Reviews

The strong impact created by the 1st season was sadly gone from this season.

The good:
1. OffGun, need i say more?
2. Krist, its refreshing to see him as a loving character, someone who shows his feelings. I wish they used him more.

The bad:
1) i used to like the straight couple before but now they're just whiny little waste of screen time;
2) where are the dogs, its Puppy Honey wihtout the dogs???;
3) whats up with the 5-minute opening credits and 5-minute closing credits, the run is 8 episode and you waste 10min per episode just for unnecessary crap;
4) i almost graded the show higher for not incorporating villains in the show but then come the last episode and that shiity way they treated Din's character. I wish producers will give Sing a better character than just being in the background. This guy is cute;
5) i wanted to jump to the screen everytime the female actress falls or trips. Why are women treated like weaklings, is this what you call romantic trait of a girl? ;
6) everytime there is a fight (in all thai series, not just in this series) the guys always have bloody lips. Its the same in the first season. How weak are the lips of Thai guys? There are 4 or 5 instances in this series alone where the guy characters get beaten up and ended up with a bloody lips. It is just so frustrating to watch;
7) Each episodes felt stretched and they wasted so many time with the slow senseless talking, especially for the straight couple.

They should have transformed this into a full pledged BL series (a la DBK) and gave us 8 full episodes of OffGun cause the 2 main straight leads were just wasted here. The magic is gone from the first season and what used to be a fun series became a sloppy slow soap that you wish would just fast forward and end. It would also be more believable if Emma ended up with Night and Porsche just ended up with Friend.

Would i rewatch. Probably not, not even the BL parts. Tired of seeing conservative BL guys in BL series. Do these producers seriously think that gay guy couples dont have sex and intimacy when they were dating for 3 years already?

Overall im giving it 6.5 but without OffGun would probably rate it lower.

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Decent, but not a masterpiece or a "rare gem".

Let me begin with saying that I enjoyed watching this show, but after having watched some pretty great and recent cdramas that also had no OTP related love triangles & decent communication between the leads, I just don't think this one stands out. Calling it a clichefest might even be correct depending on one's point of view. I have read many Chinese webnovels over the past 10 years and this one has adopted MANY of the cliche things from those works, especially about doctors & soldiers. Technically the ML is part of a SWAT police unit, he is not really a soldier, but the things they do to train & the moving targets etc etc are the same that every one of those soldier MC novels have. Mi Ka as a doctor is even more outlandish. She is supposed to be a surgeon, or aiming to be a neurosurgeon to be more specific. However not only is she a talented surgeon, but also a diagnostician on the level of Dr House MD. Her goals as a doctor are not exactly consistent all the way through the series and there are lots of crazy things she has done and is expected to do. Mr Miyagi sending her to the emergency surgery department (could be a mistranslation, because that's a strange, but not impossible department for a hospital to have) for her own good is just plain stupid.
If I were unfamiliar with Chinese pulp fiction, I would just assume that the medical things occurring in this drama were poorly researched.

All of the above doesn't bother me too much. The reason why I don't think this drama is so great is that that there were quite a few annoying things. The second couple's story makes no sense at all. Not only is their weirdly undefined relationship dragged on and on forever, there is even a pretty annoying love triangle..
The leads seem to have had a decent chemistry, however it took too long for them to get together and once they were together they kept being really awkward with each other for like 10+ episodes.
Naturally this drama too needed to have a 2 years long forced separation plot, because studying abroad as a relatively senior resident doctor is an absolute must.
Episode 6 was so bad that I almost dropped this drama out of anger there and then. (see the end of this review for more information)
3 episodes were wasted on the bitchy Shen sisters, that's 2 hours of my life I'm not getting back.

Calling the overall plot draggy would be unfair, but long action(medical action, or police raids) sequences were frequently used as fillers. These weren't boring too watch, in fact the early ones were quite great, but after waiting for some foreshadowed progress to finally happen sidetracking this way is not what I wanted to see.

The OST could have been more exciting, I would say it's below average compared to other cdramas that I've seen that have come out in the last 2 years.

