autumn carrot

Life imitates art and art imitates life

I wasn't very impressed with this. I somehow expected more drama, intrigue, and obsession from this. I think for me this film falls short of executing what is otherwise a very interesting premise. It's partially due to the ambiguity of the narrative but it's not just that. There's also the fact that the film's intrigue is amped up too high because the actual film fails to deliver its meaning at certain points so it's both ambiguous and vague.

Plot: An idol rapper is (for some reason) doing a super moody theater production with a famous theater actor known for his method acting. This whole thing seems convoluted because theater is too prestigious for idol actors like...seriously! But whatever. After initial disinterest and rebellion, the young idol slowly becomes interested in acting as he watches the seasoned actor. He tries to imitate the method acting technique and soon, things get weird!
Btw, the idol coming from a group called "P2S" is so gauche...Korea, please do better. Seriously...

Plot: So I could not understand the narrative from watching the film. It was so vague, choppy, and scattered for me, that I ended up reading the plot summary on Wikipedia in order to figure out what was happening in the film. I have since read some interesting interpretations of this film which partially succeeded in redeeming some aspects for me but for the most part, I could not understand why characters went from one point to another. Basic details of the plot were so convoluted and unnatural that I also failed at suspending my disbelief and spent a good amount of the film distracted by technicalities that made me feel second-hand embarrassment. Like how are they getting away with making a racy theater production about a gay affair?! It's been seven years and Korea can barely accept a TV show with a gay character in it, in the year of 2024! And why is an idol actor doing theater to begin with?! And why is everyone so chill about the bizarre behavior of these men?
That said, it wasn't all bad. The plot has a cyclical nature and that's so interesting. We're thrust in the middle of a script reading with no context of the drama's plot. We slowly figure out that the drama is the final, bloody moments of an affair gone wrong but we have no idea how the characters got there. Then we see the actors going through a process of living as the drama's characters, becoming them in every way. It's a self-fullfilling prophecy. The actors' attempt to embody the characters sets into motion a series of events that eventually come to precede the events of the drama they are supposed to act in. Real life becomes the cause and history of the drama's events and the drama is the cause and catalyst that brings about the incidents happening in real life. It's actually brilliant! There's also a seriously interesting point made about sincerity and bravery and it's completely entangled with the queer representation in the story which makes this an exclusively queer narrative, impossible to recreate with any other type of dynamic and that's so amazing. I love that!
But I didn't really get all this from just watching the film. I only put these together with the help of other people's analysis and reading the summary! So while I think the idea is great, I think the execution of the plot was sloppy.

Acting: and that brings me to the second point. I don't think the acting was great. It was too much and too little in different scenes and only hit the mark occasionally. I know there's supposed to be ambiguity in the story and we're not supposed to be totally sure if the characters are being honest or pretending but for that to be shown, sincerity and insincerity need to be contrasted against each other. Here though, characters are unreliable and vague all the time! I could never grasp a normal behavior standard for them to measure their abnormal behavior against. So that led to more confusion.

Production: I think the main issue of this film is directing. A better director would have directed the actors better, established the world order better, chosen the best shots, and made sure the editing was immaculate. Then this movie could have been a 10. I really think a better direction would have fixed everything. And that's odd because I believe the director wrote the script too so they should have been the perfect candidate to make this. I wonder why it fell short a bit.

Rewatch: Not really. It wasn't that interesting though it wasn't awful. Once was enough.

Overall: If you're curious, just watch it. But it's not a personal recommendation, for me.

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Who is the monster?

This has to be hands down my favorite watch of the year so far. I'm probably not even coherent enough to talk about this but the storytelling in this was just brilliant and I could not stop watching but I was also feeling every ounce of dread, anxiety and sadness that the characters went through.
Long story short: The storytelling in this is simply brilliant. Long story long: the plot unravels each point of view and fleshes out the characters in such a masterful and thoughtful way. I don't want to reveal too much because I think one brilliant part of this film is to experience it as you go; just watch it with no context and let the narrative and the suspense take you over.
The acting in this was also probably some of the best acting I've watched. I wish Jdramas were like this, honestly. The raw performances from the adult actors was so moving and encompassing. I could put myself in the mother's shoes almost perfectly. Feeling every ounce of anger and anxiety that she felt. But even more amazing is the performance of the little ones. They were too good. Too precise. Too touching. They just grab your heart, sueeze it then fling it into the sun!
The production is also brilliant from the fire scene to the torrential rains to the details of the mundane and arranging the different perspective of the same scenes over and over again. Everthing was brilliant.
Negatives: None. But if you have a weak heart, maybe keeping some sweet drink near you for possible fainting spells that may catch you unawares as you freak out over the turn of events.
I highly, highly recommend this film. It's one of those movies you don't want to miss.

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So corny!

