WingedBean

A Hilarious Watch that Unfortunately Falters Towards the End

Starting with the good
❄️The Acting - I truly do think that everyone did a good job, but I think my standouts were Im Ji Yeon, Heo Nam Jun, and Yoon Byung Hee.

Despite Byung Hee being a supporting character in every show I've seen him in, I always know that his acting will be good and I will very likely be laughing my behind off. He truly never disappoints

Im Ji Yeon - The last time I saw her was in The Glory (OK, so, truthfully, it was in 'The Killing Vote,' but I dropped that shit so quick I couldn't even tell you what her character was like). Now back to The Glory. I think all, if not the majority of us, can agree that she straight-up traumatized us there. Her character was to be feared, loathed, and hated. That is (fortunately or unfortunately) a character that stays with the audience. From that to this is such a 180, and a glorious one. She played the unhinged Sin Seo Ri beautifully. And I think that proves what an amazing actress she is.

Heo Nam Jun - If you'd have asked me b4 the Twitter thirst traps, I'd have told you that I'd never seen this man in any show. Come to find out he was in both seasons 2 and 3 of 'Sweet Home'. Girl, I never clocked him them😭. I am glad that he got his chance to shine in this drama, though. This is a man who KNOWS how to use his facial muscles. I do not think the romance would have worked as well as it did if his microexpressions weren't as good as they were.

❄️ The Comedy - I have had so much fun with this show the past 7(?) weeks. Anytime Friday would come around, I just knew that I was in for some foolishness. This cast has made me laugh so much over the past few weeks, and I thank them for it. I think the drama deserves recognition for its hilarity (alongside the acting, of course). They stuck the landing on that romantic comedy tag.

❄️The romance - They both might have been crazy, but they communicated. Even in the midst of all that was going on, they always found their way back to each other. Cha Segye fell fast and fell harder than anyone else, and Seori is a bit prickly, but they were both into each other. You see that their love is mature and reciprocal. They never lingered in misunderstandings

Now let's talk about the bits that had me feeling dissatisfied

🌠Inconsistent characterization - Cha Segye & Sin Seori
👩🏻Seori is shown to have a 6th sense for danger in the 1st ep or so, but that wholly disappears by the time the show hits ep 11 or so. The show starts setting up situations for Se Gye to save her. Situations that do not make sense if you recall the woman we started the show with.

For example, that incident with the water. Ep 1 Seori would have started seeking help the minute she felt weird. Actually, she'd have never stayed in that isolated room till late at night. She'd have started asking questions when she saw that these wardrobe pple were taking too long to find her

👨🏻On the other hand, Cha Segye started off being very bullheaded, smart, and cunning. He doesn't let anyone (aside from Seori, that is) lead him on like a fool or take advantage of him. However, when the show requires it, suddenly his cunning and smarts go out the window. He constantly underestimates Mun do allowing him to one-up him.

I'm still so mad at the writer(s) for making this man legit beg Mun Do not to destroy Seori's house. I think he even got on his knees (don't quote me on this, though). The point is, the businessman Cha Segye, the man who built a business despite Mundo, his useless aunts, and his grandfather, would've never done that. I hate that they made him do that.

On to other cast members

🌠Choi Mundo - Why was this man so horrid? You could say that he was made like that. Like, he was horrible in the Joseon era, so he's bound to be horrible too in the modern day. However, I feel like this explanation is a little lazy. While his actions in the Joseon era were very much on the extreme side, he had a reason.

Watching palace dramas is knowing that court politics and accession to the throne is a cutthroat game (quite literally, as they will behead you). So in Joseon, he was horribly protecting his seat.

But what is the explanation in the modern day? Jealousy? Coz he was born poor, and Cha Se Gye has a proverbial silver spoon? That's it? A jealous kid became a jealous (I'm assuming) 40-yr-old who wanted to usurp a conglomerate seat that was never his to begin with? Ai🤦🏾‍♀️

🌠Mo Tae Hui - How did she go from obsessing about getting married to Cha Se Gye and using her economic power to put him back in his 'rightful seat' to besties doing dealings together? That was quite the sudden and weird switch. We should have seen her come to terms with the fact that Se Gye would never be hers, no matter how much she tried. I think they tried showing that to us in the scene where she was speaking to the foreigner at the museum, but based on the fact that she never knew about what happened in the past btwn them, it doesn't make sense

🌠Grandfather - How did this man rise to being the head of this conglomerate? How did he manage to work out the politics of business and grow his company when he couldn't see the evil that was Mun Do all along? Mun Do was right for telling him that he was always a horrible grandfather to Cha Segye. And grandpa was dead wrong in calling Mun Do a burden. Yes, Mun Do was awful, but he cannot just spew those words after using him for all those years.

🌠The aunties - I felt like they never used them enough. They could've been a hilarious duo had they been better utilized.

🌠Ji Hyo - By the time the show was hitting ep 15, she had become one of my favourite characters. However, I cannot help but lament at who she could have been. The weird romance they were pushing btwn her and Baek Gwang Nam was honestly... weird. Funny, but weird. I'd have preferred that they had instead made her story more of a true rival to Sin Seori.

In one of the episodes, Ji Hyo had said that she hated Seori when she was younger, as Seori was better than her. And that once Seori disappeared, she always lived with some kind of anxiety regarding her career. Ji Hyo grows as a character during the course of the show. She's not just a mean character but a complicated, nuanced one. So, rather than the romance, I'd have preferred if she were shown to be using the now 'old but new' Seori as a tool to improve herself.

🌠That one random extra actress - Why on earth was she being mean to Seori? At 1st I thought the Mun Do had bought her off, but the show ends with us never knowing why she suddenly turned evil. Weird

🌠 Other Questions
a. What was the point of Mun Do's kid?

b. Why and how did Mun Do's assistant turn coats? He was never painted as a spy, so... why the change of heart?

c. Back in Joseon, why did Mun Do marry Dansim? He'd already achieved his goal, so what was the point of having her in his bed and elevating her status?

d. Did we really need all the drama and anxiety between eps 11 and 16? I cannot even count the number of times I repeated the line, 'They better not give me another 'Mr. Queen' ending in this one. I do not think the drama about her maybe going, maybe not going, then actually going back to Joseon was necessary. Even Segye's stabbing, what was that about? Did I miss the reason behind why he was stabbed and by who, or was that just the writer's way of forcing Seori to go back to Joseon🤔?

🌠Final Thoughts🌠
Would I recommend this? Honestly, yes. It wasn't perfect. Okay? It wasn't. However, despite the unnecessary drama that the writer(s) added from ep 11 to 16 and unanswered questions, I think this is a solid romcom.
The acting is incredible, the comedy lands, the villain is an actual true villain, and the plot is actually good. I truly believe that this show is actually worth investing your time in (esp those 1st 10 episodes)

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An Unfortunate Case of Wasted Potential

It took me 10 weeks to watch this drama. It'll likely take less time than that to forget it. IMO, I believe the filming style was bad, and the script was worse. Here me out

In terms of script, this drama had 2 and a half excellent topics to work on, but failed them all

1. Classism
As Thai-speaking viewers online pointed out, the title is a literal metaphor: Toto is the dog barking at Kanit, the airplane. It's even shown in the credits where a simple ambulance chases a plane. Toto is reaching for a world completely out of his league.

The drama briefly touches on the stark differences in their lives, careers, and families, but it refuses to linger there. Instead of letting the audience sit in the uncomfortable reality of classism, the show immediately undercuts the tension with cheap comedy, a cute romantic moment, or some dirty jokes.

Throughout the drama, Kanit's and Toto's relationship is constantly fraught with the issues of money and class. However, because the series insists on staying happy and bubbly, it never gives the weight that this heavy topic deserved.

