Reviews

I was going to give this drama an 8... but then the last episode happened *cringe* and it went down to a 7.

The biggest problem with this drama was the story. It started out really promising. I loved the time travel concept and all the characters had interesting stories and motivations. Then somewhere in the middle it became a huge mess. Suddenly there were complicated time travel rules that contradicted themselves. The characters started to contradict themselves as well, and lose a lot of their motivations and, in some cases, likability. Everything became a big mess, but I held out hope for a nice, neat, happy ending, only to be extremely disappointed.

It's such a pity. I really loved most of the characters, mostly thanks to the actors and not the writing. Mi Rae was a very strong lead. She didn't fall into the usual annoying female lead cliches. Kim Shin ended up being really likable despite his first impressions. His smile killed me (in all the best ways). Yoo Kyung was a surprisingly likable female second lead, and I loved so many of the secondary characters, like Mi Rae's brother, Writer Bae, and the rest of the production team.

And then there were characters who couldn't be saved despite their charming actors. I'm looking at you, Se Joo! He started out so well. I was cheering for him like I usually do second leads. But then when the plot started getting messy, so did his character. The motivations became unclear and the charm disappeared. The other mess of a character was Future Mi Rae. After awhile I found her really annoying and lost all sympathy for her.

The music was okay, but if got pretty repetitive and wasn't always used at appropriate times. Overall, this show was a big disappointment. The only reason I finished it and gave it as high of a rating as I did was because I ended up caring about a lot of the characters. I really wanted to know what happened to them each week. If only they'd gotten a decent ending...

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Could Use A Few More Chickens

This was an overall well done drama that was unfortunately too short to realize its full potential. The material was great, but eight episodes wasn't long enough to fully develop some of the issues presented or to fully develop the relationships and characters. Even so, I did enjoy this drama for the most part, it has some great messages and it does tackle some tough issues with tact.

I liked the concept for the story, how a one night stand could turn into something more. The way Wen helped Jim in so many ways, not just with working at the diner, but also with helping him find closure with his past relationship and heal and move on, was well done. I admired Wen's perseverance and that while he continued to pursue Jim even when Jim had indicated he was not looking for a relationship, he did so relatively tactfully, never pushing too hard, but still making it clear that he was interested and that he thought they could work things out. However, things turned complicated, which was exactly what Jim feared, when Wen's ex-boyfriend who he was still living with, Alan, showed up and threw a wrench in things. Despite their break up, he is still possessive of Wen and hopes that they can patch things up and get back together. Wen, however, is ready to move on, and he is faced with having to do just that and more firmly sever his ties with Alan as he tries to establish a relationship with Jim. And Alan, for his part, is left trying to move on as well and come to terms with the fact that his and Wen's relationship is truly over. Meanwhile, Jim's nephew who he has raised, is a senior in high school and is still trying to figure himself out amidst the limitations of not being the scholarly type and being poor. Jim can be overbearing with him and Li Ming feels trapped and isolated until he meets Heart, a deaf young man his own age and they slowly become friends which then turns romantic. The relationship is a healing one for both as Li Ming finds someone who understands and cares for him exactly as he is and Heart finds someone who treats him as a normal person and actually puts out the effort to communicate with him. They serve as each other's escape in many ways and I loved their relationship in all its facets.

With so many BLs these days sticking to high school or college settings, it was refreshing that this one stepped outside those bounds. I think that opened up a lot more doors for it to tackle issues that it couldn't otherwise. However, because it was confined to only eight episodes and it did try to tackle multiple issues, it wasn't necessarily able to dive into them as deeply as one might have liked. The economy and cost of living were both subjects that were brought up multiple times. Leng, one of Jim's friends and employees, and his girlfriend Praew find themselves unexpectedly expecting, so unplanned pregnancy, the cost of raising a child, and even abortion are touched on, if only briefly. By creating a deaf character, the deaf community was given representation and it was done well. The various ways of parenting is also touched on, how there's not one right way to parent and parents are always learning, even from their children. Relationships serve as a major focus, examining how some relationships simply peter out after a while, unrequited love, and, particularly, moving on from past relationships and how, while it may be painful, we can hope that there's something and someone better out there for us in the future. I enjoyed every part of it, again the only detractor is that I wanted more time to explore those topics.

Probably the biggest downfall of this drama, and I know I've seen others commenting on this, is the miscasting of Earth. Earth is a damn good actor, there is no denying that, but in no way does he, as a 29 year old young man, look anywhere close to 40. I know he's a couple years older than Mix, Khaotung and First but he really doesn't look it, and in the drama, there's presumed to be something like at least a ten year age difference between their characters. Earth is one of those people who looks younger than they really are, but this seemed outside the range of probability to me. Papang, in contrast, who played Jim's former lover, Beam, is only a year older than Earth, but he looks older. I could more easily believe he was in his mid-30's. There's also looking at him next to Lookwa who plays his sister. She's a beautiful woman, don't misunderstand me, and looks fantastic at 42, but they don't look like they are close in age at all. I understand that Earth and Mix are a popular pairing, but if they wanted them paired together, it would have made more sense to change Jim's age to something closer to Earth's actual age. As it was, Jim's age was hammered home so often you couldn't forget it, and there were some scenes that were supposed to be more emotional that just didn't work as well as they might have with a more age appropriate actor.

