News 
This review may contain spoilers
the writing did not support the interesting premise
Overall: I was super excited for a twisty action thriller but the nonsense/cliche plot turned this into just another teenage GMMTV BL series. Aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel.Content Warnings: murders, attempted murder, beaten up/violence, bullying, blackmail, manipulation, unwanted public outing, drugging, kidnapping
What I Liked
- that the first scene wasn't a flashback or flash forward
- the beginning/first episode hooked me
- Chopper and Ben (Perth did a great job)
- production value (minus my quibbles in Room For Improvement)
Room For Improvement
- there is a lot of nonsense plot things, some of which could have been explained with a few lines or a short scene and that makes it even more ridiculous (one example, a highschooler is a full time fisherman and he happens to fight and shoot a gun really well)
- characters don't feel realistic or have realistic reactions (Palm's interaction with his mother as an example, both of them just chillaxing on their beach vacation instead of how I think most people would be feeling)
- I wanted some plot twists or for this to be different but it's a standard GMMTV romance with window dressing
- the night scenes were too dimly lit, a couple of times the music was too loud over the dialogue
- it dragged in many places, I wanted an action/thriller and this was not it
- Chopper and Ben felt very rushed at the end
- overall I just didn't end up feeling much of anything, scenes that were supposed to make me sad didn't because of the huge plot holes
Was this review helpful to you?
I won’t talk about the excellent casting & acting, or amazing production quality, of how well they included authentic traditions and customs of that period, because these are 10/10, and other reviewers have already attested to that.
No, what I’ll talk about is something much deeper, lessons that one might never even get in a lifetime.
This drama is a lesson about kindness. Her kindness saved a nation, and you’ll understand what I mean when you watch it. Her kindness was inspiring, encouraging, nurturing, and selfless, and so the history of an empire changed its course. She was able to recognise when she should be grateful to somebody from a very young age. She was also able to forgive when forgiveness was to be given, because in her heart she found the ability to love somebody, who had never been properly loved before. She hadn’t experienced proper familial love as a child, but when she finally did, she defended it with her entire being. She’d go the extra mile for those she loved, without fear and without expecting something in return.
She has done some crazy scheming, and she wasn’t always a saint, but she knew when to stop, or at least learnt to do so. She was able to find peace in her heart, and it’s that light that so attracted other people, just like sunflowers to the sun.
This story is also about devotion. His devotion, something he never received in his family home, was so great that it made him fearless, ready to jump even into fire, defend under a rainfall of arrows, and charge ahead with determination. His devotion was his saving grace and so he was rewarded by destiny with her kindness. Her kindness saved him, just like his devotion saved her, and it saved a country.
To forgive is really hard, but the both of them were able to do so, to let go of the hate and anger, and instead open their arms to welcome those who have not been lucky enough to know true kindness and devotion. It resonated with me, because I once had to forgive as well, and I know how hard it is, and so I cried. For an entire hour I was sobbing, reminiscing not the bad memories, but the good ones. The finale of the drama, reminded me that in this world, it is love, kindness, devotion, steadfastness, patience, and being able to go through the ups and downs of life with dignity that will make or break you.
There were of course many other lessons, that are likely to touch your heart. Truth be told even when some of the not-so-good characters were in pain, I also teared up for them. In this world who is faultless, who is perfect...
May you watch this drama and learn from it. Learn about kindness and devotion and how the love of two people united & created a family. Not just a clan, but a family.
Was this review helpful to you?
Dull and repetitive!
As expected of Netflix´ standards, the directing, the cinematography and the musical scoring are outstanding; full of eye candy scenes. Quite beautiful and very melancholic heavy, which I´m a sucker for. So the experience was a joy for my eyes and ears, with that in mind it was easy to sometimes overlook the non interesting story and the lack of character development in the early episodes. But once it hit episode 12 everything just fell apart and the story/writing/main and supporting characters shortcomings became apparent. Once the main leads´ internal conflict was resolved which happened in episode 11 the remaining five were just abysmal and the beautiful cinematography was not enough to keep me interested.Should I recommend this series? Yes, if you´re into young angst, love beautiful productions and you´re willing to overlook story and characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
CASH GRAB ADAPTATION
I don't understand why korean production like to ruined everything from original work. You can tell this is just purely cash grab. I understand if they cut some parts or change some character designs but to the point changing unnecessary thing that should not be changed? WHY? All the females characters got misogyny treatments. Chae soobin's character supposed to be someone who is promoted in her job but in the movie they make her resigned? Then Nana's character changed backstory too. How can you make the main character who was bullied to someone who bully others 😭. Such a disappointment.I hope the actor fans be open-minded at how bad this script is because it's farrr from the original story.
