KingC

Fresh, Funny, Witty and Smart.

Dali and Cocky Prince is a breath of fresh air, particularly if you are seeking a respite from regular dramas that require a lot of emotional investment.
To be honest, I began this with absolutely no expectations. While I found the pilot episode extremely entertaining, it wasn't strong enough to make me start watching the second episode. But, I decided to give a go. Just as the synopsis promised, the real story starts from the second episode, with the death of the FL's father. The premise seemed to be something that could be riddled with cliches: Female lead falls into hard times and the Male lead, the knight in shining armour appears to save her. The overall plot can be deduced within the first few episodes, particularly if you are a long time viewer of Korean Dramas. But, don't be fooled. This is one of those dramas out there whose vital force lies within the capable hands of our leading characters, who, without question, is the highlight of the show.

☆ Kim Da Li was brought up by her loving father, who ran a private art gallery. She is confident, refined and composed, having an intense love for art and knowledge. With the death of her father comes the biggest trial of her life: saving her father's debt ridden gallery from closure and weeding out friends and enemies. What I loved about her was that she was evidently smart. There wasn't a single moment where I was annoyed by her or her actions. But, she does have her own setbacks, particularly when it comes to Business and Art.

☆ Jin Moo Hak is the nouveau riche Director of Dong Gong F&B, a Gamjatang restaurant chain that had tiny beginnings. Despite his extreme wealth he lacks several factors and they include: education and class.
And he is quite honest about how much he loves money. I haven't seen such an unabashed male lead in a while. It is his unique and sharp personality that earns my respect. If Kim Da Li was book smart, he was street smart with a sharp focus on business related… business. He knew how to earn cash and observed scenarios with a keen eye. It's my first time seeing Kim Min Jae, but he was absolutely wonderful and served justice for his character.

☆ Their banter and budding relationship was a delight to follow. Coming from opposite spheres of the society, their initial meeting as strangers and finally a creditor and a debtor was absolutely fun and entertaining.
While there were several cringeworthy moments from Moo Hak, particularly due to his lack of etiquette, his straightforward attitude and confidence in himself made him a real gem among male leads. There were several instances that I thought he would crumble, but his guts and wit elevated him to a much better position and class that several other characters in the drama claim to have. I loved how supportive the two characters were towards each other.

☆ Right from the first episode, we are are hinted about something much bigger and mysterious going on behind the scenes. The later episodes were really well balanced when it came to focussing on the leads as well as the sideplots. They weren't boring and I was curious about how the whole web was going to get untangled.

☆Won Tak was another fun addition. His care towards Dali and his love-hate relationship with Moo Hak was entertaining and heartwarming at the same time.
"Your face is the best security!" will always be one of my favorite lines from Moo Hak. Also, episode 6 "Is Garbage Art?" had me in tears.

☆ The ex-boyfriend, Jang Tae Jin, was annoying. But, the other characters were really intelligent and dealt their card (limited) well. The art gallery itself had only a limited number of characters and we see their backgrounds and get to know them much better as the story progresses.
There was Jin Moo Hak's family, whom I found irritating as well as amusing at the same time. But, I loved how both he and his father were sharp, despite everything.

☆ The OST leaned more towards the simple side, personally for me. They fit in well with the overall vibe of the drama. I particularly liked some of the hilarious BGM that would pop up.

☆ Last, but not the least, a shout out to Moo Hak's coworkers at the restaurant and Miss Yeom. They made even the toughest episode light and enjoyable. Moo Hak and Miss Yeom were effortlessly funny and serious simultaneously as a duo. I loved how his rapport with his coworkers was portrayed.

A solid 8.5/10 for being one cute little drama that was perfect for me to relax with. I did not focus much on the outfits and scenic shots, but it give me an insight about art galleries that I was unaware about. It might have had it's own drawbacks, but I had dove in without keeping my hopes high. I felt that writers' purpose was to provide a solid and well written story that was enjoyable and entertaining as well.
It was light, emotional and a fluffy mix that exceeded my expectations.

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Emotionally captivating, but lacks depth.

Advertised and hyped up as one of the most thrilling survival series, I decided to watch it to see what the fuss was all about. While I enjoyed all the episodes, I have to say, for Korean Drama standards, the plot falls way below expectations. Plus, the bar was set already high for Squid Game as there are well written predecessors of the same genre.

☆ The drama is buoyed by the excellent and admirable performances of the cast, who did a wonderful job portraying the variety of characters. I stuck through for them. But, I did not have anyone that I was particularly fond of or attached to.