Jim and Wen's relationship was another issue. The first episode is great. The chemistry and tension between the two is electric and then suddenly, it's just gone and while there are still flickers of it throughout the rest of the drama, it's not quite as strong as that first impression. Wen's feelings for Jim remain clear throughout the drama while Jim's feelings are much harder to decipher. There are moments where it's evident he does feel the same way, but it wasn't always consistent and their relationship felt stagnant at times. Even when things were supposed to be changing between them, I didn't always feel it.

I really enjoyed all the side characters, particularly Alan and Gaipa. Khaotung is such a good actor, I wanted more of Gaipa just so he could showcase his skills more, but also he was so sweet, I just liked his character and I wanted to get to know him a bit more. And Alan, aside from the fact that First is also a fantastic actor, was such an interesting character, I wanted to know more about him and his history with Wen. I felt like there was a lot more to unpack there.

But the highlight couple for me was Li Ming and Heart. Having just seen My School President, I enjoyed seeing them in such different roles. Li Ming is a somewhat similar character to Gun, but much heavier on the teenage angst. But it's not in a bad way. You can feel the frustration Li Ming has with his life and circumstances, and it's justified. Fourth did such a good job with bringing Li Ming to life and bringing such nuance to the character. Heart, being deaf, was a much different character for Gemini to portray. I was so impressed with his ability to emote without speaking a single word and he was utterly believable in the role. He and Fourth have such great chemistry. The build up of Li Ming's and Heart's relationship is so well done and feels very natural.

In general, the romance is not why I enjoyed this drama. Jim and Wen's romance lacked some consistency and while Li Ming and Heart were the highlight couple for me out of those present, what I actually loved about this drama was the chicken rice family that they created. The way the characters all came together for each other to take care of each other and build each other up was so heartwarming. They may not have been related by blood, but that didn't matter, they did what needed to be done even if that cost them personally. And I liked seeing how Wen was welcomed into their family, really without much question, he was just accepted. So if you take it from that angle, rather than a romantic one, it is a very wholesome story. And for me, personally, that is better than any romance.

The production was overall pretty strong. I really liked the sets, particularly the chicken rice shop was just so aesthetically pleasing to me. It made me wish I could go there and visit that place. The lighting was an issue at times. There were a number of late night conversations and sometimes the lighting was too dim and it made it harder to make out faces and expressions. However, one scene that I absolutely loved was the one of Jim and Wen at the beach at twilight. The way it was shot with their silhouettes was beautiful. I do wish they'd translated the sign language as a fair amount of it got missed. There were times when Li Ming would essentially repeat what Heart had said, but a lot of the time I was just left guessing.

This is a drama worth watching at least once. It's short so what do you have to lose? I don't as it's one that I'll come back to which is a bit disappointing because I think it could have been absolutely phenomenal with some tweaking of the story and the cast. And I think this drama really does highlight how important casting truly is. I don't think the miscasting of Earth broke the drama, but it did affect it and its ability to pack an emotional punch. I hope in the future they focus more on delivering a solid story with an appropriate cast than keeping particular pairings together.

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A crime novel read!

TWO things have happened: an affair and a murder. The entire story is about answering TWO questions: did he caught? who is the culprit? The narration style is typical of crime novels, often reminding me of Agathe Christie's novel style. All the clues were shown to us and drama tempts us to pick pretences as clues misdirecting us, then showing the truth with right clues making us think "I saw these, why didn't I think in this perspective?" "Ah, Brillant, you outwitted me". And this aspect can come off as hit or miss for many. Taking a look at comments would prove that.

The pacing was in an exponential fashion with initial episodes setting the "mood" very slowly and deliberately with even minor characters given screen space. (It has a mix of all the genres: romance, comedy, drama, mystery, investigation, political, action, thriller. It might have well been a makjang.) The ending was rapid with putting closure to several substories halfheartedly or even open (It reminds me of "Absent in the Spring" novel of Agathe Christie which too has vague ending). I am still wondering if what I had watched was just a big drama adaptation of Kang Yeo Joo's novel (As she says "that's what the audience want" to her assistant) or actual story of Kang Yeo Joo. Yes, even with incomprehensible last 5 minutes the final episode was brilliant. The brilliant narration style and suspense building ( note, it is not the story I'm praising because when all the layers of mystery are removed, it just felt yet another ***-*** character story) has quashed the ambiguous ending. (Now that I look back, the ending was so finely crafted putting all puzzle pieces together that you can't even skip the last episode.)

I can't imagine anyone else other than Cho Yeo Jung playing the Kang Yeo Joo. The aura, the eyeliner, the elegant dresses everything made the character all the more legendary (You would feel she isn't worthy of that legendariness but wait for it patiently.). First things first, I too was initially annoyed by shenanigans of Kang Yeo Joo, and I almost felt like dropping it. But I really stuck around and found she was the most complex character. If the Parasite's Choe Yeon Gyo was "simple" then Kang Yeo Joo is super ultra-complex. There is this scene in episode 6 when Han Woo Sung says he will take her gift to his grave the reaction KYJ gives is golden. That was one of the few moments in early episodes when the poker face of KYJ falters. There are only a few people who can truly understand her and one has to wait till later episodes to know the reason.

