Reviews

Disclaimer: times have changed and so has my review now, but these were my initial thoughts after

Yes, I did rate this a 10, but let me explain. If you look at my other reviews, I'm not usually this generous so I do have my reasons for giving this one such high scores in every category.
The story itself actually had a nice, steady pace. From my drama watching experience (and I have watched quite a lot), the show usually gets draggy around episode 10 to 14. This was NOT the case. From the very beginning it was so action packed and fast paced I wondered how the writers were going to keep this interesting for another 15 episodes. They proved me wrong though, and every episode felt like 3. The story itself, granted they did have the advantage of a unique setting, does not use the same plot devices as other dramas. It was just a perfect mix of humor, suspense, romance, and action. Those are very different genres but they managed to do it really well. There didn't seem to be a central storyline, but instead it was quite episodic which would usually turn me off. The drama, however, had such a good flow that I didn't even notice, and although the conflicts are episodic the romance and relationships between the characters were developed consistently.

The cast did so wonderfully. Not only were the main actors amazing, every actor breathed life into the supporting characters. They were not just there to support the leads. Each one of them actually had their own distinct personalities and characters that added so much substance to the show. The chemistry between the leads and the second leads was one of the best I've seen. Because of the setting and the dire situations they're put in, you can clearly see the development of the characters. And as a side note, though some of Song Joong Ki's lines may come off as cheesy as hell, he pulled it off so well I almost didn't even notice how cheesy they really were. In fact, they just added to his character.

The music is just so so so good. Usually I only find one or maybe two good songs per OST, but right now I have the entire OST on replay on my phone. It's that good.

That said, I would definitely definitely rewatch it. Normally I would have a couple critiques on my reviews, but honestly I couldn't have asked for a better show. Sure, the show has become really mainstream and may come off as overhyped, but that doesn't mean it loses it's value. If you're hesitant about trying it, don't be. Of my 140+ dramas, it's climbed to number 3. You won't regret it!
Now I'm just going to go into my little corner of post show depression :')

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beautiful start into a melancholic love story but then...

after finishing this drama today I'm sad to say it jut get's a shaky 6 in the end - when it was almost a 9 for the first few episodes.

Why is that?


-this drama started sooo promising, good story with some kind of a fresh twist I like -
a male lead character who is handsome, rather rich but still very unhappy and lonely in his life. As a counterpart, a female lead character who is stubborn, painfully straight forward, but rather strong willed.
This is a mix I have rarely seenin K-dramas yet, and I feel it's refreshing and realistic to show that men, also handsome, rather successful men, can be unhappy and lonely and hurt.

The story was progressing rather slowly from the beginning and I did like that pace as the main characters neeed the time to find ways to reach each other, it only makes sense in all the story context.
I found the pace and development perfect until episode 7. From episode 8 on and I was a little worried that due to the fact this has 16 episodes, it suddenly started to drag.

The lead characters both around at least 30 or even 40, first needed some very understandable time to become aware of their feelings for each other, given they are both shy people when it comes to personal emotions, and given the difficult circumstances.
But from episodes 8 on we got more and more if these dragging scenes, the characters just standing around in slo-mo forever looking sad, or walking along a street in slo-mo. looking sad etc. It felt like time fillers to me from a certain point

We had the lead characters confessing their feelings for / to each other from episodes 8 to 10, they go camping together sleeping in the same small tent and spending the night there (the writers just completely leaving out what happened there? What did they talk about? how did they say good night? how did they interact? how was the next morning waking up togther etc. etc?)
We even have them spending a real night together as lovers, the fl openly confessing her love to the ml and then? Nothing, the next day these two people, who are not teenagers but between 30 and 40 years old and very good looking both of them, act like 13- year old teeagers, awkward, cold, distanced, even like they don't know each other personally? I didn't find that convincing.