The good things that everyone is saying about the drama are not all wrong. The leads and second leads were really great at their roles. The entire cast is great, pretty much all the supporting actors were more than on point. The visuals, the cinematography were just awesome. The typical flaws of Chinese cinematography were completely absent.
The OTP did indeed communicate rather well & they had quite a few borderline brilliant scenes. I really liked the FL's appearance. She looked like how a normal (admittedly pretty) doctor would look like, as opposed to the nation's little sister pretending to be a busy resident, while sporting a 2h hairdo.

DotS has its flaws, but I think that's a way more fun drama overall. (not like comparing these two dramas makes a whole lot of sense though)

I thought about giving the show a little higher rating, but decided it's too highly rated anyway and I will never rewatch this, nor do I feel the usual feels after having completed a truly great drama.



This is the comment I wrote while watching episode 6:
I just picked this up. I'm watching ep6 right now. I'm not saying that I don't like the show, but what kind of crap hospital is this. Queue at a lift, so they cannot take a patient recovering from brain surgery to the ICU? Netizens not understanding that brain damage takes priority over a broken arm? Let's not even talk about the transfer. It's just a plain stupid episode so far.
(in a real hospital there are enough lifts and if not people with minor issues can just walk up the stairs.)

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It's worth your time

IT'S THE BEST HISTORICAL DRAMA I'VE SEEN (apart from Mr. QUEEN). It basically have everything, action, comedy, mystery, romance, etc. Also usually most of the kdrama's are about romance and romance only, but a plus point in this drama is that it's focuses really less on romance (not gonna say that their are really little romantic scenes specially after what happened in ep 13 ;)) and if you are really into detective stories then THIS is the story you definitely HAVE to watch. I don't know why the international audience has given this a really low rating, specially when it's doing great in Korea. Trust me when you start watching it, you won't be able to wait without watching the next episodes. Since i'm watching it while onging, yes I'm honestly SUFFERING here while waiting for the mext few episodes. IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH YOUR TIME AND YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED

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Good drama but with some flaws (spoilers ahead!)

I didn't really have any expectations about this series, so went in with a fairly open mind. The casting looked good and the acting certainly was much better than what we're sometimes used to from many of GMMTV's other programs. No slapstick comedy, the characters felt more real and down to earth. No heavy make-up and perfect surroundings. It was gritty and dark, but had love, hopes and dreams as well. I liked the style of directing, the choice of music and the bold topics covered which I can imagine are borderline taboo in Thailand considering its political situation. It was refreshing to see a series which touched on several of these difficult topics, sparked debate and highlighted the plight and issues faced by many in society - including the feeling of helplessness but also the power normal people can have to force change. For all that I applaud the director/writer(s).

The acting was good. A special shout out to First who did a superb job portraying Yok as confident, cocky and self sure but also vulnerable, loyal, loving and a cute hopeless romantic. He embodied the character really well and his acting skills have really improved. I can tell he takes his craft seriously. Overall the entire cast did a very good job and the directing was also very good, and you could see the actors feeling comfortable with the topics and conveying the messages.

I think where I struggled was some parts of the story. There were many loose ends and undeveloped arcs. For instance Tod's storyline. At the start he seemed to be a central character to the mystery and you suspected he was involved in the beating of Black somehow. He was the reason White was brought back to "replace" Black so as not to rouse attention of what he had done, and to allow the gang to continue with their attempts to bring Tawi down so Tod could increase his own power. I'm willing to buy that, and it did turn out in the end that he was behind Black's beating. But then his character didn't really go anywhere. We didn't really see his rivalry with Tawi. For several episodes it just seemed to be him and Black randomly fighting, until the very end when we see Tod in hospital - presumably beaten up by Black. Was that it? I would have expected the rivalry between Tod and Tawi to manifest itself somehow on the gang. Apart from White and Black, the others were oblivious to Tod's existence. Even White's interactions with him suddenly stopped. Meanwhile what happened to Tawi and his empire? The gang was rescued from being kidnapped by the people protesting, and then we didn't hear or see anything more.

I also find it hard to believe that Gumpa knew all along who White was but didn't say anything knowing what was at stake. It's somehow not believable. I would've believed it if Gumpa had confronted White early on and said he was onto him but would keep it a secret from the others. It would give White a chance to explain what happened to his brother and it would open up a whole new arc and possibility to the story. In the end Black came back, beat everyone up and then went away somewhere. Meanwhile Sean and White rode off into the sunset.