Was this review helpful to you?
When it started, WhyRU had an air of meta brilliance. But whether due to bad writing, poor planning, or the Covid19 shutdown, it became instead an inconsistent tonal mess that isn't really about anything. I don't know what Why RU is or is trying to be. I don't think the writers and producers do either.
At the beginning, the story - about a University student, Zon, with a Fujoshi sister who believes himself cursed into a BL novel - danced on the edge of brilliance every episode but never quite made it. As a concept, the idea of him finding himself stuck living tropes and cliches from a BL novel had a lot of scope for humour. It meant the show could provide an old-school cliched BL love story while simultaneously parodying exactly that. And yet the show never quite nails it; being often slightly too serious about all its tropes for its own good. At its best, Why RU is like an over-the-top BL pastiche that will make you laugh out loud. At its worst, it degenerates into the genre it was supposed to be parodying.
And while the core relationships that underpin it are quite good - no harassment, stalking, assault or sexual violence and the two couples talk to each other and seem to genuinely like each other - the two clash tonally in a way that embodies the drama's tonal problem overall. Fight and Tutor's romance doesn't just seem to be happening in a different show - it's almost happening in a different Universe. One that really really wants us to visit Thailand's beaches.
Is Why RU a BL parody? An homage? Or just another standard show in a market that's close to saturation point?
It does help that the show is anchored by two strong young actors - Saint and Tommy - who can somewhat make up for the clunky and green performances of the other leads. Zon's increasingly funny freakouts as he tries to avoid being forced into BL scenarios with his designated love interest, Saifah, are by far the show's best aspect but these are jettisoned quickly in lieu of a standard Yaoi romance, albeit a super-cute one and a super-sexy one.
While a great deal of laughs can be had by e.g. a confused TharnType wandering through and monologuing randomly to the camera at one point or Zon exclaiming that Saint's character, Tutor, "isn't himself", the premise is never quite milked for the humour it could provide. The show never entirely commits to its premise and instead starts churning out a standard University BL instead.
Whether because of Covid or because the writers didn't really know what they wanted this show to be, the back half is a yawn fest with the thinnest of plots that culminates in a final episode that will leave you scratching your head as to what the show's plot even was. Other than an excuse to have cute boys make out in exotic locales.
It's a shame because this could have been very funny, very self-aware and delightfully meta BL.
Was this review helpful to you?
1) I do not like it when a woman blindly and stupidly follows a man that mostly could care less and treats her like crap on a regular basis.
2) I do not like it when a teenage girl is portrayed as completely without sense and is kind of a stalker.
3) Even worse when she is encouraged by said boy's mother! The mother helps her stalk her own son! I liked the actress, I did but that's just too much for me to wrap my mind around.
Maybe I am too old for this one. I did not like the message it sends. I am all for going with a story. I can forgive a lot because I have a ridiculous romantic side to me but this one left me wanting to yell at that girl and shake her out of her blind stupidity.
Here is what I did like: The boy kind of redeems himself toward the end and she wakes up at the last minute...kind of. ..but not enough.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cliche but good
Sincerely, I started to watch this K-drama because I was bored, thinking it would be another average love story and that I'd ditch it halfway as soon as the "bad boy" wout get his cute girl to fall in love with him. I couldn't have been more wrong, I thought, after laughing for five episodes straight-actually, this is not that bad. Even though it was a totally fictional plot, the connection with the characters amazed me with how real they were. My heart started to feel heavy and squeezed by emotions throughout the whole journey. It was a total rollercoaster of character relationships and emotions-their acts, sometimes selfish, sometimes absurd, sometimes pitiful, made them so human. But everything they did was to seek one thing: love.People are so foolish for searching love where they aren't needed, forgetting to look around and see those who love us no matter what. People who aren't related to us by DNA but who gather with us throughout the journey of life. The main characters did a beautiful job portraying this feeling. Sometimes when I try to explain love to my friends, I imagine this down-to-earth, realistic, but still such a powerful, unimaginable feeling that I cannot explain.