(In reality: These two lead characters have been drawn to each other for what feels like forever. They finally spend the night together. Yeah, you know what would happen after that? If you ever had that situation yourself with such a prolonged...'forepaly', you know exactly that hormones are in crazy mode after spending such first night finally, and there is no way these two people would act like strangers and all cold the next day. Normally, after all that and confessing to each other, you search the next possible time window to spend more time together and you definitely interact differently, even when it's small things, and you look at each other differently.)

After epsiode 12 the dragging gets worse. There are so many silent scenes in slow motion repeating themselves, where you see either the ml or the fl walking down any street suuuperslowly (especially the fl), looking dazed and sad, or the ml sitting somewhere (either his appartment, a noodle shop or his office) looking blank and sad.
It was just too much of that slow motion walking and looking sad for me. You can use that to accentuate important moments, or moments of real daze and sadness, but when it is used like here the effect wears off and it feels artficial and annoying.

So, the story unfolds, the ml finally hears that the fl is the daughter of his dead stepdad and one of the siblings who got thrown out of their house because of his bitchy, nasty mother. He tries everything to clear the situation, even gets them the house back.
His mother, remaining the nastiest person, gets forgiveness from everyone (which I find HIGHLY unbelievable, especially because she did not change one bit and was just a bit softer for a short moment because she felt pity for herself for having been caught.) What happens to her in the end? We don't really get to know.

I found the last two episodes even worse to be honest. Apart from lots more dragging slow-mo scenes, we suddenly see the pharmacy guy getting together with the fl's older sister - which felt forced to me. I didn't feel like that could have really happened like it did, simply because the pharmacy guy had strong feelings for the fl for years. Suddenly switching to her sister felt strange to me.

So, back to the leads; after all is cleared, surprisingly everyone forgave the ml's awful mother, the siblings get back the house etc - and our leads? - still do a supertragic ' we have to seperate, goodbye forever' - ending of their relationship at a point when it's not necessary anymore? Oo (All of it by the way with both of them having almost robotic blank and sad facial expressions all the time, even when they are alone with each other in the woods.) Ok, even if so, and although I don't get why at that point, they don't do it the way most probably would, by particularly _not_ meeting again to not make it even more hurtful, but istead send a message or talk on the phone to say goodbye, - our leads? They go the extra painful length of driving out of Seoul two hours to go to the favourite wooden trail of the ml, walking together in the sunshine at the most romantic place to then really, expresionlessly, saying goodbye in front of the fl's house? No way!

Then, a time jump all of a sudden, one year later. So for some unknown reason the leads really haven't seen each other for a full year. Then, for further unknown reasons, the older sister suddenly tells the flthat their mother kind of forgave the ml already a year ago (which makes me wonder why the mother wouldn't have told the fl herself a long time ago knowing perfectly well how much her daughter is in love with the guy), the brother sets up a meeting of the leads at a rooftop concert, they both get there, the ml has a bunch of flowers, (endless slow motion again Oo) - they smile at each other and?.....THE END?

I was just annoyed at the end, thinking like what? Why? Why didn't the mother tell her way before she forgave the ml? Why didn't they get together after it was all cleared up a year earlier and instead do this reall weird break up scene with the wooden trail? Why all of a sudden can they now meet exactly a year later, why the flowers, why now? What then?

And I just couldn't get past this unchanged behaviour of the leads after they had spent that night together, I felt like I just saw they were actors acting, and that these two people have not spent a night together. You know, when you are in love like that, when there is such longing, and after you have finally spent a night together, knowing the other person intimately, their body, their scent, etc, you just look at each other differently, you act differently etc. It was just obvious it was an artificial script with two actors who played their roles like it was written down, but these two characters didn't really exist and they were not in love or had spend a night a after a long time of longing for each other.

All in all, almost the whole second half of the episodes was rather disappointing and it got worse with every episode. If the writers would have kept the good tension and realistic vibe they had from episode 1-7, It could have been one of the best and most touching stories in a long time then.

I personally think Kim Young-Kwang is actually a very good and versatile actor, and he plays his characters very convincing and different every time. In fact I meanwhile think he is the best male Korean actor concerning versatility and playing his characters absolutely convincing, easily switching from genre to genre. Sadly, the directors can't get it right and give him a drama that has a good and convincing storyline from start to end.

