Reviews

Too rushed and unable to meet its full potential

Episode 1: 7/10 (Pretend To Love)
—Story- When I saw episode one would be OhmFluke I was very excited as I already knew they have great chemistry together. Unfortunately the fast paced plot meant their relationship didn’t go anywhere, and they were hardly in any scenes together despite the whole first episode being about them. I appreciate 20 minutes isn’t a lot of time for a full story to take place, but they could have done so much better than that. It was a huge mess with no real closure to the jealousy and misunderstandings, and the ending felt so incomplete. As a start to the series it really fell short for me and while I love OhmFluke so much, and we got to see Fluke’s award winning tears again, they didn’t have their chance to shine which was severely disappointing.
—Acting/Cast- Ohm as Pierce: Ohm is a pretty good actor, but unfortunately this series didn’t showcase his talents as he played a character with little emotion, meaning we couldn’t see a full range from him. His facial expressions were lacking and even when faced with a potential breakup his face was just quite blank and expressionless. I am a little disappointed with his character and was sad that Pierce didn’t have the time to properly apologise for when he did, but at least we got something.
Fluke as Typhoon: Fluke is back at it again with the top notch acting and the famous crying scenes he really excels in. While I feel like Ohm didn’t have the chance to shine that well, Fluke really showcased how a powerhouse actor can steal a scene with less than 5 minutes of screen time the entire episode. Fluke is honestly one of my favourite actors and this just goes to show why. His acting in the final scene was the best part of that episode and is the main reason I ranked this episode as high as I did. I really hope to keep seeing more of Fluke in the future!
—Overall, I’ll give this episode a 7/10 which I believe is quite generous in the circumstances. It could have been so much better with a better director and more time, but they really took over in the limited time they had and gave the best performance they could.

Episode 2: 5.5/10 (Just Friend)
—Story- Well, I wasn’t expecting any bestiality in a drama but first time for everything I suppose. Everything about this episode was just strange and confusing. Although I liked JaFirst ever since I saw them in TharnType 2, I just don’t understand why First had to be a cat that only we could see as a human, it was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Other than the confusion at this part, the rest of it was pretty good. Although it was fast paced, it didn’t feel rushed or incomplete like episode 1 did, although it left me with several unanswered questions (like seriously, who sends a potential partner home just to cuddle with your cat, maybe it’s because I’m not a huge animal lover but I just don’t understand.)
Acting/Cast- First as Moojoom: Well, he played a pretty good cat even if it was the weirdest thing to watch a human meow and swipe at the air like that. He looked very sweet and defenceless in the box which I suppose a human version of a cat may look like, and First is very good at acting sad and depressed which made him rather pitiful when he was locked in the bathroom. As I said before, it was such a weird episode that I’m still questioning what I just watched and because of this I don’t think I can rate his acting very well.
Ja as Xin: Ja is a pretty good actor and although he’s still a relatively new actor, he’s very good and I’ve enjoyed his other works such as TharnType and UWMA. As I mentioned in First’s review, it was such a weird episode that I don’t think I can rate his acting very well, but he did a very good job playing with Moojoom (his human cat lol).
—Overall- I’ll give this episode a 5.5/10. The storyline was a little better because it didn’t have the same incomplete feeling that episode 1 left me with, but the fact that it’s a romance between an animal and a human meant that any enjoyment I got out of the episode was replaced with an abnormal feeling of bewilderment.

Episode 3: 9.5/10 (Willing Or Not)
—Story- This was one of my favourite episodes so far and I actually enjoyed it a lot (mainly because I love judo). After the first 2 episodes I was getting a bit sceptical as to the quality of this series, but MaxNat really saved this for me. As the storyline wasn’t in as much depth, it didn’t feel fast-paced or rushed at all, and honestly 15 minutes felt like much longer. Despite having no particularly romantic scenes (other than the piggyback at the end) Max and Nat had great chemistry, which combined with a more interesting plot, meant they did a really good job with this episode.
—Acting/Cast- Nat as Mini: Nat is actually a really good actor despite his age (ironic as he’s a few months older than me) and he always does such a good job. I first watched him in his debut role as Blue in WhyRU and have watched all the other projects he’s been in which was why I was so excited to see him here. Although now I play quite a few different sports, a few years ago I hated any type of sports or athletics, which is why I found Nat acting exhausted and tired really relatable for me. I loved his little commentaries when he looked at the camera and started complaining about something Titan did.
Max as Titan: I still can’t believe Nat (who is short) is called Mini and Max (who is really tall) was called Titan, but when I first heard his name I had to pause the episode and laugh at the hilarity of it. Max actually reminds me of my old Volleyball coach, incredibly determined and won’t let you take a break until you can barely move. I always think coaches and instructors like that are the best because you can guarantee you will learn some important lessons from them, which is why I really loved Titan in this series. Like Nat, I’ve also been watching all of Max’s projects since the beginning and I really enjoyed this episode with him in as well.
—Overall- I would have to give this a solid 9.5/10, it would be a full 10 if we actually got some romance like a sweet hug or even a kiss. I’ll settle on the piggyback at the end, but as this is supposed to be a BL series, it would have been nice to see some kind of romance. Other than that I honestly enjoyed everything about this episode.

