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Romance pales in comparison to the strong bonds between Friends, Teammates, Siblings & Love Rivals.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75My first completed drama of 2026 (started in 2025) was this cute and lighthearted “Let’s Meet Now”. I was looking for cute and fluffy romance, but unfortunately, this drama didn’t quite deliver what I was looking for. That is not to say it’s a bad drama. It just has a stronger focus on friendships than romance.
If you are looking for amazing, cute and fluffy romance storylines, “Let’s Meet Now” might disappoint you. Even though there are about 2.5 romances in this short drama, the pacing and execution are lacking. The main romance between childhood friends, Ji Qiu and Zhou Zi Qian, though fun but actually very slow-paced. They have many scenes together as friends and really slowly recognize feelings as lovers. By the time they finally get together, I almost lose my interest. They are cute, but a little too late for me to feel that their romantic journey is worth the wait.
The secondary romance between Xu Wang and Song Rong Rong is actually very sweet. I wanted to see them more but their development didn’t quite happen until the latter part of the drama. They are both so cute and adorable. One is sunny and outgoing, the other is quiet and introverted. I felt cheated that the drama did not show me their conversation after the final competition.
The teenagers, Fu Tian and Zhou Yu Bei, have even less screentime. The drama hinted that Zhou Yu Bei likes Fu Tian and may have started voicing that affection a little bit at a time. Yet, there’s not enough time to actually fully develop that. I am left hanging in the middle. They are also very adorable together. Zhang Mai Yi’s character as Fu Tian, seems to be a preview of her later and popular dramas “When I Fly Towards You” and “Exclusive Fairytale”.
The drama features unrequited love. If this were a different drama, Fu Qi Le is probably going to be the quiet main lead who stays by FL’s side. He would eventually get the girl after FL gets her heartbroken by some other dude. Unfortunately, in this drama, he’s just a caring, considerate (maybe a little bland) good friend.
The business and the sport of shooting are backdrops to each character’s story and development. At times, I feel that screen time is wasted and then other times I want to know more.
Despite my criticisms on romance, I love all the friendships. The drama makes me want to be one of their friends, teammates or co-workers. They are so fun together and there’s so much tight bonding without over-the-top grand gestures. The drama spends a significant amount of time showing us these friendships and business relationships that make all characters (main, supporting or guest roles) very likeable. ML and 2ML have so much chemistry and I love their bromance/frenemies/love rivals relationship. The two contrasting siblings relationships are also fun. I also have to praise the acting of the cast. Most of them are not famous actors then (of course He Yu and Zhang Mao Yi are popular now). I like everyone’s acting and they all seem to have fun together.
I was also quite surprised that for a 2022 modern C-drama, the dubbing is done well. I think all the actors are using their voices. I’ve seen other newer dramas with bigger budgets that have awful dubbing with misaligned sound and lip movement. Unfortunately, similar praises could not be given to the music. The songs are overplayed and very loud (often covering some dialogs). The music starts and stops at weird times. The songs are the typical rom-com catchy music…not bad or good.
I would only recommend “Let’s Meet Now” if you are looking for a short, lighthearted drama with a stronger focus on friendship than romance. This drama feels like a combination of “My Fated Boy” + “When I Fly Towards You”. This drama will not give you heartbreaks or poor second-hand embarrassment. But with only 20 episodes, I do think “Let’s Meet Now” is trying to do too much.
Completed: 1/1/2026 Review #657
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This review may contain spoilers
Inconsistent comedy, boring love triangle and underdeveloped romance. Bright is HOT though.
Subjective Gut Rating: 6.75I wanted to watch something with Bright V, so I decided to check out “Love Lesson 010”. This is usually not my type of drama as the trailer and first episode showed that this drama is an over-the-top comedy. I actually started and stopped, and thought the low rating was due to how crazy this drama is. But I am in search of a happy drama, so this seems to be the perfect one for me to watch now.
After watching this, I realized the low rating might not be due to its crazy comedy, but the inconsistent comedy throughout the drama and its boring love triangle and underdeveloped romance. I persisted and didn’t drop this because of Bright and thank goodness he’s good and incredibly good-looking. Otherwise, even though this drama only has 8 episodes, it felt long and too short at the same time.
The drama premise is good and interesting. Kanta (FL) must help Non (ML) find love in order to avoid death. This seems like a funny plot to help the promiscuous and good-looking Non to rediscover himself, move past what’s been haunting him and then eventually find love. The first episode is raunchy and crazily over-the-top. I was not prepared for the number of scenes where I can see Bright’s butt in front of me. And yes, this is how the drama all started.
The main strength of this drama is the acting. I have to say, all actors did their part really well with Prang (as Kanta) and Bright (as Non) setting the tone. I was not aware that Pat is in this drama and I’ve always liked her. Even with the overdramatic acting, crazy antics and no shortage of second-hand embarrassment, I had a great time with the first few episodes and wasn’t put off by its cringiness. This drama is also full of beautiful actresses.
Unfortunately, mid-way through, logic is totally thrown off the window. With only 3 short months to help the promiscuous Non find love, he has 3 romance storylines. Kanta also did not do anything she could to help Non but just kept on yelling at him to find love. She should be spending her main focus on helping Non. Unfortunately, the boring love triangle happened and the focus was switched. Chef Benz is such a boring character. I don’t see how two beautiful women fall so madly in love with him. Your wife drowned and disappeared, and you can’t stay single for more than 3 months? I guess it’s not Benz’s fault, but the writer's fault. I was also incredibly disappointed in the writing of Non and Ket’s relationship. They just don’t have enough scenes together for me to believe that they have both slowly developed feelings for each other. I mean, Non has 2 other serious relationships during these 3 months, and Ket suddenly has Pete (also boring) in the picture. When do they have time to fall in love?
