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The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch
113 people found this review helpful
Disappointing! Feels drastically different from S1
I am really disappointed. I watched Season 1 shortly before Season 2 came out and was super excited. The Teasers looked promising and the cast looked fantastic in their new styles. Especially So Mun with the longer curly/wavy hair. Cho Byeong Kyu can shape-shift with his different hairstyles. But styling and looks is not enough to create a great follow-up season.Where this season went wrong:
- The comedy is over the top and not my taste. Especially because it wasn't like this in S1
- The dynamic between the characters feels different as well. Less serious.
- The tone of this season is generally different from season1 and not in a good way. S1 was more personal and serious
- The Plot was running in circles. So much that it was getting draggy and boring.
- They wasted Yoo In Soo. His character was really annoying. I thought it would get better after ep 3&4 but it did not
- I don't know why, but it just felt hollow
If you do a second season with a different tone etc. ... do it at least good. Not like this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not My Cup Of Tea, But I Got Why Some People Might Fall For It
I only picked up Dazzling because the watcher count on MDL was crazy, and the two leads are pretty famous. The setup seemed harmless enough — city girl Qing Ye (Guan Xiaotong) gets thrown into a small seaside town called Zha Zha Ting after her dad’s world collapses. There she runs into Xing Wu (Li Yunrui), a local boy carrying way too much on his shoulders, and slowly starts changing his life and the lives of the boys around him. On paper, it’s heartwarming. In reality, for me, it mostly just sat there.Early on, I already caught myself comparing it to Lighter and the Princess. Both dramas revolve around a girl who walks into a broken boy’s life and becomes a force of change. But where Lighter had actual intensity and forward momentum, Dazzling felt like it was spinning its wheels. The first few episodes set up the fish-out-of-water stuff — Qing Ye freaking out over public bathrooms, the noisy morning market, a cockroach sending her into orbit — and I’ll admit, that part was fun. Her “meet-disaster” with white-haired Xing Wu, whom she mistakes for some street thug, had a classic enemies-to-friends setup that could’ve worked. But then it just… stalled.
By the time her laptop gets stolen and retrieved, and some creepy neighbour breaks into the shower, the drama had already settled into a rinse-and-repeat loop: problem pops up, Xing Wu fixes it. Laptop, internet outage, harassment, bullying. Every episode, it’s something new that gets resolved almost immediately, and while it keeps reinforcing that Xing Wu is her protector, it barely moves their emotional connection forward. Honestly, you could condense half the 30 episodes and lose nothing important about their relationship.
And that’s my biggest issue: the chemistry never clicked for me. Guan Xiaotong gives Qing Ye a prickly vulnerability that I actually liked, and Li Yunrui’s Xing Wu is quietly magnetic — the weight of family debt and his crushed dream of becoming a pilot sits on him in a way that feels real. There are even a few subtly beautiful moments: him secretly building her a wardrobe because she complained in her sleep, or choosing to film her in the lavender fields instead of taking a photo so he could “freeze her voice and smile forever,” or the way he panics and grabs her when he thinks she’s disappeared. Those moments hint at something deeper.
But the script never lets those sparks catch. Every time a real connection starts to simmer — like when she asks if she can still come back for New Year’s after university — the drama undercuts it with some outside misunderstanding (Shu Han the “childhood fiancée,” seriously?) or jumps into heavy-handed angst (Xing Wu pulling away after Cao Ping reappears). The romance ends up feeling told to me through grand protective gestures rather than something I could actually feel growing between them. In Lighter, the intensity built and crackled. Here, it stays platonic and safe, mistaking cohabitation and shared chores for genuine romantic growth.
Where the drama actually dazzled for me wasn’t the love story — it was the family. Li Lanfang, Qing Ye’s chaotic aunt, stole a lot of scenes. She starts off shallow, obsessed with the “5000 yuan living fee,” glued to her mahjong table, drowning in debt. But she slowly turns into this resilient, messy, deeply human matriarch. Watching her kneel to beg forgiveness for a botched eyebrow tattoo, then later reinvent herself as a street barber doing “quick cuts” in the park — that arc landed. The moment she finally announces all her debts are paid, handing money back to her loyal girlfriends over cherries, felt genuinely earned. I actually felt something there.
Grandma was a quiet warmth, and the red-haired friends brought a chaotic, obnoxious, yet loyal energy that I didn’t hate. Even minor characters like the teacher Zhu Feng, driving a taxi after his divorce, added texture. When the New Year’s Eve fire destroys their home, and neighbors show up with dumplings and friends photocopy burnt textbooks, the drama finally says something real: home isn’t the building, it’s the people. In those pockets, the meandering, lazy pace actually works. You get to soak in the noisy, messy texture of daily life that Qing Ye falls in love with, and I understood why she’d want to stay.
