Reviews

Ended in a cliffhanger...

The elefant in the room with this series is the lip-syncing of the whole audio. For me it always felt out of place. They could not transfer all the emotions of a scene in a believable manner. Unexpectable the kissing was not good either.

The finale was a bit of a bummer. We get a cliffhanger for a 2nd season and I always hate it, when they do that. Chances are good with all the support this series gained it will happen. But to wait for a year for the continuation of this story suxx.

Besides the couples and the girl, I also think the acting was lacking. They choose to implement silly moments in such a dark story and I'm not a fan of it. Production quality was top notch, besides the lip-syncing.

We get a story between a "soft" gangster boss and a "innocent" student who is the pride not only of his family but of the whole neighbourhood. It's quite clear from the beginning that the student is drawn to the gangster and it's typical BL cliché that the gangster boss has to struggle to accept his own feelings. So nothing new there and nothing which does justify all the hype about this series..

Overall it was good entertainment but for me it was not stellar. And to have to wait for another year for the conclusion (or again 9 episodes with a cliffhanger) pisses me off.

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I want to like this series, but I can't... She was a bad mother. Trigger warning parental abuse!

A single mother Young Sun raised her son Kang Ho with strict parenting despite her love for him. Kang Ho grew up and become a prosecutor while keeping his distance from his mother. An accident caused them to start a journey to heal their relationship together. The introduction with the cute pig running on a sunny day, is kind of misleading as to what was coming. I thought it was a very heartwarming cheerful family drama but it's not. Murder, trauma, and painful relationships.

The best part of this series is Lee Do Hyun as Kang Ho, he gives so many layers to his role. He went from a soft cinnamon roll to a cold-hearted prosecutor. He’s an actor that I always enjoy even if the drama he's in does not work for me. I am heartbroken for him, and this is not the first time I cried for his character. His moments with the twins are super lovely and believable. I love when they bicker together 💜

The main problem that steals my enjoyment from watching is parental abuse. From the beginning, Young Sun really did horrible things to Kang Ho. She was strict, she was mean, with the intention of "I want you to be successful", or "I want you to be good in your school", She threw his food away before he finished eating because she thinks he'll get sleepy after eating. She threw his artwork away because he wasn't studying enough for her. Even after the accident, she still did horrible things. She knows that he's basically in a handicapped state like he can't even move his hand, but she left him to feed himself. I'm seeing Kang Ho... Oh, he’s so pitiful, he’s hungry and helpless, but she's so impatient, she took his food away when he can’t even hold his spoon. I truly believe that realistically, this will trigger an eating disorder. Also, she threw him into the river to force him to walk, again and again... and he was screaming for help from her. Why she learns no lesson at all? While I understand she just wants him to grow up well, I saw her behavior is abusive and hard to watch. What's worse is that the scenes are given bouncy funny music, but it's seriously not funny to me. I know it's fiction but the writer really went bad there. She really went back and forth, and the good part is not good enough to redeem herself, because what she's done is too much.

I was conflicted the whole time with the pig plot. Yes! Pig is such an integral part of the story. There's this narrative about how pigs are such clean animals, the only reason why they're dirty is how we treat them, they can only look down and not up and such... Young Sun was raising them lovingly, but I can’t deny the fact that these pigs are sold and slaughtered for food in the end, especially because they showed us when the pigs are going away from her farm several times. I feel uncomfortable about it.

Another thing that detached me from the series is the villagers. I don’t get what the villagers' roles are in the story, and there's a face mask lady who every time she appears on screen, annoys me. Lastly, I don't feel this drama stick to its' ending. They wrapped up everything but it was rushed and wrapped up really quickly.

-Aug 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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When idols don't act out their roles...

A typical idol BL where kissing is forbidden, because the actors can't commit to their roles. Again: If you do BLs do it the whole way and not half assed. The story is also quite mid, not bad, not good but the chemistry & acting was better than I expected,

There is not much else to say. It's an ok production, it did not have a lot of budget and it serves for the most part as boost for the idols, because BL is an easy way. But compared to real actors it's quite shocking that in 2026 they still zoom on the lips, but there is no kissing at all. I would have been more content with it, when they did not zoom on lips or hid it completely as other show already did. They did not even manage a peck on the lips. Very disappointing.

At least we don't have cringe comedy but the script was nothing to write home about. If you have time you may watch it, it's not the worst, but if your time is limited, you can skip it and not miss anything.

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FIRST IMPRESSION: I was excited to see Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na acting together again, even better as leads! My first impression was that this was going to be another rom-com type of drama with a small dose of melo in it. I couldn't really make out what kind of direction the story would go on but then just thought that was a good thing because then maybe the story wouldn't turn out to be predictable. However, my hopes for this drama was not met.

STORY: Sorry, but what story? If you're talking about a story of two people falling in love then, yea, I guess it had a story. But other than that, there's not much else in this drama that would say there is a "plot" to it, unfortunately. In the beginning, I thought that it was just getting off to a slow kick that would eventually reveal more later, which can sometimes be a good thing because usually dramas like to reveal things as soon as they can to get the audience excited but I waited and waited until episode 9 where it showed a glimmer of something, but then.......well, I won't spoil anything so let's just leave it at that. Earlier, when I thought that not knowing the direction of how the drama was going to go ended up being exactly what the drama was about. Also, the second lead characters honestly felt pointless and added nothing to the drama except to pop into existence during certain moments to fulfill a certain purpose.