Other characters were equally interesting. Go Joon (why late-blooming) did a great job in portraying HWS, I can truly understand why every woman falls for HWS. HWS is truly worthy of his reputation of Nation's Husband. (Even when he is cheating he is thinking about his wife and I didn't bother myself with judging him. We never get to know more about his motives.) Mirae is yet another flawed character in this drama. She can come off as homewrecker but truly her transformation and her past are awe-worthy. I am one of the few people who wasn't shipping Cha Soo Ho with KYJ but the way he looks at her wow! The Umbrella scene reminded me of K2 and how he protects her. I want to see more of Kim Young Dae in future projects. As for all other characters, they added funny elements and depth to stories. But a few didn't have proper closure/development but I'm not complaining. (It would be humanly impossible to deliver both mystery narration and character development perfectly)

Music was good and suited for scenes. Sometimes there was opera style music for hyped/dramatic scenes which I liked. As for OST, OVER by Suran shines out. Rewatch, to make sense of certain things it might require to rewatch. I too wanna rewatch it but it is kinda sad it ended so I can't bring myself to watch it again.

A crime novel: keeps hooked and makes you say "ahh!" and keeps you thinking about it even after it ended.

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Did it manage to be my favorite?!!

This series is cute, funny and so addictive. From the characters to the storyline to it's background music and osts. Damn I love all of it so much. Everything blends and complements the whole setting. The time travel aspect has been used nicely. It's not just a trope that's sidelined as the story progresses, it's the plot in itself. Kawi knows the future and he's trying to amend things says a lot. I am actually glad Kawi's to do list didn't only contain mending love life but also convincing his father for treatment and getting back with his long time friend Max. The overall concept of traveling back in time and finding an unexpected love, it sounds cliche but it's portrayed so nicely and it's interesting.

Talking about the characters, Kawii is a confused soul and towards the starting he seemed so selfish but nevertheless he is so cute mahn. Oh damn! the decisions he took made me facepalm myself but then he did feel guilty when he messed things up and he amended it. The way he apologizes, the way he whines, overall the way he behaves around Pisaeng, damn it's filled with cute gestures.

Then we have Pisaeng, this guy right from the very start had my heart. He is such a sweetheart and damn the level of patience he has. He is whipped for Kawii and I am whipped for him. Episode by episode I just liked him more and more. This guy is a walking green flag. He really deserves the world. I can't with both of them. They both manage to shake me up pretty badly T^T. I just can't get enough of them.

And Pearmai, she is sweet, she is friendly, I kind of understand her and she really deserves better. And Max, this guy is the most understanding, reasonable, lovable character plus a great friend and let me add that hairstyle suits him. We seriously need more characters like him. Also the other characters have played their part really well. Like there were so many instances when I wanted to go inside and knock some sense into Knot, sometimes even knock him down. And Kwan, oh my god, I sincerely wanted to see her get over Knot.

And, Yes!! Yes!! this did manage to be one of my favorites. They are so sweet. I love them. The pacing of the story is good, the plot is interesting, the osts are good and so are the characters. Highly recommended!!

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My Journey to…Nowhere?

Let me start with the positive marks. This drama is seriously gorgeous when it comes to visuals, with the attention to cinematographic detail you see in movies more than TV shows. You could even put the drama on mute and still enjoy it just for how gorgeous so many shots are. This is clearly where the director’s talents lie and was my favorite part of the experience.

The second thing I can applaud is the cast, who all performed their roles to the best they could as the characters are written. I have to give special mention to Ryan Cheng who was so perfect in his role as Gong Shang Jue that unfortunately the others, even though they were good, were eclipsed by his performance. But really it is on a scale of “pretty good” to “excellent” with no major weak points in acting.

The story starts off exciting in its first episodes with a great focus on Yun Wei Shan being sent on her mission amongst the potential brides, but is soon dragged down to an extremely slow pace it suffers from until the end of the drama. Most episodes follow the same formula of going around in circles, with too much exposition and endless conversations (that were so whispered it was sometimes hard to hear over the background tracks) only to finish up on a cliffhanger to keep you hooked in, and then do the same the next episode. The show often gets lost in flashbacks and forgets to move forward in the present timeline leading to a feeling of “is anything actually happening?” throughout the middle of the drama.

As for the characters, some arcs are better than others. Many have complained about the frustrating arc of the ML character Gong Ziyu who takes a very long time to catch up to speed with the plot, appearing not just trusting and naive but oblivious to a degree that strains belief, only to develop very abruptly in a way that wasn’t convincing. But even worse is the characterization of the FL as Yun Wei Shan, who gets overshadowed by the Gong men family drama and rarely feels like the lead of the show she is supposed to be. For many episodes she plays the role of sidekick to accompany ML on his three trials, so he can grow into his position as Sword Wielder. By the end it feels her character and the Wufeng side of the story got a background seat to the story of uniting the Gong men against a common enemy. Despite being lead it feels as though Yu Shu Xin is not given her time to shine.

