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Story: I am happy that finally that an LGBTQ film/short didn't feature hot studs or even unattractive but fit/skinny males who seem to get more action than the ones who tip the scale.We can see that the MC is trying to put himself out there, trying to overcome his shyness by going to the pool and giving himself opportunities to get closer to his object of affection but sadly, most of us are all creatures who look towards physical appearances first before delving deep into the person behind it, even the MC is not exempt to this rule.
But towards the end, MC realizes that he can't force attraction that isn't mutual.
Acting: Average
Music: Nothing worth noting.
Rewatch value: Not really. Once is enough as it hit too close to home for me.
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Story: Cat and Dog are actually people and not animals who chase each other around: one seeks pleasure outside of his supposedly-committed relationship, while the other seeks stability, but neither really getting what they wanted. Acting/Cast: No acting prowess to speak of, but what can you expect from an adult entertainer.
Music: Nothing to write home about.
Rewatch Value: If only to figure out the logistics of how two men can fit in a small bath tub.
Overall: The film poses the question whether a “carnal connection can transcend into love?” And for me, the film does not answer this hypothetical query, and only serves to be gratuitous and self-indulgent.
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Goofy? Yes. Predictable? Sometimes. Addictive? Absolutely
I went into this drama with zero expectations. The MDL summary read like a shrug, and the mid-tier rating didn’t exactly scream “hidden gem.” But curiosity (and a slow afternoon) got the better of me — and next thing I knew, I was five episodes deep, skipping lunch, and fully hooked.This drama isn’t pretending to be a sweeping epic or a masterpiece of any kind, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s entertaining, light, and surprisingly heartfelt. Fei Yang’s character — the so-called “useless” happy-go-lucky nobody — is the kind of underdog you can’t help rooting for. Everyone writes him off, but he’s got tricks, heart, and a moral compass that quietly humbles the arrogant around him. He’s also accidentally engaged to three women because his brothers die in the first ten minutes (yes, really). The romance angle is more “are we, aren’t we engaged” than swoonfest, but it works.
Pan Lu Yu’s performance deserves its own applause — not because it’s award-worthy, but because it’s just plain fun. His facial expressions alone deserve a highlight reel. He embodies Fei Yang with such gusto that I found myself grinning through entire scenes. The fight choreography was surprisingly solid, but what really hit was the emotional payoff.
Fei Yang doesn’t flaunt his strength for the sake of it. He’s not stingy, not performative. If someone genuinely needs something more than he does, and he sees that they’re worthy, he gives it without asking for credit. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s right. His strength isn’t just in what he can do, but in what he’s willing to share. That generosity, that quiet justice, is what makes him compelling. He doesn’t hoard power — he redistributes it with emotional logic.
Between the scrappy fight scenes, the moments of unexpected sincerity, and the theme that kindness doesn’t mean weakness, Be Yourself turned out to be an absolute blast. I can’t wait for the next installment — this goofy gem deserves a sequel.
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Microdrama rule #1: Cast chemistry this hot deserves a real budget.
I picked up this drama because I saw the two leads in another microdrama — and unlike most pairings that fizzle out once the script forgets what it’s doing, these two actually had spark. So naturally, I chased them into Zhang Gong Zhu Zai Shang, and thank the drama gods, it delivered. No bait-and-switch, no wasted potential — just consistent romantic tension that knew when to smolder and when to shut up and kiss already.The setup flips the Dong Lan Xue dynamic: Qi Xia Xia is the royal this time, and Jin Chao is the quiet, dutiful guard who could kill someone with a hairpin if they blinked the wrong way. It’s not groundbreaking, but the reversal works. Their dynamic actually feels earned — there’s push and pull, power imbalance, and enough “forbidden but not really” glances to keep me invested without rolling my eyes every five seconds. Plus, Jin Chao’s stoic loyalty with just a hint of barely-contained emotion? Yes, thank you, more of that.
