Did Netflix's Most Anticipated KDrama of 2025 Live Up to the Hype? I think YES!
Since the announcement of Kim Eun Sook's new Netflix kdrama last year, there has been extreme anticipation that only grew with the addition of our leads Suzy and Kim Woo Bin, who were to reunite after their tearful kdrama many many years ago.Before I get into some brief specifics, I just want to say that this drama was GREAT, and there will always be conflicting reviews over nitpicky details, so just watch it and make an opinion yourself 🙂
I tried to watch this slowly, since they blessed us by releasing all episodes at once, but I finished it all on day 3🥲.
First of all, the cinematography was breathtakingly beautiful. Netflix dramas usually are, and this one did not disappoint, the setting and use of vibrant colors✨ along with their CGI, really setting the bar high for high quality content. Without spoiling, the last episode has an incredibly simple yet beautiful scene with just our two leads🌸🌸 But overall, they filmed in real locations which adds on to the realistic vibe of the drama.
The chemistry of the two was also, amazing. Despite having worked together before in a very heartwarming yet saddening kdrama with an ending that left viewers disappointed, the fact that Suzy plays an apathetic psychopath in this drama really had me curious about how she would pair with Kim Woo Bin. If she had no emotions, how would she pair well with her male lead? BUT NO. Her acting was superb, and despite being a psychopath, she was raised by her grandma who integrated strict rules that helped her keep her morals in check and her apathy only added to the humor of her bickering-to-lovers relationship with our genie. Kim Woo Bin, our said genie🧞♂️, is also amazing in this. His character is "Satan" so technically he has no remorse or care for humans, but the gradual affection he forms for Suzy is witty yet admirable-- especially later on, when he really shows his versatility as an actor with his heartbreaking acting. Bravo!
The humor of our writer was also a key factor that had me entertained throughout. Kim Eun Sook is one of Korea's most famous drama screenwriters, and the drama references her past works like. Goblin, Secret Garden, Heirs and The Glory in such an amusing way you really don't realize what's happening until something pops up and makes you laugh out loud👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. She includes references to "brands" like "Disney, Marvel, Netflix" and hints at others like "Micky Mouse, Hyun Bin from Secret Garden" in subtle ways that are really fun to identify if you know. Definitely helped ease the tension from some of the harder topics the drama focuses on.
There's a great balance of happy, sad, love, heartbreak, etc. throughout. Obviously the last few episodes will have its devastating realization (I don't remember the last time I cried so hard in a kdrama, Suzy's acting is phenomenal) only to build up to the real ending. If you want to know whether it's a happy or sad ending... give it a watch! I'm so glad I did🥰
Was this review helpful to you?
First half was so much better :(
I went into this not knowing about the whole controversy over their real age-gap (19! wow) but just assumed she was 5-10 years older both in the drama and irl. An older FL younger ML never bothered me, so I had no complaints on that end.The constant back and forth between the different years was a bit too frequent for my liking, but I did appreciate how they made it obvious there was a time jump/rewind by showing which year it was. I also usually like a story where the leads have some time separated and reunite in a new light.
This one though, fell flat for me. Their chemistry was not bad nor the best, but I think it was just the plot that kind of had nothing exciting to have me want to keep watching. A few scenes were cute, but the last 5 or so episodes I watched, I skipped a lot. That's when I just decided to drop it at 24.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this as much as others did.
Was this review helpful to you?
My Highest Anticipated CDrama since last year, Did NOT Disappoint!!
After savoring the last few episodes, I finally finished 🥲About a year ago, I came across a BTS of the infamous kiss scene🔥 between our leads and decided I MUST watch this. So I put it in my plan to watch, and here we are a whole 12 months or so later. I must say, I was captivated from the very first episode.
The start of the drama was, in my opinion, faultless. Our FL disguising herself as a man, battling for honor and winning the tournament for years in a row, only to be best by our mysterious ML. Re-embracing her original identity as a woman and approaching him to steal a treasure only he possesses, she infiltrates his life again and again trying to gain his trust. The whole "pretending to be someone I'm not, trying to seduce him to make him fall in love with me so I can steal his hidden antidote" part lasts quite a few episodes, maybe a tiny bit too long, but it was my favorite part. Our FL's witty humor and fake naivety sets an easy to watch vibe for the drama.
