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An Exhausting Watch! I need a shoulder massage after this. It's too stressful, in a Good way!

Subjective Enjoyment Rating: 8.5
Objective Drama Rating: 9.0-9.5

Disclaimer: Horror is usually the genre I avoid as it’s not really my cup of tea. I am a scaredy cat, though I am Ok with violence. My review is from a novice perspective.


I want to emphasize that this is a very stressful drama-watching experience for me. My shoulders were all tensed up from Ep 1 to Ep 16. I am not sure if it’s because I am a novice and not used to this, or if this drama is just so exciting and full of plot twists. This is a whole new experience for me and I’ve watched many, many dramas in the last 3-4 years, though not this genre.

The acting is excellent - from the youngest to the oldest, from the main cast to those with very minor roles. It’s nice to see Kim Dong Wook play a regular dude, not a CEO or professional. This is a side of him I haven’t seen before, and he’s much more expressive than when I saw him in his last drama, “My Perfect Stranger”. It’s also great to see my beloved Kim Jae Wook, not as the perfect boyfriend but as a stoic priest who really needs to act to show a range of subtle emotions. Jung Eun Chae as the main female member held her own in the trio. It’s so great to see a badass female cop who actually could come in and save the day physically, and not a damsel in distress. Additionally, this drama also has a pretty stacked veteran supporting cast.

Special effects, creepy and scary sound effects, hair and makeup, all added to the overall viewing experience. This is a top notch production and there’s really nothing I can pick on. From a horror perspective, it’s not too scary for me. I think the horror aspects are more visual (violence, gore, blood). It’s less of a psychological horror, thus, I wasn’t really scared at all. But if you don’t like violence and gore, I would not recommend this drama for you. Those exorcism scenes are quite a sight to behold.

Even though I was tense from the beginning to the end (what a crazy, exciting and an emotional last episode), I do feel that the pacing of some episodes is somewhat slow. These are hour-long episodes and at times, they felt longer than one hour. There are also times when not much happened and the main cast was running around in circles. I actually wanted more action. I also don’t feel the urge to keep on pressing the “play” button to go to the next episode.

For someone who is inexperienced in this genre, I do think this is a great drama. I am not going to pretend I have a very enjoyable time, because I was stressed out and exhausted. I definitely do not recommend binge watching this. But if horror is your thing, please do check this out. If you don’t like violence, gore and lots of blood, then skip this one.


Other Random Observations:
1. Hwa Pyung reminded me of Harry Potter, and Park Il Do reminded me of Voldemort. LOL.
2. I keep thinking the three main characters plus all their friends and relatives should all carry a cross with them at all times.
3. Shamanism working hand-in-hand with Catholicism? That’s interesting.



Completed: 2/5/2024 - Review #401

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Good chemistry and interesting plot, but overall nothing special

Quick and easy, finished this in less than 3 hours. It's just your run-of-the-mill low budget web drama. Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb, nor is it anything special amongst a sea of very similar dramas. The time loop plot is quite interesting and I do like the execution of it. But the mystery/thriller part feels very out-of-place.

The leads have good chemistry and they look good together. ML is handsome and quite young (21 years old). He reminds me of a younger and less chiseled Dai Gao Zheng, though we didn't see his abs. FL is a very experienced actress and has appeared in many dramas. The acting is decent, and nothing is too cringey.

However, it has the usual things that I don't like in a Chinese drama - accidental falls/kiss/tripping in slow motion & poorly dubbed voices. The kisses are disappointing. I was really expecting more because censorship is usually a little more relaxed for these short web dramas. At least the male lead is not drowned in white foundation and white filter. He actually appears normal and good-looking.

Overall, it's OK. I can't really rate this as if it's a high budget production. A 7.0 seems about right.

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Frustrating and Unlikeable Characters in a Makjang-like Drama

Subjective Entertainment Rating: 7.25

I would never have watched or known of “Fashion King” had it not been the Chaos Clown Cave Chill Challenge and I was assigned this drama as a MLDer’s least favorite. Because of the low rating, I came in with very low expectations. That should be the mentality if you want to watch this, especially, if you are watching this many years later (2024 for me). But I figured, Yoon Ah In is in it, I can deal with that as he’s always been excellent in everything he’s played.

Plot:
Keeping in mind that this is a 2012 drama, I somewhat excused the physical assault, slapping, throwing things and the not very realistic fist fight. “Fashion King” actually ages pretty well and I don’t think it’s very dated. But it’s more makjang than I anticipated.

1/4 of Drama - Makjang-like introductions to all the main characters. Everything that could go wrong for Kang Yeong Gul (Yoon Ah In aka ML1) and Lee Ga Young (Shin Sae Kyeong aka FL1) went wrong. From broken families to kicking out of the house, to all the adventures getting to and in New York - it’s quite ridiculous.

2/4 of the Drama - I am slowly enjoying how things are developed. Relationships between the four main characters are more defined and the business side of things picked up a little. Feelings are developed and there’s some pining and push-and-pull, along with very muddy former relationships between Jung Jae Hyuk (Lee Je Hoon aka ML2) and Choi Anna (Kwong Yu Ri aka FL2). I probably enjoyed these episodes the most.

3/4 of the Drama - Scheming and getting back at each other continued on. Romance is getting complicated and I am slightly impatient as I realized I don’t want to root for anyone. Everyone should remain single as none of them deserves each other. Even though the drama is about the fashion industry, they don’t really dive right in. It’s a very superficial/peripheral attempt. If you don’t like business dramas, then this is a positive thing.