Additionally, the fun and crazy antics disappeared in the second half. I can’t believe I said this, but I wish the raunchy comedy will continue throughout the drama. I don’t even need raunchiness, but keeping a romantic-comedy vibe would be great. Unfortunately, the drama’s tone becomes very melodramatic for most of the second half.
Unless you want to check out Bright’s butt and his handsome self, I would not recommend this drama.
Completed: 12/14/2025 Review #651
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Interesting and Strong start, but draggy and boring second half.
Subjective Gut Rating; 7.25This is my 3rd completed drama of the Dhevaprom series after “Dujupsorn” (8.25) and “Kwanruetai” (8.25). I like the first two for different reasons and had quite an enjoyable time despite two VERY annoying mothers. I tried “Laorchan”, but dropped it because I didn’t like the lead couple and didn’t like Gulf’s acting. I haven’t given up on the Dhevaprom series yet, so I continued on with this one, “Dhevaprom: Jaipisut”.
Unfortunately, it did not live up to the two that I liked. It was fine in the first half of the drama and my main complaint was Tate’s acting. He’s very green in the industry, so I am willing to tolerate his emotionless acting and hope that he will get better as the drama goes on. Well, it didn't quite happen. He’s a very good-looking guy, but he lacks presence and charisma, especially when he’s a police officer.
The plot wasn’t bad in the early episodes. I enjoy the kids and the school shenanigans. The leads’ romance develops nicely as well. They are cute together with decent chemistry, and the flirting is not as cringey as I anticipated. The love square is tolerable and I actually find the secondary couple romance interesting. This is one of the rare dramas that I actually like 2ML more than ML, not because of looks, but because 2ML is just better-written and better-acted. He’s just a good guy! The first half was a good 7.75-8.0 for me.
Well, then the pace starts to slow down for me. The drug cartels, gambling, police investigation and the annoying/sabotaging mother plotlines move slowly and repetitively. Even the romance lost its sparks, and Tate’s acting has not improved. I was watching at 1.25x speed for most of the second half and I was dragging my feet to finish the drama. Is it horrible? Not necessarily. I just totally lost my interest. 17 episodes is way too much for this drama. It could have been condensed to 12-14 episodes. Jaipisut is the longest of the Dhevaprom series.
Unless you really like the leads, I would not recommend this drama. Go watch “Dujupsorn” and the very handsome and talented Kongthap instead. Or watch “Kwanruetai” for a different location set in the village and a cute Mikey as the ML (he’s also a newbie but acts way better than Tate). The only good thing about “Jaipisut” is a less annoying and hateful mother, and pretty good acting from Oom (FL), Lingling (2FL) and Job (2ML).
Completed: 10/30/2025 Review #637
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Biggest Criticism - Too SHORT to properly execute an interesting premise
It pains me to write this review because a few of my trusted friends love it. I guess, this is one of those times when not all dramas can connect with everyone. Unfortunately, “The Journey to Killing You” is that one. I want to love it so bad, and maybe that’s why expectations are high.My biggest criticism is how short the drama is. With only 6 episodes of about 25 minutes each, it’s just not enough to develop this interesting romance, and all the yakuza family conflict. I didn’t feel like I had enough time to get to know the leads and to sympathize with them. A lot of their development happened quietly and speedily.
It could have been such a great romance especially when the two main leads are such different people. But it went from Odajima hating on Kataoka because of what happened to his friend and the first episode sexual assault, to him seeing a different side of Kataoka and realizing why everyone loves him, to falling so madly in love with him to protect him from everything. All of this needed time to brew and develop. I need to see more internal conflict, more interaction and more unspoken chemistry for me to believe in this romance. There are only a few flashbacks about Odajima’s history and trauma. Well, we really get nothing on Kataoka except when it has to do with Kirii and their fight for the boss’ affection.
The yakuza family conflict is easier to understand with a few flashbacks. That part is fine, even though it was short. Maybe just a few more flashbacks on the boss’ love for his own son? But since the drama is selling me on romance and not necessarily about the boss, a quicker storytelling is sufficient.
Speaking of flashbacks, the same flashbacks are played quite often within those 6 episodes. That took up precious screen time! If “The Journey to Killing You” has hour-long episodes, or extend it to 10 short episodes, everything could be better developed. I’ve watched enough J-dramas to know how fast-paced they are, but this one is just not working for me.
Other minor criticisms - I thought Odajima and Kataoka were running away. They didn’t seem to go too far as Odajima could still meet up with Kirri at a hotel room??? Oh, and there were a couple of really fake blow jobs there. LOL Others commented on good kisses and nice NC scenes. They aren’t bad but maybe I was expecting something bolder, since they are yakuzas.
On a positive note, the premise of “The Journey to Killing You” is interesting but not the execution. The acting is pretty good, too. I know my review sounds like I hated it. I don’t, I just was left disappointed because I want to love it so much. Therefore, you are not going to see a super low rating but a 7.5 for me. It’s still a decent quick watch, but it wasn’t an amazing one.