Episode 4: 9/10 (Just One Life)
—Story- I’m so glad that episodes 3 and 4 have started to get better as I absolutely loved this episode. Although some people preferred this episode over MaxNat’s, I personally don’t think it was as good, only because I was quite confused about the plot. It did feel very rushed, one minute Peam is crying over his ex, the next he’s fallen in love with XiaoPing. Although it made more sense after rewatching it, when I first saw this episode I was quite confused by the beginning with Peam crying and wanting to throw himself off a bridge then XiaoPing appearing out of nowhere and cheering him up. Those were the only complaints I really had about this episode, everything else was so good. Yoon and Talay have such great chemistry from recording YYY the series and they definitely carried it on here, which has got me very excited for their episode on Y-Destiny. It was just a cute, fluffy episode without any drama and a breath of fresh air.
—Acting/Cast- Yoon as Peam: Although Yoon has done quite a few projects, he hasn’t had very many main roles which is quite surprising considering the high quality of his acting abilities. I first saw him in his main role in YYY where he flawlessly acted in such a funny, comedic series. It’s clear from this episode he has a certain charm that reveals itself when he plays a funny character which really draws you in. He’s so talented and I look forward to seeing his future projects.
Talay as XiaoPing: Although I knew Talay has done quite a lot of acting before, I never realised he’s a member of a boyband until I looked at his profile. He’s such a natural actor and I’ve enjoyed every project he’s been in with special emphasis on My Engineer and YYY. His expression management is no joke and the way he can manipulate audiences emotions just from a slight change in expression is incredible. He’s honestly so beautiful and his eyes are stunning, it’s so visually pleasing when he smiles that I keep falling more in love with him.
—Overall- I’m going to give this episode a 9/10. While this may be a rather unpopular view, I really did enjoy this episode, but I honestly think the slightly rushed place and simplistic plot set it a little lower than episode 3. However, it was still an amazing episode and I really liked it.

Episode 5: 10/10 (Dear My Star)
—Story- Okay, now it seems I have a new favourite episode. This was about a long distance relationship that connected through the 2 characters being “pen-pals” (thats what I would refer to it as but basically just talking through letters to someone in another city/country). This is the first time I’ve seen something like this as, while there have been dramas with online relationships forming, this episode was completely different from that. As this episode was set during the 90’s I was worried it would look tacky and obviously fake, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was such a natural setting and layout that if the camera hadn’t have had such high-quality definition and I didn’t already know Jimmy and Tommy, I would have honestly thought this was filmed in the 90’s.
—Acting/Cast- Jimmy as Night: Jimmy is such a great actor and I honestly keep forgetting he only started acting very recently when I watched him in a main role in WhyRU the series. His expression management is insane and I constantly find myself falling in love with how sweet and innocent he is. Although the episode lengths are quite short, due to the plot we were able to really meet the character of Night in depth and learn about him. I love Jimmy’s facial expressions when talking and writing to Mekhin, and when they met you could practically see the stars in their eyes. Jimmy and Tommy have such great chemistry and they definitely showcased that in this episode.
Tommy as Mekhin: Tommy is another actor I love to watch and I first saw him when he played a couple with Jimmy in WhyRU the series. Although that was the first time I saw him in a drama, he has been in the industry for 6 years so has had more experience than his costar. Tommy is such a great actor also for the ways he can manipulate the audience just from a simple change in expression. Although he’s played a couple with other actors than just Jimmy, he definitely has the best chemistry with Jimmy and it came across so well in this episode, making it my favourite one.
—Overall- This is definitely a full 10/10, I absolutely loved everything about this episode. The storyline was something unique and refreshing to watch, and Jimmy and Tommy’s chemistry made it even better. I honestly hope they will make an extended version of this episode some day!