Other than love in its many forms, we felt loss, forgiveness, redemption, letting go, rebirth, and the meaning of self and so much more.
I just want to say thank you and hope others can take a piece of the story with them, just as I did.
Was this review helpful to you?
As for the story, it is a plain one about a girl who finds out she is a princess. There wasn't much original in the plot and all the Imperial family politics bored me. I was lazy to complete this drama because I wasn't invested in the second leads either. By the way, I generally don't like judging actors by their looks but Park Ye Jin looked absolutely hideous in her hairstyle and annoyed the hell out of me.
After watching this, Kim Tae Hee is hands down the most easily likable actress in the Korean industry for me. I don't remember the last time I was so impressed with an actress playing an ordinary character in midst of a boring story. Also, Song Seung Hoon was equally good as Park Hae Young and complimented Tae Hee's character well. Plus, their awesome chemistry made me want more. Their scenes are all fluffy and cute. At least these two people didn't bore me.
Because this drama is a victim of poor writing, Lee Seol's character was also nothing special. But Tae Hee's amazing acting skills made her entertaining. Generally, I have a record of hating female characters which cry a lot or behave immaturely. But Tae Hee makes even this funny and enjoyable to watch. The drama had nothing but to rely on Tae Hee and Seung Hoon's talent to make it to the end.
Overall, it is an easily forgettable drama. But because it is light and has great lead actors I could tell you try it once. Recommended for fans of Kim Tae Hee and Seung Hoon!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Im glad I don’t pay attention…
To negative comments, I watch for myself and decide. Many of you want to nitpick and tear a series apart just because you did not get material to fantasize about. This series did not have all the angst and negative behaviors that most of you feed off of, no abuse, no rape? How dare they! Rate a series on the music, really? Its cute light hearted and enjoyable series, I have already watched it twice. I for one, skipping many series because they are focusing on extreme behaviors with couples and we are suppose to ship them as a loving couple, yea, no!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen in comments watchers are trying to rationalize all the negative behaviors. “It happens in real life” is one of my favorites. Come on! Im glad to see some writers/directors steer away from all the negative BS because they are realizing they are losing viewers. Ive a small circle of friends that got me into BLs and not one of us are regular viewers since KP. The average age of a viewer watching BLs are 14-early 20’s and they want us to fantasize about falling in love with an abuser? Smh. Give this series a try and have no worries that someone is going to get hurt in a menacing way. The only thing I have to mention is there were a lot of loose threads, but my gut tells me there is a reason. Maybe S2? I also wanted to see more of Porsche and Arm!! Next time? My last comment.. with all the haters this series still rates a close 8 out 10. Not bad, uh? Enjoy and have a few giggles.Was this review helpful to you?
Times change but feelings don't .
Love Endures offers a compelling narrative that intricately weaves together the lives of six childhood friends—Huang Yingzi, Jiang Yi, Fang Mingyu, Zhuang Yuan, Lan Yifei, and Guan Chao. Set against the backdrop of Hangtian City, the story begins with their promise to stay together forever, a vow shattered by a tragic event during their college entrance exams.Fast forward twelve years, and the friends find themselves leading separate lives, each facing their own challenges and pursuing their dreams. However, a wedding invitation for Guan Chao reignites their bond, prompting a reunion that unearths buried emotions and long-held secrets.
At the heart of the narrative is the captivating portrayal of Huang Yingzi by Yang Zi, whose character exudes optimism and resilience despite facing adversities. Her chemistry with Fan ChengCheng's Jiang Yi is palpable, drawing viewers into their tumultuous journey of self-discovery and unspoken affection.