4/4 of the Drama - Thought I would be rewarded with a little happy romance, but no, happy times don’t even add up to 30 mins. The angst and annoyance I put up with throughout the drama, especially when it comes to romance, was not rewarded at all. And that ending, so many plot holes and everything could be resolved with a few honest conversations.

Characters:
I have a very hard time rooting for our 4 main characters. Yeong Gul appears fun and nice, but is scheming and will use you to advance and make money. Ga Young was spunky and stubborn in the first few episodes, but then she resorted to crying or sleeping all the time. Jae Hyuk is a chaebol man-child who is petty and somewhat naive, but also mean. Anna is a pitiful ex who’s trying to grasp onto something and not sink. If you like flawed characters who make questionable decisions with unclear intentions, then you would love them. For me, I am 70% frustrated and 30% entertained.

Romance:
The only somewhat consistent feelings in this drama are from Ga Young to Yeong Gul. She has liked him from the very beginning. But towards the end, I questioned if she also has some feelings for Jae Hyuk because she’s bad with boundaries. She might say NO (and sometimes says nothing), but her actions might say otherwise. Or maybe deep down she’s enjoying all the affection Jae Hyuk has for her. Jae Hyuk is like a high school boy who shows affection for his classmate by being mean to her. He would make sarcastic remarks all the time, then give you a smile and then run towards you to apologize and make nice. He does not know how to love properly. I couldn’t tell if he still had feelings for Anna in the earlier episodes. Was he unable to show or he’s just using her? I would have liked to believe that Anna did indeed love Jae Hyuk in the beginning. But how she was discarded like trash broke her and drove her towards Yeong Gul. But her affections for Yeong Gul are probably not 100% sincere. She needed a life jacket, and she found one in Yeong Gul. Yeong Gul, once recognizes his feelings, is the easiest to spot and the more cliche lover. He wants to give Ga Young everything he has, wants payback for those who mistreat her and wants to give her all the best. Yet, of course, he doesn’t use words. If he and Ga Young actually talk to each other, I would not be so frustrated.

Acting:
Yoo Ah In really keeps me in this drama. He’s just so charismatic and I can’t help but draw to him. He’s not the typical handsome type, but no matter what drama he’s in, he’s the center of the attention. I love his acting here. Amazingly, I found Lee Je Hoon paled in comparison to Yoo Ah In a little. Probably because his character is a little more pitiful. But his character also allows him to show much more range than the other 3 main leads. Visually, he does not have the swagger for a rich Director and he walks funny. Shin Sae Kyeong is so pretty and young. But she always has the same crying face. I am not sure if it’s the writing of the character or her acting, I get annoyed when she just stands there and not says anything, and acts all shy. Kwong Yu Ri is so beautiful. She really does give off the high class designer vibe, and the subtle bitchiness in the way she walks and talks.

Fashion:
When the drama is about fashion, they better have some good fashion. And I am having a grand type admiring Yeong Gul’s eclectic and loud style, and also nice tailored suits. As I said, Yoo Ah In looks sexy and dashing in this drama. The ladies also have beautiful outfits. I like Ga Young’s casual style and work outfits, and Anna’s more high-end fashion. But Jae Hyuk in the earlier episodes looks like he’s wearing a suit a size too big for him. I have to say, Lee Je Hoon ages well. He looks more handsome in his 30s than in his 20s.


Ending:
I was going to talk about the ending, but decided to keep this spoiler-free as there are many other reviews about this disappointment. Let’s just say it’s not that hard to locate someone, or give someone a call and not rely on regular postal service completely. Communication can solve a lot of problems.


Overall, this is an interesting watch. I am not sure if I will recommend this drama when there are much better ones out there. Maybe if you are a fan of Yoo Ah In and you miss him now that he’s blacklisted? In a way, the entertainment value to ‘hate-watch’ is quite high for me. I am tempted to rate this much lower just because everyone hates it. But subjectively, it’s a 7.25 and I’m rounding this up to 7.5 to boost the rating a little. Though the characters frustrate me and it’s hard for me as a romance lover to not feel rewarded, this drama is still entertaining in a way and keeps me focused pretty well.


Completed: 1/20/2024 - Review #397

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Short but Sweet - Captures the Fun and the Feels

I saw a few posts on the feeds praising “ BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen”, so I decided to check it out. I’m glad I did. It’s an adorable drama about unrequited love in the world of filming a BL. Japan is known for some of the cutest and fluffiest BL dramas, along with some quirky ones.

I really like being able to hear each male lead’s inner monologues. Oftentimes, you only get one perspective and maybe another perspective in the very last episode. These monologues greatly enhanced my viewing pleasure during both comedic and more emotional scenes. I also appreciate that both characters are pretty similar in personality. I was worried that Hajime is the typical naive, innocent and introverted character, and would be too shy to utter any word. Luckily, he was just starstruck in the beginning, and is able to actually hold a conversation like a normal person. Akafuji, on the other hand, is not the typical superstar but a crazy stan. I feel that because they have a pretty balanced personality, they are on equal footing in regards to their romance.