☆ The sets were brilliant in a dark manner. The production value of Kdramas rarely disappoint.

Now…

☆ I am definitely among the minority here, but the plot was really lacking, especially since it's a Korean Drama. SG depends on the strengh of it's characters. It attempts to emotionally pull you in. (And it seems to have succeeded, considering the hype.) Out of most of the countries I've watched, Korean Dramas, if given the right script and a good planning, usually produce excellent shows that are highly satisfying, regardless of their one hour long duration. While I understand the intention of letting the horror of the childrens' games in the drama sink deep, the backstory or motive behind the organizers of the game seems to be added almost as an afterthought. Game after game would be going on, but I was interested in only one plot thread involving No. 29 Guard. Ofcourse, they writers chose a trope for several character arcs.
The Games themselves were not intense, but it was the price that had to be paid for failure that was horrible. At one point, I stopped expecting anything different since most of the players made it out purely because of dumb luck or experience. There were some scenes and gore that as @WandeRer mentioned in his review: gratuitous. They served little to no purpose at all or even if I was interested in it, I got no proper explanation. I even felt that some deaths were added on for the sake of shock value.

☆The last three episodes are the ones I enjoyed the least. There seemed to be a sudden twist for one character in particular. Not to mention, some of the explanations were highly unconvincing to me. Maybe the writers are hoping to tie up a few loose threads in the second season. But, I don't know if I'd watch it.


☆ The OST, unfortunately for me, did not do the trick. This might be a result of me not having any particular attachment to any characters, but some scenes that were supposed to rile up intense emotions fell flat. I couldn't get the right 'survival' or 'thrilling' vibes that I was supposed to be feeling. Regular Kdramas such as Flower of Evil or Strangers From Hell managed to pull that in a better way according to me. I was more focussed on guessing who was going to come out alive since many of the actions' by the characters were predictable. All that remained was how long they survived.


☆ I've been seeing people compare it to Imawa No Kuni No Alice, but I see nothing similar among them except for the 'survival game' theme. I've also heard that the script writer was inspired by a few TV shows, one of them being the Liar Game. While I can definitely see the influence, I can't compare any of them since the purpose behind each is entirely different.

☆ Squid Game is not a bad drama. It's a decent watch. Long time watchers of this genre would find nothing new since Survival Games all have their own tropes. I can see that the hype surrounding it is by most people who accidentally stumbled upon KDramas for the first time or are new to this genre.

It all comes down to personal preference at the end. I enjoyed it, but the plot, particularly the last bit, managed to render the drama's build-up to almost nothing. It didn't have enough momentum to tempt me into watching a second season, unfortunately.

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"The Air Around You."

I dropped this drama back in November 2024, but for some reason, decided to pick it back up as Nagase Ren's performance in another drama caught my attention. Writing a review for dramas such as this is difficult, not just because of the very controversial subject matter, but because getting to understand the characters play an integral role in how you view such a situation in general. I suggest taking a direct dive to see whether it suits your taste.

Kojima Toru, a medical student accidentally stumbles upon Asano Shifumi, a married and well established architect, whilst on his way to college. Her kind nature coupled with her pleasant aura soon attracts him and he finds excuses to see her again, unexpectedly learning that both of their interests and thoughts overlap. Toru is finally happy to have met someone who understands him on a deeper level, helping him escape from his feeling of constant loneliness. However, Asano Shifumi knows the reality of her life.
His illicit escapade serves as a game for his childhood friend and roommate, Ohara Koji, who takes it as a challenge to seduce the mother of the girl he tutors.

My Thoughts? I don't condone or encourage such things, but I could understand why both Toru and Shifumi fell for each other. Moreover, Shifumi was no idiot. She knew where her and Toru's future lay. Her excuses are useless in the eyes of the society. For both of them, meeting each other gave them the impetus to go forth with their lives. There is a scene where Shifumi ponders as to what attracts a person to another. She describes "the air" around them was what it was. Well, sad truth -- such a version of attraction is very, very rare to find. This is also one of my favorite lines in the entire drama. There was something about their relationship that went beyond the superficial aspect. It exists, but the sense of ease whenever they had a conversation felt natural. Toru might be a boring character when put up with someone like Koji, but he was an instant favorite of mine.

As for Koji? The end of the drama clearly explains why his relationship with Kimiko-san was not my cup of tea, in spite of several viewers preferring them over the leads. Well, both the guys deserved a whack on the head as they themselves eventually admit.