It’s a quick watch, and surprisingly, the palace intrigue doesn’t feel like filler. There’s scheming, poisonings, framed crimes — you know, the essentials — but it moves fast and doesn’t pretend it’s Nirvana in Fire. And honestly, that’s fine. This drama knows what it is: a short-form ride with pretty people, political tension, and actual pacing.
Still, I couldn’t help but think — with a real budget and a major TV time-slot, this could’ve hit harder. Some plot threads deserved more than five minutes of runtime before getting resolved by monologue or offscreen arrest. But even with its limits, it never lost sight of the core: Qi Xia Xia and Jin Chao. That pairing carried everything, and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint. Not all microdramas get that right — this one did.
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Romance bloomed. Then logic tripped, stumbled, and sobbed in the corner.
One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends-turned lovers, so this comes as no surprise that Love Next Door would be up my alley. Coupled that with charming actors such as Jung Hae In and Jung So Min, I was highly expecting this drama to be damn good. Where it started strong, especially love the banter and easy camaraderie between Choi Seung-Hyo and Bae Seok Ryo, I thought this was pretty much a done deal: an easy 10 points for me. But sadly, this was not. The drama’s attempts at realism, while admirable at first, became tedious and prolonged, and it’s no fault of the actors.I get it really: these characters are supposed to be flawed because we know that no one is perfect. And while I commend people by being self-sacrificing for their loved ones, there comes a point where this self-righteousness becomes overbearing. Take in case Seok Ryu’s example. She was adamant about not letting people know that she and Seung Hyo started dating, for reasons she believed their families may not receive the news well. But we see that her parents have loved Seung Hyo and considered him as part of the family already even before they started dating. I don’t see why they would oppose him now that they are. Then she has this inkling that they may not end up together in the future. Now with that mindset, why even agree to be together in the first place, if you already had plans to abandon the person who has loved you for most of his life?
Then only when your partner suffers an injury, that you finally declare your love for him, only to reject him later when he proposes. I find this behavior extremely flaky. Seok Ryu did Seung Hyo a disservice by stringing him along, afraid that she will lose him to an ex-girlfriend who was not even in Seung Hyo’s consideration. Granted, it may be too early for Seong Hyo to suggest the idea of marriage, but can you really blame him? They are both already in their mid-30s, and he has waited so long for her to agree into a relationship, it’s not surprising that he wanted to “seal the deal.”
Speaking of flaky, Kang Dan Ho is no better. And it’s this so-called self-righteousness again that is at play. First, he claimed to be too good for Mo-Eum, then later revealed his affection for her in front of Mo-eum’s mother while Mo-eum was intoxicated. Is he hoping she will forget his momentary weakness when she sobers up the next morning? He then later backtracks at the slightest provocation that Mo-eum’s mother is against their pairing.
I’m not too sure what these characters are playing at, but if they were young, in their adolescent years, perhaps I will have forgiven them for their immaturity. But they are not. I could overlook their indecisiveness if it didn’t affect others, but it does. You can’t just have everyone agree to your terms alone, especially if you are in a relationship. There should be at least a semblance of balance between the giving and the taking. Just because you suffered a great deal more doesn’t give you the right to play victim all the time. You can only use this card a few times, but there’s a point when it loses its effectiveness.
When Seok Ryu points out to Mi Suk that Dong Jin is banking on their mother’s blatant favoritism, it’s the same concept. Her parents gave her brother many chances to screw up, and they excused his failures because of his childhood illness. But because Seok Ryu was always an excellent student, they demanded more from her. And then when Seok Ryu comes home after “failing” (losing her job and fiancée); instead of saying it’s okay, they will be supportive, their parents tried to kick her back out. Only when they found out about her sickness did they capitulate. Why does it need to take someone to be sick, for you to be supportive?
