Reviews

I would say this is my favourite C-drama of 2022 so far.

If you are looking for a dramas to watch that’s has a cute and sweet female lead and a hot, smart but slightly wicked male lead, then this is the series for you.

Firstly, what I enjoyed about this series was the fact that the male lead didn’t get swayed by the other females that were chasing him, he showed his commitment to the female lead on multiple occasions and not once did he choose another females side over the female lease.
The second thing I liked about this series was the female lead. Once she was determined to like the male lead, she stayed with him, even though her sister and parents didn’t like the male lead. She was a sweet female lead who was kind to everyone and showed growth as the series went on. She wasn’t as naive and gullible like she was in the begging . She became more smarter, but still sweet.

The first thing I didn’t like about this series was the first villain who appeared in the begging. I felt like her presence was just unnecessary and the fact that she just disappeared without addressing the main plot of this series was just a fail for me.

I would have given this series a 10/10 if it was not for the last 4 episodes. I felt that they were unnecessary and they just caused unnecessary tension between the ML and FL. The last 4 episodes were unpleasant to watch and they didn’t add anything to the series as a whole.

I would have watched the ML and FL relationship grow after all the oppositions around them were solved.

Read More

Intense build-up, decent wrap-up

The first half of this movie was absolutely flawless — I was terrified (in a good way) by all the jumpscares, the mystery was extremely intriguing and I was trying desperately to figure it out myself, and the soundtrack and interactions between the characters all added to the dark vibe of the movie.

I still think the second half, after everything was revealed, was a decent watch, but I did think that it took away a lot of the things that I loved in the first half. Of course, a mystery can't go on forever, but I definitely felt like the story didn't feel as dark as it did before and there was no more anxiety-inducing tension, more just running around and fights. Those were still fun and exciting and I really enjoyed how the story was revealed, intertwining different characters, but the first half still felt more captivating to me.

Read More

A feast for the senses with an underwhelming ending.

Chang'an is a city of splendor, temptations, and secrets — a truth no one understands better than Wu Zhen. By day, she endures mockery and admiration as the rebellious and unwed daughter of a duke and the only sister of the queen. By night, she is the revered Cat Lord, the fierce protector of the Demon City that lies beneath Chang'an, a position that keeps the mortal and demon realms in a delicate balance. She has long been content with this arrangement, using society's scorn of her unconventional lifestyle as a means to keep her secrets safe. However, her carefully constructed double life is jeopardized by the arrival of Mei Zhuyu, the reserved and calculating newcomer at the Bureau of Mystic Investigations, whose agenda is as hidden as her own. With the looming return of an ancient and devastating enemy, and the worlds they swore to protect under threat, these two opposing heroes are forced to become unlikely and unassuming allies. As their destinies intertwine, their relationship blooms into one that is as complex as the secrets they keep.

From the very beginning, Moonlit Reunion lures us in with its breathtaking aesthetic, a world brought to life by the stunning visuals and enchanting osts. The vivid contrast between the mortal world and demon underworld is one of my favorite features in this drama. For instance, when the camera cleverly glides through the Ruyi Pavilion in episode one, it reveals the extravagant fashion of the elite, roaring laughter of the patrons, rich melodies of the musicians, and mesmerizing dances of the performers. I remember thinking that nothing could rival this visual excellence, and then something did. We are introduced to the Demon Market — an unparalleled explosion of vibrancy, chaos, and richness in a world usually enveloped by night — and my jaw hit the floor. This duality extends to the very atmosphere, as the drama excels at using green and blue lighting to signal the mystical encroachment upon the mortal realm. The seamless combination of dazzling cgi, skillful cinematography, and beautiful soundtracks is an absolute feast for the senses.

The diverse cast of characters are a delight to watch. Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu are compelling leads and true equals in their cleverness, competence, and power. It is the kind of relationship I can appreciate for the main couple of any story, as it makes for a well-balanced partnership. However, Moonlit Reunion is significantly elevated by its ensemble of supporting characters (such as Liu Tai Zhen, Mei Si, Hu Zhu, Shuang Jiang, Xuan Hui, Huang Yi, and Mei Wen Hua), who make this world feel complete. I am particularly fond of Liu Tai Zhen and Mei Si because of their nostalgic charms that are reminiscent of classic Hong Kong cinema; and their evolving relationship is captivating, making me tune in daily to watch their romance unfold. The exploration of the varied dynamics in this drama, even between characters with seemingly little reason to interact, also adds layers of unexpected depth to the narrative. For example, Mei Si and Xuan Hui make the most surprising and endearing duo of friends — they are my absolute favorite.

