kelsikelsi

Absolutely FANTASTIC

Dream Within a Dream is one of those rare dramas that fully committed to its tone, and actually pulled it off. It had a story-within-a-story setup (which is a very difficult concept to pull off without confusing the audience) it blended comedy with well paced drama and plot, and somehow managed to make that balance work all the way through. Gorgeous work, pure quality.

First of all, the comedy absolutely slaps. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much watching a cdrama before. What I really appreciated is that the show doesn’t abandon its humor as the plot gets more intense, it keeps that comedic aspect right up until the very end, which makes the whole experience feel cohesive rather than tonally confused. I have to emphasize this because I've watched a lot of dramas where it starts off as something fun and charming but ends with a totally different identity. This drama? Wonderful from start to finish.

Liu Yuning was a standout here. This is genuinely the best I’ve seen him, he looked great, but more importantly, his comedic timing was ON POINT. I really hope he leans into this kind of “hopelessly in love but slightly ridiculous” character again in the future because he clearly has a knack for it.

And I have to mention Fugui, FUGUI!!! His comedic timing was incredible. If you’ve seen The Prisoner of Beauty, his character there had a similar energy but a much more tragic trajectory, so seeing him here alive, well, and consistently hilarious was deeply satisfying. The actor did a fantastic job.

The script itself is strong, though it can get a bit overwhelming at times. I actually had to take breaks between episodes because there’s so much going on, but interestingly, every time I came back to it, I was completely hooked again. That says a lot about how engaging it is overall. I think if I watched it as it was airing it would have been the perfect experience for me.

That said, it’s not without flaws. The romantic chemistry felt a bit uneven, while Liu Yuning fully sold it, I didn’t quite feel the same level of emotional investment from Li Yitong. It created a slight imbalance that made parts of their relationship less compelling than they could have been. However, I still think they looked great together and both gave such strong performances as their characters that I could overlook this in the long run.

Also, the second male lead? I genuinely could not stand him. Just relentless, frustratingly one-dimensional, and so single-minded that it became more irritating than interesting. While I do think that this might have been because he IS in theory a tropey tv show character, I still disliked it. Mainly, because the whole point of the show is Li Yitong's character realizing that the "characters" around are real and multi faceted. And don’t even get me started on the in-universe scriptwriter's questionable choices all around.

On the production side, though, this drama really shines. The editing is sharp, the color grading is beautiful, the costumes and sets were genuinely impressive, and the supporting cast added a lot of depth. There’s a strong sense of overall synergy that made the world feel fully realized.

The ending was also surprisingly well done, I’m honestly still a bit shocked they managed to get that past censorship rules around this kind of plot. And true to form, the show kept delivering on the humor until the very last moment. Even the post-credits and extras were hilarious.

Overall, this was a genuinely delightful watch. It’s chaotic, funny, occasionally overwhelming, but ultimately very well put together. Definitely one of the most fun dramas I’ve seen in a while and probably will keep this title for a bit.

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A True 10/10

When I tell you this show had me in a chokehold...I’m not exaggerating when I say I couldn’t skip a single scene. Not one. That alone should tell you everything.

It was just… perfect. The storyline, the chemistry, the action, the characters, everything clicked. And what I really loved is that it actually balanced fantasy and romance properly. Neither one overshadowed the other, which almost never happens. Usually one ends up eating the other alive, but here? Perfect blend.

The chemistry between Hou Ming Hao and Lu Yuxiao?? INSANE. Like, I could feel it through my screen. Every look, every interaction, there was tension, there was softness, there was everything you want. You know how they say, I opened the book and they fell out? Yeah this is basically that. Perfect casting.

And the female lead, finally!!! A “strong” character who is actually strong. I’m so tired of dramas throwing around titles like “general” or “warrior” just for the character to stand there and look pretty with nothing to back the shows claims. Not here. She was smart, capable, fierce, and actually acted like it the entire time. No false marketing, no last-minute personality loss.

Also can we talk about the visuals for a second? The sets were great, sure but the COSTUMES?? Absolutely insane. Hou Ming Hao’s slutty little red number? Hang it in the Louvre. Immediately. And Lu Yuxiao’s flowy dresses?? So dreamy, so magical, I genuinely felt like I was floating half the time.

And the HAIR. Oh my god the hair. Whoever was in charge deserves a raise and a vacation. Everyone has never looked better, and the amount of creative, intricate hairstyles?? Literal dream material. No wonder everything went viral on Xiaohongshu.

Even the secondary characters?? I cared about them. Like actually cared. Their storylines didn’t feel like filler, they added to the whole thing, which just made the world feel fuller and more alive. I can safely say this has one of my all time favorite second lead couple.

I’m genuinely sad it’s over. This is 100% going on my “rewatch when life feels empty” list. It just delivered on all fronts.