ACTING/CAST: I did have my apprehensions before the drama released because the acting rolse that Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na took on seemed like their typical chosen style of roles that they've done before in past dramas. Lee Dong-Wook seems to always take on the damaged , brooding, indifferent acting roles and Yoo In-Na is slowly drifting into taking on bright, happy-go-lucky, and sometimes a little ditzy roles. I think actors should expand upon their skills and try not to take on roles that veer in the same direction. I only say this because sometimes it will cement their paths ahead and eventually, they'll ONLY be offered roles that align as their past ones, limiting their chance to explore different roles and show the public their acting chops. I watched Goblin and I loved it! The story, the acting, the pacing! It was all spot on! I can see the potential for Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo In-Na, if only they tried to take different kinds of roles. I'd like to see Lee Dong-Wook as a villain one day because I think he'd do quite well as one and it would also be very interesting to watch. And I think Yoo In-Na would do well in a serious melodrama or a slice-of-life drama because she can bring about real moments that are believable.

MUSIC: Eh, nothing to complain about. Music is nothing special. Typical drama accompaniment music.

OVERALL: Overall, I was disappointed by this drama but more because of the lack of substance within the story plot than anything. It was almost frustrating to watch till the end because the lack of suspense, drama, or anything because the romance feel less than what it is. Because there was no pressure, no pushing, no sense of urgency it made the romance feel less alive. In the end, everything fell flat.

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Such a bad story line

This was the worst Korean drama I saw in 2021. In fact, I stopped watching it after episode 6. I took time to read reviews so I knew how the story ends. Apart from the fact that the main leads were good-looking, and their acting was superb, this story line was so lame. How could a mature woman like Nabi be so stupid and indecisive? Too many monologues. I thought she would become wiser as time goes by, but reading the review of episode 10, I gave up. It's not worth warching. The side stories were even better than the main one.

I hope there would never be a Season 2. Better to see Han So Hee and Song Kang in other new dramas, rather than being together in this bad one.

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Good but definitely not the best BL series ever

Wow... I'm surprised by the amount of reviews and comments that have labeled this series as the "best BL series ever" writing long reviews that basically don't say much as all tend to go around in circles. People tend to give positive reviews based on how cute or hot the actors are, how well they acted, how much chemistry the main couple has, and other banal things that have caused an explosion of mediocre BLs over the past 2-3 years (most of GMMTV BLs for example) and an explosion of BLs done by low-budget companies who just produce a BL for the sake of getting some money. Most people forget to judge the show on concepts like plot, storyline, writing, and directing... which are always difficult to judge as many get blinded by how hot Tee looks or how well Tae portrays his character. In reality, "Triage" was good but it was definitely not the best BL series ever, I mean, did we watch the same show? Here is why...

First, the good (which I admit, there is a lot of):
1. The acting: I believe we've seen Tee (playing Aek/Tol) and Tae (playing Dr. Tin) at their best. Tae was recently with Singto in "Paint With Love" and the show never really brought that much excitement and Tee played a cute/lovable character (for some moments) in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear". Both played the originals Forth and Beam in "2Moons" (before the whole cast changed for "2Moons2" and then changed again for "2Moons3: The Ambassador" that is supposedly coming at some point this or next year), so we knew they were familiar with each other and it shows. The chemistry is there, and not only for the kissing scenes, but also for the more dramatic moments as both seemed to have a connection in terms of what to expect from the other. The supporting cast was also good with Tonnam (playing Dr. Sing) and Dr. Aob (playing Dr. Gap) being the secondary couple but providing real support to the leads while dealing with the organ harvesting and corruption of Dr. Sak and Dr. Doi. Fiat (playing Rit) had some solid moments and it is a shame that he is currently dealing with some mental issues and on hiatus from acting until he recovers. Morris (playing Jinta) and Kradum (playing Dr. Sak... who we recently saw as an exemplary police officer who was also the father of Tee's character in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear") take the more adult roles in the show one serving as the guide to all the loops Dr. Tin has to go through and the other serving as the villain of the series. The other doctors and the lead male nurse all provided good moments in the show as well as it was clear they were there to fill a specific purpose and not just to fill the show with more faces.

2. Dr. Sammon: The writer does it again... "Manner of Death" with Max and Tul and this series have been two of her most successful stories so far (she also wrote "Bite Me" but that was mediocre at best due to terrible directing), as both are set up in other places different from the hundreds of BLs set up in university and both deal with serious topics that are barely covered in Thai TV and/or a BL story such as abuse of power, human trafficking and prostitution (in "Manner of Death") and organ harvesting, corruption, bribery and abuse of power (in "Triage"). In both stories these subjects are dealt head on by the lead actors and are handled correctly. In addition, being a doctor herself, the actors who had to work in the hospital received actual training from real doctors and Dr. Aob was also selected to play a character (Dr. Gap) but had the role of supervising his fellow actors in the challenging medical scenes. I think that made a huge difference from just training Tae, Tonnam, and the others, and then just let them do it on their own compared to training them and have an actor who is an actual doctor going to the scenes alongside them, that was a good move. As a side note... Dr. Sammon's next story to be adapted into a BL has more doctors but with a supernatural theme and apparently will have Judo (who appeared in "The Miracle of Teddy Bear") and Fluke Natouch as the leads... it might be weird to see Fluke without Ohm but also interesting to see how that story is developed.

