30
139
6
1
1
4
1
4
3
2
5
1
1
1
1
3
4
5
A rollercoaster ride of emotions brought to you by excellent acting
“What Comes after Love” tells a simple story of young and innocent love, going through the challenges of everyday life, and coming to the realization that only love is just not enough. These young lovers reunited 5 years after their breakup. The drama tells their love story through flashbacks to the past and present, and is narrated from both leads’ perspectives. There’s an added colorful touch with regards to cultural differences between Japan and South Korea.After the series ended, I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not. There are so many frustrating moments where I want to strangle the leads because of the lack of communication and the lack of action. Towards the end, I did feel the interactions between the leads become somewhat repetitive but not to the extent that I dislike the drama. I just want them to speak up or do something!
However, I cannot deny the fact that I love this romance from innocent puppy love, to regrets and pain. Their smiles, laughter and passionate love for each other is so contagious. On the flip side, the longing, pain, depression, loneliness and regret break my heart. But none of the emotional rollercoaster could have happened if not for the excellent acting from Lee Se Young and Sakaguchi Kentaro.
Both actors are perfectly casted. I am not sure how Lee Se Young’s Japanese sounds to a native speaker, but it sounded perfect to me. This might be one of her best roles yet. Kentaro has this dorky and shy charm. He conveyed the unspoken words through microexpressions on his face and his eyes. His character is a man of few words and Lee Se Young has very few lines in the last couple episodes too. Yet, I feel every emotion that they’re trying to convey.
If you like a melodrama of lovers reconnected after a difficult breakup, I would recommend “What Comes After Love” for you. The cinematography, music and the use of literature complemented the plot and the acting so well.
Completed: 11/5/2024 - Review #509
Was this review helpful to you?
An easy slow-paced watch with repetitive flashbacks and a decent OST.
I seriously went into this without expectations at all. I am not sure what attracted me to watch this, maybe because it was a Taiwanese BL and I mostly have a decent time watching them. Then I realized “First Note of Love” is actually a Taiwanese/Thai co-production and that was interesting.One reviewer commented that this should have been watched as a movie or binged. I agree because if I had to wait weekly for 1 episode, I would have given up. The pacing of the drama is slow and full of repetitive flashbacks. If I watched this weekly, I would complain I wasted 30 mins on basically only 15 minutes of substance. But since I binged it, the flashbacks got to me. Additionally, one song was played on repeat for half of the drama. Even though I like the song, I was getting sick and tired of it.
Having said all that, I have a generally good time watching “First Note of Love”. I like the acting, the story of healing and getting over a loss/trauma, and I was looking forward to a great comeback performance. The comeback performance was fun, but definitely not the grand finale I was expecting. The romance is sweet and angst-free, but I think Neil falls in love with Sea a little too quickly. I found the secondary couple really cute and want to know more about them. The use of both Thai and Chinese is better than I thought and I actually look forward to their conversations to see what language they will be using. We got some pretty good kisses but I wish the supposedly sexy scene was shot better and more passionately, and not in slow motion with filters of forced-romantic lighting.
The ending is not super impactful and the professional decisions made of their future is a little head-scratchingly vague. Objectively, this should probably be rated at 7.5 but the personal enjoyment factor is at an 8.0.
Completed: 11/2/2024 - Review #507
Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting concept but Poor execution and super slow pace
Well, this is certainly interesting. “On Cloud Nine” has almost all rave reviews yet the MDL rating is only 7.0. Am I the problem that doesn’t quite connect with the drama and align with the reviewers? Maybe, maybe not.10 minutes into Episode 1, I wonder why this guy in white is so annoying, creepy and stalkerish. Just leave the tourist alone and let him enjoy his sightseeing! Of course, I know there’s more to it, so I persisted and finished the episode. But the pace is soooooo slow and there are such long pauses in between dialogs that I almost gave up. Since this is such a short drama, I figure I can endure the slow pacing.
The slowness never goes away and I had to speed it up to 1.25x and 1.5x.. But the story did get more interesting and I am a little less confused as the drama goes on. The characters don’t seem to do much, nor are they engaged in meaningful conversations. Is this soothing or boring? Eventually, I realized what it’s all about and did think the concept is quite interesting and unique. Unfortunately, the execution is confusing and poor.
The acting of the two main leads is decent. The chemistry is quite good, and there are a few times I said to myself, “Just kiss already!!”. “On Cloud Nine” does a nice job in showing the beautiful sceneries of Chiang Mai. But at times, the scenic shots also feel slow and edited in a way that takes you out of the story.
Unfortunately for me, I cannot recommend this short drama. it’s too slow and confusing, and I did not enjoy it that much. I want to support small production companies who are putting out work for the masses. Thus, I am rating this a 6.5 and not lower. Sorry, fans! Please don’t come at me!
Completed: 9/12/2024 - Review #484
Was this review helpful to you?
Unlikeable Female Lead makes it hard for me to enjoy
Subjective Gut Rating: 6.75“Valid Love” marks the final least favorite drama I watch for the Clown Challenge of 2024. This is not a horrible watch, but it’s definitely not a fun one. It’s not easy for me to like a 10-year old drama because older Korean dramas usually have loud and irritating characters. “Valid Love” is not an exception.