Completed: 10/26/2025 Review #636
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I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama Season 2
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Adorableness or Frustration? Season 1 = Adorableness, Season 2 = Frustration
I was trying to figure out if I find this season as adorable as the first season, or if it's actually frustrating. I think I have come to the conclusion that it’s actually frustrating.What was cute and adorable about the guessing-of-feeling game in season 1 feels really old now. It is OK to have inner monologues and be unsure when you are not in a relationship yet. But in this season, feelings are confirmed and the leads are in the dating stage. Yet, their relationship has remained stagnant, and they never grow as partners or individually. The lack of communication becomes frustrating to watch. We have to wait for a very long time before they talk to each other. By then, I don’t really care anymore.
On the other hand, the secondary couple, though with limited screen time, becomes more interesting. I find myself looking forward to their scenes, and wanting to know more about Kijima and Yukari individually and as a couple. This opposite attraction is so much more fun. The drama should give them more screen time instead of giving them to the two new characters.
Even though I welcome Furuya Robin on my screen, I don’t know if his character, Haibara, adds anything of substance to the story. He is used as a third wheel to make someone jealous. Does he really only want to be a big brother? Or want to be the one that knows Hajime best? Or more? The newly added director character is also not that interesting to me and way too over-the-top. I would rather see more of season 1 characters, fellow drama actors Kuromiya Ryoga and Tendo Nanami.
But, if you like this style of Japanese drama and acting, Yuichiro and Hajime are still very likable, funny and adorable. As a standalone drama, it’s really cute. But as a sequel, the expectations are higher. Luckily, the drama is short with only 6 episodes (about 20 minutes each). It’s basically the same length as season 1. It’s a simple and fun watch to kill time.
Completed: 8/23/2025 Review #616
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Not the fluffy marathon romance I was expecting, but Realistic with many curveballs
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25A well-done Friends-to-Lovers drama is hard to come by. They either omit the awkwardness of the transition, or piss you off because you can see both characters having feelings for each other but no one dares to say something first, worried that it might ruin the friendship. I was hoping “9 Years of You” could be one of the better ones. The good thing is that, “9 Years of You” didn’t really fall into the above-mentioned categories. It also ended up not being the romantic and fluffy drama that I expected. There’s no ‘romance’ or ‘comedy’ tag here. It’s only a ‘drama’ one.
It took a very long time for the leads to end up together, not because the feelings weren’t revealed but because timing and life keep on getting in the way. This drama requires a lot of patience for viewers to follow their romantic journey. The early episodes have a lot of supporting/saving each other as friends, but I needed more fluff to last me through the ups and downs of their relationship. Even when they eventually get together, the drama fails to give me enough bread crumbs to sustain before another curveball is thrown in their way. It’s not like there’s a lot of angst in the drama, but it becomes a little tiring when, from a romance standpoint, the couple never got a break. In a way, this is a very realistic look of a marathon romance from friends to lovers, and then from lovers to living happily together. Even though their timing isn’t right, the drama gave us a realistic/practical view of their journey. No one is going to wait around for years and remain celibate. They are going to meet other people along the way.
Having said that, the leads have excellent chemistry. I enjoy their bantering in the first couple episodes, and throughout the drama. They are mostly very honest and communicative of their feelings. Even if they are arguing, they would eventually either apologize or laugh about it. The kisses are good and natural, thank goodness. No eating someone’s face, or looking like they’re being forced. The leads are a good-looking pair as well. It also doesn’t hurt when all the characters dress pretty nicely. They got money to have nice houses, office spaces and clothes for everyone.
I’m also relieved that the acting is good and not cringey. There’s no over-the-top lakorn acting or the camera staying on a character’s face for way too long.Cherprang (who played FL) is great. You can see how her character changes and matures throughout the drama, and Cherprang’s acting follows suit. Aimm (ML), is a newcomer and it shows when acting with Cherprang. This is his first drama but he did a respectable job. Even if he doesn’t, his visuals and nice abs will keep me going. The rest of the supporting cast did pretty well, too. There isn’t anyone who annoys me and it’s rare in a Thai drama.
The passage of time through the 9 years could be hard to follow if you are not paying attention to what’s written on screen or the casual remarks by the characters. Aside from that, there's no change in coloring or cinematography. Even the middle school scenes, color-wise, look the same as the present-day timeline and you only knew because of the teen actors. I guess the only way to tell time is the hairstyle change of FL. Roughly speaking, each episode showcased what happened within a year. There are times when I wished the drama was shorter, even though it’s only 9 episodes long.
I would recommend this if you enjoy a more realistic approach to the friends-to-lovers trope. Be aware that this is not a romantic-comedy, and tamper your expectations of cute and fluffy scenes. But I do enjoy this drama, especially the first half of it. I was going to give this a 8.5, until the last few episodes when I got a little tired of the constant obstacles being thrown in their way. So, a solid 8.25 for me, and I don’t regret watching it.
Random Observations about Product Placements:
1. There are many product placements, but they don’t feel too intrusive or out-of-place.
2. Without the product placement of shower gel, we won’t see Aimm’s shower scenes. LOL. Those scenes are unnecessary.
3. I don’t remember seeing a character puking and actually dirty their shirt with puke! No worries, we got a detergent sponsor, so we see our green-flag ML washing clothes.
4. Not sure if the puzzles are product placements or not, but I LOVE them because I loved how they were used and they showed how romantic ML could be.