Among all the dramas airing at the same time, Moonlit Reunion was the one I had the highest hopes for — that is, until the story got close to the end. With less than half the episodes left, the story takes a sharp turn for the worse following the fallout between Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu. It is a transition made all the more infuriating by Mei Zhuyu's sudden change in personality. The shift might be brief, as he does revert back to his old self, but the damage done leaves a lingering foul taste in my mouth. As the narrative progresses, the high-stakes plot that has been so meticulously crafted falters. Instead of the epic showdown that was initially promised, the villains are disappointingly taken down in a series of anticlimactic defeats. The death of an important character makes me question my emotional investment in the story. It lacks the intended impact the writers aimed for and is overshadowed by the far more heartbreaking demise of an earlier supporting character. The rushed finale feels lackluster, leaving the story with some unanswered questions that I cannot delve into without entering major spoilers territory.

Although its underwhelming ending marred by wasted potential sets the story back, Moonlit Reunion is still a worthwhile watch. The drama's gorgeous cinematography, captivating world, and compelling characters make it a memorable, even if flawed, experience for fans of rich visual storytelling. It has been a few days since I completed this drama, and despite not being fully satisfied with the execution of the events leading up to the conclusion, I still can't help but miss the story and its characters. Perhaps in the end, the real reward lies in the journey itself, no matter how imperfect the destination.

Read More

Use For My Talent; Sweet, But Unremarkable ...

Let’s be honest for a and disregard the " Korean vs. Chinese version" argument by openly confessing that neither version will ever be a " masterpiece". Of course, this is not to say that both versions of the show were "unwatchable". Both cast and production values in the dramas are good . However, the screenwriting? Well, that’s another issue entirely.

For those unaware, the Chinese version follows the same basic premise as its predecessor; successful male lead and owner of a cleaning company Gu Ren Qi ( Jasper Liu) suffers from Mysophobia as a result of trauma. Through a series of strange events, he ends up meeting and employing female lead Shi Shuang Jiao ( Shen Yue), however, she is his polar opposite by her unkempt and blasé nature towards dirt . Ultimately this leads to a complicated rocky road as Ren Qi discovers himself falling in love with our female lead.

Cultural changes aside, there are a couple of things which did work well in this version ; the male lead seem a bit more paved out as a character with his backstory, and he did not have the same accentuated reactions ( as his Korean counterpart) to a piece of dirt. However, ultimately Ren Qi did suffer the same fate as a" staid male lead". His backstory (rather than being used for development), is played upon the " tragic trope” card with few defining reactions or emotions outside of chasing the female lead Shi Shuang Jiao.

Shi Shuang Jiao was also your archetypical " prosaic heroine". There was nothing inherently wrong per say with Shuang Jiao as a female lead. She was sweet and a kind-hearted person,however, if you could put an evident sticky label on Shuang Jiao, then it would certainly read; the ‘“quirky and cutesy” female lead who is" stuck in the middle" between Ren Qi and the " boy next door" Lu Xian’( Dai Yun Fan). After all, Shen Qiao only truly existed in the series as the " love interest" rather than an individual in her own right.

Of course, then there’s the pairing between Shuang Jiao and Ren Qi. Admittedly, whilst there is certainly emphasis in the Chinese version of Ren Qi and Shuang Jiao sharing "mutual ground", this is also where the series hits a bit of a rut also. This is because whilst it is implied over their shared " traumatic pasts" helping their relationships to develop, it is hard to truly define what either Ren Qi or Shuang Jiao truly saw in one another ( apart from this) in the first place.

The side characters of the series were a little forgettable . Second main lead Lu Xian did have the potential to be intriguing , however, his ineffable desire to " chase after the female lead" and not truly having a life outside of wanting to win her affections put any possible character development down the drain . The other two pairings of the show between Zhu Yan ( Su Meng Di), Shi Jun Jie ( Yanan), Li Dong Xian ( Charles Lin) and Wang Qian Qian ( Huang Si Rui) were arguably more entertaining at times than our main leads, though they were certainly nothing to write home about either with cliche setups.

So, what’s left to say about " Use For My Talent" and is it worth watching ?The Chinese adaptation wasn’t inherently "bad" per say. It did have a really good cast and an incredibly sweet pairings. For fans of cutesy romantic dramas then this is right up your street, however, just don’t expect great character development either.

Read More

STORY
Well, without giving any spoiler, I do believe that the overall plot of this drama is well presented, and I enjoyed it so much. I just wish that it would be a bit longer because there are things that need to be explained or tackled and not just left in the dark. The plot is well-paced, and I really liked the ending, teary-eyed. The series is cute and fluffy but there are some dark themes in it during the later episodes (the reason for R18) but nonetheless, I got hooked up with the story as it is my first time watching this kind (Mono and Probe thing) of drama. Overall, the story is very good, and I liked how entertaining it was.

ACTING
The visuals of the main leads are oozing with handsomeness. I AM OBSESSED. But to get into acting, I do believe that they gave justice to their characters and played it very well. Yeon Woo (Yoo Jun) already played in other dramas before and I liked the way he acts. Same with the Heo Hyun Jun. There are like around just 5 characters in the series and I think that they did a good job.