But then the plot has to do plot things, and it fumbles. The drama keeps throwing new antagonists at us to create tension, and they all fizzle out. Cao Ping, the ex-con brother of Qing Ye’s school rival, is the best example. He shows up late with this brooding menace, motivated by his sister’s perceived slights, and the whole thing is dragged out through Xing Wu’s mysterious withdrawal and some physical fights. Then it wraps up in a blink — tearful stand-down, police sirens, done. All that buildup for nothing. Same with the earlier creepy neighbour and the jealous school bullies. As soon as they appear, they’re dealt with, leaving the drama with a stop-start rhythm that never lets tension truly build.
Because of that, the ending doesn’t hit like a culmination. It just feels like a script obligation. Qing Ye’s father arrives out of nowhere to take her back to Beijing and warns Xing Wu to stay away — it’s the exact beat you’d expect from episode one. It reframes her entire time in Zha Zha Ting as a long, pretty interlude. And while finally in the drama it shows they reunite years later, I was left feeling as if I’d watched a beautiful diorama rather than a living, breathing story.
So here’s the thing. Dazzling is a drama that can’t quite decide what it wants to be. It sells itself as a bright, transformative teen romance but delivers a slow, often repetitive family melodrama instead. For someone like me, who already finds teenage romance a bit nauseating and has zero patience for lazy plotting, it was a real test of endurance — thirty episodes that could’ve been sixteen emotionally tight ones. But I can’t say it’s completely empty. The performances are warm, the seaside setting is gorgeous, and watching a family claw their way out of debt one haircut or repaired laptop at a time has a grounded, almost neorealist charm you rarely see in idol dramas. Every now and then, it really does dazzle — not with romantic fireworks, but with the quiet glow of people just trying to piece their lives back together.
If you love slow-burn family stories tucked inside a youth drama package, this might be a comforting watch. But if you came here for a sweeping, intense romance like I did, you’ll probably leave feeling like the story never truly left the shore.
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A Positively Mixed Bag
Disclaimer: I read the manhwaAll spoilers mentioned are related to the manhwa. Only broad and generalized comments about the Drama was mentioned.
The GOOD:
As a stand alone romance drama, Positively yours was pretty average. It has everything needed for a romantic plot: a prince charming, a damsel, a wicked witch and a supportive cast. If you have NOT read the manhwa I would rate almost 7.
I enjoyed the evil sister in law's villain arc. It was satisfying to watch in a makjang. was she over the top sometimes, yes but I was there for it. I also loved the personal assistant. He was such a scene stealer with his one liners. I enjoyed the supportiveness of ML's niece and FL's coworkers. Often times they banded around the main couple in solidarity. I also liked the messiness of the ML's father. Most times in dramas, the characters are either from two extremes; either great or terrible. That the ML's father was a muddy mess was a delight to watch. He was definitely the SIL's villain origin story and created a lot of problems with his poor decisions. These decisions affected people negatively around him.
Overall the drama was ok but I'm judging from the source material.
The BAD:
As an adaptation, this drama sucked big time. This was one of the worst I've seen. In my opinion, the writers didn't understand the manhwa at all. The reason why the main couple had issues with marriage and relationships was because of their family values and upbringing. Do Jun comes from a large family and feels smothered at times while Hui won's comes from a broken single family unit that practically abandoned her. Do Jun was terrified of the weight of family and responsibility whereas Hui Won was terrified of the hurt that comes from broken trust.
The drama didn't capture this at all. They just did their own thing.
The love triangle in the plot was horrible because Min Uk was the family she had after her parents neglected her. It was like they stole her support system. He was her nieghbour when they were young and he became her safe haven when things were difficult at home. Min Uk was the first person to show her sincerity and because of that she confused her feelings of gratitude for love. It was why she felt so betrayed when her best friends were dating behind her back.
And as much as I enjoyed the SIL, she was the solution to a problem that never existed. The manhwa was character driven so there weren't any real Heroes or Villains. The characters got in their own way because their hang ups.
And the fact that they erased Hui Won's father was crazy. Hui Won's parents are a core part of her character. Hui Won's father was a man who loved love and at the time of Hui Won's pregnancy, he was getting married for the 4th time (I think). He had numerous relationships throughout Hui Won's life and was the main source of her trust issues.
The UGLY:
My biggest gripe with this drama was how they portrayed Hui Won's mother as a bitter, drunk, single woman. There was no denying she was an awful mother. But her faults lay with her being unable to communicate her feelings to her daughter. The parent's marriage failed because of Hui won's father fun loving nature clashed with her mother's ambition. She wanted to be more than just a wife and mother and wanted a career. She did feel a bit a resentment but it wasn't toward Hui Won holding her back but because of the lack of support she received for trying to pursue her career. She loves her daughter but feels burdened by the mistakes that were made. She had a successful career and was even in a relationship but the drama portrayed her so poorly.