Whoever wrote the dialogue for this film, didn't ever hear humans talk to each other! Haha! The dialogue is just so corny and cringe and unnatural. It's probably the biggest issue of this film.
As for the rest, it works well enough. But I have to say, I thought the main couple's relationship didn't have the necessary build-up to inspire loyalty from viewers.
What do I mean? I mean, the reason why they should be in love is so vague and underdeveloped. We see the aftermath of the obsessive love but the love's existence in the first place is not explained well-enough. And I don't mean exposition or info dump. I mean, nothing is shown in the beginning that makes me believe this is a genuine mutual love. Why should I care or even believe that this is love when these characters have barely had any interactions and what little interaction they had is fraught with conflict and rejection? However, a well-written conversation would've solved this issue. Unfortunately, the dialogue was too shabby so it didn't help matters.
That said, if you suspend your skepticism and accept that sure! They are in love, whatever! Then, you can enjoy the bizarre and tumultuous second half of the film.
The acting is good. Kim Nam Gil is in this and I think this is my first time watching him. He's pretty! Lee Young Hoon is very good too and now I'm wondering why he isn't active anymore.
The film is almost old, so I don't know what to say about the production. It's okay I think. The editing is a bit choppy but I think that is intentional. This has a very indie movie vibe.
And the final act is so exhilarating and shocking.
No regrets about watching this. I recommend it. And no...it's not THAT explicit! Grow up! Stuff right now are so much worse. That said, it's still an Adults Only film. So minors stay away. Seriously!!!!

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Unexpectedly good

Looks like this is the gay year! This is the second watch of the year and this year is off to a great start with one great surprise after another! I had no expectations when I picked up this film but it was so hilarious, emotional, and well-crafted. It made me laugh so hard, but it also shocked me with its plot twists and made me cry. That's so special since I've just gone through some shows lately that were so emotionally uninspiring or lacking. Then there's this film. It goes the extra mile in its silly, goofy humor but also stays level-headed enough to tell an interesting story with a logical plot and give that extra emotional kick by the end.

Summary: A homophobic policeman accidentally gets himself into a ghost marriage with a gay guy. In his desperation to get rid of the ghost, he tries to help him reincarnate by fulfilling his wish. The last wish? Avenge his death by finding the killer.

Plot: It's not super complex but it's very well-made and it just works so well from start to finish, it was so satisfying. It also had some elements that I'm so not used to seeing from East Asian shows that I was a little shocked! hehe... I also liked how bold they were with both trying to land the jokes and also just pushing the characters out of their comfort zone. The film was committed to the gags and that was impressive.

Acting: Everyone did a great job. Better than their other projects that I have seen before. Now, if I think about it too hard, I can see some people complaining about cliche stereotypes but I feel like that would need a dive into some philosophical arguments about heteronormativity and socially expected behavior and asfdaghshd....it's not that deep! The acting worked in context.

Music and production: It was good.

Rewatch value: Sure, if you have the time.

Overall: This was a good funny film and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended. Warning: It has nudity. Just...saying.

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A good start for the year

This was such a good watch as the first show of the year. A sweet, hopeful, and cozy watch, with adorable and sympathetic characters you enjoy watching and rooting for. It is a very balanced story with proper mystery elements, dramatic buildup, and emotional stakes, as well as, sweet moments and appropriate humor to keep viewers entertained. Nothing was overdone here. No over-the-top emotional meltdowns or exaggerated humor (which is my main point of dread while watching Jdramas). The plot is not complicated but it works and while there were certain plotholes, they didn't harm the story nor negatively impact the flow so it would be a bit nitpicky to point them out when they were so insignificant.

Summary: A man is stabbed in an alley and left for dead but miraculously recovers after seeing an angel. When he returns home, he finds the angel to be very real and still very much there, crankily asking for food and informing him that he has amnesia and nowhere to go. The humanitarian move would be to give the poor angel a place to stay and so Koukisan does just that!

Plot: As I already explained, it's a cute story that mainly leaves you with warm and fuzzy feelings. It's balanced, not too long nor too short, and every important question of the plot is answered by the end. A lot of aspects are resolved off-screen however as the plot is very character-driven and only focuses on the dynamic between Kouki-sad and the angel which...can be interpreted differently based on the viewer's preferences I guess. For me, it was just a sweet dynamic and I enjoyed their easy banter and development throughout.

Acting: The only real actors of this are the two main characters. While others appear briefly, they are not very significant so I am mostly ignoring them. But the main two actors were both great with Nishimura Takuya having the best deadpan delivery of jokes and just generally looking so angelic and disgruntled at the same time. He comes across as innocent and pure and simple and it was so good. Uesugi Shuhei was also great for his part as he showed the character's development and changes both with on-point expressions and body language. His emotional acting was also very touching and clawed at my heart which I thought was impressive to achieve with only 6, 25-minute long episodes.

Music and production: Tbh, I didn't even notice the music, sorry. Production... it was perhaps cheap? There wasn't much to it as it was mainly the inside of the eponymous "one room" of the title. That said, it doesn't *look* cheap. It looks just well enough for the show. Some flashback scenes to Kouki-san's past felt a bit under-budgeted but since they were not relevant to the present plot, I can forgive the vague setting. In the end, any shortage was covered by good directing choices.

Rewatch: I never rewatch but I can see the value in rewatching this for others. It's short enough.