And I’ll say it again because well.. I can. BEST Hou Ming Hao HAS EVER LOOKED. Top tier. No notes.

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A different kind of kdrama

First of all, the chemistry is too good. Jung Hae In and Son Ye Jin truly had a beautiful dynamic and looked amazing the whole time. The script is also a more mature one that didn't shy away from more serious topics in relationships and families that do exist in todays society, especially in Korea. There were toxic relationships that appeared normal on the surface, family dynamics and the general view of the society regarding older women dating younger men, navigating a borderline abusive partner whom your parents support and like, how to break that kind of dynamic off, creeps in the workplace and in general the issues women in todays society face overall. It felt like a genuine window into the Korean society.

It actually reminded me of older Korean movies that wasn't too bothered with presenting an ideal world but rather showed the flaws in society. The dynamic between the leads was also a more realistic one that depicted a proper adult relationship and all that comes with it. I think a lot of recent shows has this purity complex and shy away from even referencing physical intimacy. While I don't think that it's always necessary, I do think that for a story like this it definitely did serve a narrative purpose and also made the characters and the relationship feel much more realistic.

The one thing that was a miss was the overuse of the soundtrack. I just really wanted to mute it after the 20th time it played.

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Pretty decent, nothing superb but very lovely all the same

I'll keep it pretty short for this one.

It's a pretty decent drama and the cast worked really well. Personally, there were a lot of laugh out loud moments for me. While it did have some over the top, ridiculous moments, you just have to remind yourself that this isn't a documentary but a tv show made for fun. Therefore due to that aspect, it did feel like a proper manwha adaptation and I really enjoyed seeing the FL come out of her shell.

I also liked the romantic progression between the leads, it captured the awkward and clumsy feelings of love at that age. It was just a good time for me, it didn't tackle any major issues or heavier subjects but focused on the growing pains of teenagers, pressure from parents and the feeling of not really knowing who you are. A solid watch if you're in the mood for what it's serving.

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A show that could have been great, and yet...

It could have been so good, almost like a Korean version of Life As We Know It (if you haven't watched it I would highly recommend a Hollywood take on a similar plot). Unfortunately, it ended up falling into the same old trap: a love-triangle-heavy storyline that felt bland and predictable. If I'm being honest even the love triangle part was boring, I personally couldn't care less how it ended simply because NONE of the characters were interesting.

Let's start with what I did like, which was the small community they built with the neighbors and how Hyeon Jin, Tae Hyeong and U-Ju became a true family. The ups and downs, their efforts and obstacles they faced...That aspect had so much potential, and I would have loved to see a clearer focus on the found-family dynamic. The child actor playing U-ju was absolutely adorable, and honestly the show could have worked much better as a family-centered story with the romance as a secondary element.

Instead, the characters felt underdeveloped, the script was somewhat lackluster, and the whole thing just felt like it was missing a bit of soul. One detail that also kept pulling me out of the story: because I’m fluent in Korean, I noticed that they kept addressing each other as “in-law” even after they supposedly grew closer and agreed to speak more casually. At that point it would have felt much more natural for them to start using each other’s actual names.

For the actual cast; I really like the actress Roh Jeong Eui, and I genuinely mean no harm, but every time she spoke, I found myself focusing more on how tired she appeared than on the actual scene, which pulled me out of the story. Her line delivery was also not her best work.

I’m also a fan of the male lead Bae In Hyuk from his early days, but the two leads just didn’t have any real chemistry together. Their dynamic never quite felt convincing. The second male lead didn’t help much either, his character felt like an overly idealized version of a past love. He was almost unrealistically nice and accommodating, to the point where it felt artificial. Love Park Seo Ham but I understand the backlash over how much screen time he occupied for it to serve no purpose in the end.

This could have been a healing drama with comedic moments, something about two people confronting the fact that they both grew up without a large family and slowly redefining what “family” means. There were interesting contrasts the show could have explored more deeply, like Hyeon Jin having her sister as a parental figure while Tae Hyeong never really had that kind of support, and how that shaped his feelings toward his own brother. They do get into this but it almost felt like an afterthought rather than a main focus.

In the end, the premise had a lot of potential, but the execution never quite lived up to it. I just think the show really missed the mark.

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Kicking Myself For Putting It Off For So Long

Love Between Fairy and Devil really had everything: stunning visuals, layered characters, angst, yearning, romance, and even morally questionable choices that kept things interesting, a sweet FL that didn't annoy me, who was naive but believable and a ML who was toxic at times but felt real enough that I didn't have to force myself to like him, the plot did it for me.