We can apply the same scenario to Geyong Jong and Hye Suk’s relationship. For the most part of the show, it looks like they could hardly stand each other being in the same room. Eating separately, sleeping separately. It’s no surprise that the path will lead to divorce. But it turns around only when Hye Suk goes missing and could have a probable memory loss.
I’m struggling through the second half of the drama, with all these curve balls thrown in to make the plot more dramatic, but it’s not making the show more endearing. In fact, the more I watch this drama, the more frustrated I get. And to think the show tried to liven things up, by inserting comedic elements that frankly fell flat. They were trying too hard to be funny that they’re really not.
There are a few redeeming points going for this drama. The message of friendship, family and love is well-meaning; in fact, this show excels in juxtaposing the different bonds. The fact that being brought up in better circumstances did not necessarily guarantee a happier life, or vice versa. The show also highlights the characters’ emphasis on “putting on a brave face” and the importance of “face,” arguing that these shouldn’t outweigh family and genuine friends. They are there for you to lean on when times get rough, the same that Dan Ho and Seung Hyo like to help those in need.
While it has its moments, Love Next Door is just a waste of the cast’s talents that could have been better utilized in another drama, given the right script. It tried to wrap up loose ends too quickly after dragging on others. There were an excessive amount of drunken scenes, over-the-top yelling, and contrived angst just to fill in long episodes that could have been better edited for length.
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I am not typically into heavy melodrama, unless I count those teenage years of watching British shows about royals, or those childhood days of watching Hong Kong drama series about corrupt cops and dishonorable politicians. But Youth of May was a surprising pick that brought up memories of Martial Law when I was living in my home country. While my experience with martial law pales in comparison to the martial law imposed during the Gwangju uprising, this drama certainly puts into perspective how people have suffered and sacrificed their lives in the fight for democracy.The drama starts with the discovery of the remains of one of the victims of that fateful event in 1980, but we don’t know who had died. It could be any of the characters the drama will introduce later, except we know that a broken pocket watch was found along with the ruined corpse, and that watch could belong to anyone. So there will be death, we’re almost sure of that, and it would not be pretty.
Then the show takes us back to the days before the uprising, when innocence and love can still bloom despite the political oppression surrounding the area. The chance meeting of a nurse and a medical student turns out to be destined, as fate later brings Hee Tae and Myung Hee together when the latter’s bestie asks her to stand-in as proxy for her blind date with the son of the Head of the Anti-Communist Investigation. This arranged date was supposed to bring the two families together as political allies, with the Hwangs gaining a rich businessman as an in-law and their resources to facilitate the government, while the Lees try to take advantage of political clout to release Soo Ryun and her friends from being incarcerated.
But of course, the activism in Soo Ryun doesn’t allow her to collude with the opposition as she and her friends regard Hee Tae’s father as no more than a government lackey intent on suppressing the democratic freedom of its people. At first, it was funny how Soo Ryun coaches her best friend on how to be rejected by a suitor, but all the tricks and tips Myung Hee deployed did not prevent Hee Tae from wanting to see her again. Although Myung Hee does not seem to mind the affections bestowed upon her, she realizes that she cannot entertain these feelings as she plans to leave the country in a few weeks.
Undeterred, Hee Tae launches an all-out charm offensive, despite his father’s warnings, and pleads with Myung Hee to take a chance on him, even if it’s momentary. The chemistry between Myung Hee and Hee Tae is palpable on screen. Lee Do Hyun’s playfulness balances out Go Min Si’s wistfulness, and they are certainly better matched than Lee Do Hyun with Song Hye Kyo (that romantic pairing as dry as a flatbread). Both leads brought their A-game to this drama and carried so much weight that their characters, despite their flaws, are humanized. The rest of the cast also bring life and color to their respective roles, even the actor portraying the hated Ki Nam who lords over the city, or the actors playing Soo Chan and Soo Ryun who were grappling with the dilemma that their protected status almost exempts them from further investigation, while the poor suffers injustice.
