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I have noticed how this drama is not received well with a lot of people. I can understand why. It's got to be one of the most depressing dramas ever. 'Missing You' falls in more of a makjang-tastic melodrama genre which could have gone wrong. For me, of course, this drama worked very well. I loved the whole plot and enjoyed every character in it.
I am usually critical of tragedy being used as a cheap means to get the plot moving. Often, including tragedy is seen as convenient for Kdrama writers when they want to create the 'shock effect' in the viewer. What sets this drama apart from so many others is how tragedy is used as a base here instead of some random, bang-up scenario. It makes room for rest of the plot to build up, leaving scope for a lot of plot development and some amazing character development- which is commendable.
The sad parts of the drama are so wonderfully done (especially the childhood parts) that they will remain in my memory for a long time. They are touching and were successful in moving me. Even the sub-plots are very interesting, including the romance.
I loved how even though a lot of bad stuff happened to its characters, they were able to bear with it. That shows us how there's hope even in the darkest of the times. Okay, I know I am making it sound like some sadistic, boring drama but it is not. It is both beautiful and poignant in many ways. It had a nice pacing and many interesting sides to it.
The cast gave stellar performances. I believe this was Yoon Eun Hye and Park Youchun's best role till date. Although I am not the biggest fan of Youchun's acting, he impressed me here. His chemistry with Yoon Eun Hye was very good and believable to me. Apart from that the child actors were TERRIFIC- especially Kim So Hyun. When she suffered, I got the goosebumps. It was that great! Kudos to the director for making it seem so real.
The OST of this drama is terrific. I recommend every one to listen to it.
Overall, this drama is a whole package with a memorable cast, a touching story, lots of tears, lots of love and a solid soundtrack. Though it doesn't have a very high rewatch value, I won't mind rewatching my favourite scenes between the main leads.
Recommended to fans of melodramas and sad stories with good endings. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers!!!!Beautiful story and concept but the ending with how the main couple gets back together was extremely toxic.
I really enjoyed this drama. Loved the storylines and the chemistry between each of the couples was wonderful. The ensemble felt very flowing. The conclusion that love and marriage can look different to everybody and you just have to work that out between partners was amazing.
However, I have a big issue with one of the message about relationships; we learn that Ji Ho knew that Se Hee was going to confess before she decided to end the contract and move out. She tells everyone else that she loves him but wants him to open up his most vulnerable self to her. But, she doesn't tell him that. Instead, she lies about why she's leaving. She could have said, "I want to end the contract because I'm having feelings. Can we talk about that and whether you are, too, and whether we want to be a real couple?" Instead, she tortures him. Knowing that he's in love with her, she leads him to believe she is traveling far away and has ended everything. Also knowing that a lot of his pain is from having been abandoned by someone he loved before. He's literally in a bad emotional state and I'd argue in a state of actual depression. Meanwhile, she's having fun in Seoul at the hostel and with her friends. Laughing it up at the sauna, etc.
When they are reunited, she doesn't wake him up to talk. She talks to him while he's half asleep, thinking he's dreaming. When he wakes up, she acts as if its completely normal that she's there doing laundry and making breakfast. He's rightfully angry. She smiles. He's rightfully angry that she's smiling. But, somehow, she gets to apologize with a smile on her face and be happy that he's angry and its all okay?
If someone had done this to me, I'd be over them. It was manipulative and cruel. It was TOXIC. I'd never trust her again. Here was this man who, despite his wounds, was always considerate and kind. He was definitely overly-cautious. But, he was so respectful of boundaries. He was protective. In his shocked state, after seeing his ex, he still thought to make her some tea. You don't always need words to know that someone loves you. Those actions are far more telling. If you fell in love with this person, why are trying to make him be different? And, if you need something from him, why don't you just say so instead of this cruel, underhanded behavior?
I really loved the chemistry between them up until this point. I never understood why she took the route she did. I agreed with her mother, "you're talking crap." She's wrapping up her destructive behavior in the romanticized metaphor of a story about a woman who ended up committing suicide. What the heck?
Why does everyone find what she did romantic? I ended up not liking her and worried about what else she might do in the future if things weren't going her way. She's actually a little twisted. It bothers me that no one is critical of this. That this is seen as something to aspire to. Don't treat people the way she did.
This is a shame. Crappy plot devices meant to drag the show's run time is what honestly ruined a top 5 drama for me. It was a complete disrespect for everything the drama stood for, especially in terms of characters and breaking cliches. But most importantly, it was a disrespect of the values this show held of how to make a strong relationship: Honesty and communication. This show spoke a lot about those concepts and the ending of it completely takes a hard dump on all of that. If your plot device/cliche could be cleared up by one sentence, you've already lost.
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Story
Without being particularly original or unique, defendant feels completely one of a kind. Part a legal-crime thriller part melodrama, Defendant is solely a two-man show. On the one hand, it centers on a prosecutor –the hero- who finds himself in prison, is accused of murdering his wife and child and dealing with memory lose on top of everything else. On the other hand, it focuses on a wicked man –the villain- who tries desperately to get away with his crimes. The drama develops partly as a mystery and later as an endless manhunt between the two as the one tries to destroy the other.
First half of the drama takes places in prison. I sincerely appreciated the fact that the drama did not spend time with court and other boring legal procedures but rather looked everything from a different personal-dramatic view of the hero delving deep into his troubled thoughts regarding his indictment. The memory loss plot is just a device to drive the story nothing more, so don’t worry about things dragging out a lot. The amnesia plot was handled in a very refreshing way in my opinion.