Overall: Loved it! Recommended. I'm glad to start the year with a good show.

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♡✧( ु• ⌄ • )

Let's be honest with ourselves! I only watched this for one reason and one reason only: I missed Tae!
Despite that, this show was actually enjoyable and I got really into it. Be warned though. You will catch the worst case of munchies and want to cry as the craving for Korean food will reach an all-time high! The food looks SO good! I craved stuff I've never even tried (and probably never will because I can't eat spicy food)!
The cast really grows on you, even if you're only here for Taehyung. Still, he was the best part and I personally think, the show could have MORE Tae. Yeah. Personal comment: More Tae!

Plot: The plot is very straightforward. They just run a restaurant. Someone mentioned that it gets repetitive and well...yeah! It's the same thing over and over! You don't watch this for the plot! The people are why you sit through this so if you're hoping for some special event or exciting incident, this is gonna be boring. But the human interaction aspect is so fun. It's also lovely to see all the people who try Korean food for the first time. Those who keep coming back. The funny or cute interactions. It's all fun and wholesome in small doses.

Cast: I'm gonna say it, I don't much like Seo Jin. I said what I said. He was mean in unreasonable ways and call me a protective Army but I didn't like how he talked to Tae, either! It wasn't just me though! I was watching with non-Armys and they all said he was acting weird even before I said anything. I almost didn't watch this because I knew Seo Jin would be mean but ultimately, it was worth it so he's not a turn-off. He wasn't all bad. He had his moments but eh. Least favorite character. Yu Mi is an angel! I came out of this, feeling so impressed by her. She rolled those Gimbaps like a pro! Standing on her feet all day long, making so much, and never complaining. What a sweetheart. I'm gonna check out her other works just because she was so sweet. I also really grew to like Seo Joon and Woo Shik whom I didn't like before. I didn't dislike these random actors but I was pretty indifferent toward them but then, Seo Joon impressed me with his professionalism and focus and Woo Shik is just such a charismatic, kind, and warm person! It was really delightful to watch him interact with the customers. I might make a second attempt to watch Our Beloved Summer... And Tae. What do you want me to say?! He worked so hard! I'm so proud of him! They said he was slow. HE WAS NOT SLOW! Omg...he could barely make noodles before this!lol...and he was very cute. The whole family is in love with him now!

Music: BTS music: perfection! Classic music: also perfection. The rest of the songs were good too.

Rewatch: Yeah...I actually watched this show twice already! We basically watched every episode twice so...very high rewatachability!

Conclusion: If you like cooking shows, watch it! If not, don't! lol

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You've heard of daddy-issues as tragic backstories now get ready for...MOMMY ISSUES!

*The characters are a metaphor for bad parenting!*
This show didn't leave a huge impression on me but it gets a 9/10 for being the first Chinese modern drama that I watched all the way through and that deserves recognition if anything does. It's also not a bad show.
You should check this show out if you like:
1. Found family trope
2.Second-hand embarrassment
3.Slice of life
4.Food
5.Watching other people eat food while you're not
6.Food as a love language
7.Extensive and blatant verbal abuse of children throughout childhood and well into adulthood
8.Barely-there romance
9.Friendship and girls-supporting-girls
10.Easily resolved misunderstandings that don't stress the viewer out at all
11.Half-assed, there-only-for-laughs love triangles
12.Stories that handle concepts of trauma
13.Barely hidden implications about non-traditional family units (aka families with same-gender parents) being healthier than forced traditional family units.
14. Mothers having weird things for their kids...it's...complicated!

Summary: The story follows a widowed man named Li Hai Chao who runs a small noodle shop and takes care of his daughter on his own. He ends up becoming the primary caretaker for two neglected boys in the neighborhood and together with the upstairs neighbor dude, they make up a sweet, unconventional family unit. Then years later, the abusive parents show up and take the boys away just to prove that it's never too late to deeply traumatize and scar your children if you are determined enough!

So this show...is so comforting and cozy while also giving the viewers terrible anxiety. It's truly awe-inspiring how much drama they fit into a show that essentially has no central plot. Like I mentioned, the show is a "slice of life" type of show so for the most part it's about these people dealing with the banal difficulties of real-life but the circumstances of the characters are so dramatized and heightened that their daily issues involve weirdly high stakes.