As for the plot, instead of presenting a focused mystery that builds with suspense and ends on a satisfactory note, the story gets tangled in its own web of its too many suspects and possibilities, leaving the audience to overcompensate and come up with theories that had way more depth than the show provided, such as the theory that Zi Yu was playing a big long con, or that Gong Zi Shang had more sinister involvement beyond her over-the-top comic relief role. The writer relies too hard on cliffhangers for his own good, so much so that he can’t stop himself from including one even at the last minute. An open ending works for some dramas but here it leaves a bad taste. Aside from the Gong men coming together and Ziyu becoming sword wielder, nothing has really changed and it seems implied the terrible cycles we started with will only continue…YWS’s potential sacrifices didn’t amount to much and in the end the writer lets her fate become another unsatisfying mystery.

To sum it up, this is a beautiful but slow watching experience that lacked focus and didn't end up having the depth I hoped. I doubt a Season 2 would happen but if it did I can't say for sure I'd be interested in watching.

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I watched Secret Garden about a year ago.. But sometimes I rewatch and still feel great..
Honestly, my consideration for watching Secret Garden was the two main characters Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin..
But after that I found the story was amazing..
I was hooked and finished this only in 2 days.. until my eyes being swollen at that time..
It makes me laughed and cried at the same time.. The storyline made me curios to watch this until the end..
Both Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin plays the role very well.. Especially when their bodies switched.. The chemistry between them looks so real..
The music also very good.. the placement for the ost at every scene can play our emotion..
For me, it’s one of the best K-drama.. Love it so much!!!

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A Beautiful Story.. Loved it

OMG, when I heard the there was going to be a Korean BL, I was a little skeptical because as we all know Korea is known for its hot and thriving BL industry ??? (sarcasm in case anyone doesn't get it).

But seriously, I was really shocked at the quality of it all, it was really awesome and really great and I loved every second of it.

Before we kick off, I would like to highlight If you are someone looking for like just skinship, then I don't think this is the series for you, if you want story, great acting, production etc, then this is for you.

Also please try to watch the series on Rakuten Viki to try and ramp up its popularity and make the show have good ratings.

Before I go into the review proper, I like to highlight (again) to anyone reading that it is the tiny moments in this show that makes it gold. Like the fact they sleep on the same bed, Koreans have bedding for the floor, so we kind of know they choose to sleep on the same bed. Another is the fact Gang Gook hated Tae Joo touching anybody else's ears (the weak spot attack❤️❤️). All those tiny moments really make the show kind of great because it's like builds up the chemistry between them but also the tension.

Now to the main review. This show was a simple 100 out of 10 for me, from the first episode, I loved the interactions, Gook always being there to protect Tae Joo.

We start off with the bullies chasing Tae and we start to see the type of relationship they have, they have grown up together and are kind of extensions of each other. Now the first place where I get to understand the depth of the relationship is where Tae's father slaps Gook, as a punishment to Tae, this kind of shows to me that his dad understands that Tae has deep feelings and care towards Gook because you wouldn't necessarily care about your bodyguards (Gu Jun Pyo ?, Boys over flowers says hi). So from that, I start to get their relationship.

The intimate scenes between them and I don't mean intimate in that way are so awesome, because there is an extra added level of unsaid words but they just both kind of know that they are there and the gay panic particularly on Gook's side was funny. Tae I feel wanted Gook to start dating because he felt it might take care of his feelings for Gook but as we see, that kind of backfired as Tae because it brought out his jealous side more. The girl I get is meant to make them realize how they felt about each but I wouldn't lie, I hated seeing her on my screen.

Then finally when they started to collide at mid-episode 4 and eventually, Tae told Gook to walk at the ending of episode 4, coupled with the Light Soundtrack playing in the background, I had a meltdown, cause I was thinking this is those type of shows that everything would not be resolved till the last episode but I was very happy that beginning episode 5, Tae went back for him, meaning he could not bear leaving Gook out in the cold like that. From there the relationship progressively got better and by ending episode 5, we had our almost kiss/kiss scene in episode 6???. The ending though kind of broke me, from Gook's gay panic to that ending of episode 6.

I don't like the Kim Pilhyeon, I mean they asked you to keep an eye on them, how does that lead to you having to report that you saw them kissing, like the chairman (Tae's dad) would never known if not for your big mouth, but I mean we should have all known that Tae would go to England from episode 1. I definitely was not a fan of his dad????
By the way, I was so confused by the ending of episode 7, like why was he working at the restaurant? But I like that they cleared that up, that it was kind of in the future

Episode 8 was so and so for me, I liked the way the fight was stationed, it wasn't like unrealistic that he beat like 10 guards at once but one or two at a time, made it more dramatic and real for me, with the music, it was cinematic.

But I mean I kind of liked the fact, that they still kept the reaction that a lot of South Koreans would have to having an LGBT kid. They didn't create this magical world where everyone (especially the parents) are all so accepting and always knew the kid was gay or something. I mean, it hurt us a bit but it was real.

Plus the fact when they finally got home, that Tae was asking why didn't Gook just accept his feelings earlier, "they didn't even get to do that" according to Tae, I felt is the most on brand thing with teenagers right now.

