A charming and much-needed program
This is already the second season of a Japanese dating show, but it is something much more than just a dating program or a reality show. I rooted for every couple from the second season as if they were my own friends — whether they ended up with the person they chose on the show or not, I truly wish them all the best.Beyond the romantic aspect, the participants grow by sharing their experiences with one another. Even if they don’t find their other half on the show, they take so much away from this experience. It is a truly beautiful and touching program!
Of course, the producers aim to create a show, and at times I wished the cameras could be pushed aside and the participants allowed to experience these moments in private. Everyone seems so authentic and lovable that you just want to give them a hug. I admire how beautifully the participants are able to express their feelings and how maturely they communicate with one another.
Of course, it makes me sad that in today’s world coming out is still, for many people, a difficult moment because of fear of their loved ones’ reactions. I wish coming out could be a neutral statement — something no one would have to be afraid of.
This program, just as I wrote in the title of this review, is charming and very much needed.
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Without the Last 2 Episodes, It Could Be 9/10
This drama started so good I originally gave it a 9/10. It felt like a combination of True Beauty and Lovely Runner. Interesting plot, adorable main couple. Even the plot with Bong-su didn't disturb me at first — I actually enjoyed this character, and the actor was great at playing the double role. His performance was really nice, with the immediate difference when switching between the two characters.I felt like this until episode 10. Then something changed and I actually don't understand what happened. By the end of the drama I stopped paying attention and just waited for it to finish to learn the final outcome. I feel like it could be much better if they kept the original idea with the young shaman trying to find her true self and trying to reconcile it with love.
Also, just my personal opinion: how can one person (ML) be that affected by so many bad things happening in his life? I know it's a drama and so on, but it doesn't sit right with me. Maybe I just have too strong a sense of justice. It just felt like too many things happening to a high schooler. Screenwriters really love torturing their characters with the plot. 😩
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Why did they make P’Cir a creep? ?
When I first saw the trailer for this series, I was excited to watch a fantasy show with an interesting parallel world. Why didn’t the screenwriters follow that original idea? Instead, they made the main character a stalker and a creep 😄 It’s honestly funny.A guy has been stalking someone for years and then decides that the best way to approach him is to lie about coming from a parallel world. Yeah bro, great idea 👍 He’s loved him since high school and didn’t even have the courage to ask his name. Randomly bumping into him on the street, saying hello, or borrowing an umbrella would have been a much better idea than this whole parallel-world plot.
I mean, just imagine if the guy wasn’t attractive 😄 Then he’d just be a creep, right? The whole plot doesn’t make sense. Why would Phu even believe something like this? Do they live in a universe where superpowers and multiple universes actually exist? It’s never explained in the series, even though Phu’s friend can read people’s minds or something… or maybe that’s a lie too. I’m honestly confused.
Anyway, the chemistry between the actors is good, as always — they work really well together. But sometimes the overly dramatic dialogue makes everything cringe-worthy. There’s just too much melodrama and crying, and it feels exaggerated. When P’Cir started singing in the last episode, I literally laughed.
P’Cir is a really strange character choice. He seriously needs therapy and to work on his issues — and I’m not saying that to be mean.
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A nice story, but it had so much more potential that went to waste. :(
Ep. 1–2The series started with a quite cliché but adorable Cinderella story. It deserves 9 points out of 10.
Ep. 3–12
Unfortunately, from this point on, the story took a wrong turn. The FL has a reason to lie at first, but at some point it is no longer believable. Telling the truth to the ML is the safest and only reasonable choice, yet she decides to stay silent until the truth is revealed by accident. What a waste of potential to make this drama good and extraordinary.
The lack of communication between the characters covers up the lack of better ideas for the storyline. I like the idea that the FL is an effective woman — she takes responsibility into her own hands and acts when necessary.
I liked the acting and the chemistry between the main couple more than the story itself.
