KingC

Intriguing.

I rated Love Thunder a 7 based on comparison with other dramas of the same kind; i.e, mini short dramas with barely cohesive storylines, even when compiled.
But, I enjoyed it quite immensely as it managed to maintain a constant momentum throughout it's short runtime. If you are reading this, bear with me for my lack of knowledge in music and the jumbled thoughts.

☆ Story:
It's doubtful whether the scriptwriter explored further into the fantasy aspect that governs the tale, as it is more of a short story rather than a full fledged novel. But, it works out for a short-form drama such as this.

In 1983, two boys, Nagi and Ao, meet at a record store and share their love for music, particularly concerning an empowering composition by Dvořák, (9th Symphony, 4th Movement from the New World), which Ao finds quite scary, yet inexplicably tearful. Nagi, who is more forward with his emotions takes him back to his home, enjoys the song for a while and expresses his liking for him. A slightly disconcerted Ao and Nagi bury a time capsule to be opened 42 years later. And thus begins a mysterious cursed cycle of fate.

☆ My Thoughts?
It very, very strangely reminded me of Someday or One Day with the only similarity being that they both rely on music as a medium/trigger of time travel.
When it comes to characters, I don't know if it was purposefully hinted, but I never believed that somebody was human.
The very urgent and passionate moments of the drama are all tinged with sombreness as we already know the fate that awaits them, yet it is what ultimately makes me stick to it.
Nagi in particular had such a strong circle of fate over his head and his devotion was evident to the point of perturbance.
Even with the short runtime, the actors did a convincing job. The director must've clearly pictured what and how each moment was going to unfold because I did not feel any gaps or discrepancies while watching the compiled version.
And many thanks to the fansubber for providing the subtitles.

Music? I don't know much, but even I was disturbed by the 9th Symphony by the end, thanks to the story and atmosphere.

It is disappointing that the mysterious aspect was not explored, but the finale left me wanting more, so this is definitely a must-try from me.

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Something is Wrong Indeed.

Maybe I liked this accurately named short drama (which I will admit, is good for a watch and discard type) because it was obviously never meant to be as serious compared to the likes of Blueming or Semantic Error. I did not expect anything out of it, considering that the team probably had a very tight budget as they seemed to have shot every single scene either with the lighting effect of the burning sun or bright streetlights at night.

• Cast: Was quite good. They portrayed what they had been given. Which makes me think about the characters...
• Characters: I know that more than half of the people who watched this drama are cursing Do Ba Woo, as the entire story is told from his perspective. But, the character whom I just did not understand till the very end is Ji Hoon. It is blatantly obvious that the script was written solely for Do Ba Woo. Every single scene with Ji Hoon did not convince me even once that he had had any feelings for Ba Woo.
Somebody should've banned Ji Hoon from using the word 'like' because he took it in a literal sense, whatever the case. Yes, it is sort of explained that he was far too scared to reveal his emotions, but writing the entire story from the point of view of one character and attempting to convince viewers about the other in the last couple of minutes just did not sit well with me.
Do Ba Woo might come off as a selfish individual immersed in his own feelings, but how was he to go after a friend who -- 1. Did not take his confessions seriously. 2. Heavily implied that they were friends multiple times.
Ba Woo was a serious loner and Ji Hoon was always the kind of person who seems to easily attract friends. (Look at his bandmates! By the way, they were another favorite part of the story for me.)
Ji Hoon makes Kakeru from Kimi Ni Wa Todakanai look like Einstein when it comes to verbal communication.
Ha Min was the impetus that sets the boat sailing. He deeply regretted it, but I was far more satisfied with how he grew up by the end of show.

• Script: Weak as wet paper. They should've speed run the last three episodes and focused on important moments -- such as Ji Hoon's character and reactions. Heck, even the last scene seems to be a re-imagination of what would've happened if Ji Hoon fearlessly communicated his feelings back then.

• Music: The songs were okay. But, I think this is the first time I ever felt that the background instrumentals failed to properly convey the urgency of the scenes. It was the same multiple times.