I had put this show off for a long time because like I said, I expected the female lead to be overly sweet (and borderline annoying) and the male lead to lean too far into toxic tropes. To some extent, those elements are kinda there, but the way they’re written, performed, and framed through the dialogue and cinematography made them feel much more grounded and emotionally authentic that it didn't bother me and actually added to the experience. I can't imagine the characters being any other way. Kudos to the writer and the director because I can really tell that a lot of care went into making this show.

The female lead, Little Orchid, was a pleasant surprise, sweet and somewhat naive, but in a way that felt believable rather than frustrating. I was initially scared because I'm very familiar with Yu Shuxin's acting and her portrayal of characters but honestly? This character was made for her and she really brought Little Orchid to life. The FL's decisions always made sense within the context of her character and her past, which made it easy to stay invested in her journey. Even though I'm not a big fan of overly sweet and innocent characters, Little Orchid wasn't actually JUST that, she had a lot of depth and heart which made me connect to her character. Shuxin also brough out something very different for the last quarter of the show that really made the show way more interesting anf I personally thought she pulled it off well. I can't say anymore because it would be a spoiler, please watch it.

I also didn’t think Little Orchid was “stupid,” which was a criticism I often saw. She was kind-hearted, pure, and brave, someone who understood the risks of her actions and chose to take them anyway. I think there’s an important distinction there. She didn't jump into danger without thinking it through and expected others to magically solve her problems, she just grew up with a very low sense of self worth due to her low station within the society and is very sacrificing by nature which formed her actions and her reasonings. While I usually gravitate toward more cunning, strategy-driven female leads, Xiao Lan Hua(Little Orchid) stayed completely true to who she was: a loving, courageous little orchid with a giant heart.

For the male lead, Dongfang Qingcang, I especially loved his character development. Even though his name is GENUINELY a mouthful, watching his arc unfold was one of the strongest parts of the show. His actions all throughout the show through various changes he experienced really resonated with his character and rarely felt out of place. I also think Wang Hedi did a really great job with this character and I almost couldn't tell he was dubbed. The dubber and the character worked so well together.

The show also LOOKED really good overall. Visually, the CGI was impressive, the sets were beautifully designed, and the costumes added so much to the overall atmosphere. With cdramas, the sets and CGI can really make or break a good concept (iykyk) and for a fantastical show you really need that good production quality. I think Love Between Fairy and Devil really brought that.

Overall, this was a beautiful and emotionally engaging watch. Wang Hedi and Yu Shuxin both delivered strong performances and brought a lot of emotional depth to their roles.

My only real complaint is how rushed the ending felt which is why I dropped half a point. I wished we had one more episode or even 30 more minutes to wrap it up. Everything before that, though? Genuinely fantastic. If you're on the fence about watching it, just press play and thank me later.

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Something was missing...but damn Zhou Yi Ran was superb

This was one of those dramas where I kept wanting to love it more than I actually did. Zhou Yi Ran is an actor that I'm very excited about because he feels like a true performer, and this is my first impression of Sabrina but she looked so nice from the promos that I really wanted to give this drama a fair shot.

However… Like I didn’t hate it. I actually think it’s decent. But by the end I was left sitting there feeling like something important was missing and I still can’t fully pinpoint what it was. The vibes were there, the actors were definitely trying, the emotional beats occasionally HIT… but the overall show felt strangely hollow. I think a huge part of that comes down to the fact that the drama never really figured out what it wanted to be.

The high school portion was genuinely my favorite part by far. The friendship dynamics, the found family aspect, the quieter emotional moments all felt warm and grounded in a way that made me really attached to the characters. There was this comforting slice of life energy to it that worked SO well. Then the university timeline starts and suddenly it feels like I accidentally clicked on a different drama.

The found family aspect gets pushed aside, the tone shifts, and Shen Juan’s storyline takes such a sharp turn into sports that the show almost starts feeling sports focused instead of coming of age. Which would’ve been fine… if it felt cohesive. When you think about it Shen Juan is a physics major, a silver goods craftsman and a genius sharpshooter all by the age of 18? Like my dude was out here collecting skill sets like Pokemon cards. And yes, there was technically some setup for the sharpshooting thing earlier on, but not enough for how heavily it later shaped his character arc. There were just too many ideas competing for attention.

That being said, Zhou Yi Ran absolutely carried a huge chunk of this show emotionally. He’s genuinely such a compelling actor to watch, especially in quieter emotional scenes. I think his performance made me connect to Shen Juan far more than I normally would have on paper.

Same goes for Sabrina Zhuang. I thought both leads did a really good job individually. Which is why it’s even more frustrating that the romance itself felt so underdeveloped.

Because here’s the thing, I did feel the chemistry early on. The tension was there in the way they looked at each other, the pauses, the emotional undercurrents… but there was almost zero payoff. They genuinely felt more like best friends or an old married couple who occasionally hold hands than two people who had just fallen in love. Their romantic scenes, if you could even call it that, had the flavour of a cardboard box.