2. Lookism
This concerns Akki and Veha. The latter, after being ignored in school because of his looks, ventures into the real world, hits the gym for the gains and the plastic surgeon's table for the looks.

When he meets his former high school crush, he is plagued by insecurity: 'Does he only like me now because I'm hot? Why did the ugly duckling that I was back in high school not deserve the same attention and love that he's so willing to give now?'

If done right, this could have been a deeply profound exploration of insecurity, as well as the superficiality and shallow-mindedness of humanity.

Instead, the impact was ruined by Veha repetitively asking the same question 'do you only like me now coz I'm hot? 'aloud.

Also, rather than exploring both perspectives -i.e, Veha learning how to accept love as this new self (or something like that) and Akki confronting his own superficiality- the writers took the shallow way out. They tried to convince us that Akki never actually ignored Veha in high school. That kept his bracelet the whole time. *🙄🤦🏾‍♀️*

2a. Veha's Character Growth
This should've been handled better. He started as a side piece who didn't know his place. Rather than the audience walking with him through his journey of atonement and growth, we

⁕1st have to watch him be sorry for himself (back to the badly handled lookism topic above)
⁕2nd suddenly contend with the idea that he's a good guy now. He's changed and gets along with Kanit, the innocent party that he not only helped get cheated on, but also antagonized

The drama tells us that he's grown and changed. But it all happens off-screen. This, quite honestly, does not help his case whatsoever. Because his growth was completely invisible, I felt zero emotional connection to this second couple. Their conversations were repetitive and a total snoozefest.

There's also that sudden switch up by Akki; from calling Veha trash for his side-piece actions to caring for and falling in love with him.... *sense, out the window*

Final Thoughts
Had the creators fixed the script and used a moodier, darker cinematographic vibe—think Burnout Syndrome or Moonlight Chicken—A Dog and a Plane could have been a standout BL.

Instead, it reeks of wasted potential. The romantic comedy is cute, but the story as a whole is utterly forgettable.

But hey, I finally managed to finish a TayNew show (this is after dropping the Cherry Magic remake 3 episodes to the finale), so yaay me🥳🙌🏾

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It's Interesting Enough...

IMO, I think anyone asking fans/viewers not to compare this show to the 1st installment is calling for a tall order. You cannot have a predecessor like the OG Only Friends and expect people to scrub it off their minds to watch this. Like it never happened. That makes no sense. Not only do they share a name, but it's set in the same universe, and the OG cast keep popping in. Come on now.

The OG show was also messy, daring, and different. Far from anything we'd seen b4 in the Thai BL space. Of course, it's going to leave a mark that many will remember. Also, I don't expect a show like Only Friends to be relatable. If they were, I'd be seeking therapy and a new friend group, not sitting in my bed on a Friday to watch a TV show. I'm here to be entertained (and lowkey stressed out), not to find something relatable.

🎭Ok, now for my actual thoughts on this show, the couples, & plot.🎭

1. Jack & Dean
Their start was interesting enough. When Dean seduced Jack in the 1st episode, then Mix proceeded to break the 4th wall and stare deep into my soul, I was sat. I was ready for the mess, to learn what this unforgivable thing Dean had done to lead to the breakup, and to hate him. Turns out, I wouldn't hate Dean at all. In fact, I ended up disliking Jack instead.

God forbid, but if I had a partner like Jack... Bruh, I'd walk straight into Nairobi traffic. Just take me out, man. That man is so fucking petulant. Holy shit! When he got punched in ep 10, I stood up and clapped. A whole standing ovation in the living room. He'd had it coming for so long.

Now, I don't think the reason for their breakup was handled very well in this story. They broke up because Jack found out that Dean was side hustling as a host. And so he drank himself into addiction, hated Dean, and spent the rest of the show punishing him coz he could no longer trust him.

I have beef with that. I think that sex work or sex adjacent work should be handled very carefully, especially in this case, where familial circumstances and poverty led Dean to start hosting. And correct me if I'm wrong, but Dean never slept with any of the clients, did he?
He wasn't in love with any of them either. The man was poor, had to support his mother, was dealing with a sister who had an abusive bf, and didn't want to ask for money from his bf because, well, pride is a thing. Plus, moneyXromatic relationships are always a slippery slope.

Based on that, I'll say that the plot tried to be deep, but failed as they mishandled the topics at hand. Dean's poverty and family situation are only used to show that he's maybe untrustworthy, shame him into everyone thinking that he can be bought for sexual favours, and thus, hard to love. Like Jack was trying soo hard to love him. despite it all. Boo hoo, poor Jack *insert hard eye roll🙄*. Come on, man.

I wish that he'd actually cheated. Then all the drama, the name-calling, the mistrust, and the guilt that Jack (and others) kept throwing at and piling on him could make sense.

Side note 1. I need someone from the GMMTV screenwriters' room to sit me down and explain to me how alcoholism works. In the 1st installment, Ray was back to drinking after ditching rehab coz Sand's love and care made him all better. In this one, Jack, who went to rehab for drinking because he was oh so heartbroken, is back to clubbing and drinking with friends with zero repercussions. What...? How..? Fuck the science of addiction, I guess

2. Arnold & Tua
I don't have much to say about them. Friends-to-lovers has never been the genre for me, so I never have much to say about it. There was a lot of yearning and very cute, heartwarming moments with them. Definitely a change of pace from the mess that was the other couples.

I will, however, thank this show for introducing me to the ship that is JossGawin. I hadn't seen Joss b4 and the last time I saw Gawin was in 2023 in 'Be My Favourite.' I enjoyed their chemistry and acting, and cannot wait to see them in the just announced 'Round One.' I've seen parts of the trailer on Twitter, and it looks interesting. A little different. My interest has been piqued. Thank the gods I have a chance to see them in something since 'Replay' was cancelled.

Side note 2: I need to have a serious talk with whoever was in charge of styling Tua for this show. Y'all put Jack in those absolutely delicious fitted crop tops and put that on Tua?? What in the...🙆🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️. What were you trying to accomplish? What was the vision here?

3. Rome & Raffy
Now, if trophies were to be handed out to the couple with the most memorable NC scenes, they'd be taking them home. No questions asked. AouBoom is another new ship that this show introduced me to. Such incredible chemistry and good acting. Outside of their chemistry, their overall storyline was weak, though.

Rome was the good, long-suffering one, while Raffy was out there chasing and appreciating anything and everyone apart from the one person who showed him care. Yes, they got back together, but it felt a little rushed. Rome was really the 2nd option😭. Everyone left, and Raffy had no one, so he picked him. Tsk tsk.

I wanna see their future projects, but I'm weary of the upcoming 'Billionaire Biker.' I watched the trailer, and something about it gave me the vibes of 'A Boss and A Babe,' a show I could not complete. It's one of those GMMTV 'idol dramas', where the ship, their visuals, and their chemistry carry the show on their backs, while the actual plot limps and gasps for breath in the background.

🎭Other Thoughts🎭
a. The cameos from the OG cast were so much fun. I thought Sand & Ray cameos would be my highlight, only for Boston & Nick's conversation to come outta nowhere and take the cup. That was perhaps the best conversation in this whole installment. So heartfelt

b. Speaking of Boston, they used that man as bait. Had me all stressed out, only for him to work to push the couples together. Zero mess from him *sigh*. And then he had the most random 'come to Jesus' moment outta nowhere

c. What happened to the 100k that Pete stole? Yeah, he got exposed for the scheming, thieving, lying little shit that he was, but did he give back the money?

d. I wish they hadn't quickly dropped with that on-screen ship vs r/ship side plot that they started with DeanxArnoldxJack. I think that could have made a very interesting social commentary on the behind-the-scenes lives in the BL (and more recently GL) world

e. How did poor boy Dean end up in a high-rise with floor-to-ceiling windows? Did the pple behind the story forget that bro was poor? Or does rent in Thailand work differently than where I'm from?

f. Dean & Raffy's catty cutting fights were so fun to watch. Raffy was certainly in over his head trying to take on Dean.

g. Not enough 'cross kissing' for my liking

h. We saw Great in the 2nd-to-last scene. Does that mean we'll be getting a 3rd installment? If so, please, please bring back the mess - and tighten the plot

🎭Final Remarks🎭
Overall, the show is good. You can watch it, but perhaps lower your expectations on the messiness. It's nowhere near the levels of greatness set by its predecessor. The actors were good. The plot wasn't. It played it too safe and left many glaring plot holes.