Second half of the drama is way more engaging, more dramatic, more lively filled with tension, angst and twists. The acting is luscious and you will never get bored of seeing the turning tables and schemes between the 2 lead characters. The drama is melodramatic without being mawkish, but there are also comic scenes and characters to relieve the tension and they succeeded without ridiculing it. There are quite a few characters implicated in all this making the drama that much more thrilling and mysterious.
While the drama really left a very strong impression that could translate into a perfect 10, specific reasons restrict me from it. Firstly the conveniently written base story. Frankly, there is no drama that is not at least partly convenient, that is how they work, and then the drama is just so good you’ll barely mind the convenience here and there.
Moreover, the main drawback I could address is the slow development of the plot especially in the first half of the drama. I remember me thinking that the drama offered its first real plot development, since the first 2 episodes, in episodes 7 and 8. After that the story really picks up pace. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed every episode. Even in episodes in which nothing much happened, the drama managed to be fascinating, bewitching and easy to watch.
Finally, although more of a nagging stretch from my part, i felt that the drama somehow mistreated its flawless ensemble cast by focusing too much on the 2 leads. It's not that the characters felt unreal, it is exactly that they were so well written that they deserved some kind of story of their own, namely Kwon Yuri's character. All that being said this focus on the main leads just gave Ji Sung more time to be flawless on my screen i shouldn't nag! I hereby reassure you none of these minor shortcomings were enough to reduce, even by little, the awesomeness of this drama!
Acting
Despite the great and thrilling plot, best part of the drama for me was the acting. The cast is actually quite large, with almost every character having a significant role to play. I cannot argue that the acting was an overall 10, but as I mentioned already this is a two-man show and these 2 men simply outdid themselves!
I can safely say we all agree that Kill Me Heal Me was Ji Sung’s best work; he demonstrated perfectly his unrealistically good acting skills. Ladies and Gents, I present you, the drama in which Ji Sung managed to outdo himself(!). His acting as a tainted inmate fighting with himself over his charges trying to solve the puzzle was magnificent and astounding. I doubt there is another male actor who can break down crying, act like a lunatic like that and come off as firm but also desperate and emotional as Ji Sung did. He sent chills down my spine, goosebumps. Either acting as a disoriented inmate or a strong and driven prosecutor or an aching father and husband he was immaculate. He knows exactly how much soul and emotion to pour into his performance in every scene. Excquisite! I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again best actor in dramaland.
The duo is formed with Uhm Ki Joon. I’ve seen him before but never like this. He portrays the antagonist but somehow he had such great syngery with Ji Sung, something I’ve never seen before. His portrayal of twin siblings was firstly impeccable; secondly his performance of a despicable criminal was spotless and shivering. A corrupted unstable person who still felt human and somehow mistreated and misunderstood. Undoubtedly, i never saw me having these feelings about such a villain. Heavenly acting by Uhm Ki Joon! A character you’ll love to hate. The two men managed to really make the drama shine 10x brighter than it would have on its own and they complemented each other completely.
The ensemble cast had a few really good actors. Yuri generally gets a lot of shit for her acting, she is considered the female lead, but considering the significance of her character she barely appeared. She served a purpose, and imo she held her own next to acting beasts despite being rather forgettable. I especially liked Uhm Hyeon Kyeong, not a big role, but also a significant and poetic one.
Oh Chang Seok and Kang Sung Min played similar characters that developed in the exactly opposite way, amazing writing here, they were great. All the cellmates were immaculate and adorable too, the drama generally featured some of the best and more likeable side characters I’ve ever seen.
Lastly, my personal favourites, Kim Min Suk who was sentimental and touching, loved him and my endless love and appreciation for Shin Rin Ah, the ridiculously talented young girl who never cease to amaze.
Even if the acting wasn’t perfect overall, it deserves a 10 for the perfect casting and synergy.
Recommend/Rewatch.
Despite your preferred drama genre, defendant is a drama that cannot be easily put to words, it should be watched. Therefore, I recommend it to everyone. It is emotional, exciting, thrilling, mysterious and intriguing. It does not have romance but believe me you won’t even care! I can see myself rewatching it in the future.
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Proof that even good acting can't revive a lackluster script
The first 15 episodes were so good. Really kept me engaged and every time I finished an episode, I was left wanting for more. But it somehow went downhill from there. Just cliche after cliche after cliche. Mind you, all those cliches weren't even executed properly. I haven't read the novel but from the spoilers I've seen, it seems like the scriptwriters didn't either. The plot's a mess, the characters are boring, their actions are predictable, ACTUAL interesting characters aren't utilised properly and the pacing is absolutely terrible. The acting's the only redeeming quality of this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Don't watch if you suffer certain PTSD, rape etc
"THE EFFECT"I cried severally in the space of 3 episodes, I think that says a lot of this series. When I started watching I would have never expected such depth from it but then they will wowed me with the way they handled everything. The most important thing portrayed is that there is a consequence for every action, essentially THE EFFECT of each action.
Keng’s parents expecting him to be protect their reputation which was why he only accepted himself being gay late, his bit of denial and ultimately insulting man led to Man’s jealousy (although man’s jealousy was absolutely stupid, you are not entitled to someone liking you, they say they don’t like you, the move on). Man’s jealousy led to him posting about Shin and Keng, people ignorantly talking and posting more on the Shin and Keng issue, which led to Shin to spiral and pull away from Keng, which led to Keng to spiral and do the most abominable thing to Shin, which just had the worse effects afterwards.