Tokyo Tower meddled with my thoughts well. So, it definitely is a solid 8 from me.

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The Good Things Came too Late...

That's my feeling about "Love Mate".
Why the heading? The drama had to step into the 'character growth' aspect much earlier. The first few episodes was just plain cute stuff to satisfy viewers and it did not help that both the leads were exactly that. Cute and fluffy.

Lee Jun is an uptight Team Leader and planner. His disdainful view on dating and love is reflected in his proposal for a game depicting why single life is the best. However, his idea is thwarted and scoffed upon by a rookie, Ha Ram, who makes it his personal goal to irritate him. {I personally liked how Ha Ram questioned Lee Jun. He sort of deserved that as his proposal seemed to make people who are couples seem weak.}

They agree to a strange option: try dating each other to see if Lee Jun's mind changes.

I liked Lee Jun's character a lot. He is the first person, both in books and TV, who openly expressed his "exact" emotions to the people involved. No mincing of words, no false hopes. Ha Ram was more easy going and childish as compared to Lee Jun. But, all the serious moments in 'Love Mate' came a bit too late, or rather, they were stuffed into the final two episodes.

Other than that, this is an okay watch. Not the best, but I really needed something short to complete my 52 Week Watch Challenge, to be honest.

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Gripping, Raw Terror.

Do not mind the ratings ever for a Japanese Drama on MDL. JDramas have less viewers as compared to other countries and often users don't rate them on face value. So, give this one a shot... if you can stomach this.

I wonder what sort of insanity got into me that I decided to binge this series in a single go for 5 hours straight. The number of watchers and the positive comments made me quite curious

Agawa Daigo, a diligent policeman with an uncontrollable temper, moves with his wife and daughter into a new village "Kuge", after his predecessor resigns before mysteriously vanishing. Within the very first day, he is called in after the Goto family finds the body of their Grandmother in the woods in a rather bizarre condition. However, Daigo's suspicions pique after realising that the Gotos are desperately trying to hide something from him... or someone.

Warning: Cannibalism is a really strong backbone of this story. So, please be prepared for the worst. Some scenes can be traumatizing.

Right from the very opening scene, we know what was discovered by Mr. Kano, the previous officer stationed at Kuge. The series follows Daigo-san as he decides to get into the bottom of Mr. Kano's disappearance and the reason that finally lead him to that point.
I have to say, every single cast member played their roles excellently well. I don't think I would appreciate Daigo as much as I did had the role been performed by a weak actor. Daigo was certainly the character that I wanted to simultaneously cheer for, as well punch due to his extremely impulsive nature.
The villagers were plain creepy in the very first glimpse that we get of them.
The little kid Mashiro was someone who kept me on the edge of my seat till the final episode, but her character seems to have been underutilized. [There is a certain scene where I wondered why no one questioned her. Yes, she couldn't talk, but she seems to signal and respond well to emotions.]
The one character who intrigued me the most was Keisuke. He was indeed different.
If I could point out any 'letdowns', then it might be the predictability of the plot - this could also be because I distrusted every single person on screen and concocted various scenarios, so nothing came as a surprise.
The ending was expected, yet unexpected. Though, I do believe that a second season is necessary to tie up all the loose threads, the post-credits scene and the words of a character pretty much makes the future imaginable.
It was a knowledgeable, yet a gripping watch for fans of horror and mystery. 8/10 from me. (Deducted points due to some predictable bits.]

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Time is an illusion.

I am someone who firmly believes in this headline, although I know that it's impossible for me to track back and change the very root of the concept of time and space.

Kai Duan, or Reset has been on my radar since last year. Being an avid fan of the time travel genre, I was particularly excited -- last year's First Love Again had been satisfying in delivering a believable story, although it's production was far from perfect.

Although it has a rather strange number of 15 episodes, a distinct change from the regular conventions of CDramaland that have an unspoken rule of dragging stories endlessly to fill 24 to 36 episodes and ruin the experience, it rarely disappoints.

Following a Groundhog Day like plot, Li Shi Qing, a young college student, is inadvertently pulled into a time loop after she dies in an explosion aboard Bus No. 45. In a desperate attempt to save someone from their fate and also get down from the bus, she yanks Xiao He Yun, a game developer, into the loop. Now with the added burden of being the prime suspects and getting chased by the police force, the duo search for a way to stop the explosion and terminate the loop.