The ML on the other hand, is quite hard to read at first. He seems to be a playboy with carnal fixations, but really pushes away anyone who gets too close. That is, until the FL forces her way in. Their chemistry from the beginning is amazing, and he pretends to fall for her too, which has all of us wondering WHY? hmm
Anyways, their romance starts off like that. And gets better and better!! And truly, they are both just really beautiful the more you look at them.
The side characters are also so lovable🐱🐉 and while our second couple doesn't get a lot of screen time, they are just as adorable and visually stunning. Really, there are so many beautiful cast members in this one🤭
The main villain is beautiful and his story is heartbreaking. I must say, I didn't cry at all in this drama except when a certain scene with our villain later on (sorry, don't want to spoil) pulls at my heartstrings. It's really a villain whose backstory is what caused him to become evil, so you can't really blame him to the core...
If I had to find some faults, I would have two main. One is not plot-based, but the voice over for our FL was terrible. I know it's her own voice dubbed but the lips don't match it at all and most of the time it would distract me from really resonating with her character. For example, she's an excellent actress, but in a scene where she's tortured (SORRY minor spoiler) her labored breathing with her dialogue does not match. So I didn't really feel as empathetic as I would have. The other characters are fine though. The second is minor, and I guess it would be considered one of the few plotholes of the drama-- a certain "obvious to everyone except you" secret takes forever to be revealed.
Oh, and that KISS SCENE I saw a BTS of? Scrapped. THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE IT. 😤
Was this review helpful to you?
Truly a MASTERPIECE✨ and the BEST way to finish the year
I don't even know where to start.I started this just to pass some time, but man, was I in for a RIDE.
Let me just start off with my new reason for living, simultaneously the bane of my existence-- HE YU. He is not just fine. I've seen some of his other works before, but in this one, he is just utterly... STUNNING. Magnetic. Irresistibly captivating😮💨. The producers and cameramen deserve a raise because the way the camera caught all his best angles and slow motion/close-ups? A cinematic masterpiece 👏🏻 Even qualities I highly dislike in men, he can somehow make appealing-- a mullet, the scar under his eye, his slight cleft chin, even his freaking SWEAT. Like, no way was I ovulating the whole time the drama aired LOL but he was just otherworldly attractive. 🥵🤤 And seeing all the behind the scenes of him actually driving his car? Unbelievable.
Okay, I digress.
The storyline itself sounded interesting enough to get me to start, though I'm not a fan of the Culpa Mia parallel where step siblings get together. In this one, they aren't even legally step siblings though, so that clarification really helped clear the air on their potential future relationship. I quite liked the drama starting off with them reuniting after a long break, with flashbacks aded here and there. I think if it started off with them as kids, it would NOT have had the same impact at all. It's the vagueness of how close they were as children, and whether or not they kept in touch til they became adults, that adds to the tension and curiosity as the episodes progress.
Side characters are always so crucial to a good storytelling, because you learn to form different opinions of different characters who help build the plot in their own ways, good or bad. Speed and Love had such an amazing set of side characters. Mike Angelo was such a nice addition to the cast, not just because of the nostalgic vibes he gives from his previous drama with Esther as the two leads, but he gives an almost mysterious vibe where you're unsure whether or not he'd be the villain. Watch to find out hehe. Otherwise, the friend group and even some others like Wan Qing may not have had a lot of screen time, but they gave such strong impact that you can't help but wish the drama were longer just so they could appear more.