Episode 6: 8/10 (Imagine You)
—Story- I’m still very confused about this episode due to the elements of Sci-fi that didn’t really make sense to me. KimCop are one of my favourite BL couples in the industry so I was so excited and happy to see them here, but I think the plot they were given was too confusing for only a 15 minute episode. I thought the VR concept was great and a really interesting idea, but it should have been a series within itself instead of a single episode which made it all quite rushed and complicated. I have quite a few questions about the ending, particularly whether Jedi actually carries the memories from his VR counterpart or if he has no idea who he is, but why was he nice to Ray one minute, then cold to him the next? Although the confusing storyline ruined the episode for me a little, as this could have had the potential to be my next favourite episode, KimCop have such great chemistry that I enjoyed the episode regardless.
—Acting/Cast- Copter as Ray: (recently edited this review to change Copters pronouns, they are non binary and use they/them pronouns <3) Copter is another actor I discovered right from the beginning of their career after their debut in 2 Moons, and I’ve followed them for almost every project they’ve taken on. I have so much respect for Copter as an incredible artist. They’re such a great actor and they definitely showcase their remarkable acting abilities in this episode. Ray was incredibly anxious and clumsy in front of Jedi which is very relatable as many people struggle to face their crushes head on, especially when you’re basically in love with a celebrity. Copter did a great job with Ray and I’m so excited to see them in many more of their upcoming projects.
Kimmon as Jedi: Kimmon, like Copter, I have been watching since his acting debut. Although I never realised he was in Love Sick 2 as well, I’ve watched nearly every series he’s been apart of and I’m constantly keeping an eye out for any new projects he takes on. Jedi was such an interesting character, both his physical self and VR persona, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about him. As I said before, if the episode was longer and we had the time to learn more about him and have some more questions answered then I would have loved him even more. Despite this he was such a cool character and, like Copter, I can’t wait to see more of Kimmon in the future.
—Overall- I’m going to have to give this episode an 8/10 because of the short, confusing plot. This is one of those episodes where the perfect phrase comes to mind “The idea was better than the execution”, which sums up this final episode perfectly.

Final Thoughts:
My final ranking of these 6 episodes is as followed:
1. Episode 5 (Jimmy and Tommy)
2. Episode 3 (Max and Nat)
3. Episode 4 (Yoon and Talay)
4. Episode 6 (Kimmon and Copter)
5. Episode 1 (Ohm and Fluke)
6. Episode 2 (Ja and First)

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Probably one of the best cdramas in 2021...

I started watching Rattan purely for the scenic shots, did not have any expectations. Having seen Fairyland Lovers and a few other cdramas with fantasy stories in modern setting, I did not have high hopes that this would be good.... It has a much lower budget, 90 million yuan only, and it is only 30 eps, giving me the impression it is a 'lightweight' fantasy drama.

But Rattan has exceeded expectations and this might be in my list of Top 10 Dramas of 2021! It started off light and fluffy (due to the cinematography and initial slow pace), introducing us to the leads in a dramatic opening-- ML almost died in a car accident but his blood revived the FL, and in turn she brought him back to life. We watch the struggles due to personality differences between FL and ML, and FL's struggle to comprehend the new world while the story brings in a host of supporting characters. FL’s arrogant and domineering manner contrast with ML’s soft and submissive attitude was a refreshing watch! FYI, ML was not a submissive man! He did try to abandon FL initially, but when he realized he couldn’t, he then accepted her and became submissive. The chemistry between the leads were off the charts!! It was a smothering watch, like fire and ice. But in terms of plot, there wasn’t much in the initial eps, the focus was on the leads’ characterizations and the supporting characters. Some might be tempted to drop Rattan in the early eps, but if you are patient and persist until ep 9 or 10, the story gets more interesting. By ep 15 or so, the mysteries will draw you in so much, I won’t be surprised if you binge the remaining eps in one day. I watched this while it was still airing and took almost 2 weeks to watch ep 1 to 9. Thereafter, I consumed the remaining eps within a few days until the final 8 eps, where I had to wait patiently for its release….

What EXACTLY is the attraction of Rattan?
==Okay, some spoilers ahead, do not continue if you do not want to be spoiled==

- The scenic shots. The beautiful cinematography first draws you into the story. Director used a lot of wide-angled shots and zoom to show the beauty of nature and its gorgeous sets.

- FL’s cheongsams. She had at least 2 beautiful cheongsams and dresses per episode. And these dresses are not designed by some branded designer(s), but designed and tailored by the design director. Impressive considering the low budget.

- The story and mysteries. This is the MAIN reason I love this drama! Some supporting characters would go missing/die, and I was left wondering if they would be coming back or really gone?? As a fantasy mystery, it has its usual supporting characters with unknown back story. In the identity revelation of Dan Zhi Gang, I was really caught off-guard! Suspected a few possibilities but failed to guess his identity. And in Bai Ying vs Si Teng fight, I also failed to guess Si Teng’s real plan! In most dramas, we get some hint of ‘the truth’ or ‘the plan’ about 1 or 2 eps prior to it happening, but in Rattan, screenwriter and director kept me guessing, and most of the time my guesses turned out wrong, lol! There lies the master stroke of this drama, it keeps you guessing until it reveals the truth. And the truth is not so far-fetched, but it has been there right in front of you, just that you failed to see it…. Which makes it so interesting!

