Reviews

Boys are in love... and they actually "talk" talk!

This drama was peak serotonin for me. A sweet, high school coming-of-age romcom, full of puppy love and fluff with no melodrama or forced angst. Also, this is an example of what happens when actual teenagers play teenagers. It added a layer of authenticity that helped me root for the characters.

What really stood out to me is how all the couples handled communication. Misunderstandings happen, but here they were not milked for the drama and dragged on forever. They actually talked, listened and sorted it out with no unnecessary angst, no soap opera twists, but just a bunch of teenagers who accepted and acknowledged their flaws and moved on happily.

Our two main couples :

Shane & Kit were giving the textbook opposites Attract. Shane was more of a dependable, observant and academically driven type who always had a plan in his head for his future. While Kit was spontaneous, flirty and more emotionally transparent than Shane.
They both balanced each other. Kit taught Shane to loosen up a bit and Kit discovers the comfort of being seen. They did argue and stumble but that is what made their dynamics feel real. It was just two flawed people trying to figure each other out and meet in the messy middle. These two absolutely have my heart! <3

Kim & Mon, on the other hand, felt like they were cut from the same cloth and got along well from the start. The romance between them felt sweet, soft and very gentle. Kim was such a spark with his earnestness and openness and while Mon, though initially a little reserved, gradually let down his guard. They were more fluffy and fairytale-ish compared to Kit and Shane.

All four of them have their own insecurities as they should and I think the drama did a good job of expressing that. It might not be the most mature way to handle things when I view it through an adult lens, but as teenagers, their small disagreements and emotional responses made sense.

While the drama gets a lot right, it’s not without flaws. Some of the conflict especially toward the later episodes started to feel a bit repetitive and recycled.  They did quickly resolve the issues but it was always the same. If I had to give an example, it would be how Kim struggled to express his feelings or communicate his thoughts to Mon, which ended up causing tension and misunderstandings between them. If they wanted to me to root for them, I needed more.

Another issue I had was that we didn't need a fourth couple here. Tar and Per looked absolutely forced to me on the romantic front. I always saw them as best friends who teased and irritated each other but at no point did I look at them and think, “Ah yes, romance is brewing". It felt like the writers just threw them in like, “Why not? Everyone gets a love line!”

While I wasn't too sure about the teacher's romance, but they completely grew on me. They were surprisingly wholesome together. With Tan's awkwardness and Nat's understanding, their bond felt very sweet and you could see they respected each other a lot.

Acting-wise, I feel everyone did a good job across the board. The younger cast members in particular, were impressive and I really hope they’re given more substantial roles in the future to fully showcase their talents.

Overall, this was much better than I expected. It was like a sweet blueprint of teens navigating their life with love, dreams and changes around. While the script is nothing out of the ordinary and it does feel like it plays a little safe but the charm here is that it never loses its tone or tries to be something it's not.
I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something angst-free and fluffy.

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Finally, a story with real people and not caricatures!