I'm going to say something which is going to be controversial and many of you won't like, but I don't think the relationship between Sean and White added anything to the story - nor did it progress it in a significant way (if at all). I actually thought it was a mistake. Unlike Yok and Dan's relationship which was linked to the overall storyline, White and Sean's relationship didn't really make an impact. It took up a lot of time which could have been used to tie up all the loose ends, plug the gaps and expand the mystery. I know this isn't a BL, and I'm sure the creators didn't want it to be a BL - but the fact that so much time and focus was spent on Sean & White it pretty much took it in that direction anyway and it ended up being one. The actual storyline in some ways became secondary to them. The two actors work well together and have chemistry, and I am generally an OffGun fan but in this drama I think it was superfluous.

It would have been enough to have the relationship between Yok and Dan and Gram and Eugene. Yok and Dan's relationship to my mind was much more intriguing, interesting and playful - and could've been even more integral to the part of the story considering Dan was a police officer. First and Gawin did a terrific job and they had great chemistry. I hope they get another series together. It was nice to see a happy ending to their relationship, but it would have been good to see them going back to Dan's hometown as he had promised Yok.

So in summary: I did not, not enjoy this, but I think I was left feeling I needed "more". Not more episodes, just more tying up of loose ends and a more cohesive storyline between the characters. There were some missed opportunities with this one. Maybe there will be a season two - who knows? - where the story will get expanded. I hope so at it has a decent base to build on, and good characters.

Aside from the gripes, it was well acted and brought to light many important issues which should never be ignored in any society, and I applaud the team and actors for taking that risk and pulling it off.

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Alright...Let's break this bad boy down!

Story: What a story! The writer/s of this drama know how to write! This was action, adventure, revenge and romance done right. As you watch this drama, you notice it is almost like riding a ride. Some of the episodes are packed full of dramatic tension and zip by so fast that when the credits roll you sit there thinking "The hour is over already?" There is a depth and smartness to how the characters are written and for the most part, the pacing of the 20 episodes is framed very well. All good stories need moments of 'set-up' and because there are so many bad ass episodes when the action calms and there is a need for some exposition you don't mind...you understand that its necessary and it builds up the tension for the next stage of "The Plan". There are surprises around so many corners, moments where you suck in your breath. There are times when you want to pump your fist and times when you want to sob your heart out. There are well timed comedic moments that will have you laughing out loud. Pulling these physical and emotional reactions from the audience is the mark of great story telling. It's the best praise and prize a writer can get and the writers of City Hunter certainly got it from me.

Characters: Again, the characters are written so they are not dumbed down for the audience. They are fleshed out so well that you end up having sympathy for a character you know you ought to hate...who deserves your disdain and yet, you feel their pain. Or you may find yourself loving a character that is on a dogged search for and could just bring down your beloved hero. The character of Yoon Sung (City Hunter) is a flawed and fallible hero but he's smart and ultimately good and I found myself behind him and his cause. You get to see so many moments of kick-assery but you also get to see the price he pays; whether it is his body or his psyche. Also, those he's fighting aren't stupid either so he has got a fight on his hands. I like that the writers didn't make the antagonists stupid and they weren't always easy for City Hunter to catch. It made this show a delight to watch.

Romance: While I am all for some loving, hugging and kissing...I like that this drama knew when to quit. They didn't sacrifice the story to serve up the audience lots of drippy, gooey love. Yes, the love is there and the story shows the discovery and build up of that love but City Hunter has a mission. He's got stuff to do! We get to see how that love changes the City Hunter, puts the "true North" to his moral compass, gives him a reason to want to live beyond revenge and that is a beautiful thing. But thankfully, the writers weren't afraid to place that story on the back burner. Not only because it made sense in the framework of tale but also, they didn't pander to us mushy romantic types and force more into play.