Fan ChengCheng's portrayal of Jiang Yi is a pleasant surprise, defying initial skepticism about his acting abilities. His nuanced performance captures the internal struggles of a man grappling with unrequited love and the desire to support his friends unconditionally.
The dynamics among the ensemble cast, including the ambitious Fang Mingyu, the dependent Zhuang Yuan, the impulsive Guan Chao, and the pitiful Lan Yifei, add layers of depth to the story, reflecting the complexities of human relationships and personal growth.
However, despite its strengths, Love Endures is not without its flaws. I didn't like the lack of emphasis on the central romance between Jiang Yi and Huang Yingzi, particularly in the finale where a more definitive resolution could have provided closure for their storyline.
Furthermore, the narrative's shift towards highlighting Lan Yifei's arc in the latter part of the series leaves the audience longing for more closure for the main leads, contributing to a sense of imbalance in storytelling.
Nevertheless, "Love Endures" succeeds in delivering a poignant exploration of friendship, love, and the enduring power of human connections. Through its well-crafted character development and compelling performances, the drama resonates with viewers, leaving a lasting impression long after the final credits roll.
In conclusion, "Love Endures" is a multifaceted drama that navigates the complexities of relationships with sensitivity and depth. While it may have its shortcomings, the standout performances by Yang Zi and Fan ChengCheng elevate the viewing experience, making it a worthwhile addition to the romantic drama genre.Overall, Love Endures is a must-watch drama for anyone who loves a heartfelt story about friendship and love. I highly recommend it
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful, yet something is missing.
This is a beautifully shot series, with a color palette of contrasting but complimentary colors, which I took as a metaphor for the main characters - burnt orange and silver blue. Other people took these to represent chicken and midnight, but when you say it out loud if comes off a bit prosaic.The story is also well-written, with complex characters who actually have arcs (with one exception), which is a welcome change.
But there is something missing, and it's the main couple, who are miscast in this role. This is the problem with eternal ships. The magic is usually in their initial outing for which they were specifically cast and well-suited. When you just drop them in another story, the fit is usually not as good, and that's the case here. I don't buy into the "Earth is stiff" narrative - he's excellent and his acting is subtle and masculine - stoic and repressed with emotions displayed with subtlety. I think that's much harder than shouting and crying, but I recognize that's what BL audiences want and like.
But the problem is that Earth and Mix do not contrast in this at all. they are of similar age and disposition - laid back and reserved. Jim is supposed to be entering middle age - on what planet I don't know. I'm entering middle age (reality check: I'm there. F@#$.) and I'm blessed with my mother's good skin, but even at 40 I didn't have Earth's porcelain skin and zero body fat. It's ridiculous and takes you out of the story. He was 27 when this was filmed. Come on. An excellent fit for the role would have been Nike from 180 Degrees. Earth and Mix just don't have any chemistry in this. Their interaction was appropriate in the first couple of episodes - it's clear Jim was badly burned in a past relationship, and the final revelation of what happened is brilliant writing - unexpected and yet explained everything perfectly. But this wasn't a corrective to the stagnation and dullness of their relationship - and surprising lack of chemisty. Mix isn't bad at adoring stares, yet the fire is missing from his glances - it feels like acting. Contrast that with Fourth (covered below).
Average lifespan in Thailand: 77. Average lifespan of BL mothers: 35. It used to be 34, but this one made it all the way to 49 so she pulled up the average. Enough already. It wasn't necessary to the plot and it's getting to be a beyond tiresome cliche. There are two sources of drama in BL - jealousy, and dead parents. Let's move on, shall we? Also, what is it about Thai crowds that prevents them from doing anything helpful in a crisis? Are you trying to tell me nobody thought to call an ambulence? Come on.
Again we live in a homophobia-free universe - normally this isn't an issue for me in BL, which is escapist fantasy. But this strives toward realism, and there's no chance Heart's parents would have been OK with it, which is the one mar in the otherwise perfect side storyline.
So far this sounds like I hate the series, but there is an extremely powerful countervailing positive - the secondary couple, played by Fourth and Gemini (from My School President, although this was filmed first). These two are the exception to the shipping rule I posited above - I could watch them together for the rest of my life and die happy.