The cinematography and fashion are on point as it paints the 80s cultural vibe against a political backdrop, where they separate the haves and have-nots. The pacing of the plot also sets the urgency of living in the moment when they still can and while Hee Tae and Myung Hee navigate their feelings for each other, they are faced with the reality of the struggles happening around them. Their personal choices on continuing with their star-crossed romance hinge on the plight of their friends and the citizens of Gwangju. Whereas Hee Tae wants to hightail out of the city at the first real sign of political trouble, Myung Hee feels obligated to stay and help those who are victimized by the soldiers.
Although I should commend Myung Hee’s compassionate nature, I sometimes got irritated at her reluctance to leave that put herself and Hee Tae in dangerous situations. Following in her footsteps is her brother who also decides it was a good idea to bolt when he feels like it and causing his sister grief. If only he stayed in place where he should, Myung Hee wouldn’t have gone and tried to save him more than once. Their father is no better, with his attempts to cross military zones and roads that have been closed due to volatile circumstances. Everyone seems to be trying to be a hero and recklessly go into perilous situations that can be avoided.
I understand that cowering and hiding inside your own house is not the solution either, nor I am suggesting that the government at the time had the right to impose martial law or that the soldiers are justified in beating innocent people senseless just because they look like students who are about to protest, but when the situation calls for you staying inside your house for your own safety, I don’t see why you would go out of your way to incur danger.
So kudos to those who are brave enough to die for their beliefs; without them, there will be no calls for change. And Youth of May serves as a reminder that those who came before us paved the way for a better future.
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Lee Sung Kyung shows some of her best acting prowess in this drama; the way she unleashes her pent-up frustrations at how life dealt her hand, how the father she loved betrayed their family, how she has to hold back some of her emotions for the sake of her sister and brother, how she defends her actions as justifiable, and how she grapples with her growing feelings towards her sworn enemy.
The rest of the cast also pull their own weight in this mostly character-based drama, with the plot being secondary as a background. The events that unfold showcase how humanity or lack there-of can play in the decisions of some, like how some people are repentant while others are not, despite numerous chances given. We learn in this drama, that while some people are just plain horrible, it does not necessarily mean that their off-spring will be the same. Some just lack the basic human decency of treating others with respect and continue to become trash, but we should not be painting their relatives in the same brush because they can turn out to be really decent human beings with an unfortunate excuse of a mother.
If you are expecting a light-hearted, fluffy romance drama, this is not it as Call It Love meanders its way along the excruciatingly long road of life.
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This is basically a poor man's version of "A Business Proposal." Though the premise is more or less the same, one thing I did not like here was how Gal Hui took advantage of her boss' illness to dupe him into believing she was somebody else. Overlooking this fact, the rest of the drama is cute and funny, and sometimes heartbreaking. I can't believe I enjoyed this drama more than I should, despite it's many loopholes. To name a few: 1) The Fall. I am surprised that Do Min Ik did not split his head open while he fell from a good height (on his head!). The chances of surviving this fall is slim to none without major injuries. I get it that he dislodged the pin that made facial recognition possible, but that is all. No bandage wrapping around his head, no broken bones, how is it possible??
2) The Box Cutter. How lame it is that the person who tried to hurt Do Min Ik and others uses the same weapon multiple times??? There was blood on it, dude! How can you use the same damn thing?? Might as well put a sticker on it, "Property of this Idiot."
3) The USB File. I guess everybody has the same USB that could be mistaken easily, that it is a wonder how confidential documents are kept. You can have cat videos and accounts of extortion in the same damn device and people can just take it or leave it or throw it as they please
4) Dubious Company policies. It must be some poor HR screening policy that allows people who were once fired, to be employed again. Do they not keep some records? Won't there be more questions why you are coming back to work?
5) The Police. Clearly they have nothing else to do but to solve this one case of non-murder. They are so easily swayed by statements made by their suspects that it will be surprising if they caught anybody. Hint: they did not. The idiot in #2 turned himself in.