Completed: 8/16/2025 Review #614
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Good balance of families, romance and drug trafficking, but with a mother I want to beat up (LOL)
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25“Dehvvaprom: Kwanruetai” is the second drama of the series that I watch, with “Dhevaprom: Dujupsorn” being my first. The setting and the plot of these two dramas are so different, that I don’t subconsciously compare the two. Ok, maybe except for the fact that I found Kongthap (in Dujupsorn) so much more good-looking and charismatic than baby-faced Mikey (in Kwanruetai). It’s ok to watch the series out of order.
Plot/Pacing
The drama is set in Chiang Rai and gives a very rural/village feel, which I like. I found the drama has a decent balance of family relationships/drama, romance and drug trafficking. One doesn’t take over completely for a chunk of the time, but intertwines into the general plot. Family plays a very important part in this drama. You will see a combination of loving relationships that make you smile and those make you want to strangle someone. The biggest challenge I have with this drama is the FL’s mother. Gosh, I know Thai mothers could annoy me in lakorns but this one takes the cake (worse than the crazy mother in Dujupsorn). My blood boils whenever she opens her mouth, and I don’t find her character development believable at all. She deserves a bad ending!! I binged the first 7 episodes in one day without rest and found the pacing to be done well. The second half is when I struggled a little bit more and I also see a higher frequency of flashbacks. The last 2 episodes are when I struggled with the slow pace, especially after an exciting drug dealer battle. There are plot holes here and there, and I question some of the actions (or non-actions) taken by the characters. Overall, nothing too bad.
Romance
This is surprisingly a slow-burn romance, especially compared to “Dhevaprom: Dujupsorn” which hit me with a flirting ML right from the start. The leads actually don’t have that many scenes together in the first quarter of the drama. Chat (ML) is shy and adorable. He’s the first to catch and show his feelings but the couple doesn’t really get together until the second half. Looking back, did they even officially confess to each other when they’re supposed to be a couple? Their romance just flows naturally throughout the drama (which I do like) but I would have loved a few cute and fluffy scenes when they first started dating in the middle of the drama. Mikey and Yada have decent chemistry (not amazing) but they are both best at acting coy and shy, and adorably longing for each other. But the romance-lover in me craves for more skinship and better kisses (they are disappointing). Even though they are supposed to have an age-gap, Mikey just looks too young and baby-faced and Yada definitely doesn’t look like she’s 19. The secondary romance is cute as well and doesn’t take up too much screen time. Their romance also develops naturally with how the plot moves. I also would love more skinship and kisses.
Acting/Characters
Yada as female lead Tai, is probably the best out of the young cast. She plays the outgoing and loud-mouthed tomboy well, and her emotional scenes are well-done as well. Compared to the less experienced Mikey, Mikey needs more seasoning. Luckily, he is not supposed to be a big army character, but a more quiet and less-imposing army doctor. Nevertheless, his face looks pretty but does lack some emotions. The rest of the supporting cast is good enough. They’re not amazing but no one actually is too over-the-top according to my preference of lakorns. But as mentioned, FL’s mother is a character I could not stand. Actually, there’s another mother who surprisingly did something utterly unforgivable in the end. This is not a drama for good mothers. All the friends are supportive and I enjoy seeing them together.
Production
I have to say, I was quite impressed in the drug dealer fight scenes in ep 12? They went hardcore with each other, and the actors did a great job to make it believable. Thai fight scenes can look quite cartoonish at times. As I said previously, I really enjoy the setting of the drama, being not in Bangkok or any high-tech big city. It might cut down on production cost, but then it gives me beautiful Thai dresses/costumes, and modern looks such as Ket’s. Those in uniforms seem to be in uniform a lot. Tai (FL) probably dresses the worst but that’s because that’s how her character dresses.
I had a good time watching “Dhevaprom:kwanruetai” and would have liked it more if the romance is better written and has a tiny more focus in the middle of the drama. The bad mother and the slow pace in the last 2 episodes might have affected my viewing pleasure but overall this drama keeps me interested in checking out the rest of the series. I am rating this 8.25, same as “Dhevaprom:Dujupsorn”, but I like the dramas for different reasons.
Completed: 7/25/2025 Review #606
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Great chemistry and Fun for the most part, but with plot holes towards the serious part
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75Without too much fanfare and promotion, “Les Belles” provided us with a mid-budget historical romantic comedy. I didn’t have much expectations but did want to see something fun. For the most part, I think “Les Belles” delivered what I wanted.
The plot is pretty simple. An orphan girl grew up to be intelligent, independent and a trailblazer during times when women couldn’t live for themselves. Luo Ling Yu (FL) doesn't care how others view her, but has her goal set on living her best life and recovering her family’s inheritance. But first, she needs to get out of an arranged marriage, before she could find a way to achieve her goals. She met Xue Chen (ML) who is just as smart as she is, and is more than the playboy character he’s trying to portray. He wants to seek justice and revenge for his father, who was accused of treason.
Of course, our leads have a rocky start. But it was so fun trying to watch them outsmart each other, and destroy the others’ plans and schemes. Jelly Lin and Alen Fang have really good chemistry and performed pretty well in the comedic roles. The push-and-pull between them is one of the highlights of the show. “Les Belles” has many likable characters. I was worried a couple characters might turn ‘evil’ but they ended up being very supportive and kind. Even the ‘villain’ is not too over-the-top (except for the last couple episodes).