Gong Suo Jin Zhi hit my IQIYI as Love and Strife out of nowhere. Relatively unknown actors but OMG! this is finally an adult production where there are no females who act like 5th graders, no villains who roll their eyes or grind their teeth. The script was solid, even if the story was not that innovative the characters were written with care and consistently put out the same vibe and logic. The director had done a really good job making it an even paced, low key, but interesting drama with good chemistry between the leads and interesting relationships between 2 other couples shown.
From the get-go you wonder about the moral spine of the leads as they are not some caricatures/cliches of the cdrama stereotypes. Both leads are not flashing their attractiveness, but they are dressed well, with subtle make up and hairdos that fit. What this stands out for is the maturity of the interactions, relationships and characters. The daughter of a military family that was killed off is on the road to revenge -check. She is using herself as a bait and even a possible victim of abuse - check. The Crown Prince crippled and weak holding the grudge for the death of his mother - check. He is also shady about how he feels about his emperor father - check. Third prince villain-check - but he is not a bumbling baboon and actually an articulate, dignified, even if spoilt, dude with integrity. Have you seen that a lot? I did not. I actually liked him better than the grayish shade of the ML, but in the end, he gets what he deserves. And that Imperial consort, mom of the 3rd prince? Crazy jealous -check. Smarter than the emperor? You bet! And even 3rd princess does not come as an idiot, just as a woman stuck between her minister father and heir implied husband.
All the actors did an amazing job to be the characters they played. It was like a good theater performance: real, un-retouched at times raw and at times evoking the sense of them being just pitiful. You don't get grand gestures and doubled or tripled shots of the same scene for added grandiosity. People still spit blood and get splashed with it - you just don't see acting in it - you see people suffering and getting shocked. I give them all 10/10 for that and bow to the director for this!
Now on to relationship of the leads: You will get nice tension, lavish kissing and no shying away from showing what marriage of two people attracted to one another looks like behind the close doors. The shots of these embarrassing if you watch it on public transportation scenes is done very tactfully but long enough for all of us who like that stuff to smile. And what I personally enjoyed in the scenes of the couples interacting is what they don't say but show with faces, bodies and voice.
Even the ending was thoughtful- you don't get any stupid hang ups from misunderstandings, but there is an issue of trust, self-determination and power. Remember crazy emperor forcing the woman he desires to marry him? Well, for the crown prince who does not give his father an antidote as a revenge for allowing to kill his mother - what do you think he will do? And the woman who discovers that the husband she aligned with and started to love faked being poisoned by others without telling her - do you think she will stay with him?
The few songs during the show were really good. It reminded me of the quality in Princess Royal theme. BGM was discreet and not intrusive. and it was all superbly edited.
Fights scenes? OK Camera work? good Lighting? Amazing! I am very tired of night scenes where you can spot needles on the ground because the producer thought that the more light - the better.
Overall the underhanded way of this drama will probably make a lot of people forget it quickly. I, on the other hand, will look at it again because it is rare to see drama with characters that are not heroic, but human. That is why I am giving it 8.

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I don't really watch sageuk dramas but I picked it up after watching the teaser, I need something funny and colorful during this lock down period.

The casting was perfect 💯 Literally, everyone from the King and Queen down to the palace maids had a significant responsibility in the flow of the story. Hands down to Kim Junghyun and Shin Hyesun 🙇🏻‍♀️ They gave so much life to Cheoljong and Soyong/Sobong. We can't just ignore how powerful their chemistry are. Their scenes were so satisfying to watch!

Story-wise, it definitely had loopholes and questionable scenarios but it was a wonderful story to tell. I hope they were given more episodes because there's just so much potention over the stories that popped out between the King & Queen. What I didn't like was the build-up on some events and characters that they couldn't address anymore.

Over-all it was a wonderful kdrama. It had fierce confrontations, rated 🔞 remarks, comedy, love story, family, and Korean history all in one drama. I had fun during the weekends and it is something that I always looked forward because it intrigued me every after episode. I don't think I can move on from this drama hahaha it makes me sad and happy at the same time. 😊

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perfect symbiosis of hot and hilarious

this little spin-off was made for me, and despite wanting to see a full-length one, i'll take it. i said it before, and i'll say it again: the story of ja-yeon and gyu-hyun deserves the best treatment in the world.

spice up our love is a light enhancement to the parent drama, and to be completely honest, even if i didn't watch no gain, no love (thank god i did; such a wholesome romcom), i would've devoured this purely for han ji-hyun and lee sang-yi whose agents should get to work and get them main lead parts in a full-length drama because their joint slay needs to be studied further for obvious scientific purposes.

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Before getting into the review, I would first like to commend Kim Taeri's acting. She is simply phenomenal in portraying essentially 2 different characters. This is my first time watching her (have been meaning to get around to watching The handmaiden...) and I'm simply blown away.