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*taps chin contemplatively* Hmmmm...

This is yet another show that took over my Twitter feed for weeks and has (as of now) very high ratings, but I just seem to be on the other side of the majority.

👻Let's start with the good👻

1. Arthit's r/ship with Direk - If there's one thing that Thai BLs will give you, it's a shitty dad. They are a dime a dozen. Out here, like they are trying to win 'worst BL dad of the genre' or something. That's why it was so refreshing to see how healthy and utterly unserious the relationship between this father and son was. Please, can we get more of this? I'm tired of all the a-holes.

2. This gave me 'Semantic Error' vibes in a couple of ways
a. Daotok reminds me of Chu Sang U. He is very robotic, especially in those beginning episodes. He seems to have a bit of a hard time peopling and a harder one understanding Arthit

b. How Arthit pursues Daotok. He lowkey basically annoys him into liking him. Which is what Jae Yeong did to bag Sang U. It wasn't on the same level, of course, but Arthit took a page from Jae Yeong's book. I like this version of pursuing what is basically a spicy street cat in human form. You have to be willing to annoy them and push boundaries (knowing that it will earn you some scratches) if you want them to notice and keep noticing you.

3. The relationship development in episodes 4-6 - This is where their relationship, the slowburn as it is, shines the best.

4. That NC scene - Who directed that shit? And can we have them coordinate more scenes in the future? Coz Holy Shit... Lemme not say more on this very public platform.

5. Solid friend groups for both characters

👻What Could've Been Done Better👻

1. The 1st 3 episodes - The pacing is off, and overall, doesn't add much to the plot or the overall plot. Perhaps, you could argue that it helps introduce us to Daotok's powers and helps with forced proximity between the characters. I'll agree with you that it's true.
But the fact that each episode is about an hour long, and we don't really get to see much of Daotok's power after ep 3 (I think), and the girl from jail ups and disappears until she's needed for some sleuthing later, it overall feels like a waste of time.
Maybe they didn't have enough material to fill 8 episodes and chose to drag this out. Or maybe they did, but chose the wrong thing. IDK, I haven't read the novel.

2. Arthit's behaviour in that living room scene in Ep 6 - I have no idea where that behaviour change came from. He'd been such a respectful green flag in the r/ship, then all over sudden.... TF? That kiss and the reasoning behind it weren't it. It reminded me of those Korean manhwas that start so healthy, genuine, and respectful, then, for some unknown hellish reason, the author decides that s*xual assault is what the story needs. Their makeup after that was really cute, but I'm sure they could have done quite literally anything else to bring them closer. Not this predatory act

3. Ep 7 & 8 - More pacing issues. And the absurdity of the choice to include a random shooting? It reminded me of those useless 3rd act break-up scenes. Where the author or screenwriter is like, 'Ah, they are doing too good and too happy right now. Let's include some drama.' And now, as the reader/viewer, I'm stuck wondering where all the unnecessary drama came from.
The shooting incident didn't even add anything to any relationship. Daotok had already accepted being with Arthit. He didn't need this random occurrence to make him 'realize' his feelings for the man, or whatever point they were trying to make

Overall, I'd say that this is fine. While the pair is cute together (I really enjoyed how cute n needy Arthit became once he started pursuing Dao), the overarching story itself leaves much to be desired. What had the potential to be good is ruined by pacing issues and side quests that could have been done and over within 2 episodes, tops.

Random (unrelated) thoughts
i. I could not help but wow at how beautifully their skintones contrasted. Generally, BLs love that (slightly) tan topXpale bottom thing. I usually notice it as like a footnote in my head, but it doesn't stand out to me. Maybe this time it stood out coz of how deeply(?) tan Ngern is. I pray that that man never touches skin-lightening products

ii. If Ngern and Joss Way-ar ever took a gym pic together while flexing those biceps, shoulders, and thighs, I would potentially, spontaneously combust. May the gyms in Thailand remain open, and may these two never stop going

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Goddammit! They made me (sit through &) enjoy fluff

I go into every fluffy drama with a dramatic side eye. IDK what it is about them, but more often than not, the acting is usually average at best, the comedy is overdone (or doesn't land), the pacing is horrendous, or the story is overly simplistic or nonsensical. And if I'm particularly unlucky, I am assaulted with the deadly combination of 3 or all the above factors.

If you cannot tell, I do not generally enjoy fluff shows - I mean, my favourite BL stories include "My Beautiful Man", "Love Mechanics", "My Stand-In", "The End of the World with You", "KinnPorsche", "Moonlight Chicken", and most recently "Revenged Love". Clearly, I have a flair for the dramatic. I like a complicated story with characters who live in the grey areas of life, rather than in clear-cut blacks and whites. Fluff doesn't cut it in my house. Which is why my enjoyment of this drama comes as such a surprise to me.

Despite liking FirstKhao's acting chops, I was convinced I'd hate it. But week after week, I found myself coming back. The plot is simple but not nonsensical. It has heart, specifically in regards to Khaotung's character dealing with his mom's death (the guilt and regrets surrounding that), the aftermath and picking up the pieces, as well as learning to open himself up to love. The comedy also wasn't overdone. All in all, it was a good, low-stress way to pass the time on a Tuesday night.

Now, would I rewatch this? Honestly, no. Just because I like FirstKhao as an acting ship doesn't suddenly make me a changed woman. I am set in my ways. I am more likely to rewatch their scenes in Only Friends or The Heart Killers than I am this. I think I was able to enjoy this as much as I did because I only had to watch one episode a week. Everything was spaced out. If I had to binge it, I'd have likely dropped it. Or it'd have taken me a lot longer to complete it. But for those who love fluffy shows and like this ship, yeah, I believe your rewatch value/likelihood will be much higher than mine

PS. High school BLs (with age-appropriate actors) are the only exception to my dramatic side eye. They are 1000% allowed to be fluffy and cute. I will eat the shit up every time.

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Tries to be realistic, passes in some parts but fails in others

The Wins
1. I think their attempt to highlight the harm caused by obsessive fans is great. As someone who's been in the K-pop space for about 4 years now, I'm genuinely shocked and scared every time I see just how much people are invested in idol off screen lives. Actually, even their onscreen lives too.

2. The burden of being a celebrity in an image-obsessed society. At some point in the earlier episodes, it is pointed out that Laik is a brand, not a person. He's only allowed to be one way and can never be human. That's honestly such a sad existence.

3. The murder mystery aspect - This is like half a win. It was really interesting in those 1st 6/7 episodes. I was hella invested in the whodunnit of it all. However, somewhere around the 7th/8th episodes, everything went downhill. The plot stalled and started going round and round in circles with no end in sight. We also veered off, paying more attention to the romance, rather than the fact that a high-profile celebrity is accused of murdering his equally high-profile bandmate.

4. The reveal - They win on who the murderer was. I would not have guessed it

The Misses
1. Se Na - I think making her his fan was the wrong thing to do. I feel like it contradicts the initial message they were trying to make, especially with those fans who broke into his house and somehow found his number. If the point of the show was to stop fan delusion, they failed when they made his fan 'win' by having him fall in love with her.

IMO, it perpetuates the delusion that 'if only I get to meet my idol, then he'd fall for me', which is harmful for the levels of delusion seen in such fandoms. I think it'd have been best had she not been a fan of him at the beginning, but had become one in the process. Or if she were to remain a fan, she'd have been a more casual one, and he shouldn't have been her main bias.