Now, the in-between:
3. The plot: Here is where the series begins to falter a bit... the idea of someone living inside a time loop and having to repeat the same storyline over and over is not new on TV but it is for BLs... so, from that point, the show scores one point for being original and forgetting about engineering/medical students, universities, trope parents who either ship gay couples or who are completely against them, screaming/whining/ultra jealous female characters, unnecessary love triangles (sometimes even love squares), and boring storylines. The plot then also becomes a bit of weak point of the show after episode 10 as these episodes were set from Dr. Tin's perspective, this is his time loop after all, right? Jinta mentions that he needs to save Tol to break from the loop cycle and he gets better and better at connecting the pieces together and trying to solve all the issues around Tol's death. We are aware that his actions have consequences in what he changes on each loop and also we know that while he takes a bit of time to remember previous loops, I was under the impression that the others were not able to remember them. From episode 11 until the end we switched to Tol's perspective as Dr. Tin is killed in one of the loops and Tol begs Jinta to bring him back. That to me was the weak point as the series begins under the premise that Dr. Tin MUST save Tol's life or repeat the loop over and over... on episode 10 he does that, but he dies in the process... in theory, he broke the loop and that should be the end, EXCEPT for the fact that now Tol feels bad and wants to save Dr. Tin so he is now able to summon and see Jinta and ask for one chance. What takes Dr. Tin 10 episodes to partially solve, takes Tol only 3 thanks to the magical notebook with all the notes from the previous loops that Dr. Tin can't see on episode 12 and the magical kisses that suddenly restore the memories. The side couple of Dr. Sing and Dr. Gap doesn't even have a relationship until the final loop and while we know Gap likes Sing, Sing's personality is trending towards being a bit of a jerk towards Gap, so it was weird that all of the sudden, a new loop happens and they are happily together. Finally, some of the female characters in the show like Mai, Dr. Fang and Dear are good characters in the whole Dr. Sak saga but just bring unnecessary tension between the lead couple in their relationship as in some loops Dr. Tin seems to be close to Dear and Tol is jealous and Mai is just using Tol to pay for her mother's treatment when she is already dating Heart.

And the not so good:
4. The final episode: Once again, and I'm not sure if this they way Dr. Sammon planned it in the written novel, but just like in "Manner of Death", the ending of "Triage" felt so rushed. The episode is around 45 minutes long (taking out the introduction, the reminder of what happened in episode 13, the final credits, and the pictures of the cast and crew), and in that time Dr. Doi kidnaps Rit and Dr. Sing, shoots Sing, takes Gap as hostage, fights with the latter two, gets knocked out, suddenly appears in the basement where Dr. Sak and the organ trafficking gang were keeping Tol and Dr. Tin hostage and tries to kill Tin with a poisoned needle and then is captured and goes crazy. That's a lot for a character that was simply moved by greed and power and then apparently had some daddy issues or needed Dr. Sak's approval as he "is doing all of this for Dr. Sak" and "wants to show him he can do the job of cleaning up". Such a useless character played a major part in the final episode and as it happened on "Manner of Death", the villains don't get proper punishment through the justice system, which is quite disappointing... Dr. Doi goes crazy and Dr. Sak is murdered by the organ traffickers who are never captured. But, what I think bothered me the most of the ending was the actual ending... Dr. Tin is in a comma after being poisoned by Dr. Doi and Tol writes him a diary in the magic notebook for him to remember when he wakes up as he is transported to a different hospital. Tol goes on to live his life until one day Dr. Tin suddenly appears in the clock tower where they kissed for the first time and after pretending not to remember Tol, he tells him about how the magic kisses bring back memories so they kiss while Tul makes another special appearance to discover the organ traffickers harvested Dr. Sak's kidney before he died. Oh the mystery!
The way Dr. Tin came back was a bit underwhelming as he is in a comma and then suddenly he is there, next to Tol... AND Jinta is nowhere to be seen after the loop ends... for a character who appeared in every silly way possible and in every unexpected moment possible, it was odd not to have him in the final scenes at all.

So, in summary... "Triage" is a good series and a ray of light in a sea of mediocrity that BLs have become lately as it brought a different story with a different pace and brought great acting and solid writing. But, is most certainly not the best BL series ever written, let's be real about that.

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I am a huge reader. I love books. I love collecting book. I love the smell of books. I love going to bookstores. And as a bookworm who also happen to love watching K-dramas, this is everything. I mean it.

Romance Is A Bonus Book is really well-written K-drama complemented with amazing casts. This one has put me into a state of emotional mess. It had me feel so sad and yet made me laugh. It got me curious, and it gave me answers. It didn't have any unnecessary plot-twists that can potentially lead to a dragging development. It has a rather simple storyline but I think it's how the writers really want it. It is very heartwarming,

The casts are EXCEPTIONAL. All the crying scenes are just daebak! They are also effectively funny (or at least for me). There are many supporting characters given the setting of the story, but the important ones had their time to rightfully shine and have their own stories and character developments. The production did a great job in choosing these casts.

As a bookworm myself, and someone who is also personally related to book publishers to some extent, I just want to express my massive appreciation to the producers for not making the "romance" overshadow everything else. In fact, rather than the romance, I think I paid more attention to the message about books. The will to express the passion of the people behind the books we read, the essence of creating books, the references made about books in correlation to the characters' life experiences. I just love everything! And I learned a lot about the behind the scenes of book publishing — the editorial part, the printing and marketing. Ah, really AMAZING!