Can we appreciate the fact that they didn't spend a lot of the storyline with the girl intervening, they actually kept it BL. Like they didn't pull one over on us in the last few seconds. I mean it was also cool that they made Kim and Hyemi end up together, kind off made sense.

Overall, I really wished this had longer episodes and more episodes, there could be so much they could have explored with the high level of story telling and acting they had but this is still just perfect. Having a 2nd season wouldn't hurt but I doubt they would because it kind of had a good ending

I loved the extra layer of side comedy, He Mi's mother was the funniest because she was all of us, shipping Tae and Gook. Hyemi mother was everything, from shipping TaeGook to always shading Hyemi❤️❤️❤️ and even shading Pilhyeon that Gook was more handsome and mature. Then her crying made me laugh like a maniac

For the acting, OMG, the acting was soooooooooooo good, I loved the acting from the entire cast, it made it all so much more believable.

Finally the music ???... They have my heart in terms of soundtrack ❤️❤️❤️❤️. I absolutely loved the music in this, I mean the OST had like 4 songs (Light, See U, Looking at you and You) but I felt they used it so well, that it really brought out the moments more and made it all that more powerful

I really hope that WYEL is what kicks off Korean BL because no offense to other countries (Thailand ???) but the Koreans have shown they are simply better are making dramas than them, with creative stories, great production, and high quality, amazing acting and cinematography meant for gods. Imagine 20 episodes of Korean BL with 40 minutes running time.

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I loved this drama. It had everything; love, hate, fear, death. I was extrememly interested in the psychology aspect of the drama as I am a psych major. I gave it all 10's b/c the story was amazing, the acting was perfect, the music was awesome (had a lot of songs that I listen to), and it overall messed so well that I will watch this over and over. I have recomended this drama to my friends at work and will to any1 else that I know. I loved the concept that was born and how it all played out. A wounderful question that I have myself been trying to answer since I work in behavioral mental health. Whomever thought this up has a very analytical mind and knows how to go beyond the boundries set for experiments in the psych field. It is a very fine line that can be crossed at anytime. I probably like this more because it is based on a topic that I am interested in anyway. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

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Ever Night has its flaws, but it ended up being one of my favorites anyway. The first thing that stands out about this drama is its beautiful cinematography and great action scenes; the fight choreography is exceptional, and the CGI is pretty solid overall. The main characters are interesting and likable, but flawed enough to be realistic. Ning Que, the protagonist, is more antihero than hero, shaped by his childhood trauma and his struggle to survive while also supporting his "maid," Sang Sang. He comes across as having a chip on his shoulder (with pretty good reason) and he is guarded around most of the other characters - Sang Sang being one of the few notable exceptions. She is such a gentle, cheerful young woman that it would be easy to forget what a difficult life she's led if not for her extreme practicality and her anxieties surrounding finances. Occasionally Sang Sang's emotions get the best of her, but no other character is as supportive or industrious as she is.

The relationship between Ning Que and Sang Sang is complex due to their unusual circumstances and there are multiple layers to their dynamic. She initially appears to be a maid who happens to be very fond of the person she serves, but it's quickly evident that their power dynamic is not quite that cut-and-dried. When he was a young child, he found her as a baby in a pile of corpses and took her in. They are a few years apart in age, and although he was obviously her caretaker in her younger years, it wasn't too long before she was carrying her own weight. He has made a living by killing bandits, while she has taken care of domestic chores and finances. There are subtle elements of caretaker-dependent and older brother-younger sister to their interactions at times, but overall they seem best described as platonic life partners for the first thirty or so episodes (with occasional, subtle hints of romantic feelings/attraction).

Later in the series, when Ning Que shows up with a love interest after a period of being away from home, they're forced to confront their true feelings and figure out what they really want. It's pretty obvious just by the fact that Sang Sang is the second lead which way Ning Que will lean (or even by the synopsis on this page), so I don't think this could be considered a spoiler. I watched this drama on Viki with comments on, so I know how divisive their relationship is. It is an upsetting development for some viewers who only see one aspect of Ning Que and Sang Sang's dynamic. Some viewers consider Ning Que to be too much of a father figure to Sang Sang to accept the turn their relationship takes, claiming (or implying) that it is incest. I personally don't agree with this viewpoint – but if you think the relationship could be squicky for you based on how I described it, and you believe that would interfere too much with your enjoyment of the series as a whole, you may want to give this one a pass. Just a heads up.

I rated this drama highly in large part because I really enjoyed most of the characters and the main relationship (I can forgive a lot if I become attached to the characters), however I did feel that there were some issues with the plot. The pacing is a bit uneven, and the exposition scenes are quite dull at times. Although there were a couple of exceptions, I felt that the antagonists were much too one-dimensional. The character arc for one of the main antagonists – Long Qing – particularly felt like a waste of time. Most of his scenes could have been left out and the result would have been the same. That was especially irritating given that his scenes were so tedious to watch. The last ten episodes are sluggish and feel like they could have been cut in half (at least). In fact, the same could be said for the series as a whole - but that has been true with almost any Chinese drama I've seen.