Story: I really appreciate the time the show takes to really drive home the level of abuse and trauma parents can unpack on their children, intentionally or not. The whole concept of this show as I see it is challenging parenting norms of China, revealing the dark side of filial piety and asking real questions about what a true family consists of, and if blood really is thicker than water, or more importantly...should it be?!
Every one of the younger members of the cast (That is the main three kids, Jian Jian, Ling Xiao, and He ZiQiu as well as Ming Yue and Tang Can) are each different manifestations of traumatized children who grow up with some form of parental deficiency.
Jian Jian: Motherless, great dad. she is the least f*cked up one of the bunch. Her thing is that she was pampered because her dad didn't have the heart to be hard on her and she ends up rather demanding and unruly. She's very normal. She has almost no drama going on a personal level (just romantic bs). Although I did find her lack of sexual identity a bit odd given that she is the main "romantic" lead of the show. But I'm just gonna assume that's a cultural thing since "cute" girls seem to outweigh "mature" girls in terms of likability.
Next comes, Ling Xiao: Abusive mother, absent-ish father. He's just SO traumatized. He is the result of the most uncomplicated form of abuse. Depressed, with anxiety disorder. (He has little sense of preservation because he thinks he is unworthy of love and deserves the abuse he gets.)
He ZiQiu: He is the result of abandonment. He is emotionally suppressed and a perfectionist. (because he thinks he has to prove he deserves love)
Ming Yue: Is the result of a controlling mother and an absent father. She is childish and helpless as an adult. She is incapable of making any decisions. Utterly paralyzed between pleasing her mother and resenting her.
Tang Can: Commodified child star, burnt out. She is the example of a child who was used by her parents and praised when she brought in a profit and then later beaten down and ridiculed when she lost her benefits.
The story takes such good care of showing how damaged each of these characters are as adults because of everything that happened to them as children. The big event of the plot comes around episode 10 when Ling Xiao and He ZiQiu who had gotten away with moderate trauma, end up getting dragged back into really terrible family situations, suffer a form of arrested development, get traumatized even worse than before. The show is so good at showing their frozen mental and emotional state once they return to the story.
Then there's a lot of random plots at every turn with each revealing a new level of awful things that have happened to these kids. There are unnecessary love triangles but they seem to mostly be there for humor and they are all resolved quite fast and easily.
My main issue with the plot is that it ends up debunking its own hypothesis. By the end of the show, every single bad mother (and OH they were all bad!) gets redeemed one way or another and the children just resume their filial piety. Sure, there are important conversations that come up but it feels a little pointless. Plots are either undone or swiped under a rug to make a happy ending possible. There's no real statement made about bad parenting patterns.
There is also the fact that the healthiest family unit in the story consists of two men raising three kids together which says a lot about the argument that families must look a certain way for children to grow up mentally stable and healthy but then three fourth of the way into the show, it has to make up a romance for one of the men, in a very meh performance of "no homo".

Acting: The older actors were amazing. The younger ones were good too. Particularly Steven Zhang whose fans will not let anyone forget just how great he was in the show! lol. Seven Tan is praised a lot for this show but except for a couple of scenes here and there, I didn't love the choices made for the character so I didn't love her performance even though I think she did great with what she was given. Song Weilong is the one member of the main cast I am hesitant to pass judgment on. He plays a deeply depressed character and his character comes across as extremely depressed and introverted, so I think he did do an amazing job portraying that but that also means his character is significantly less flashy than Steven Zhang's so he can seem like he didn't do a good job and was just awkward. Didn't love the supporting casts' acting much. But again. similar to Seven Tan, their childish and exaggerated performances do add up with their characters' personalities so maybe they didn't have bad performances so much as their characters were just exaggerated and irritating!

The music was fine. Except for when that one song keeps repeating a million times over every time something emotional happens. A lot of cdrama/kdramas do this. Much to my displeasure...

The production was good. Especially compared to all the modern cdramas I have dropped. The audio was good, set design, cinematography and etc. were good in the way that good things go unnoticed because they are natural.

Negatives: There is a romance between two of the main kids. I think it's best to know this and go into the show because some people tried to make a "this is incest" argument which, no it's not. Stop trying to make a mockery of a serious issue. It's like, people love the childhood friends to lovers trope until they actually get to see that transition and suddenly it's gross and "how can you fall for someone you played with when you were kids?!" well that's what friends to lovers looks like in practice, Karen. It's literally in the name! Don't like it, don't watch! Knowing what to expect, you can notice all the tiny easter eggs the creators put in the childhood era about a possible future romance. It's also decidedly melodramatic. Some would say the childhood era was better than the adult era. I think everyone needs to accept that people can't stay kids forever and it's weird to love watching grown-ass people acting like 15-year-olds.

I would not personally rewatch it. It's not really something that I was super wowed by. It was good but just for one watch.

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Not lovewatching not hatewatching but a third other thing: watching to snark about it on feeds

I have good news and I have bad news. Bad news is I read about 41% of this book, so I am 100% making half of this review about the book! I'm sorry; this is a double review and a character analysis to boot! Sorry! The good news is the book was so bad, it made me appreciate the show more! lol
So I finished this show, and despite the potato quality, I am once again here to proclaim that Chinese BLs just hit different! And I say this, feeling like this show was trying to imitate the mainstream Thai BL style. It was still better! It's like China's curse: They are the perfect people to make BLs! (What's the joke? Born to produce BLs, forced to follow regulations)

As you may have noticed, I gave this show a 7.5, which must stand out in the sea of 8s and 9s and 10s this show is racking up but I want you to know that this is amazing. I was gonna give this show a 6 but it managed to make me want to raise the rating to a 7.5 and personally I think it's a great achievement because I physically could not give it a higher rating. It's not even the low budget or quality, it's that the cringe-factor of this show was too high for me to enjoy it any more than a 7.5! I had so many moments of secondhand embarrassment when I had to stop and walk around to stop the queasiness. I can't give this any higher a rating. Some of the dialogue was just too embarrassing and weird...who talks like that?!