Another peeve was the beer company! I mean why choose that hill to die on? Pregnancy and alcohol! There were so many other controversial topics to exploit. Like career driven mothers, single motherhood, children raised in broken family homes, divorce and remarriage and the impact it has on children. The manhwa had so many topics that I couldn't understand why they had to create such a poor one.
As someone who loves when adaptations come to life, Positively Yours failed to satisfy basic storyline.
TLDR: If you read the manhwa you will hate it. If you didn't it's a normal romance drama
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This review may contain spoilers
I had to sleep on this one before writing this review (as I'm sure anyone who's seen this has). I'll come right out and say that I don't love this drama. It's not a genre I particularly care for. It's not especially exciting. It's not very pretty to look at except of course for the 4 leads themselves, who are blindingly beautiful. Watching it made me feel kind of squicky and dirty. And by the end I don't care so much about the characters except in a "Hey, look at that horrible train wreck. I wonder how mangled the bodies are" kinda way.BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, this was one of the most unique, compelling and batcrap crazy Kdrama joyrides I've ever been on, and I can't recommend it enough to those who aren't afraid to feel dirty, take a walk on the darkside, and see something they've never seen before in a Kdrama. Because this drama turns everything you know about Kdramas on its head and it did so 9 years ago, which makes me wonder why hasn't anyone else done it since? *(More on that at the bottom.)
Some of the common Kdrama tropes that get turned on their heads are the Cinderella story, the Candy/Mary Sue female lead, the spoiled chaebol son, and most notably the OTP concept.
Without trying to spoil anything, I will just say that even to the end I never really knew who loved whom, and how much and whether any of it was love at all. The truth behind all the lovelines in this drama was so well hidden behind the directing, the very good writing, and the fantastic acting, that even at the end the lovelines were still a confusing mess. And I loved that about this drama because it was so much more realistic. Contrary to Kdramaland, in real life, people can be conflicted about whom they truly love. A person really can love two people at the same time and love is icky and messy. That this drama embraced this fact was so refreshing.
In fact, not only was the romance totally unpredictable but the show itself was, which is why I say it is so compelling. Even someone like me who usually needs either action or humor to keep watching a drama, absolutely could not take my eyes off of this train wreck. This show is ultimate drama-crack, and I owe all of that to the writing and the acting. How many times have you watched a drama only to be pretty sure by about episode 4 how everything is going to play out? Well, not with WHIB. I had some guesses, but they were really just wild guesses and I wasn't confident about any of them. It was that uncertainty that kept me glued to the computer all day yesterday to marathon the last half of this drama.
WHIB is best known, probably, for its ending, so if you want to watch this drama, whatever you do, don't spoil yourself. It was hard for me not to because I am a bit of a spoiler addict, but I avoided it and was the happier for it. Some people, I've read, hate the ending, and some people love it. I LOVE IT! The more I thought about it the more I realized that it was not only totally earned, it was also perfectly fitting. It made sense in every possible way, and that is a rare bird for Kdramas because if there is one major complaint I have about most Kdramas it's that the endings are usually dissatisfying at best and just plain crappy at worst.
Finally, I'll just say that if you do decide to watch this drama, be prepared for a wild and sick ride. Starting WHIB is like going down the rabbit hole. As I said before, this drama made me feel dirty. But it also was exhilarating, with each episode heaping tension upon tension and crazy upon crazy until I couldn't tell which way was up or right from wrong. There is no black and white here, only many shades of dirty gray. If you choose to watch WHIB, enter at your own risk, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.
*(In truth, I think that the abomination that was Fashion King was trying to achieve something like WHIB, but failed miserably on every level but shock value. I chock it up to terrible writing, awful characterization, and mostly to not having a clear idea of what kind of drama they really wanted to make. One of the best things about WHIB that I neglected to mention earlier is how unapologetic it is about being purely character driven. Every event occurs just to put the characters where they need to be, making the choices they need to make, in order to up the tension and tangle the lovelines a little bit more. Normally this kind of artificial maneuvering is a flaw, but because WHIB has no doubt about what kind of drama it is, it works. Characters and the decisions they make are all that matter in this drama. Everything else is irrelevant.)
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Hands up for the Best Lakorn of 2020
First of all I never expected it'd be that good because of that very toxic trailer.It keep saying that hate the FL but I ended up pitying her and her Character Development is realistic. I love her
STORY (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ It was all about Paeng an spoiled girl who's desperately looking for the Sunshine on her life. She found it on Arthit a Nice man that treat her like his own Sister. Paeng doesn't allow it and causes Arthit on the accident that changes his life and personality. When the time goes by Paeng changed herself for a better and new person. But everyone around her didn't believe that she really changed especially Arthit.