Not only that — the way they approached and tackled different sensitive topics like mental illness, marriage and divorce, was stellar! I watched these parts with heavy heart because they felt so real. ALSO, mad props for showing a positive representation of the LGBT community. Although it was rather short, it wasn't forced, it was just there so casually, so subtle, so right!

I haven't gushed over K-drama in a while. Romance is A Bonus Book is definitely going to my "All-time Fave K-drama list". Totally recommending this to my bookish friends!

"The moon is beautiful." — I love this.

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Contemporary Love Poetry

More than a thousand years and two lifetimes later, our star crossed lovers finally reunite, this time under happier circumstances in modern day China. Or is it really? Without spoiling the fun and suspense, here’s a spoiler-free look at what all the hype is about and whether it’s worth your time to check out…

The Narrative

Forever and Ever is the official sequel to One and Only, having premiered two weeks after the latter had ended its airing in late August. The lead actors and characters remain the same, namely Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu reprising their roles of Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi respectively. Since their epic love story concluded during the Northern and Southern Dynasty era, their second incarnation sees them assuming completely different personas. Zhousheng Chen has become a renowned chemistry professor and scion of a prominent industrialist family while Shi Yi (minus the surname) is now a celebrated voice actress.

This drama primarily features their love story, in a contemporary setting, as well as the trials and tribulations that they both have to overcome before finally achieving their happily ever after ending. The challenges that they face come in the form of Zhousheng Chen’s own family.

The Production Details

Although it is the sequel, Forever and Ever actually completed filming before One and Only. Based on the second (and main) part of the novel, One Life, One Incarnation – Beautiful Bones" (一生一世美人骨) by novelist and screenwriter Mo Bao Fei Bao (墨宝非宝), who additionally served as the screenwriter. The young director Shen Yang, who was not involved in the prequel, helmed the production. Tan Xuan remains as the music director for both dramas.

Principal photography this time took place in Shanghai, Zhenjiang, the county of Wuzhen and the historic city of Xi’an. This drama is notable for being the 7th and final entry to iQiyi’s Sweet On theatre for 2021 that focuses on premium short format series and romance-centric content. Unlike One and Only, Forever and Ever’s main characters are dubbed by the actors themselves.

What I Loved

This drama shares the same excellent production quality and technical execution as O&O. Aside from the slightly warmer colour palette and softer filters applied, all other aspects remain top-tier. The editing is one of the best you’ll ever see in a C-drama production. Likewise the original score composed by Tan Xuan that complements the various atmospherics of the scenes as well as the exquisite cinematography. Needless to say, the production designs appear as immaculate as the classical structures of the filming locales selected. This is very much apparent at the Zhou family estate in Zhenjiang, the couple’s traditional mansion and the surroundings of the Wuzhen canals.

The performance of the cast is compelling. I’ve already waxed lyrical about Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu in my review of O&O so without replicating similar superlatives, I’m pleased that their delivery meets my expectations. There are a number of new characters in the story that caught the eye. Ci Sha as the charismatic Mei Xing in his first ever production. Similar to the monk in O&O, he represents the swoon-worthy wingman in the modern setting with his suave and charming characterization. My personal favourite supporting character this time around is Zhou Wen Xing, played by Wang Rui Xin who is another relative newcomer to the industry. She has one of the more significant and emotional character arcs in the story which she portrays with absolute purity and believability.

I love the music for the production, perhaps even more so than O&O due to the outstanding accompaniment of the BGM score in scene transitions as well as the poignant ending and couple theme, Continue Writing by Shan Yichun. Bai Lu provides a rendition of Heartbeat, her character theme while the same opening theme of O&O is used for the title sequence, the hauntingly enthralling instrumental version of Unworried (Wuyu).

Continue Writing 续写 by Shan Yichun 单依纯
Give to You 给你给我 by Buyi Mao 毛不易
Heartbeat 心动 by Bai Lu 白鹿
Freeze Frame 定格 by Yan Renzhong 颜人中
Unworried 无虞 by Mimi Lee 李紫婷, Jing Long 井胧

What I Thought Was Lacking

First, a disclaimer - I haven’t read the literary source so this is purely my thoughts on the drama production and not on the novel itself.

The plot lacked depth or perhaps its essence was not fleshed out by the adaptation. At around the halfway point of the drama, I began to accept that although supposedly based on the main portion of the source content, this sequel actually plays out like a tribute to O&O by virtue of the extended storyline of the main couple. In other words, F&E feels more like a combination of overlong MV scenes, aesthetic travelogue and live-action vignettes that are interwoven into a cinematic and surreal tapestry of vivid dreamy moments. Each frame is gorgeous to look at but you don’t really comprehend the significance of what is happening.

The storytelling leaves much to be desired. Just as it was in O&O, F&E is character driven by the powerful performances of Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu. However, the premise and plot of O&O were clearly defined to tell viewers what are at stake and for whom. In F&E, aside from a few major characters, there seem to be many other characters just passing through without adding any seemingly tangible value to the plot. The Zhousheng family tree itself is confusing enough with its cousins and second cousins, marriage and remarriage, half-siblings, servants who share the same surname, the so-called elders who appear intermittently to discuss “family affairs” (I’m still not exactly sure what they’re manufacturing or trading, to be perfectly honest). The rather underdeveloped and, at times, perplexing toxic sibling-rivalry that culminates in a bitter contest for control over the family’s business. All these events transpire amidst Peking opera performances in the background and the daily family breakfast at the Zhenjiang family estate that resembles a tour group buffet meal for tourists at a zen retreat.