Following the themes and background that are literal staples of any forms of entertainment involving time travel/time loop, the very succinct and clean execution of the plot is something that is particularly rare to find. Especially in Chinese Dramaland, where a deluge of dramas with absolutely little to no effort is being put behind them are produced aplenty.
While the story, particularly the time travel aspect, was far from perfect, the very basis of this drama's strength lies with the entire cast and characters. Except for a few of passengers in the bus, we get indepth backstories about everyone. The police officers, particularly Captain Zhang, was meticulously and excellently portrayed. The leading actors were right on par with the more experienced cast.

One minor fault with this drama might be Li Shi Qing's guardians' complete absence. And the final episode was satisfying, but also left me feeling discontended as there were a few unexplained topics that remained.

I will rate this a 9.0 for now, thanks to the writers' uncanny ability to make me tear up for everyone.

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Beautiful and Realistic.

I directly began the director's cut without watching the drama and here are a few if my jumbled thoughts. This movie is better to be "felt" than read as words don't serve justice to the experience of witnessing Akira and Yuki's journey.

☆ With a very less crowded cast, Life Sejou No Bokora brings out the beautiful chemistry between Yuki and Akira. We spent 80% of the story with them. Each step of their journey is catalogued smoothly. The time skips were spot on. Not to mention, the cast including the few supporting characters delivered excellent performances.

☆ It brought out issues about parents' expectations about their children and the society's view on what's considered normal. I'm one of the few who dares to go against the tide and seeing such a portrayal was satisfying. I will strive to be like Akira's older sister.

☆ I particularly loved how the lead actors brought their characters to life. Pretty sure I won't be forgetting Yuki's radiant smile anymore. I liked the internal conflicts of Akira. (There were several scenes involving the sun and light that were beautifully shot with the two of them.)

☆ Despite all that, there was a moment that I almost came to dislike a character. The pacing after around an hour seemed really quick. The low rewatch score is cause I almost never rewatch movies.

All in all, Japan has an uncanny talent in making very simple productions appear fulfilling. And this is one of the best simple and heartwarming stories I've watched. My review sucks, but I'd suggest that you dive directly into the movie without hesitation!

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A Deadly Game of Emotions.

It's strange that this drama didn't manage to capture me. While I immensely enjoyed the journey, I felt that there was something just "missing".

--- The plot, though popular as romance, has more than it seems. The political part of the drama was rushed, particularly at the beginning and I had to ask around to clear up some questions regarding that. (I try to skip palace politics and have watched only countable number of such shows.) I also had the drama on hold for two weeks, which might have affected the flow. But, I was able to sweep through the remaining few episodes and connected more to the characters. Majority of the plot, keeping aside the romance, revolves around power struggle between various states and princes. (I still don't know who Yang Shou was, even though I liked his character.) The leads themselves put their nation and family before everyone else.

--- In terms of acting, everyone delivered excellent performances. Ren Jia Lun was always a skilled actor for me, ever since I saw him in Under the Power and he lived upto my expectations as the Junior Prince of Nan Cheng. Shi Yi is one of the most convincing performances by Bai Lu, whose dramas have all unfortunately ended up in my dropped list due to various reasons. Even minor characters such as the four generals from the Western State; Li Zi Xing and Prince of Pingyin; were really memorable. (It was also a delight to see so many cast members from Under the Power together. Whenever Cui Feng payed respects to Zhou Shengcheng, I remembered Lu Yi and Xie Xiaoxiao from UTP bickering.)

--- The romance is one of the most impactful ones I've seen to date. Both Shiyi and Shifu knew what was going on even when neither of them openly acknowledged it. Their relationship was beautiful and painful to watch. No sweet words were exchanged, rather their subtle gestures and actions completely managed to melt the hearts of many viewers. I hope future CDramas can make more dramas with such relationships.

--- The costumes were really detailed. I loved everyone's outfits. One thing I felt odd was how tiny Taiji Palace looked, particularly when there were women dancing. It looked unexpectedly cramped. But, this doesn't look like a high budget project, but I can see that the production team did their best to make it look exquisite and beautiful.

--- The OST, unfortunately, completely went over my head. I noticed that two BGMs in particular were the same ones I had heard in Love and Redemption (2020).

I can say that it really is far better than a lot of short dramas I've seen from China and would recommend this to anyone looking for a short, beautiful drama with some good substance and characters. The trouble was, I just couldn't enjoy it as much as the others did.

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Perfect Crime.

Well, well, well. This is one to watch, if you want to play a thrilling guessing game and figure out the modus operandi of the perpetrator.