It was more fun to watch the leads before they officially got together. I needed more cute and fluffy scenes but I had to wait till the very last episode to get that. The secondary romance is an adorable pair. I was hoping there’s a little more to their romance right after the secret identity was revealed. Instead, it was anti-climatic and I also wanted more of their cute scenes together.
“Les Belles” was able to hold my attention for ¾ of the drama. I enjoy the comedy, the chemistry, the interaction of the characters and the beautiful dances by Jelly Lin and Li Jia Xin. However, towards the last quarter of the drama, the politics, investigation and battle take center stage. The humor is gone and the serious plot has too many plotholes. The drama is unable to balance its comedic moments throughout the full 36 episodes. Luckily, when all that serious stuff is over, the fun is back in the last episode.
Even though this is a mid-budget production with some questionable fight scenes, the costumes and hair departments did an amazing job. Jelly Lin and other actresses look absolutely beautiful in their elaborate hairstyles and colorful costumes. The accessories and jewelry look much more expensive than in other big budget productions I’ve seen. Despite only having a few songs in the soundtrack (slightly overplayed), I enjoy the songs very much. You have the typical historical drama songs and a super fun ending theme that matches the comedic tone of the drama.
I had a good time watching “Les Belles” for the most part. I just wish it has held my attention throughout. The serious last quarter of the drama is too unrealistic, too fast-paced and has too many plotholes. But if you are looking for a simple drama with some fun, and are fans of the leads, then it’s worth a shot.
Completed: 7/17/2025 Review #603
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Mature romance with no idiotic decisions + a bunch of Complicated relationships
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25Before I randomly came across “Wanna Be” on Reddit, I had never heard any mention of it on MDL. It was not a surprise as the leads and the cast are not idol traffic actors, and the theme is quite mature. But I was ‘promised’ a mature and satisfying romance, thus I decided to give it a shot. Besides, it’s only 29 episodes long and most episodes are less than 40 minutes. It’s not a long investment of time.
Romance
True to the recommendation of this drama, the romance is mature and satisfying. It’s been a while since I came across a mature romance like this without noble idiocies and dumb decisions and misunderstanding. The main couple may not be as sizzling as the other couple in “Fake it Till You Make It”, but their unwavering support and understanding are the same. Jia Fan (played by Tang Xiao Tian) and Han Yi Jing (played by Ci Ci Wang) are quite different. Their beginning starts with chaos and distrust, but because they are both good people, despite not liking each other, they help each other. Together, they battle through challenges in life and in their careers. Throughout all this, they never once suspect, misunderstand or accuse. They figure things out like adults and act like adults. Tang Xiao Tian and Ci Ci Wang have great chemistry. If you know me, I love a good passionate kiss. They deliver beautifully. There aren’t too many kisses in this drama and definitely no fan service, but each of their kisses is full of emotions and happens naturally. There are also some cute moments of the couple but not enough, if you ask me. LOL I love their flirting before they get together, and especially love the scene when ML asks FL to be her boyfriend.
Secondary Romance
Unfortunately, this noona romance is a little disappointing. What a waste of the handsome and talented Garvey Jin as Xing Mo. I need to see more coming from Han Jia Ling, even if she was conflicted. Xing Mo is a hopeless romantic who just can’t let go. I am ready to jump into my screen to snatch him for myself.
Relationships
Aside from romance, “Wanna Be” features many other relationships between the characters. I have to say, I love them all! They are all positive and supportive, though not without arguments and fights. However, because humans are complex, these relationships can be just as complex. Even though I understand the motivation behind certain actions, it doesn’t mean I approve of how nosy some characters are in butting into other people’s business and thinking they know what’s best. But, I do love these relationships.
1. Aunt/Niece and Boss/Employee relationship between Han Yi Jing (FL) and Han Jia Ling - love and hate, support and fight
2. Xing Mo (2ML) + Han Yi Jing (FL) + You Ning = Model veterans friendship and support through thick and thin for over 10 years.
3. Han Yi Jing (FL) and You Ning = frenemies but so fun!
4. Bromance + Mentor/Mentee relationship between Jia Fan and Xing Mo
5. Bromance between Xing Mo and Liao Jin Yuan
6. 7 Newbie model friendship - so positive and not jealousy - I have to admit this one is a little too idealistic.
7. Jian Fan (ML) + Father - what a lovely bond they have. Dad has the best relationship advice!
8. Jia Fan + Father + Dong Xiao Ru + Aunt - a small and mighty family
9. Jian Fan + Dong Xiao Ru - adorable and supportive sibling relationship
Modeling/Plot
I am not sure how realistic the portrayal of the modeling agency is, but I did have a good time getting an inside look. There’s a lot less fights and backstabbing than I anticipated. There may be a couple minor incidents but for the most part, everyone is so nice (a little too nice). There’s no competition between the newbies or between the veterans except for the two ladies in the beginning. There are a lot of photoshoots but no commercials and not too many fashion shows/catwalks. Though I have to say, I quite enjoy the 2 fashion shows towards the last quarter of the drama. 2 very different styles and venues that complemented the fashion. The plot surrounding the models, their challenges, secrets and paparazzi isn’t anything new or you haven’t seen before. Viewers can really guess what the next crisis is going to be. But the ‘twist’ will be how the characters respond to the crisis, but not the crisis themselves. The pacing is good for the first half of the drama and then slows down a little bit in the middle. But when the last quarter hits, it’s a barrage of incidents and secret reveals one after another.