• Final Thoughts: It's not terrible, but the script was undoubtably a failure. So, I suggest you close your eyes and attempt to understand the characters and dive in to decide on your own whether something is very wrong.

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Beautifully Poignant.

I dropped this drama twice back while it began airing as it made me fall asleep 2 minutes into the story. The overall bleak atmosphere and the inner monologue did not help, as it reminded me of Eternal Yesterday.
Setting that aside, I began to watch it after people who follow Japanese LGBTQ+ works kept posting about it.

Minase Jin, a paradigm model student who stays away from trouble and leads a carefully planned monotonous routine, has his life shaken when he accidentally stumbles upon a secret harboured by Hirukawa Haruki, the infamous delinquent of his class.

I think the charm of this drama lies completely in how the emotions are slowly built up and conveyed across the screen in that simplistic fashion that Japan has. The story is not groundbreaking by any means – but as someone said, this drama is not looking for fans, it is an art.
Both the leading actors pulled off their roles beautifully. Especially Motojima Junsei in the last three episodes, where he had to cry a lot. Though, I was a bit surprised that they cast someone who had played the younger counterpart of a character just the previous year. (Tokyo in April.)

Almost everything is from the point of view of Minase, who is a rather unconventional male lead, had he not been the narrator. Eight out of 10 episodes is a series of flashbacks where he recounts his times with Hirukawa Haruki as he pens a poetic letter in which he relates his emotions akin to being lost in the very vast sea.
Hirukawa was a much more easier character to understand.
But, I liked how they portrayed the emotions of both the teenagers – it was not all pretty and polished, but rather gritty and bumpy.
It doesn't just focus on the romance, but how it affected both of them and shaped their lives in some way - the good or the bad. I could relate to moments where characters repeatedly ask Minase to stay away from trouble. Minase himself uses the word "bystander" to describe his part in Hirukawa's life, something that he could not easily control.

I've read the webtoon, but liked the changes made for the live action.

A round of applause for everyone who worked on bringing Miseinen to life, because, honestly, it would've been one of the most boring dramas in existence if anything had gone wrong.

Yes, it's a very simple drama, but the emotions and hard work that went behind it is evident.
I hope that this drama somehow manages to reach somewhere or the right person amongst its journey in the deep ocean.

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"Family."

This drama is reigned by emotions rather than a story and it's no fantasy either. There was some reality in every single character portrayed and it should be the reason alone to give 'Unknown' a chance.

It follows Wei Qian, the eldest brother who is forced to grow up and give up the frivolities of life in order to provide a safe space for his younger sibling, Wei Li, after his neglectful and abusive mother ruins their lives.
After taking up a shady job under a certain Lao Le’s gang, he stumbles across an abandoned, feral kid whom he then takes home. What follows next is a slice-of-life plot depicting how Qian finally gives up gang activities and grows up to become the ultimate ‘Da Ge’.
However, his little bubble, in which he is forever the parent to his siblings, is popped when Wei Zhi Yuan, the boy he had adopted, confesses his feelings.


Pretty sure that the title ‘Unknown’ is definitely meant for Wei Qian, the eponymous character of Da Ge by Priest from which this drama was adapted. He is the only one who doesn't know what exactly he was feeling until his younger brother took matters into his own hands. His own future is wholly dependent on making his loved one's be safe and happy.

The drama gave me all the warm fuzzies that I wanted and even moments of laughter at times - particularly with San Pang and the co-worker gang and Dr. Li. Also - when Zhi Yuan left Qian speechless with verbal/physical displays of affection. Though, in reality, I would've been the one to change countries had something like that happened to me.

The acting was top notch. Particularly, Wei Qian. I could understand his confusion the most and could literally feel his emotions and suffocation through the screen. Wei Zhi Yuan was not far behind – as someone who is poor in expressing emotions, this dude legit scared me with how open and honest he was.
San Pang, and the entire family together were wholesome and heartwarming to watch.
It's a well made story about a found family and everything that takes to hold them together.

The Soundtrack was beautiful. Particularly the opening song. There was nothing too much over-the-top about the production, either.