Sai consists of a series of seemingly unrelated deaths taking place over different prefectures/regions... all that are done by one man.
Until Domoto-san, the detective daughter of a famous criminal profiler, finds a common link among them.
What makes this drama a standout from the rest is that the serial killer knew how to choose his victims. He probed their emotions, explored the misery of the people around them, settling on ambiguous targets which prompt lazy detectives to arrive to an immediate conclusion. I could figure out how he chose the targets or the people around them.

It was thrilling to figure out how his mind worked, but this doesn't stop just at that. As the drama draws to a close, his tactics change. Very understandably. You'll have to watch the drama to know why.

While Domoto-san is definitely the star detective, inspite of limited screentime for the first four episodes, it was Iida-san who stole the scene. For someone who exhibits casual arrogance and resorts to shallow conclusions, he had a kind heart and was suprisingly, very, very sharp. Too sharp, perhaps.

The drama had very minimal background music and cinematography that was on point and attempted to capture the essence of the scene.

I was disappointed on how abruptly it was all over, as it ends on both despair and hope. It definitely needed another season for a neat denouement, but I'm satisfied for now. [Many thanks to HPriest for the fansubs.]
I'm just happy that somewhere, Domoto-san's curiosity is alive and kicking.

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All style, no substance.

I began this due to the costumes and CGI, which seemed much more creative than usual. And yes, they did go all out because this one of the most beautifully made xianxias I've watched in CDramaland.
I've never watched the donghua or heard about the source material. Moreover, the cast, even the supporting characters are well known for their own works.

The summary is exactly as the MDL page. I'm not exactly the best person to talk to about scriptwriting and directing, but for once, I could actually see that something was just missing with the whole plot.

My major issue, and the reason why I'm dropping this, is because I do not actually care about the leading characters, particularly Dongfang Yue Chu and Tushan Hong Hong.
Heck, even the villains are two dimensional to me. (At one point, it seemed as if someone was forcing me to accept their indestructibility and fear them, but I did not care about their scenes or strategy.)
It's an endless cycle of rinse and repeat upto EP19.

I didn't care much about the Spirit Kingdom arc because it was pretty much ‘served’ on a plate because the plot required it. I didn't connect to Bu Tai's and Shi Kuan's love story.
This drama could easily wrap up in a minimum 24 episodes if someone wrote a shorter, yet stronger script. FSM drives the viewer around in circles with the same conversations and fights on repeat.


It does get better after Spirit Kingdom and the initial enemy, but I lost all connection to the characters and nothing manages to capture my attention, save for a few conversations between the Tushan sisters and maybe A’ Lai.

About A’ Lai. He was introduced out of nowhere and still has mysteries shrouding him, which is why I'm curious about his character. His romance is pleasant to watch, too – Tushan Ya Ya is the opposite of his calm and composed personality and I love their banter, even though it's not earth-shattering or as tumultous as the supposed love story of Hong Hong and Yue Chu, which I frankly don't care about.
If it wasn't for them, I would've easily dropped this.

About acting… Someone mentioned how Yang Mi had one expression at the beginning, but now? Either the directing or script was very poor because there is not a single scene of hers I find particularly memorable save for a very few close up shots of her eyes. I understand that she is the Chief, but I've seen colder characters depicted better than this.
Dongfang Yue Chu… I'm sure that Gong Jun gave his best shot with what was given to him, but to be honest, I don't find him much memorable.
I didn't care about their romantic progress, either.

The fight scenes… the leading characters’ fight scenes are boring. The one scene I do remember is that one in EP15 or EP16, that too, because of the song 回还 by UNEKO being played as the BGM.
But, the scene itself (which should be a heart stopping moment) was offscreen that I had to rewind to see if I've missed something. Plenty of dramas don't shy away from bloodshed and pain, even if not directly portrayed.

A drama from last year had a very similar scene and it got trashed for being ‘too’ fake, but at least the actor performing the scene had expressions which conveyed the intensity of the moment perfectly.

The OST does have beautiful songs, but the background score as a whole is forgettable and unimpressive. Even poorly written dramas can be hits if the music manages to enchant us.
These two reasons might be why I'm impatient with the pacing.
6.5 - 7/10 -- I prioritize characters and a lot, and this one falls far off the mark. For a drama that has two other stories lined up and a hypeworthy cast, this just wasn't it for me.

Once again, the story and the editing does get a lot better. [It shifts to the human realm by EP19, but I found myself bunny hopping through scenes instead of watching it as a whole.]
But, they raised the stakes far too late for me to be interested. As far as I had watched, it was aesthetically pleasing, but tragically snooze worthy.