But it's not the show's fault entirely; a lot of that weird stuff comes straight out of the book, which is, to be honest, too bad to have been adapted. Like, who looked at that mess and thought "hmmm, this is gonna be the most successful Chinese BL of ALL time! We HAVE to adapt this!!!" A genius person to see the potential in that mess but like...I am sure there were better options!
You see, the problem with this show/book is not even the explicit parts or the horniness or the romanticization of red flags...the worst thing about this book is the fundamental misunderstanding about human sexuality AND anatomy! Miss Author did NOT research being a gay before writing this, and it shows. Serious talk: This story shows queerness in a predatory, perverted manner, and I don't mean that they do horny stuff, oh, how dare they! It's how the gay characters impose their sexuality on others that was insulting and insensitive. There is basically no gay character who isn't shown in some predatory manner here, and that made me uncomfortable. I wish the show had taken the liberty of changing all of that and also fixing the truly embarrassing goofs they spew as facts in the big year of 2025, but unfortunately, the show has all of that mess in it. Sometimes loyalty to source material is worse (NOT YOU, FENNELL! YOU GO TO JAIL FOR DOING *THAT* TO WUTHERING HEIGHTS!) Here, the show could have been less similar to the book.

They did try, to their credit. Characters like Guo Cheng Yu and Jiang Xiao Shuai are whitewashed a lot. Our resident bad boys are not just bad boys in the book. They are just bad! lol! Like, sure! Show!Chi Cheng is a bad enemy to have; you are screwed for sure if he hates you! But as far as being a lover goes, if he really loves you, you are so lucky! He is gonna break his heart every time you cry! That's sweet! I mean the book had that too but the other stuff was just too much! Because, in the book, it's implied that Chi Cheng is into extreme sadism. The show doesn't go to the extremes that the book goes to demonstrate this. I'm really glad because I feel like maybe Miss Author also didn't know enough about BDSM to use it correctly and just used it as an edgy trait to show how dangerous Chi Cheng is. 'Cause what she described wasn't sadism, it was attempted murder. I'm glad Chi Cheng is just a red flag in the show!
But really. The heteronormative labeling of gay relationships, the misunderstandings of how intimate relationships work or what queerness even means...just... it was a bit bothersome. So know that sexuality is a spectrum. Bisexuality exists. There are no inherent positions in a same sex relationship, and people switch. You have to prepare for intimate relationships in advance; the care is necessary and detailed and very important, and Jiang Xiao Shuai really should have told Wu Suo Wei that no straight man would have even come up with the plot to seduce a love rival for revenge to begin with!!!!

There's also just so many silly bits in the story. I lost count of how many times I was choking on nervous laughter while watching the show. All at inappropriate times! None of this was the show's fault. 90% of these scenes were straight from the book. This is why I raised the rating, btw. I can't be mad at a show that was so loyal to the source material and did such a good job of bringing it all to life despite budget restrictions and the Chinese censorship laws. They worked hard! And there were certain elements that I liked. The overall plot works even if the details make no sense. And the emotional investment is enough to keep you guessing and binging, and by the time we reach the emotional climax of the show, my heart hurt for these kids. So kudos to them for achieving maximum investment in the story with barely any flashy story tactics.

The acting...I didn't love the acting. Someone recently said this, and it has since ruined about 70% of the shows I watch. They said: "You can tell they're acting"...WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ME AWARE OF THIS?! It's like when someone makes you aware of your breathing and then you spend 20 minutes being extra cautious of your breathing and feeling like you're choking (I'm sorry.) So now, every time I watch a show, I'm like "hmmm, that's acting" ugh. Well, I got that feeling a lot and not just that but the "omg, I'm in a BL, what am I doing with my career?!" look in some of their eyes throughout the show was killing me! Like, this could have ruined so many careers, so fair enough! But then, when you know all of this, and that thought is in your head too, the whole viewing experience is tainted. I was both aware that these are all actors, and that made me aware of just how dangerous this project is, and that I couldn't believe we were getting this show in 2025 from China! So a lot was going through my mind. I don't think they're bad actors. I just think they are still far from hitting their peak, and the director maybe demanded a theatrical acting style from them and some of them had to stick to some pet peeves to make it through. That said, you can never go wrong with hiring a hot 97-line guy as the hot guy in your show and this show did it twice in a row...game acknowledged *tips hat*

I loved the music! lol! I think Cdramas should use public domain music more often. They matched the mood of the scenes so well and I have only good memories of the music in the background. The production is visibly not very high quality or expensive but I think they blew it all on getting expensive sets for the rich people's homes and the snakes and that's a good place to put the money in. because they otherwise had no money left for other stuff like prison sets, extras in the background, clothes (this is good because they had to stick to clear styles for each character and have repeat outfits which added realism), music...like basically, everything was put together with spit and while sometimes that made stuff goofy and unserious, overall I think it worked in favor of the show.

I might actually rewatch some scenes! lol!