Another small factor that I found really interesting and not something I see in many Chinese dramas, is how they filmed a LOT of episodes overseas. This one was in Thailand, and I just thought it brought such an interesting setting and ambience that filming in a set can't bring. The authenticity was nice, though they did noticeably dub a lot of the Thai dialogue. I have yet to watch their variety show spinoff Thai is Sweet, but that's because I feel like finishing that will really mean I'm saying goodbye, which I don't think I'm ready to do yet🥲
And finally, our leads and their chemistry🧪hahah
Esther Yu is such an adorable actress, with her bubbly🥰 character really giving a strong impression in all the dramas she stars in. Because of how strong her character is, she is both positively and negatively criticized in all her works, but I quite liked her in this one. She does have the naive girl persona, but it fits her character as the younger sister, and there is a considerable change after the time skip in her maturity. If I had to choose one thing that did bother me, it would maybe be how she pouts😗 a lot when kissing her male partners, so it may seem like she's not immersing herself into a romantic scene. But regardless, her crying scenes were quite emotional and I think her performance was great. Back to our male lead😅 He Yu, like I said, was truly the scene stealer. Sorry to everyone else, but his character was the PERFECT "bad boy is not really bad and actually cares for those he loves" with the almost-rugged look as a car mechanic, and then the complete flip when he races oh my goodness. Even later on in the drama when they're a bit older, his style completely changes, and he's still SO ATTRACTIVE in a cleaner smart-boy look... though preference-wise I surprisingly found the former more charismatic and appealing. BOTH WORK THOUGH hahaha 👏🏻bravo. UGH this character will be SO SO HARD to beat in the future.
Their chemistry grows at the most PERFECT pace. They obviously aren't that close in the beginning, but as they spend more time together you can literally see how important one sees the other, and the small acts of affection even before they get together are sweeter than honey🍯 And when they do get together? Just more perfectness.
The soundtrack was also perfect. A different song for a different vibe, and matching the tension. Especially paired with the camera zooming in on details like clenched hands, or capturing angles in such mesmerizing ways.
THIS DRAMA JUST GAVE ME THE FEELS IN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Trust me and give this a go. I'll probably rewatch this 30 times before I die. Can't believe it's already over😭
Was this review helpful to you?
By a tad bit, Korean adaptation is better
I decided to give this a try, more than a decade after watching the Korean version. and it's quite similar in execution, but honestly I think the Korean one is better-- less forced reactions and better characters.First of all, I love a female following her dreams with tenacity, but in this case it was not it. The FL literally made him her whole life's purpose. From the beginning of high school up until her college years, she is obsessed with him. It only gets worse when they start getting closer due to the whole move-in situation (regardless of the setting setup, it doesn't make sense for them to keep living with them for the length of the whole entire drama). She follows him around, asks him rather dumb questions, and even sabotages any meeting he has with a female even after telling him she'll respect his feelings for whomever he has feelings for... I just hated seeing a female lead prioritize a man over herself. Loving someone is great, though sad if it's not reciprocated. But putting your life on hold for another who clearly has no feelings for you and puts you down is a major no. Not to mention our ML 🚩🚩🚩 major red flag. Shows boredom and even annoyance at her, but then leads her on at times. He seems to enjoy the fact that he has her wrapped around his finger, not letting her like anyone else.
Her exaggerated facial expressions were also quite annoying and cringe. Maybe she was trying to re-enact the expressions made from the manga which are obviously very extra, but it did not portray well in the drama itself. She was 15/16 when filming this so I understand her lack of experience, but in the drama she was playing a college student yet still acted like a child so it was hard to picture her as a character who matures over time. Also, is Japan okay with a MINOR filming with a romantic partner literally 10 years older?
Not the worst drama, but I found myself skipping over some parts. The ending is meh too. Portrayed as happy but I would've liked some more conclusiveness of the characters. Seemed like it was just the whole crush coming to an end and that's all that mattered.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Perhaps the Best Wuxia of 2024.
Wow what an amazing wuxia drama-- loved how it was on Netflix and I really took my time with it, trying not to rush through it too fast. The last three episodes were really so heavy but I think everything (besides our two sidekicks dying at the last minute-- like WHY) was executed really well.Shen Yurong and Wanning had such a complex relationship and character development. I really love when dramas show perspectives from the villains because the empathy we start to feel has our emotions all crazy.
~~With ShenYurong, it doesn't really make sense that he was capable of giving everything up for XueFangFei when it was him who literally buried her alive, after knocking her out with a shovel. But I guess that was his arc-- his realization of his love for her and his decision to not make the same mistake again. Again, he is a perfect example of someone blinded by toxic love, who uses "love" as the reasoning for every evil doing. And then in the end takes his own life rather than facing the consequences.