This series touches on so many things which I would address when I am talk about in the story aspect for me but I think the most important thing I got out of this are some basic questions we never ask ourselves because we think it can never be our reality, but this showed everything can be turned upside down in the matter of seconds. How would we react if the world turned against us? When everything you know to be true is destroyed to its very core, how do we build back up? But mostly importantly, blaming ourselves for what happens to people especially with low self-esteem.
STORY
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I wish I could give the story more than a 10, but 10 is the highest I can give it on a scale of 10.
The show held absolutely nothing back and the topics it touched are the ones we all wish to brush under the cap, but they took it head on and handled it so beautifully as well.
1. Rape (especially the fact that people who perpetrate rape are never too far from home), and calling Rape, rape. Not the gate way to love or whatever
2. Bullying on social media (especially with the cancel culture tendencies of our generation) and the way people just move on from it as though they have not ruined several people’s lives with their words)
3. Depression and Suicide, which is becoming more and more of a reality amongst LGBT youth. But most especially the pain that we need to stop when we attempt suicide and I speak from past experience of when I attempted suicide, when you want everything to stop.
4. Mental Health, I separated mental health from suicide because I feel this is an entire discussion after the fact of shin, that is the ending itself.
Minor themes touched on briefly.
1. Society actual reaction to the LGBT community, where people could still lose everything for coming out
2. Parents that care more about reputation than the actual happiness of their child (which is probably what led to the increase in depression in our generation probably)
3. The show also was a little forward on HIV
Now you might think that rape is touched on by other BL series but one thing that this had that the others was that they did not try to sugarcoat it, they showed depth to rape victims other than falling deeper in love with the rapists, they displayed the agony and PTSD that comes with rape. They were very raw with it and I loved that about their series. I felt Shin’s pain when he was raped, I felt his pain afterwards on not seeing any light in the world, I felt his pain when he took the money because he wanted it to end and I felt his pain at the point of the suicide because yes, he was tired of all the pain. This right here is the proper way to portray rape, not the disgusting attitude I have seen from Thai media, where Rape is treated like love, I understand that Keng was in love with Shin and that made it all the more painful but I am happy they did not shy away from calling out the disgusting thing that is called rape and making Shin mystically forgive him and just move on. I absolutely loved it.
It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.
Social Media in our day and age has become such a power tool that has been misused and this show went to show that, social media is a tool of good but also of absolute harm when intended. Whether intentionally or unintentionally you could make someone’s life absolute hell with the “innocent” words that you post online. Another thing I took away from this, SOCIAL MEDIA doesn’t always tell the whole story but only what is decided to be shown (CHECK UP THE TAYLOR SWIFT AND KANYE WEST STORY OF RECENT OR THE JAMES CHARLES AND TATI WESTBROOK story), when all you are using is a picture to jump to conclusions, then it is to the detriment of someone else. The Taylor Swift and Kanye West story goes to show that even a video can be used to mislead people and bullet holes can’t be fixed by band aids, the damage done by social media is a lot of the times irreversible. Basically guys, please learn to be more careful about what you say or share across social media please. Social media is powerful and when manipulated, an example what Tati Westbrook did to James Charles, it does not matter your intentions, the damage you have done to a person is done. This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.
The suicide and depression story hit closer to home for me than I expected to, as someone who has attempted suicide and been depressed, I can understand Shin. Sometimes we think doing some things will ease the pain from us, all we want is for that pain to end (I am not saying it is this way for every single person that attempts or commits suicide but a lot of us feel this), sometimes we just need everything to stop and suicide is the best way to escape it. (Side note for someone like me I found that engaging in nonstop work is a little helpful, it does not stop the anguish and all, but it is a good distraction). Honestly, I tell people not to judge people whom have attempted or committed suicide, you don’t know what it means to be on that edge and the feeling of hopeless that comes with it, it is a battle people fight every day and I love that it was captured in this honestly. But people should understand it is not necessarily the rape that leads to death but the agony, depression and sometimes PTSD that comes with it.
Episode 1: This was the basic average love story, crushing on that person from afar, meeting them, developing more feelings for the person until we arrive at the love stage. But this episode just went on to prove the narrative of after the calm comes the storm because honestly, I do not think people were ready for episodes 2 and 3.
Episode 2 where majority of the events that shaped the narrative happened. This episode was honestly quite painful to watch especially the last 20 minutes, I took several breaks to watch it. But the most important thing that I want people to note is that fact that the major events of the episode were a slow build up and didn’t all happen at once, one thing led to another, another lead to another until we had the rape. If you are someone who has some form of PTSD, especially from rape or anything of the sorts, please watch this episode with a trusted friend or something
Episode 3: This was the climax, like things went deeper and darker. I tell you, you definitely are not ready for episode 3, even if you believe you are, you are not. I don’t think I can write on this episode properly, it was just so much like I am still trying to wrap my head around the episode, I mean I am still crying at this very moment about episode 3, so that should tell you a whole lot about what to expect from episode 3. The ending was so perfect but yet so painful at the same time, because when you thought of all that could have been when they said “only if I had explained better” and “only if I had listened better”, then the sharp ending after that , I was honestly not prepared for this, that is all I have to say.
On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.
This show struck a chord because as someone who has battled mental health issues (bipolar disorder), which includes massive depression and suicidal tendencies, it felt almost like my story was told at some points. And I have friends who have been raped, so I was quite emotional about that too.
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful
You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.