Negatives: As for the negative points of this show: TOO MANY SNAKES! The ick was real and there, and I had to cover the screen so many times, yikes! If you are really scared and disgusted by snakes like me, RIP! It's hard to get through those scenes. Shoutout to Vinegar though! That was one tolerable snake!
I explained the rest above, but you know, someone said, "all BLs are toxic because men are incapable of healthy relationships and BLs have two men" and... like...okay, harsh but... (yes, not aLl mEN, I know.)yikes...

Overall: This is mandatory BL viewing now. Like, this is too iconic to avoid! The show has issues but don't kill the messenger. Miss Author just didn't know anything, and the production team ran with it. It's worth watching for the makeout sessions if for nothing else! The hypernevtialtion of knowing they made this in Mainland China gives you enough adrenaline rush to make it through the whole thing in one amnesiac binge-sitting! What's not to like?!

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"I want to live"

With a little bit of rounding up, this is a rare 10 out of 10 Kdrama, coming late to save this kdrama draught of a year! Funny, romantic, moving but also sad. You will know the show's end at the very beginning but it still hits hard once you reach the end. While I can see the happiness in the sad ending, the sad ending is still very sad so prepare yourself to suffer but be happy about it.
Summary: The show follows unlucky people stumbling through life who just keep getting dealt awful hands by fate. I don't know how to really summarise this, it feels like there's no plot but also, there is definitely a plot and all of it is a spoiler or none of it is...I DON'T KNOW!
I actually decided to watch this because the synopsis made no sense and I wanted to see what the show was actually about. Turns out it's about...life?! I don't know, just watch it. It's such a well-told story. Almost feels like a fable! There's a magical quality to it. You don't need any information before you delve in and everything unravels very clearly. So just go watch it!
The show has some cute cliches but for the most part, avoids plot pitfalls and gives a fresh take on the road trip/journey to find oneself genre. This was just a very lovable show to watch. The characters are flawed, messy, and occasionally very broken. I don't always love the Netflix kdramas but they always have interesting character sketches, which I guess is kind of the point, and here it's no exception. The characters' personalities and trials is the highlight of the show.
Like all Kdramas, I still dislike the over-the-top fight scenes and the pace sort of slowed down between episodes 7 and 8 but it bounced back for a good closing and I like the whole thing very well.
Cast: The actors are such a highlight in this show. Most are very well-known but I didn't know anything about Lee You Mi. Everyone did a good job...I still dislike acting cute in any context so I won't pretend I liked those bits. Woo Do Hwan was very good though and I think he's gonna joining my favorite actors list now. Oh Jung Se is obviously one of the best in SK. For me, the stand out was Lee El. She was so delightful. But really everyone shone in their place.
The production was very well-done. There are a variety of locations and I think they used green screen for some but some others seemed like natural sets but regardless, everything looked equally great. The set design, the technical parts, everything was great, and the music? The music was great! They used great stuff and though they overused them, I will forgive them because the music was at least good.
Rewatch: probably not.
Overall: Watch it, it's good! prepare tissues for the ending.

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Ok but isn't that a bit of a drastic decision to make over a cancelled wedding?!