And I cannot stress this enough: the lack of romance really hurt the show.

I’m not someone who needs constant fluff or forced romantic scenes every five minutes. In fact, I usually prefer when romance is woven naturally into the story instead of being used to distract from weak writing. But this drama desperately needed something. A little more intimacy, more vulnerability, more moments that actually established them as a romantic couple rather than occasionally holding hands and calling each other boyfriend-girlfriend. Like, if you removed exactly two kisses from this show, almost nothing about their relationship dynamic would change. That’s a problem.

I also found myself less invested in the side character storylines as the episodes went on. None of them were terrible, but they lacked impact, and the pacing started dragging because of it.

What did work for me was the family dynamics. The show actually did a pretty good job making the world feel grounded and emotionally believable. There’s a realism to the writing that I appreciated, especially in the quieter domestic moments. But overall, I really think the writers didn’t fully know what kind of drama they wanted to make. Was it a coming-of-age story? A romance? A sports drama? A healing youth drama? It keeps touching all of these things without ever fully committing to one. They actually could have written a story that dove into all of these but this show wasn't it, which is frustrating because there’s clearly a good drama somewhere in here.

I don't know, it was just very meh.

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I guess some dramas DO deserve a second chance

Fated Hearts was… a bit of a rollercoaster for me, and not always the smooth kind. So buckle up for my long ass rant for an overall pretty okay drama. Also, sorry for the person I will become when I reach the rant part of this review.

Was it very enjoyable? Yes. Did it have flaws? MANY. Would I still recommend it for a good time? Absolutely. I find the drama world is filled with so many bs shows and it's becoming increasingly difficult for a drama to keep me engaged enough to want to finish it, so for that reason, this drama deserves its flowers.

I have to preface this by saying that I started this drama MONTHS ago and dropped it after the first 2 episodes until last week.

Now as I mentioned, going in, the first couple of episodes had me doubting my choice and the good reviews. The battle scenes especially felt underwhelming, and the whole thing looked like it wanted to be epic but kept getting stuck in beauty commercial mode. The colors, the shots, it just didn’t do the story justice. This frustrated me to no end because even within the first 2 episodes I SAW THE POTENTIAL. Add in some very questionable editing choices that completely kill the momentum of scenes, and I was already side eyeing by episode 2. It genuinely felt like a drama stuck a few years in the past in terms of execution. This desperately needed the director of Blossom. Now THAT was art.

That said, I’m really glad I gave it another shot because it did get significantly better. The fight scenes improved, the story picked up, and I found myself way more invested than I expected.

Li Qin as Fu Yixiao was a major win for me. I wasn't familiar with her acting so I didn't know what to expect going in, however if I were to choose within a sea of female generals we have seen these past few years, she is by far the most believable. She felt strong both physically and emotionally and THANK GOD the amnesia didn’t wipe her personality like some other dramas (looking at you "Are You the One"). She stayed consistent, capable, and believable and her decisions always aligned with who she was. Her stunt work was also genuinely convincing, you could tell she took those martial arts classes seriously.

Chen Zheyuan also surprised me in a good way. I was skeptical about the casting, but he delivered. Although I could never truly buy him as the cruel "Killer God" they tried to pass him off as. When he embraced his softer side was when his character truly came alive for me. His fight scenes were also pretty solid, even though I always found him a bit skinny to play a battle strong general, the period clothes helped him out a lot and I could gaslight myself long enough to get through the fight scenes.

The chemistry between the leads was also pretty solid. Their dynamic felt balanced, like actual partners rather than one carrying the other (I found the balance similar to Blossom), and the enemies-to-lovers progression was paced well, even if it started off a bit toxic (as it should). Their romantic scenes were also well done, I actually wish we got more, not intricate ones but small light moments here and there towards the end. I actually would have been even happier with the romantic scenes if it weren't for that BIG ASS LIGHT that appeared each time. Was this the directors attempt to strategically blind the censorship committee so they couldn’t see the scenes? Because if the committee can’t see it, guess what, NEITHER CAN I. I was fighting for my life trying to see what was happening.

Also… Chen Zheyuan, respectfully my dude, why are your eyes WIDE open when going in for a kiss? Please.

Now, production choices. The music...why is it so LOUD. Trying to hear the dialogue required actual labor. Also… why the aggressive face smoothing? Everyone is out here blending into the background. The cast is already attractive, we didn’t need this.

Also, the story split into two locations after the halfway point, namely Susha and Jinxiu, and at times it genuinely felt like I was watching two completely different dramas.