This drama special starts with a lot of comedic and typical Japanese over-the-top manga adaptation moments. But eventually it dives into the emotional side of each character. One of the reasons I really enjoy this special is because it has 2 of my favorite things - unrequited love + those mini heartaches, and the guessing of whether he likes me or not. Both of these elements give me all the feels I need and especially in a manga adaptation comedy.

The acting of the leads is good. There isn’t anyone annoying or super loud. I do find the suits too big on the guys and they look too old in these oversized suits. Does anyone find Hajime in glasses looks like Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter? LOL. Ok, maybe it’s just me.

This is a short 3-episode fun watch with a lot of laughs, a lot of feels and a lot of cuteness.


Completed: 1/14/2024 - Review #395

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Beautiful Drama of Romance, Family, Comedy and Healing. Brings me so much joy!!

Subjective Mood Rating: 9.0

“To the Moon and Back” is my last drama completed in 2023 and it’s a big surprise!! I was just browsing around trying to find a romance drama to end the year on a happy note, and stumbled upon this treasure. This is one of the very few Thai modern dramas that is not about fighting for inheritance or a company that I watched. Is this drama a masterpiece? Definitely not. But it brings me so much joy that emotionally, I just need to give this a high rating.

Main Romance:
Romance is what I was searching for and this doesn’t disappoint. This drama tells the story of opposites attract and it’s done so well. FL does take me a little to get used to since she’s so outgoing and talkative. ML is the quiet, reserved and repressed type. But they complement each other so well and bring out the best of each other. ML is patient and caring, while FL teaches him how to feel and understand his and others feelings. It does take them half a drama to be officially together but the cute scenes of them together starts from the very beginning. ML understands FL’s thoughts and actions (and clumsiness) so well, and FL is so in tuned with ML’s feelings. I love how she worried about his feelings after the surgery, when he tried to stay strong for her and didn’t say much. When he finally opened up and broke down, it pains me as well. I can’t help but smile whenever I see them together.

Auntie Grace
I am awarding FL’s dad the “Father/Mother of the Year” title. She experienced so much pain due to her sexual orientation but yet she taught FL to live with kindness. Auntie Grace raised a beautiful child and you can see that especially in the last ¼ of the drama and when FL has to face ML’s parents at the birthday party. The lessons taught in this drama by Auntie Grace should be taught to everyone. She also comforted ML and 2ML and allowed them room to breathe, to be themselves and to feel. I love Auntie Grace so much!!!

Family Relationships/Healing
A big part of the drama is spent on broken families and mending relationships. ML’s father is controlling and does not appreciate ML’s efforts. ML has been brought up not having a childhood and with feelings repressed. His mother is unable to support him and stand up for him. On the other hand, Auntie Grace’s father did not accept her new identity. There’s so much anger in me whenever I see these two fathers and how unreasonable they are. But of course, no one is a true villain. They both want what’s best for their child but are unable to communicate. FL is integral in mending both relationships and her persistent, kind and happy personality helps heal these relationships in the end. On the other hand, a smaller part of the drama is about 2ML and 2FL relationships with their families as well. No one comes from a ‘normal’ family.

Loving Non-traditional Family
They are loud, they are crazy and they are fun! That is FL’s family. A group of drag queens, transgendered and gay aunties that help raise FL. It does take me a little while to get used to how rowdy they are, but I love them! I love their fashion and always look forward to their outfits/costumes. I love all of their performances. I love how they always say they are “kind and pretty” because they truly are. They step in to help strangers, even those they might have a beef with at times.

Villains
Can’t really get away from evil parents in a Thai drama. They are not truly villains, but characters that have so much pain and jealousy in their hearts that they don’t know how to express them appropriately. Therefore, they cause our main leads a lot of pain and hassle. I hated seeing ML unable to fight back when he’s in front of his dad. I hate it when 2ML tries so hard but his mother just doesn’t get it. Do I find these villains irritating and want to punch them in their faces? Definitely. But I also know that they did not have a happy childhood or life. Luckily, FL’s family balances out the toxicity.


If you like Thai dramas, I definitely recommend “To The Moon and Back”. It is a great combo of romance + family + comedy + healing. In the end, it gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling. This is in no way a perfect drama, but it brings me so much joy.



Other Random Observations:
1. FL is said to be the “hippie” and “Bohemian” type, does that mean she doesn’t wash her hair??
2. I love ML trying to learn how to braid hair.
3. Two handsome male leads with 6-packs. LOL
4. There’s some useful, simple medical advice for the general public.5.
5. Didn’t like ML’s acting in the early episodes, but he grew on me.
6. Pacing is decent, maybe a tiny slow in the middle. But that’s also probably because I binged 13 episodes in one sitting. LOL



Completed: 12/31/2023 - Review #389 (First review of 2024 and I still can't keep it short and succinct.)

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Perfect for Romance Lovers - Light and fluffy drama with a few good kisses and natural hugs.

It’s hard not to compare “Exclusive Fairytale” to “When I Fly Towards You” since both dramas star the same main actress, Zhang Miao Yi, came out in 2023, and are both coming-of-age, high school to adulthood dramas. I think “Exclusive Fairytale” is a more rom-com-like drama with more (not a lot) adult jokes and content. “When I Fly Towards You” is more slice-of-life, sweet and pure teen drama. Both dramas have very sweet and green flag MLs , are very likable and low-stress, and are perfect for when you are looking for something light and sweet.