Now on to the plot, I would say it's pretty innovative of the writer to craft a horror story based on traditional Korean folklore. I'm not Korean, and I found it quite educational to learn about the different traditions and how they compare with the traditions from my culture. With that being said, I'm not quite a fan of how plot-driven this show is - it resulted in a lack of character development for everyone except the FL and ML. This series is only 12 episodes; 4 less than the usual length of a standard Kdrama but the showrunners still decided to be ambitious and squeezed in other minor sub plots in the first few episodes. Some of them ended up being rushed through and inadequately explained (the case involving parents abusing and keeping the existence of their daughter for no reason). it also resulted in the minor characters being severely under-developed. For instance, it was never explained why haesang's grandma was so obsessed with becoming rich. She was never shown using her money and spent her days reading books. And godd, don't get me started on Hongsae. He had a RBF throughout the show and an attitude worse than a teenager going through puberty. I would have rather he died instead of Munchun. Oh, and Sanyeong's mother as well. I guessed she was supposed to be portrayed as a weakling so the audience would feel more for Sanyeong's suffering but lord it was overdone. I ended up hoping she would just kick the bucket because she was not helping at all. It was never really explained why she ended up the way she is - only briefly implied that she might have been traumatised from having a miscarriage and then finding out her mother died right after. But I wished she would have been written in a more sympathetic way.

Honestly, I would have given this series a 9 if not for the ending. The acting is great all around (even for the poorly developed side characters, their actors did all they could) and the cinematography, directing and sound design were great. But the ending... to me it came on too strongly as some anti-suicide PSA peppered with cliches of how important it is to love yourself. With the context of Korea's high suicide rate, I guess this makes sense but I can't help but feel like korean audiences would see through the hypocrisy. The only reason why Sanyeong was able to "love herself" and "want to live" was because she was finally free of her capitalistic burdens. With her huge inheritance from her dead grandma and father, she was free to finally do whatever she wanted to do in life. And all of this would not have been possible without the help of the ghost, who gave her the riches through exploiting her weakness and killing those she hated. Without the ghost, she would have still been stuck doing manual labour part time jobs! In fact, she would be blind, poor, and stuck with her lousy-ass mother. Hell, without the ghost, she would not even have known of the existence of her father and grandmother, and criminals such as Haesang's grandma and the voice phishing guys would still be alive. So that whole spiel about preventing the ghost from exploiting her weakness seems through loving herself more while trying to kill the very thing that enabled you to remove the weakness from your life seems very ungrateful and hypocritical.

The other reviews for this show are quite positive and I think I'm the only who gets the "ick" from the cheery ass ending. Oh well, but its on par of the course for kdramas which usually start off strong but end poorly. I do still think this is worth a watch though, especially if you're a Kim Taeri fan.

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STORY: This was definitely the biggest problem with this drama. The beginning I think was great. It was cute and interesting. The main couple had good chemistry together. And then halfway through, they decide to separate the main couple for 11 episodes. Not even separating as in they're fighting and are upset with each other, but LITERALLY DO NOT INTERACT FOR 11 EPISODES (minus one scene where he saves her, but neither of them even know it's the other person.) I honestly was going to drop during this point because the chemistry between the leads was what I thought made the drama.

Ending - I figured the whole thing was a ruse by Chen Yu and the emperor - even before they actually showed that it was all an act. So it was better than in Story of Ming Lan, where you don't find out it was all an act until the very very end. However, I think the biggest issue was all the deaths by the end of the drama. Yes I know C-dramas love to kill people off, which isn't the problem. But at least make it meaningful and worthwhile to die.

1) Male lead did NOT have to die. He wasn't severely injured and if Dong Fang Shi could pull both BuQi and Chen Yu out of the hole, there's no reason why Chen Yu couldn't have tried a little harder instead of just giving up. Again. He wasn't SEVERELY injured.
2) Mo Ruo Fei - Glad s/he died by the end of it, but I really don't like how they changed the story for this character by the end. Throughout the drama MRF was very loyal and cared about HBQ. Yes, s/he sided with his mother after she poisoned HBQ, but throughout it all, MRF did still care about HBQ and wanted to right his mother's wrongs. Now that the king killed his mom, he could care less about everyone around him? No way. MRF betrayed her multiple times and at the very end willingly tried to get HBQ killed to -potentially- get revenge on the king. Meh.
3) So many people died in the last episode, that it really took away any sentimental value for it. Really only Xiao Xia (HBQ's guard) got a meaningful death (kind of, I'm still annoyed that she didn't even actually die for HBQ but for a fake HBQ).