The Jinxiu storyline was so lucky to have Chen He Yi’s face because he carried. I know his acting got some lukewarm feedback but I personally couldn't care less because....pretty boy. Call me shallow, I've made my peace with it. The character he plays, Xia Jingshi though? Dogshit. What he did at the end to Xiyang… truly despicable. He bid his time for the throne and acted strategically but my god he has NO heart, at all. This was telling from the start, but it was incredible to see there was no saving grace for him, even for a moment. He was going off of just bad vibes and horrible decisions. My dude literally said "I SHALL NOT BE REDEEMED!" Well, consider your wish granted pretty boy.

Xiyang, on the other hand, was one of the more interesting arcs for me. I found her smart, strategic, and adaptable. Her growth felt earned to me, and I appreciated how she made the most out of her situation. She actively matured and grew a lot in Jinxiu and her motivations, while driven by petty emotion, still made sense to me considering her background and upbringing. Watching her manipulate the Jinxiu emperor was also SO nice. Women in male dominated fields. Honestly, Xia Jingshi was pretty shortsighted for not seeing her value. I'll talk more on my thoughts on her ending in a little bit, so hold off on the pitchforks, I do have some criticism for her.

However, I still don't think her character really deserved the amount of hate she got online. I thought Xiyang was pretty smart and made the best out of the situation she was in, especially as someone who grew up sheltered and not really involved in palace drama, she held herself very well. I began indifferent towards her but after her resolve in regards to Xia Jingshi, she became a very interesting person and I loved her scenes. Obviously, her hatred for Xia Jingshi was unreasonable in some places because yes, he did say time and time again he did not reciprocate her feelings and never will, but I understood her frustration and her reaction felt true to her character and upbringing. She was a beloved princess who was naive enough to believe that her sincerity would make her a small path to Xia Jingshi’s heart. I can't fault her for trying, while holding onto her feelings from years ago built on a fleeting moment of a random act of kindness from Xia Jingshi. Was this stupid? Yes. But does it also kinda make sense for her character? Yeah, kinda. Also when she was pleading with Feng Suige to marry Xia Jingshi and said “I can change him”……Xiyang, I'm going to hold your hand when I say this, no you can’t babe.

The bigger issue lies in the writing for me so... welcome to my descent into madness.

Character development was all over the place so the character shifts felt very abrupt. Murong Yao’s dad? Random personality switch with zero groundwork, not to mention for this character it would have been sooo easy... Also, Suige's little brother Changyang? Went from sheltered teen to master strategist in what felt like one episode. I was genuinely like “did I miss something?” The issue isn’t the arcs themselves but the lack of buildup. Sprinkle in some early hints, some internal conflict, anything! These weren’t bad ideas, they were just poorly set up.

The antagonists also suffered from the same fate. I just thought they weren't very well done. I really like morally grey characters and through decent backstory and motivation I can at least see things from their perspective. I don't have to agree with them but it humanizes them, makes them real instead of just characters which keeps me engaged in the plot. In Fated Hearts however, I found each antagonist undercooked and lacking proper motive. Like “When I was 5 years old the soldiers saved the future emperor instead of me and I.FELT. SAD” like… okay???… nothing else?? REALLY? Even Xia Jingshi, who had EVERY reason to plot a hostile takeover of the court, felt off. His past wasn’t laid out well for the audience and we weren't given enough to connect to him and his sufferings. By the end, he just felt like an obsessive villain and his little rampage felt jarring because it didn't really fit with his character, which was such a waste. I would have wanted to feel torn over his ascend to the throne, but instead it felt unearned. His cruelty was unnecessary and badly explained. I understood him keeping his composure all these years after suffering humiliation and having your life threatened consistently, however, I think if we saw some cracks in his composure leading up to the finale instead of this serene but hypocritical person, I could have understood his actions a bit better and him losing control and going full out lunatic mode wouldn't have felt so jarring.

The show overall felt like it was trying to do a lot within 38 episodes, and while parts of it worked, the pacing for key plot points was a bit off. It’s very much a case of strong leads carrying an undercooked script. If I’m being honest, I stayed for Li Qin, Chen Zheyuan, and their relationship dynamic, not the plot. I'm a sucker for strong leads and mature relationships. And when it came to the Jinxiu plotline, it was Chen He Yi’s face and Xia Meng’s presence doing the heavy lifting. Which… is still an achievement I guess, because I didn’t skip their scenes.

Now, the ending…

Why is Changyang not the emperor? Not to mention Suige talking about the throne like it’s a part time job saying “Xiyang can try it for a few years and if she likes it she can keep it" EXCUSE ME? You did all that for Susha to take the matter of leading it so lightly? I understand that he didn’t want to be emperor himself but my dude...