Acting: I could go on and on (I know, I already have) but I'll just say t his. Lee Min Ho does a fantastic job. I was not a huge fan of his prior to this drama but now I am. And I would add that there isn't one actor in this whole drama that does a bad job. The main characters were cast well for their roles. There wasn't a time as I was watching this where I cringed or felt cheated that the actor wasn't serving the story or phoning in a performance. Lee Joon Hyuk (Prosecutor Young Joo) was amazing. Park Min Young (Kim NaNa) was often luminous and pretty bad ass in her right. Kim Sang Joon played (Jin Pyo) so well I hated him and had real moments of sympathy for him. Kim Sang Ho (Ahjussi) ~ I love you! I want to buy you an American Express Black card and let you home shop to your heart's content!

Season 2: When the 20 episodes are over...chances are, you are going to want one! Watch this if you are hesitating. There's a reason why there's about a thousand reviews of this Drama.

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An interesting, thought-provoking, but somewhat unsatisfying love story

The writer tries to show us the stages of a relationship, but doesn't go far enough. The first half is beautiful, how it shows the development of the relationship between the two leads. The way their communication is portrayed is relaxing and nice to watch. When signing to each other or writing messages through their phones, it felt like they were completely attentive to what the other was thinking and saying. Those scenes were the most romantic to me. As the FL says, "it feels like we're having a silent conversation that never ends in a quiet world of our own".

But part-way through, that conversation seemed to end, and the relationship unravels. Of course, it's realistic for relationships to change after an initial honeymoon stage. The FL has anxieties that come from a reasonable place, her position is understandable. But the sensible thing to do is to talk those anxieties out, to confront each other, to demand explanations and get everything off of your chest. It feels like the FL unilaterally decides to stop communicating, and that's the death knell for any relationship. There are moments where it feels like she has fallen out of love, although you could see it instead as her being overly melancholic or prone to insecurity.

In other words, we see the honeymoon and uncertainty stages of a relationship, but nothing else. There's no sense of recommitment, or really any solution to the problems raised in this relationship. The leads reunite at the end, but it doesn't feel satisfying, it's unearned because none of the problems were resolved. For a drama that dedicates so much time early on to idealizing communication, this is a big misstep.

Character-wise, I think the FL is the most fascinating character in the show. I think people can debate her motivations, the changes in her feelings, whether she's 'realistic' or not for a long time.

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not worth the watch

This drama had a promising start but it slowly got worse . The beginning was funny and sort of lighthearted and it was overall refreshing to watch in a thai lakorn since they are always very dramatic and serious. But this lighthearted-ness only lasted for about the first 6 episodes. As the story continued I got really angry at the ML he never thought about his wife just himself. After the FL got kidnapped and the video of her and the kidnapper got sent the ML changed. He rescued her but soon after in the hospital he couldnt even look at her while speaking saying he wasnt ready to talk about how she supposedly got raped and not even asking his own wife what happened. He then later on took the FL to the exact place she was kidnapped, that scene literally broke me she was crying cause she didnt want to go in and he kept trying to force her. And despite the FL literally yelling at him in tears about how she was pregnant with him and not the kidnapper the ML still denied it and thought that she only wanted his money. I wasnt even sure if I wanted to continue watching at this point but I was hoping that the ML would redeem himself but that never happened. He kept assuming that she had many lovers after seeing her with the doctor, banleng and sutee. He also kept saying how he only wanted the baby to be healthy which also got me annoyed. And after he did all of this he just apologized in the last episode and that was it, there was nothing more just an apology and saying that he wants the best for the baby and the mother. Overall this drama had potential but it was just ruined. If you personally prefer slap kiss lakorns you can avoid this one and watch dramas like kluen cheewit or hua jai sila that are also slap kiss lakorns but with a much better storyline and much better ML.

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Fluffy and cute with some of the same problems as other Japanese BL

I was intrigued by the plot initially, and really enjoyed the series at first. It’s a light-hearted drama that employs a magical plot device to create conflict, much like Cherry Magic, another fluffy, enjoyable Japanese BL.

Unfortunately, I found that it was plagued by a couple of the same issues I’ve had with other Japanese BLs in the past. First, the fact that the last couple of episodes seemed to drag on, going in will-they-or-won’t-they circles without progressing the relationship in any meaningful way. Kota agonizes over the same questions of what he actually wants from Naoya for several episodes, and in the end it still feels as though they’re more or less where they started.