Main actress, Zhang Miao Yi, has a very similar role in both dramas, and she’s very good at it. It’s a talent to be able to play such a teenage character and not be annoyingly cute or naive. She’s perfect for the role. I really enjoy her dynamic with male lead, Ling Chao. They are childhood friends and have been together since they are little. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoy their bickering but caring friendship, to sweet and fluffy romance. However, I did find the transition from friends to lovers a little fast. I would have liked to see more of Ling Chao’s perspective during his year away from Xiao Tu, and how he really couldn’t wait for Xiao Tu to join him. Nevertheless, their chemistry is great with lots of kisses and skinship. For us romance lovers, we are blessed with some pretty good kissing and very natural hugging and hand holding.

It’s my first time watching Jun in a drama, and I have no idea who he is. Apparently he’s a Korean pop idol, but has quite an acting resume before he turned an idol. I find his acting a little stiff in the beginning for the drama, but he seems to have gradually relaxed and performed much better later on. I couldn’t tell, but was he the pop idol that Jiang Juan Juan chases? I can’t tell from the posters since I don’t follow Jun’s kpop life. I think Jun’s fans would be happy with his performance, and he looks quite handsome both as a teen and as an adult. Well, we also had a fan service shower scene and him acting ‘sexy’ (it was hilarious). Not sure if fans like how enthusiastic he was with his kisses. LOL

The secondary romance is lovely as well. These friends have enough screen time to tell their story but not too much that they take the spotlight away from the leads. Jiang Juan Juan is a typical secondary female lead in a teen drama. She’s the best friend that we all want in life. Jia Si Wen is the adorkable and nerdy student who falls for the outgoing girl. I quite like the portrayal of their romance and their challenges. I find the drama handles their relationship quite maturely and realistically compared to other secondary romance in a youth drama.

This is also a lovely drama with super adorable and supportive parents. Both sets of parents have been friends and want them to get together (except FL’s dad with some reservations). They reminded me of the family dynamic in “Go Ahead” of how close the two dads were in the drama, and how close the parents are in this drama. ML’s mom is more impatient and can’t help but try to teach Ling Chao how to pursue Xiao Tu. The rest of the supporting cast is lovely as well. We have a very sweet high school teacher who is smart enough to use jokes and sarcasm in communicating with the kids. The college dorm mates are fun and also don’t take up too much of the screen time. They are there to advance the plot. I appreciate the drama in not force-feeding us side romance plots in pairing up all the dorm mates with a love interest.

The pacing for this 24-episode drama is pretty good. However, at one point, I do wish the high school days would be over soon. Those days were OK but I wanted to move faster so that I can see how romance develops in college. We all know nothing can really happen in high school, and there aren’t enough ‘romantic’ scenes between the leads. There are only a few side glances from the male lead and not quite enough romantic undertones for me. Besides the usual high school stuff, this part of the drama is predictable.

I would recommend this drama if you are looking for something with no angst, no misunderstanding, sweet and fluffy with a decent amount of skinship. There aren’t any big plot twists but sometimes, you just need something comforting to watch. This is exactly the type of drama I need at this moment, and I have a very enjoyable time watching it.


Other Random Observations:
1. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a ML kneeled down, let FL sit on his knee while he wipes poop off her shoe!
2. I love the final high school montage with a quick reminder of the high school scenes. The monologue is a little cringey though.
3. The coordinates of the heart-shaped island is so cute and romantic. Reminds me of the math formula in “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”.
4. The flashback of ML’s “surgery” is unexpected in a youth drama and hilarious!
5. Was that the high school teachers and their kids watching the fireworks?



Completed: 9/23/2023 - Review #358

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A decent watch for a low budget web drama

“Love Class 2” is an impulse watch on Viki and I really didn’t have high expectations. I also did not watch the first season. I know this is a lower budget web drama with novice actors. So, I was pleasantly surprised that the acting is not half-bad and the drama is a little less cutesy than I imagined. The drama follows 3 couples and their romance stories.

Lee Hyun reunited with his former tutor and crush, Kim An in college. Kim An disappeared out-of-the-blue 2 years ago and Lee Hyun has been trying to find him. Their story is unexpected in a way that it was more serious and less fluffy than I thought. The reason why Kim An disappeared and his relationship with a ‘family’ member are interesting and developed well enough given this is a very short drama. The acting for these 3 aren’t bad, but I was quite disappointed in their kiss scenes. LOL. I guess because J-min/Lee Hyun is an idol?

Min Woo and Ma Roo are best friends, and Min Woo had a crush on this BFF for a very long time. Unrequited love is one of my favorite tropes, so I am happy to follow their journey. The story is simple and predictable, but not bad. Acting was only so-so for these two young actors. I find Ma Roo overacted and Min Woo underacted. They do make up for the amazing kiss scenes that were somewhat unexpected. I didn’t think shy Min Woo had it in him to give me that. ;)

Last but not the least, Joo Hyuk, college senior, fell in love with teaching assistant Sung Min, at first sight. Joo Hyuk is quite persistent and launched his courting attack on Sung Min quite early on in the drama. I was a little less invested in their story, compared to the other two. I didn’t think Sung Min, who is the oldest of all the characters, would appear to be the most inexperienced in love. I guess you can also call his confusion cute. But this older couple does not disappoint in the kissing and intimacy department. I am not going to say it’s not a little fan service during their intimate scenes, but nonetheless, I am glad to see Korean BLs are not as shy in that area (still not as provocative as Thai BL, but it’s an improvement).

