty well for the most part. Were there some things I wished we spent less time on or more time on? Yes, but I don't think it took away much from the series, personally. I grew up on mythologies and folklores so this was an eventual watch for me. Took me a while to get to it, but I'm glad I did.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- The world is very complex, and this series touches on that subject very well, especially in a case which shows the clash between the idealistic and the realist viewpoints on the justice system
-- I loved cute teasing/flirty moments and the chemistry between our main leads
-- It was very engaging to watch between the crime cases, the supernatural aspects, and the love story.

DISLIKES:
-- We didn't really get to explore the love story of Tharn and Phaya in their past life. It was skipped over to focus more on the aftermath and conflict rather than the process of falling in love.
-- In the end also didn't get to see Chalothon finally letting Tharn go. It happened offscreen and we only got the backstory told to us through Tharn via dialogue


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

I think combining a mythological aspect into a mystery/thriller crime drama is a cool idea. The myth/supernatural aspect and crime solving are the two main components of this series. Tharn and Phaya's romance is intertwined in both of the components and tie the stories together. From a narrative standpoint, I think they could have removed the police work and it would not really have much, if any, impact on the overarching story of the fate between Phaya, Tharn, and Chalothon. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about that. On one hand, the crime part of the series made it a lot more interesting to watch for me. However, I feel that some of it could have been cut to give us a little more on the backstory The Garuda King and Wansarat's love story. We get a flashback to their past incarnation but the flashback focused more the conflict between the two tribe. It skips over the process of Wansarat and Phaya falling in love. The ending also could've use more time. Tharn gets taken away by Chalothon and he reappears later. Instead of seeing the process of Tharn convincing Chalothon to let him go, we just get some dialogue. While the criminal cases add some action and intrigue, they weren't all memorable or significant to me. I feel like some of the detective work or story there could've been shortened or cut and we would still be fine.

On the topic of criminal case and a little bit of tangent, I very much liked that the series touched on the subject of a corrupt and flawed justice system in their first official case. It's a very good topic to be aware of and discuss as that's how change begins. Sometimes, the justice system fails the people and that's sad. But vigilantes taking justice into their own hands is also a very dangerous idea. If not for the fact that the vigilantes also forced innocent traumatized victims to kill/murder, I can see being a very blurry line of who's side to be on. In the last case (special episode excluded), the topic is also briefly touched upon again in the interrogation room as a reminder that the system is corrupt.

Other the what I've already listed before in the short review, I also adore the friendship of the unit. The friend group had each other's back and that will always be something I love seeing in these series. I especially love Yai. He was shown to be caring, protective, and encouraging. A total shipper of Tharn and Phaya, but also protected his friend when he needed to. He always had Tharn's back and was a great example of a true friend. I also thought Chart's character was interesting, and I wish we got to explore more of him. We were introduced to him in the beginning and then don't see him again until towards the end. I would love to see his character growth, especially during and after becoming a spy for the captain.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Overall, I very much enjoyed the casts. They are all very good looking and very talented. The supporting female characters were also very great and very pretty. This series put the actress for Sand (Yai's girlfriend) on my radar, and I will try to see if there anything else she is in that I'd be interested in watching later. Very shallow of me, but I thought she was pretty. When it comes to the chemistry between the main actors or any of the emotional scenes, I think they did very well. I felt the feels whether it was butterflies during their romance scene or the sadness during emotional sad scenes.

None of the fight choreography or gun action scenes really wowed me, but I didn't think it was bad either. I think my least favorite part, acting-wise, in the series was during the flashback to their past lives. I don't know, I was not feeling any of the chemistry there and I'm not sure why, because I can definitely see/feel it with their modern day counterparts. Even the angst from Chalothon didn't feel convincing to me. Also, in regards to Chalothon, I never really felt he loved Tharn. He just felt angry and resentful to me, but this is probably more of a character thing and not an acting thing.


[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I like the soundtracks. Nothing I feel super strongly about, but all very nice to listen to. I don't know much about Billy or Babe so it was a pleasant surprise to find their names on a lot of tracks. Very sweet songs. The opening song The Sign was also very epic and fitting. May look up more songs from Billy and Babe in the future to expand my Thai playlist.


[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I might watch this one more time. Since there is a lot going on between the crime cases and the love story, I'd be interested in going back just to see if I missed anything. Plus it might motivate me to workout as I get jealous of some of these bodies...


[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

This series was a fun watch, a nice break from the usual fluffy romcoms streak I've been on lately. Steamy love scenes, cute flirty moments, emotional drama, but also funny, action-packed, mysterious, thrilling, fantastical...this series is so many things. There was no struggle in finding things to talk about. The real struggle was deciding where to start. I will be looking into some of the other works of these actors/actresses because I think they did an amazing job. I would recommend giving this series a try.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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lots of action but lots of heart as well

I think there are too many installment in this series for me to write a review for every one of them, but I will write a quick short review for this one since it's the first in the series. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it more than I was expecting to.

Many of the world's conflict exist because we have different values and different things we are fighting for. In between the fight scenes, there are some emotional and heartfelt stories of friendship/brotherhood and protecting the the people, things, and ideas that are important to each individual and faction. The core and heart of the story is centered around the Hoodlum Squad (Sanooh). Its founding members and childhood friends are Cobra, Yamato, and Noboru. Due to an incident in the past, Noboru was sent to prison. However, upon release, Noboru joins the Iemura Group instead to recruit SWORD or take them down if they refuse to join. That is the setup for the conflict of this first season as Cobra and Yamato work to resolve some troubles but also to convince their friend Noboru to come back to them.

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● REVIEW
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LIKES:
--The tracks accompanying the fight scenes are very nice and fitting of the vibe. Love the music
--Many sweet/sentimental and emotional heartfelt moments. This is not a story about violence but one about brotherhood/friendship and fighting for a place to belong and go home to.
--There's a guy for everyone depending on what your personal taste are. Half-jokes aside, there many handsome men and some pretty ladies.

DISLIKES:
--It's a huge cast and there is a lot of names being introduced in the first episode all at once. It felt really overwhelming in the beginning
--Lots of guys fighting, I kind of wish we also got to see some of the ladies being badass fighters as well. I haven't watched the sequels, spin-offs, or side stories yet, but it'd be cool to see to that girls can fight too. Kind of my own desire so not really taking off any points for this
--Sometimes, the characters' acting are exaggerated. I know this is common in Japan though, but I still cannot help but cringe.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

Read More