What I Like:
1. Lee Soo Hyuk/Kim Jun (2ML)
Thank goodness for the handsome Lee Soo Hyuk to keep me going. He’s so young and adorable, and is perfect for the role of Kim Jun. I think Kim Jun is too good for our female lead, Kim Il Ri. Halfway through the drama, I do not want him to end up with Il Ri at all. He was introduced as a cool, lonely and talented carpenter. I enjoy watching him working with his hands and scenes in his workshop. After being alone for so many years, he fell hard and fast for Il Ri, and is a little lovesick puppy for most of the drama. Yes, he was quite clingy, persistent and impulsive, acting on his feelings without thinking things through. The only things he did wrong in this drama is falling in love with a married woman, acting on his feelings and holding on to her for way too long. He deserves so much more! Lee Soo Hyuk plays the role perfectly.
2. Jang Hee Soo
What a creative way to incorporate a paralyzed character in this drama. I love that her personality continues to shine through her conversations with Il Ri. I love her conversations with Il Ri, as if they were soulmates. Having her out of her pajamas into different outfits dancing, eating, exploring the world, is also a fun way to inject some humor into this drama.
What I have Mixed Feelings or Dislike:
1. Kim Il Ri (FL)
I really do not like Il Ri and since the drama revolves around her, this makes it hard for me to like the drama. She was annoying and loud as a teenager. I will ignore the fact that she fell in love with a teacher, since most teens have crushes on their teachers. But when she's a 31-year old woman, she is still acting the same way. I disliked her when she first met Kim Jun and was his painter. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and barge into his life. I will also ignore the fact that she’s a cheater for this review. But the lack of attention and mixed signals she gives to Kim Jun piss me off. She’s selfish and greedy, and flip flops so much and I am not surprised Kim Jun asked her what he is to her. Did I feel bad for her during those 7 years of marriage as a slave daughter-in-law? Yes. But she can’t have the cake and eat it too! Wanting romance from a hot guy who dotes on you, and wanting to maintain the status quo are not compatible.
2. Side Characters
There are way too many secondary characters in this drama and I think this is due to the fact that it’s an older drama. I cannot stand ML’s parents, his brother, FL’s best friend and ML’s male co-worker. FL’s sister and ML’s first love are a little better.
3. Secondary romance
I fast-forwarded most of the scenes involving FL’s sister and ML’s brother. Their romance is childish and repetitive. Their scenes could have been cut, so reduce the number of episodes.
Violence
Not violence as in a crime drama, but there’s a lot of hitting, slapping, pushing and wrist grabbing in this drama. Again, it’s probably because this is an older drama, and beating up your family members is no big deal and also accepted.
4. Jang Hae Tae (ML)
I do not really dislike him, except for the fact that he can’t control himself and does not set boundaries when he’s a teacher. Additionally, Hee Tae is quite a bland character for most of the drama. He’s a good man. But he’s a boring man that takes his wife for granted for 7 long years. That doesn’t justify FL’s cheating, but it explains why it was so hard for Il Ri to resist a young hot guy who gives her all the attention in the world. I do believe he has always loved Il Ri but maybe more like a family member, instead of a lover.
Unfortunately, I have to break out the 2x zoom button for half of the drama. 20 episodes are just too long, with a lot of repetitive dialogs and circumstances. Even though the acting is not bad, I just don’t like Kim Il Ri (FL) and Jang Hee Tae (ML), I would not recommend “Valid Love” unless you want to see a younger, adorable and still very hot Lee Soo Hyuk. Of course, this is very subjective since I am not a fan of older dramas.
Completed: 8/11/2024 - Review #470
Was this review helpful to you?
Decent acting and great leads chemistry, but lost steam in the 2nd half.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75I don’t remember how I came across “Dear Mr Hermitage” as it’s definitely not a popular one and the leads are not played by idol actors. I think we can classify this drama as a romantic comedy with a side of business.
I actually really liked the first half of the drama and thought I might rate this an 8.0.. The acting is pretty good for a cast full of experienced but not super popular actors. Tang Min plays the female lead, Su Shi Yu. I’ve seen her previously in “Chef Hua” (I really like) and “General’s Lady” (I dropped this one). Her acting here is pretty good as a go-getter, straightforward, kind and independent woman. I didn’t quite like her shenanigans in the first couple episodes, but she grew on me. Apparently, I’ve seen Chen Jing Ke, playing the male lead Lin Wei, recently in “Amidst a Snowstorm of Love” but I don’t remember or recognize him. Maybe it’s the short hair. I have to say, I am quite impressed in his portrayal of the cool, calm and monk-like Lin Wei. I wasn’t sure if he would pull it off and just looks emotionless and bland. However, he actually was quite expressive with his eyes and micro-expressions.
Because both Tang Min and Chen Jing Ke did pretty well and have great chemistry, their romance is the favorite part of the drama. They started as strangers, with FL annoying ML to no end, then becoming frenemies, friends and lovers. The pacing of their romantic journey is good, and both characters are mature, honest and communicative. That makes it easy to root for their success, despite a couple of admirers.
Unfortunately, the secondary and tertiary romances are a little lacking. I am glad that the secondary leads are not annoying but pretty good people. So, no need to worry about evil characters trying to sabotage the main romance. But their romance is not developed very well. Bai Ruan’s romance is even more lacking. I think her story could have been interesting as she has an interesting dynamic with her man,, but not enough time is given. Instead too much focus is on the business side of things.
In the first half of the show, I was fine with the tea business and Lin Wei’s determination to grow this special tea. The villagers are decent people and not too irritating (annoying villagers and towns folks are my pet peeves). In fact, they are kinda cute in a way, meddling in the leads business but also very supportive.