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O Romance.. Where Art Thou??

It’s funny how the worst part of a drama titled Fight for Love ironically ends up being the love itself.. I simply didn’t feel at all about the romance.. When I watch a drama that has romance at the center of its plot, I need to feel something, it can be fun and lighthearted or angsty and heavy but whatever the tone is, I want to at least care a bit about the relationship.. Well, it just didn’t happen here.. I didn’t feel anything for them honestly.. Their interactions were fine but that's it, it’s just forgettable..

Another issue is that it’s just too long.. 40 episodes is way too much.. And when a story is stretched out like that, it becomes even more important for the narrative to keep moving and to hold your interest the whole way through, but that wasn’t the case here.. The drama has zero narrative momentum.. This should have been a 28–30 episode drama.. There are too many filler stories and way too much time spent on the supporting characters.. We already have the push and pull between the main leads, but then we have to sit through the same thing with the supporting cast as well.. And also an ex who was just there to create unnecessary tension..

It’s such a shame how terribly bland Victoria Song is as the FL, especially when she is paired with a ML like Ding Yuxi.. Her forced expressions, stiff acting and weak fight scenes just made the drama even harder to sit through.. Ding Yuxi is really wasted here and so is his character’s potential.. The issues about his reduced screen time didn’t bother me much, you barely notice it after the initial episodes.. But he is definitely underutilized.. He should have had more fight scenes or at least longer ones.. At least that would have given us something worth watching..

I also wanted to mention a few other things..

Imagine a female general who has killed so many enemy soldiers like they were insects, but when her ex locks her up with him forcefully, she says “What is it that you want?? My body or my love?? If it’s my body, then take it” and then she actually starts to undress herself.. When she could have easily beaten him and walked out without any effort at all.. Does it make any sense??

This one bugged me as well.. The way the story begins.. How does an experienced General march straight into an obvious enemy ambush like that?? With the layout of the land he should have expected it right?? You threw all your sons into one fight, one war, all at the same time.. One wrong move and your whole lineage is gone.. The whole arc honestly felt like it existed just to wipe out the Wei family so that the ML would have a reason to join the FL in her quest for answers and revenge..

The rebirth premise from the original novel felt more promising.. Even though I haven’t read it, I still feel like that version would have been much better.. Why stray so far from it??

Overall, Fight for Love is a drama you can easily skip.. There is nothing here that would make me recommend it to anyone.. The 7 rating is for whatever Ding Yuxi managed to bring to the story.. The team tried way too hard to cram too much into one drama and it just dragged on and on and on..

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Reset the Series Is Not Just a Drama – It’s Absolute Cinema.

Remember this "Pond is going to heights we can never imagine.” After watching the first episode, he was stuck in my head the entire day. At first, I was hesitant to write a review, but I knew I’d regret it later if I didn’t. So here I am!
These days, many dramas focus on the behind-the-scenes lives of actors (like My Stand-In, Top Form, etc.), but even if the theme is similar, every story has its own unique charm. And let me tell you—this one is a REVENGE PLOT, and I love angst more than anything. This drama fits every category I adore.
People are comparing it to Marry My Husband, but Reset the Series is special in its own way.

The first episode was a BANG—1 hour and 10 minutes of pure brilliance. Every second, I found myself praying for it not to end. And even when it did, I was still craving more. It was mesmerizing—beautifully written, with amazing cinematography that made everything perfect.
There’s only one word for it: MASTERPIECE.