- The main couple’s chemistry ♥ I wish there were more eps, of them just cooking, reading and doing mundane activities. They look so adorable and sweet together!

Special mention on episodes 28 and 29 ♥
Director really blow my mind here! He turned the drama into horror without making it feel out of place, I look forward to him directing a horror drama in future!

Most fantasy dramas start off strong, with weak 2nd half and a rushed ending. Not in Rattan. It deceives you with the initial slow pace and beautiful scenery, plot and pace picks up and 'hit you in the guts' at the ending episodes. The finale of eps 25 to 30 + extra ep with alternate ending are worth re-watching **thumbs up**

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A Second Chance Story Destroyed by Stupid Writer and Terrible Director

The drama Rebirth should honestly be renamed Refuck, because watching it feels like being trapped in a loop of the same bad writing, bad decisions, and recycled nonsense again and again.

Watch it only if you have too much time, nothing better to do, and a high tolerance for recycled stupidity.

The plot is a mess. The female lead is written as a perpetual damsel in distress who repeatedly sleepwalks into obvious traps, makes foolish decisions, and waits to be rescued again and again. Instead of character growth, we get the same helpless cycle dressed up as drama.

The story also tries to look clever with multiple endings, but they feel less like meaningful narrative choices and more like confused writing. The logic collapses, the tension becomes repetitive, and by the end, it feels like the writers were simply throwing shits at the wall to see what might stick.

For a drama built around rebirth, revenge, and second chances, it somehow manages to waste all three.

What it actually delivers is repetitive stupidity, lazy plotting, fake suspense, and characters who behave as if basic logic is a luxury item they cannot afford.

By the end, the only person who needs rebirth is the viewer, preferably into a timeline where they never started this drama in the first place.

Not recommended unless you genuinely enjoy frustration, weak storytelling, and characters who keep making the same stupid decisions until your patience dies.

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First time writing a review, so sorry if its not that amazing, but its truly my opinion and I loved this drama so much that I decided to do this.
So let's start....
The only bad thing about this drama?
Well it ends! :(
Best drama eveeeeeeeeer !!!
The actors were not "super pretty idols/cute" that we usually watch on kdramas, instead, they were just normal,
We didn't get pretty faces? We got better than that!
Amazing actors , amazing story, amazing soundtrack.
Who needs romance when you have this kind of drama???
LKS amazes me every time he is cast in a drama.
I loved every story this drama had to tell, they were more than just 'cops' , they were a huge amazing family.

I will rewatch this drama again for sure !
And I suggest this drama to everyone. You all need to watch the best drama 2018 could have.
TVN always brings amazing dramas but this one...HATS OFF!

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What a crap!

DON'T WATCH IT.

I can write a whole review with the single line above... ah but I've to be reasonable enough to answer, Why? and fortunately (or unfortunately) it has tons of reasons for why.

One reckless, one stupid, one short-tempered, one who has doesn't have a thing called 'personality.' So when these four friends (?) come together what happens. I wouldn't even call them friends lol, they don't even trust each other nor have bonding just living under the same roof, friendship word doesn't deserve this coz almost all their interactions are seemed to be forced.. just made for sake of a so-called female-centered plot where there's the worst characterization of many female characters.

Even children's storybooks have better stories. Unrealistic and torturous would be the most suitable words for the plot. And freaking 35 episodes drag. I don't really get what writers think when they want to create multi leads drama themed with friendship with female dominance, as the top priority of this plot goes to male characters having pure trash personalities. Not just that... ah some bitchy and of course jealous female roles who don't have anything to do other than plotting against leads and destroying their life and relationship. For god's sake, this is 2021.

What a way to introduce Cheng Yi, he literally gave me creeps from his first scene, ah and the whole 'flirting' thing he was doing with Xia Yan can definitely consider as workplace harassment... with a very cliche hotel thing I'm supposed to ship them as a couple (Kindly note: He has some crazy women besides him). Sorry, I can't lol, and it's not like I like Xia Yan too, she takes everything for granted not to forgot her overconfidence I mean getting a job isn't like buying coffee that you can do whenever you need or want.