ACTING / CAST (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Mark and Kao's Acting is so On-point. And their Chemistry is perfectly fantastic it was very sweet but kinda toxic.I love the way when Arthit is jealous and possessive but sometimes he's too much. I like the Second Couple which is Ling and Non they're very cute. I hate every character who doesn't like Paeng especially that Nang She doesn't even deserve Kot to be honest.
MUSIC (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Absolutely Nice to ears from Intro and Ending OST. I even downloaded it on my phone. I'm more in love with the Ending OST (Male Version).
REWATCH VALUE (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ I will definitely Rewatch it but I will start from Episode 5 and I will definitely skipped Khun Mark not Prin scenes cause it was very annoying.
OVERALL (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ It went up and down,It was sweet and toxic,It was pleasing and annoying,It was happy and sad. It was a very good Drama with great Romance and average comedy.
You will not just liked it but you will love it for sure.
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As viewers are often reminded by the stylish introduction to each episode, Detective Ishikawa Ango walks the “border” between life and death. A mistake on the job lands him with a bullet lodged in his brain and a difficult decision to make: have surgery or leave it? BORDER begins when Ishikawa puts off the decision and returns to work. Each episode covers a different case, complete with a unique death and its matching ghost. Our hero interacts with the spirits and lines up what they have to say with the facts; oftentimes, the victim is even able to tell him who has done what. Though one might worry this takes away from the mystery, enough twists and turns are thrown in to keep things interesting.
Like with most procedurals, not all crimes are created equal. Some episodes are stronger than others, with the most uneven occurring smack dab in the middle. I did like that not every victim was likable or even a particularly good person; it allowed the story to go in different directions than expected. There was also a double-meaning in the word “border,” which factors in as added complexity to the theme.
BORDER struggles most because of its predilection for exposition. Even at the start, we zip right through the “how” of Ishikawa’s powers came to be. Only a few moments pass before he’s tossed into his first case. Case denouements come across as spoon-feeding at times, or like a snippet from a script outline. A good example can be seen in an entire character: our female coroner. She is described rather than developed, tending to speak in sentences full of exposition. When the narrative stands on its own legs with a bit more subtlety (as in the seventh case) this drama watches much better. Plus, the ending simply screams for a sequel which might be good or bad depending on the viewer.
Perhaps the greatest strength of BORDER rests in its solid atmosphere. Cold colors and dark lighting work to build a flawless mood which goes unshaken for the duration of the series. Famous composer Kawai Kenji lends his talents to the soundtrack, resulting in many instances of eeriness and memorability. There are few vocals as expected, but what we get is great (such as the theme evils fall by MAN WITH A MISSION). I particularly enjoyed the creepy choral theme which plays from time to time. However, the scope of music is a touch limited—it might get repetitive for some viewers.
Unfortunately, few cast members are of note. We have Oguri Shun who is gripping as Ishikawa, despite how stoic and lifeless the character ought to be. In one early scene, the character describes his life as waiting for the next big case—with little else worth mentioning. As time goes on and Ishikawa develops more, this talented actor gets more room to stretch his wings. He is particularly impressive in the last few episodes, where more range is necessary. The other performances are forgettable, with the exception of certain guest stars and those strange little hackers (Nomaguchi Toru and Hamano Kenta).
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Fluffy Illogical Romance with a Cheesy and Adorable CP
The Legend of Jinyan is a lighthearted, fluffy historical romcom, with lots of sweet scenes between the main couple (CP), and a lower focus on plot and political scheming. Most criticisms generally focus towards the characters in the show, especially Kabby Hui’s acting as the FL and Chen Jingke’s portrayal of the ML. I admit both have A LOT of romantic scenes together, and so if you do not like them as characters, I would NOT recommend this as a series that you would enjoy. There are also a lot of logical issues with the story and characters, and the series is full of extended misunderstandings. However, this drama suited a lot of my own personal tastes, and so if you want something that is completely focused on romance, is an easy watch, and has a CP with lots of chemistry, then this might be something you are interested in!I'd highly recommend having a watch if you like these tropes:
♡ A Bickering Couple that is Stupidly Cute Together: Jinyan and Xiao Yu are so adorable together. They have a couple dynamic where on the outside they constantly argue, but on the inside they are both always looking out and caring for each other. They are both childish and naive in love, but also are incredibly loyal to one another, despite the fact that they are hiding their true identities. Considering this is one of Chen Jingke’s first ML roles, he did a great job portraying a young king who could sometimes be temperamental and easily angered, but also cared about his people and treasures Jinyan deeply. Kabby Hui was adorable as Jinyan, who is stubborn and often gets herself in trouble, but is willing to work hard and even sacrifice her own safety to protect King Yu and her own family.