Pretty sure that I won't be rewatching this anytime, but it's definitely one of the more warm dramas out there.

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Depressing, but Memorable.

This drama is steeped in sepulchral undertones and it's evident that the entire message has a chance of missing its mark. It's not a 'story' per se, rather the journey of the characters in particular.

There is no mincing of words – An introverted, intelligent high-schooler, Mitsuru, loses his person, the popular Yamada Koichi in an accident, which happened right beside him. But, the ‘dead’ Koichi gets up in spite of clearly fatal injuries that should have killed him.
Mitsuru now helps his ‘living corpse’ of a friend to get back on track, but he starts to slowly realize that his presence is the only thing that keeps Koichi corporeal.

As a viewer, it's painful to watch as it is evident that Mitsuru was in self denial. He keeps trying to come up with reasons for Koichi to stick around and Koichi, knowing him, attempts his very best to keep Mitsuru happy.
In a way, Mitsuru, a usually quiet individual, speaks up and tries to get Koichi to live out his last wishes.

Mitsuru is a particularly hard character to play without appearing emotionless, so kudos to the actor for not making him seem indifferent. Koichi was much easier, but his story was sad in a way.

I watched this in January, and right now, all I can remember is Mitsuru crying. Hence, why I used the word 'memorable' fir the title.
It's depressing from start till the end. Maybe that's the pain of losing someone.
It's good for a slow watch, but I'll not suggest it to anyone who has had a difficult time getting over the death of a loved one.

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A Cute and Hopeful Drama.

With very unconventional characters as the leading roles and the very comedic title, I expected the drama to be mediocre. Boy... I couldn't have been more wrong.
Koi Desu: Yankee Kun to Hakujo Garu was a true delight in every sense. Yes, there were tropes that are a necessity for every rom-com out there, but it never once made me irritated as both Yukiko-chan and Kurokawa were characters whom I could actually trust.

Moreover, both of them having 'disabilities' was a fresh change for me. I have to give it to Yukiko-chan for coming so far with her amblyopia. Losing eyesight is worse than being born without one. The drama did not kid around with the term 'blind'. It attempted to educate and give an insight on how blind people manage to survive in the madding crowd. I've never heard of amblyopia/lazy eye before. So, this was another new information for me.

Kurokawa is one of the most bunny like male leads I've ever seen. Despite the scar that has him ostracized from the common people, he is positive about his relationship with Yukiko-chan and wants only the best for the ones he love. I adored his little coffee shop gang.
Shishio-san was a surprise from start to the end. I suggest you watch the drama to find out more.

Kurokawa and Yukiko-chan's relationship was so pure and funny. They were ready to accept each other as they are and sat down to talk things out.

The familial support had a strong impact on Yukiko-chan. No one ever tried to hinder her wishes. Her sister Izumi initially did try, but it got better and I loved the relationship between the father and his two daughters.

I completed this after half an year, but I enjoyed every minute. It's an optimistic drama that gives us all the good vibes.

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A Tragic Tragicomedy.

I finally discovered a drama where the King is not a self absorbed idiot, but an actual, lovable human with brains .

'The Crowned Clown' is a beautiful, tragic and heartwarming story about a humble clown, Ha Seon, who is put on the throne as a decoy for the unhinged doppleganger King. Having never dealt with anything remotely related to the Court or governing a nation, he attempts to rule the people as he sees fit, angering the corrupt ministers, cheering his people, and befuddling his enemies.

The first two episodes itself were a mix of horror, terror and comedy. Lee Hun, the present King was a nutcase. I'm not kidding when I use that word. Completely addicted to drugs and a tyrannical, he murders everyone who stands against him without a second thought, including his Queen Consort's very own father. With support from his sycophantic ministers, particularly the devious Shin Chi Soo, his madness soon has conspirators plotting to kill him.

Yeo Jin Goo kicked the ball out of the park with his performance in this drama. To be honest, I began this because he was in it. And he did not disappoint. His transition from the completely psychotic King to the vibrant and happy clown was unbelievable. I began to see those two characters as separate individuals and could see no shadow of their dispositions on the other. His supporting actors were equivalent in their peformances, portraying impeccable performances which alone, elevates the quality of this drama. And Episode 15 will forever go down as one of the most epic moments I've watched on television.