ACTING:

Personally always love Ariel Lin and think she does a great job with her roles. You can tell she actually cares and she's not afraid to ugly cry - which always feels more realistic.

Zhang Bin Bin - normally I'm a little hit or miss with him, but overall think he did a good job. I don't think he was dubbed in this drama, so I think it was a little weird that towards middle/end of the drama, he started sounding super breathy while he talked (compared to the beginning when he was the proper/powerful Prince and had a super strong voice).

Everyone else - No one else really stood out to me. The actor who plays DFS I can't unbiasedly judge cause I disliked the character lol.


OVERALL:
Overall, I did like the drama. But it definitely wasn't a favorite just because of the story choices the writers made. Literally 11 episodes where the ML and FL are separated (and they were definitely the heart of the story for me). I skipped through most of those episodes and really could care less about them. It was way too long and the story got really boring (almost dropped the drama at this point).

I also really didn't care for Dong Fang Shi. Yes, he loved her and was trying to "protect her" but even up till the end, seeing how sad and unhappy she was, he still forced her to stay by his side (literally tied her up so she wouldn't run). He -barely- redeemed himself the first time his grandfather tried to take HBQ and he was willing to sacrifice himself for her. But again, he played the typical "I'm doing this for you (even though it wasn't even really what was best for her).

Also kind of annoyed that Liu Qing Wu got a happy ending. She did nothing to deserve it, IMO. She originally was a bad guy who killed HBQ's uncle. Then she was a traitor and tried to take over Liu Ming Shan Zhuang. Then she continually kept trying to cause trouble for HBQ and CY. Then she betrayed CY and sold out HBQ to the king. But she gets to have a happy life and get the power of being a beloved concubine? Pass.

But I do think Ariel and Zhang Bin Bin had some great chemistry and would definitely like another collaboration between them!

Most likely wouldn't rewatch though just because of the negatives I had.

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WATCH THE DIRECTOR CUT!

Normally I don't write reviews but I think this time I have to write one or not really writing one but just draw attention to it, so pls read that before (or during) watching the series.

This series starts so beautifully. The main actors Leo and Tai (Tan and Oil) did such an amazing job by representing the main characters. I really was into it during all the scenes and the chemistry was on top. I really enjoyed every single scene.
BUT and this is the main point that I really don't understand. In this series there are two important scenes between Tan and Oil and they just cut them out. I don't want to spoil but just look up (EP 1 and EP12 directors cut) and watch them. Because I think when you miss these scenes you will be a bit upset after finishing the series. With the scenes I think it is well done. Nothing special but worth watching I guess. All in all the story is pretty basic and sometimes a bit frustrating but when you watch the whole series with the missing scenes you will like how it ends.

I wasn't really into the other main couples but I think everyone has a different point of view and I guess you could like the other couples too.
Also the ending was a bit .... ÄHHHHM OK?! But yeah.

For me personally, it wasn't that new and some plots and scenes are a bit unnecessary. Although this series hasn't a special story line or an important message but I think as a BL fan you can still watch and enjoy it.

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Arc Toward Justice

Wow! This drama is amazing.

You have to watch past the first episode. The first episode is disjointed on purpose. It withholds information from the audience. Episode two presents a plot twist, and the missing shards of her begin to come together as the series unfolds.

This drama is part mystery and thriller, but more about how sexual violence impacts an individual, a family, and an entire community. It shows how people respond differently, including victims but also their loved ones.

Quite poignantly, the drama explores and condemns the cultures of silence that develop around acts of sexual violence. This silence allows predators to get away with their crimes and then commit them again. Meanwhile, victims are blamed and left without justice.

While the subject matter is serious, the drama is redemptive and moves toward justice and hope. The ending is presented with sensitivity and realism. I can’t praise it enough!

The acting is outstanding. And the OST is crazy good!

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Unbelievably funny, cute & sweet drama

"Unbelievable", this drama is what you need after watching all the serious dramas with heavy plots. You will find something lighthearted to relax a bit and also enjoy this unbelievably funny, cute, and sweet romance.