Han Shuang, she's irritating AF. Her temper is on another level.. can be also considered crazy (as per your convenience). Xiang Nan honestly I don't have any impression of her, not any interest in her love interest (Yes dubbing has a major role, he has the worst voice dubbing). And the award goes to Xiao Lei for being the stupidest character of 2021. From the very first scene of her, I know she's naive but didn't know to this extent. How can I believe in her profession people are supposed to be smart and intelligent enough to be a teacher.

Within this... there wasn't really time for me to notice if there was any kind of music there? Acting is mediocre, not any outstanding performance from anyone. What a waste of Vin Zhang.

In conclusion, I'll say, it doesn't serve anything neither friendship nor love, sure you'll end up having a lot of frustration.

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Once the main couple gets together the drama just becomes very bubbly, cute, loveable and cliche. Also the cat and dog audio effects makes this drama a lot more fun to watch.
In the beginning I was upset with the main lead, Si Tu Mo because she wouldn't leave this man who is one out of two most irritating and annoying character in this drama. (The other one is a snitch and I wanted to punch him everytime he raises his hand or snitches on ehem someone.)
Anyways, eventually she began living together with male lead, Gu Wei Yi who taught her how to chase her dreams and come out of her shell. When that happens she's more outgoing and basically wears the pants in the relationship. I grew to love her because she knows what she wants. haha
Gu Wei Yi is an awkward nerd but handsome student. He's quite innocent when it comes to relationships so he's clueless 100% of the time when it comes to how Si Tu Mo is feeling. Needless to say, I enjoyed watching him from not caring about Tu Mo to growing feelings for her. The way he did it was ADORABLE! He respected her boundaries but he can get jealous. haha
There's not much of a plot going on in this drama. Its like a sitcom where you see a life of a couple living together except they start out as "strangers." We see the main leads interact with one another and how they grew close to each other. As well as hanging out with friends, misunderstandings/jealousies, asking advice from friends about love. There's also work related things as well. But overall, nothing tooooo exciting besides the love life of Si Tu Mo and Gu Weiyi. I guess in a way there's nothing that is too memorable for me to fully love this drama aside from the main leads. However, I enjoyed it a lot.
The acting from Fei Xing who plays Si Tu Mo was great! She acted quite well and I love it when she makes her puppy eyes face expression. Gu Wei Yi CANNOT deny that!
The actor who plays Gu WeiYi needs a bit of work. His acting was quite stiff, yeah he's suppose to be awkward but its his acting is just stiff and off to me. Its difficult to explain but it did bother me sometimes when I notice it.
The ending is a happy +1 ending. ;)

I love the transition effects in this drama as well as seeing how Gu Wei Yi does things without the audience knowing initially. It seems to be a trend in cdramas lately. ^^

If you want to watch a campus love story then this is a recommendation for you. If you do not want to watch something that doesn't have much of a plot then its not for you.

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What a disappointing last two episodes

I have such a mixed feeling of this drama. Up to Ep14, it was one of the perfect score 10 that made me cried so many times. However the ending of this drama was total disappointment. That’s why my review is rather low.

It is well written family drama, sportsman-women ship, school friendship, teenage first love and etc. However the drama created such an anticipation how it will end, then it crashed me. The final episode was total disappointment, especially for ML. It may have been a bitter sweet teenage first love experience for FL, but ML was already a young adult with hardship due to family issues. That is one of the reason why I hoped the ending would be a happy one. It was too much hardship for young adult to down fall financially at such a young age. It would have been much better drama if ML and FL to stay together by overcoming the difficulties. Such happy ending may be a cliché but I will give 10 if this was happy ending.

Oh boy, I just have such a bad taste in my mouth after watching such a disappointing ending. It is funny thought, I do not dislike bad ending like ‘Moon Lovers’. It was such a heartbreaking drama, But I keep watching the last episode over and over knowing I would cry so hard.

Too bad there is no way to make season 2 since characters are already in 40ish. Especially FL closed her chapter, her true love , at the very end. It would have been better if it was an open ending to bring them back together and makes happy ending at season 2. I would liked if ML meets FL at funeral and finding they are still single. Then daughter was their love child. And she was finding their parents love story in season 1. Hmmmmm I should have been the director of this drama. LOL

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Two words: Criminally underrated!

However I can't blame anybody who doesn't like it. If you don't pay a lot of attention even to the smallest things, you will lost and think: it is a mess with so much plot hole and stupid decisions. It's a hard drama to watch and the amount of characters makes it more harder. A notebook fit well with this series. It was a not so good decision to not tag it as a Sci-Fi since the basics (DNA, surgery) are in fact not be too far from the truth. (Google is your best friend!)