Controversy in the Adaptation

Debates were raging in the drama page revolving around criticisms of the adaptation and also Ren Jia Lun’s “no-kiss/ intimacy” policy that purportedly resulted in the screenplay being changed to accommodate this policy thus adversely altering the core characterization of the ML, Zhousheng Chen.

Personally I’m perfectly fine with the leads not having enough or any explicit intimate scenes. The romance has to feel right and realistically sync with the conviction of the chemistry, regardless of how often they share deep kisses between them in bed and in public, or not at all. Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu are adept at selling their romance at an emotional and spiritual level that transcends physical boundaries, which they both did so well in O&O.

Regarding the novel’s iteration of Zhousheng Chen, who is supposedly different in terms of personality and his interactions with Shi Yi, I can’t comment on which one is better since I’m only aware of the drama version. But, I have enjoyed Ren Jia Lun’s interpretation of the role. It’s eccentric and a little quirky, for sure. But I thought it fits his persona of an inexperienced and erudite researcher who eventually undergoes a tremendous growth in his evolution as a man and his affectionate love and respect for Shi Yi.

Final Thoughts

Should one watch O&O before watching this? Not necessarily and even the references from the prequel are extremely vague. However, you would most definitely appreciate F&E much more if you start the journey from O&O, which I did. Forever and Ever is a kind of homage and fan service to One and Only that alleviates the tragic suffering and fulfills its promise of giving viewers the happily-ever-after closure that Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi truly deserves. Enjoying the sweet romantic moments and not losing brain cells over the overarching plot that develops in the background would be my advice going into this one.

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Eww! What is this?

This will be a short one.
You don't have to watch this drama, I mean it's always wise not to waste time. Not bcs it's not even slightly average, it's one of the worst that's ever been produced. I am describing the reasons throughout (without spoilers ofc), though only those who have watched will be able relate. But for several reasons, if you haven't started, drop this off, for it's not even worth.

Produced by IWill Media and created by Studio Dragon, "A Superior Day (우월한 하루) [2022]" is an OCN original drama (though it didn't feel like one at all). Written by Lee Ji Hyun and directed by Jo Nam Hyung, the show is a live-action adaptation of the popular webtoon of the same title, authored by Team Getname that include Kim Carnby (Sweet Home) and Aurani (Meloholic).

The story follows Lee Ho Chul (Jin Goo), a responsible fire fighter, who lives with his small family of wife and a daughter. One day his daughter gets kidnapped and soon follows the order from a stranger who wants Ho Chul to investigate and find out out the culprit of a serial killer. The chase leads him to unforeseen situations where he finds himself and his family entangled between the stranger and the culprit.

Detective Choi Jung Hye (Im Hwa Young) plays Ho Chul's wife while Lee Soo A (Cho Yu Ha) is their daughter. Ha Do Kwon plays Bae Tae Jin, an ex-convict whereas Kwon Shi Woo (Lee Wo Keun) is the family's next door neighbour. Some other familiar faces in the show are: Park Min Jung, Song Young Kyu, Na Chul and Lee Seo Joon.

I don't wanna talk about the plot development, for its of no use, but let me bcs everybody needs to know. This could have been a decent chase thriller but the plotline given, however, the screenplay writing was choppy and not up to scratch. It's so bad I can't even cite it as an average show. The introduction didn't create any firm impression but by the end of the 2nd episode, I was looking forward, but then, came the 3rd episode. It suddenly became off, which I took, as momentary inconsistency. However, it never improved further. The kidnapping and taking hostage stuff was so funny lmao, it felt like two table tennis players were tossing the ball against their opponents (I will start crying). It gets extremely frustrating by the 5th episode and then everything just feels duh. I finished it just for the sake of having a closure, ngl, I can't leave anything unfinished, even so I have to watch them at 3x. For this, I watched the 2nd half (5th-8th) at 2x and finished them in one go.

I have always emphasized that it's not always an easy task to turn a book/webtoon into live-action adaptation and it's been many debutants doing an amazing job has been evidenced. However, Kim Ji Hyun jakkanim failed to do so, quite miserably. There are more than dozen of flaws which are unarguably too many for a 8 episode show. The responses to the drama should be a lesson to them for bettering themselves.

Director Jo Nam Hyung PDnim, as well, needs to work more on his skills. The direction was shoddy and substandard for most of the parts. There seemed no space for improvement, nor the efforts to fix what was already been ruined in the initial demo.

What I liked...
There is not a single that that's likeable, so this is it.

What I didn't like...

# The biggest turn off about the show is it's plot development. What didn't feel any impressive in the pilot episode, does pick up interest in the next, but again, it immediately goes downhill midway through the ep 3, and there is no going back; it keeps getting worse worse with each further episode.

# A firefighter, a serial killer, a contract killer, police investigation, full-time chase: all these that might excite you, are elements often seen Kdramas, nevertheless, proper utilisation is what matters, which the show could not do at all.

# The reasoning and the deals made on it were laughable and stupid. The number of times people change their sides makes it nothing less than a dumpping bin.