Story: The plot summary in MDL makes you think twice to start the drama. You saw this story so many times. A typical cliche story. Also, this is a web drama with a low budget. So, I hesitated at first but later gave the drama a try. After watching the drama, I must say that the drama is surprisingly good. The plot is a typical CEO rom-com plot but It is a well-made funny rom-com. A very predictable plot, but who cares. You come here to spend your time enjoying something. No doubt, the drama will give you enough enjoyment with a very sweet romance.

Acting/Cast: The chemistry between ML and FL is surprisingly good. Both are exceptionally funny, and all their interactions are hilarious. Both actors did a tremendous job portraying their roles. You will start loving both of them in no time, from the first episode. I didn't care about the other supporting characters. But all did very well in their roles. Overall, the Acting and Cast were very good for a low-budget drama.

Music: Nothing too special, but good enough. The background music was on point and OST was also good.

Rewatch Value: A good rewatch value. A funny drama, so if you feel like watching something funny to spend some time, you can rewatch it.

Ratings: 9/10 from me (maybe a bit high). I wanted to give it more as I genuinely loved it. But, that's the max rating I should give.

I recommend this drama. I hope, the viewers give this drama a chance. This drama will be a funny and enjoyable watch for you.

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Let's just start out by saying that I normally don't delve into shows that have any kind of existential crisis plot. I normally watch dramas to distance myself from my already hectic life and don't need to watch something heavy.

This show is the exception to that.

I started this show because I saw an article talking about how this new show is a must watch and really takes you by storm. That was a solid statement. Everything from Rainie and Yu Lin's acting to the plot itself is so complex, so amazing that you forget what's happening around you. They bring forward the essential questions and make you think, is there a right or wrong choice in life? Both versions of Rainie's character Ru Wei go through their own journey's and viewers are left with a choice of their own, which decision and life they approve of, one with her sacrificing her career for family or the opposite?

Quite honestly, this show really made me not only think of the choices I've made in life, but also taught me that things don't work out exactly as one plans and thats okay. I binged this show all day on Saturday and when the final episode ended at 4 am, I couldn't stop thinking about how moving this show truly was. It's been a long time since I've seen something that deeply effects me (not just in the typical romantic drama way).

Rewatch? Hell yeah! This show needs more recognition, it's actors and plot are truly amazing and I don't know about the other reviewer's rating but don't let that stop you from watching. You won't regret it!

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Passionate kisses, save the damsel in distress, hilarious

This drama has the most passionate kissing scenes in both count and intensity of all Chinese dramas I had watched – I meant really passionate kisses not those obviously fake moments. As with most romance stories, there were plenty of save the damsel in distress scenes accompanied by endearing gazes as the hero held the damsel in his arms.

It is a lovely romance story with emotional and hilarious moments. The hilarious moments really made me laugh out loud. Unlike Hollywood comedies which mainly play on words, some of these comedic moments were based on suggestive actions of the actors.

The drama is quite straightforward with some small, but not totally unexpected, twists in the story. It has the usual hygiene factors – handsome lead actor, pretty actresses, excellent acting, lovely costumes, lovely music, beautiful cinematography and endearing romantic moments.

What I appreciate most about this drama is the lesson on courtship and early marital life - instead of the usual unrealistic romance dramas. At moments when they were trying to figure out each other, the XiYue princess had her confidantes giving her some silly suggestions which she refuted with some sensible corrections. Similarly for the ninth prince, Song was always giving him some creepy suggestions while Zhen would refute with some sensible analysis. Zhen played the sensible relationship guru here.

The adjustments to life together were comical but not unlike real life when married couples live together for the first time and discover the bad habits of their spouses to their horror.

I noticed some flaws – for the production team to learn from if they should ever read this review. The piece of music chosen for the hilarious moments was too modern for this period drama and a misfit – sound like a piece adapted from some old Shanghai movies. There are some illogical moments, for example, the ninth prince was always turning up alone for dangerous investigations, and covering up for the rebel leader, which was essentially obstructing justice. And he was always lying to the emperor – although with good intent, it still made him a liar.