~~Princess Wanning seemed like just a selfish princess who had no empathy for others, but her character became interesting when we saw her struggles from her previous forced marriage, with the SA and forced miscarriage. Though that doesn't really justify someone to use violence and threats with power, I think I personally learned to sympathize with her-- especially when she died. A part of her probably knew that the man she loved didn't love her back, and her making ShenYurong stab her seemed kind of like a "you may want me dead but you killed me with your own hands so you'll never be able to forget me". Gotta give her props though-- accepting her fate in the end but refusing to die in anybody else's hands but hers shows her stubbornness in the highest until the end.
Our main couple was phenomenal.
~~XueFangFei was a bit easy to read, as her eyes gave away her emotions, but her way of executing her plans and avenging JiangLi little by little was refreshing to see especially with her outsmarting everyone. She had to balance keeping her identity a secret, fixing the wrongdoings against JiangLi, redeeming her Xue family, outsmarting all the villains. She must've been so exhausted, but at least she had someone going through just as much.
~~Duke Su was always confident and his growing affection for her was so sweet, albeit we could've used some more expression (though I just found out he is 12 years younger! so makes sense I guess). I love how they always trusted each other, each one willing to sacrifice themself but also trusting the other to carry out their plan without too much interference. He is officially on my top five Chinese actors list now, hope to see more of him!
Side characters like the friend group, JiangLi's father/grandmother, even Consort Li were all so well thought-out. The friend group was sadly not as big of a role after she won the Annual Exam, but the fact that they supported her til the end was so heartwarming. YeShiJie in particular had so little scenes, though I thought they would show more of his planning for the final battle and his interactions with DukeSu. Papa Jiang knew of his daughter's death already but when they actually talk it out loudly and he still accepts XueFangFei as her replacement, I was so sad. His love for someone he thought was his daughter he could make amends with, along with his love for his biological daughter whom he never got to see again, was portrayed so well but I'm glad he's alive at least (and Grandma). Consort Li was a bit harder to read, and I was surprised she actually loved the Emperor to the point where she'd be willing to give up her life for him. I remember being confused in the beginning because she looked old enough to be his mother.
The flow of the story was pretty structured, which helped so I don't get bored over one issue prevalent and stretched out for too long. Now time to watch the special!
Was this review helpful to you?
Late to the Party.. why didn't I watch this before?!!
3+ years later and I'm finally getting to finish this.The leads are quite attractive, and as vain as that sounds I find that to be an important factor when watching romance dramas.
Story-wise, it was interesting enough to keep me watching til the end. The dynamic between the leads is probably most intriguing, because I didn't know how things would play out after their altercation in the beginning. Their steady growth was executed pretty well, and it was really cute to see the typically mean ML grow softer as his feelings for her intensified.
Unfortunately this didn't really have a second couple to root for alongside our mains, but nonetheless there wasn't any crazy misunderstanding or super serious villain, which can honestly be such a turn off for a drama imo.
8/10!
Was this review helpful to you?
Watching a Few Years Later... Pretty Fun!
Came across this after being bedridden for a week, and I was deciding on an easy to watch albeit cliche watch. I'm such a killer for those cliche yet cutesy dramas.This one was one I never got to watching, because the cast was a bit too unfamiliar and the synopsis wasn't really eye-catching. Twin switcharoos are almost always done in a way where I don't really feel they did a good job at execution (Except Who Are You: School 2015) but in this case, only one is a real main character so that part was not bothersome.
The songs were good, as expected from a band-based drama, without the plot being too music-based. The ML was quite fine, and I know he's really exploded in popularity in Korea, and I'm so happy for him. The FL is not my favorite actress, and their chemistry was probably the only meh part. I think it was a mixture of their lackluster chemistry as partners AND the lack of potential scenes for them together as a couple-- they could've added SO MUCH MORE.
That ending was also boring and just random, in the sense where everyone just solves their own problems in two seconds.
Anyways, it was still a cute watch with some cute scenes, though I did skip through some parts. I won't rewatch it, though it was not bad for a 12-ep kdrama of this type.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
First half was seriously the funniest drama I watched in a WHILE
Like I said in the title, the first few episodes had me laughing OUT LOUD.Some ideas seem a bit cringe, like the characters of Spirit Fingers, but once they explain the group and members it becomes a bit cute and even heartwarming.