My recommendation is do yourself a favor and find out soon who is the serial killer, because later on -after episode 6- it won't be the focal point of the story. So you can focus on another really important details which will lead to the only big twist. From episode 7, the real question is not Who is? but What happened? and in the last episodes: Why? It's not a big deal to find out who is our psychopath tough you have to know what you should search for. (Checkpoint is on the end of the rooftop scene in episode 6!)

Sometimes the story seems over-complicated because it's overcrowded. It's a thrilling experience with a dark and very twisted world. I know It's hard to concentrate every single detail all the time but at the end it will pay off.

That's very interesting how the show presents its characters. We can't embraces the most of them. Maybe you can sympathize with them. The most likeable character is Moo Chi who has the biggest character development. We can feel his sadness and grief, sense his motivation... and what about his deep depression which led to his alcoholism. These characters are complex and interesting with morally questionable motives.
The bad guys are bad all through! Some of them are born that way (as a psychopath) and some become monster cause of events. (Not all murderers are psychopaths and not all psychopaths are murderers!) Our main serial killer is a mentally ill psychopath who murders anybody within his own rules. And the rules are very sick like him. He is a true psychopath with god-complex and delusions. His smile gives me goosebumps. But he is not the worst!

Technically, the cinematography and sound-design is excellent but in some scenes the edition and lightning is poor. I also don't like the censorship but its my overall problem with this genre in the Korean film industry. The themes are very interesting and important. There are a lot of social problems and moral controversies in this series. Viewers can see how detailed the criminal side of the show. Also Pyo Chang-won - a very famous Korean criminal profiler and expert on police studies- worked in the show and his lecture was an important part of the script. (He has a short cameo in the last episode) . There are references to real crimes as the infamous Cho Doo-Soon case which was inspired Bong Yi' s background story. Congratulation to the cast, especially to LSG. This is his best role without any question. If He won't win any award for it I will be angry as hell!

On the whole, It became my favorite psycho-thriller k-drama with its complexity. It is well-made and well-written but not for everybody. Who don't mind blood, violence, dark themes and world, just start it! This drama is unique in its genre.

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No doubt, you have to watch it!

First, this is not a remake of a Korean drama. This drama was first adapted from a novel with the same title, and the novel has been published since 2012 (correct me if I'm wrong). Even though I don't watch Korean dramas, I think it's enough to attribute that drama to this drama (sorry if anyone feels uncomfortable with what I said)

Okay, You Are My Hero is one of the best Chinese dramas I've watched. Unlike most Chinese dramas I've watched, this drama really makes me always curious for the next episode. Honestly, I watched this drama by accident, and guess what, I was completely blown away by the first episode! It was really cool and different from other Chinese dramas.

It was very hard to be apart with Mi Ka, Xing Kelei and friends. Even an hour after this is over, I already feel so empty lol.

Some of the reasons that make this drama one of the best Chinese dramas (my version) :

1. The first episode opened so cool. Really amazed me!

2. Mi Ka and Xing Kelei's stories just flow, and I feel that there are many parts that are so natural. Their chemistry is very good. Indeed, before they dated, I felt that they were very awkward, but that didn't happen again after they became lovers. Xing Kelei when looking for attention to Mi Ka, that's so ridiculous 😂 They are so cute! I even forgot about the age difference between the main characters in real life. Good work!

3. The story about the second partner and the third partner is quite interesting. Although I was quite annoyed with the story of Shu Wenbo and Ruan Xia. But it doesn'tmatter, they are so cute after getting married

4. There weren't many kissing scenes and dramatic scenes (lol I don't know how to describe it) they kissed about 4 or 5 times? Although there are a lot of people who want them to do more skinship, I don't think that's okay. Because how they looked to each other, it really shows that they really love each other. That's much cuter in my opinion.

5. Strong female lead, without any stupid action.

Even though at first I was hesitant about quite a number of episodes (40), I didn't realize that I had watched them all! (I rarely watch this many episodes) but for this drama, I enjoyed it so much that I spent a lot of time watching it.

Ah, it's really hard to say goodbye (lol I'm too dramatic, but it really is!)

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Let's keep it simple. This is a drama that had a lot of potential due to its amazing cast, solid story, and incredible production. It had all the makings of a 10/10, but therein lies the issue. For some reason, Dramaland loves to stretch out any drama that has such potential; "why have 16 episodes when we can have 32?" they must say amongst themselves, "of course the fans will want more of the same!" This way of thinking has ruined or subtly damaged several dramas for me, Hotel King amongst them.

The two leads - favourites of mine since My Girl (2005) - were good, don't get me wrong. They are two very attractive people with acting ability?---but after watching Lee Dong Wook repeat the same crazed or sobbing face a million times over, ANY expression of strong emotion got boring. It no longer evoked any sense of compassion, just "this again?"