And the best of all:
6) The Cast. I mean the cast on fake Veronica's arm. I mean Do Min Ik may not be able to see faces, but a glaringly obvious green cast with a heart he drew on Gal Hui's cast. In what world would she be able to explain that away??? Even if her cover was not blown earlier in the night, she would be caught green-handed.
There are too many coincidences in this drama to make me believe in logical thinking, but if I switch my brain off, and overlook these inconsistencies, the drama teaches you to open your heart to possibilities and be more human.
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Easily becoming my favorite contemporary Chinese drama, "Falling Into You" does the Noona-romance trope right. Coming on the heels of "Why Women Love", Gina Jin again plays as the "older" woman being courted by a much younger man, it's no wonder that she has this role down pat. It's my first time watching Wang An Yu and he's pretty convincing as a love-sick puppy who's chasing around his master/mentor. Bonus points that he also acts the part of an all-around "jack-of-all-sports" who has to overcome the prejudices of being short-statured to compete in an event that usually favors taller profiles. This drama maybe about the romance between an unlikely couple, but it focuses on the hard work and determination of athletes to turn their dreams into reality despite obstacles. I also liked the fact that they included a secondary pairing that's based more in realism, where Jiang Tian and Yu Xia gave up their dreams of competing nationally to open a noodle shop.
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Having known each other for a decade, Nation's boyfriend Tae Sung and Hot Shot PR Manager Han Byeol are constantly at each other's throats through a series of misunderstandings. Their rivalry is widely-known and some figured it was mostly due to unrealized sexual tension and rumours about "are they/aren't they dating" are circling throughout the company.
I didn't realize that Han Byeol is being portrayed by the same woman in Weightlifting Fairy and she is so much better here (maybe because of the bad hair in the latter) and Kim Young Dae is adorable as the love-sick Tae Sung who belatedly realized his feelings for his nemesis. It was so fun and a hoot to watch this show and it certainly is a must-watch.
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Supporting characters are multi-dimensional, and portrayed by a talented cast. You can tell that this is a big budget production, from the set & scenery, to the costumes, to the attention to detail, and everything in between. The comedic timing was spot on, and even the over-the-top brewing love story between the Head chef and the Queen's consort provided additional comedic relief. The array of food in the show is also quite impressive so if you are into mukbang shows, political intrigue sprinkled with a dash of rom-com, this drama is for you.
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When profiling meets pencil‑precision
This drama works because it anchors its narrative on two performances that feel lived‑in and emotionally precise. Tan Jian Ci’s Shen Yi carries a quiet, wounded stillness that never tips into melodrama; trauma is written into the way he moves, observes, and withdraws. In contrast, Jin Shi Jia’s cop is open, reactive, and unfiltered—wearing every frustration and flicker of empathy on his sleeve. Watching these two energies collide is half the appeal, especially as their early prejudices gradually give way to a reluctant, then genuine, understanding. Their differences aren’t just personality quirks—they drive the story forward and make the partnership’s eventual cohesion feel earned.The procedural side of the drama is equally compelling. Each case is crafted with enough detail to keep the tension sharp, and Shen Yi’s active involvement adds a unique spin to the usual crime‑drama formula. I’ll admit, sometimes I questioned the feasibility of an illustrator being so hands‑on at crime scenes; most portrayals have them in offices, working from witness statements. But the show leans into this premise convincingly enough that it never pulled me out of the story, and it adds a layer of forensic intrigue that became my main draw—bromance, if any, is just icing on the cake.
I also love how the drama handles its ensemble. The leads are magnetic, yes, but they don’t overshadow the supporting cast. Each secondary character has a purpose, a moment, or a small emotional beat that adds depth and texture to the world. That balance keeps the series grounded and prevents it from turning into a one‑man or one‑woman show, which can be rare in procedural dramas.