MUSIC
I love the OST and I barely download songs from series. I always play it while I am doing my skincare haha but true, I liked the OST so much. It fits the vibe of the series.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Coming from a country that is well-known for producing top tier dramas, I think that this has good production quality compared to existing BL dramas (Thai to be exact, but no hate tho) The editing could be a bit more polished, but I understand how hard it is to add effects during Color Rush scenes, so I love it as it is.

Overall, this drama is very good, and I loved it from the start till the end, I just wish that it was longer so that it can explain some parts that I think are important for the plot. Between WYEL, Mr Heart, and Wish You, this is my favourite. Also, this has a possibility to have a SEASON 2 (I heard from some ppl)

PS. I cried a bit during the ending.

Read More

Speechless

I am very disappointed in this Cdrama. I felt like I wasted my time watching it all the way to the end.

Let me start with the positives. To me the only real standout for this series was 'Gun God' and his whole team. The were very relatable, funny, dramatic and their acting skills were up to the task. I also enjoyed how their characters where well developed, especially Gun God with his very detailed character background.

Apart from this the rest was a complete flop. The main character Squid was useless and they probably only had this character in the series to create a romance storyline, There was no depth to her character and she did not offer any value to the series. Also what annoyed me so much about her was that she is supposedly a genius that started university at 15 double majoring in AI and Cyber Security and yet she couldn't understand what the game was all about (it was literally about cyber security hacking servers and blocking intrusions).

I would have expected her to actually contribute in some way to the teams success since she was supposed to be an expert in the field (all she did was create a stupid game with pepa pig).

Don't even get me started on her insane stalker vibes (you can actually get a criminal record for doing the stuff she did). The whole series she was stalking the living daylight out of our male lead and when he finally proposes she said no? that made no sense at all. There was a part somewhere in the last few episodes where someone tells her that she has no personality and that was the most accurate description.

Now for the fillers - It gave me flashbacks of trying to watch Naruto where there was just so many senseless episodes and an insane amount of flashbacks. If they had to cut all the BS from this series we would have probably ended up with about 31 episodes of a series that was better paced and edited.

Overall I wouldn't watch this series again (only watch it if you have nothing else to watch)and in terms of comparing it to other Cdramas i've recently watched in E-Sports genre it is lacking it every aspect.

Read More

I don't quite know where to begin with my review. Should I list all the good things or should I list all the bad things first? This is also the reason why my rating is probably not yet final. It might change one or two times, though it will definitely not go up any further.

So, to summon it up, this drama is flashy, cheesy, overly dramatic and sometimes seriously ridiculous. The synopsis for this show is quite scarce, so I'll try to describe some additional facts first.

The king rules over his country. That's how it should be. But in fact, he is only a puppet who is led by Pyunsoo Group, a large hidden organization that has its own trick to control the royal family quite well. The Crown Prince meanwhile has to wear a mask in order to hide his face because of an illness he got when he was born - at least that's what the people and the ministers believe. And because of Pyunsoo Group he is also forced to live outside the palace someday. There he meets Ga Eun who he will fall in love with.

The basic plot is actually quite interesting. That's why it's so sad that it doesn't live up to its potential in the end. It had a steady atmosphere what I liked about this drama, but every now and then it managed to drop one or two ridiculous bombs that were either created by some nonsensical decisions or resulted in some foolish actions.

There were alot of characters who had the potential to something big, but they never rose from their grounds. Same applies for the acting. Though I can't blame half of them because they got some crappy scripts for their roles, the other half of the cast was only average or worse.

As interesting as the beginning was, I never saw an actual improvement of the Crown Prince. He might have become a little smarter, that's all. Same goes for the female lead. At a certain point in the drama, she started to annoy me because so many bad things happened only because of her. It irritated me so much, that almost every decision centered around her. She was either bait or needed protection or whatever. I don't know where it went wrong but her role felt more like a burden than a blessing/support. I admit that I enjoyed some of her scenes with the Crown Prince though. But that's as far as it goes.

At some point I started to favor the second female lead more than the actual one. There was definitely growth in her character while she was one of the most conflicted persons in the story. And although I was skeptical regarding the actress at first, I'm glad that she pulled off her character so well that I even felt sad about her efforts being in vain - though on the other hand she did accomplish some of her wishes in the end.

There are only a few performances I truly enjoyed. The Queen Dowager, the second female lead's father, the female lead's father, Woo Bo (Lee Sun's teacher) and Dae Mok, the head of Pyunsoo Group. Their acting was shining compared to the rest. Yoo Seung Ho had his moments, too, and I enjoyed most of his scenes, but damn, he's one teary guy. His hair is beautiful though...

There is indeed an unhealthy amount of crying. Alot of it. And everyone seems to be a real crybaby, it spreads like a disease. Shedding tears during almost every serious moment.