The main leads are total opposites but I guess that's how their dynamic works so well. He unlocks a side of her she never would've known.
The second lead couple is also really cute, and they fit the more mature vibe while still maintaining the freshness of a college couple.
The family storyline was terrible, with terrible parents and aloof brothers. The ending made no sense, like how one can go from being the strictest parents to so understanding and even encouraging... guess it can only happen in dramas.
Other than that, the main two storylines were the only parts worth watching. Side plots either got no real resolution, or just magically disappeared lol
I don't know why the broadcast got delayed so much, and while im not familiar with how it was perceived in Korea, I do expect this type of drama to be a lot more popular overseas.
Overall, a very cute and easy watch with some laugh-til-you-cry scenes making it VERY worth watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
LOVING these Korean-Japanese Dramas with a great plot and cast!!
After watching and absolutely LOVING What Comes After Love last year, I was pleasantly surprised to find another Korean-Japanese pairing-- and on Netflix at that.The overall story may seem cliche with the "I can't touch anyone but you" fixation, but having both leads suffer from a mental illness seems to be the point. Two people going through struggles and overcoming, or at least learning to cope with, them in healthy ways. Obviously for both characters, forming a deep connection with a significant other is a major difficulty, so honestly it was really cute seeing how they go from partners of sorts to lovers.
The visual appeal was great, but of course I expected nothing less from a Netflix production. The chocolate-making intro that changes each episode was beautiful as was the more metaphorical transition of the evolving relationships.
I am always a sucker for fast-paced romance, as a hopeless romantic, but in this case the trust they form was so meaningful I quite enjoyed the way the writers had them form a tentative bond at first.
Nothing too serious or deep, given that it's only 8 episodes, but still a great drama. 🍫💝
Was this review helpful to you?
Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo Season 2
0 people found this review helpful
MUCH better than season 1
So I watched season 1 not knowing there was a sequel... the ONLY thing that really bothered me throughout the whole series was the fact that she filmed this at 16 years old with someone 10 years older :/But story-wise, the plot was also much better than season 1. The FL was still annoying but a tad less annoying than season 1, and the relationship between her and her husband was cuter with some more fluff this season. Nothing surprising really happened, though it was odd how some characters just randomly disappeared lol
I know it's been over 10 years now since this came out, and despite my problems with the cringe-worthy acting or plotholes, it's still a classic just like Boys Over Flowers and I had to watch it knowing it existed. Glad I finished, and skipped through more than I'd like to admit, but don't regret watching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
My first ever Japanese Drama! Now my expectations will be so high...
I've never watched a Japanese drama before, so I'm surprised I even started this. I know it's based off the Korean one, but sadly I couldn't watch that one because I didn't really like the cast. Also, unfortunately for me, I have to find the ML attractive before I start a drama 😅😅 I did know the general gist of the story so this one was pretty straightforward and was an easy 10-episode watch.The actors in this were great, and really played their part well. From villains going through their evil monologues to the mains sharing sweet words to each other, I honestly really liked the characterization and casting of everyone.
For those of you who watch Chinese dramas, you'd know these types of time travel dramas now have terrible terrible endings because of the censorship rule, but I loved this ending. It was so sweet, though I do wish they showed a bit more of the romance other than words of affirmation lol
Very solid 8/10! Hope to find some more as good :D
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute and Easy Watch with a Mature Backdrop
Just wanted to leave a quick review.Finished the drama pretty quickly, and while I did skip through some parts, overall I quite enjoyed it.
Our ML and FL are both 30, and reunited after they briefly met in high school. Our FL has a physical disability from an accident, which I found really interesting, since it was quite relevant to certain minor parts of the story.
They do have some up and downs in their relationship, but I found it quite reasonable and I think the way they handled most of them were pretty reasonable. 🩵
The whole love vs. career issue is a big big conflict, and I can see arguments to both sides. Finding someone who loves you immeasurably is really rare, but also being able to build a career to be able to be independent is also something that should be prioritized.