ACTING
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I first of all have to start by saying all the actors were phenomenal, because a lot of the times I prefer reading novels because of the descriptive nature of the emotions contained or that they wish to portray but I must say that these actors really sold me on their acting, off course there were parts that could have been better but I am still going to giving them a 10 on the acting. I mean they were simply beautfiul
Yangyi as Shin’s Mother, now she did not have a lot of speaking parts but honestly, she went a long way in selling the story, I genuinely felt her felicitating with her son’s pain at so many parts as many mothers would do. Her watchful eyeful over him sold the darker stories more.
Yacht and Top as Bright and Pramote, alright, compared to the rest of the cast, Bright and Pramote didn’t convey the anguish and pain emotions as well, I mean asides when Bright was punching Keng, I definitely felt those. But I did like one part where they told him friends are there for each other in episode 3, I actually believed them in that moment, and I felt a little warm.
Oat as Keng, honestly his looks helped to sell his part more I wouldn’t lie, he looks so innocent and charming and like he could never do what he did to Shin, which goes to tell you, people are not always what they appear to be like in reality. He really sold me on the lost and regret parts after the rape I almost felt sorry for him but nah, rape is rape and is not to be condoned ever. He had a little torn between feeling sorry for him and hating him.
James as Shin was everything I wouldn’t lie, like I said, I went through every single emotion with him, like I believe this story more because of him, the shift from his innocent self to the depressed and want to die person. He made me cry which speaks volumes about his acting skills as an actor, people can have such roles and absolutely fail at executing the acting well but James delivered so much.
MUSIC
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I loved one particular song from the series, they used different parts of it and I was quite surprised to find out it was all one song. Honestly I love that song, I am currently listening to it on repeat as we speak, asides that, they tried with some piano parts of the music
REWATCH VALUE
================
This is so traumatic it is almost unwatchable for a second. I definitely would watch this again but honestly after a while because I do not think that I have it in me to watch this anytime soon. Like I love it, but it is so intense, I do not think I have it in me to watch it again just yet.
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This review may contain spoilers
the plot was a mystery, even to the writer/director/editor
Overall: The chemistry and production was really good but it was ruined by the nonsense plot and confusing editing. Hope to see these actors again in something else. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: murders, violence/fight, blood, non con kiss, kidnapping, stalking, manipulation
What I Liked
- the gritty/darker tone (though it did fall back on the silly comedy parts a few times, none of which I found funny)
- opening credits with appropriate heavy metal music instead of a pop song/ballad (Underneath The Surface by Tiger Gang)
- intro scene grabbed my attention
- a clear time jump
- chemistry between Lue and Ken
- that treehouse
- production value (especially the color grading)
Room For Improvement
- it was just too confusing and it's sad because they could have made it make sense (i.e. adding a location text in the first episode so we knew they weren't in Thailand, adding in when there are time jumps/location jumps how many days/weeks later it is, not having 2 different guys wearing the exact same outfit (all black), telling the story in a linear fashion instead of constant flashbacks)
- total nonsense things (how did no one ask about the gloves, why was he wearing turtlenecks in very hot Thailand, why didn't any airbags go off in that car crash, why was everyone knocked unconscious, why did Ken have zero sense of self preservation, how was Ken strangled and crying in practically every episode including his dream, why run after a bad guy when your friend might be dying, why is there a bath tub in the middle of a warehouse, why did they botch a very important casting so the plot makes zero sense, why can't anyone shoot in the final episode etc)
- continuity errors (Lue was missing a scar that he should have had, characters are injured and then suddenly not injured, etc)
- stupid characters (Din could have just pretended when he found out about that stuff and then reported it later, Ken makes the stupidest decisions considering what he's been through, Lue's "plan" made zero sense why couldn't the police have someone go undercover to get evidence, why couldn't Lue tell Ken????)
- bad editing/jumpy, scenes suddenly jumped or picked up elsewhere
- I had zero interest in the side couple, if my significant other did that to me during a business meeting then that might be the end of our relationship
- cartoonish villains (and it isn't human trafficking or drug smuggling??? in the final episode we learn more stuff why wasn't this shown before)
- why did a character suddenly have visions?
- please never kiss through a shower curtain again, also don't wear double underwear
- that open ending was bad, wasn't Lue acting in self defense and working with police why would he be on the run???
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1
1The Art of Strategic Retreat
Immortal Ascension is the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the hit xianxia web-novel A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality by Wang Yu (忘语), a defining work of the "mortal cultivation" sub-genre. While the novel chronicles protagonist Han Li's thousand-year journey over a sprawling 2,400 chapters, this ambitious adaptation condenses the first 200 years into 30 episodes. It is set in a brutal, realistic immortal world where might makes right. The Heavenly Dao (天道) is indifferent to concepts of "good" or "evil"; the path to immortality isn't about grand morality or predestined genius, but about raw power and survival. Here, cunning, alchemy, and artifacts can trump sheer talent.Three borrowed bowls of flour for flatbread. That is why an ordinary village boy, Han Li, stumbles on to a thousand year path to immortality. It isn't a profound or carefully considered decision or even a conscious choice on his part —just survival instinct, pure and simple. It begins in Shenshou Valley, a place that opens his eyes to a world beyond his wildest imagination and offers his first chilling glimpse into the callous utilitarianism and transactional nature of cultivation relationships. He picks up the underappreciated skill of gardening and chances upon his most invaluable artifact. From his first mentor, Physician Mo, Han Li learns the core secret to immortality: live to fight another day. He is the master of the art of strategic retreat—my lips would twitch every time he began stealthily backing away at the slightest hint of hostility.