Which leads us to the plot. This is a good 'un: a delicate, emotional plot about the bonds and power of blood. The twists are foreseeable, ESPECIALLY for a seasoned drama-watcher, but the true strength of this drama is more how these twists are delivered. Alas, over time these twists are exhausted and there is so much surface back-and-forth that the drama doesn't really progress and spends a LOT of time just floundering and filling time. I feel like I've spent 32 episodes watching Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae repeat the same conversations about the same issues, which unfortunately cheapens every breakup that happens and ruins every reunion because you doubt - either way - it will last.

Overall, the experience was undeniably a good one---if mediocre despite its outstanding potential. I'm glad I've watched it and I'm sure it will influence dramas to come, but I will not be watching it again.

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Why is the rating so high?

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the cast/actors. I think like most reviews here, the actors did the best they could with the script that they got.

The story is crap.

Quick Plot Summary:

Nubsib has been in love with Gene since they were kids. Now he's grown up a bunch and is a BL actor, and he stars in the series The Bad Engineer which is written by Gene. Gene, for whatever reason, doesn't recognize Nubsib. Eventually, Gene finds out who he is, they begin dating, pictures are taken, and drama ensues when the shippers are angry that the writer of the drama and the main actor are together and not the two main actors. The company forces them to "break up," and then in the end they get back together.

Why it sucked:

1. Nubsib falls in love with Gene when he was around 5-6 and Gene is 5 years older putting him around 10-11 years of age. So basically a 1st grader falling in love with a 6th grader or middle schooler. Though Gene in the drama never admits he was in love with Nubsib at that time, it sure felt awkward the way they shot their scenes together as kids. With the age gap, they looked romantically involved, and it was made to seem that both of them had feelings for one another. So much so, that Gene's father questions their relationship and seems to send Gene away to separate the two. This felt weird and wrong. I could understand Nubsib falling in love for Gene, but I would have much rather liked them either being the same age, or a year apart. It would make sense in that situation for both of them to be mutually falling for one another, but yet still have that innocence of young kids not knowing why they have those feelings. That could have been explored, but instead we got a weird feeling of an older kid playing with a kid much younger than him, and essentially becoming best friends, and romantically in love. It just felt weird.

2. Nubsib recognizes and knows how Gene looks like, yet Gene never knew what Nubsib looked like after growing up. That also felt weird because their parents live next to one another (even though Gene moved away, his parents didn't. And neither did Nubsib's). Their moms are best friends. I can't imagine Gene going home for holidays and not seeing pictures of Nubsib, or going over to say hello to Auntie Orn, if their families are so close. Even if Nubsib was in the USA, there would be pictures of him everywhere. It just seems a bit strange and farfetched if you ask me. Also, I know people's faces change as they grow, but not enough to where they're completely unrecognizable (without surgery of course).

3. The company forcing them to "break up" was stupid because it wasn't even a break up. They just had to avoid being seen in public. They turned it into a huge deal like they had to cut ties completely. It made no sense. Even if that were the case, Nubsib made such a strong argument throughout the whole series that he had been in love with Gene since he was a kid, and that he could not love anyone else; yet, he let Gene decide that it was best for them to separate because of the faux drama. Both families are extremely rich, both Gene and Nubsib have multiple homes. Neither of them need the careers they have chosen. So obviously, if they loved each other that much, there was no logical motivation to break up. All they had to do was give everyone in that room a middle finger, stand up, and leave. The end. I think if they were both average living people or even poor, it would have caused more tension. Then, it would have been, this is their livelihood. This is their source of income and ability to live. Without these jobs, they can't support their families, they can't live freely. And then, the responsibility to earn that money, and push aside their love for one another would have been justified.

There are many other problems with the drama, and I don't want to nitpick it to death. I think these were the major 3 things that made me think, why did no one sit down with the writer and explain a basic plot diagram? The tension in dramas don't always have to be external, frivolous, sudden, outrageous BS. As a gay man, when I watch BL dramas, the thing that pulls me in the most is the internal struggle. It's scary coming out. It's scary admitting to yourself that you might be gay. It's scary thinking that you might lose everyone around you, and that your life might disappear. Even now, as a married man, my husband and I are scared sometimes to show affection in public (we live in the CA, USA). That's because of the fear associated with coming out. These are the topics that could have been explored in much depth in this drama. We know that a majority of BL actors are straight men, to appeal to the female readers who like shipping two men together. They're straight men who although do fan service by kissing other men, or pretending to be romantically in love with their counterpart, still project straightness to garner love from women. So in a drama like Lovely Writer, that was supposed to shed light on the problems within the BL community, they could have explored something as simple as, having a fear of really coming out and being a BL actor. There aren't that many openly gay BL Thai actors. (I'm not saying they need to come out if they are, but my point being that some people are still afraid of public perception). That could have been an internal struggle for Nubsib. Instead, we got a confident gay. Which is fine, but what happens is there was just no tension. Let's compare it to "I Told Sunset about You" where the main character Teh, is constantly struggling to acknowledge his true feelings.