The last episode is totally fan service and not necessary. They could have wrapped everything up in episode 9. Overall, for a low budget web drama, it’s pretty decent with acceptable acting from the young and inexperienced cast. Oh, the actual class is interesting and I bet it’s the most popular class on campus.


Completed: 9/10/2023 - Review #352

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Could have been good BUT ruined by poor editing, plot holes and illogical actions.

I didn't have high expectations when I first started watching “Miss Truth”. I was just in the mood. A female lead who loves to do autopsy? Sounds good! However, even with low expectations, I am greatly disappointed. The drama started out promising and had a fun first half. But then I don’t know what happened in the second half. The editing was horrible and there were so many illogical things happened. Was the drama slated for a lot longer and then got cut by censorship? Or just bad writing and editing?


Acting
This is female lead Zhou Jie Qiong’s first drama, and she did fine. I don’t find her character too annoying and she wasn’t too bad. Toby Lee probably wins the prize for acting in this drama, and he wasn’t exceptional either. His face and expressions look funny when he’s supposed to be angry. But I enjoy his bantering with the female lead. Unfortunately, Tim Pei is the most disappointing for me. I understand he’s a cold assassin, but he’s completely emotionless throughout the drama. He did not improve at all! Even when he’s faced with the love of his life, he still has dead and bored eyes. The rest of the supporting cast isn’t too good either, and that includes some of the veterans. The minor roles are the worst and watching them act is difficult. The thing that bugs me the most is there’s no subtle acting. You get that “wink wink” acting with the eyes to convey to the audience openly what is going to happen. There are too many occasions like that and I blame the director for it.

Romance
I initially really enjoyed the bantering between Ran Yan (FL) and Xiao (Song). It’s a lot of fun watching them argue and solve crimes together. Su Fu as the second male lead is also the type of character I like. In another drama, Su Fu could be the main lead. Both Xiao Song and Su Fu love noble idiocy and also show their love by doing a lot of things behind-the-scenes for Ran Yan. However, this love triangle lasted way too long and I was tired of it. I just want Ran Yan to decisively pick one guy and stick with it. But misunderstandings and noble idiocy take center stage in the romance department and the chemistry between the three of them disappears. There aren’t enough sweet and cute scenes, and the sad/heartbreaking scenes do not move me. For a romance junkie like me, romance really disappoints me.

Crime Investigations
The autopsies and investigations are my favorite parts. I am sure what Ran Yan said during the autopsies are not 100% true, but these are some fun scenes. The mysteries are interesting and they are all tied to the big mystery and plot about the pearl and treasures. Execution is the problem. If you are worried about dead bodies and gore, the drama doesn’t really show the details of the autopsies.

Plot Holes/Editing
As I mentioned, the second half is just weird. Scenes seemed to have been edited out. I was expecting the drama to show me what will happen next, but instead I was shown the result. There are so many illogical things that happened and many plot holes.
* A spoiled brat villain knew acupuncture? No way she could learn that in record time and all the characters let her poke needles on someone who everyone cares for.
* It seems like a commoner can go in and out of the palace with no problem. Oh, you can even argue with the King and consequences are an afterthought.
* A man can also enter a princess bedroom in the middle of the night, question her about a crime and can walk out unscathed. * The princess barely scolded him and left the room after being confronted.
* With the three intelligent leads gather together, no one thought of preventing assassins/culprits from committing suicide in front of them when so many of them died in front of them?
* The ending of the two leads - can they really see each other like that?

Production Quality
This appears to be a low budget production. It might not bother many viewers, but it bothered me that I see cheap clothing that is oversized and looks super heavy, draped on the actors' and actresses’ tiny bodies. The accessories, sets and ornaments all look very cheap. This has to be one of the sparsely- and cheaply-decorated palaces I’ve seen in a Chinese drama. While I appreciate actors using their own voices, the post production dubbing is inconsistent. There are times I wonder if what I heard is the actor’s internal monologue, or the audio/lines spoken and the lips are not matching.


I would not recommend this drama, unfortunately. Maybe it’s just me as I had a very hard time finishing it and it failed to hold my attention throughout the 36 episodes. The drama did have closure but also left it open for another season. The drama was shot in late 2018 and aired in 2020. As of this review in 2023, season 2 is nowhere in sight.


Completed: 8/6/2023 - Review #338

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Watch if you are a fan of the Leads and their Chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

Bringing back the team from “Mysterious Love”, hot male lead Tsao Yu Ning, female lead Yilla Yu and second male lead Wu Hao Ze joined forces in “Love of Replica”. This drama was listed as a sequel to “Mysterious Love” but you can treat this as its own entity. My review does do some comparison between the two dramas.

The similarities of the two dramas:
1. Tsao Yu Ning is as sexy and hot as ever. You can’t deny those muscles and abs.
2. Tsao Yu Ning plays the role of a bodyguard in both dramas.
3. Yilla Yu and Tsao Yu Ning continue to have great chemistry and good kisses.
4. I am still not a fan of the secondary romance, but this is at least better than the annoying one in “Mysterious Love”.

For a 16-episode drama, it is weird for me to say that I find the pace slow in the middle and I got a little bored. The mystery does not hold my attention and there aren't enough action scenes. I actually find the plot in “Mysterious Love” a lot more engaging. A few weird plot holes and I don’t really buy the reason for Xu Xi Xi’s deteriorated health. I find the ‘thriller’ part very questionable and laughable (?).

