The arrogant will always lose
This drama was incredible. It quickly had me invested in the cases the two leads were solving, and as the story progressed and more and more cases fit together in mysterious ways, I was on the edge of my seat and staying up late to watch another episode. The main characters are wonderful to follow, and the more we learn about them and their world of cultivation, the more complex they become. We see their loyalties tested, past mistakes resurface, and secrets come to light. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that I wished the ending was different than it was.Fang Duobing has always wanted to become a detective of the cultivation world in Baichuan court. However, his parents will not allow it - he is set to marry the princess in an arranged marriage he doesn't want. The court states it will allow him to become a detective if he can prove his skills by solving three cases, which is exactly what he sets out to do. On his first case, he runs into Li Lianhua, known as a miracle physician who can even raise the dead. Duobing doesn't quite believe this, and intends to investigate this quack doctor. Instead, he and Lianhua end up working together to solve a different case, and work together on it quite well. Though the pair doesn't seem to get along all that well at first, they begin to travel together and solve cases, growing closer as they do so. The more cases they solve, the more the dark inner secrets of the cultivation realm come to light, and it seems the world will need a hero to save it.
The main characters in this show really sold me on it. Fang Duobing's naive nature but strong cultivation paired with Li Lianhua's immense knowledge but weak body created a perfect duo. Lianhua's obvious (to the viewer) secrets are bound to come out sooner or later, and it's clear that Duobing thinks everyone is always honest. Even though the cases took multiple episodes to complete each, it never felt like they were dragging on too long because of all the twists in each one. I was never bored watching this show, and frankly couldn't afford to look away since the dialogue holds all the information. This was a fantastic watch and one of the best cultivation dramas I've seen, but be prepared for some heartache in there as well.
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This review may contain spoilers
Oh my Park Bogum
[I will note where spoilers start] As a long time Park Bogum fan, I was surprised that he had another main role so soon after When Life Gives You Tangerines, not to mention a role so different. I'm always a fan of a crime drama, and this one was no different - the action scenes were great, and while the story had some moments that were a bit too predictable, it was still super enjoyable. It may have had fewer surprising twists in the story than other crime shows, but the tense game of cat and mouse that the cops and villain were playing was so fun to watch! The romance was a huge plus, especially since it didn't ever take away from the main story (and the love triangle was actually done perfectly).Yoon Dong-ju (Park Bogum) is a gold medalist boxer, who, after retiring, joined the special investigations unit of the police force along with other former athletes. However, they tend to get used more as public figures than crime fighters. When these group of former athletes start investigate a suspicious hit and run case, it leads them down a rabbit hole of crimes much, much worse.
**Spoilers start here**
I really enjoyed the way this drama built up from a seemingly simple hit and run case to a narcotic ring with international involvement. I thought that the villain's actor did an incredible job portraying him, and was super invested in the cat and mouse game between him and the special investigations unit. As I said, this show did have fewer dramatic twists than a lot of crime shows, but it still managed to keep the tension high throughout the show.
I also loved that we got plot and backstory from every main character. Learning bits and pieces about their time as athletes, why they had to leave, and where they're at now was super fun. I especially loved the relationship between Dongju and Jonghyun, and watching it go from rivals to friends over the course of the show. Of course, the romance between Dongju and Hanna was also wonderful, and super well paced for this kind of show.
Lastly, Dongju's plot really just hit the mark for me. The family problems, the issues with his best friend, and the medical issues he faces later on all worked so well for his character - even after going through hell, he'd come out with a smile on his face. A lot of people seem to be saying that they thought the plot dulled as the show went on, but I didn't find that to be true. If you like crime/cop dramas, I definitely think this one is worth watching!
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The Perfect Follow-Up
I typically don't like second seasons of shows - in fact, I was hesitant to watch this even though I LOVED s1. While I still think that season 1 was truly a masterpiece, I could not have come up with a second season better than this.Si-eun is dealing with some serious PTSD from everything that happened at his last school. Vowing never to fight again after what happened with Su-ho, he becomes a loner at his new delinquent-filled school. However, watching kids get bullied makes it hard for him to sit by and do nothing. Naturally, he ends up getting wrapped up in the bullies' business when he protects one of his classmates - and while this seems to make him some friends, it also puts another target on his back. Not to mention, the bullies are involved with a gang comprised of a bunch of kids from other schools, who are even more ruthless than what Si-eun has dealt with before.
This was genuinely such a good second season. The fights were incredible, the music was perfect, and the acting the ACTING was AMAZING. I am SO impressed with how perfectly Park Jihoon was able to jump back into the role of Si-eun. The lasting effects of the trauma he went through were so clearly portrayed in his character without being too overdramatic or unrealistic. I cried, I laughed, and I cried again - but it was all worth it to watch this season.
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Talk about butterflies!!
ThamePo is truly a masterpiece. While the plotline sounds like a stereotypical "idols can't date oh no", it is done so incredibly well that it doesn't matter. Every single episode of this show is paced perfectly, the character and relationship development is wonderful, and the way it is shot is beautiful. I couldn't find a reason to rate this anything lower than a 10.Po (Est) is looking for a job as a creative director after his breakup with his boyfriend, and ends up landing a job at Oner, a music company known for their new boyband Mars (aka Lykn). Po learns he will be making the documentary for Mars - specifically, their disbandment documentary, since the leader Thame is signing a contract for a solo debut in Korea. However, as he gets closer to the group, he realizes this new contract is not what any of them want, especially Thame. As Po confronts Thame on this, the two of them start working together to get the group back together, and feelings begin to emerge.
Truly, this might be one of GMM's best shows. William and Est have incredible chemistry, and incorporating all of Lykn into the drama made it so fun to watch. The music was great, the cinematography is great, and the romance makes you want to kick your feet and twirl your hair they're so cute! ABSOLUTELY worth watching.
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The entire plot could have been avoided with a ten minute conversation
This is one of the most generic BLs I have seen. I honestly had no intention of watching it, but after seeing Joong and Dunk in other shows, I decided to give it a shot. It was extremely predictable, with drawn out back-and-forth conflicts that didn't actually help build the characters. If Joong and Dunk's characters would have just sat down and had a conversation, the entire show would have been avoided.Daonuea (Dunk) confessed his feelings for Kluen (Joong) in 11th grade, and with no response from Kluen, Nuea went on his study abroad trip for 12th grade and tried to forget about it. That is, until the two reunite their freshman year of college. Trying to forget about the confession, Nuea pretends to have not known Kluen, but it seems the feelings are still lingering. When others start pursuing Nuea, he's torn between trying to move on and staying true to his own heart.
Thank god this show was only 8 episodes, because it took forever to get anywhere with the plot and if that was drawn out any more I would have dropped this. The only reason I didn't rate it lower was that the relationship does become very sweet and cute, and that part is fun to watch. However the miscommunication and constant "you should move on and find someone better" got old SO fast, and I think the entire first 6 episodes could have been condensed to two, and the couple could have had some more interesting challenges when they were together. Instead, we got a very stereotypical show that didn't really do anything new, besides an ending that clearly just wanted to set up a sequel. This is probably only worth watching if you're a fan of Joong and Dunk and are waiting for a new show from them....
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