And Xiyang as empress… I like her, but where was the groundwork for that? I’m all for female rulers, give me that ANY day, but you have to build it. I fear the writers wanted it to be a girl power moment but forgot to establish this within the script. While I did applaud Xiyang for holding her own in the Jinxiu court, she is far from being a leader herself. You can't deny that her motivations were still heavily driven by emotion, pride, and petty revenge. I did not see a leader there, mainly because she wasn’t mature enough.

Meanwhile, Changyang, despite being younger, actually felt calm, strategic, and fit for the role by the end. I really wish we got a proper conversation between the siblings about what they wanted, instead of the script forcing a “he didn’t want it anyway” narrative just to justify the outcome. Did they ever show us in any part of the story that Xiyang had an ambition like this? No. Was it even hinted that she would make a good ruler? No. Like… lay the groundwork and I’ll take a female leader ANY DAY. But you have to do the work!!

That said… I did enjoy this. It gave me:

- a genuinely strong female lead (yay)
- believable chemistry
- a solid enemies to lovers plot
- eye candy second male lead
- not super boring plot that kept me watching

Am I happy I gave it another shot? Yes.
Am I still side eyeing the director for those first two episodes and the big light? Also yes.

Random note: Feng Suige’s brother is adorable and the actor lowkey looks like Rowoon.

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Sloppy ending and a weird way to reimagine a horrific period in Korean history

...Idk I really wanted to love this the way everyone else did, but I walked away a bit underwhelmed.

Let me start with the positives, because there are quite a few. Yoona was genuinely great, I just love watching her on screen and love that she is getting proper roles and is being taken seriously as an actor. She just has that effortless charm that makes everything more enjoyable. And I called a hit fo Lee Chae-min ever since Crash Course in Romance, so I’m very pleased to see him getting more recognition. He was really solid here too. I thought he did a great job shouldering a very solid lead, especially on such short notice due to him esentially replacing the original actor who was supposed to play the role.

I also really loved how they gave the editing a cooking show touch with recipes you could actually recreate. I thought the cooking itself was the main attraction.

The comedy at the beginning was so good. Like actually funny, not just "ig i should laugh" funny. Which is why it’s even more disappointing that they slowly let that element fade as the show went on. By the time the political conflict took center stage, I was already kind of checked out, it just wasn’t that compelling nor well written.

The leads had good chemistry, I’ll give them that. But the romance itself felt… undercooked. Like all the ingredients were there, but no one left it on the stove long enough. And then the ending?? SUCH a cop-out. It really felt like they backed themselves into a corner and just went “eh, good enough” instead of properly explaining things.

(MAJOR SPOILER) The whole situation with him being in Yoona's world fully as himself while everyone else is some version of reincarnated or altered selves?? Yeah… that needed way more thought and explanation. Did he also travel with the page? But the page was destroyed so how did that work? (END SPOILER)

Now another part that I absolutely hated was the casual reference to SA??? Why did the showrunners think to "reimagine" a true hated figure in actual Korean history?? Why are we redeeming and romanticizing someone who was terribly cruel to women? I think they could have just invented a fake character and gave him a similar backstory(and not as laced with SA!!??) for the initial misunderstandings to happen and it would have served the same purpose.

Also, small but persistent annoyance I had was how they kept marketing this as “Western food meets Joseon cuisine,” but let’s be real, it was just French food. French techniques, French presentation, French everything. Which is fine! Just… call it what it is. The “Western” umbrella felt a bit misleading when there was barely any range beyond that.

All that being said… I still had a good time after forcing myself to overlook the actual historical figure. At the end of the day, it’s pretty people on my screen and I can rarely say no to that.

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The art of making a damn good show

The Art of Sarah really had no business being this good from start to finish. I mean, I already knew this would be right up my alley because the premise? Obsessed. The cast? Say less. But when something sounds too perfect on paper, I get nervous. Call it trust issues, call it experience with k and cdramas... Either way, they nailed it.

I started this as a “let me watch 1–2 episodes before bed” situation… which quickly turned into me staring at the ceiling at 6am wondering where my self control went. I genuinely could not stop. This show is dangerously bingeable.

At its core, it does such a good job exposing the luxury industry for what it really is: marketing, illusion, vibes. And since I’m already a sucker for con/heist type stories, this had me locked in immediately. But then it layers in a full on mystery, kind of a whodunit energy, and suddenly I found myself dissecting each con, each interaction and playing detective myself. The fact that it’s also a mini drama format? Perfect. No filler, just chaos (complimentary).

Let’s talk cast.

Shin Hye-sun, as usual my girl understood the assignment and delived A++ levels. I already expect a lot from her, but she went above and beyond here. Every persona she took on felt distinct, convincing, and just different enough to keep you slightly off balance. And that’s the whole point really, you’re constantly asking along with the detective, "who is this woman, really?" And the show never fully hands you a clean answer, which I loved. We get enough to understand her motivations and a glimpse into who she is NOW, but not enough and honestly, that made it even better.