2. The legal perspective - I speak on this as someone with a legal background. Her unshakeable belief in him was utterly unbelievable. It is human to be doubtful. Hell we are faced with doubt in relation to those closest to us (family & friends), how can you be so trusting of a celebrity? Just coz you are his fan and he saved you once way back when?

Again, the show worked hard to show us that fans don't really know what goes on behind the scenes of celebrity lives. We can speculate, choose sides when information is lacking, even when some information is revealed. But at the end of the day, we still don't know these people. This messaging is unfortunately undermined by the whole 'I'm his fan, I even met him once by chance, so clearly I know him. He'd never do that', undertone of the plot/romantic situation.

Also, lawyering is a job. You don't always trust your client. Sometimes you do, but as the case goes on or as more facts come to light, doubt can set in. That whole thing of 'I'll only pick a lawyer who 100% believes in my innocence' is dumb. And a privilege not afforded to many IRL. Heck, if lawyers only worked with people they wholeheartedly believed, the whole industry would collapse. And if accused persons only looked for legal representatives who believed in them 100%...., Bruh, everybody's going to jail.

3. Her dad's case - Why set up her background, show us the very reasons she is who she is today, the reason why she (partly) chooses to represent Laik only for you to not show us what happened with the dad's case?

Final Thoughts
a. Had they not sacrificed the idol life reality plot for the romance, I think this story would've been more impactful. But maybe they were afraid of the netizens and didn't wanna ruffle too many feathers.

b. They propped up the prosecutor in the beginning, but didn't use him to the fullest. His whole story of 'former high school bully turning a new leaf and leaving his terrible/corrupt father's shadow' would have been interesting to watch if further explored.

c. I don't think this was the intention of anyone in that writer's room, but I finally grasp (really well at that) why some idols have said that they wouldn't want to date their fans. Like, I always had an idea why, but watching this had me sitting on my couch and nodding like 'aaaah, I see it now. It makes so much sense!'

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Less About Revenge, More About Found Family

My journey with Payback started on a random Wednesday afternoon. Procrastinating because I didn't want to work somehow led to binge-watching five episodes in one go. The hype was real, and my mind was blown, and I was hooked. Needless to say, no work was done that afternoon. And I have thoroughly (and largely enjoyed) my time with this drama.

While the story begins with revenge as its central theme, the plot expands as the episodes unfold. It morphs from this simple, straightforward goal to become about Sun finding himself, forgiving himself, and, in a way, finding a home and a family to 'replace' the one he lost 5 years prior. He learns to not only love and forgive himself, but also to allow love (in its different forms) to find a place in his heart.

What I Liked
☀️Sun's relationship with Kajorn and Sky
It was the best part of this story IMO. It contributes toabout 95% of his healing journey. Forget Jay. Were it not for these two, I think Sun's journey would've taken a lot longer than it did.

And Kajorn is the MVP of this whole show. No other character made me laugh as much as he did. Someone should add comedy to the tags, coz some of this shit was funny as fuck.

☀️The Acting - Some of the side characters did leave much to be desired. However, the main characters and the major supporting roles did their job quite well. Aside from Boss (oh! and Max), I didn't know any of the other faces in the show, and they all impressed me with their performances.

☀️The Chemistry - The main leads work incredibly well together and play off each other beautifully. I am so impressed that I wish the BL gods would allow them to work together again. And please let them have a good script and a good director.

☀️Pacing & Plot - I have not read the source material, so I only have the adaptation to go off of. I was not bored once. I was stressed, I was angry, I was giggling, but I was never bored.

What Could've Been Better
🎥Episode 9 - What the hell was that? It's been a week (since the episode aired) and I'm still mad. Those were some incredibly dumb decisions that did not fit the character profiles established throughout the show, especially Sun's.

🎥The Villains' Ending - The drama does not shy away from showing the horrible things that go on behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. How it chews and spits out the innocents whose crime is to have a dream.

That part I liked. I was horrified by it (still am tbh), but I like that they didn't try to sugarcoat it.

So, based on the horrific things I was subjected to over the 10 episodes, I feel like two of the main villains, Songphon and Kongkiat, got off way too easily. I wasn't satisfied. I wanted a blow-up. I wanted them exposed to the public and shamed. Only then could they die.

The only villain whose ending I found satisfactory is Sunny's. After all the shit he unapologetically did not only to Sun but also to the numerous faceless young boys, so he could keep his sponsor happy and maintain his position in the industry, you couldn't pay me to care or feel bad for him, and where he ended up. I simply do not have that much sympathy or compassion in me.

☀️Final Thoughts☀️
Actually, I think I've run out of words for a proper conclusion😅. I've written too many reviews this week. Just go watch it. It's worth your time

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Perhaps I should stop trusting recs on social media

I've been dropping a lot of Cdramas lately, so I wanted to push myself to complete this. But I cannot stop thinking about how much I DON'T WANT to keep watching it (seeing as I chose to drop this show and write this review at 1:30 am).

If you were to ask me why I feel dissatisfied with this drama, I'd tell you that 'they' sold this drama wrongly to me. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this recommended as

1. An epic romance - Que that one scene with our FL and ML kissing while ML is on a horse and the military is walking in slow mo on either side of them

2. A show with a cruel, fierce white-haired general - *insert - multiple tweets, fan edits, and Reddit posts about Song Mo being one of the coolest white-haired generals out there, with apparently one of the best snowy entrances - here*

I went into this expecting a few things

i. A cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general
ii. Based on the happenings in ep 1, a collaboration of brains and brawn from the FL and ML — both working together to evade the terrible fates in their 1st lives.
iii. A love story that defied all odds through the sheer will, stubbornness, and cleverness of the main characters

Instead, what I got was

a. Some odd reincarnation (can we even call it that?) plot - So 3 people got a chance at a 2nd life - not 2 as I'd initially thought. Not bad. But, rather than me getting a version of 'The Princess Royal' where both the ML and FL find out about this 2nd life and work together, it turns out that he thinks it's a dream.

And the other person who knows the truth is a male character who rarely pops into this story.

He could be a random sage from the ages, a part-time narrator, or maybe a random magical being from how little he shows up and influences the plot. He randomly shows up, has a short convo with our FL (they are reincarnation besties after all), explains some things, then poof! He's gone. Eh??? Why's he even here?

b. The ML & FL don't work together - Until she decides to marry him, she spends her time saving him in secret, avoiding him where possible, lying to him, and trying her best to ignore his existence the rest of the time.
He, on the other hand, uses her largely as his moral compass/sounding board. At times when he has to make a decision, he or someone close to him goes ' What would Dou Zhao do?', and then they go from there

c. Zero presence of the cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general I was promised - The white hair, this white hair that I kept seeing over and over and fucking over my feed showed up in episode one and never again! *insert gif of me falling dramatically to the ground in tears and despair*

Like Y'ALL TOLD ME, YOU PROMISED ME that I was going to witness the coolest, hottest white-haired general, only for that to last for 1 episode???? Then, THEN!!! This so-called white hair shows up in some later episode as a random little strand coz he was stressed, as his father is an ass. But she saved him, so.... that was the end of that. I just... Liars. All of you!

Let's not even talk about how rash he is. The man doesn't even stop to think. Just rushes everywhere, sword and anger first, thoughts and consequences later. Because of his thoughtlessness, he even becomes a sort of pawn in Dao Zhou's hands

d. Inconsistent characterisation - This is largely about Duo Zhao. For most of the story, she is portrayed as a rebellious yet purposeful young lady. She learned her mistakes from her 1st life, so when given a chance to redo her life, she takes destiny into her own hands and defies what is expected of her as a motherless noble daughter with a spineless father.
She chooses to forge her own path, learning not only business but also how to stand up for herself and deal with crafty people.