Ha Seon, who is forcibly put on the throne as a decoy knew nothing about court. Haksan, the Chief Royal Secretary, asks him to stay put and leaves him instructions on how to conduct an assembly and listen to the ministers' reports while he was gone. Long story short, Ha Seon, who is shocked by the ruthless rules of the palace, bends them to his will and governs the people as he sees fit.
The plot is dependant on the political struggles, but I did not find anything annoying. The clown was a breath of fresh air and saved me from listening to the ministers spout nonsence.

Haksan and Ha Seon's rapport and trust is what made this drama watchable despite of the deep emotional battles. The intense bloodshed and the foolish mindsets of the ancient royals made me want to smash their teeths out. But, these two characters knew their game. I was completely in awe when Hae Seon stood up against everyone to serve justice. His love for his people, his sibling Dal Rae and uncle Bak Soon was heart warming. Haksun is someone who could easily be the definition of morally grey. He took risks that would make him lose his head, but with a strong conviction and backbone that made us (and Ha Seon) believe in him.

The script did not shy away from portraying the barbaric acts that the lower class faced at the hands of the so called "royal blood/upper class". I hated episode 2 in particular, where a tragic, traumatizing and cruel incident happens to a character only for it to be easily brushed off by the perpetrators.
Ha Seon suffers emotionally. Watching him was worrisome -- he was never meant for the court. His loyal Eunuch Cho and Haksan become his constant source of support. There were a number of supporting characters whose frequent appearance slowly made me like them and treat them as important ones.

Romance is not a strong aspect. But, Soo Woon, the icy queen was well acted. She was icy in the beginning and never quite drifted away from her calm and strict demeanour till the very end. This also happens to be the first time that I'm seeing a drama where the Queen has an active role in the troubles of the King. Their mutual love and support was never cringeworthy, but a joy to watch. Lee Se Young appears to be a very versatile actress who can fit into any role without making it seem over the top. I had seen her performance as a consort in another drama, where she changed from being happy and smiling court lady to a rather a bleak and silent consort. I could see no sign of that consort in this one. She fit the role of the silent Queen well.

The villains were stunningly vile. I'm upset that no one set Shin Chi Soo's beard and the Queen Dowager's room on fire.

The music was strange. There would be lyrics being sung in the background, but they blended in so well with the scene that it took me sometime to realize that there was a song going on.

I'm still unsure of what to make of the drama's conclusion. Was it happy? Or was it really sad? But, Ha Seon deserves the best. So, I'll imagine that he finally became happy.

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It's not you, it's me.

I wanted to like this drama. I really did. But, after episode 5, I just couldn't pull through. There is nothing really wrong with it and story as a whole since the purpose has been already introduced to us in the very 1st episode.

Yong So Joon, a CEO who has the ability to time travel attempts to alter his future to prevent his death... which coincidentally happens alongside Song Ma Rin, a photographer.

What I found lacking was the balance between characters. We see 80% of the story from So Joon's point of view.
My biggest issue was perhaps with the female lead. It seems as if the writers put all their efforts into delving deeper into making the male lead a mysterious figure.
Song Ma Rin on the other hand reminded me of play dough. Yes, there are hints about her troubles, but for someone who has suffered so much for 30 years, she was one of the most delusional female leads I have seen. Her own evil friend points out that she was overboard with her thoughts and actions.
I did not understand her at all -- she acted cute, revealed her insecurities and that was it. If I'm supposed to sit through 16 episodes, there must be something that is worth it with the characters.
The time travel aspect is alright and the real mystert begins right after episode 5, but I no longer have any interest in finding out what lies ahead. Maybe I'll pick this drama up again someday.

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Puzzle Pieces.

Well, well. This is unexpected. I watched it on a whim when I felt that 'The Demon Hunter's Romance' was taking a trip downhill, and it served it's purpose well.