Han Li is an unconventional protagonist. He isn't motivated by naive heroism and chooses a path that is ultimately selfish and solitary. Often underestimated, he prevails through cautious pragmatism and resourcefulness, relying on methodical long-term planning, deception, and fleeing unwinnable conflicts. Despite the running gag that Han Li is very plain, Yang Yang is perfectly cast. His immaculate appearance and radiant, ageless glow convey the aura of a character who is ultimately unattainable. I've never been a fan of his acting, but this is by far his best role. His portrayal is exquisite: the careful circumspection in his movements, the nuanced flicker in his eyes, the micro-expressions that signal he is always watchful and calculating; that fraught stillness when sensing danger; and the intense, cold-blooded ruthlessness in combat. Yang Yang's power, grace, and natural athleticism are on full display. Instead of just standing around uselessly waving a fan (Who Rules the World), he delivers multiple thrilling, intense, and brilliantly choreographed action sequences that showcase Han Li's ability to think on his feet, using his cunning and resources to level the playing field. The visual effects, however, are a bit dated and at times overwhelm the impressive stunt work, detracting from how flawlessly Yang Yang executes difficult mid-air acrobatics while staying completely in character.
I love the decision to shoot mostly on location—it vividly reinforces the vastness, timelessness, and solitude of Han Li's journey. It may have made lighting and framing more difficult to control, but it's far superior to the typical fake, over-lit, and stagnant xianxia set. The plot feels condensed, and the pacing is uneven, alternating rapidly between character introductions, heavy world-building via dialogue, and high-octane action. Some important characters—Physician Mo, Mo Caihuan, and a few of Han Li's Yellow Maple Valley mentors—are fleshed out, but too many others zip by cursorily. While Wang Duo plays the villain with great relish and humor, Wang Chan's character is a cardboard cutout, because Han Li's greatest antagonist is truly the indifferent universe—and Han Li himself, and the humanity he must leave behind.
At times, this feels like a video game, but it is actually a quite sad and profound story. The narrative tone doesn't indulge in sadness; Han Li's moments of temptation and regret are subtle and transient: a pause, a concealed glance behind lowered eyelids, the slightest hesitation, the moment he gives in to a brief hug. It's all in the subtext, in how he regularly shouts out to Li Feiyu, recalling his last mortal friend. Han Li is not a relatable protagonist; it's hard to feel sorry for him, as he does not feel sorry for himself or for the people he coldly leaves behind.
Fittingly, at the end of this first phase, we come full circle to a precious piece of flatbread that Nangong Wan casually snatches from him. Ms. Mo would never have done that. It's why she is not the endgame; she isn't ruthless or selfish enough to accompany him on his journey. While this is not a romantic story, the character who moved me most was Ms. Mo. It is with his first love and final obsession that Han Li almost allows himself to be mortal.
I don't know how to feel about this kind of story or Han Li's path. It is inspiring as a tale of how an ordinary person can become extraordinary. And a sobering lesson about at what price. It is a story that has stayed with me. I have to rate it 9/10.
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Fluff, fluff and fluff filled with so much fillers and sprinkled with a few unneeded NC17 scenes.
This is hard to write - there was a lot of hype and i must confess that i fell inlove with the series in its first few episodes that i kinda overlooked all its shortcomings. It has all the elements of a Domundi series - extra rich leading men paired with very young (immature) boys; the extra super cute boys; and the almost obligatory sex scenes. However, through all the sheen and all the beautiful faces, it is an overstretched storytelling aimed to check all the BL boxes and offers nothing really new.
First let me discuss the good things i loved:
1. The very good looking cast - Thomas, o Thomas, where have you been hiding all this time (he actually caught my attention in that ill-fated The Middleman's Love Story but since he was just almost just an extra there i immediately forgot about him) - this series has poised him to be a star. Kong is just adorable. Do i need to mention how cute Por and TeeTee are? And of course Save ang AuAu.
2. Marakot's Babe!
3. If you put your critical thinking hat off, this show can be really enjoyable - Its just light and easy series to watch. And oh, have i mentioned Thomas?
Now the things that i find a little eyerolling:
1. Teerak is just too bubbly of a character for me - almost like he is living in his own Glinda bubble. This very child-like behavior also makes me think that the guy is not ready for a mature relationship -he is like a 13 year old boy wanting to be an adult all of
a sudden. The kiss-me-on-the-hair antic is ok at the beginning but it turned too cringy and borderlined overacting - imagine having a college dude acting like that in real lfe - it can be really really annoying. Plus, that fake girlfriend angle, can you really imagine Teerak having a girlfriend - the dude is a walking flower dashed with a few drops of mist and with its own ray of sunshine. THe girlfriend angle IS SO UNNECESSARY.
2. Can somebody please tell these recent wave of writers that a teenage-looking boy isnt believable as ultra successful CEOs or high level executives? They just arent. Even if you are from a rich family, it takes a certain pedigree and maturity to actually run a company. Muenfah is still just a baby. Somebody in Domundi has a fetish for hot looking young CEOs, i get the appeal, but a line has to be drawn somewhere - and they didnt have to use the same character type in every show.
3. Mike is too good for this role and too out of place in this series - im sorry to say but he looks too old to portray a college student next to the other members of the cast.
4. The school project exhibition. After making Muenfah an impossibly young college student/business owner the series came up with a story line for Teerak that he and his friends are suposed to present (and exhibit) their big big project - only to come up with Teerak's strawberry eating fox figurines in that snow-filled forest (which by the way they didnt even bother to make a snowy background), Joy's crochet keychains, and Punlee's silkscreen printed shirts. Really? They are college stidents and thats all they can come up with? And they passed with flying colors? Muenfah is closing big business deals and thats the arc you come up with for Teerak?