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not worth watching

as a bisexual woman, i was excited to finally get an asian wlw movie. it started promising for me until the end came... the amount of close ups annoyed me and the long scenes with no talking too... i played this movie on x1.5 cause i wanted it to be done. they made Rei look like she's not really a lesbian by having her have sex with men twice. it really felt like they were making this movie for straight men who get turned on by seeing girls fuck. oh wait that's cause it's directed by a straight man! maybe that's why it's so bad. i had really high expectations from this movie and it all disappointed me.

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A non traditional “happy” open ended (self) love story

There’s so much that I have already said in the comments section below about this drama that I feel like a review is in order…

If you are someone who needs a drama with a satisfying ending/closure… I would still recommend watching the main leads Miao Miao and ZiQi’s highlight reels online but as for the actual drama itself skip it and go watch their previous drama Moonlight or if you must…watch LGIEF before watching/rewatching Moonlight for satisfaction

The cast was AMAZING, CGI and soundtrack was a 10/10!

Now for hard truths😅

Miao Miao’s pre warning of the ending being a total scam to viewers before being sucked into game is very much true for the ending of the drama..

Yes it’s an unsatisfying “happy” open ending for the leads and yes I can understand China’s censorship of dramas is a contributing factor and I could make up excuses such as a lack of self worth and the story being written by a teenage ZiQi’s point of view as a reason for zero kiss scenes between the leads other than a forehead kiss ( does the rolling credits kiss count)

This story was masked as a traditional “Love Story” but it was definitely a story of “Self Love” which I don’t have any issues with but wished they had titled it so e.g “Self Love in Eastern Fantasy” 😂

In terms of the ending.. you have to remember a few things to find any forms of satisfaction from it..

1. Chinas censorship limitations for the ending
2. The book was written by a teenage ZiQi
3. The ending is not supposed to be thought as an “ending” but a beginning
4. Miao Miao had already pre warned viewers/readers through her online review of the book that we were scammed for the ending..
5. The main leads ending is a constant full circle ⭕️ promise🤞 between them. ZiQi promises to always find Miao Miao and never leave her behind and Miao Miao will forever choose and support ZiQi

Her waking up and thinking everything was a dream and trying to remember who she loved ( full circle ⭕️ ) and her going to the book signing to support him (full circle ⭕️) and ZiQi calling her name despite but not being seen (full circle ⭕️)

I love this couple and will definitely be rewatching their previous drama for closure and more romantic interactions… hoping for a 3rd collaboration between this pair in the future!!

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It was okey I guess...

So let me say a few words about this series.
It´s pretty short but I don´t mind it but what I really don´t like about this series is how dumb all of the characters are. Aspecially the main characters. It was killing my brain cells lmao. I don´t want to write any spoilers here so if you already watched it or you don´t mind then the spoilers will be at the end of this review.

STORY: Meh...like nothing original. It was kinda boring and nothing much happend. In every episode you´ll see almost the same thing. The main characters falling for each other, the vampire regreting and crying over his past, another weird vampire and the one woman i don´t understand at all. Like who was she??
ACTING: Not the wors, but could have been much more better. It was kinda cringe especially in the last episode. It felt weird.
MUSIC: I wasn´t paying attention to the music so I can´t say much abt it, but it wasn ´t bothering me so i guess good.
REWATCH VALUE: 2...I will propably never watch it again but like just for chilling it´s alright and cute
OVERALL: 5 stars. It was right in the middle. It wasn´t good, but it wasn´t so bad either.

SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( WHY WERE ALL SO DUMB?? )





Like what? I was dying lmao. Why didn´t he simply just drink his blood when he offered him? Like i get it, he was scared that he will hurt him, just like he did hurt the other guy, but he didn´t need to drink from his neck....? Like the human could have just cut his hand or somethnig, pour the blood to a glass and the vampire could have drink from a glass without hurting the human. And yes, you can say: "but if he tasted the blood, he could go crazy and kill the human even though he drank from a glass". I mean yeah...this could also happen but he could have lock himself somewere so he can´t go near to any human or something. Or they could at least try it.
I think they just wanted the series to have sad ending so they ended it like this.
Anyway i did enjoy it but the last two episodes were pretty cringe lol
have a good day :))))

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