I would love to have a conversation with the scriptwriter of this show. I would love to know how they read THAT book and came to the conclusion to write...this show! lol
It's like if someone read Jane Eyre and ended up adapting it as a musical about learning the alphabet.☉_☉ That said, this is not a bad show or anything, it's just that the similarities to the source material are very slim, including the genre and I also wonder if this was meant to be this dark and elegant and highbrow from the start or if the show just changed themes as the high profile names started to get attached to it...you see, this show has every single cliche element of an average rom-com kdrama!
If I told you a show has:
1. Fake, contract marirage
2. Childhood connection
3. A crazy evil second female lead
4. A stalker with evil superpowers following the Fl around
5. A gloomy male lead with a tragic and sad backstory
6. A romance with a murder mystery subplot
7. Meddling auntie neighbour
8. Quirky tomboy best friend and baby-crazy, secret investigator friend
9. A small event in the FL's past leads her to some drastic career choices
What show would come to your mind?! 'Cause I think so many average Kdramas can come to mind...and the answer here is actually The Trunk. But then this show couldn't be further from your typical kdrama! It's so atmospheric, dark, and the production quality is off the chart!
...but I would say the plot is not as great as the rest of the show. For one, it's slightly melodramatic. If you squint, there are so many plotholes and a lot of choices and actions make no sense. And while I think the creators worked hard to preserve the essence of the novel's message, I think they lost a bit of its nuance in favor of adding flashy plotpoints like abusive parents and homophobia and actual love stories. That said, I like some of these additions and overall, the whole thing works and these details aren't really the main attraction of this show anyway. Because the main point is...
The Chemistry. Holy meow! First of, I think dramaland citizens generally over exaggerate the chemistry connection of actors on popular kdramas. Two actors will do the bare minimum but because the trope is a popular one, people will see natural chemistry where there is none! So many times, I see people just say two actors have chemistry because they're both the two most attractive people on screen in a show. That's not chemistry...that's buying into the show promotion bs, dearies! Actual chemistry means the actors seem to have this magnetic field between them, that even when there are so many others in a scene with them, it's like the two of them are swaying to the same wavelength. Their eye contact seems to hold secret conversations btween just the two and the actors just naturally play off of each other's acting choices. And that's the thing! You have to first be a good actor, to then make actual choices about your acting and then have an equally good actor play against you with their equally dynamic and responsive acting choices! It's...it's a big deal! Not everyone can do it! but my god...Gong Yoo and Seo Hyung Jin sure can! The best thing about this show was how the two of them managed to make the bare minimum plot work! You know a show is good when it gives you the illusion that you have just witnessed two soul mates reunite when the characters just barely had two positive interactions! That's sorcery! That's skill! That's admirable. And this show manages to do that so it's worth a watch for only just that if literally for nothing else.
Which, of course, it's not the only attraction of this show. Jung Yun Ha's acting is another part of this show that adds to its worth. I hope she wins some awards for this. She deserves the recognition. She was so good, she brought Seo Yeon to life and what an interesting character because she was so unhinged and disturbing in some ways but she was equally valid in other ways and I was so conflicted if I hated her for some of her actions or wanted to defend her for some of the other actions. To manage to capture both empathy and disgust, she sure showed some great skills. Granted, the character is very well-written too. Overall, the whole cast is really good but the four main ones stand out. This was my very first Gong Yoo show and guys...I get it. I GET IT! Who is this man?! How is he this charming?! How can someone so unconventionally attractive capture the viewers so quickly? He's too good! A bit dangerous! I wanna see more! lol
In addition to an amazing cast, the production, set design, lighting and special effects in this show were so good. This looks like a drama one would like to watch because it's a feast for the eyes...though in a drab way! There's no explosion of colors or textures. The whole thing is in earth tones and everything and everyone is so subdued but that's sort of the point here. So it's like...having a fancy dinner made of one ingredient! Well, maybe three ingredients.
Also this show is going to get the rare honor of having THE BEST soundtrack of any kdrama ever. It was so good, that 10/10 stars is actually for the music. I loved the music so much I sat through the credits just to listen to it more. Well-played, for a show with a music producer as a main character.
Rewatch: Yeah, no...
Negative: Why do Kdramas have weird pauses when they wanna make high quality dramas?! It doesn't make any sense why people pause so much in their conversations. Also...so many plotholes, so many unnecessary baits that lead nowhere, so many character moments that were abandoned halfway through...lol the script could have been better. hehe
Overall: This is a rare case of me enjying a show with a subpar plot as I usually care the most about plot but this show was too good in other aspects that the weaknesses of the plot are almost forgivable. This would have been a perfect 10 if the plot was a bit better. Highly recommend it though.

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I love how unhinged these mini-mini cdramas are!

Enjoyment level-wise, this is an 8.5 but objectively, it's a generous 7. This show is super short and so so so much fun to watch! It's incredibly feral with a female lead who not only doesn't take any nonsense, she actively returns the negative energy you give her, tenfold. You spit at her? She's gonna poop in your pie! lol! I love how unabashedly heartless she is when it comes to saving her skin and harming her enemies. And she has good reason for it, too. People are out to get her! They're trying to kill her and she fights back tooth and nail. That's so refreshing. Usually, in cdramas, female leads take every abuse with grace and a tragic sense of justice but here, the female lead is not about that! She will smear herself if it guarantees hurting her enemies. Armed with fourth-wall-breaking knowledge of third-wave feminism and an intuition that would put Odysseus to shame, she fights the patriarchy and her in-laws to the bitter end if she has to. I don't know if you can tell, I just watched this show because the female lead was like a feral fox with unhinged revenge schemes and I loved every time she screwed her husband over. Like this man was a bloodthirsty, cruel, and privileged marquess with the power and means to squish her like an ant and she gave him a whole cardio workout, trying to chase her and take her out! Lol! It was delightful to watch.
Did it make sense? No! Was it very clever? Not really. Lots of ret-cons. Is it well-produced? No, you can tell everything is fake! It's mostly like kids playing pretend. Did all of its shortcomings impact my enjoyment? Not at all! Lol
This is not a drama you watch for quality film-making excellence or its deeply philosophical narrative. This is a show you watch because sometimes you're on your period and watching a drama is the better option than killing someone out of frustration. It's also just very vindicating to watch a historical character act like a logical person of the modern era, every step of the way.
We also don't acknowledge the last 4 episodes because lame fan service should never be acknowledged!
I HIGHLY recommend watching this. It's just fun! Like having gummy bears at 2 am!

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This is how you adapt another show!