I would recommend “Wanna Be” if you are looking for a mature romance of two intelligent and hardworking lovers. I love all the different relationships depicted in this drama, though I do think everyone is a little too nice. I wanted more from the secondary romance. The acting is solid and no character annoys me. It’s a somewhat easy watch. I’m rating this an 8.25, not quite an 8.5 but close.
Other Random Observations:
1. Tang Xiao Tian is way too old for me to pretend he’s only 25 years old. But in a way, it works for me because I am not a fan of noona/jiejie romance.
2. I never find Tang Xiao Tian to be attractive, but I've got to say he looks good in this photoshoot and in the last scene. Glad that ugly wig didn't last for long.
3. Garvey Jin is incredibly attractive to me in this drama. I might not like his fashion choices but staring at his handsome face and knowing he plays such a green flag character make me very happy.
4. The title of the drama “Wanna Be” is weird. I believe there’s a different English title before. The Chinese title translation is “Daydream and Her”.
5. Thank god the actors are using their own voices!!!!
Completed: 6/29/2025 - Review #596
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An Adaptation with its own charms and Thai flavors!
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25A 7.5 MDL rating currently for “Dear My Secretary” seems a little low. It might not be the perfect rom-com out there, but it was an enjoyable watch for me. Maybe fans of the K-version and webtoon are disappointed? I actually watched the Korean "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim” and really appreciate this version’s Thai flavor. It’s not a cookie-cutter adaptation. The general plot and the important plotlines (that I remember) are there, but the execution has a more casual vibe. The Korean version definitely had a bigger budget as you can tell from the sets that everything was just bigger and fancier.
But “Dear My Secretary” has its own charm. I really like Jes playing the narcissistic Vice President. I think he’s more adorable and less over-the-top than Park Seo Joon. Having only seen Jes in “4 Minutes”, I am quite impressed with his comedic timing and applaud him for playing such a different character. Jes also has great chemistry with Bua, who plays Secretary Preem. I love their kisses as well! It’s not easy to find passionate kisses in a Thai non-BL drama. We all know “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” has some amazing kisses, and this adaptation lives up to that reputation. At a certain angle, Bua even looks like Park Min Young. She is beautiful but Secretary Preem appears to be a little less business-like than Park Min Young’s character.
The drama really focuses on Thi and Preem from start to finish. Although there are side characters with their own small plotlines, they don’t take away screen time from the leads. The mystery plot also starts from the beginning, thus, it doesn’t feel like the darker plot/trauma was sprung out of nowhere in the middle of the drama. This version sets the stage quite well to incorporate the mystery with the romance. I was actually very engaged from the start until the reveal of what happened 25 years ago.
However, after that the pace slows down and the writing quality decreases. The brother’s recovery happened too easily and too quickly, and without giving it the proper closure when such a big part of the drama was connected to it. I wish his road to recovery was shown and not told to the viewers. Additionally, despite loving the main couple’s sweet and cute moments, I find the part about family approval drags on for longer than it should. The conflict that happened in ep 15 was resolved rather quickly even with the explanation. It really didn’t need that many episodes to wrap everything up.
Although I don’t remember much about “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” since I watched that some time ago, I do think there are quite a number of memorable scenes that did not happen in "Dear My Secretary”. I’ll share more of that at the end of the review, as it could be a spoiler.
Overall, I had a great time watching this drama. I think I am finally getting used to the Thai-style. I like this smaller, cozier, slightly more casual version of “Dear My Secretary”. I love the integration of Thai culture: the bigger-than-life personality of some of the supporting cast (but still tolerable), the beautiful traditional attire and the Thai festivals and traditions. I wish just the writing was tighter in the quarter of the drama and that it kept me interested from start to finish.
Completed: 6/23/2025 - Review #594
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Memorable scenes (to. me) that were missing from the Korean “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”
1. 3-legged sports day race and hugging of co-worker
2. Closet kiss when FL’s sisters were visiting
3. Pushing FL’s chair away when almost caught kissing
4. Beautiful waterfall as the backdrop for the brother’s QA and wedding
5. Their very passionate and iconic first night at ML’s gorgeous and humungous house
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Too short for everything to fully develop.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.25Reading the synopsis of this drama, it seems like a simple rom-com. I wasn’t expecting it to be earth-shatteringly amazing, but just enough to give me some cute and fluffy scenes. Seeking revenge by pretending to be a fake couple sounds like my cup of tea.
As expected for the first 5-6 episodes, the drama is meeting my low expectations. The main leads are likable. The female lead is the typical quiet Japanese girl, but she’s not the pushover type that irritates me. The male lead is not a jerk but is actually caring. In typical Japanese fashion, their romance happens at lightning speed. I was hoping for a little more push-and-pull and have the chemistry brews and sizzles for a little longer. But there’s no time for that!
Unfortunately, the last couple episodes destroy these happy feelings. Instead of a romantic comedy, it becomes a melodrama with family issues. The drama nose dives from a feel-good/cute vibe into melo territory, and there’s just not enough time to give the family drama the proper development.
With each episode lasting less than 20 mins if you take away the opening and ending credit, this drama tries to tackle too much. Luckily, the acting is not bad and there are more than just fish kisses. It’s just not enough for me to give it a higher rating.