So, with all that in mind, can anyone explain to me why, when she went back to her father's house, she sat back and let her horrendous stepmother basically dog-walk her? Let the terrible, power-hungry uncle continue pulling strings in the household?
The young lady we were introduced to before could have run laps around her stepmother and uncle. Could have found 15000 ways to prevent her marriage to Wei Ting Yu. She had the smarts, money, and connections to do it. But no. It took her younger sister daring to plot against her for her to evade that marriage. Girl... WTF?

e. Their romance is just, meh - They didn't sell it to me. Rather than it feel like 2 people mutually liking and falling for each other, it feels like her constantly avoiding him as he follows and badgers her like a lost puppy, hoping to be loved. She's closed off, and usually, this characterisation can work if it comes off as the character being careful. Here, instead, it comes off as cold. They didn't convince me of this epic love between them.

Like, that episode where she wants some, was it tofu pudding🤔? and he hears about it, so he has his men buy multiple tofu puddings from the capital and have them taken to her grandmother's estate in the countryside. That should've made me go 'aaaww. What a thoughtful, caring man.' Instead, all that rang in my brain at that scene was, 'Is this how he's spending military personnel and funds? Wow, what a waste'😭

Perhaps if I had gone into this without the set expectations, I'd have enjoyed this better. But seeing as I can't help thinking 'this is not how it was supposed to be' every time I watch the story unfold, I believe it's time to let go.

PS. A character I was rather invested in, in a way I didn't expect, was Ming'er. I feel bad for her. She might have been terrible in the 1st life, but I think that was her mother's influence. She is such a sweetheart in this life. I'd hoped that she and Dou Zhao would form a nice sisterly bond in this life. That both their fates would be better as in truth, they are innocent victims of their cirucmstances. Of the mistakes of their parents.

But seeing how she's still under her mother's thumb and ended up married to that useless man, I don't think that's happening. She's also being bullied by the useless man's money-hungry sister, and the husband, in his glorious uselessness, hides behind his very young wife's skirts and does nothing about it. Leaving her to fend for herself. Sigh, the poor girl.

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If you're here for JD flirting, congratulations. You win.

If you're here for some semblance of plot..., just turn back now. For your sanity, go find something else.

As a person who genuinely enjoys thrillers, I have several questions

1. Where's the urgency? Can someone explain to me why they were strolling everywhere? People were dying, falling like flies, and they never rushed to anything. They just be casually strolling everywhere

2. Why did they always speak in front of the suspects' door? Every. Single. Fucking. Time!!!

3. Did the person behind the camera know that this was supposed to be a crime thriller show? Why did we spend 97% of the time watching them flirt and be hot n' cold with each other as people were quite literally dying?

4. Seriously, what even was this????

OK, I'm done yelling. I came into this largely because

a. This is the 1st Thai bl to ever air on Netflix in my region. I wanted to support. You know, show Netflix that yes, license more Thai shows, Thai BLs, and air them in my part of the world

b. Joong was hilarious with his marketing. I'd have supported because of that alone

c. Joong & Dunk had impressed me in The Heart Killers. I'd previously dropped 'Hidden Agenda,' but the acting in THK gave me hope.

But now, after all those hours and episodes, my hopes were crushed, and I'm left disappointed. As I said in the title, anyone who came here to support JoongDunk simply because they are JoongDunk will have a fun time watching them flirt and banter. However, anyone like me who's here hoping for an actual plot with the mystery aspect... *sigh* don't do it. I'm so fucking let down

PS. I'm back to complaining again

i. Why does this feel like a 'Here, Damn!' type release?

ii. I lowkey think they (GMMTV) licensed this on Netflix as a way to promote JASP.ER, not really to promote Thai BL, Thai actors, or even Thai storytelling. This is not worldwide Netflix release quality. Maybe they also did that to follow in Dumondi's footsteps with Zomvivor. They didn't want to be left behind and just slapped some shit together real quick.

iii. This release made me think, 'Kpop companies🫱🏾‍🫲🏾Thai BL companies'. They both take their fans fi eediat. They give us the bare fucking minimum—sometimes even less than that— because, unfortunately, most people in the fandom will eat it up and praise it. Why would they need to do better?

iv. I'm giving this CP 1 more chance before giving up. I genuinely want to like them, but it's so hard to watch one of them try to act. The people said he'd gotten better, but I somehow think that he got worse from their last installment together.
I am on my knees praying to the Lord that the acting in the upcoming 'How to Survive my CEO' be better. Otherwise, I'll be throwing in the towel

v. I DESPERATELY need the pple in GMMTV's makeup department to do better with their tattoo work. When I saw First's tattoo in THK, I literally laughed outloud. It was so glaringly obvious that it was some cheap temporary tattoo. Something that bad on a tattoo artist was just...*sigh*. Like Khaotung has a tattoo. Use that as fucking reference on how tattoos should look like!

But the laugh that I laughed back then was nothing compared to the laughter I experienced in EP 9. What do you mean Joong's tattoo started running and fading coz of the water, and YOU PUT THAT IN THE FINAL CUT?!?!?!?!? They didn't even bother to try fixing it in post-production or nothing😭😭😭

I beg the pple in this company's make up departement to go to Dumondi and find the person/people who did Keng's tattoos for KhemJira. Get that person and have them train your people on how to do better work. You cannot keep insulting your viewers, tattoo artists, and tattooed people like this

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I feel like they didn't know where they were going, or maybe they did and I just got lost

I think the start of this was great. The idea feels different. While it does remind you of previous Netflix shows in the supernatural/horror realm, the idea is different enough to stand out on its own.

What I Liked/Enjoyed
🧸👻The Ggeomeoksali - Regardless of differing opinions on the story itself, I think we can all agree that the Ggeomeoksali was the MVP of this entire show. I saw someone refer to it as a Joseon labubu, and I laugh every time I remember that. I missed him when he disappeared in the latter episodes

🧸👻Gu Cheon as a character - I think most stories would portray someone with his backstory as brooding and depressed. I like that he wasn't that. While he clearly has his burdens to carry, he is actually quite funny. He's rude, dismissive, lazy, and complains about just about everything. He'll do what needs to be done, but you will sure as all heck hear him complaining about it throughout. His attitude brings in an unexpected comedy to this story

🧸👻Saeng Gang - While I do feel like the story could have used her and her abilities (both archery and shamanic powers) better, I feel like she was a decent female character. They didn't write her perfectly, but they didn't make her a constant liability to the ML. She could hold her own, and I love that.

I've seen some say that she was a bitch, I think that, like Gu Cheon, she had a chip on her shoulder. She was guarded and angry, all with good reason. Despite dressing like a court maid, she was also a noble and a princess. Given the time period, initially, she acted in the same way most noble ladies did towards commoners. She also obviously changes for the better later. We shouldn't ignore that

🧸👻The relationship btwn Saeng Gang and Gu Cheon - I quite enjoyed their banter, and they generally worked quite well together. The story did seem to subtly push a blooming romance between them, though. Not sure how I quite feel about that, but I'm leaning towards not being a fan of it. I enjoyed them quite a lot as reluctant to willing partners. The ending does hint at a possible 2nd season, so I'd have appreciated it if the (very subtle) romantic vibes had been left out of this one

🧸👻 - Cinematography - The drama is beautiful to look at. Especially when we're in the human realm. It's filmed beautifully. However, when we cross over to the shostly realm, things get a bit shaky. It's still generally well done, but the 'higher ghosts' with their tendrils looked rather off sometimes.

What I Didn't Like/Found Confusing/Could've Been Done Better

👻🧸The King should've been on the poster - This is less of a drama problem and more of a marketing problem (read lie). The majority of this story is not even about Gu Cheon. It's about the king, then his daughter (Seang Gang), and then Gu Cheon. I went into the plot expecting the story to be about a ghost slayer and the lady who could hear ghosts.