Did I like something? The clothes, the cinematography, the MUSIC (that score was good~), impressive entrances (esp from Yoo Seung Ho, his royal demeanor was intriguing) and some really good fighting scenes.

Recommendation is debatable and this is definitely not a sageuk for everyone. It's quite predictable, with alot of stereotype characters and some questionable turn of events. Despite that I still felt entertained to a certain degree. There were many moments that kept my interest throughout the whole drama and I wanted to see the finale, even though I already knew how it would probably end~

And Yoo Seung Ho's hair was so beautiful... Did I already mentioned that? Damn, that dude is gorgeous.

Read More

Meandering plot that leads to nowhere, unresolved subplots, ridiculous ending

The series started off decent enough. I was rating this a 7.0 at Episode 6. By Episode 10, I was completely disillusioned by the terrible writing that didn't really allow Lee Jong Suk, Im Yoon Ah and Kwak Dong Yeon to display a wider range of their acting skills. Surprisingly for me, Yoo Tae Joo is probably the best thing to emerge from this chaotic, confusing mess.

This series spent more than half of its episodes in the penitentiary. It wasted most of its time getting the audience trying to guess who Big Mouse is, who in the world is the "invincible" guy who managed to swindle something like 100 billion from crooks in the upper echelon of a shady corporation. The possible suspect moved from person to person, and this was how the drama dragged its feet from Episode 1 until Episode 10. The inanity.

The mayor, Choi Do Ha, turning out to be the big bad was no surprise, it was obvious from the point he sought out Park Chang Ho and got him involved in his quest to retrieve the ever so secretive "scientific paper". CDH's reasons to enlist PCH's help was superficial and illogical, it just didn't make sense to me. Right here and there is a big glaring plothole. There's no such thing as a "secretive scientific paper". Do the writers know that peer research papers go through a lengthy review process and is processed dozens of times before the final publication can be made? There's no way a paper that exposes the hazards of a radioactive substance of that magnitude can be kept secret for so long. It's just ridiculous writing.

Not to mention Hye Jin's murder was unnecessary, and to top it off, her death didn't even serve any purpose other than providing nonsensical shock value to the audience. She escaped to the US only to come back to get murdered. LOL. Why? If I were thousand of kilometres from my psychopathic ex, I wouldn't go back to where he was. Yeah, her ex-husband is worse than scum, and he didn't even get punished for her murder. Her body was never found! This subplot was completely dropped by the writers. For what? Yeah the mayor Choi Do Ha is also scum for helping him dump Hye Jin's body. Then it turned out Choi Do Ha wasn't even Choi Do Ha, he usurped the identity of a dead boy! What in the world. LMAO. Tell me how you do that as a kid. Who helped this kid changed his legal papers? This trope is tired and old, and honestly if people want to pull this in modern storylines, they need to provide a more viable and cogent explanation.

After all the twists and turns this drama flipped out, it was revealed that Big Mouse is really not a single entity. It's one guy, who's the head of some secret organisation, like Freemasonry, but mafia ala vigilante-style, with some dozens of members who abide by a set of organisational "code" - that also wasn't made clear to the watchers. Lmao I don't even know how to describe this circus house - this is the worst drama Lee Jong Suk has ever been in.

There was a scene where Park Chang Ho was tortured in a white chamber - why?! To extract information about the 100 billion dollars he siphoned off - allegedly. After he became Big Mouse, did PCH expend any energy to find this place he was held in, and did he bust it with his newly gained cronies of the Big Mouse organization so as to prevent future abductions and illegal imprisonment? No. And because of that, while we saw that the mayor truly "loved" his wife Joo Hee, in the end he nevertheless subjected her to the same white chamber torture after learning that she had betrayed him. It was just so inconsistent with their characterisations.

Holy crap, I still have so much to go on, but I'm trying to end this review quickly. The loving relationship Park Chang Ho had with his wife Ko Mi Ho was dealt a cruel blow after she was exposed to "radioactive" water. She quickly developed cancer, which progressed to Stage 4, within weeks of exposure. Like?? LOL, that's crazy. First of all, the drama told us NK9 is a highly toxic material that was found in the wastewater of their plant, but we weren't told how toxic it was. We just have to believe that it's super-super toxic, okay? I wonder if the writers came up with this idea from the time Japan announced dumping wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean, which was met by protests and condemnations from Korea and China, but endorsed by the US. Anyway, in real life, allegedly, drinking water with radionuclides in it could take years for harmful effects to show, and yes, that includes an increased risk in cancer like leukemia. But the people in the drama who had contact with this radionuclides-filled water actually developed leukemia and died within weeks after its one and only exposure (Tak Kwang Yeon, Ko Mi Ho)! What's even more hilarious is that Choi Do Ha was eventually killed by the same radioactive water (that looked as clean and clear as your normal chlorinated pool water btw) on the same day he swam in it. Upon being told by Chang Ho that the water was radioactive, Do Ha then crashed into the pool like a plank. LMAO.