5. With the materials and footage that they had (and lack thereof) they could have compressed it to an 8-episode series and it will still be an enjoyable compact series. If they really needed to make it a 12-episode series they could have elevated the 2 other pairs to secondary lead status because for heavens sake they already casted 3 (or 4) very good looking pairs but did not utilize them all properly. I would have loved to see more of Real-Hia, Babe-Dom, and my babies Punlee-Klaijai (i could have used more of that flirting scene at the coffee shop).
Overall, its an easy series to watch. I would love to see more from these actors in the future, but Domundi has to spend a little bit more money for good script and extensie acting workshops. Will i recommend? A big-fat YES! WIll i rewatch - just to ogle at those cute boys.
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STORY (No spoilers)
As a stand-alone movie, the way the story was told was choppy and incoherent - there was often little connection from one scene to the next, and from one character's actions to the next - so the viewer is often left confused and disoriented with what is happening and why the characters are behaving the way they do. Therefore, in terms of story-telling, this movie falls down pretty hard. For those who don't know the story behind the movie beforehand, the film would come across not making much sense, which, I can imagine, would be a pretty disturbing and disappointing watch.
Those who do know the story beforehand are generally able to fill in the blanks and insert all the backstory in between scenes but even speaking as someone who knew the backstory beforehand, I still found myself trying to figure out what was happening on screen and where the scene fitted in within the whole. It was terrible because your mind is having to adjust and place the characters and circumstances in the right place as each scene flashed by so you're always playing catch-up and whatever emotional connection you had with the characters ends up getting lost. You're no longer feeling the story or the characters any longer, you're playing catch up to what's going on.
It is worth noting that as the movie attempts to condense and reduce a very lengthy story into a 2-hour telling, the production team naturally had to make some changes to some characters and events which will inevitably differ from the original source material. While this is entirely understandable, it can also hamper the watch experience because in addition to the 'playing catch-up' process, the viewer is then also having to make sense of the changes within the movie-context in itself.
I personally found some changed plot-lines and new scenes baffling and bizarre, and to this day, still have no real idea why certain things happened, or what the director was trying to tell. A good example was the way the movie ended - haphazard, chaotic, baffling and bizarre.
In terms of pacing, the film was rather inconsistent. Some scenes were given plenty of space and air-time while other scenes flashed by so quickly that just before the viewer had time to absorb who was on screen and what was happening (especially for those having to read subtitles), it has ended and you're confronted with a completely different and new scene and your mind is having to adjust from the whiplash.
It made for a very scattered and disconnected viewing experience and I can't help but think that if the director or editor had spent less time dwelling on certain scenes (e,g, the long pan and introduction into Qing Qiu being one of them), there might have been more time to allow other scenes to breathe better.
I also found myself wondering why the director chose to use or dwell on certain scenes which do not really add value in advancing an already fast-moving plot e.g. there was an extended sequence of Ye Hua cooking for Bai Qian (let's not even go into how that scene was depicted). Precious minutes spent on a cooking class when there is still so much ground to cover.
ACTING/CAST
The choppy incoherent story-telling and inconsistent patchy pacing issues probably did not help (maybe even compounded to) the perception of underwhelming acting from the cast. Characters were not given enough time to establish their roles and personalities what more for them to show us their evolution throughout the movie. As a result, it made it difficult for the viewer to understand their motives and their actions as the movie progressed. With the lost emotional connection, it is easy to pan the actors/ actresses for bad portrayals of their characters. Perhaps some of it can be put down to lacklustre acting ability, but I do also believe that another part of it was down to poor scripting of the characters, and to poor directing and editing of the movie.
Yang Yang and Crystal Liu were suitable for their roles - looks-wise.
I thought Crystal was serviceable as Bai Qian but some key scenes which required her to exercise her haughty authority as the Queen of Qing Qiu did not have as much impact as I would have hoped for.
Yang Yang portrayed a rather different Ye Hua from the original source material in terms of personality and attitude. Some viewers might enjoy this fresh take on Ye Hua's character, while others like myself might have found it off-putting and borderline disturbing.
The rest of the supporting cast had too little airtime to really provide them with proper personalities therefore a lot of them came across as one-dimensional, one-note characters with a very set purpose to fulfil in advancing the plot along. They were there to do this, or do that, or say this, or say that, and their job was essentially done.
MUSIC
As I was too focused on trying to follow the plot and the happenings on-screen, I had very little time to appreciate the music score, except during that long pan of Qing Qiu.
RE-WATCH VALUE
Unfortunately, all things considered, I have to say that it was an unpleasant watch for me. There was very little I enjoyed or liked about this movie, therefore a re-watch is not even a consideration.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unexpected treat
I had my doubts about this show mainly cause of its premise/genre. It is very easy to butcher the plot and lose the audience. But I'm glad i watched it. The characters, plot and production is great. I was hooked from the first scene, having so many questions, nothing is simple. The characters have logic and smart in their own ways. Overall the execution has been great so far. It has been interesting and intriging with how everything is comes to play.The acting is so good, the way they embodied their characters is unbelievable. The mains doing wonders, their chemistry is off the charts as well. It is pretty funny, which i didn't expect given the genre. Bai Jingting wonderful to watch on screen and I'm shocked by Zhao Jin Mai's acting. I knew she was good but damn every action and emotion regarding her character has been spot on. The supporting cast is great, everything done with precision. The story has some heart felt moments as well. The characters are realistic to an extent, with the way they view and react to the world. I like how almost every character story has been explored.