I expected the story to revolve around them. Their partnership as they worked to set the palace free from whatever malevolent force was plaguing it. Instead, the story largely revolves around the king. While I understand what the marketing team was trying to do, with this being Nam Joo Hyuk's 1st role since the military, the expectations were so not what I found on the ground.

👻🧸 The plot felt like it was trying to do too much, and it couldn't figure out how to tie it all together nicely. To make everything blend and work well together.

What starts as a supernatural drama suddenly reveals hidden layers of class issues, political machinations, succession battles, and wells of lies. If done well, all this could have come together cohesively to make a beautiful, intriguing, and deeply disturbing story. In fact, right before the story of the most favoured concubine concluded, I found myself immersed in the utter horribleness of palace life - regardless of status.

However, as the story unfolds, because the forces behind all these evil deeds are largely one-dimensional or do not have enough depth, the story falls flat. Every reveal is surprising, but it doesn't linger enough to make you feel or mean something. They tell you something, then quickly move on to the next thing.
They disregard it or bury it; thus, when they eventually try to tie things up in the end, it all feels a little meh

👻🧸The story doesn't use its villains well enough
a. 🤴🏻The emperor is there to be prideful, insecure(?), angry, dismissive, and a barrier to what needs to be done. He spends so much time being frustrating for unknown reasons that when the truth behind his actions is revealed, I find that I no longer care. When they try to give him a little depth, make him human, and perhaps make him more understandable to the audience, I no longer care to see it.

He is also very inconsistent as a character. It's like they didn't know whether to make him pure evil or make him nuanced. He spends most of the story bulldozing people, murdering, and generally being evil. Then they decide he's a loving father and a good king. Then he's evil again

A good example is perhaps the situation with the random pesitlence villagers: He comes across them, gets them some help, and even changes his plans to go back to the palace and set preventative measures. Then he almost dies. After being saved and waking up 1st thing he does is to send soldiers to obliterate the village. I miss the logic as to why this happened. Was a scene cut or something? Or was the plot just using this incident to find a way to make the crown prince more powerful? A way to make him an akgwi?

b.👸🏻The Queen Dowager - She was a great villain, but they used her up too soon and cast her aside. Then she comes back with a crooked face (a stroke maybe), and she never regains the presence that she had in the beginning 4 episodes. Her greed for the throne also seemed rather shallow. All this drama and evil deeds were driven by the fact that someone who she considered a 'mudblood' dared sit on the throne. 1st world problems, my guy. 1st world problems (only this time it's nobles' problems?)

c.👵🏻Saeng Gang's grandmother - Now she was a true surprise villain. But again, rather than the story using her well enough, we find out about her atrocious actions and never see her again. As I said above, the story loves to give you a surprise reveal. A jumpscare, if you may, about how horrible and evilactual humans beings can be - worse than even the spirits they feared -and then does nothing about it. In the end, she simply scurries off into the night. Very anticlimactic

d. 👴🏻 Price Iksang - Used well enough, he could have been another great villain. However, he only pops in when the plot needs him to and largely hides behind a shaman whose origins and story the audience knows nothing about.

👻🧸Missing Logic - the Princess
I mentioned the lack of logic and inconsistency with the king's character. Another character who sometimes evades logic is the princess. She comes to the palace hating her father, then midway through, she wants to save him. My question is, why? It doesn't seem to be for the sake of the country, at least in my opinion.

The girl never really thought about the realm like that. Aside from that one incident in the village, the commoners were never on her mind. So why did she suddenly change her tune? Because she remembered the emperor patting her head once when she was a kid? Based on all the anger she was carrying, that seems like too light a reason for her to care about keeping him alive

👻🧸I never found the story scary - Netflix advertises this as scary and horror. I was neither scared nor did I find elements in the plot horrifying. The only part I felt came close to what was advertised was in the final episode, where the ghost prince yanked off an arm and ate it. But they didn't even show that in full, so..., impact not felt.

🧸👻Final Thoughts👻🧸
I feel like storytelling let down this project. The idea was truly great. The greed, lies, and selfishness of humans being bigger and worse than the actual supernatural is pretty great. Unfortunately, the idea is not well supported. Not by the characters nor by the logic of some of the happenings. Had the people working on this taken the time to flesh out their characters, the villains especially, and all the ties that bound them, I think we could have gotten a story that matched the hype of this drama, the actors, and the quality of production.

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Oh! Thank F∧ck it's Over

Oooh Lord, I have SUFFERED. I have been tried, and I have properly gone through it with this damn show. It was 6 weeks of hell and flabberghast. And I have no one to blame but myself. Because, why didn't I drop this shit?? I don't think I've ever watched a show where, by the end, I hated everyone - both main characters included.

Complaining aside, if I were to seriously sit with the question "why didn't I drop this shit?" I'd say that it's because the characters are intriguing, especially LXF. His situation with his birth family, his in-laws, and his imbalanced r/ship (fueled by classism and a lack of communication) with his brother-in-law make a compelling plot.

I wanted to follow his story and root for him to come out on top. To finally say enough is enough and get his lick back at all the atrocious people in his life. However, by the finale, I hated him too. I genuinely disliked every character we came across. I didn't even care for the twist we got at the end. It felt kinda 'meh' and wasn't nearly as cathartic as I'd have liked.

Now, as for things that this drama has taught me;
1. The damsel in distress trope does not work for me. I knew it didn't work for women, and now I definitely know it 100% doesn't work if the damsel in question is a dude.

2. If anyone dared propose to me with anything resembling the words 'will you cook for me forever', I will immediately smack them upside the head with a cast iron pan.

3. My 2026 brain is not made for such a plot and such characters. LXF constantly reminded me of a faceless 'wife' character from 'the good ol days' where women existed for others. She, the wife, doesn't quite have agency. She lives for her birth family, then her husband and his in-laws - and is deferent to them all. Speaks only when she's spoken to. Has opinions but never shares them because the husband said no. She lives to serve her husband in their home.

And is forever a blushing virgin, no matter how many times they've done it. Sexual desire comes from her husband - she never initiates. But she's down whenever he wants it - she'll blush and say a coy 'no' (that's supposed to be sexy), through it all, though. My God, this show made me angry.

4. No one but me suffers when I insist on watching a show where I'm rolling my eyes at every character on screen.
Note to self: Drop the show and stick to reading the damn comments next time if you're that curious about the characters.

IMO, this show is not fit for a 2026 audience (me). Maybe it'd have worked in the 90s and the early 2000s (maybe), but not now. While the story has good points- love in between classes, how upbringing affects one's self-worth, and the burden of familial obligation- it all goes down the drain because the characters feel so bland. Like cardboard. I saw no growth, just suffering. And the lickback I'd powered through 11 episodes for was not only rushed through and poorly explained in the finale, but the person seeking revenge went straight back to subservience as soon as the husband showed up🤦🏾‍♀️.

I'm generally a fan of 'the heart wants what it wants' kind of love stories, but this was just stupid.

Final Thoughts:
Girl, I'm tired. I never want to hear about this drama ever again. I'm actively wiping it off my mind as I type this line.

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If There's an Afterlife, Let Me be the One to Find You

Congratulations go to the director for creating one of the most visually stunning C-dramas I've come across. Zeng Qing Jie, if I could kowtow to you, I would. I remember watching the 1st episode and just thinking to myself,

'How is it so pretty? How is everyone so gorgeous? Not just the main leads, everyone, even the villagers, looked beautiful. How is this land so beautiful?? Even Changyu's house, a pig farmer's house, is presented with care. It's not a noble house with all the grandeur, but a cozy slice of heaven in the middle of a terrible world.'