Overall, Under the Skin is a grounded, engaging crime drama that succeeds both as a character study and as a forensic thriller. The slow‑burn partnership between Shen Yi and his cop counterpart, the intricate casework, and the careful attention to ensemble dynamics make it a standout. I’m genuinely excited for the second season to see how the characters—and their dynamic—evolve from here.
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Tell Me What You Saw, because I’m still processing whatever that finale was.
“Tell Me What You Saw” is one of those dramas that had me conflicted from the first frame to the final credits — and honestly, that’s probably why it lingered. On the surface, it’s your classic OCN stew: gloomy visuals, messed-up villains, and a profiler whose trauma is practically a supporting character. But underneath the genre packaging sits a surprisingly messy meditation on ego, trust, and betrayal.First off, the poster already had me side-eyeing. Why is everyone standing like they’re shooting a Vogue crime spread? The man spends half the series in a wheelchair, yet the promo pretends he’s training for a triathlon. A simple face-only poster would've worked. The disconnect is wild.
To its credit, the show came armed with a blur tool — thank you to whoever was responsible for sparing my retinas in the first half. You deserved a raise. But why did they suddenly stop blurring things in the second? Budget cuts? Lost the blur filter? And don’t get me started on that constant wind-turbine sound humming loudly and incessantly through every episode. I paused my TV multiple times thinking something was wrong with my house. Apparently not. Just the sound design gaslighting me.
Now on to the characters. Hyun‑jae was cool as hell in the beginning. He is the perfect encapsulation of this drama’s contradictions. Early on, he’s magnetic: the haunted genius weighed down by grief. But peel back the layers and his brilliance is welded to ego. Choosing to chase the killer instead of saving his wife was his defining moment. It was a damned‑if‑you‑do, damned‑if‑you‑don’t dilemma, but it revealed his priorities: justice over intimacy. And then he suddenly starts fighting like a ninja, climbing walls, roof-hopping like Spider-Man — only to completely choke in the finale when the guy who can karate-chop a dozen men can't take down someone tied up and half-dead. Make. It. Make. Sense.
Soo‑young, on the other hand, surprised me. I thought she’d be a goody two shoes, stuck in the shadow of her mother’s death, but she grew into someone resilient and sharp. Her disbelief at the killer’s true nature mirrored mine — he was written so charismatic that even I caught myself shipping them for a hot minute. That betrayal hit hard, because it wasn’t just her trust that was manipulated, it was ours too. Watching her evolve from rookie to survivor gave the drama its emotional backbone, and by the end, she felt stronger than Hyun‑jae himself.
As for Leader Hwang—why is she alive while Detective Yang isn’t? Universe, we need to talk. She’s not corrupt, no, not like Director Choi or the Deputy Commissioner, sure, but her motives are questionable enough that I was grinding my teeth. That said, even if she didn’t say Han Isu’s name, that woman was doomed; the killer was forcing her hand from the start.
Speaking of the killer, he is the drama’s worst and most fascinating creation: a natural born psychopath who started young, gathered like-minded monsters, and perfected the art of guilt-weaponizing. He forced everyone to shoulder responsibility for choices that were never theirs. Even in the end, tied up like a discount Hannibal Lecter, he was still manipulating. Still blaming the world for what he chose to be. The show made him too charismatic for his own good. Charismatic enough that corrupt officers protected him, colleagues overlooked red flags, and even people who wanted him dead kept fumbling like they’d lost the plot. But here’s the problem: after all that buildup, the ending felt anticlimactic. Like, that’s it? After all that tension, they wrapped it up with a shrug and a fade-out?
So yes, the drama frustrated me. But it also entertained me, challenged me, and occasionally made me laugh in disbelief — especially when Hyun-jae launched out of his wheelchair like he was starring in an action movie no one else was watching. It wasn’t perfect, but it was layered, and it left me thinking long after the credits rolled. And apparently loud enough to haunt my living room.
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