With every loop/reset something different happens that thickens the plot. Contantly left with so many questions after each episodes. Being more suspenseful than the previous episode. This utterly has me hooked and on the edge of my seat. The ending was nicely done but there were a few unanswered questions. Such as why they ended up in a loop. Other than that it was a really good watch. I like how they gave us a glimpse of their lives after this whole thing.
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What did I just watch?
I was very excited to watch this season as it has been a long wait, but after binging it the entire day it ended with a very unsatisfying ending.I'm happy that the ending was a happy one even though a lot of characters died for absolute no reason, the main trio did deserve their happy ending together. That's also where the problem lays within this season, I feel like only the trio got their happy ending and all the characters from the first season which we loved very much, had a sad ending for no reason.
In this review there will be a lot of bad points but the story also had some good points: surprisingly it was fast paced, each episode flew by, literally. The acting was also good, especially how Eun-yu's and Yi-Kyung's characters had been played out but then there were also characters that felt a bit monotone. I'm sure there's more but the bad points, for me, are the ones that weighed more than the good ones.
First of all, why is Eun-hyeok a robot?
In the first season he was also kind of a robot with no emotions as he only wanted his sister to be safe and then at the end, we finally see him crack a real smile and even tears! I had hoped to see him again with a bit of more character development but it actually got worse... we also didn't get to see his process of monsterization, only the end product . He was the only character I was so excited to see again but he basically didn't have any personality which was very unfortunate.
Second, lots of characters in the second season were added which was a bit complicated to understand at first but it's normal since the season 1- crew step outside into the open world. It's normal to meet new characters and it's also normal that some of the characters just exist and others actually have a purpose but I feel like almost every single new character that had a bit of potential just died off or just wasn't worth a few more scenes...
For example, we get introduced to Chief Ji, the lady who was in charge at the stadium before the army arrived. She is very mysterious and seems to be a badass character but in the end she's just a coward who feeds her monster son humans and because of the guilt decided to end it.
Another one is the priest, he acts very calm and had potential to actually become someone important but in the end ran off searching for the crazy lady to end up running away with her but wait where is their story? We only get to see him in a car accident and that explains how they have such a strong bond...
Another frustrating one is the old man with the girl on drugs. He's a very strong character who's very calm and seems to know what he's doing and could get very far in life but suddenly he becomes a monster and end ups dying because why?
All these and more characters that were introduced in the second season could've become something that could have had big impact on the ending but it seemed to me that they were only there so both seasons could be more than a few episodes.
Third, why did they do the season 1 characters all so bad? Did they not deserve a happy day at all?
Yi-Kyung who had been fighting since day one, trying to find her fiance, giving birth to a monster and raising it, fighting its psycho father, .... did she really have to die off?
Sang-wook was just there to be possessed by the villian and his existence was basically wiped away, the only proof he was actually in the two last seasons were the appearance of his body and one time he tried to fight back the monster inside him but oh! suddenly in the end he comes back to life! only to burn to death the next second ...
I'm gonna stop rambling now... it was just a very dissapointing day for something I had been waiting on for so long... I'm gonna go cry now
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1This review may contain spoilers
Never-Ending Summer, Never-Ending MisunderstandingI finally finished Never-Ending Summer, and after reading so many comments, I honestly feel like a lot of people completely misunderstood the story.
Everyone keeps asking, "Why did Zhou Wan leave?" "Why didn't she chase after Lu Xixiao?" "The plot doesn't make sense."
But I don't think the problem is the writing.
I think people expect every romance to have simple answers and happy endings. This drama was never trying to be that. It was about trauma, guilt, impossible choices, and how love alone can't magically fix everything.
Let's start with Zhou Wan.
People judge her for the choices she made, but very few people stop to think about why she made them.
When she was only ten years old, her father died after his business failed. Then her own mother abandoned her and even took the insurance money that should have gone to Zhou Wan and her grandmother. Her grandmother became the only family she had left, and a few years later, she became seriously ill.
Imagine being fifteen or sixteen years old and realising the only person who has ever truly loved you might die because you can't afford surgery.
No teenager should have to carry that responsibility.
Zhou Wan was one of the smartest students in school. She always ranked near the top of her class, but she never really got to be a child. Her childhood ended the day her father died, and her mother walked away.
So yes, she became desperate.
When she discovered the connection between her mother and Lu Xixiao's father, she didn't immediately think, "Great, I'll use this."
She resisted it.
She kept telling herself she didn't want to become a bad person. She felt guilty before she even approached Lu Xixiao. She knew what she was considering wasn't right, but she also believed it was the only chance she had to save her grandmother.
Was it morally right?
No.
Was it understandable?
Absolutely.
Now let's talk about Lu Xixiao because people act like Zhou Wan ruined his life, when the drama itself tells us that isn't true.
His trauma didn't begin with Zhou Wan.
It began the day he watched his mother die by suicide right in front of him.
No child should ever witness something like that.
On top of that, the adults around him failed him completely. His father cheated on his mother, and instead of protecting her, the family cared more about maintaining appearances than her happiness. Their household never really felt like a family. It felt like a business empire where emotions always came second.
Of course, that would leave scars.
Then Zhou Wan entered his life.
For the first time since losing his mother, he slowly started smiling again. He trusted someone. He allowed himself to love someone. She became a place where he finally felt safe.
She didn't create his healing overnight, but she became a huge part of it.
Then came the stabbing incident.
People forget how much guilt Zhou Wan was already carrying before that happened. She blamed herself for approaching Lu Xixiao under false pretences, even if her reasons came from desperation rather than malice.