Their chemistry was great🔥, and this was my favorite drama with the FL-- her bubbly character mixed with some pain from the past and her strong stubbornness as a defense mechanism was at the same time lovable and sad to see.
The ML is also great in anything he does. lol
The MAIN genres for this were romance, which they don't drag out at ALL, and family, which was really prominent throughout the drama.
Another solid healing drama👏🏻
Was this review helpful to you?
Quick watch to skip through
Like most, I started this after seeing a short clip that had me going "OOH he's cute. This'll be my next watch!" 🫶🏻And yes, he is indeed very cute and the overall vibe is really cute.
The setting starts off at a college but honestly it's basically a high school, not that I mind. The only thing that bothered me about this particular fact was that the level of maturity of the characters were that of preteens in high school, not adults in college.
That being said, the synopsis including "school for rich children but poor female lead somehow gets admitted" was giving me major F4 vibes✨ (AND the fact that the friend group is four cute dudes), but the school background became so irrelevant.
Like most cdramas, I'd say it started quite strong and with some good potential.
At the halfway mark I found myself losing interest and by the last quarter everything became quite ridiculous. The director seemed to have a vision but the execution was just not there unfortunately. The plot was all over the place, with random characters popping in and out, references to DEAD characters referred to as "they left" was the most confusing because you assume they'd go find them only to later hear them say something like "when they died..." like what??
My favorite part of this was the best friend couple. She's ADORABLE 🐶 and her partner is so cute. Their scenes, though few, were imo so much cuter than our leads. The chemistry was just better.
I will say though, it wasn't TERRIBLE and the fact that the episodes were relatively short (15 minutes) was a smart move, or else there would have been so much filler. Don't regret watching it, but won't rewatch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Perhaps the best modern CDrama of 2025
This is the perfect example of when not to trust reviews. This drama slaps. In all ways possible.I literally don’t even know where to start— the beautiful leads, the perfectly annoying antagonists, the wow factor of a “ceo coming back to life” introduction, that OST?! I’ve watched hundreds of dramas and this honestly is in my top five cdramas, def my top modern cdrama of 2025 by a mile.
First of all, our badass female lead shows no weakness in front of her enemies. She just survived hell for the past three years to make an epic comeback in front of the family that stole her family’s legacy. From the brink of death to reclaiming her throne, as she should, her beauty and brains blind all. Even when any other normal person would fall in defeat, her determination to avenge her family and bring justice was truly commendable.
And then our male lead 🥰 This is the first time watching this actor act, but his puppy dog persona juxtaposing our headstrong female lead was just the cherry on top. Having been abroad with sports, his morals aren't corrupted by his business-focused family so when he trusts and approaches Haimeng whilst everyone legit pulls him away, I melted. He's just so soft and innocent but not in the weak way where he doesn't know how to differentiate between right and wrong. He knows how to protect his girl **swoons**
Their CHEMISTRY especially, was off the charts. Normally, the idea of getting with an in-law sounds pretty revolting, but in this case I could not encourage them more. (and good, because the ex-husband doesn't deserve her) The cinematography captured each of our leads' perspectives SO WELL (BRAVO). The lighting and colors, light and/or dark, capture the beauty of Haimeng and Siyu as seen from each others' eyes perfectly. I found myself falling for them at the same time as them HAHAH. It started with Haimeng's icy exterior melting in front of Siyu, the only person in the house who doesn't treat her with contempt. With the gradual increase in trust came the natural development of respect and soon after, feelings. I love how until the end, they chose to trust each other despite what could've turned into a situation of messy misunderstandings.
I’m assuming this was low budget but girl, you can't even tell. Other than some crowds seeming sparse or lack of diverse locations, everything from outfits (our girl is a legit MODEL) to pace of storyline distracts you and honestly makes it seem like a very well thought-out, highly-sponsored masterpiece.
I don't ever write reviews, but this one was much needed especially with the weirdos giving this such poor ones! Please give this a try, it's the perfect length (not the super short ones but also not so long it drags the story) and really moves at a steady intriguing pace. It won't be perfect, with some loopholes, but they can be easily disregarded lol
LOVE IT! 🩵 SOOO glad I watched this. I'm happier :)
Was this review helpful to you?