Second, I can never understand the inclination to write one of the leads as this blushing virgin archetype who’s so angst-ridden over the idea of kissing the person they’ve fallen for. This drama showed a kiss between the leads in the first episode, so I was really hoping it would be different in that sense, but nope. The same annoying mess of, “oh my gosh, we’re dating! Does that mean *gasp!* kissing??!” Why is this so common in Japanese BL? Why can they never just kiss without it being a traumatic 3-episode arc? Lol

Anyway, I liked it. It was cute. It was fine. I’m glad it didn’t drag on as long as Kieta Hatsukoi at any rate. But it took me awhile to get to watching the last couple episodes, because I could feel that it was going in that familiar direction, and honestly I’m kind of over this style of writing in dramas.

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OVER THE TOP! SUCH A MEMORABLE SERIES! <3

Please, love everything!!! Maybe because it's from a novel so it's well-written. Well-written, good dialogue and everything is perfect! There's so much motivating and touching dialogues. The plots are seriously great and amazing. Not to mention the values. Too many values are given in this series. Lately, if you feel like you don't believe in love anymore, please binge-watch this series. Full marks!! There's no draggy and messy at all but kept me craving for more and more. Such a perfect series and this is what I want! It is not a repeating drama, not typical enemy-lover story omg I'm getting tired. This drama had such meaningful stories. Gotta says finally I found the best Cdrama for this year <3333 And of course it will be my favorite drama for all the time!

Their acting is much better. To be honest, no one can replace Chen Feiyu and Zhang Jingyi as Li Xun and Zhu Yun. The chemistry of the main lead love love love! The way they looked at each other were full of love and everything felt so pure. I love Zhu Yun's character the most. I love everything about her. If I'm a man I'm gonna date her then never let her go. SERIOUS TALK! What a beautifully portrayed characters that will stay in my heart for a long time!!

Every OSTs are sooooooo good! Suits the situation, the vibes are indescribable!! The effects of the OSTs, every time I listened to the songs, I miss the drama and keep wanting to rewatch the series. Yes, I’m not moving on!

Will rewatch this drama again and again. Highly recommended! 100% RECOMMENDED!!

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Could have been better.

This movie is being carried by its cast. Absolute standout in terms of acting and chemistry, which is to be expected because just look at who they cast. It is very obvious these two actors put in the work to embody their characters. I really, really wanted to love the movie, but I cannot overlook some aspects despite how much I did enjoy it.

Flaws: So many. I think it can be summarized as this movie felt like it did not know whether it wanted to be a Japanese movie or a Hollywood one, so what you get in terms of editing is a very strange mix that ends up appealing to neither audience sometimes.

- There were many times where weird editing choices brought me out of the story completely. One such example is the announcer at the 10Dance section in the end, where he both names the dance, and adds a very unnecessary quip afterwards. Another odd editing choice is to layer conflicting music on top of each other.

- The pacing at the end, absolutely rushed. This story would have benefitted from being a series. An extra 40-80 minutes of content would have fixed a lot.

- The English subtitles are also plain wrong occasionally.

- The music was either a full hit or a miss. Since this is a movie about dance, I would have hoped that they had a better selection for music choice and background tracks.

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This is for adult viewers or people who want more than just fantasy IN MEMORIAM for YML

This is a romance between races, but also tragic story of self-sacrifice. Most folks will hate the ending, but for me it was a world better than The Love Between Fairy and Devil!
From the first episode I was spell-bound. Considering I am not a big fan of fantasy this was one of the best I had seen in general and the best of 2024. Why? Consistent production. Great editing. Fun costumes, awesome color palette. Solid acting. Good story and interesting characters. Music and the lyrics! But what beats Burning Flames and Love Game for me was complex subtext of this story. The whole idea of animosity between two groups is nothing new but I have not seen anything like this before. I admit I only saw 350+ dramas, but this script was smart inside out. I was raised during the era of post-communist regime in the country where we could not openly speak of the tragedies and terror around us, so we developed an artistic, metaphoric way of communicating our observations, dissent and longings. I loved this drama because of how it spoke to that.
Now that we all know how much suffering YML had gone through in his career and how horribly he had died - being the hero of this drama is truly a memorial to his courage to persevere, love for who and what he loved and eternal sadness that he left us in. I never thought that this drama would be the last of his main roles released in his lifetime. I am going to look for Traditional Chinese Medicine that hopefully will be released soon just to see him again - as a healer.
If you are looking for an easy, HE romance, nah. Skip it. If you want a good story that is visually beautiful and filled with wisdom - give it a try. Or watch it just to honor the great person that Yu Meng Long was.