However, in the second half, the business plotlines become boring. The tea business was forgotten for a while, and then picked back up in the end to integrate with FL’s vlogging. It really doesn’t seem very realistic for FL to move her business to the small town. There are some minor plotholes that don’t necessarily affect the big scheme of things, but they just seem unrealistic and too easy to create ‘drama’. The downfall of ML due to the villain's evil plan seems too easy and not written well. The family animosity was so secretive for too long. I would have liked to know why ML’s uncle is so angry and putting the blame on ML. Once that was revealed, the resolution came too quickly and easily.
Ultimately, the drama lost its steam in the second half after a pretty good start. I don’t think I will recommend this drama unless you are fans of the actors. It is an easy watch and I do like the main romance quite a bit, and it’s essential to the whole drama. But don’t watch this for the business part of the plot.
Completed: 6/12/2024 - Review #451
Was this review helpful to you?
Samdalri is very welcoming! Great chemistry with a predictable but still interesting plot.
Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25I think I enjoyed “Welcome to Samdral-ri” a little bit more than I expected. There are a few things that usually give me pause when I watch a drama about moving back to a village/small town/rural area, and then learn to live or re-acquaint with a different lifestyle. Oftentimes, there are a bunch of loud, nosy, annoying villagers/town folks that irritate me to no end. Or, the plot is so slice-of-life that I need something to happen. Afterall, I prefer a plot-driven drama rather than a character-driven drama.
Luckily, aside from one somewhat nosy auntie, everyone is lovely. Even this auntie isn’t too bad, just a little annoying with her high-pitched voice. Everyone in Samdalri is really welcoming, friendly and caring. Moreover, “Welcome to Samdal-ri” is not very slice-of-life and the pace isn’t that slow. There are actually many side plots, in addition to the main plot of FL’s career downfall and moving back home. These are the two main reasons why I enjoy this drama more than I thought.
Despite being more plot-driven than other similar dramas, there are times when I do feel that the drama could have spent more time on the side characters, instead of the main leads. FL’s career and the main romance are important, but towards the second half of the drama, I just wish the leads would have opened up to each other sooner, or get back together sooner. I actually want to see more of the two sisters’ romances and backstories, and also more of the friendship between FL’s mother and ML’s mother. There’s a lot of potential here in keeping the drama interesting by sharing the spotlight with other interesting characters.
The acting is great all-around. Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun did not disappoint. JCW could be a hit or miss. I enjoyed his acting here more than in “If You Wish Upon Me”. SHS is just a goddess. She can slide into any role and become that character. The two of them have amazing chemistry. I have to say, I am a little disappointed with the kisses, given how experienced they both are in that area. LOL. The supporting cast is just as strong. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I really enjoy the acting of our beloved ahjumma, Kim Mi Kyung (FL’s mother) and also Yoo Oh Sung (ML’s father). The two of them broke my heart with the storyline about ML’s m other. Oh, and I discovered Kim Min Chul. He’s adorable as the dolphin guy.
Overall, I really enjoy “Welcome to Samdal-ri”. It’s not perfect but it’s worth a watch even if it lost my interest for a little bit. The plot is quite predictable but maybe that’s what you are looking for if you want something easy and light.
Completed: 3/24/2024 - Review #420
Was this review helpful to you?
LOVE the first half, but slowly fizzles out........Still a lovely drama!
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25What a lovely Thai adaptation of the manga, and it has big shoes to fill after the beloved Japanese adaptation. I saw the Japanese drama a few years ago, and honestly, I don’t remember much. The only thing I remember was how awkward and shy Adachi was.
The early episodes of “Cherry Magic” gave me very positive vibes. It feels very Japanese and very Thai at the same time. I was in love with the first half of the drama. I love Achi more than Japanese Adachi. Achi is shy and introverted but not overly, and definitely, not as awkward as Adachi. Achi actually feels like a normal person. Karan is just as lovely as his Japanese counterpart. He’s a total Mr. Green Flag. But I do find Machida Keita more handsome and I like the more confident version of his character. Karan is sweeter, softer, more sensitive and more smitten.
The sweet, shy and adorable scenes of Karan and Achi in the first half of the drama before they officially got together was so good that I thought I might rate this a 9.0, if it continues on. I cried my eyes out during Karan’s confession scene by the boat, and the subsequent episode telling us all that he’s done for Achi behind-the-scene. My heart hurts for Karan.
Unfortunately, once the leads officially got together, the cringe started. The Japanese vibe slowly disappears and it’s all Thai cringe of sweet nothings. In a way, Karan is very cute but just a little too much for my taste. He’s just too smitten with Achi! I like the more mature and a little shyer version of Karan in the first half.
All the supporting characters are lovely and they don’t take away from the main leads. I find Rock more likable than the Japanese Rokkaku Yuta. Pai is a kickass female character and I love her shipping the leads and being the voice of reason. Min and Jinta are fine but not amazing. In the end, I somewhat lost interest in the idol storyline, the romance between Jinta and Min, and even the romance between Rock and Pai. I feel that these minor plots are not written well and not developed evenly throughout the drama.
Although the ending is lovely and more complete than the Japanese version, it felt rushed to me. A lot happened in the last episode but everything resolves and ends without much hassle.
In the end, I do recommend this lovely drama and I had an enjoyable time. I was hoping I would love this from start to finish, but that didn’t happen. At least we got good kisses and great chemistry!
Completed: 3/21/2024 - Review #419
Was this review helpful to you?