# There is very little context to the story, telling which, the show should have been a decent 2 hours movie, provided how it turned crap just after 2 episodes. All that they do for the rest of the show is unasked exaggeration and uncontrollable dragging of the tiny plotline.

# The latter half is miserable as a story; the number of times they repeat 2 or 3 events indeed frustrates the viewers and the show ultimately feels useless.

# The acting was bad per se. Obviously, there are actors who are hugely talented, but what nourishes and shapes the acting they do for a particular character, is the direction and the understanding for the roled they are gonna play. I feel it's hugely the direction and editing that reflects in the under-standard acting of the actors. Jingoo has disappointed, and so has Lee Woo Keun (he couldn't play a proper...... not spoiling).

# The police investigation was as useless as a ruptured protection. I mean why make it a part of the show when there was zero significance. I admit, not all show has to have extensive investigation and stuffs but the cops over here were committing absurd deeds and have been portrayed as completely incapable. The team leader, the chief detective & the partner and the new detective aka Jung Hye who was expected to play a major role as thd ML's wife, all of them had zero contribution to the show.

# Why would they indicate another season at the end of the finale? I guess the webtoon has more but provided that this one is awful, another season should be avoided at any cost.

# Lastly, this doesn't even qualify as a chase thriller. I would rather sit at one place than running around idly, like the ML does here.

Final Remarks... Overally, A Superior Day is one of the worst Korean shows ever made with not a single factor to look forward to. So don't watch. Okay bye.

P. S. Was so frustrated after finishing, ended up writing it in 10 mins -_-

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Laws of Attraction!!

'Laws of Attraction' is an interesting drama that gets you invested right from the very start. It has action, attractions, an interesting plot and to add up a great cast. I admit JamFilm were the sole reason I started this series in the first place for I loved them in 'To sir with love' and trust me I don't love them any less here, but along the way I fell in love with the other characters too starting from Tonkhao to Grandmother to Rose to Maya to Thee and Thaethai to Nawin. I loved each one of them and the series just kept getting more interesting.

Talking about Charn, I won't lie I couldn't trust him fully even until half of the series. I loved him, his sassy attitude, the way he didn't leave any chance when it came to flirting with Tinn, the way he used his brain in a smart yet cunning way. I loved everything about him but I still just couldn't trust him. However, that didn't lessen my love for him. Then we have Tinn, his struggles felt so real. He is righteous and he wants justice for his niece but he doesn't bend to unruly ways. He stands his ground even in front of Charn. And may I add the chemistry between Tinn and Charn was cute. It was so freaking crystal clear how they both wanted each other ever since they laid their eyes on each other. The tension felt so real and watching them not so subtly flirt was an absolute delight to see.

Moving on to Thaethai, damn I can't believe I went from hating Thaethai to loving him so much. He is a vulnerable kid with a trash dad. He deserves nothing but happiness. He looked like an absolute spoiled kid in the starting but as I watched more of him, he grew on me. And Thee this guys world revolved around Thaethai ever since the starting. He was the only one who saw Thaethai for who he is. Thee and Thaethai I was really cheering for them. They are so cute mahn.

Then we have Rose and Maya, oh lord this girls have my heart. They were badass and it was so enjoyable to see them tease Charn. Also, Tin's grandmother she is the most understanding character. Damn I wish I had a grandma like her.

Overall a really good series with a good plot. The suspense and romance element is well balanced and the plot is well executed. I won't say it's perfect, it had it's own share of plot holes but it was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this series!!

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Watched on recommendation from a friend and I noticed this had great reviews. I immediately recognised the main lead from Zhang Yimou's movie and she is a popular choice for many serious movies. She playes the "good student." Jackson Yee is someone I am unfamiliar with - although he is a new-ish actor and an idol, he has that mature aura that does not feel out of place.

This is a serious movie that has been explored many times - about the gravity of bullying has on a young person's life in China, while facing these school bullies, it explores the wider society issues, of education, relentless competition between students and exams, this all or nothing state of pressure students live through. And this movie is dramatised as the young pair try to fight for themselves in a world where the adults seem to promise to help but never seem to have much power or follow through with their promises.

As tragic events worsen, they find a will to take matters into their own hands, leading the second half of the events to escalate into uncontrollable circumstances. This movie is a rollercoaster - Zhong Dong Yu plays a similar character from "Under the Hawthorn Tree" as a weak, shy, pitiful, pure character which is not a personal liking from watching Western dramas full of bad-ass strong women which we are used to seeing nowadays, however I've learnt to appreciate the quiet strength from the two leads. A plus from these two having good chemistry, and the casting was good - you really learn to hate the bullies and champion our leads. However for the negatives, I felt it was tad too heavy handed. I wished they explored more about the bullies esp the main girl, we only get a glimpse of her back story however I felt that was the most interesting part. It left it a bit too Good vs Evil.

What I also loved was the conviction these two shared and their hopefulness and naviety of teenagers making their own decisions was portrayed here - when they both made the decision to tell the same story to the police - only showed to prove how much these two have gone through and their bond that is unshattering that was physically represented by that couple Les Mis scene. These people become closer and closer until they share the same fighting spirit that unfortunately, as adults, ultimately will lose. This movie is good as it forces them to face the reality of their situation while downplaying their romantic decisions (as if actions do not have consequences), which is fitting as they transition as teens to adults.