Another thing that I found off-putting is that, sometimes, some of the characters would know what's going on in a distant location without any apparent reason - as if they were watching it on television. When it was Fu Zi - who is generally considered the greatest cultivator in the world - I decided to just go with it. It didn't make sense, but whatever. When it was Fu Zi's disciples, I also just accepted it; they learned it from him, I guessed. But when it was still used with characters who had no background in cultivation, it became kind of aggravating. No matter what, it feels like lazy writing, but there really should be some brief explanation given for something like that. Similarly, there were many times when characters received news quicker than really seemed believable. Things like this were just minor annoyances, but they did pull me out of the viewing experience.

I've read some criticisms of Chen Feiyu (Arthur Chen)'s acting, but I didn't think he was a bad Ning Que overall. He was actually pretty expressive, though unevenly so; he was effective at conveying affection/infatuation and anger/aggression, but fell short in scenes that required him to express emotional anguish and physical pain. One thing that I found a bit annoying is that he frequently raises/moves his eyebrows in a way that kind of looks like they're spasming. Sometimes the eyebrow raise is effective, but more often it's not. That aside, I became attached to his character in spite of his considerable shortcomings, and some of that was due to Feiyu's charm and charisma. (Note: He won't be returning to the role in the second season due to scheduling conflicts; he will be replaced by Dylan Wang.)

I felt that Song Yiren (Ireine Song)'s acting was stronger; she was lively, sweet, and adorable as Sang Sang. Whatever the scene called for, she was almost always able to hit the right emotional notes. When I watched the trailer, the only thing I had reservations about was her character, so it's kind of ironic that she ended up being my favorite. I looked forward to her scenes most, and I'm very glad Song Yiren will be returning for a second season. There were many great supporting characters, and the other actors were quite good overall. I enjoyed the fact that several older characters had prominent roles in the story, and they also ended up being among the most interesting characters to watch (most notably Chin Shih Chieh as Yan Se and Ni Dahong as Wei Guangming).

So, tl;dr:

Pros – memorable characters, cute relationship, great action scenes, beautiful cinematography, lovely OST, mostly good CGI

Cons – one-dimensional antagonists, potentially squicky relationship (YMMV)

If you're into action/adventure and fantasy dramas, and you don't think that the main relationship would negatively impact your ability to enjoy the series, then definitely give this one a shot.

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The chemistry between the leads is really good, there are a lot of sweet moments between them and several funny moments provided by the female lead.

It is hard to pick only one thing that I like about this. I liked almost everything.

If you enjoy a good amount of romance and comedy, adding to it time travel, a "dont you dare mess with me" female lead, a hot/sweet male lead plus beautiful scenarios and clothes; then there is a high chance you will like this. There is also fantasy, specially in the second half.

I kept checking everyday for new episodes. Usually I dont start a drama till it finishes airing, but I did the "mistake" of watching the first episode and then couldn’t help but watch the new episodes as soon as they came out.

Although I liked it, I felt the ending was a little rushed and the fantasy part made me cringe a little since I am not a big fan of the genre.

For me it’s a 9/10. The only other drama that I gave such a high rating was Empress Ki.

I will definitely rewatch this. Actually I watched some of the episodes 2 times already since I watched first alone and then with my sister.

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Romance?? Action?? Logic?? This Drama Said No Thanks..

Disclaimer: This might sound like a rant.. Because it is one.. If you somehow enjoyed this drama.. Good for you..

Script?? Bad.. Acting?? Bad.. Action?? Bad.. Romance?? Bad.. Character Development?? None.. VFX?? Worst.. Not one scene had good CGI.. I sat through this drama for SWL and what a disappointment.. It felt like the entire production team lazily put this together.. Apart from the costumes everything else felt completely half assed.. Like the team just threw things together and hoped for the best..

Angela Baby.. I hope you take some acting classes because seriously, what happened?? This was painful to watch..

The ML was supposed to be the next Wolf Lord or something but instead he spent the first half of the drama getting hurt, stabbed, hurt again, stabbed again by the FL and her minion.. And he still wagged his tail like a lovesick puppy while she kept taking advantage of him.. Where was his brain?? His dignity?? His revenge for his parents?? At one point he even got stabbed on purpose just to stop her from leaving.. That’s not devotion, that’s a suicide attempt you fool.. And then, after all that, he goes and gets shot with an arrow to protect her..

The script was all over the place.. Like the writer forgot what they wrote five minutes earlier.. The ML gets stabbed with a sword and yet wakes up the next morning like he is ready to go and win the La Liga.. And man he was so happy becase he saw the FL sitting by his bed.. Dude, she was literally applying medicine and touching another Guy's leg in the previous episode while she didnt even bother to prepare medicine for you.. That didn’t tell you anything?? And to top it off she was shamelessly ready to give away the locket or whatever that was that you gave her.. And you still didn’t realize you meant nothing to her?? At least not at that moment??

And the princess?? Dumb as a rock.. Another infuriating character..

Ep 13 was actually decent and I thought maybe things were turning around.. Then Ep14 happened.. The FL, in her infinite wisdom decided to protect her minion who literally tried to kill the ML by threatening to kill herself if anyone harmed him.. And the ML?? He had to tell his soldiers who had just watched their comrades die, to lower their weapons because his love interest was having a meltdown over the guy who tried to murder him.. What kind of joke is this??
Then somehow in the next scene the ML and FL end up in bed together.. She just threatened to kill herself over another man who tried to kill him and now they are suddenly sleeping together?? So all those soldiers died Just so he could end up in bed with her?? Unbelievable..