During the summer, Xiao Zhi is invited to an island as an assistant for the kids at camp. Having a constant push and pull relationship with his brother; he meets Chen Li, his brother's classmate who shows him around the island and takes him on mini-adventures. In the process, a secret relationship develops between the two.

The story can be 'VERY VAGUE' and you have to observe the characters' facial expressions and body language to connect the dots. Or else you'll be staring at nothing except some excellently filmed scenes which can be your next wallpaper.
It also seems to have purposefully hidden certain scenes or showed another perspective of them -- a rather clever move. But, hey! I knew Xiao Zhi liked Cheng Li; but if they hadn't shown those scenes later, I would've assumed that it was a one sided crush.

Chen Li was the hidden character for me; Xiao Zhi was the one whom I felt bad for, particularly at the end of EP6. Both of their performances combined made this drama a worthy watch.

A good palate cleanser -- the storyline was disconnected and jumped around during the last half, which is why this isn't getting an 8 from me and why me review is titled as such.
But, it also depicted some harsh realities of life in a limited time, so it's a 7.5/10.

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The Poster Doesn't Lie.

Disclaimer: I don't know the webtoon and don't understand Korean as well. So, to me, the drama was exactly what the poster promised -- you don't know who the main character is or what I was signing up for.

I had seen people going off after the trailer, but since I didn't understand the trailer, too, I was 100% in the dark while beginning this one. Also, this drama has apparently been marinating since 2023 or something.

☆ The positives?

--- Technical: Standard production with plenty of colour and convincing performances.
--- Story Highlights:
1. Heesu's internal struggles.
2. Seung Won and Ji Yu's friendship.
3. Heesu and Seung Won.
4. Ho Sik, Heesu and Chan Yung.
5. Ho Sik and Hee Won.
6. Hee Su's family.

Hee Su was the most interesting character. His monologues, introspection and fears were what made me rate this a 7/10. Not to mention, Ahn Ji Ho was perfect for that role. The second would be Seung Won by Lee Sang Jun.

☆ The Cold Pricklies:

-- Chan Yung's individual storyline. Not gonna lie, it was plain bland and boring. I skipped most of his scenes and that 10 tennis practices or so that were stuffed in between. (That's why I cut off 3.5 out of 10 points. They took up a lot of runntime.) An episode or so of it might've been enough to let us see his struggles; but making it an important plot point which revolves around him was useless. Which was often excessive and did not progress well or add anything much to his character.

(EP10 had a whole "insert song" when it should've been spent to speed up the other characters' storylines. Not that the song was bad, but hey, dude! This is not High School Musical.)

Considering that I adored little bit of glimpses of romance we got from other couples such as Hok Sik and even Bob girl, Chan Yung's storyline should've just stuck to the same pattern. I liked Ji Yu as an individual character, but their romance was somehow pale when compared to both Hee Su's and heck, even Ho Sik's and Hee Su's sisters' lives. Probably because they were pretty generic unlike the other characters'; who had to struggle and face rejection.

Keeping aside the romance aspect, the way the character Chan Yung is written might be a major reason why I skipped almost all his scenes. It could've been interesting without making me feel as if I was being forced to choke down his scenes. I didn't care about anything happening in his life. The actor, Cho Jun Yung, did what he could with what he was given and I appreciate him for that.
Chan Yung might be a gem to Hee Su, but not to me.

Also, I don't get 'why' Chan Yung was all that great to Hee Su. That was another aspect that wasn't properly conveyed. Even the currently airing silly 'Something is not Right' and that JDrama 'Kimi Ni Wa Todokanai' does an excellent job expressing why the main character likes his best friend.

☆ Final Thoughts:
Could've been A LOT shorter. And don't get me wrong, there are plenty of JDramas and even KDramas that manage to deliver convincing stories without dragging out the plot.
They should've renamed this something like "Tennis and Class 2" or something like that. I get why so many people are pissed by this adaptation; but as I said; I didn't even know who the main character was while checking out the poster. So, I think a 6.5 or 7 from my side is a good score.

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Strange, but Intriguing.