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Butterflied Lovers.

Korean dramas are still one of the top countries when it comes to capability to produce well thought out, and filler-less dramas that can keep you immersed into the story without being overdone.

I started the Story Park's Marriage Contract on a whim - it had history, reincarnation with time travel as an added bonus. Also, I had seen both Lee Se Young and Bae In Hyuk's performances in previous dramas.
The only ‘12 episodes’ format was another relief.

Park Yeon Woo, a sprightly daughter of a Minister evades marriage and does what she loves the most: designing and selling garments that where too modern to handle. When news of this breaks out and chaos ensues, her parents marry her off to Kang Tae Ha, a rumoured old bachelor whom no one wanted. Yeon Woo was no stranger to Tae Ha as they had met before. But, at the night of their wedding, he reveals that his weak heart might leave her a widow and proposes divorce. He dies the very night.
Yeon Woo accepts her fate, but things take a mysterious turn when she is kidnapped and thrown into a well at her home… and re- emerges 200 years into the future.

What confuses her is that her deceased husband was very much alive, albeit being styled weirdly. The modern Kang Tae Ha decides to contractually marry the ‘lunatic woman’ in a split second decision after his plans go awry in order to appease his grandfather.
Yeon Woo soon runs into many modern versions of the people of her past and gets embroiled in the power play of the SH Company.


SOPMC is half makjang and half historical with romance as an integral aspect. The story itself becomes ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ in the last historical bit, but the entire set up and background was well established since the beginning, so I did not mind this much.

I'm not as familiar with KDrama actors as I'm one of those picky watchers, but Lee Se Young is definitely on my watch list. She manages to pull off both comedy and tragedy with ease. Bae In Hyuk was no exception, particularly in the latter half. One scene in episode 11 was particularly striking. And he was highly convincing in portraying the past and present versions that at times they appeared to be two different characters.
Sa Wol, Yoon Woo’s companion/maid and the secretary Mr. Hong were another hilarious duo who lightened the overall darkness surrounding the leading couple.

I even liked Tae Min, Tae Ha's stepbrother.
Ms. Min, though meant to be portrayed as villain, made me curious about where her grudges stem from. I was glad that this was not brushed up easily and all the puzzle pieces actually fell into place without appearing as a deux ex machina or plot armoured.

The romance was neat and natural without being overly dramatic and mushy. I must say, did an excellent job portraying both the historical as well as modern versions of Tae Ha.

I don't think I'll rewatch this anytime soon. But, it's definitely good for a quick and enjoyable watch.

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"Into the Abyss."

The Devil Judge was hyped up a lot during its initial run and I only got around to watching it in 2023. The one aspect of it that makes it distinct from others I've seen is how well written and acted the characters were. As for the others… I'll get to them.

Revolving around the shady schemes set up by politicians under the disguise of goodwill in a dystopian society, the Devil Judge follows the eccentric judge Kang Yo Han, as he slowly plots their downfall. And the words of law that restrain him don't stand a chance. When a Live Court show is set up with him as the presiding judge, the public has a chance to decide the fate of the perpetrators. But, how will he fight against power and bring down the wrong doers to their knees?

Characters:

Kang Yo Han is THE deal and I wouldn't mind watching 16 episodes of his story alone. Complex, and ruthless. The word 'Justice' easily slips off our tongues, yet we see criminals get away with their crimes.
Yo Han makes pivotal decisions and dubious moves. By the end of EP3 or EP4, I began to slowly believe his intentions.
It was my first time watching Ji Sung, but he kicked the ball off the park with his performance. Will definitely be watching his other works.
I loved his hate-love attitude with Elijah. Both the actors captured their bond perfectly.

Yo Han was not somebody to mess with. It was thrilling to watch him blow up expectations and play with fire. His morales or lack of them thereof does not go unquestioned. Meet Kim Ga On, who plays this part.

Park Jin Young did his best with what he was given for sure, but I did not trust that guy till the very final episode. He might've been well written, so much that he managed to make it to the most idiotic characters I've met in my life list. I am not saying that he should've been complex or on par with Yo Han, but he couldn't even hold a candle against him.
If a character is written to be inexperienced, it must be done convincingly so. His family had fallen victims to a conman and he still manages to believe everyone. That too, he wildly jumps into situations without thinking twice or getting help. He was a grown up, yet he wavers in making every decision. He redeems himself, but all that was stuffed into one single episode.