The stabbing only made that guilt worse.
Then his grandfather threatened her and made it very clear that she should leave Lu Xixiao alone.
At that point, Zhou Wan genuinely believed everyone's life would be better without her.
She looked at Lu Xixiao and saw someone who had money, status, opportunities, and a powerful family. She couldn't see that emotionally, he was just as broken as she was.
So she left.
Not because she stopped loving him.
Because she loved him enough to believe he'd be happier without her.
Was she wrong?
Yes.
But she didn't know she was wrong.
That's what makes the story tragic.
Then people ask why she didn't chase him after the 10-year reunion?
Honestly...why would she?
She was the one who walked away because she believed she was protecting him. If she suddenly came back acting as if nothing had happened, it would completely contradict everything her character believed.
One of my favourite moments in the drama is when Lu Xixiao finally tells Zhou Wan the truth.
He tells her that she was never the reason for his nightmares, his insomnia, or his emotional struggles.
Those began the day his mother died.
If anything, she was the one person who made those nightmares quieter. She wasn't the cause of his pain.
She was his healing.
When she disappeared, those old wounds simply reopened.
That's a huge difference, and I think a lot of viewers overlook it.
I also don't understand why some people insist on comparing this drama to other romances where the female lead spends years chasing the male lead. These are completely different characters in completely different situations. Zhou Wan leaving because of guilt and then refusing to come back because she still believed it was better for him is perfectly consistent with who she is.
Not every love story needs grand gestures.
Sometimes the biggest act of love is letting someone go because you truly believe they'll have a better life without you, even if you're completely wrong.
That's why the ending worked for me.
Love didn't magically erase ten years of pain.
It gave them the chance to finally understand each other.
Lu Xixiao understood why Zhou Wan left.
Zhou Wan finally understood that she had never been his burden.
She had always been his comfort.
Neither of them was perfect.
Both of them made mistakes.
Both of them hurt each other.
But that's exactly why they felt real.
This drama never asked me to agree with every decision the characters made.
It asked me to understand them.
And to me, that's what made Never-Ending Summer so unforgettable.
⭐ Rating: 10/10.
Sometimes the best stories aren't the ones where everyone makes the right choices.
They're the ones where every choice, even the wrong ones, makes perfect sense once you understand the people making them.
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Why do non-BLs always have to be sad and tragic?
This is not a BL, it's a queer series. It's slices of live spanning over around 8 years or so. The beginning is a bit strange because there are too many coincidences in the first episode. And of course while we know they are gay, there is no explicit scene about confessing and of course no kissing at all. I don't need any nc-scenes at all, but their relationsship is not defined. We can asume they are together because they love each other but it would not have hurt to give as at least one fluffy moment.On the other hand this slices of life are mostly a series of negatives. For me it was very emotional because every negative stroke of fate just happens. Ryo gets confessed to but he can't handle it. The confessor get outed and jumps (we do not know from how high), but survives, Ryo runs away to Germany of all places and gets nearly killed in a church were another gay persons throws molowtov-cocktails at the altar and is saved by a man who just before listenes to his guilt-confession.
And the list goes on... Is there a happy end? Kind of, but not really. Of course there are also happy moments but anything happy will be destroyed by a tragic event. Is it really necessary to make queer series where everything is tragic? Do we get only stupid, crappy BLs for happyness? I don't mind if there are tragic elements in a story, but this was too much.
I can't fault the actors, they did their best, but watching this series is very taxing. I can only fault the script & direction. I wish we get realistic gay stories which do not end always badly, or where at least the good and bad balance each other out. So, I'm a bit disappointed that they choose not do so. It's very emotional and I needed some tissues. I can't even say it was "bad". Yes the script had it's flaws, the story-arc is not what I wished for, some scenes are too slow for my taste, but it was done mostly in a good way. If you crave for something tragic, this series is for you, if you want something happy, this is definitively not for you.
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What was the point?
Well this was a bit of a mess and I spent every episode asking what's the point, what's the point of all these new characters and all these different plot threads that are introduced but not resolved? It felt like the show was working so hard to set up season 3 that they forgot they were actually supposed to make season 2 and so what we got was this hastily cobbled together collection of episodes. In expanding the world outside the apartment complex of season 1, the writers also focused too much on adding new characters without giving us a reason to care about them, and even the core group of survivors from season 1 felt harder to connect with this time around because we kept jumping from one character to the next without really getting to spend much time with anyone. The CGI continues to be pure nightmare fuel but on the bright side, at least they didn't play that Imagine Dragons song 20 times every episode.Was this review helpful to you?
It's eveything I ever wanted in a gay film
I appreciate movies that can affect me deep and touch my soul. The movie made me depressed for days. Even tho it's hard and I'm waiting for that feeling to fade away, but still the movie is a masterpiece and totally worth it. I waited SO long for a movie that feels REAL and it's finally here. I don't like it when people compare it to call me by your name. shame on you. What I like about this movie is that it showed what most of us went through, and still going through. Being gay is still not easy even if your country is cool with it now, still a lot of us had that complicated relationship no matter where you live it can happen anywhere and at any age. There are a lot of people who are afraid of their sexuality and would rather run away from it. I also loved that it was about love more than a sexual attraction. even that sexual scene between them was more emotional than sexual. They were really into each other emotionally so deep. I love this kind of love. The love that can be proven by so many ways bigger than sex. just pure love.What I didn't like much was the amount of deleted scenes! so many important scenes were missing. I wish there were more scenes that showed Birdy's love for A-Han. This is a movie to remember for decades to come.
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