I also dislike all the slow-motion romantic scenes. They become annoying fast. There are also quite a few flashbacks that I don’t need to be reminded of so frequently. This might also be because I was binge-watching, so it might not affect everyone. The romance also seems a little cheesier and less mature than “Mysterious Love”.

On a positive note, the acting is not bad. You can tell apart when FL is Xu Xi Xi and An Yue, and that is a credit to Yilla Yu’s acting. Tsao Yu Ning also improved in his acting. He was a little more wooden in “Mysterious Love” but is able to express more subtle emotions here. His character also is a little friendlier and smiles more, compared to the former role. I like all the supporting cast, and find the two secondary male leads and secondary female lead likable as well. No one really irritates me in this drama.

The biggest selling point of “Love of Replica” is the chemistry between the leads. I wouldn’t call it smoking hot, but pretty good. I’m glad the kisses are back with a couple sexier scenes. However, I think the scenes and the vibe in “Mysterious Love” might be sexier.

I think both dramas share the same OST, or at least some of the songs. I like the rich and modern outfits that the female leads wear. No more oversized jackets and sweatshirts wherever they go.

Since this is a short drama, if you have time to kill and like the leads, this might be worth a watch. However, if you are looking for a well-written thriller romance, there are better options out there.


Completed: 5/16/2023 - Review #307

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Watch if you are a fan of the actors or if you love Ex-es who won't take No for an answer!

Subjective Rating: 7.75

I read the comments and the reviews, and I am prepared for the battle of annoying ex-es. But even with such expectations, I am still amazed at how much “Dinner Mate” focuses on these two second leads. But for the sexy Song Seung Hun (who I was obsessed with in “Obsessed”), I am willing to continue watching this drama. He’s the main reason why I am even giving this drama a shot.

The tone of the drama in the first ⅓ is quite light and fun. When the deeper issues are finally revealed, the drama becomes a lot more melodramatic. The lightness did not return until the last two episodes.

I quite like the general plot of having a dinner mate. Someone you don’t know personally, sharing and enjoying a meal together without any worry or embarrassment. I think the chemistry between the leads is best during their friendly dinner mate relationship. I wanted to see more of their dinners, their conversations and support for each other. I also enjoy the part when their identities are finally revealed and they are in this awkward but attracted-to-each-other phase. But once they are in a relationship, their relationship isn’t as fun. I think mainly because I feel that Kim Hae Kyung (ML) puts in a lot more effort in the relationship than Woo Do Hee (FL). In the beginning, I really liked Do Hee and found her to be a fun female lead. But she seems to have changed to be a different person in the second half. A quieter, gloomier person that’s not giving me the same energy as Hae Kyung. For Hae Kyung, he was the opposite. He was a man of few words, then he became more outgoing and outspoken. The dynamic between them seems to have switched. I also wanted more PDA and skinship from them. Hae Kyung tried but Do Hee wasn’t giving much, and I was a little surprised. She’s been in two long-term relationships before and she doesn’t seem like a shy woman, but why isn’t she kissing as enthusiastically as Hae Kyung? Also, I appreciate them both being true to themselves and never wavered when their exes came back, but they really need to set some boundaries, esp. physical boundaries.

Let’s talk about the exes. The drama really is not giving viewers a chance to even like Jung Jae Hyuk (2ML) and Jin Noh Eul (2FL). They have the audacity to dump someone out of the blue and then come back to DEMAND to get back with their exes? That’s not a good introduction of these characters. Both of them wouldn’t take NO for an answer and continue to be annoying up until the last couple episodes. If you don’t like love triangle/square with this type of irritating exes, it’s best not to watch this drama. In the second half, it seems like Jae Hyuk has more scenes than the main characters. He dominated ¼ of the drama when we find out his backstory, history, and challenges and road to recovery. Props to actor Lee Ji Hoon for making me feel sad, angry, irritated, pitiful and then rooting for him in the end to be healed.

I initially found the little love story of the older couple quite cute. Then, it dragged on for so long and got too cringey for me. I actually would have liked to see them break up sooner, and then give them a little extra more time in the last episode or two.

Oh, we also have a “Crash Landing On You” sighting!. It’s lovely to see Seo Ji Hye had a brief reunion with Goo Seung Jun. Did you see the other CLOY reference during the meditation scene?

I actually quite like the food + psychiatry theme and enjoy those therapy scenes more than the B-class podcasts. I enjoy the few songs in this drama but also feel that they are too overplayed. For a drama named “Dinner Mate”, I don’t think there are enough delicious food scenes!

Overall, I would recommend this drama if you are a fan of the actors/actresses, or enjoy watching ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends come back and cause havoc.


Completed: 5/4/2023 - Review #304

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A Worthy sequel but didn't top the first movie for me

When I finished watching the prequel about 6 months ago, I was immediately jumping up and down in excitement. I rated the first movie a 9.0 (which is high for me). Coming into "Brotherhood of Blades 2", I had high expectations but I didn't end up jumping up and down in excitement.