Unsatisfying execution of an interesting plot; Lacking romantic chemistry
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75I am sure I am not the only one who read the synopsis of “Moon in the Day” and liked it, especially for fantasy romance lovers. The plot looks interesting and the male lead is the handsome Kim Young Dae, so I gave it a shot despite mixed reviews. Although the drama is not horrible, the execution and storytelling could have been better. It is wasted potential.
I quite enjoyed the first half of the drama, and dare I say, I liked the dynamics of the leads in the present-day storyline more than the past. Their encounter, the unfolding of the events, and how the leads get to know each other, are all fun to me. It was decently paced as well. But as we entered the second half of the drama, the pacing slowed down and I started to lose a little interest in the present-day timeline. There’s a whole lot of talking (repetitive themes) but not a lot of action. This is when I become more invested in their past lives. The leads’ story and romance slowly unfolded, and though with controlled and conservative emotions, I believed in their tragic love and felt their feelings for each other.
Unfortunately, I do not feel the chemistry between the leads in the present timeline. The romance is too slow burn and there isn't enough shown or conveyed to make me feel that they have fallen in love with each other again. But the time they outwardly expressed their feelings, it was too late and too superficial. Their romance did not move me. The only time I was sad and cried was in the last episode.
The pace is slower in the second half and people seem to talk a lot slower (in both timelines). It also doesn’t help that the formerly miraculous firefighting heroine slowly becomes a damsel in distress. How many times is she going to trip, fall, get into an accident and need someone to help her out. Where was her fire fighting training? Isn’t she an athlete that could fight and protect herself? On the other hand, the villain can do no wrong. No one could ever catch him, and he has all these resources to pull the strings behind the scene. The cops are as useless as ever.
The acting is not bad. But I’ve seen Kim Young Dae acted better in “The Forbidden Marriage” and had much better chemistry with his co-star. Apparently I’ve seen Pyo Ye Jin in several of her past dramas but I had no recollection of her. Her character allows her to convey more emotions than Kim Young Dae, thus, it seems like her acting is better. . The rest of the cast did fine. The veterans definitely shine more than the younger main cast. Lee Kyung Young as ML’s father is awesome and Jung Woong In never disappoints when he plays a villain.
Overall, this is not a must-watch but do so if you are a fan of the leads, or if you are a really big fan of fantasy romance. I am OK with the ending and feel that it’s quite reasonable. I might not have guessed the result of the end of the present-day timeline perfectly, but I definitely anticipated how the whole drama ended in the last couple minutes. It’s actually quite typical for this genre.
Completed: 1/15/2024 - Review #396
Was this review helpful to you?
Unsatisfying Second-Chance Romance with a handsome Steven Noh
Soundtrack #2 is another short series with music in the backdrop. This time, the drama focuses on a second-chance romance, which is a trope that I like. Unfortunately, and as other reviewers have said, it’s not a satisfying drama. I don’t quite remember what happened in Soundtrack #1 aside from the friends-to-lovers theme. So this review is based solely on this drama.Although the acting is fine and everyone is nice to look at (did you see Steven Noh’s chiseled and masculine face? 😍 ), the writing is lacking. I am missing the longing, the angst and the sizzling chemistry from the leads. The first part of the drama is more interesting with the supposedly love triangle and a jealous ML. Kei is cute and sweet, but we know he’s never a contender. I do enjoy the music he was making with FL, but the song was played so much that I got a little bored.
The drama did not do a good job in resolving the problems from the past. As much as I love the kisses, the lingering problems are still present. It tries to resolve that by showing us FL’s enlightenment of her problem but was done unconvincingly and too late. Viewers don’t see FL’s point of view until very late in the drama and by that point, I don’t think she deserves ML anymore. The ending also doesn’t quite make sense when ML showed up. They need to either break up or temporarily separate before meeting again. FL needs to work on herself before rushing into another relationship.
I will only recommend this drama if you want to look at the handsome Steven Noh, or want something really short to kill time.
Completed: 12/23/2023 - Review #385
Was this review helpful to you?
Too long but Good leads chemistry
Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75For some reason, the lakorns that I picked all have a similar plot of sibling rivalry and fighting to be the heir of a company or family fortune. Not sure if it’s me or it’s just a very typical/common plot. “My Lovely Bodyguard” is no different. Our ML has to fight off the villain to protect the company that he was asked to oversee, and in doing so, his life's in danger. Therefore, he employed our female lead to be his bodyguard. Of course, our female lead needs money to support her family (cliche) so she took the offer.
What I Like:
1. Good chemistry between the leads with a slow burn romance and pretty good kisses.
2. Good-looking cast. ML has a gorgeous smile and his eyes smile with him. FL is beautiful no matter what she wears.
Smart, independent leads who are good people and easy to root for. The secondary leads are likable characters but not super memorable.
3. Lovely relationships between uncle & nephew, grandmother & granddaughter. These foursomes brought some much fun and sweetness to the show.
4. The child actor and grandma are both adorable!
5. Enough comedic moments here and there to lighten the mood, but not typical slap kiss, over-the-top humor.
6. Acting is pretty good all around. I enjoy the villain’s acting the most.
What I have mixed feelings and don’t like:
1. Draggy plot about the villain. Not enough happened to contribute to 12 long episodes.
2. Interesting ½ of the drama, but then it slows down in the second half. I lost focus towards the last ⅓ of the drama when the villain and leads keep on going around in circles.
3. Action scenes could be better. I might have watched too many Chinese dramas. I expect fight scenes to be more hard-hitting but our female lead is not delivering.