Completed: 6/15/2025 - Review #591
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Objective Rating: 8.5
Objectively, “My Fated Boy” is a pretty good noona/jiejie romance. The best thing about this drama is that it did not suffer from having too many cliche plots. As I read other reviewers' comments on this, I wonder what they mean. Now I know. It’s not surprising to see the following in a noona/jiejie romance drama:
- A younger man chasing an older woman, and the challenges of such a large age gap - 7 years.
- The woman resisted the pursuit and worries about the age gap and how others feel about it.
- The unwillingness of telling parents of their relationship, not only because of the age gap but because both families are very close friends.
- The reveal of this secret romance to the public and how it affects an idol/artist’s career
All of this should not be a surprise. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I thought the direction might go down a cliche route, the drama pointed me to a different direction. This happened quite a few times, thus, making this drama an enjoyable watch. I was not yelling at the screen and condemning the leads for making stupid, cliche, predictable choices.
Additionally, this drama is supported by a very lovely and loyal cast. Ok, I wanted to shut Li Tian’s mouth for the first 10 episodes. But her character becomes a lot more tolerable and even lovable in the last 10 episodes. I have to say, Tian Xi Wei is quite good in her role as Li Tian and it’s no wonder she has many lead roles now. The other love triangle is not bad either, with a handsome lawyer who is not overbearing. The sismance is fun yet mature. The bosses are supportive and understanding, and actually align with the values of the leads. Both sets of parents turn out to be surprisingly kind and unintrusive.
I also love the epilogues of the children’s scenes. They are so adorable and acted so well. I love how these flashbacks correspond to the episode’s theme and give us a little background on why and how ML grows up to be the person and boyfriend that he has become.
Last but not the least, if you love a sweet and fluffy romance, Lu Zheng An (ML) is going to put a smile on your face. The leads have good chemistry and I love all of their tight, bear hugs. Their hugs feel so much more intimate and loving than any of their kisses (except the last one).
Having said all that, subjectively speaking, the main romance doesn’t move me. I do have to confess that I am not usually a big fan of noona/jiejie romance, and I watched this because I was craving for some fluff. Despite ML being super adorable and sweet, I am not sure I like how persistent, clingy and slightly stalkerish he is in his pursuit. If he’s a second male lead, we would have condemned his behavior big time. I also did not quite fall in love with either of the main leads. Without this emotional attachment to the actors and/or their characters, “My Fated Boy” just misses the mark for me.
I do recommend “My Fated Boy” if you are a fan of noona/jiejie romance and wanting some cute and fluffy sweetness. The acting is decent with a good soundtrack. I like that the actors are not dubbed, even though this is a 2021 drama.
Completed: 6/13/2025 - Review #589
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Decent romance and love triangle but full of plot holes in the second half
Despite a low rating, I really want to give “Serendipity” a try because I like the leads, Wang Zi Qi and Lu Yu Xiao. I adjusted my expectations yet I still come out disappointed. The romance is the least of my worries, because I have more complaints about the writing and the many plot holes. “Serendipity” also doesn’t seem to have a large budget and that also affected my viewing pleasure.Plot/Pace
The general plot is nothing we’ve never seen before, especially if you have been a long time C-historical fan. And that is OK with me if the execution is done right. The characters are all so smart and can do no wrong (esp. Our male and female leads). I actually enjoy the first half of the drama when the focus is on the new-found family, developing sibling relationship, romance, women empowerment and solving small mysteries. The drama actually did a pretty good job in having all these developed side-by-side and intertwined with each other. But then, the amnesia lasted too long. The love triangle lasted too long. The happy moments of the couple lasted too short. The last 10 episodes were primarily on futile repetitive assassination attempts, plotting for revenge, continuing with the investigation and palace politics. Plot holes are everywhere (poisonous food, poisonous blood, poisonous gas, standing around and doing nothing to save lives, a small knife can kill someone in full armor, etc). Actions by the characters become illogical to just move the story along. The drama lost my attention in the last 5-10 episodes and I don’t care how the villain is going to end.
Acting
I guess another disappointment is the average acting by the cast. I’ve seen Wang Zi Qi and Lu Yu Xiao in plenty of other dramas. Even though Wang Zi Qi has never amazed me, I have never called average. He’s average here and I don’t think it’s because of his character. I’ve been a fan of Lu Yu Xiao for a while and have loved her in many roles. Unfortunately, this is not one of them even though her character is smart, sweet and almost perfect. She’s fine and better than Wang Zi Qi, but still not up to my expectations. The rest of the main cast is OK with Yang Shi Ze being the worst of the bunch. He was so wooden and bland. The super ugly makeup is not helping either.
Romance
There are many complaints about the romance and many watchers have second lead syndrome. Not me! I was on the male lead, Lu Chang’s corner the whole time. I enjoy Lu Chang (ML) and Jiang Ming Shu’s (FL) romantic journey for the most part. The wedding scene in the first episode was heartbreaking but needed. I can see how ML was focused on other important matters instead of this girl who’s in love with him. I can see how he could have misunderstood who she really is. When the amnesia happens, I love how they start to get to know each other from the very beginning and fall in love with each other again. The progression is natural and realistic. Song Qing Zhao (2ML) seems like the perfect guy, but he never really had a chance. Both male leads are lovely and caring in their own way. ML cares in a more practical way (remembering to get a softer pillow and peeling longan shells), yet 2ML cares in a more sweet and romantic way (desserts, hairpin, dates). Unfortunately, this love triangle lasted way too long, but at least it was a very healthy love triangle. The secondary romance could have been cute, but not enough time is given to them to develop their romance properly. I wanted more on how 2ML/2FL slowly fall for each other.