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A fail romance story, that's way too unbelievable technically

Fantasy romantic dramas are a dime a dozen in the Korean TV landscape, and while Netflix’s latest love story, Doona!, isn’t in the least bit supernatural, the story is every bit as fantastical as the time-travel or superpowered romantic sagas we’ve grown accustomed to. As  we’ve come to expect from Netflix dramas, which benefit from the streaming platform’s deeper pockets, Doona! looks the business, with hazy visuals and atmospheric lighting blanketing each frame, but it’s superficial to a fault. The leads were shabbily written and it was hard to root for them, albeit the ending was anyways not pleasing as well.Supporting characters don’t get much of a look-in – not that they are a particularly exciting bunch. I have seen better romance dramas of this year, period.

My Rating : 5/10

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Lucifier? Batman? Whatever, Ahn Bo Hyun is a star of his own.

Not every show needs to be a masterpiece. Every now and then, there are dramas like this that don’t try to be groundbreaking. They just focus on doing what they’re meant to do–entertain. Do you remember those cartoons you used to enjoy as a kid? The kind where each episode had its own little adventure, wrapped up neatly by the end? Flex X Cop feels exactly like that– simple, straightforward, but oddly satisfying. It’s the kind of show that keeps you coming back, episode after episode, just because it’s fun to watch. It was a genuinely enjoyable journey following this chaebol-turned-cop as he searched for his purpose in life, and from episode one, it had my full attention.

I’ve got to start with the dynamic between the two leads, because that’s really what carries the show for me. The relationship between Jin Yi Soo (Flex Cop) and Lee Kang Hyun (Lady Cop) was surprisingly well-written and genuinely well-crafted. It just felt... natural. Nothing about their interactions came off as forced or overly scripted, which is impressive considering how cliche the overall drama can be at times. Watching them slowly get to know each other, episode by episode, felt like watching two real people grow closer, organically and without any unnecessary drama. I’m a huge fan of that slow, subtle development that blossoms over time. There’s something undeniably addictive about their back-and-forth dynamic; it’s got a kind of Tom and Jerry charm that keeps me coming back. Huge kudos to the writers for not shoving a romance subplot down our throats. Honestly, I think they work better as frenemies than lovers. Camaraderie over romance, any day.

I know this is a detective-mystery-crime-themed show, but I’d urge you not to go into it with that as your main focus. It plays out more like a series of mini-cases that gradually build toward the overarching mysteries surrounding both leads' parents. As for the crime-solving and case-related mysteries, they’re pretty basic, nothing groundbreaking, but still engaging enough to keep you watching. I wouldn’t call the cases boring, but they definitely don’t feel like the main course. The villains aren’t genius masterminds, the cases lack depth or complexity, and the twists aren’t particularly hard to predict. Honestly, it felt more like an extended version of the Mafia Game—nothing too intricate, but fun in a “just play along” kind of way. The murderer is usually right there in plain sight, so don’t overthink it and just enjoy the ride. Most of the cases will seem tailored to make JYS shine, thanks to his inherent advantages as a rich, influential online celebrity and chaebol heir as his unfair advantage. While that does feel a bit like cheating, I actually didn’t mind it. It was genuinely entertaining watching him pull it off, and more than anything, I found myself rooting for him.

I also appreciate how the show doesn’t waste time with unnecessary fluff or try too hard to be overly emotional or complex. Instead, it trusts the story to unfold naturally, revealing answers at just the right moments. The pacing and development here are honestly some of the better ones I’ve seen. It’s consistent, steady, and never drags. It’s the simple, fundamental things like this that the show really gets right. Flex X Cop maintains its momentum in a straightforward, unpretentious way, and to its credit, it actually gets better as it goes.

That said, like I mentioned from the start, this is far from a masterpiece and the flaws are pretty glaring. Even though I didn’t go into it expecting much, there were still moments so absurd they felt like outright lazy writing, making them hard to overlook. I mean, I was supposed to believe JYS could hypnotise a doctor who specialises in hypnosis? Or that he could crash a helicopter into the back of a car without injuring a single person? And then there’s the invisible drone. Seriously? Some of the events that helped solve cases left a bitter aftertaste because of how ridiculous they were. He also somehow becomes the only person capable of magically pulling clues out of thin air, despite being the rookie play-cop on the team. On top of that, any scene without the two leads together took a noticeable dip in quality for me; those parts just felt flat and uneventful. By the later episodes, even the chemistry that initially hooked me started to lose its spark, and I found myself less invested. The hype definitely fizzles out toward the end, probably because there’s just not enough substance at the core of the drama. I’m no longer rushing to watch new episodes as soon as they drop—but it’s also not bad enough for me to completely drop it either.

Amidst the influx of shows with amazing casts in recent weeks, Flex x Cop was a really pleasant surprise. It was something light that I do not feel compelled to follow tightly weekly but good enough for me to pick it back up sometime in the week for a decent time. It does have a little bit of everything you want in a drama. Would I recommend it? Not really. Will you enjoy it if you still decide to watch it? I think very likely so.

**My favourite scene in the show that lives rent-free in my head till today: Jin Yi Soo whipping out a gold crafted handcuffs because he was not allowed to carry a gun…and Kyunjin playing along with him by getting arrested…also that slap might be one of the most satisfying slaps in I have seen in K-drama...I replayed that whiplash of a slap many many times...