That's exactly how I would describe Utsukushii Kare. Based on a somewhat familiar trope, what made this drama pique my interest were the leading characters.
Timid and introverted Hira falls for the cold and untouchable "King" Kiyoi. It then follows their twisted connection and the moral dilemmas that each of them face.
It's 100% non-fluffy by the way.
The show never moved away from the "romance" aspect, which I unfortunately found boring. Narrated from Hira's point of view, we rarely leave his bubble.

Both Kiyoi and Hira had distinct personalities and personally, I felt that there was more room for growth and portrayal of their different facets. I am not familiar with the source material, so I might me wrong.
Hira in particular, looked a bit more lively and open during the latter half of the show, particularly after his time at college. He is definitely one of the most uninteresting protagonists I've ever seen, but there were not many characters or relations in the story to begin with. It looked almosy empty or crowded at times.
I particularly loved the portrayal of the characters in the final episode, thanks to the cast who did an excellent job. It was too rushed for my taste, unfortunately.
Overall, it's definitely worth a try if you are seeking some dramas which deal with the ugly truth of a few people out there.

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Striking and Addictive.

I wanted to write something coherent, but ended up with this, so bear with me if you came across it.

This one has the potential to go for a much higher score if they keep up with the tension and mystery in the future episodes.

I’m more inclined towards crime, supernatural and mystery genres which is one of the primary reasons Nour ended up in my radar. It might also be one of the reasons why you must give this one absolutely a try. Watching it on-air is a wonderful experience because we get to hear the most insane theories to the most plausible ones.


Laced with supernatural, romantic, yet melancholic undertones and a captivating mystery that has people scrambling for clues and formulating theories, Nour is addictive in every way. It's perfectly imperfect and it somehow works out just fine.

I began watching it with no expectations as I had never seen any previous excitement on social media. As it is airing at the same month as the much more anticipated and hyped dramas such as You Maniac and Mr. Fanboy with established fanbases, it is unsurprising that it slipped under the radar.

When a 200-year-old immortal being, a nour named Ken, who has sought death in vain for centuries discovers that there existed someone who could end his life, he sets out to find the killer. Now working as a forensic pathologist and inspector in the small province of Nakhon Sawan, he quietly investigates a series of arson cases that could lead him to his desire. Fate throws a wrench in his plan when a hotheaded and revenge driven James, a special investigation officer, is sent to assist him.

☆ I have to give credits to the director and the screen writers because of the amount of information and relationships built up; it has to go off the rails within the first 4 episodes. Yet it doesn't. The characters manage to establish their purpose and relationships… while still leaving viewers scratching their heads.


For eg:

Within the first four episodes, we have already spent three months with all the characters, caught ourselves in a mysterious web of information, solved two murders, escaped three murder attempts, and witnessed multiple levels of emotional breakdown from all of them.
But, then why does it have viewers in its vicelike grip?

☆ The mystery. It never disappears from the plot. We are provided bits and pieces of information and we are are much in the dark as Inspector James is. Viewers are invested both in the mystery and the romance that are strongly intertwined together.

☆ Symbolisms and Clues: the trailers served their purpose well because most of us have already been attempting to piece together scenarios and situations.
Stained glasses, bougainvilleas, fire...

☆ It's the first time I've admired the writers because they knew that having to cover the grounds for at least a dozen characters was not going to go well if we had actual intelligent and shrewd ones.

Instead, we have a wacko Inspector James introduced to rival the enigmatic and terse Inspector Ken. So, even if Ken doesn't like him, he forces his way into his space. But, many of his actions aren't wrong. As partners, when information that's meant to be shared is withheld from him, he goes to extreme lengths, such as breaking into a car by the end of EP1.

His impulsive actions and energy impacts everyone at the lazy station. And the cases come to a close because of him. And half the plot moves forward because of him, balancing out the pace. (It worked for me anyways.)

I have to say, for a beginner, Boss plays an emotional and energetic role to a tee. We know that he has his buried emotions which serve as an anchor for his thirst to catch the murderer. But, somewhere along the way, we also learn that he was a softie who just wanted to live life the way he wants.
He sees Inspector Ken for who he is, decides that he likes him and goes for the kill anyway.