The second character who was ill utilized was his best friend/love interest Soo Hyun. For a detective who graduated with magna cum laude, she fails spectacularly when it comes to being practical. Her entire arc was spent wasting on an investigation that seemed to be more inclined to soothe her personal vendetta against Kang Yo Han. Which was useless as more dangerous incidents kept happening and not once did she try to raise a finger or investigate the corrupt officials. She spent her whole free time on the church incident which makes no sense since her own friend Ga On told her that Yo Han never harmed him. She hides the fact that it was Yo Han who helped save a life. What was that for? The other thing which irked me was how she dove headfirst into situations without backup.

Sun Ah was a decisive villain with a whole plan. She had my sympathy as well as my hate. Sympathy due to her circumstances and hate for her shameless greed for power and validation. The only person whom she truly considered and respected as an enemy was Yo Han. I did think that her character was playing the "feigned innocence" demeanor a bit too over the top. But, the actress was insane with her performance. Particularly the final episode.

Shout out to Cha Kyung Hee, the spectacled director and K – they have my respect, limited screen time or not.

Others seemed to be written as their thoughts depicted them to be: clowns. But, highly entertaining clowns.

The OST was apt, not too bright, but intriguing enough. Nightmare by Sondia is my favorite one.

The last episode was too crowded. So many scenes that required an emotional build up were stuffed into one and a half hours. Plus, remove Ga On's stupidity and this drama would've wrapped up by EP13 or EP14.
All in all, it's definitely a worthy watch. There are moments where it loses it's momentum, but, as a whole, it's a 'don't miss it'.

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“Liking Boys is Innate.”

That’s it. This is the explanation that most people fail to understand. I'd suggest this movie to anyone who has just begun to step into the world of BL as I've several people cheer over gay people portrayed in media, yet say that they are against LGBTQ+, which is inhumane.
I do not know how much Taiwan has changed in the past few years, but this one was brutal to watch. This is more of a slice-of-life-amidst-crisis kind of movie, so if you are expecting some "wholesome" story with a neat ending a strong plotline... let's just say gear up.

Narrated to the Priest of their school by a boy, A-Han, the love story between him and a delinquent student Birdy, is slowly revealed. However, in times when homosexuality is considered a sin, how will the two manage to prove that their love was worth it?
I’ve decided that “Bestfriends to lovers” trope is one that I hate, but still torture myself with cause these kind of stories if portrayed well, manages to convey emotions like a punch in the gut.

It was difficult to watch for a number of reasons. There is a point in the movie where we see the gradual shift in its tone as both the boys try to “normalize” their lives, then there are the frequent inner conflicts of the characters that we feel through the screen, particularly due to the outstanding performance by both the leading actors.
I think the final scene of them as teenagers was the nail on the coffin for me. There are questions raised and Morales challenged, which is necessary.
The main song “Your Name Engraved Herein” was beautiful to listen to.
There were intense "NC" scenes that were a bit difficult for me to watch. But, kudos to the actors for being able to depict such intense emotions seamlessly.
Definitely worthy of a watch, even if it hurts you.

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Lovesickness At Its Finest.

I began this as a filler to watch Luo Yunxi in a normal piece of entertainment where he isn't spitting blood or in pain. And holy... I will not recommend this movie to anyone. Perhaps its directed particularly to a certain audience who have actually gone through such emotional turmoil, but unfortunately, I do not fall into that category.

Fang Fang, who has always had a long crush on her childhood friend Guo Yang, decides to pursue him regardless of what awaits. She gets a whole makeover after her Gaokao and finally gets together with him... Only to discover that she had grown excessively obsessed about him.

Boy... the girl Fang Fang was downright scary. The whole movie is told from her point of view, which slightly made me sympathize with her actions, but as a whole, she suffered from such a severe case of lovesickness that it made me glad that I had never been in love. Even the breakdowns in their relationship were never "real", but more due to the female lead's inability to communicate and her wild expectations.
Guo Yang was the regular popular music guy who liked her, but he was also someone who liked to put peoples' priorities over himself and genuinely enjoyed spending time with his friends. We don't see almost anything from his point of view, so I can't speak much about his character.

The lead actors were excellent, though. Well... they managed to give the "kids" vibes really well.
Music was almost non-existent, except for Guo Yang singing and a few mellow piano tunes sprinkled here and there. But, it fits the lonely theme of the story.

On a side note, I was surprised by some of the "Not for Children" scenes. Did not expect to see that in a Chinese Movie.

Overall, a skippable watch.