Lee Jun-hyuk was also so good here. This type of role suits him ridiculously well. I just wish we got a bit more of him as a person, outside of the detective lens. We get glimpses, but I wanted more, especially to understand what was driving his obsession with the case and this need to “win.” Because every time the show leaned into that, it got even more interesting.

The writing was very sharp. You think you’re signing up to watch one con, and suddenly you’re ten layers deep into increasingly elaborate schemes. Every episode feels like its own little rollercoaster that you're on along with Lee Jun-hyuks character as you peel back the layers of "Sarah". And what I really appreciated is how morally grey literally EVERYONE is. At some point, you genuinely stop knowing who to root for, and somehow that makes it even more fun.

The supporting cast also pulled their weight. No weak links, no “skip this subplot” moments, everyone added something to the overall experience, which kept me fully in the show the entire time.

My only complaint would be the technicality of the ending, mainly from a prosecution POV, the pieces didn't fit together AS neatly as the show wants you to think. However, I chose to suspend my real world knowledge and just accept the shows logic. But this part is the reason why the show isn't a 10/10. They could have cooked the ending logic a bit more to wrap the show up even better.

Overall, if you like mystery, deception, morally questionable characters, and a peek behind the super polished curtain of the luxury/fashion world, trust me, just watch this. Just maybe don’t start it at night like I did, unless you’re okay sacrificing sleep.

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More than an idol-fan drama

Honestly this was a very very solid drama that actually dealt with very real aspects of celebrity culture in Korea. I have always wanted a good drama that handled the entertainment industry in Korea but everytime a new production rolled out it was disappointment after disappointment.

This drama however, really got a lot of things right and therefore gets a pretty great score. It dealt with record labels, obsessive fan culture, sasaeng fans, in group dynamics, paparazzi, how privacy is sadly not a right but a luxury for many people in the industry and just overall the backstage of the overly-glamourized world we see on our screens. I hope many people who watch it can see the real life correlations of some of the storylines, especially the ones regarding obsessive fans and paparazzi.

I also thought the crime/mystery aspect of the show was done pretty well and kept you on your toes.

When it came to the characters; I really loved the chemistry between Sooyoung and Kim Jae Young, they were truly cast perfectly. I could truly see Jae Young as an idol in real life tbh and I loved that he sang all the songs himself. I also believe that Sooyoung being an idol herself who has gone through many of the things that the male character goes through on the show really helped to ground the plot in reality. Overall, both of their acting was very well done.

Now! One thing that I genuinely didn't need in this show was the second male leads romantic feelings towards the FL. I think someone needs to tell these writers that platonic male female relationships do EXIST like why does it scare them so much to portray a healthy M-F friendship? However, I really enjoyed Kim Hyun Jin's acting and really liked his character despite this, I also think he handled the situation very well.

I was also very scared as to how they would handle the fan-idol dynamic and how they would navigate that on a script level but Sooyoung's character was written so well and she was just such a great lawyer and her mindset was amazing that I fully rooted for her. I think it was done in the best way possible.

ALSO, finally a drama where a (SPOILER) childhood connection actually made sense and added a very lovely layer to the story. It was very well done and you could tell the intention behind it rather than a random plot device the writers put to fill up screen time and fake a connection between the leads.

The show started and ended in a very consistent quality which sadly is a rare thing these days. If you like shows/movies set in the entertainment industry then this one is a must watch in my opinion.

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A wonderfully purple mess that had a lot going for it

I had such high expectations and I was fully ready for this to climb straight into my all-time favorites list…so when I tell you no one is more disappointed that I dropped it than me, I mean it. I think the combination of a lot of the things I'll mention contributed to my overall subpar experience with the drama. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad which is why my score isn't LOW low. But it was disappointing enough FOR ME that I have to rant about it a little bit.

I actually took notes while watching, so this is basically me revisiting my own descent into disappointment.

Firstly, the overall look and directing. I’m sorry but… why does everything look so fake? The budget wasn't even that low so why does everything look like it was made out of styrofoam and the paint job done yesterday? The color palette is aggressively whimsical to the point where it feels like I’m watching a low-budget live-action Disney remake. And the aesthetic choices?? The bright moon palace with those weird, almost LSD trip looking floors that somehow extend into the entire decor… that was certainly a choice. Not a good one, but a choice nonetheless. Idk it felt like the aesthetics were targeting a very young age demographic. I also do support the show having a purple theme but the use of the color was not done very well which only made the production look cheap in my opinion.