☆ Inspector Ken is the calm, and collected one. He hides himself from others, but as Thangmey (a female police officer) mentioned, he had grown more alive by James’s arrival. Tong Tong is an already established actor from what I've gleaned.I didn't recognize him from the Wicked Game, but it's nice to know that both Park and Chet decided to suffer in 2026.

But, oh boy. He tells stories with his eyes and it's plain depressing at times. And the trailers aren't helping with his cause at all.

The minor connections and friends he managed to make along the way and even a few passing comments left a mark on me. Even Prae, inspite of all her bravado made enough of an impression to not forget her in the following episodes.

☆ Side characters such as Dr. Ji, Chita and even Phong and Thangmey provide different insights and views of the entire story. I love the tacit understanding between the rest of the police men and Inspector James and Ken.
Dr. Ji is someone I find fascinating. As well as Chita.

☆ The relationships are quick to develop, but for characters on the motto ‘capre diem’, I don't expect anything less. Particularly James, who seems to have realized the truth at a young age. The chemistry is convincing and the tears are understandable. But, with an array of characters haunted by death and suicide, I'm worried about how the whole thing is going to end.

☆ The BGM is beautiful. Kudos to whoever chased down those tracks.


"Nour” began as an impromptu watch and somehow, it has me currently making unsavoury GIF sets on Tumblr and because, in spite of the lack of promotion, this drama has managed to capture my interest within 2 episodes.

And inspite of being completely immersed in its lore, I'm beyond annoyed. Because the worst case scenario applies to every single character, whether I like it or not.

Once the characters grow on you, the underlying theme of how we need to value our time and not dawdle are strong. There is romance, but the main and ultimate purpose of one of them is to die. One had lived his life far too long and yearns for death, while the others have their life cut short or cherishes their transient life on this planet.

"The carriage held but just ourselves -- And Immortality."
Emily Dickinson's poem about death and immortality going hand in hand seems too beautiful and a contrast to what Ken desires.

Whatever the case, I'm glad that I discovered this little drama which is perfect stress breaker in between by final examinations.

We still have 5 episodes left. So, I'll give the writers the benefit of doubt and go forth.

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Tragic, Beautifully Poignant, Yet Absolutely Riveting.

This drama is a complete surprise and shock for me. And it is definitely one of the best dramas I've watched to date. (And it is not solely limited to Thai LGBTQ+ dramas either.)

I remember watching the trailer, which to me simply looked like a montage of images as I had no knowledge about the original story and began this completely on a whim. Payback is something to be experienced from start till the end. It's cruel and equally comforting at the same time. Cruel in the sense that it makes you ponder a lot. Deeply emotional as it depicts both grief, romance and acts of transgression.

The outstanding and riveting performances by the cast, the script and the direction further prove my point. There is not a single actor who doesn't leave an impression. Particularly the actors for Sun, Jay, Sunny, Sky and Kajorn and the villain. Everyone gave truly memorable performances which I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Starting right off the bat, the first episode begins with an audition where a man named Sun aggressively uses his balisong after he fails to impress the judges. A flashback sheds more light on his character--- Sun had previously been an illegal debt collector who had terrorized and traumatised many. When fate strikes back in the worst way, snatching everything that he held dear, time comes to a standstill.
But, revenge springs alive when he overhears that his ex-boyfriend who was now a rising star, had played an integral role in shattering Sun's life. He joins Dream Entertainment with this sole purpose of outsmarting Bank.

Sun, played by Minlee, is a tragic character. I have to appreciate the actor because he manages to bring the dead character to life. Sun is literally dead on screen - he has a single facial expression throughout the first episodes. The one scene that captivated me is where a photographer, Pakin, forcefully triggers an emotional response purely through his eyes.

Sun's innocent and hardworking manager, Kajorn and another actor under him, Sky somehow become a newfound family for the lonely boy. It's evident that his life as a past criminal and the tragedy that followed had made him a shell of who he truly is supposed to be.