Even if she did love him which is questionable, she manipulated him the entire way.. She never once did anything for him.. Yet he kept crawling back like a fool.. She faked her death, ran back to her hometown, and started living her life while he was left depressed thinking she was gone.. She never once made an effort for him.. Not.. One.. Thing.. Meanwhile he spent the entire drama begging for her love..

What a complete waste of time.. Even the conclusion was unsatisfactory.. After everything it didn’t feel meaningful.. Just another half baked ending that failed to justify the mess before it.. I don’t know, maybe I had high expectations.. But for me this was just another drama with a mediocre storyline and wasted potential..

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The best Multi-Leads Chinese Drama Ever!

This is my first time writing a full review here on MDL, and this drama absolutely deserves it. First of all, I started watching it right in the middle of its hate train because—what do you mean it’s getting so much hate when I genuinely enjoyed the first few episodes? It’s one of the very few dramas where I actually liked the opening episodes. It’s not boring, it’s not dull—it’s a romcom, and they did it so right!

Pacing
Right from the first arc, they introduced us to the Li sisters and established the tone of the story. The backstory of the Li family—why there are only daughters and why they have a single mom—was explained well, with no glaring loopholes. Then, just a few episodes in, the two leads got married. I was shocked. Like, why did they get married so fast? Is the angst coming? But I was even more surprised when the focus suddenly shifted to the 1st sister. That’s when I started piecing everything together—this drama isn’t just about one couple; it has multiple storylines between different leads. Since I didn’t check the plot beforehand, I was confused at first, but honestly? It made me so happy! I was excited to see how the rest of the sisters’ stories would unfold. Overall, the pacing was great—every lead had enough screentime, and everyone felt equal.

Storylines & Character Dynamics
Each couple had their own unique storyline:
1st couple – The noble introverts
2nd couple – The chaotic duo
3rd couple – The scheming masterminds
4th couple – The cold husband and cutie wife + amnesia plot
5th couple – Enemies-to-lovers
Brother’s story – Childhood lovers
This variety in plots made each couple stand out, which is why I never felt like there was a main couple. Instead, it truly felt like a story about a whole family, where everyone was equally important.

The Li Family – Best Family in C-Drama?
Speaking of family, I love the Li family. Honestly, they might be the best family I’ve seen in a C-drama. The bond between the sisters, their mother’s strength, and even their relationships with their in-laws felt heartwarming and genuine.

Production, Acting & Overall Experience
The acting was fantastic—I could feel my blood boiling whenever the villains appeared, but I also found myself giggling at all the sweet moments. The comedic timing was on point, the production quality was solid, and the entire ambiance of the drama was just chef’s kiss.

Rewatch Value? 100%!
I would rewatch this over and over again, just to catch all the subtle interactions between the leads and appreciate the details I might have missed the first time.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10
If you love romcoms with strong family dynamics, engaging storylines, and well-developed characters, then this drama is a must-watch.

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First thing I want to mention is its awesomeness in music department. This film’s music is composed by Terdsak Janpan & Jay Chou. Every track in the album is amazing and gripping. I love every track of album but I frequently listen to ‘Sunny Doll’, ‘Angel’, both themes of Xiaoyu and ‘The Flashback’. The music will grab you and blend you into the atmosphere. Use of Piano in this movie is effective, brilliant, breathtaking and touching. Piano performs crucial role in this movie, in characters’ feelings and emotions like when both leads are playing together and The Piano Battle.
Words of other reviewer, “It’s no exaggeration to say that its background music is another main character. Even if you hate soft music, once you try to listen to its music, it would begin to wear down your defenses. It won't let your ears close even for a minute.”

A reviewer said, “If you miss this movie, it would be one of the goofiest things you've done throughout your life as a movie-goer.” And I'm agree with him/her.
Before starting this movie I thought this movie is going to be average but surprisingly it was far beyond my expectations and now I placed this movie in my permanent favorites list including all Hollywood, Bollywood & all other non-Asian movies.
Don’t think that it’s a typical school romance with tearjerker moments, it’s more than that. I’d say it is beautiful, intelligent and a chiller thriller in a way. It is full of romance and mystery, blending of many genres like School, Youth, Melodrama, Comedy, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery and Horror (Not horror but listen ‘The Flashback’ and you’ll know what I want to say).
And about ending; it’ll leave you thinking. Story needs some thinking to be able to understand it fully. You’ll probably think that there are many flaws in the story but there aren’t any because you’ve to think and most of things are logical in movie point of view. I know what happened in the end but whenever I watch it again it makes me confuse. I’m still confused about ending.

Visually it is more than satisfying. Its coloring is awesome and special effects are also good (Don’t expect effects like big budget Hollywood movies).

Lun Mei Kwai is beautiful and did brilliant job. She is lovely and charming.
And bow to “Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Actor/Producer/Director” Jay Chou. Before I thought he’s just another guy who looks cool and sings and because of obsessed fans he’s popular but now I take my words back. Now he is ahead of all those ‘SHOWCASE’ actors but still behind those ‘ACTOR’ actors. Now, I’m a fan of Jay (It’s surprising that he’s actually popular in India!).