So what about the 100 billion that everyone was after in the first place? The 100 billion that placed Park Chang Ho in this predicament he said he didn't want to be in? Where is it? Gone, Soon Tae said. Someone stole it, and that was that. No mention of it ever again. What about the hospital that Joo Hee was serving director at, the hospital that had forced the next-of-kin of their dying patients to sign DNR agreements? Joo Hee had been serving at the hospital as a director, there's no way she was ignorant of all the criminal activities in the hospital. She's very much aware, and her last minute redemption by exposing everything her husband had done gave no closure on whether she was being held accountable for her actions as well. For a massive scandal like that, she would have been imprisoned IRL. I mean, really, what about the rushed cremations of the dead patients, what about the evil head nurse and all the other bitchy nurses who distributed life-threatening pills and injections, masquerading them as flu shots, medicine and vitamins? There was no comeuppance for them. Nothing. So really, what the hell did I just watch?

Read More

Cute... but toxic?

Honestly, I was happy when it was announced that we will have a second season of Utsukushii Kare as I really enjoyed the first season. I believe that it is one of the best japanese bl series that we have up until today.

CHARACTERS

In the series we follow the story of Kiyoi and Hira and their relationship. Hira (Hagiwara Riku) is now a senior university student and is still obsessed with Kiyoi, while Kiyoi (Yagi Yusei) is working hard with his acting career and is making small steps towards his goals. Both have the same master/slave relationship. Kiyoi is still shy towards Hira and his only way of coping with those feelings is to talk harshly to the other person (e.g. “You are gross”) or physically hurt him; while Hira is still following Kiyoi everywhere he goes and as the time goes by he is severely obsessed with the other person.

Kazuki (Takano Akira) is also a recurring character in this season who is doing his internship and is also the president at the photography club at the university. We can see that he and Hira have a friendly relationship and Kazuki even helps the other person with getting a part-time job. Even though it seems like Kazuki still has feelings for Hira, he doesn’t make any move on the other person; instead, he takes the role of the supporting friend. Moreover, we are introduced to a new character Anna (Nimura Sawa) who is a popular actress that works in the same company as Kiyoi. She and Kiyoi seem to be getting closer as they are experiencing similar love issues.

PLOT

The main plot of this series is the relationship between Kiyoi and Hira who are now living together. It is not stated in the series, but if we take into account that in the first season Hira was a second year (?) and now, he is a senior in university, they have been in a relationship for 2 or 3 years now. Kiyoi is working hard towards his ultimate goal on becoming an actor. On the other hand, Hira is still following Kiyoi whenever he goes and on his free time, he is watching the drama and special episodes that his boyfriend took part in. However, he is struck by reality when he sees that people around him are getting a job and they are working hard for their dreams.
Overthinking, overanalyzing, and not expressing themselves bring them in a tight spot. In the four episodes we see their attempts to adapt into the new environment and grow in their relationship.

MY OPINION

Honestly, this is a drama that is worth watching. It is a good continuation of the first season. However, if I must admit as I was watching the series, I was thinking that their relationship is toxic. Since they are together for some years now, I thought they would have already grown and become more confident in their relationship but in the drama, we see that Hira still considers himself lower than Kiyoi. I don’t know… I think that I am not fond with this approach.

I am not against when we see them act jealous and shy towards each other though. For example, in the first episode we see Kiyoi getting jealous when a girl hits on Hira. We have seen something similar on season 1 with Kazuki and Hira, but now Kiyoi stood his ground and showed to Hira his jealous side. I am onboard with this type of behavior. It’s cute. Kiyoi is self-aware that he likes Hira and is not afraid to act jealous in front of him.
My issue comes with Hira. I think that he hasn’t grown at all while they were together, and his life revolves only around Kiyoi. I do understand that Hira believes that there is a huge difference between them and that’s why he still addresses Kiyoi as a “King”, but shouldn’t he grow out of it?

Moreover, even though Hira tries to play the victim all the time by bringing this high wall between him and Kiyoi, I still feel that the one who has it worse is Kiyoi. Hira’s misunderstandings and misinterpretation of Kiyoi’s feelings and actions are very painful for Kiyoi. Even in season 1, even though he doesn’t say it verbally, I got the feeling that Kiyoi liked Hira more than Hira liked Kiyoi. Even though we are always seeing Hira going after Kiyoi, I still think that the one who feels more in this relationship is Kiyoi.