But, the question stands. Tragedy would have hit Sun, regardless of whether his ex-boyfriend played a role in his downfall. His lawless and unempathetic actions were the ones which ultimately led to the situation he was in. So, what was the point in taking revenge against Sunny?
The character of Sunny is portrayed as a remorseless sycophant, so I think that he does deserve a lesson.

But, where the series took its hold on me is that the same question kept lingering in Sun's mind too.
When Sun encounters Jay, a powerful man of Dream Entertainment, he is forced to face the ugly truths about his life.
Jay is by far, one of the most dominating characters I've seen onscreen. Hats-off to Toptap because Director Arthur is someone enigmatic, perspicacious and an absolute scene stealer. He exudes confidence, grace and poise onscreen.

While Jay serves as an anchor although a rather harsh one, who often crosses limits and attempts to utilise Sun's skills and simultaneously tether him back to life, the deeply ingrained guilt and grief never fades away.
Sun's 'revenge' persists till the end, but the story is more than just payback.

It was beautiful, seeing someone who once loathed himself and lost all purpose in life rediscover his identity.

Stepping away from the emotional aspects, the story does manage to imbue a sense of humour. Even in unexpected places. Starting with Kajorn and Uncle Sia, who is the first one to truly make Sun smile.

The lovelorn Jay's attempts to woo Sun through his coercive methods was definitely one of the interesting parts of his life, aside from Kajorn and Sky.
(And an interesting part for me, the viewer as well. Their interactions on certain rooftops, particularly Alice's Labyrinth, were the ones I looked forward to every week.)

Even the menace-like Pakin, behind his stabbing words, hid someone wise.
The story is peppered with incidents that serve as the impetus for Sun to make certain choices.

Setting aside how well written the story was (from my point of view, as I have no knowledge about the novel or the manhwa adaptation), the soundtrack was beautiful.
I admit, I felt like a fool after discovering that a certain song used in EP7 wasn't a real song, because it sounded absolutely magical to me and I spent hours searching for it.

I found the last episode satisfying. Even though it had a few speed bumps, it managed to avoid any major trenches and brought the whole story to a complete denouement for almost every single character. Except for the villains. (The speed bumps that I mentioned fall into this category.)
One small piece of conversation between two characters hammer the final point in. Because ultimately, thriving against all odds is much more difficult and something you have to be greatful for. I don't know why, but it struck a cord in me. The series answered all my questions and left no loose threads.

Payback is definitely not for everyone. But, I for one, am glad that I stumbled upon this little gem and discovered Sun and his family. A solid 9.5/10 from me.

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Chemistry and Economics.

I'm writing this review solely as a reminder for myself about why I dropped this drama in the very first place. Don't worry. It will not affect the rating system as I have not seen enough episodes for it to get counted.
I tried giving it a second chance, but I just couldn't move forward past the first five minutes of EP4.
Now... lets get down to business.
If Chemistry along could drive a drama, then this one should be it. Both Leo Luo and Bai Lu are talented actors and they pulled off their roles beautifully. Their premise was good. But... the plot.
When it comes to the plot, in the first three episodes, we see Jiang Jun pull a few strings and get into Yuan Shuai's company much to his displeasure. Then we have about 50% of the conversations revolving around why she was not fit to do the job. Then the next 50% with him tasking her with something hard and she going about trying to desperately prove herself. The sweet stuff is scattered throughout in between. Its even funny at times. Even that was not enough for me to stick to the drama. Had I watched it completely I'd have skipped 80% of the episodes to just fast forward to scenes that I actually wanted to watch... which would be pretty much half of the drama.
I know nothing about Investment Banking and half of their conversations bored me so much that I stopped watching the episode in between or outright skipped to the fun parts. I did not care about Xu Lei and Xiao Chuan's romance. It seemed childish and might have been intentionally inserted to appease viewers' tastes. But, I simply skipped all their scenes.
In short, the overall backstory or the main plot made zero sense to me, due to my little knowledge about the business world. The romance was good. But, that alone couldn't make me stick to the plot.
If you are a fan of the leads and find their scenes sweet - please do watch it! But, if you want some actual basic plot that leads to their romance... you might understand and tolerate it better than me for sure.

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