4. Plot holes and illogical inconsistencies here and there. Just little things that if you use common sense, you would have made a different decision. Nothing major, just minor annoyances to me.
5. Last episode is too over-dramatic with the fight, injuries and hospital scenes.
Compared to a few other lakorns I watched this year, unfortunately, this drama is below average. It was unable to keep me interested and focused for ⅓ of the drama. Just this fact, the drama will get a below 8.0 rating. If not for the good chemistry of the leads and the lovely foursomes, I would have rated this lower. The draggy plot is not exciting enough to fill all these long episodes.
Completed: 7/17/2023 - Review #331
Was this review helpful to you?
Great Bromance; Cliche Romance with Cheesy Lines
Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75The decision to watch this controversial drama is because I am a big fan of Jing Chao (big crush on him since “Princess Silver”) and I just discovered Du Chun (“To Love”). I also want to find out if “Gentlemen of East 8th” really is as horrible as the Douban rating shows (currently at 2.1).
I can definitely see why many dislike this drama especially with the few questionable scenes of bra strap pulling and inappropriate hand position. I am not going to argue with someone who is really offended by this drama. My review and rating are entirely based on my enjoyment and I am not one that is very sensitive or easily offended.
What I Like:
Bromance - The friendship between the 4 male leads is without a doubt the best part of this drama. It’s easy to find a similar drama from a female perspective. But to find one that solely focuses on the bromance in a non-BL manner is harder. I enjoy seeing them bickering and fooling around, supporting each other through thick and thin. But I am especially impressed with scenes when the guys are arguing and being totally honest with each other, despite accusing others of wrongdoing. As viewers, you know they are going to be fine because you believe in their strong bond and loyalty. Even with some drunken unkind words, their friendship is strong enough to endure it and such honest conversations can only make their friendship stronger.
Acting - Excellent acting all around from the male leads and their leading ladies. The four male leads are veteran actors and have proven themselves that they can act. The drama does follow Zhang Han’s character, Tong Yu, more than the other three. Aside from being an excellent cold CEO in other dramas, Zhang Han is a lot more relaxed here with many scenes when he’s with his brothers, and especially with his son. I never knew I would see a playboy in Jing Chao. His roles are always so proper and charismatic. I am totally in love with a different Jing Chao. I just wish they would put less makeup on him. He looks so handsome in a modern drama, even more than in “City of Streamer”. A dorky Du Chun is interesting. I might have preferred him as the cool cop in “To Love” more. However, he does play an adorable and nerdy Chinese History Professor well. I’ve seen Huang You Ming in so many other dramas as a supporting role, and I am glad to see him in a main role. The ladies are great as well, especially Wang Xiao Chen. She is excellent as the smart and independent COO of a big company, spewing facts and strategies as the smartest person in the conference room. On the other hand, she becomes a vulnerable woman with a tragic past, longing for love and companionship.
Characters - I really like the four distinct personalities of the male leads. In the dessert competition, Li Jie Sen sums up each of the characteristics very nicely. Because they are so different and with different career paths, their dynamics and stories make this drama interesting.
Lu Yu Hao/Jin Gang - This little kid who plays the character of Jin Gang (Tong Yu’s son) is adorable! He is smart and cute, and says the best lines. He’s like the 5th bro in the group. This child actor also has great line delivery and I believe he uses his own voice and says all the lines himself. I love this father/son duo and they have amazing chemistry and a really fun relationship.
What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
Romance - I find the romance between Tong Yu and Xu Duo very interesting in the beginning. I love to see them compete professionally yet can’t help but be attracted to each other. I love their push-and-pull relationship and they have good chemistry. However, their romance is dragged out for way too long. The fake relationship is too cliche, in a not very good way. Once they get together, there aren’t enough cute and sweet scenes, and they become boring. The other 3 couples have way less screen time than the former couple. As much as I love Jing Chao, his character, Xiao Fei’s romance with Sheng Nan doesn't make a lot of sense. Not enough is shown during their time together to tell me that they are in love with each other, before or during their marriage. It’s really hard to picture a smart woman like Sheng Nan being so clueless in being a wife. People complain about how women are treated in this drama. I think I am going to complain about how Xiao Fei is being treated by his wife. Li Jie Sen and Yue Zi Qian could have a cute and adorable relationship, but it’s missing something. YZQ seems to be Jie Sen’s navigation system to help guide him through romance and professional life. Dorky professor Guo Chong and Ai Mi are an even odder pair. How did Guo Chong fall in love with Ai Mi? What’s the meaning with all the ‘looks’ he has towards Xu Duo?
Monologues/Cheesy lines - There are many monologues in this drama from all characters. In a way, I like storytelling from different perspectives. However, some of these monologues are very preachy and cringey. They seem to want to tell a story, tell me the meaning of life, tell me how to live my life and then show me how they can profess their love. There are many quotes from poems, books, history, etc. in this drama as well. In a way, I can understand since we have a Professor as a lead. But the amount is too much. I feel like the drama is trying too hard to seem ‘cultured’ and is trying to force feed me and show me how intelligent they are. Zhang Han, is this the best you could come up with after writing this script for 10 years?
Those questionable scenes - True, pulling the bra strap to prevent from falling and the hand position are not the best ideas and should not have passed review. I couldn’t say if Zhang Han intentionally places his hand on Wang Xiao Chen’s chest/breasts during that one scene. I feel that with the way he tries to move her to his lap, it is quite possible that it’s just an accident. HOWEVER, if it is, the scene should have been re-shot upon review. Having said that, I have seen many other dramas with back hug scenes and I think the position of the arms might have touched the actress’ chest as well.