To be fair, this is not an adaptation of the Kdrama, but the webtoon the drama was based on but the fact that they decided to make this after the success of the Kdrama, makes me think they had their eyes on that show's progress, for sure! So, the fact that they saw that, said great and then went on to make a BETTER adaptation, deserves all the applause.
Here are all the ways this was better:
1. I like the aesthetics of this better! I like the warm lighting better than the blue/white light crispy quality of Kdramas. This is a matter of personal taste. So I'm getting it out of the way. I like warm tones, warm lighting, and natural skin tones better! I also found the outfits more realistic and cozy. They looked like timeless pieces that didn't scream 2025 trends in 2015. They also looks believable purchasable for the female lead. Yes, they make a point of her buying a pricey dress but she also buys a bunch of cheap stuff! lol The houses looked better too! Like lived in places. It just had a nicer production design.
2. With just 10 hour-long episodes, this show doesn't waste time on anything! Any sort of time-consuming melodrama that would buy time for subway product placement is cut out! They don't introduce a random villain in the last 4 episodes who burns through your nervous system like a flesh-eating fungus...sorry that got graphic! But the point is, this show stays very focused on the main plot which is surprisingly, not revenge...and that leads me to my next point.
3. This show has revenge in it, sort of. But the revenge is not the main plot, the plot is about living your best life and seizing the day and not leaving your life by someone else's expectations. Instead, to leave well, for you. That is such a strong and beautiful message that by the end, the revenge isn't even sweet. It's just sad that to see those characters ruin their lives by greed and envy and grudges. Meanwhile, our female lead gets to be more true to herself in a healing and lovely story. The fact that she gets rid of her abusive ex and her toxic friend is a bonus!
4. This is not an entirely super realistic story overall and it has romantic notions such as an ethical CEO who cares and is nice. Or the ability to rent good housing...BUT it's also not too dramatically theatrical. I liked that.

Anyway, HIGHLY recommended. Watch this instead of the drama. The chemistry is better here, the romance hits harder, the interior design is better and the story is delightful! Also watch it if you've already watched the Kdrama! hehe...

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Thugs and badmen/Punks and lifers/Rest your weary heads, all is well

Ever watched a show that was so unexpectedly dark and raw that you needed a few months to recover?! This show starts with a blunt force trauma to the head and that's the energy it keeps for the rest of its run! I don't know what I thought I was gonna see in this show but what I saw was so insanely wild and then, so unexpectedly warm and healing that I was swept away.
Perhaps one of the most unusual cases of found family trope, the show bring the main characters together through violence, deception and desperation. But then these people who are all the human equivalent of street rats just sort of...stick together and make this dingy, dirty little flat into a home and you just wanna keep them safe?! But the show doesn't allow you to do that because it just throws the most horrifying stuff in your face and it does it so casually and easily like it's nothing?
I don't know where I'm going with this. This was a very interesting, upsetting but ultimately worthy show with a very clean storytelling but telling a grimy and gruesome story that makes your skin crawl. So odd.
Just approach with caution...and a knife! Or not....ugh!
The technical side was great! The artistic side was great! The plot was told perfectly and to top it all off, one of the leads reminds me of someone who is very very dear to me so I was extra emotional while watching this and I liked this character from the first moment and felt so safe when he was in the scene even though he's literally like a dangerous panther, always a second away from launching into an attack at the beginning. I just knew in my heart that he is just a cautious kitten. :(
Anyway, I struggled with rating this because "enjoyable" or "fun" or "feel good" is not at all how I would describe this show but it deserves a 10 out of 10 stars rating.

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I don't get it?!

So this show is just so basic. I don't get why people love this. In fact, I suddenly get why people were shocked that Hyung Sik could act in Happiness! The only good thing about this show is the running joke that the main character is a really tiny girl who beats up big bad gangster guys.
The romance is so...ew! It's just...what is that?! It was cringe, it was inappropriate, actually. Dating your boss is not it and not only that, the show has so many examples of why it's unethical within the plot but it's either used as melodrama or cute factor...it was neither. It was just...HR material for a lawsuit. Their chemistry is off. Bickering for the sake of bickering is not a dynamic. People who are constantly arguing are not compatible in secret. Also, why did she get away with being so sassy to her employer from the get-go? Romance didn't hit at all. If this was an investigation buddy show it would make more sense. I was so bored during the overly childish romantic scenes that I was constantly distracted. Or rather, I preferred watching paint dry than to sit through one more forced aegyo scene....ugh!
The gay jokes were only occasionally funny but then it got old very quickly and I don't see how most of it could pass now. Most of this show aged like milk left out of the fridge! The poop jokes and all these lowkey-lewd stuff with the gang were just weird and bizarre and I don't understand why they kept going on for so long. They were good for one or two plot B situation but it just never ended. It became so uncomfortable during the second half of the show.
And I'm wondering if this show is the prototype of the "murderer/serial killer in romcom" trope of kdramaland? Because if it is, I'll redact another point from this. This naturally plays into every one of the cliches of that trope but slightly better because at least a show about a super strong girl having a villainous evil guy for her to overcome makes sense. Overall though, none of the plots were that good. The beginning was funny so I was laughing and watching but just as I got hooked, it got boring. Incidentally, that was when the "romance" started.
Seriously this show ruined Hyung Sik for me! What was that acting? Park Bo Young gets away with it. Because she is small and cute and it wasn't too jarring for her to act like a petulant child. Everyone was a mess though.
Anyway, the more I see of the most watched shows of kdramaland, the less it makes sense...seriously, why?!?! What did you al see in this?!

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