Fourth is so good that there is never once a false note from him. He is in every repsects a teenager, moody and alienated, rebelling against authority (in the form og his uncle Jim), and experiencing first love with the deaf and lonely boy Heart. This story is so beautiful and perfect that I don't think I spent any of of their entire story not at least on the verge of tears. Everything about their performances conveys their attraction to each other and their growing emotional tie - the way they lean into each other, the way they find ways to touch each other, the innocent yet heated glances - it's so f@#$ing perfect that it hurts. It's been so long for me, yet I was right back to that age, feeling it all again. Just absolute magic.
Khaotung puts in his best performance ever in this as chicken salesman Gaipa, whose relationship with his mother is lovely and wholly authentic. Mark Pakin puts in a wonderful performance as the rakish and sexy Saleng (the legs on this boy...) and Jack Kittisak is memorable as the unspeakably sexy Gong, Wen's friend.
So do I recommend this? Without hesitation. Jim & Wen are a 6, but Li Ming and Heart are a 15. If this had been their story, I would have rated this a hard 10 - but unfortunately, it's not their story.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best of 2025 (for me)
Everything in the story has its purpose, even if it doesn't seem like it at first.The OST superb.
It has a great balance of comedy and seriousness, the story itself is very dense so the comedy is very much appreciated, and it never falls into cringe territory.
The main couple's chemistry is amazing, they share so many little moments it's impossible not to root for them, you can truly feel they are bounded by fate.
Overall amazing drama, the only fault is some casting choices (at first, it's jarring, towards the end the actress improves so much, I'm happy for her)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A promising drama about finding happiness and moving forward pulled back by awful tropes
Finding joys in life and learning to enjoy the many details in things is difficult, and that struggle is amazingly captured in this drama. Three siblings find themselves in a hopeless rut, commuting, working, and barely living. What ensues are antics, attempts, and pledges to live better, more fulfilling lives.Unfortunately, this drama is plagued by some of the most common tropes in Kdramas. A mysterious character (Mr. Gu) is actually running from mafia-themed problems. This kind of random action genre isn't needed in a drama like this, and is often jarring in terms of pacing and storytelling. Not every mysterious character needs a dramatic backstory like this, and in my opinion he would have been a better character without it.
However, the sisters' arcs are the bigger issue. How can two main female characters have their story arc be resolved by relying on a man in 2022? Yeom Mi Jeong finds solace in having Mr. Gu worship her, and slowly gains confidence from them being acquainted. Her older sister, Yeom Gi Jeong, is worried about finding a relationship, and how to deal with all the emotions she has when she eventually gets into one. Both sisters are built up by their relationships in the end, learning to take life one step at a time. But do we really need both of them to learn this by seeking a man? Yes, you will need to rely on others and their support to get you through tough times. No, you do not need to explicitly have a relationship with those people for that to happen. Frankly, it's just unacceptable for two female leads to still require romance arcs in 2022 to actually learn or do anything.
Overall, the drama is well-acted, and it's pacing is excellent but can be too slow for some. The inclusion of bad tropes though is a huge negative for what this drama could have been. The drama does not live up to the potential it has, and I think it would be more well-received if it kept with the slow-burn slice of life genre throughout the entire show.
Was this review helpful to you?
1Exquisite Costumes, Mouth-Watering Culinary, Cat Fights from Royal Harem to Royal Kitchen
Royal Feast is a story of Zhu Zhanji (Xu Kai), the Ming Dynasty Emperor Xuande (reigned 1425 to 1435) and his fictionalized romance with the woman he loves, who later becomes his empress, Empress Xiaogongzhang (Wu Jinyan) of the Sun clan, and (not shown in this drama) bares him his successor, Zhu Qizhen (Emperor Yingzong). Apart from the very authentic looking exquisite costumes of Ming Dynasty and mouth-watering culinary, the whole script is poor with very little substance and it is frustrating to watch. In fact while watching the emperors and their harem enjoy laboriously prepared culinary to fill their stomachs, I'm filled with a stomach full of “qi” (anger).More than 50% of the time is spent on food - cuisine preparation and presentation, food tasting, picky mouths, food wasting etc. Granted. The title of the drama is also named Royal Feast, so food is to be expected. But I've never expected to watch a drama that focuses so much on deliciously looking cuisines with tons of boring cat fights from the royal harem to the kitchen. Each episode, especially for the first 30 episodes, gives me a full stomach of fire. (I know I keep referring to my own stomach, well, you get what I mean.)