Acting continues to be stella and its strength. The cast is full of veterans. I was mesmerized with Chang Chen in the prequel, and he continues to deliver in the sequel. He took center stage in this movie, surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast. I enjoy the introduction of the character Pei Lun, played by the excellent Lei Jia Yin. His frenemies relationship with Chang Chen's character is a joy to watch. I would have loved to see more scenes between Shen Lian (ML) and Lu Wen Zhao. The introduction of two female characters, Yang Mi's painter Bei Zhai and Xin Zhi Lei's assassin Ding Bai Yi, makes sense to the plot and they are not there just because we need a female presence.

Although there's a tiny romance element to the movie, it's very subtle and lovely. It adds another side to Shen Lian's character without making him go all lovey-dovey and becomes a different person.

I love the hard-hitting, gritty fight scenes. You can see the dedication all the actors put in. There's no flailing, twirling, flying here and there or just standing there to wait for someone to attack you. Each fight scene is choreographed well and each hit is impactful.

However, compared to the first movie, I find the story a little more confusing. There isn't enough time to explain more about the political maneuver behind the scenes, when the majority of the time is spent on Shen Lian trying to run away. Viewers have to really pay attention as a sentence spoken could be the answer to your confusion. I want to know more about Bei Zhai's drawings and their role in the rebellion. What's the backstory between Bei Zhai and the main person behind-the-scene? A 2-hour movie is not enough to answer all my questions. Maybe a drama would do! Oh wait.. there's a drama version now in "Pledge of Allegiance".


Completed: 4/30/2023 - Review #303

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Communication is still lacking - but sweeter than the parent/main story

Note: You should watch the original drama first before watching this spin-off. This one is full of spoilers of the parent story. If you watch this on Viki they mixed the original and the spin-offs together. Spin-off episodes are #5, 7, 9, 11


The spin-off focuses on the story between Deno and Nao during that 4-year separation between the other couple. Narita and Ishi did make some appearances in this spin-off, but they just exist as side characters to help tell Deno and Nao's stories.

Deno is such a mature, caring, and kind person that throughout the drama, I keep on wishing him a super happy ending. Due to their own circumstances, Deno and Nao are unable to open up to each other and communicate their feelings and thoughts openly. This lack of communication is a lot less frustrating than watching Narita and Ishi in the main drama. Although most of their interactions are only limited to staying at the apartment having sex and eating, everything feels so sweet and gentle. This spin-off has a much different tone than the parent story. At the end, I truly wish they could resolve whatever situation they are in and live happily ever after.

This spin-off could easily be a lot longer and tell a richer love story. 4 short episodes are not enough but good enough for fans of Furukawa Yuki.


Completed: 3/18/2023

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Simple and cute office romance

I am quite surprised that this drama is only getting a MDL rating of 7.5 at the time of this review. I've seen other BL dramas with worse quality and worse acting that got close to an 8.0. "The New Employee" is nothing extraordinary, but its simple ordinariness is what makes this drama charming.

This is a cute office BL romance about two adults meeting, falling in love and supporting each other at work. I would have loved to see more of how and why they fall for each other, as it does happen a little too quickly. I guess that is to be expected as it's only 7 episodes long. The leads have good chemistry and they are quite cute together. We got some decent kisses, though no steamy bed scenes (maybe that's why the rating is low?). There isn't any annoying character, as almost all co-workers are pretty supportive and nice, with a minor plot of some office politics and picking on new interns.

Even though the romance is sweet, I do wish the new intern makes better decisions. It's his first love but some of his actions of avoidance and the reason for the first big fight are quite immature for a 30-year old man. Luckily, Kim Jong Chang is a bigger person who actually apologizes first. I actually don't think he should but the intern should be the one to apologize for making a big deal out of a simple situation that could be resolved by speaking up.

Nevertheless, this is a simple and easy watch. I recommend this if you are looking for a non-school setting BL drama.

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Glad to learn more about the Unsung Heroes at a hospital

“Radiation House” is a heartwarming drama about the behind-the-scenes heroes at a hospital, radiation technicians and radiologists. This is the only drama that I know of that focuses on these unsung heroes, and the reason I watch this drama.

The drama follows the journey of genius doctor and radiation technician, Igarashi Iori (ML). I do find his reason to insist on being a technician a little unrealistic and childish. This also sets the tone of this medical drama. The focus is on the growth of the characters, sparked by the unconventional ways of ML and the desire to save lives through scans and tests. “Radiation House” is not a serious drama about patients, diagnosis and treatments. However, it is really interesting to see the important role of the radiology department and the importance of taking good photographs and scans.

The medical cases are episodic and we also get to know each character one episode at a time. I usually lose interest in this type of format, but it didn’t happen for me with this drama. Some cases are more interesting than others, but none of them is a true tear jerker. They are more heartwarming, except maybe the case of the boy who played baseball with his little brother. I did shed a few tears because the whole situation is just tragic. I also feel that this drama serves as a public service announcement as well. The team really did not encounter too many anxiety-inducing challenges. In fact, everything gets resolved pretty easily due to the genius ML.

Since this is an adaptation from a manga, a few of the characters could be perceived as over-the-top. Took me a little while to warm up to both male and female leads. But there really isn’t anyone too annoying. The Hospital Director and her weird teas are funny and she seems to be a walking product placement for the show.

Romance is almost non-existent. So, don’t go expecting even a slow burn romance (maybe in season 2).