Pacing - This does not have to be a 40-ep drama, I would say 36 max. If they want so many episodes, I would have liked to see a better distribution of screen time between the four male leads and their romances. Maybe then, those three other romances would be more believable.
Other Random Observations:
1. Zhang Han cries a lot in this drama. Not anything particularly tragic, he just gets emotional quite a lot in a modern drama.
2. A lot of tech talk and some propaganda of the Chinese tech industries.
3. Wang Xiao Chen/Xu Duo never takes off her makeup, even if she’s lying in a hospital bed.
4. Zhang Ya Mei looks the prettiest in the last scene - her crazy hair throughout the drama is not a pretty sight to me.
5. Because of the unpopularity of this drama, I couldn’t find the OST on Spotify. I quite like the title theme song sung by all four male leads.
Overall, I have a decent time watching this drama. I would not recommend this if you are really sensitive to claims that this drama is sexist and mistreats women. If you are not too sensitive about such issues, and are looking for a romance-centered drama about mature couples and strong male friendship, this could be an option.
Completed: 5/20/2023 - Review #309
Was this review helpful to you?
Watch it for Jeremy Tsui or for an easy and funny historical romance drama.
Subjective Gut Rating - 7.75“Royal Rumours” received a lot of buzz when it first aired due to having a smart female lead who can outsmart anyone. Many are captivated by the male and female leads trying to outsmart each other. But after the initial praises, no one seemed to talk about this show anymore and I am not surprised after finishing this drama. There’s a lot of fun and interesting aspects to this drama in the first ⅓ of the drama. But then, the pace starts to slow down in the second ⅓, and the tone of the drama switches to a more political and somewhat serious tone in the last third. Here’s a quick summary of what likes and dislikes.
What I like:
1. Jeremy Tsui - This man carries the show. His big and expressive eyes never fail to amaze me. A veteran and charismatic actor who can display different emotions through his eyes. Without him, this drama would not be the same. I also miss his deep voice, though the voice actor isn’t bad.
2. Smart leads - Who doesn’t like two smart people trying to outsmart each other? I don’t think either one of them really made a dumb decision. Maybe a little uncharacteristic after falling n love, but by no means are they dumb. There’s no damsel in distress as well, since our female lead can hold her own.
3. He Yuan Ting - Aside from Jeremy’s Crown Prince, HYT is my second favorite character. He is interesting and I enjoy seeing the different sides of him. In a way, he’s pitiful but he never forgot his role as the prince of a rivaling country and not let his affection for FL really clouded his decision (much).
4. Drawings - I love all the cute drawings!
5. Good parents - A C-drama with mostly lovely and caring parents? That’s a rare gem! A king who is both a good parent AND a good king? How many of those can you find?
6. Sisterhood - Another rare gem that the ladies get along so well. Even when initially Princess Tian Jia Min might not like FL that much, she was never super annoying and mean, and I find her quite likable.
7. Sad romance - Though the acting isn’t that great, I am most touched by their romance. I would have loved to see more of their shy and subtle affection for each other. I think with more experienced actors, their story can be even more touching.
What I Have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
1. Hua Liu Li (FL) - This is in the mixed feeling category. I love that she’s so smart. But there’s something about her constant fakeness (needed in the story), cutesy look and talk, whiny voice that make it hard for me to love her. It’s worse when she has fallen in love. I wonder if she has a different voice actress, maybe I’ll like this character even more.
2. Villains - Their reasons do not seem to justify the actions. I also think that I’ve waited for a very long time, but nothing really happened. For most of the drama, we’re trying to discover who the villains are, but I don’t see the villains do much at all. When they were revealed, it was anticlimactic for me. I don’t think the drama did a good job in setting up and explaining why they did what they did. A few sentences here and there in the last episode do not suffice.
3. Acting - Hit or Miss in this category. The veterans are great but the younger actors pale in comparison.
Action scenes - I know this is not a wuxia drama, but they could have made the fight scenes more exciting. There are too many slow-motion scenes. And worst, none of the actors can swing a sword like they know what to do with it. I am usually very picky with my action scenes, and the scenes in this drama are below-average.
4. Pacing - For a 24-episode drama with so much going on in theory, I find the middle of the drama a little slow. If the writing is tighter, the drama could include many more useful and interesting events. There’s a whole lot of repetitive talking and planning.
5. Uneven romance screen time - I think the drama spends a little too much time on Prince Yuan Hao and Princess Jia Min. They do need more time to develop their partnership→friendship→ romance but I wish the drama has devoted a little more time on the other couples. Yuan Wei and Pei Ji Huai got the shortest end of the romance stick. They would have been so cute together. As I mentioned above, I’d like to see more of the other ‘sad’ couple.
Overall, this is an easy watch and a quick binge. A funny historical romance drama but not necessarily a well-written or well-acted drama. I though I would like the bickering couple and the romance a lot more. I’ll watch it if you are a fan of Jeremy Tsui, oh, and if you like cats. 😊
Completed: 4/10/2023
Was this review helpful to you?