Every scene is well thought out and shown in the best light. Let's not even begin talking about how excellently lighting is used in this story. I am not qualified to speak or properly express how well it's done

What I Liked (aside from the cinematography, of course)

1. The Characters - This story doesn't waste its cast. The characters, especially those in Lin'an helped mold this story. They were all so beautifully layered. The ones who stood out to me the most were

a. Fan Chang Yu - She had me the moment she slapped that pig in the 1st episode. Then she carried that grown-ass man on her back, and I decided I was going to stay. I love her. I like that she was normal, brute strength, of course, but normal. Normally, when women need to be strong in dramas, their personalities are cold and detached. Or they act more masculine than feminine. Or a combination of both.

It was good to see something different. I like that Chang Yu was still feminine and unrestrained in personality. She maintained her warm, caring personality throughout the show. Also, her not being smart was utterly hilarious. The way those Scholars kept running away from teaching her.... How Wen Kan was bedridden after a few days of trying to be her teacher....🤣🤣🤣

PS. After seeing the BTS scenes of Tian Xi Wei, girl.... I might just start hitting the gym because of you. So much strength and muscle in such a tiny body.

b. Xie Zheng - Has there ever been a hornier man in all of Hengdian? If so, someone please direct me to him. Those specific scenes in episodes 35 (or was it 36?), 37, and 38 will remain in my mind for a long time. I am partial to a beautiful, clingy man, so he ticked all the boxes for me. He fell for her the minute she came to find him in that pig sty that she'd hidden him in and never stopped. She really was his safe space. I also love me a matrilocal husband. And he took that role seriously, status be damned.

PS. We all know Zhang Ling He is beautiful. I remember seeing him in a scene in the drama 'The Best Thing', (I think he was admiring flowers or something), and pausing to think to myself, "I get it now. I understand now what those damnei stories are talking about when they mention beautiful men. They are talking about him." I thought he was pretty then, but that was nothing compared to how he looked in this show. Congratulations to his parents. This is a fine specimen.

c. QianQian - Though her story is a sad one, I loved how it worked to show us the difference in women's strengths. While Changyu had brute strength and martial arts training, QianQian's strength was in stubbornness, smarts, and perseverance. In a way, she reminded me of Qiao Man from 'The Prisoner of Beauty.' Their strength is softer, quieter.

Some women can fight on the battlefield, some with the power of the court, or a strong family background. However, more often than not, (like in QianQian's case), many women had to battle and batter with their minds and bodies—what some would call 'feminine wiles'—just to survive the men that came into their lives and trapped them. I love that she never gave up trying to run away. And always showed Qi Min that she hated him, even when that put her in danger

2. The Comedy
This drama may not have a comedy tag, but it was funny as fuck. From the pig slaps to the multiple slaps rained on Sui Yuan Qing (and the boxers incident), to little Chang Ning turning away and counting to 10 every time her sister (and later her sister and brother-in-law) beat someone, Song Yan's eventual humiliation, and the emperor crying with his eunuch, the pig butcher squad bullying people at the military camp, etc. The comedy and comedic timing in this were so good.

3. The Romance
This drama is 1st and foremost a romance. I loved that part. Watching the 3 couples navigate their 3 very different romantic (one of them isn't really romantic tbh) storylines was so good. The strongest romantic storyline is obviously that of our main leads, especially back in Lin'an. Watching their love slowly grow from convenience to genuine feelings in that picturesque village was just.... I will be going back to watch those episodes.

Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu were both a little angsty and a lot funny in their love story. I wish their story got more screentime. Watching Gongsun stumble all over himself where she was concerned was a highlight. As for my girl QianQian... I'm just glad she's free of that man —part of me wishes she'd stabbed him at least once, though. But perhaps her constant rejection of him hurt him worse than a stab ever would've.

What I Didn't Like/Think Could Have Been Done Better

1. Fan Chang Yu's Rise To Glory
We needed a training montage or something. We all knew she could fight. But fighting a few soldiers (elite soldiers at that) is nothing compared to taking down a general. Yes, she is strong, and yes, she'd had some training from her father b4 the parents passed away. But taking down two very seasoned and feared men is no easy task.
I'd have loved it if the show had some training montage where we could see her train at the camp and maybe participate in some battles b4 taking down these seasoned warriors and generals. It'd have made her eventual general status more believable and a little less sudden.

2. Some aspects of our Pig Butcher Squad
I rather liked them tbh. Watching them grow from thugs who got their ass handed to them by Chang Yu back in Lin'an to her main protectors on the battlefield and after she became a general was funny and warmed my heart. However, the story taking out Man Di was not it.
I think they wanted to show us the costs of war, but still... Didn't like that. Also, Jin Yuan Bao... What were they trying to do, making it seem like he was in love with her? That was unnecessary tbh. They should've let him remain in that brother zone. Things were much better and funnier then.

3. Xie Zheng on the Battlefield
I think we should've seen him fight more. We saw Changyu fight on the battlefield several times, which was a glorious sight to behold. We also saw Xie Zheng's prowess as a fighter back in Lin'an. He's amazing even with one foot in the grave. But I still wanted at least one proper fight scene with him as a general on the actual battlefield. That fight with his uncle doesn't count

4. The Political/Revenge Plot
It suffers. It should have shown in the latter episodes, but everything gets crammed in those few final episodes - with most of the reveals happening in the finale. Idk what they should've have cut (maybe some of Qi Min's and Sui Yuan Qing scenes? idk) but this aspect of the overall plot should've been allowed some breathing space.

5. The lack of proper kissing scenes between our main couple
Their lips kept touching, but why was it those 'dead fish' type kisses? Why did I have to learn that Xie Zheng is basically a vampire from Chang Yu's hickey after the fact? Why wasn't I shown that? The fact that Qi Min's crazy ass had better kissing and more sensual NC scenes than our main couple... sigh. Xie Zheng's horny ass deserved to be shown in all its glory

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"He was just so rude to you!"

The standouts in this show are the
1. The acting - The two main women were incredibly good in their roles in this show. The resilience of their characters is nothing short of admirable, likely even breathtaking

2. The critique of the justice system - I think this got swallowed up in all the noisiness of the 'who dun it' mystery, but the story does show us how the legal system fails its people.
For example:

a. Mo Eun - They saw that she killed and didn't seem remorseful, and quickly wrote her off. Sure, she didn't do anything to disprove their assumptions, but had someone taken a minute to wonder why she did what she did - rather than write her off as a psychopath - likely, none of this would have happened.

b. An Yun Sun - A victim of the 'fundamental attribution error.' Her fault was that she was too smiley and didn't cry. They saw a woman who didn't act the way she was supposed/expected to once her husband died, and they (the people doing the investigation) quickly assumed that she was guilty. And then did everything to prove themselves right

c. Prosecutor Beak - This man pissed me off the entire show. If I were to list his crimes, I'd say he was guilty of having tunnel vision and confirmation bias, largely against Yun Su. He saw her smile, found that sealed orphanage record, and immediately decided she was guilty. He did everything to prove that she was guilty, sending her to spend the rest of her life in prison.

The anger I felt in me when he admitted that he (1.) sent her to prison simply because he believed she was guilty and (2.) when he admitted that he'd had doubts of her guilt in the 1st round but buried them to find anything to prove her guilt... Oh Lord. And in the end, he got to keep his job.