Completed: 1/15/2023

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Amazing Leads Chemistry & Friends-to-Lovers, but disappointing formulaic ending

Subjective Rating - 8.75 rounding up to 9.0 because I love the leads so much.
Objective Rating - 8.0-8.5

It’s really unfortunate that “My Calorie Boy” does not have a better title, otherwise, it would be a lot more popular. I actually hesitated to watch it due to the title, but decided to check it out because of Zhai Zi Lu, who plays the main lead. This drama has the best friends-to-lovers plotline I’ve seen in a teen drama, or any drama.

What I Like:

1. Friends-to-Lovers: This is a very common and popular trope in high school dramas. What’s different in “My Calorie Boy” is that we have two main characters with very similar personalities and you can totally see them as best friends. They are both helpful, friendly, cheerful, sarcastic and funny. Oftentimes, in high school dramas, you would get a cold, genius lead matched with an overly positive and optimistic lead, or a tomboy. Kang Jia Wei (ML) and Xu Jing Jing (FL) might have started their friendship due to a misfortunate event, but we do not have dragged out misunderstanding. They actually become fast friends and help each other out. Their feelings developed slowly and realistically.

2. Main leads chemistry: They are just so fun to watch and I love every scene they are in. Zhai Zi Lu and Dai Lu Wa are so well casted in this drama. I love their bickering but also how honest they are with each other. They might not always agree with each other, and might say some hurtful words when angry. However, they are not afraid to apologize. They really have a very healthy relationship for 99% of the drama. I love the little things that they do for each other, with feelings that couldn’t be verbalized. I love some of the jealous moments, too. They are cute and not over-the-top.

3. Zhai Zi Lu/Kang Jia Wei - I finished watching Zhai Zi Lu in the historical drama “Lost Track of Time” not too long, and was really not very impressed with his acting. His character in that drama is a walking green flag, but his acting was too subdued. I am glad to see him in this drama. His acting is so much better. He is more animated in many of the fun scenes, yet he also did extremely well in the emotional scenes in the last third of the drama. His loving gazes and knowing smiles at FL melt my heart. His character, Kang Jia Wei, is almost a 100% walking green flag except for the last few episodes. What a shame. I love that though he is overweight, he does not have low self-esteem, and has such a friendly and outgoing personality.

4. Dai Lu Wa/Xu Jing Jing - Dai Lu Wa is fun to watch. Her character, Xu Jing Jing, is easy to root for. She’s friendly, helpful and caring. She is smart and independent, and honest with her feelings. She is so adorable! Her Taekwondo moves might not be very convincing, but I appreciate seeing an actress who plays an athlete that is not so skinny. DLW’s acting has come a long way since I first saw her in “Cross Fire”. Her character reminds me of her other role in “Love Crossed”.

5. Acting - The acting overall in this drama is pretty good. There are a couple weak links, e.g. the PE teacher. But overall, the main supporting cast remind me of high school students, and not adults pretending to be students.

6. Supporting Cast - We have a very lovable supporting cast with great friendship. There might be a third wheel here and there, but no one is annoying. The second male lead is awkwardly cute. I am glad he is not the usual cold/arrogant 2ML. He’s just…mm.. Not good with anything other than his studies and his interests. But when he finally recognizes his feelings, he becomes really adorkable. 2FL might have a storyline that’s quite typical and predictable in a way. But I am glad she’s not an evil, jealous, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer 2FL. The other minor supporting characters have their own small plotlines but do not take away too much time from the main leads.

7. FL’s parents and ML’s father - Love them!!!! So great to see supportive parents. FL’s parents are hilarious. We can see where FL gets her personality. ML’s father is less crazy but still very understanding and supportive. I enjoy watching him give advice to ML, especially the cryptic conversation they have about love

8. Actors own voices - I believe everyone was using their own voices in this drama. I also enjoy hearing a lot of live recording, instead of post production dubbing. This is especially true for many of the main lead’s scenes, especially the emotional ones.


What I have Mixed Feelings and Don’t Like:

1. Last 5 episodes of the drama - When FL was asked to keep a certain secret, I knew where this was going and was dreading it. The uniqueness of this drama goes down the drain when I could see from a mile away how and when the leads might get together in the last episodes. It’s very unfortunate that the ending is so formulaic, just like many other high school dramas. The editing also seems off. The transition from scene to scene was rough, and it seems like some scenes were cut out. Is it due to censorship or budget constraints? I am not sure.

2. Always that one parent - You know, the one that forces their dreams on their children? Yes, we have one of those parents here. The one that complains about how much they sacrifice for their children’s education/future and won’t let their children follow their dreams? Yes, we have one of those parents here.

3. Lack of fluffiness - Well, as much as I love the leads and their chemistry, from a romance standpoint, “My Calorie Boy” is lacking romance and fluffiness. I wish the ending episode was not so rushed and gives us more romantic scenes. Unfortunately, this follows the script of many other similar dramas. These dramas only give us a few minutes of happiness in the end.

Overall, if you are interested in a high school drama with good acting and amazing leads chemistry, I strongly recommend this. The first ⅔ of the drama is excellent. I do wish there are more teen dramas that are not so focused on exams (aside from “Summer Again” which I strongly recommend).

Other Random Observations:
1. No Taekwondo gear and protection when FL and 2ML are fighting??
2. Best product placement - Integrated frozen meals into the plot lines of FL’s mom bad cooking and ML’s need for food.
3. The fat suit is quite believable
4. Weight Loss is a difficult plot to please watchers. I think it did OK here.



Completed: 1/4/2023

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