I don’t know how to explain it simpler or if you get what I mean. But, in episode 3 when the two people were talking about Hira’s parents, you could clearly see the fear, anxiousness, and nervousness of Kiyoi – but Hira, instead of making the other person in front of him feel more relaxed, said that Kiyoi will never meet his parents so there is no reason to worry about it. I just feel that Hira’s stupidness hurts Kiyoi a lot. He did the same thing in season 1. Instead of working together with Kiyoi, Hira still stays behind him and whenever Kiyoi wants to take a step forward Hira holds them back. When Kiyoi said “You prefer unrequired love, right? Then just stay there (…) I’m sorry that I like you”, I felt sad… Hira isn’t worthy of Kiyoi’s love.

But don’t get me wrong… It takes two to tango… Hira is not the only at fault! Kiyoi is at fault as well. The dynamics of this couple is not good. In one hand we have Hira who misunderstands everything and who believes that if he Kiyoi’s wishes would come true then the other person will never leave him. While, on the other hand we have Kiyoi who doesn’t speak his mind but at the same time is seeking his forever from Hira. How did they even manage to be together? Communication is key for every relationship and in this case, it doesn’t exist… However, we see Kiyoi making small steps and expressing his feelings to the other person, but Hira doesn’t receive the message and we have Kiyoi being sad and mad by himself…

Am I thinking too much regarding the relationship of two fictional characters? Yes, yes I am! What are your opinions? Is Hira’s behavior expected after all these years?

Anyway, this is a good drama to watch, SO WATCH IT! BYE!

P.S. In both seasons we have only seen a jealous Kiyoi. I would love to see a jealous Hira as well. But not from Hira the Fan, but rather from Hira the Boyfriend. I am assuming that as things are right now Hira will never get jealous of Kiyoi – not because he doesn’t like him, but because he would think that he is not a place to be jealous of Kiyoi. I hope that in the movie we will see an actively jealous Hira the Boyfriend and claim his boyfriend from the predators 😊

Read More

" Moment at eighteen" had a really strong start. The drama was perfect, with the issues such as bullying and gap between the social classes were nicely presented.

However, as soon as the romance started progressing, the drama lost its character and became a weak teenage rom com. The main character's problems, like the death on his one and only friend, were put aside and left for good. Let alone all those side characters whose story was never concluded. The drama got boring and the ending was open and unsatisfying.

Other than that, the performances were good from all the actors and actresses in this drama.

So, overall, six out of ten.

Read More

Extremely funny and sweet BL adapted drama that you will enjoy

I started this drama because it is adapted from a BL novel, seems to have a good looking cast and is enjoying some good reviews. And I was not disappointed.

Story: In order to bring peace to the country, the youngest apprentice from the righteous clan Zhao Qing Feng tries to infiltrate the evil clan by getting close to the demon lord Ji Chuan. As Zhao Qing Feng is a bit socially awkward he is learning the steps from his teacher's book "win someone's heart". However, it turns out that Zhao Qing Feng is actually the long lost brother of Ji Chuan and the two men got close.
The whole drama is just extremely cheesy, cute and funny. I almost fell from my chair from laughing after watching episode 1. There are some very sweet scenes between the two main leads - who are by the way both very good looking and have distinguished personalities that are very likable from the start. Although the drama is a comedy, characters don’t always just make fools of themselves - there is a serious plot running through this drama which makes the viewers pounder about the fate of the main leads and also for the supporting characters. Good news for all BL lovers, though there is the female lead A Fu who fell in love with Zhao Qing Feng, this does not disturb the two main leads. There are some slow moments in the middle and a bit of predictable ending, but overall I did enjoy the drama and found story convincing and sweet.

Acting: The characters are just all very loveable from the start to the end. The two main leads, despite having an idol background without professional acting school training, acted very naturally and brought the distinguished two main lead characters to life. Besides the two gorgeous leads also all other supporting roles have done great work. A Fu, played by Su Xiao Tong, is extremely strong and sweet at the same time. Then you have the cute youngster Xiao Lin who is in love with A Fu and therefore acts coquettishly all the time (there is a great scene in the drama between him and A Fu that made me cry); you also have the gorgeous Dr. Yan, played by Song Ji Yang from Untamed, but is extremely jealous of Zhao Qing Feng; you also have the beautiful Yue Qing Qing, who turns into a REAL MAN when she takes off her makeup and the masculine Wei Qi who has a Taiwanese accent. I am sure you will find one or several characters to your taste.

Production: you can see that this is a drama with a low budget: some outdoor sets can look a bit cheap, some of the props and costumes seem to be a bit off, there are not enough extras in some of the scenes; however I would say the drama did use the budget at the right areas: the most important sets (e.g. the bedroom of Ji Chuan, the kitchen, the entrance to the main hall, the main hall itself, etc.) are nicely created; the choice of colors not too bright red and green but just right, the lighting is well toned; I also very much like the fact that they are using the actual voices of the actors (though sometimes the tones are a bit difficult to hear). They add these cat and dog special sounds to the two main leads when they are fighting - this is just hilarious and brilliant.
This drama has a very funny and contagious title song and a very beautiful ending song which however only started to play by the middle of the drama - also some BGM also only started from the middle (did they suddenly have more money in the middle?).
There a few scenes which are almost good to be hung as a poster (e.g. the drunk scene at the lake, the brother scene at the entrance hall, the bamboo forest scene, the night festival scene, the fighting scenes (esp. the last one - which is very well done!). You can see the production really gave a lot of effort in making this drama and they have done this well with the budget they have - unfortunately they ended up not having enough for marketing so not many people know about this.