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"Strawberries, Cigarettes and Infinities."

The title is exactly how I'll 'literally' describe this one. Just like that Troye Sivan song with a twist. By the way, I strongly urge you to watch this drama first because stories like these are meant to be felt rather.

Kim Ji Hyun, a freshman fresh out of the countryside takes up a part time job at a busy restaurant near his University as soon as he lands in Seoul. There, he has an encounter with a popular university student, Seo Jae Won, while breaking up a fight in the bar. Jae Won, who has just returned from his military service, is an overly friendly Sunbae who thanks him and attempts to befriend him from the get go.
Still getting used to the scary bustling life of the Seoul City, Ji Hyun, perturbed and intrigued, decides to accept Jae Won's friendship, going to the extent of joining a Surf Club by seeing his familiar presence.
Jae Won, who has struggles of his own, finds comfort and happiness in Ji Hyun.
Their relationship begins to teeter on a balance scale as both of them attempts to come to terms with the changes taking place in their life.


Warning:
This is a full length headache inducing rollercoaster of angst, fish tanks, water, alcohol and art pencils. Maybe 'The Eighth Sense' might be enjoyable for only a certain niche audience as the characters are not the typical conventional type. It was purposefully made with the intent of resonating with the viewers and not for the sole aspect of enjoyment. Yes, there is enjoyment. But, it makes you reminisce and ponder. The directors, cast and crew put their all into this creation and their hard work is clearly reflected in the final product. So, a round of applause to everyone both behind and in front of the scenes.

The series floats on the strength of its very characters, may it be the introverted Ji Hyun or the extroverted Jae Won or even the supporting characters. At one point, we find ourselves being relatable to anyone in the drama. It's hard to talk about what the drama deals with without spoiling the plot… which is non-existent because the plot itself is the life of the characters and how they deal with what's being thrown at them. It's about the fears of opening up about yourself and fitting into the contours of the peoples' expectations about you (Jae Won) and giving away your heart and feelings that you treasure to total strangers and learning to adjust somewhere away from your comfort zone (Ji Hyun).

Their chemistry was on fire. I usually don't feel this way, but something about Ji Hyun and Jae Won just clicked into place for me.
It was not a sweep-off-your-feet romance. It was the hit-you-over-the-head-and-leave-you-muddled type of romance. Which happens to be exactly what I keep looking for. Just two people falling for each other in a natural manner without any flamboyance. It's just them and their feelings.

Friendship is another strong theme - Ji Hyun doesn't have many, but the ones he chooses are spot on - Ae Ri, Joon Pyo and his lovely boss. Then we have Jae Won, who has many, both the neutral and the good ones.
And… the scenes where the seniors forced their authority, threw their weight around, provided important advices gave me war flashbacks as I has been through a handful of situations like that, unfortunately.

Acting wise…
Jae Won was, perhaps, one of the most difficult characters to portray on screen. I'm beyond impressed by how Lim Ji Sub pulled it off so convincingly that there are parts of the drama I would not rewatch to save myself from emotional damage.
I related to Ji Hyun on a really scary level. So, his actions and responses were nothing strange to me. Also, for a rookie actor, Oh Jun Taek killed his debut. Every single character's portrayal was to a tee. Even Yoon Won, Ae Ri, Joon Pyo, Eun Ji and Tae Hyung.

The drama is also excellently filmed. Every shot, including the filters and the lighting were so beautiful. The last two dramas that managed to look aesthetically pleasing to me were 'Blueming' and 'The Forbidden Flower'. It managed to perfectly capture the essence and emotions of the characters.
The Soundtrack deserves an award as it managed to enhance the intensity of certain scenes.

The opening BGM by Unalaska will forever be engraved in my brain.

As for the representation of Mental Health. I have no idea about how accurate it was, but the last two episodes made me feel that the therapist was going to need a therapist.
Though initially planned as a drama with 10 episodes, it was mashed into a movie and I wonder if they straight up lifted scenes straight off the movie version and spliced it into this one, because there are some obvious jump cuts that can't be attributed to anything else other than poor editing. Particularly EP3 and EP4, where characters' conversations and even the BGM gets split in between.
The second last episode seemed so sudden and I felt like time sped up somewhere and I totally missed some stuff, but I still can conjecture where and what had happened. But, the timing is still confusing to me, but I shall forgive this drama for once.
I'm a jumbled mess of thoughts, but this one is definitely a solid 9/10 for me.
Imperfectly perfect and unique in it's own little ways.

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