Production
The first things I noticed and disliked about the production are the super ugly white makeup on nearly everyone, and that all the actors were dubbed. I have mixed feelings about the costumes and accessories. Sometimes I really like the styles, e.g. the wedding gowns and the emperor outfits in the end. At times, actors seemed to be wearing clothes a size too big or have layers of thick fabric draped all over them. The OST is fine but nothing extraordinary. The sets are average-looking but never give me a sense of grandeur.
I thought romance would be the area I will be most disappointed in but it ended up being the least of my worries. Romance is not perfect, but it’s what I enjoyed most in “Serendipity”. When the plot starts to get serious, that’s when plot holes start to happen. I am sad to say that this is probably not a drama I would recommend, unless you are super fans of the actors.
Other Random Observations:
1. ML is superman. He’s a scholar, crime investigator, action hero/fighter, lawyer and government official. He’s the smartest and can do no wrong.
2. One of the few C-dramas I see a prince walk around like a commoner with no bodyguards.
3. This prince also has a talent in finding a secret door in record time and minimal effort.
4. Did I see some sped up fight scenes and running?
5. Wang Zi Qi definitely looks better in a modern look. He does not look good at all here.
Completed: 6/1/2025 - Review #586
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A surprisingly good mini drama that doesn't look cheap and with good acting + chemistry
I think one of my clown friends mentioned this drama, so I found it on YouTube. This is not a vertical mini, but a regular Tencent mini drama. It is a low budget for sure, but at least nothing feels cheap. I think this is my little guilty pleasure.“Drunk to Love You” has almost all the cliches and tropes in a trash/guilty pleasure, mini drama. It has 2 of my personal favorites: contract relationship/cohabitation and guessing of feelings. I drink the coolaid right there! The characters are likable and the acting is pretty good. The main leads are visually pleasing and have great chemistry. The kisses are decent but could have been better compared to other minis. I like that ML looks like a sweet boy from next door with the adorable look, instead of a sexy and hot hunk (I love me a hot guy but a change of taste is good sometimes). The secondary romance could use more development but they bring in the sexiness that the leads didn’t give me.
The plot itself is predictable. You can see the plot twists from a mile away. So, if you are looking for a mini with decent production value, pretty good acting and good chemistry, I would recommend “Drunk to Love You” for you. Of all the modern minis out there, this is one of my favorites.
Just based on my feelings on this drama, and totally subjective, I am giving this a high 8.5. I don’t usually rate minis, but for some reason, I want to for this one since I did stay up till 5:30 a.m. to binge-watch this.
Completed: 5/31/2025 - Review #585
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Surprised at the amount of tears I shed for Ah Zhi - more than just NC scenes.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25I’ve been a fan of a couple Taiwanese productions (“Let’s Talk about Chu” and “Us Without Sex”) that are not afraid to be bold and talk about sex, lust, and other taboo topics. “The Nipple Talk” is no exception when exploring the sexy lives of three professionals - Pony, Ah Zhi and Xuan. Their individual stories vary in uniqueness and enjoyability, but their friendship remains consistently the highlight of the show.
The three of them, along with AS Bistro owner, Mama, are just so fun to watch. Despite not agreeing with each other’s choices and decisions 100% of the time, and they are not afraid in speaking up their minds and criticizing. The bond remains strong and genuine. We all want friends like them, who will knock some sense into you, get drunk with you, laugh at and with you.
Pony’s story might be the most common and unoriginal of the three. A girl who got burnt by a past relationship and just wants to have fun and not catch feelings. We followed a few of her sex-capades and her wild life. Her ending is somewhat predictable but what is up with that ending???
Ah Zhi’s story is my favorite of the three. I think I cry the most for him. As a gay guy, it was shown that he’s actually quite conservative and prejudiced. This is probably because of his family upbringing. There are a few times I also want to smack some sense in him, but Mama did it for me. He also has the best character development of the three. We first met him as a loving boyfriend who just wants to get married and has a family. But that dream was crushed and it took him a while to truly be himself. I do admire him for knowing what he wants, persists and does not give in.
Xuan’s story may be the most boring for me. A lesbian who likes to be at the top and in control. She was unapologetic in her way of life until towards the end when she fell in love. The last couple episodes of her story are interesting in a way that I don’t see that explored in many other dramas (well, I also don’t watch GLs).
We didn’t really get to see much of Mama’s story. But we got to know her wild side through many of her finger-sucking flashbacks. In a way, I want to know more about her. But on the other hand, these flashbacks are just the perfect dose. Mama, though seems like a caricature of a character, is actually the voice of reason. She’s also not afraid to smack some sense into them, esp. Ah Zhi’s prejudice and hurtful comments. I also always look forward to her outrageous costumes/attire.
“The Nipple Talk” might not be super unique, but it was an enjoyable watch that explores a variety of topics in a fun and emotional way. The podcast format is actually not really used in a traditional sense like in “Let’s Talk about Chu” or the K-drama “Hit the Spot”. Instead, it’s used as the voice over from Pony when sharing her thoughts and describing what happened. I would have rated this higher if I was moved by Pony and Xuan’s stories. But when writing this review, I realized what I love most about this drama is the friendship and Ah Zhi’s story.
Completed: 5/24/2025 - Review #582
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