As I watched this drama right after ‘Goodbye my princess’, I could not help but draw a comparison, as both involved a marriage of prince and princess from different countries. The ninth prince in this drama was supportive of the princess and allowed her to make her choice, in sharp contrast to the fifth prince in ‘Goodbye..’, who forcibly kept the princess by his side regardless of whether she was willing. The two dramas were antithesis of each other, including how they ended. This drama leaves a warm cozy feeling which of course elevated my rating of it above ‘Goodbye my princess’ although the latter has a more interesting and convoluted story.

Finally, a title of ‘Love by Hypnosis’ may be more grammatically correct. Hypnotic is a drug to induce hypnosis or a person susceptible to hypnosis.

As a whole I enjoyed this drama a lot and would highly recommend it.

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An arrow of pain and cuteness that hits you right in the right spot.

This is a beautifully portrayed tearjerker, the kind that hits you right in the heart, or is it the stomach?

This movie does an amazing job inviting the viewers in to the world of a child who neither can see or hear. A child otherwise abandoned (by death and choice), manage to find her way in to the heart of a man who was brought to her by some sad circumstances. Though they may look like a total missfitt these two complete each other perfectly showing us what a little tactile communication along with love and affection can do to change a persons way of living. While staying away from scenes that may dehumanize, exotify or give out the feel peoples misfortunes as inspiration. This movie feels real, and makes the viewers feel at home in a way.

The way this was shot really conveyed the emotions as well as the perspectives of both the leads. This movie addresses important issues while showering us with fluffy animals and cute smiles. This actress may not say much but boy/girl does she portray her role well, hats off to this kid and the directors. To be honest most of the movie I was going between a 8-9 but the way the end scene was shot pushed the score to a 10.

All in all definitely a must watch!

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This drama follows the Japanese "older woman-younger guy" trend. It seems as though every Japanese idol has to pass this test at least once in his acting career.



Despite the premises though, there is something about this drama which made it into one of my favourites in its genre.

Perhaps because on further analysis it doesn't deal with falling in love with someone, but with learning to love oneself and appreciate the little, daily things one gives for granted.



Esumi Makiko is so beautiful here, one soon forgets the age gap. The story revolves around her, her internal struggle, her doubts, her self-esteem. Yamashita Tomohisa plays his part very well too, portraying a young man in that fragile phase between adolescence and adulthood in a very believable way.



Overall, a delightful, suave drama.

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Overall entertaining, and gave me great laughs.

I went in for the theme. The idea of having time for your own, to do things alone and enjoy that time fully. It is something that is important to me, and here they exploit it perfectly. The way prof Jin enjoyed his *drinking solo* felt like he was my kindred spirit.

I think the best thing about this drama is that screen presence was evened out among the cast. It isn't just the main love story and those that surrounds it. We have a setting, and we explore the different lives and experiences of those involved there. The setting is an institution that gives classes for people who want to pass the civil exam and be employed by the government. The drama tells us two different stories in that setting, that of the teachers there (pretty similar to typical romcoms) and that of the students and the things they do cause by the pressure.

I won't rehash what everyone is saying, but I agree the trio were hilarious. First time I watch Key in a drama, but really he was effortlessly the heart of it. My favourite was Kim Dong Yeong, I could relate to him the most. He felt the most realistic person there, naturally down to earth, and a total sweetheart. I gotta add I totally enjoyed all the scenes of the impersonator, he was pure fun. As for the other teacher, she wasn't bad, but too petty for an extended period of time. The director was hilarious as well. I actually wished for him to divorce since he seems so miserable with his current life.

For me it lost points on

-Inefficiency: Not only were the episodes long, but there were many dragged out scenes or events that are there to fill the time with no purpose of advancing the story. I think the drama would've benefitted being cut to 12 episodes

-The last 2 episodes: I do hate Noble Idiocy, but the was it was done here was the most nonsensical, to the point I didn't want the couple back together. And I actually was very forgiving of the lead, and maybe one of the few that found him cute while dating. Also the secondary couple were left out too last minutes. In the end they were cute, but it would've been better to explore the relationship better.

Despite my remarks on the pacing and the ending, I'd say it's still worth checking out for the laughs, as well as the heartfelt moments here.

p.s. I do wonder though is it normal for women to be this irresponsible when drinking outside this often?

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