Excellent Action Scenes complimented by creative use of CGI + Good Pacing
“The Blood of Youth” is an enjoyable watch for it. It has great elements of a Chinese historical drama - good bromance, excellent CGI to complement great fight scenes, an engaging plot with good pacing, and a palace politics plot that doesn’t bore me to death. It’s no wonder it receives such high praises and has a MDL rating of 8.8 at the moment.Comedy - I was initially skeptical as I worried the comedy would not be to my liking. Fortunately, comedic moments were sprinkled throughout the drama and not over-the-top. Thanks to Lei Wu Jie’s innocent and carefree personality and Monk Wu Xin’s sarcasm and arrogance, they brought a lot of fun and lightheartedness to the drama. I actually miss Wu Xin in the second half of the drama when the drama switches to a more political plot. There isn’t enough Wu Xin in this drama!
Fight Scenes - Since this is not a high budget S+ production, this drama is using its money wisely. The best part about “The Blood of Youth” to me is the amazing fight scenes, complemented by some creative use of CGI and fireworks. This might not be a true wuxia drama like “Side Story of Fox Volant”, but I am impressed with the fast-moving sword fights. My pet peeve is slow-motion, twirling scenes, and luckily, we don’t have those in this drama. The wire work by all actors is pretty good, and there's a lot! Most of the action scenes are concentrated in the first half of the drama, and I have to say, I miss the action in the second half until we get to ep 38’s grand finale. However, the CGI for non-fight scenes are lacking. There are a few scenes that were so low quality that I wondered if I was watching the same drama.
Acting - Acting is decent. The veteran actors are great and the younger generation did an ok good job. I do think Li Hong Yi lacks charisma to be the lead. His spoken lines not matching the dubbing bugged the heck out of me for the longest time. It seems like he's mumbling all the time. His acting and line delivery got better in the later episodes but they did dampen my excitement in the first 5 episodes or so. It doesn’t help that for the most part, he was just standing there providing commentary and character background introductions in these early episodes. It also took me a few episodes to get used to Ao Rui Peng’s portrayal of the young and naive Lei Wu Jie. But then, his acting and character grew on me and I ended up liking him quite a bit. I bet Wu Xin is everyone’s favorite character and he’s mine as well. I can’t get enough of his sassiness, even though Liu Xue Yi definitely doesn’t look like a teenager.
Characters - This drama has a very huge cast. I actually think the drama introduced too many characters in the first couple episodes. It was hard to remember everyone’s names, titles, weapons and weapons names, and the different sects. Even though you will see the same 10 or so characters consistently, introducing so many in the beginning is confusing. It’s also nice to see some very strong female characters. It’s about time we see more strong ladies who are smart, brave and can fight. They might not play as big a role as their male counterparts, but at least they are not damsels in distress.
Bromance - The bromance in this drama is definitely a lot better than romance. It was fun when Xiao Se, Wu Xin, Lei Wu Jie and Tang Lian were all together. I love their interactions and bickering, and supporting each other in the first half of the drama. Unfortunately, scenes of them together dwindled in the second half. But then we see more of Xiao Se and his brother Prince Bai. I wish the drama had more scenes of them together and show us more of their frenemies brotherhood.
Romance - They are all underwhelming. There is no chemistry between Xiao Se and Sikong Qian Luo. I understand Xiao Se is more reserved and has bigger plans, but showing more hints of an attraction would be appreciated. Lei Wu Jie and Ye Ruo Yi’s romance is a little better and cuter, but not by much. I am most interested in finding out how Tan Lian and Fairy Lady Rui met and how they fall for each other, but their screen time is limited. The more developed romance might be the one between the two Sword Deities, Li Han Yi and Zhao Yu Zhen. If you are looking for romance in this drama, you will be very disappointed.
Other Random Observations:
1. I was VERY sad when a certain character/guardian died so soon. 🙁
2. OST is ok, nothing impressive.
3. I like the costumes and they don’t appear cheap. They just seem very thickly layered but it also appears to be quite cold.
4. The end of the villain seems a little anticlimactic.
5. I do not like the dubbing in this drama at all. I am disappointed that most of the actors are dubbed.
*edit* 11/26/2025
Series Watch Order:
1) Dashing Youth
2) Blood River
3) The Blood of Youth
Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting look into the BL world but writing and execution could be better.
“Lovely Writer” seems like a good way for me to peek into the world of Thai BL dramas and novels. I am not sure how much truth is in this drama, but if it’s exaggerated for the sake of entertainment, the truth doesn’t seem too far behind.Is the drama’s intention to poke fun at the industry or to show us what it’s like? Either way, it’s an interesting topic and the main reason why I choose to watch it. I had a lot of fun watching the first few episodes when the drama was focusing on casting and filming some of the scenes. I actually would have loved to see more behind-the-scenes of the BL drama industry. Instead, I think we got more about the pressure of selling sex in novels.
This is a pretty good-looking cast, just like ‘Bad Engineers’, the BL drama in “Lovely Writer”. Kao N. who plays Nubsib is definitely good-looking. I also found Tum and Mhok quite attractive. Aoey might be a handsome guy but his character makes him very unattractive. I find Gene to be ok looking.
But when it comes to acting, it’s just so-so and inconsistent. It’s not the worst I’ve seen in a BL drama, but definitely not the best. The cast is still quite young and inexperienced, and most of them only had a few dramas under their belt. I think out of the group, Up might be the most consistent and he plays the introverted and awkward Gene pretty well.. Kao (Nubsib) had a rocky start but got better towards the latter half of the drama.