♡ Fluff Everywhere: The best thing about this show for those of you who love romance is that literally every episode has at least 75% of scenes completely focused on the main couple. This isn’t a drama that is heavy on the plot with only sprinklings of romance — instead, it reverses this, and there are so many adorable moments between our main couple that will definitely make you satisfied. Their relationship development is also very well done, especially from being attracted to each other as strangers, to slowly relying on and learning more about love through each other. Kabby Hui and Chen Jingke also have so much chemistry together, and you will not be disappointed by how passionate their kiss scenes are!
♡ Loveable and Endearing Side Cast: I absolutely loved so many of the side characters, from the eunuchs to even one of King Yu’s consorts who supported the main CP. While many of them did not receive as much screen time, they often played important roles in the drama, from helping the main CP grow closer, to caring about the main characters when they were frustrated or going through struggles. Props to Zhou Yiran, who did an amazing job as King Yu's right-hand man Zhong Li. The brotherhood between him and Xiao Yu played an important role in the drama, and I loved how the drama emphasizes how the side characters contribute to the character development of the lead cast.
♡ Relatively Good Pacing and No Draggy Scenes: I barely skipped anything in the drama, because of how I think pacing was quite well done. Again, this drama has a lot of romance, which is what always kept me watching. I never tired from seeing all of the "sugar" between the main CP. I also liked the way that there is some but not too much politics interspersed in the series, with the main conflict involving the battle for power between the two brothers, King Yu and Xiao Qi. I think I also liked how the “Evil Second Lead Female” is Wen Suyu, who actually is in love with Xiao Qi and not King Yu instead, which makes the overall drama a bit less predictable.
♡ Beautiful Production Value: While this is a lower-budget drama, I think the backgrounds and the pastel colouring was beautiful. The costumes and outfits were very nice, and the OST (especially the title track) is amazing. I think some of the most memorable scenes were very beautifully shot, and I really liked the cinematography of this drama. Many of the symbols, from the cherry blossoms to the wine cellar, were very nicely portrayed, and even though this show did not have a high budget it is clear that the sets were very well done.
However, there are also some things you might not like about the drama:
♥ Acting Issues and Directing Choices: There is a lot of overacting, especially in trying to be “cute,” by Kabby Hui, which is ironic considering how adorable her appearance already is. In many ways, I think viewers may have been less harsh on her acting if the production team had chosen to tone down her expressions. Many have dropped the show solely because of the FL, and I think going into this show with low expectations will help. I also emphasize that while there are many situations in which Jinyan gets into trouble and King Yu rescues her, she also helps King Yu to grow and balances his personal limitations. Jinyan protects the ML and sometimes even solves the ML’s interpersonal problems and relationships. Her best qualities are her efforts and the way she tries to help the people around her, even if sometimes she may stumble or she may get into trouble for doing so. If you can sit through some of the acting, then I think deep down Jinyan’s characterization is in fact quite brave, and she takes a lot of agency for the things that she does.
♥ Lack of Plot: This is not a drama that is focused on political schemes, and it is not a political thriller or an intricate plot where you have multiple people trying to take down the main CP. Most of the plot gets addressed in the last 8 episodes, with much of it crammed into the last 5. Ironically, I found the ending to be much less sweeter compared to all of the cute scenes that we had in the rest of the drama. That just goes to show how this is really a drama that's primarily for the romance, so if you’re looking for something with depth and political background, this is not a good pick. If you want something that is light on the plot, and you are invested in the main CP, then this might be something you are interested in.
♥ You Must Like the Main CP to Enjoy This Show: Because this show is so dominated by the romance, if you don’t like either one of the characters in the CP, or if you don’t like the actors, then you will likely have a hard time watching this. Most of the enjoyment of this series is really in the chemistry between the CP, and the many heart-melting scenes between both of them.
This was my crack drama of 2020, because of just how fluffy, adorable, unrealistic, cheesy, and sweet that this series was. If there is any drama that could literally give you diabetes, or a drama that is made for us "single dogs," I would definitely say that this is it. I absolutely loved the precious romance between the main CP, and how enjoyable and easy to watch that this drama was. While not all elements of the show may work for all watchers, if you're into a niche for something light and sweet, then I would highly recommend you give this show a try!
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This review may contain spoilers
This series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more..