Ep. 13–14
I've never worked in S. Korea, but is it possible to slap an employee at work? I know it's meant to increase the drama, but it’s not very believable to me. Plus, there are unnecessary extra plotlines in the last episode. Instead of closing the sister's story, the script introduces another unnecessary conflict. It’s meant to make Go Da Rim realize that she may lose the ML as well, but it could have been handled better.
A few more cliché threads, such as the ML competing with another childhood friend or the second couple’s story, could have been finished better as well. Opening a start-up company without previous experience also feels unrealistic.
To sum up, I still enjoyed the series, but it could’ve been so much better. The acting of the main couple deserves praise, though.
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The BL Horror Story That Was Actually Scary
I’m not a fan of horror, but I decided to give this one a chance since I watched PoohPavel in Pit Babe before and wanted to see their new work. And honestly… this horror story is actually scary. The ghosts are terrifying, and the visuals are very convincing, so beware of watching it at night. 😈When it comes to acting, Pavel is being Pavel — which means his emotions are convincing and feel very natural. As for Pooh, at the beginning I had the impression that he improved since Pit Babe, but as I continued watching, I started to notice the same things that bothered me before. Pooh still needs to work a bit more on his pronunciation and his acting style. Sometimes it’s not fully convincing, especially since he’s portraying an adult but occasionally acts a bit childish. Also, when he’s flirting, something feels slightly off.
What I really liked, though, were the scenes where he is haunted by ghosts — the emotions there are good and believable.
The best part of watching this series, apart from the story itself, was reading the comment section 😂 For example, fans demanding that the ghosts should start haunting the characters they found annoying — that was hilarious.
So greetings to all the fans who made watching this story even more fun because of YouTube comments!
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A difficult topic handled lightly — or maybe a bit too lightly?
When I started this series, I was expecting something completely different: a calm rom-com with pretty scenery. And, to be fair, I did get that — partially. But the writers decided to throw in a little “bonus” in the form of ... Spoiler alert!... serious mental health issues.
In general, I think addressing such topics is a good thing and helps break taboos around them. However, in this series it all felt far too light. The female lead doesn’t struggle with minor issues that can be magically cured by love and emotional support — she has a personality disorder. Multiple personality disorder is not something that just goes away.
I understand the idea of destigmatizing mental illness, but one visit to a psychiatrist does not solve everything. The heroine says that, following the Japanese psychiatrist’s advice, she continued treatment, had an MRI, talked to a doctor… and was basically told that nothing can be done and she just has to live with it. Did I understand that correctly? No treatment, just deal with it?
Another issue appears in episode 6 — a conversation between the leads that I honestly didn’t understand. Why do they break up despite mutual confessions of love? Overall, the chemistry between them is great, the male lead is adorable, and the female lead is stunning — her beauty and acting already captivated me in Alchemy of Souls. The characters themselves are great, but the story sometimes simply doesn’t make sense.
The ending is also… strange.
All in all, I’m a bit disappointed. Instead of the rom-com I was waiting for, I got something closer to It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Some of the heroine’s behaviors are genuinely dangerous (like giving sleeping pills), and nothing is done about it — which I found confusing.
On the plus side: as mentioned before, the acting of both main and supporting characters is very good, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful.
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16 Episodes and I surrender
The actor playing Wei Wuxian is the ray of sunshine of this show. His emotions are written all over his face and in his eyes, and he is definitely the best part of the series. The second lead is also good, but Wei Wuxian is my favourite.What I didn’t enjoy from the very beginning were the ridiculous special effects. I’m sorry, but the cave monster and other beasts look terrible. This is also my first Chinese series, so I’m not familiar with their usual level of expertise, but it all looks very amateur.
Another thing that really disturbed me were the male cast’s wigs. To be honest, I sometimes couldn’t even focus on the dialogues because of those ridiculous wigs. I mean, where does human hair start according to Chinese character designers? Surely not halfway down the cheek.
Unfortunately, I’m dropping the series after 16 episodes, as I couldn’t get involved enough with the storyline. Maybe I’ll try the books one day.
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