Summary: This is a funny, light-hearted drama full of sweet scenes and great acting that will make you smile for sure. This BL adaption has not challenged the Chinese censorship this much as Untamed as it is really only a bromance drama but has retained a lot of sugar for all the fans. I hope all future BL adaption will at least be at the level of the Birth of the Drama King.

Read More

angsty BL with excellent lead actors/chemistry

Overall: Although I struggled with the angst/flawed characters and especially how the series started, I think it was well done. Make sure to watch past the first credits of the final episode, more like that please! Note: this is a remake/extended version of En of Love: Love Mechanics which aired in 2020 and was about 2 hours runtime, you don't need to watch the shorter version first. Watched on WeTV.

Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, non con sex (very drunk), briefly held against will, past suicide attempt?, manhandling, homophobia, vomiting, violence/beaten up, punch/slap, domestic violence, victim self blaming

What I Liked
- acting of Yin & War and their chemistry
- cute moments
- funny moments
- for once I didn't hate an ex (Mark's)
- they address wealth differences and homophobia
- production value

Room For Improvement
- very disappointed in the sex scene. In many places being mentally incapacitated means you cannot give consent and clearly Mark was mentally incapacitated as he thought Vee was a different person. Although we see 3 beer bottles in the garbage, Vee does not appear to be at an equal level of drunkenness. I don't care at all that Mark was the initial aggressor, Vee should not have had sex with Mark. I would say this was non con no matter what sexual position Mark was. If they wanted to go the drunk sex route then Vee should have also been totally wasted and saying that Mark was his girlfriend and both been freaked out in the morning. (this would also make me hate Vee less as he just casually cheated on his girlfriend)
- hearing vomiting sounds is not my ideal way to start a series
- Vee said something in episode 6 to Mark that I think would end many relationships, sometimes apologies are not enough
- cliche plot point in episode 7
- Vee has some bad friends, they should have at least talked to him to hear his side
- poor communication
- side couples starting out in the final episode
- lack of intro credits/OST and basic closing credits

Read More

Hated every second of watching it - would highly recommend.

And this is how you present a dark romance in a realistic manner. Perfect timing with the growing popularity of the “alpha male losers” type of behavior in society. Destigmatizing being manipulated and hurt like that no matter what someone’s gender/background or social status is was a good move on the writers and production.

I don’t think I have ever seen a better presentation of this type of psychological abuse. The way it was not exaggerated, and yet so horrifying without crossing into the telenovela idiocy territory. It was real, awful and frustrating to watch. Here I was watching every episode, knowing it would make me feel extremely angry and frustrated, feeling the cortisol's level rising with every passing minute... being abused and taken hostage by this drama... oh, look at me, compared to the female lead, I actually became a victim of my own making.

Here’s the thing though - Yan Ling was a victim, more than once. With the guilt placed on her for her father’s passing, being groomed by the family friend who was like an uncle and father figure for her, to then accidentally getting pregnant and becoming a single mother. To end with the king of the pathetic losers Luo Liang in her life. This woman could not catch a break. More than once I caught myself feeling more negative feelings towards her than Luo Liang, which only added to the already existing uneasiness I was feeling. I knew and understood that all that is happening is not her fault and he shouldn't be blamed, and yet emotionally I felt the growing frustration with how she kept blaming herself, overexplaning every action, becoming so submissive.

At the same time it was fascinating (for the lack of better word) to watch how slowly, but steadily Luo Liang dismantled her personality, confidence and life. Starting with just kindness and evoking some curiosity, to making himself a safe space, someone who would always be on her side, defend her no matter what, tell her exactly what she needs to hear. And when she was emotionally attached, slowly getting her distance herself from other people, making her doubt her every action, turning his own faults into her mistakes. And when there was no one around her, and she saw him as the only constant and familiar element in her life, that’s when he started to go back on his words, saying how she should be blamed for everything bad that happened in her life, making her feel like she is not worth of anything. Making her believe that even though it’s not easy to be with him, there is no one else, and there will never be anyone else who accept her with all her flaws. Truly tragic.