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P A I N O F M A Y Beautiful, Heartbreaking and Bittersweet

The Story is either too cliche for you or not. It depends on your taste..... Forbidden Love, Richman/Poorwoman is my cup of tea because I like how it makes me cried and this Drama have it. Didn't expect too much with this but Dammnnn it was so painful from the Start till the end. But it's not only that The Writers did an amazing job making it different from most of cliche K-dramas.

This Drama is set in May 1980 when Martial Law happened in the City of Gwangju, South Korea. And the Love Story that blooms from the Youth. I really like the idea and execution. We can see that they put a lot of effort to make it realistic as possible.

Hwang Hee Tae is not your typical Male Lead but his life is too cliche for a K-drama because of his cruel Father.
Lee Do Hyun is pretty hype actor. He is not bad but not Wow also maybe I should watch him in 18 Again. He is actually good and natural actor

Kim Myung Hee is your Strong and Weak Female Lead. I just can't describe her Characteristics but I like how she knows to stand on her own foot however sometimes it felt so cruel for her Father.
Go Min Si played her role Okay. I'm impressed with her in The Smile has left your eyes but she seems off in this one maybe because it's her first time playing FL but I swear she can do better.

Lee Soo Ryeon who despite being wealthy desperately fights for social justice and feels responsible. To be honest I didn't hate her like everyone do.
Geum Sae Rok is the weakest out of all the Cast. She needs a lot of improvement and so far I can only see her playing Second Lead Role.

I have Love at first heard with the music. Starry Night by Ryeowook is so good I even downloaded it on my phone. It's my type of Music and the melody is too I also love the lyrics. I'm quite disappointed that they didn't used it in other emotional scenes.

Things to prepared if you're going to watch it.
1. WIKIPEDIA
- You might search about Gwangju Uprising while watching it.
2. COFFEE
- There's so many parts that is boring and draggy so I think you need to prepare it.
3. TISSUE
- 50 meters of tissue will do but only if you are are easy crier.

Overall, Youth of May is really great and underrated but can't say it's a Masterpiece. I hate it and I love it but remember Love can overpower hate so Yeah, I love this Drama afterall. The Drama is good in many ways however it felt so repetitive
I like You
Let's Date
I don't like you anymore
I love you
I want to spend time with you
I don't love you anymore
I still love
I'm scared of you
Let's break
You are Back
After those scene it's like nothing happened. They're like strong couple lmao

English is my Third Language so Sorry if it's bad but I will try my Best to improve it.
Thank You for reading my Review^^ I hope you enjoyed the Drama. I'm very sad it ended :( It's the first K-drama I finished while airing.

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Each other's "other half"

A driven plot, convincing actors, beautiful love stor(ies), sweet length, no fillers.

The screenwriter really created sweet and thoughtful ML and SML- the kind of men women dream of. Case in point: 1. ML wishes he can take sth to share the burden of his pregnant wife. He says its unjust that creation of a child, the pain of pregnancy and childbirth is only borne by the mother. 2. SML whose both a noble and a general helps SFL wash her stained clothes. He says doing laundry doesnt matter male or female. Even a female can wield the sword.
(_^-^) Im a sucker for men who respects women and cherishes their women.

Back to the story. I love the intrique and I love the kind of romance potrayed. The main CP has been married for 3yrs so theres this kind of simple everyday couple normalcy and then theres also this intimacy. Which Zhao Yi Qin and Rain does beautifully. Then theres the second CP, between a cold general with own motives and a kind princess. Her personality and kindness is just right to melt this general. I wanna say both female leads are so pretty and natural in their acting.

Lastly a short drama does not mean cutting corners on quality. The story flow seamlessly, no weird edits, the costume and setting all are lovely. Wish we have more of this kind of dramas produced- a riveting story, touching romance without wasting time on stupid misunderstanding or fillers. As of July, its my favorite short drama this year.

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