He's so frustrating, but what makes me angrier is that Baek is an unfortunate reality of the people we have in law enforcement IRL. People with biases who will send others to prison just to prove that they are right. Or just so they can win. It's all about ego, not the human behind the accusation.

d. The investigation team - Victims of group thinking and authority bias. When Beak came in to say that Yun Su was for sure guilty, they all went with that line of thinking. Which is crazy because in the 1st episode, they clearly had nothing on her. She was weird, yes, but weird doesn't equal guilty. And throughout the show, none of them had a single disagreeing thought with Beak. What he said went. I still can't believe that they let that old man walk around after he'd assaulted a prison guard and stabbed Mo Eun

e. So Mang - Yet another victim of a flawed justice system. Money greased hands, and her rapsit was not only allowed to go free, but to continue tormenting her and her family, leading to their deaths. And their lives would have just been swept under the rug like yesterday's trash had Mo Eun not come back for revenge. Had the women not worked together, no one would've cared or remembered. That trashy boy and his parents may have actively led to her and her father's deaths, but everyone who turned a blind eye helped quietly nudge her onto that rooftop.

f. The prison system - The amount of bullying that goes on in there is crazy. Idk how, but prisons everywhere need to find ways to keep all that from happening. Or at least minimize it. Idk if increasing guards would help, but the ratio of prisoners to guards is always crazy low IMO

3. I think the women were written rather well in this show. Apart from An Yun Su, who remains good throughout the show, all the other women who had a lot of screentime were nuanced humans.

i. Mo Eun looks like a psychopath at 1st but she isn't.
ii. The main prison guard actively fights against her bias against the criminals in her care. Wanting to see them as and treating them as human, even though she fails at times.
iii. Yun Su's probation officer, like Yun Su, is a little naive and too smiley. But her heart, which matters in this case, was always in the best place. Instead of letting her work with criminals taint her, she tries to help and gives the benefit of the doubt. This specific case needed that


🚨Things I Didn't Like/Thought Could've Been Better🚨
1. The pacing - It's not all bad. Actually, the 1st say 4, maybe 5 episodes are well paced. The last 3 or so episodes also did a great job keeping my heart racing. However, those middle episodes.... I was so frustrated and was super close to dropping the damn show.

2. Decisions made in the middle episodes - Especially by Yun Su. She made very little sense. Somebody explain to me why

a. She kept visiting that house, even taking her kid, without considering that the tracker actually logs her location.
b. When she finds out he died, she goes back to that house and lets herself be seen as if she is not among the most infamous criminals at the time. Her face was everywhere!!!
c. When she becomes a fugitive, she keeps the most obvious feature about her - her hair - open for everyone to see. Logic dictates that when you're on the run, you hide your most obvious features!!! Cover up tattoos, switch up piercings, cut your hair, or tie it up if you cannot cut it. Maybe even dye it. But no. She keeps her super long, beautiful, wavy hair just flapping around in the wind

How no one in the streets ever saw and reported her is beyond me. She didn't need to be an expert in all this. I get that. But in this age of technology, and for someone who said she's watched all episodes of CSI, she was being hella dumb.

3. The ending - Like many reviewers and commentators, I'm torn about the revelation of why Yun Su's husband was killed. It really does seem like such a weak reason. However, if I look at it from another angle, maybe it makes sense. As shown in many dramas, there is a lot of classism in Asia. They pay a lot of attention to one's reputation.
Now, if you consider how the lawyer and his wife saw themselves as better than the artist and his plagiarism statement as tarnishing their reputation, then the anger could make sense. Someone they deemed lesser than threw figurative mud at them, making them lose face among their peers. To them, that was unacceptable.

4. The lack of justice (regarding the villains) - In my perfect world and perfect ending, that lawyer wouldn't have died. He'd have had to go to prison. That reputation he cared so much about would have gone straight to hell after a very public trial.
I hate that the wife seemed like she'd get away with it, or rather, have a lesser charge. After all the women (especially Yun Su) went through, that was annoying to see.

5. The prosecutor kept his job.

Final Thoughts
1. This was an engaging watch, albeit a little frustrating in the middle.
2. There was no standout music in this tbh. Aside from that song that played in the finale, you know the scene showing the scenery in Thailand and the credits on screen? Yeah, that one. I regret not looking for it.
3. I wouldn't rewatch this tbh. Not only am I not huge on rewatching shows, but thrillers and mysteries especially lose their appeal to me after the 1st watch

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They dared take a chance, and it was worth it

⛓️‍💥Two main things stand out about this BL⛓️‍💥
1. The topic - Crime/Thriller is not a thing seen before in a Korean BL. At least not that I'm aware of. It felt like a breath of fresh air. For the most part, the show managed to balance the development of the relationship as well as maintaining the intrigue of the case

2. The actors - Aside from the fact that they are quite good at portraying their assigned characters and emotions, their chemistry is magnetic. Their story starts off as a rather toxic and hurtful one to both. The actor playing Tae Son does a great job of portraying desire mixed with hate. I loathed him for the 1st 3 episodes. If you saw someone in the comment section call Ju Tae Son an adult bully, that was me.

Chae Ha actor nailed his miserable role rather well. While the drama doesn't show us much of his life b4 where the story starts, you can tell through his demeanor and the few flashbacks that he's had a rather hard life. It was riveting watching how he still sort out Tae Son, unable to resist his desire for him and the warmth he provided. This is despite the fact that Tae Son constantly hurting him with his words and actions - the sex was also probably rough as all heck but little Chae Ha likely loved it. And who am I to judge?

⛓️‍💥Unfortunately, the last two episodes are a letdown. Due to time constraints, the ending is very rushed. ⛓️‍💥

We as the audience do not get a satisfactory ending/answers to

1. The case that this entire show was based on. They built it up so much only for it to end up kinda meh and confusing. There are so many questions left and unanswered. We shall also not be talking about how everything just conveniently came together in these last 2 episodes. Everything and everyone was where they needed to be to close the case and let the mains, largely Tae Son win. Makes zero sense. The show says and shows that the case was resolved but as the audience, I am left feeling like it wasn't. Very anticlimactic

2. The resolution of the r/ship - Ep 8 dropped the bomb of the century to these two characters. Based on how big that reveal was and how the incidents surrounding the secret and their relationship affected them all their lives, the resolution should've never been that fast. That anticlimactic. We needed angst, we needed groveling and we deserved a better conversation between the two on how to move forward. Love that they got their happy ending but like...idk, it felt a bit empty. All that hate and hurt resolved just like that? Nah, I'm salty about it

Final Thoughts,
Despite the atrocity that is the last 2 episodes, I say that this is a decent BL/Crime drama. It is a worthy watch just to see the electric chemistry that these two actors bring to the table

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My God... What a Woman!

Often in a show, you know who to hate and who to love. Who to proverbially spit on and who to empathize with. Who to have good thoughts about and whose neck you want to ring. It's often clear-cut, with maybe a few grey characters here and there.

But what if one character was an embodiment of all the above? You hate to love her and live to hate her. You empathize with her one minute, and the next, you start thinking that hell really should have separate sections. We truly can't all go to the same place and suffer the same punishments..., right?

As Kazuko said in the finale, her life is entertaining. She is an enigma. A confusing, puzzling woman whom I don't even know if I like, hate, respect her or am wholly afraid of. Her ambition and desire to be richer than probably God himself is insane, in the best of ways. However, the things that she does to get to where she eventually ended up... Yikes.

I love how complex she was. She was never good. Morally grey at best when she was a child, but life turned her into something else entirely. I am envious of how she never let life beat her down. How she always got up, survived, and pivoted. Was it all due to luck? The men in her life? Her brilliance and conniving nature? Or a combination of everything?

Personally, I think it's the latter. She had insane luck on her side, was as brilliant as she was conniving, and was strong despite all the misfortune and setbacks that hounded her. And above all, she was a damn good con artist. But despite the evil that she was at the end, there was still some good in her. A tiny sliver of it, but it was there. I understand her, and she scares me

PS: I know the plot was about Kazuko herself, but I wish we had seen more of her family. Her sisters, especially. The sisters, especially the oldest, never liked her (and Kazuko looked down on her, too). I wonder how they felt over the years. Her brother's story would have been interesting too. Of all the family members, he was with her the most till she dumped him for her image. I wonder what his life had been like walking behind Kazuko all those years

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