On the other side, hilarious how Luo Liang kept calling Yan Ling out on her “victim mentality” when he was the biggest pathetic constant victim of them all. I think that’s what made the show so realistic. He was not this smart, hot, competent and confident toxic gege - he was a loser. Notice how in these “teaching” scenes they always claim you will learn how to get and control any woman you want, and yet the first thing they actually teach you is how to pick the vulnerable target. Why? Because deep down they know they are just small boys with no confidence and maturity. They know they cannot get any woman, that’s why they spend so much time learning how to pick ones that are easier to manipulate. All the baby boy needed was a fucking therapy, but nah - rather be led by his trauma and bad experiences, have low self esteem for the rest of his life and target people who are vulnerable since he cannot "handle" anyone else.

And the worst thing is, you cannot win against people like that. The only way to “win” is to cut them off from your life completely. You CANNOT reason with them, you cannot make them understand your point of you. They know, they understand and they act against it to make you be in the defense position, always justifying yourself so you do not have time to question their actions. They will never respect you or view you as equal, there is no kind way to move away from a relationship like that. You cut them off without an explanation, you never look back, you do not care what they think about you.

On the bright side, big props for making sure this drama does not become too preachy “women good, men bad”. We had male victims and female perpetrators. We had psycho dudes ruining lives for fun and to feel better about themselves, and courageous and hard working men trying to stop them. Shout out to Lu Yi Feng and Paw Patrol.

Lu Yi Feng was for sure not flawless. I am still annoyed how the one night stand even happened and how it should not happen. Yan Ling was drunk, and thought he was someone else. He was not drunk. No way he would actually physically struggle with trying to control her and not sleep with her. This is this gray area that makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I know he is a good man, he does his best to help her any way he can, he risks it all in the present timeline. He is a good father and boyfriend. But that past action will taint him forever in my eyes. And that's great. It's makes his character more interesting, it makes the show less black and white. It does not make it easy for you to decide how you feel about certain characters.

Then we had Li Zhi Heng. No, he is not this amazing badass detective, but he is what we never get in dramas - just a normal good cop who wants to do his job well and help victims get justice. Honestly amazing. Similarly, in any other drama Wang Hao Ying would be this semi-annoying girlboss who knows it all, but here she was not. She knew how to value people around her, how to work as a team. She didn’t need to be in a spotlight all the time.

As for the performances, they are ridiculously good. Not gonna lie, I did start the show for Wu Kang Ren. Was I expecting this type of role here? No. Was I disappointed? Hell nah. On one hand I totally see how he could charm all these women, on the other hand it was clear how pathetic he actually was. To deliver these contradictions was perfect. To make me feel disgusted despite his hotness? Deserves applause. We all love our hot toxic oppas/geges and we often go crazy for even serial killers in them dramas, so to give a performance so realistic and repulsive the good looks stop working? Give him an oscar.

Susan Sun was probably the one that made me feel the biggest range of emotions. Yes, mostly frustration, but at the end, when she finally saw and understood the truth and confronted Luo Liang I was full of excitement and happiness. And again - the gradual progression from hiding her pain, to having her pain being used and exploited, to accepting her pain and becoming stronger because of it - all well paced and delivered perfectly.

I think overall, the drama plays well on expectations versus reality. Luo Liang looks like a confident man, but is in fact a pathetic loser. Yan Ling looks like a confident and competent woman, but is in fact someone with many scars and vulnerabilities. Both Li Zhi Heng and Lu Yi Feng look like puppies and cinnamon rolls that need to be protected, when in fact they are really driven and brave. Wang Hao Ying looks a little bit like a snob that cannot be wrong, but is in fact a real team player and knows her limits. That’s something that can only be achieved with amazing acting and solid directing.

For the directing - masterclass. One of the examples of how they just knew how to convey the changing dynamics without literally spelling them out with dialogues: during one scene Luo Liang placed his hand on Yan Ling’s cheek, but she herself moved it to her neck... which is a far more vulnerable place and shows how submissive she became. Or how so many times she physically lowers herself in his presence - sitting somewhere lower than he is, kneeling in front of him.

What’s most important - none of that came out of ass. From the start it was clear she is not as confident and sure of herself as she presents, and he is not as kind and sane as he fakes to be. Certain reactions, behaviors, words spoken slowly build the full picture of how they are both pretending to be something they are not. So when their dynamic solidified, it did not feel weird, it was not a jarring difference from how they were at first. We just stripped the layers of lies.

Putting aside the structure of the story and its visual presentation, this drama is just pretty. Sure they overused some scenery transition scenes, but I rather they do that and use the money to make the scenes that actually matter look good, and not waste money on filming more shots of the city that bring nothing to the story.

Soundtrack wise, I don’t remember any song. That tells you nothing about their quality since usually I do not pay that much attention to OST as long as it’s not awful.

Overall, I hated the experience, and would highly recommend it to everyone. I was also surprised by how well they balance the ending. We've got the positive ending on the micro scale - the characters we grew to know got their justice, the villains got punished. But on macro scale we kept the realism - Luo Liang being punished does not mean much, because there will always be men like that, ready to take his place.

Read More