The directing didn’t help either. There’s this constant wind effect making everything flow dramatically, except it just ends up looking awkward and distracting. Add to that some very questionable editing and scene transitions, and it genuinely feels like I’m watching a drama filmed in 2020 with outdated, slightly corny camera work. The frustrating part is that with better scene selection and tighter direction, this could have been elevated so much!!

Now, the cast and characters.

Ao Ruipeng? He looks great. He really fits the anti-hero vibe to a T. his angular features work perfectly for a morally grey character, and also… he looks fantastic in blue and purple. No notes there, I enjoyed every second he was on screen. His acting was great and I'm so happy he's getting lead roles. His makeup was also really nice and fit his face very very well.

Bai Lu though… something about the makeup felt off for me. She is such a beautiful actress but the makeup looked weirdly heavy on her and it kept distracting me. Character-wise, I do appreciate that she’s not written as completely clueless, she makes rational decisions and actually uses critical thinking (a rare win). But at the same time, the plot armor is already doing the most. So whenever she does make a decision the payoff feels unearned because the plot armor did most of the heavy lifting. We’re supposed to believe she’s human at this stage (to our knowledge), yet she’s surviving things that absolutely should not be survivable (the volcano?? be serious). I get that it’s early on, but still.

Her dynamic with the second male lead also didn’t land for me at all. These are supposed to be people with deep history, someone she saw as family, as a brother, and yet their interactions feel cold to the point of disconnect. I understand the anger over being lied to, but the hostility feels off, and their scenes end up being more disappointing than emotionally impactful. Their dynamic felt like a missed opportunity.

As for the main couple… I don’t know, I’m just not feeling it. The romantic tension isn’t there, even though the male lead’s little helper kept hinting at his feelings in the beginning. It feels like the groundwork for the romance just hasn’t been properly built. And don’t even get me started on the memory loss trope, they really pulled that out just to fast-track the relationship, which felt incredibly lazy.

At this point, I’m already kind of bored, which is the worst place to be with a drama like this. The side characters aren’t interesting enough to compensate, and the main couple isn’t compelling enough to carry it. I'm literally so close to the end of the show and yet there is nothing in it for me to finish it. Especially after reading how everyone calls the ending "bittersweet".

There’s just… something missing. And it’s frustrating because this had so much potential.

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It was...just okay

I actually really liked the fl, liked her tone, her approach to things. Yang Mi did a really great job I thought she was perfectly cast, the problem I had was unfortunately with Xu Kai, he was just so...checked out. I thought his character would have been a nice change compared to the roles he usually plays but I think he suits a comedic role much more. His charisma can actually shine there whereas here...I felt nothing.

The kisses lacked chemistry, the romantic moments had a dissapointing buildup. I think with small tweaks it could've been a better drama.

I have to be honest, I only properly watched the first half and skimmed the last half because the cases bored me and the dynamics weren't interesting anymore. My favorite character by far was Yang Mi's best friend. I was really happy she finally left her shiitty husband, she was too good for him.

Aside from that my personal favorite duo was Qin Shi and Li Dai's relationship. I really really wanted to see more of them. It would have been so good to see them working together, their arc was so good. I really disliked Qin Shi's bosses, every smile felt fake and rehearsed.

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Went in with high expectations only for it to crash and burn

I actually wrote this review immediately after I decided to drop it as the show was airing but I just couldn't be bothered to post it and eventually forgot it existed. This should tell you enough.

Honestly? I give up. I don't even care how the story unfolds, i'm entirely uninterested. I'm the kind of person that if I've invested 5-6 episodes into a 12-16 episode series i'll try my best to finish it. Even if it means skimming through the episodes just to have a complete storyline in my head. Also i just feel bad for the hours that I had already invested into the drama to leave it unfinished. HOWEVER! this drama? I feel like it would be a disservice to my time to continue watching it.

It's sad since I started the drama with decent expectations, love the lead actors and I was actually very excited about the general premise of the show. I have to say, it was still enjoyable until maybe episode 5?

I liked Choi Wooshik's character a lot and he really is a good actor to me. Jung So Min's character on the other hand? While she is by herself a really good actress in my opinion this character of hers was just...so bland, so mid, her personality was just non existent to me. She felt very flat. Even the tone of her voice, how small it was, annoyed me and in my opinion this didn't fit well with the character at all. I thought Somin and Wooshik had pretty decent chemistry but because of how uninterested i was in Meri as a person nor what happened to her I just fully checked out after a while. Not to mention the unnecessary childhood connection that I will never understand why the drama writers in Sokor are so obsessed with. Why can't we be into a person for the character that they are NOW? Why do we need to add that layer of connection?

Oh and all of the conflicts and plotlines that happened? I predicted them from a mile away.

I saw some clips from the later parts of the drama on twitter and honestly it looked SO boring, predictable, and created drama for the sake of drama kind of scriptwork. Lazy imo, will be dropping it.

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