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The Legend of Shen Li - a sugar hit that doesn't quite fill you up

In a Nutshell:
Zhao Li Ying (ZLY) plays the titular character Shen Li, a formidable and fearless General of the Immortal realm army. Her military prowess earned her the title of Lord Bi Cang and she is revered by everyone in the immortal realm. But being still female, she is forced into a political marriage with a playboy from the Heavenly realm. She gets injured while trying to escape and falls to the mortal world as a phoenix, her spirit animal form. She ends up in a marketplace for hungry peasants and is mistakenly sold as a chicken. She is bought by a seemingly carefree and aloof man, Xing Yun, played by Li Geng Xin (LGX), who surprisingly doesn’t turn her into a tasty meal, but instead nurses her back to health. As the most powerful warrior in the immortal realm, she finds her predicament and the doting care by this mere mortal humiliating and embarrassing. However, as Shen Li starts to appreciate his kindness and the simple pleasures of earthly life, she begins to develop feelings for her mortal saviour.

The Highlights:
• I will save you time: Episodes 22 – 29 are the best, followed by episode 1 – 3. Watch the other episodes if you have nothing else productive to do.
• The best executed episodes (see above) involve the mortal realm where Shen Li and Xing Zhi have the freedom to be themselves and just enjoy each other’s company. The cinematography, lighting, costumes, use of natural landscapes, and poignant soundtrack all make their mundane tasks so beautiful and give purpose to the simple surroundings. ZLY and LGX have less dialogue but this is where their acting skills shine, as they are able to sum up Shen Li and Xing Zhi’s raw and organic relationship with each other through simple interactions and subtle facial expressions.
• Beautiful costumes and loved all the outfits Shen Li wears!
• Loved the soundtrack and songs which perfectly captured the grandeur, passion and intensity of Shen Li as the warrior phoenix (the phoenix is the King of all birds in Chinese culture). The “Battle hymn of Bi Cang” will get you fired up to do anything!
• When used judiciously, the special effects/CGI were actually pretty good. Will definitely try and rewatch some of the episodes (especially ep 23 was epic!!) on a big good quality TV screen.
• The script stays faithful to its original novel “Accompanying the Phoenix".

The Lowlights:
• 39 episodes is too long for a drama that is based on a simple and predictable Xianxia story. The result is inconsistent quality where some episodes were well done (see above), some were mediocre, and others just so boring/nonsensical that I tuned out completely.
• We all know that ZLY and LGX can act! But unfortunately, the blinding bright colour palates and ridiculous smoothing filters meant ZLY was stuck in a dead-pan expression and LGX with a permanent look of constipation for most of the immortal / heavenly realm scenes, with only a few sprinkles of brilliance when the script demanded it.
• Some episodes were purely a bombardment of CGI and special effects with not much going on in the plot or character development to warrant such sensory overload. Special effects are meant to support and create the right atmosphere for the story, not serve as a tool to mask the lack of good writing or interesting characters.
• Some of the kissing scenes were really awkward and cringey to watch. I am not sure if it was the ill-placed camera angles or terrible lighting, but one particular "hot and daring" scene (pretty sure you know which one ...) looked like an amateur video cobbled together by a horny teenager in their bedroom.
• I felt like I needed a PhD in Chinese Mythology to understand how all the 3 realms interacted and the concept of rebirth/reincarnation and all the associated mythical animals and spirits. Reading the novel helps a bit. But the lack of world building means some pre-requisite knowledge of the Xianxia genre would help to understand some plotlines. Of course, one can always choose to turn brain off and just watch the show.
• Too much use of internal monologuing. Urgh … might as well read the novel instead!

The verdict:
This drama is like eating nothing but sweets all day - you get a nice big sugar hit, but at the end of the day still feel dissatisfied and rather empty inside. 6.5/10 – watchable but nothing groundbreaking.

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set up to be spicy but then not spicy (watch suggestions)

Overall: something didn't quite work for me, but I'd love to see the actors in a new series. This is based on a manga which I read though I tried to review it on its own merits (the manga has a lot of NSFW scenes). 8 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4647/cosmetic-playlover-2024

Content Warnings: (there were a few, check this review's comments for them)

Watch Suggestions (removes work drama, love triangles)
- watch episode 1
- watch episode 2 beginning to 8 minutes and then 21:30-the end
- skip episode 3
- watch all of episode 4 or 4-5:10, 7:40-10:40, 15:20-the end
- watch episode 5 beginning to 4:17 and then 17:20-the end
- stop episode 6 at 20:45
- watch episode 7 11:50-13:25, 20:15 to the end
- watch episode 8 beginning to 5 minutes and then 18:15 to the end

What I Liked
- a character was honest in episode 1
- clear premise
- several characters introduced but I wasn't confused
- sweet moments
- supportive family & coworker
- had some good communication

Room For Improvement
- a tsundere character tells the other guy to "prepare himself" and then basically does nothing, they eat spaghetti, there's a hug, the intensity is missing in their relationship and then we have a blushing virgin trope
- work drama was uninteresting
- why did multiple characters find another character so irresistible?
- episode 5 was too late to give the other character's perspective/explain his motivation
- the voice overs
- that Natsume trusted a total stranger over his boyfriend and repeatedly ignored boundaries
- that stupid contest in episode 8 with a no physical affection clause
- I ended up being worried about Natsume's low self esteem and didn't have faith that they would stay together

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