I also find the pacing of the drama very slow. There are some episodes I have to watch at 1.25x speed because it takes forever for the cast to spit out a sentence or it spends too much time using slow-motion to have the characters look around or contemplate. I also don’t think we need to watch Aoey cry for 5-10 minutes on multiple occasions, which led to my dislike of the character even more. I was waiting for the romance to develop faster, so that I can see more of their relationship challenges navigating the entertainment industry as a couple. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen until towards the end of the drama.
Overall, I do enjoy the romance between Gene and Sib and their backstory (though a little unrealistic). I think their contrasting personalities make for a fun watch. They really didn’t do much and are very domesticated. I think that’s also part of their charm and I do like their scenes together at home. They have great chemistry and have very believable and nice kisses (not forced, not overly R-rated, but just right for the moment). The concept of the reconciliation is nice, but I don’t think it’s executed well and is too short. On the other hand, I dislike the romance between the two managers. I think they are fillers and don’t add anything to the drama at all. If you cut out their romance, nothing will be affected.
Overall, I had a great time watching this due to the subject matter. I am not sure how this drama was received in Thailand during its airing. I wish BL fans can separate real life actors vs characters in a drama. These aggressive fans shipping is really toxic.
Other Random Observations:
1. My first Thai drama seeing two meals of Korean food (BBQ and home-cooked tteokbokki) and a Japanese tea ceremony.
2. Everyone is so rich. Such nice apartments and big houses.
3. I can never get used to the aggressive product placements in Thai BL dramas - drinks, facial masks, cosmetics, breath freshener, dental hygiene products, sunscreen, etc.
4. I am not liking the weird fairytale endings. They might be fun, but they are fillers to me.
Completed: 11/6/2022
Was this review helpful to you?
Missing a little "oomph" in the chemistry department
Completed: 9/25/2022 - 7.75 rounding up to 8.0Picking a somewhat unknown and unpopular drama is because one of the writers and one of the directors are from “Hikaru no Go”, one of my favorites. I was hoping the writing of “Dear Missy” would be good and I like the two female leads, Li Yi Tong and Gina Jin. However, I might have expected too much and left a little disappointed.
The focus of “Dear Missy” is friendship, especially the friendship between Li Yi Tong/Lu Ke (Editor) and Gina Jin/Shen Yi Yi (Publisher). They were high school best friends but had a fall out due to a misunderstanding. They lost contact but met each other again 9 years later when Shen Yi Yi became Lu Ke’s boss. The two female characters have very different personalities. Throughout the drama, you can see how their personalities create conflicts, yet how they complement each other in their personal and professional lives. Theoretically, this should be a great setup for amazing writing for a good sismance. But I feel that something is missing. Despite writing how close they are, I don’t feel the same closeness as the sismance in other dramas, e.g. “Remembrance of Things Past” or “Delicious Romance”.
I would say the secondary focus of this drama is the friendship between the 5 high school friends. They often gather at one of the friends’ bar to hang out and celebrate. Conversations flow when they catch up on what’s happening in each other's lives. They are a tight bunch from start to finish, even though some romantic feelings could threaten their friendship. Similar to what I described earlier, I am also missing a little ‘something’, a special chemistry to make this friendship stand out. It’s just OK.
Though there are several romance subplots, they are secondary to friendship. The romantic chemistry is just OK again. No sizzling hot chemistry, and not enough cute fluffiness for my favorite couple. If I have to pick, Shen Yi Yi and Yao Yuan might have the best chemistry out of the bunch. Secondary might be the initial attraction and competition between Shen Yi Yi and Bai Xiao Chuan. However, what I miss most are the scenes between Lu Ke and Zhang Mang. They are so cute together but after they officially date, we barely see them as a couple. I should say, we do see them as a couple, the romance part is pushed to the background to everyone else’s romance storyline. What I want less are scenes between Guan Yue and Ye Zhou, our third leads. The drama focuses way too much time on this couple. I find Guan Yue very annoying and childish for the majority of the drama, and feels that she doesn’t deserve Ye Zhou as well. She did get better in the last few episodes, but I am still pissed and have to lower my rating because of her.
Despite complaining about all the romantic plots, I do want to point out that the drama is refreshing in a way that it explores multiple love interests and relationships per character. Oftentimes, you get one female lead paired with one male lead, and the drama follows the same pairing throughout. But in this drama, we see multiple pairings and see how the characters grow through different relationships. I just wish the drama had better time management and allocated more time on some and less time on others.
I would not watch this drama for the business plots. They all seem very shallow/unrealistic and did not really add a whole lot of excitement, especially in the first two-thirds of the drama. There might be a little bit more towards the end and most of that was sparked by the professional trouble that our third female lead, artist Guan Yue, encountered. I guess that’s why the drama spends so much time on her, to build up the misfortune, which we will see the consequences in later episodes.
Overall, it’s an OK watch. It lacks a little oomph in the chemistry department (friendship and romance). I don’t hate it, but I also will not strongly recommend it either. Watch it if you like the actors/actresses as the acting is decent.
Other Random Observations:
1. LOVE the Hikaru no Go reference and surprise.
2. Actors are all using their real voices, even for Hong Kong actor Sunny Sun. I am really surprised he didn’t get dubbed.
3. Whenever I hear Zhang Chao’s voice, I just can’t help but think of his role in “Hikaru no Go”. His deep voice also reminded me of Jeremy Tsui’s voice. I love a deep sexy voice.
4. So glad to see a wedding in the end, and a very unique one as well.
5. BGM is too loud when the actors are speaking to each other.
6. OST is not memorable at all.
Was this review helpful to you?