Bad buddy as the title goes it's about two individuals not exactly buddies but well they were kind of buddies in high school just that they didn't actually put a label on it. So anyway two buddies separated for three damn years, due to the rivalry between their parents, cross each others path yet again in university and that's where everything begins. It might seem like those dramas of typical high school setting at first but honestly it isn't. It is much more than that and better in every way."From two people who shouldn't be friends to two people who cannot be just friends anymore." trope done right. It's a basic plot done so right that it's too mesmerising.
And let me tell you this series is breaking stereotypes and I love it so much more for that. Especially the wife thing. They are clearly both husbands. Why use wife? This series voicing this out feels great. And them saying I don't mind the gender instead of I only like him. Now that's how it should be voiced out. Being gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans isn't wrong. Some series overusing the sentence 'I only like him' low-key tells how they disgust the idea of loving men being men. But well bad buddy broke that stereotype too.
In the begining of the series many complained that the fights were not realistic but no, it's realistic. As someone who has been a witness to such petty gang fights, I know it happens. The whole university might not be aware of it but those who are aware pretty much know how those fights are and sometimes even how childish the reasons for the fights are especially in such an age group. So it's not exaggerating.
The series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more. It just keeps getting better and better and the actors make it so much more better. Pat and Pran have the best chemistry out there.
This series makes my heart leap up with joy and then again it does not fail to inflict my heart with stinging pain. Definitely recommending this series.
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An uneven experience: sometimes frustrating, but still engaging enough to keep you watching
Never Forget Your Enemy starts with a premise that immediately grabs your attention, but over the course of its eight episodes, it becomes clear just how much that initial idea is both its greatest strength and its biggest limitation. The combination of rivals to lovers and amnesia works well as a starting point, creating an engaging emotional conflict between past and present. The reveal that the protagonists were never truly enemies, but rather victims of misunderstandings and poor communication, adds a more human layer to the story. Even so, the development doesn’t always live up to its potential, and what begins as something compelling gradually becomes uneven as the series progresses.The non-linear structure, shifting between different moments in the characters’ lives, is an ambitious choice that adds depth but also creates confusion. At times, the flashbacks genuinely enrich the narrative, showing how the relationship evolved and giving more emotional weight to the present. At others, the execution struggles to clearly distinguish between timelines, which hurts the flow and requires more effort to follow. This sense of disorganization becomes even more noticeable toward the final stretch, when the series expands into thriller elements, introducing more extreme conflicts that clash with the original tone and feel exaggerated or underdeveloped.
The writing is, without a doubt, the most problematic aspect. There is a solid foundation built around themes like memory, identity, and emotional reconnection, but the way these ideas are handled raises several issues. Amnesia, which should be the emotional core of the story, is treated inconsistently, both in how characters react to it and in how the protagonist’s journey unfolds. On top of that, the series tries to juggle too many subplots for its limited runtime, including stalking, revenge, unresolved secrets, and family conflicts, without giving any of them the depth they need. As a result, the narrative often feels rushed, messy, and at times even illogical.
The acting delivers mixed results, but not without clear strengths. The leads have strong chemistry, especially in more intimate scenes, which end up being some of the most convincing moments in the series. There is a natural ease in their physical interactions and an emotional sincerity that helps carry the relationship even when the script falters. However, technical limitations become more noticeable in heavier scenes, where the emotional delivery doesn’t always reach the depth required. One actor shows more confidence, while the other can feel a bit stiff at times, with a more limited range of expression. Even so, considering these are relatively early leading roles, there is clear potential for growth.
In the end, Never Forget Your Enemy comes across as an ambitious series that doesn’t always manage to support everything it sets out to do. There are undeniable strengths, such as the engaging premise, the chemistry between the leads, a memorable soundtrack, and well-executed intimate moments. At the same time, issues with the writing, narrative inconsistencies, and uneven execution keep it from reaching its full potential. It works best when approached as a romantic drama with touches of mystery, without expecting strict realism. It may not stand out as one of the most memorable entries in the genre, but it’s far from forgettable. Ultimately, it’s an uneven experience, sometimes frustrating, but still engaging enough to keep you watching until the end.
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1
1China Continues To Dominate Historical BL, a Masterpiece With Romance, Betrayal, & Reincarnation
When it comes to BL + historical drama, once again China proves that no other country does it better. Our first historical BL drama premiere of 2026 absolutely did not disappoint. From the very first scene, the dark snowy night, breathtaking costumes, stunning cinematography, brutal martial arts fights, and emotional atmosphere, this drama pulls you in instantly and never lets go.The opening episodes are heartbreaking. Watching princes destroy their own flesh and blood for the throne is cruel, tragic, and emotionally intense. Every political move feels dangerous, every conversation hides betrayal, and the palace tension keeps getting better with every episode.