Here we have a prince who is groomed to be an emperor (Xu Kai) since he was born because his grandfather, the Emperor, favors him. He is powerful, and yet what he says doesn’t match with what he wants, especially when dealing with his relationship, be it with the woman he loves or with his friend and subordinates, and this has created a lot of misunderstandings that make him brood. Then we have a palace chef that turns empress who plays hard-to-catch with the broody prince all the time.
The plot is a mix of real and fictional events with real and fictional historical figures. Many of the fictional events are illogical with overdone plot twists. None of the characters are impressive and likable except only, perhaps for me, the eunuch, Chen Wu (Zhu Zhi Ling) who is a very small side character (you can see how poor the overall character development is for everyone).
By episode 29, the plot thickens slightly when Zhu Zhanji becomes the Emperor, and the romance improves after episode 33 when the main couple comes closer together, and there are fewer kitchen and food preparation scenes though many bad logics still remain. The whole drama doesn't show much what Zhu Zhanji has done politically and in running the country or defending his throne from his uncles, though briefly shown he does visit the farmers in plain clothes and puts down a revolt by one of his uncles.
Xu Kai’s acting is decent here. We know he broods because he shows it on his face and in his body language. But the female lead character is quite another thing. I really don’t like Wu Jinyan’s acting here. She looks pretentious and her acting is confusing. Maybe that's how her character is being written. There are so many ironies and inconsistencies with this character. She is initially the chosen one for Zhu Zhanji as his Empress. After years of grooming, she is being replaced by another girl who is said to be very auspicious. She is bitter, so she changes her name to Yao Zijin (Wu Jinyan) and enters the palace as a royal cook (what the heck for?). As a kitchen chef, Yao Zijin is kind and cheery, and yet at the same time, secretly schemy. How can a person be still cheery when a friend she trusts attempts to kill her? Seemingly innocent, she also schemes to plot against her main competitor in the kitchen. She says she doesn’t want to be married to Zhu Zhanji and wants to stay in the kitchen to do what she loves. Then, immediately, to attract the prince’s attention, she purposely falls in front of him (roll eyes). Time and time again, those who try to murder her escape with impunity and continue to live normal lives. And in the kitchen, when the emperors hate everyone’s cooking, she’s the one who always saves the day. There are always incidence happening at the elaborate royal feasts -- assassinations, poisoning, allergies, deaths etc. Yes, you get the gist, an utterly ridiculous script and terrible plotline. Oh, have I mentioned Wang Yizhe’s acting as You Yifan, head of the Imperial Guard? His portrayal is really poor – stiff and awkward, and constantly showing a sulky face doesn’t pass as a cold and bitter man as the character is supposed to possess.
My Verdict
At the beginning, many viewers claim Royal Feast is similar to the Korean drama, Jewel In the Palace (Dae Janggeum, 2003). Far from it. A bad script and shitty plot can hardly save a drama despite its exquisite costumes, culinary arts and big-name actors. In fact I continue watching because of Xu Kai and I like the concept of “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” which is quite elaborately displayed here, explaining how each cuisine is being made and its medicinal benefits for the body. Apart from these, there is very little meat, and I’m sorry for spoiling the soup.
The drama stops short before the Empress bares Zhu Zhanji his first son, and the Emperor’s untimely death at 38, so this may have saved a lot of broken hearts. Historically, Emperor Xuande (Zhu Zhanji) had many consorts and at least 10 died with him under the Ming’s royal house tradition when he died. He also didn’t dispose of his first Empress the way it is shown in the drama, and the revolt from his uncle is a joke here.
Overall, I am neutral on this drama. My score here is all awarded to the costumes, food and official sound tracks only, and zero to the story and the script.
Was this review helpful to you?