Overall this movie is a must watch and after watching you’ll know that this movie will stay in your heart forever.

BTW Secret 2 is announced and currently in production. I hope Secret 2 will be as great as Secret and I also hope that it’ll be a sequel to Secret.

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[I'm writing this while keeping in view that this was a Makjang.]

One thing this drama does well is the pacing - you are not left hanging there for long. You want the answers? You'll get them in time. Moreover, every episode leaves you desiring more. The plot also ties up together very well; there are hardly any loose ends. The aim was consistent throughout: expose the Imperial Family. The characters involved had almost always something to do with the plot (thankfully).

Given the fact that it's a makjang, unbelievable things happen, especially in the beginning. As it progresses, the strengths overpower the flaws, in my opinion. Those makjang-y things aside, there's another reason I'm withholding points for the plot, and that's weak writing at certain areas - and poor decisions by the production team. Weaknesses emerged when the writers added fillers to an episode that could have been swapped for a more meaningful scene. Also, one of the main characters is pushed to the side because the production team overlooked his defining role in the drama.

I must say that the actors carried the drama - without them, it would not have survived. Shin Sung Rok was splendid as always (you'll love his expressions); Jang Na Ra proved she is more than just a rom-com queen - she knows how to play a ferocious, clever, and upright character; CJH was a master at portraying subtle emotions. The characters were not two-dimensional, and the actors had to make us believe that: Sunny developed from being naive to clever; Na Wang Shik had to chain his anger, and almost lost himself to it along the way, with some questionable actions to achieve his goal while still maintaining his position in the "right side"; Lee Hyuk literally jumped from different extremes as an insecure, traumatized - and rather insane - Emperor. (I would mention others too, but their performances stood out the most.) Overall, you will find yourself cheering for one character and cursing another. And be prepared to switch sides often!

The music was great. Loved each OST. Gaho's Not Over, in particular, set the right tone of suspense at most cliffhangers. What Would it Be was beautiful too. Oh, and the instrumental was good too; the mellow yet intense instrumental that they chose for heavy scenes (**spoiler** like when Sunny abolished the Empire **spoiler ended**) was a favourite.

There are certain scenes you want to re-watch, like O Sunny being righteously angry, or a few heartwarming moments here and there.

Watching this drama was a ride. Don't miss it! Despite its flaws, it has much to offer.

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Don't be deterred by a supposedly dry accountants´ world. It´s feisty. Suspenseful. Emotional, too

"Numbers" is about auditors, balance sheets and accountants. It's obviously all about numbers. That may put some people off. It's also about what lies behind those numbers, and that may at times seem even more complicated to the uninitiated. However, deliberately illustrative examples are repeatedly interspersed. And it is even more gratifying that it is not necessary to understand all this in every detail in order to enjoy the series. “Numbers” is about a rational and clever mastermind. Yet it is also about having the heart at the right spot. It´s feisty. It´s also emotional. It stands up and means it. Great!

"Numbers" is definitely worth it getting involved in the abstract world of accounting specialists. Especially since their decisions, in turn, have consequences for a world that juggles numbers even more aloof - Investment Fonds... While the auditors keep an eye on the current state of the balance sheet and put its potential through its paces, investors only care about future returns and often want the maximum profit regardless of the losses - which others have to bear for it.

Numbers are numbers. But the decisive factor is who has the sovereignty of interpretation. Numbers sound clean and objective, apparently. Yet, they stand for people, their visions and their decisions. Hidden underneath are solutions, too. As always, the question you´re asking, will make the difference – leading the way for your attention and focus. And as always, different possible perspectives exist. Also in the world of numbers.

"Numbers" is about a revenge campaign – again. There are actually several. It is about those who, with good reason, do not want to be intimidated by the power of the powerful – again. They have nothing (more) to lose. The bad guys are really bad. They have long lost their heart or never had one to begin with. This makes for plenty of interesting relationship dynamics.

"Numbers" also offers an interesting variety of intelligence and competence. Bottom line for revenge candidates – again: just on your own it is almost impossible to make a difference. However, someone courageously has to make a first clever and striking move ahead. With heart and soul. Then maybe others will remember that their heart was once in their right place, too. (In a rational, hierarchical world that takes for granted that there is no room for irrational emotions or personal interests, it's easy to forget just that.)

"Numbers" is a bold story about rather impure moves in the world of accounting and investment. A complex story. At the same time, an exciting, thrilling story that is fun, too. No matter how remote this world of dizzyingly high numbers may be for most of the audience, watching the story feels good overall. You get a high-flying, intelligent mixture. The actors show a strong presence in their roles and thus contribute a lot. The pace is right. OST fits fine.

My suggestion: don't be put off by suits, ties and a supposedly dry, conservative, number-dominated accountant business world. Sure enough, "Numbers" has it all!






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Side Note:
Banks in South Korea have been taboo for investors since the Asian crisis. For the bank sector, on the other hand, financial investment transactions are not permitted. Just now, in 2023, fundamental reforms were launched - some are even talking about a revolution. The banking sector is just now being opened up to new players in order to stimulate competition.

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