But the real heart of this drama is Fifth Prince Yin Qi and Pei Yanzhi. Childhood best friends turned enemies turned lovers is already one of the best tropes ever, but this drama takes it to another level. The pain between them feels so real. What hurts the most is that they only realize how deeply they love each other when death is already standing in front of them. By the time they finally understand their feelings… it’s already too late.
And then fate gives them a second chance.
Imagine waking up three years in the past, discovering your mother is still alive, and realizing you still have one chance to save the person you love most. Sometimes you never truly understand how much someone means to you until they’re gone, whether it’s your mother, your soulmate, or the life you failed to protect. Heaven literally places fate back into Yin Qi’s hands and asks him: what will you change this time?
The reincarnation storyline is SO GOOD. It adds regret, longing, pain, and desperation to every single scene. Watching Prince Yin Qi try to rewrite destiny while uncovering hidden truths connected to Pei Yanzhi completely destroyed me emotionally. Their chemistry is incredible, every glance, every argument, every quiet emotional moment feels meaningful.
This drama truly has everything:
- One of the best NC scenes (watch end of ep 5)
- Stunning cinematography
-Beautiful OST/music
-Emotional storytelling
-Incredible martial arts scenes
-Palace politics and betrayal
-Reincarnation and second chance romance
-Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
-Tragic love mixed with hope
-One of the best BL chemistries in historical drama
The visuals are gorgeous, the acting is powerful, and the romance hurts in the best possible way. This is not just another BL drama, it’s a full emotional experience.
They didn’t hold back with the kissing and intimate scenes, and the chemistry felt natural, passionate, and intense. I was not expecting that scene at the end of Episode 5 at all; it felt very erotic and emotional, especially for a historical drama from China. You could even hear the moaning, and everything was shot in such an intimate and beautiful way.
I also love the second couple, the crazy and evil Crown Prince and his servant. Their intimate scenes are wild and add a chaotic, exotic energy to the series
If you love historical BL with angst, reincarnation, political intrigue, forbidden love, and soulmates fighting against fate itself, this is a MUST WATCH.
Another Chinese BL masterpiece.
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Subtle yet deep romance with a thrilling plot
This drama has something very subtle yet beautiful about it. There has been a few dramas like that that I can think of. For example, Doctor John, Goblin, Nine: Nine Times Time Travel - that underlaying melancholy and pain of the characters, the steadily growing plot and the subtle but deep connection between the two leads.The story started out in a rather subtle way. We got hints of the plot elements there and there but the context wasn't fully there. With time, the drama goes deeper and deeper and all the connections between people hold so much more weight. The leads' romance was a slow burn but they're adorable together. Life is really tough for them, somehow there are a lot of enemies surrounding them, but their connection is genuine and beautiful. It is equal amounts of cute, fluffy and mature, deep. Thinking about our reserved yet polite and kind male lead, Jeong Hoon, and his sweet, tender smiles that just lights up the whole screen, makes me giggle and roll in the sheets. I love him. He deserves all the best things and more.
It's a SLOW BURN, okay, but oh how delightful it is to be the witness of that. If you're into that.
It surprised me how much...mystery/thriller elements this drama has, but somehow it has a perfect balance with the surrounding smaller plotlines and the main romance. Also, despite hating a great amount of characters, we also get to love even a greater amount. What's even better is that the characters are not one-dimensional, they actually have complex sides to them. We actually get to KNOW a variety of characters. Basically there are little to no characters that are thrown just for the sake of filling up space.
Doesn't mean this drama has no flaws at all, though. More than flaws, it's the use of kdrama cliches. It doesn't make the drama bad, we love kdramas despite seeing a repetition of things over and over again, it's just a bit frustrating to see this otherwise fascinating drama take on a kdrama cliche approach. It felt original in its strong execution, cast and plot but sadly it still got stuck in some of the 'kdrama rules' that this wonderful story could have lived without.
Has this drama used its full potential? Well, no. Does it have some superb, never seen before ending? No again. But at the end of the day I don't regret the time spent watching it and am still helplessly in love with its characters.
I guess my advice for the future viewers would be to watch it for the tone (melancholy, slow burn, melodrama) and cute romance while enjoying the surrounding thrilling mystery, but not get too deep into thinking everything has to makes sense in the drama. Best way to dive into this is by toning down your expectations a liiiittle bit to not be disappointed.
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This review may contain spoilers
***May contain spoilers***I love this movie, cute, lovely, bittersweet, relatable, all rolled into one. I love movies that talks about the reality of loving someone and yet having a dreams and this two conflicts each other and that you have to choose one and regretting at the end. I love the two leads, the acting sre excellent. You can see the transitions as they grow and mature. What makes this a beautiful, is that how the storytelling is just honestly being told. I cried, it is sad, it's painful. God, I feel them, the love in the family is so real!
We really need to constantly remind ourselves that we need to express and demonstrate our love and care to the people we love. This movie just provided a realization that we need to express our love no matter how. The additional scenes of real people saying all kinds of emotions that they cannot tell to their loved ones or lost love, I am just having goosebumps.
Great movie to watch. Soundtracks is excellent especially at the end. Highly recommended.
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So yes, saying that I was excited for Moon Lovers was putting it very mildly. I was exhilarated. Ecstatic. A lot more words with an E. And they made us wait even longer by making it a pre-produced drama and waiting a whole year before it actually came out.
But the best part? It didn't disappoint one bit. I mean, after such high expectations, it is only natural to feel a little let-down just because of all the hype you've been experiencing. But Moon Lovers actually ended up surpassing all my expectations. The drama was perfect from the beginning till the end.
Coming to the plot, it was extremely well-paced. I mean, for dramas it is rare to find such consistently well-paced dramas. Sometimes the beginning is not that good and sometimes the plot dies down after ep 12-16. But here, you never feel like there is too much or too little. It is really hard to skip anything. You just don't want to. Another important fact is that because an older version is already out there, viewers are prepared for a possibly sad/tragic ending. Even if you come without knowing anything about the parent story, the vibe of the show itself whispers the possibility of an un-fairytale-like outcome. There is an intense and gloomy feeling in the show.
The characters are the strength of the drama. I mean, can we talk about the fourth Prince? He is going down in history as one of my favorite characters ever. Firstly, he is so sexy. I mean, you simply can't get enough of him. I have never really been into Lee Jun Ki before but after this, I plan to check out all his dramas. I have seen a couple of his shows but I never realized he was THIS good. The character of Wang So is so complex and so hard to deliver. And yet, Lee Jun Ki plays him so effortlessly, becoming one with the character. What is even more surprising is that he is such a cutie in real life (lol). I really don't know anyone more perfect for this role. I mean, Kang Ha Neul's character turned to the dark side too but it was nothing compared to Wang So. Wang So was simply..addictive!
Coming for Hae Soo. IU faced a lot of flack for her poor acting skills but I felt she was good in her role. I mean, she wasn't as good as Jun Ki or Ha Neul but she did really well. You could feel her transformation from a 21st century person to Goryeo lady to a woman with a lot of scarring experiences. In her previous works she has only done cutesy roles. I really enjoyed her work in this, she showed her versatility as a serious actor. The 13th Prince. He was gentle and kind and the most perfect friend. I loved his chemistry with Woo Hee. It was surprisingly great!
Wang Eun was a big baby but he was a sweetheart too. I wouldn't say Baek Hyun is a good actor but he was given an easy role and it was handled well. Ji Soo was a delight to watch! So far I have loved him in all his roles (I think I have watched everything he has starred in). The rest of the cast was really good too. My favorite among supporting characters was General Park. His acting was so on-point even though he only starred for a few episodes. I liked his daughter too. Ji Mong was a delight to watch. And court lady Oh Sang Goong, I loved her! I can really go on and on about the characters - the good ones and the bad ones, all did well. The acting was so good here, I just couldn't get enough of it. I cried with them and laughed with them.
The music. OH MAN, the music. I love each and every song. This hasn't happened to me since Dream High (I think). I really can't pick a song that I like more than the other.
I am definitely DEFINITELY rewatching this. I know for sure.
The biggest tragedy that comes out of this drama is that the Korean audience could not fully appreciate the perfection that this drama was. The ratings were so low there. Thankfully, it did well everywhere else and made up for it.
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pretty faces, no value.
overall, boring. i mean, i did like that in some ways, but there shouldve been more to it.
considering this show takes place on an island you think they would take advantage of their surroundings and maybe go on hikes or zip lining, or challenges for contestants like surfing or something. instead there were like three “challenges” where they ran into the water or push each other around in mud. all of the contestants also just stay on the beach and complain how hot it is all day. which btw, how will they call this hell when everything is provided for them and there aren’t any actual hardships besides lack of phone lol. like why didnt they have them explore together or do something challenging?
it felt like i was mostly just watching them have excessively deep convos about their feelings for each other. it’s ridiculous how attached they get to other contestants because theyd have been there for a day and theyre obsessed. i wish the series had taken longer so the relationships made more sense. and none of the contestants were sincere, it was clear they were there to promote their social medias or business. the ones that were sincere had no screen time.
as for the commentators, they kept trying to make drama where there wasn’t any. like a zoomed in shot of someone’s face suddenly meant that they were torn apart on the inside. plus, they kept excusing a lot of the male contestants behavior, calling sehoon admirable for chasing after jiyeon even though she stated she didnt like him.
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