Every cast member deserves immense appreciation. I absolutely loved Phat—what a great friend!
The secretary? Poor soul, he's caught in the middle of Thada’s love story like it’s his full-time job! (But sir, are you single by any chance?). And of course, my baby Bom and First—they were amazing as always.
Special mention to TD/Thada—he was phenomenal! He carries that badass aura so effortlessly ( He’s definitely a Daddy—and romantic as hell). And Armin in that black shirt? AAHHHH—who wouldn’t fall for that diva? Honestly, we can’t blame Thada.
The music? Spot on. It worked so well with the revenge tone.
And after watching the preview of the next episode, I threw my phone at my brother’s face. He’s still recovering, by the way. 😅

Everything in this story feels perfect—nothing more, nothing less.
And oh my God, the chemistry was killing me! It all began with just 5–10 minutes, but looking back now, you can see Thada falling head over heels in every frame. I swear, there’s going to be serious competition for the best BL couple title. They’re going to rule the genre. They’ve got the potential.

The only thing I felt lacking was the makeup for the 45–50 Year-old actors—honestly, they still looked 20–25 to me. (Except for Armin.) They could’ve done better with aging them. But hey, that’s forgivable—we got this gem in return.

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Scripted horror.

Unhealthy relationship, lack of communication. If there was a quote on the poster: "An example of what not to do", then it would be a masterpiece, but I doubt that the message was exactly that.

The first half of the quote on the poster states that it should be a romantic comedy, and the other half hints at a tragic ending. The story should make you laugh and connect to the characters, so that you can be moved at the end, despite the fact that you already knew the ending. This is not the case here.

About the title. Sometimes the titles of films or TV series do not carry a load, but sometimes they encapsulate the essence of the whole plot. "Mr Plankton" or simply "Plankton" clearly had to have a meaning. But what was it? It is difficult to understand what idea the drama is trying to convey. The title of the series suggests that even the smallest organisms matter, but how does the series try to make this point, which we only see in one scene where Hae Jo says this to his younger sister in a dream? Where is this overarching theme that was supposed to follow the adventure and comedy that are no less problematic here?

There is no special chemistry between the main characters, and it's not even clear whether you want them to be together or not, it's just not clear what connects them to be together in any case.

It's not funny or interesting, and sometimes even annoying. It's hard to feel any sympathy. Certain decisions of the characters are unnecessary. For example, when Hae Jo leaves Jae Mi in front of her mother's house and leaves. What's the point? He's sobbing in the car because he dumped her, and she's sobbing because her mother didn't recognise her, even though she started crying not even because of that, but because Hae Jo had abandoned her alone, and then started screaming at the woman in hysterics. Where is the compassion here?

Why did He leave her there? And why did she scream hysterically to that woman that she was just scared and ran away because she didn't want the attention of her family and it's clear that she didn't know how they would react, because it was all out of the blue. Hae Jo could have told her that he had found her mother, prepared himself, come with her with a gift, talked to her quietly or made an appointment, and then she would have introduced Jae Mi to her family. But here, there is no justification for this merry-go-round.

Then we see Jae Mi telling her newfound friends that she has found the mother who left her in the orphanage as a newborn baby. And here is a comedy that is not comedy, they are like: "Let me call the right places," each of them giving their options, "and we'll teach her a lesson, what kind of mother does that?" Was that supposed to make me laugh? There are different reasons why she could have left it, she didn't throw it in the trash. Why didn't she come back for it? The scriptwriter should have thought about that, not just left it as a subplot ending.

"Plankton" missed the mark in all areas. It is incomprehensible, emotionless, although many people write that they both laughed and cried. Honestly, it didn't give me any emotions. There is not a single spark between the characters, and for some reason it leaves us somewhat annoyed with its characters and their motivations. The main characters don't know how to communicate, they leave each other and then cry, then come back again, because it's just a forced necessity to create a drama that doesn't work like that.

For some reason, I was also annoyed that they added the song "California dreamin'," which played at the end of the episodes. I associate it with the 1994 film "Chungking Express". For me, this song is recognisable because of this film, and it makes sense even for the plot. But here, it's not clear why it's there.

The only psychological plus in this story was the character of Eo Heung, he is the only psychologically mature person, but in the ending, you can see that his mental wound has not yet completely healed, because it takes time. It would have been better if they had shown that he didn't start his travel blog alone, but with a new girlfriend.

I don't see any point in you watching it. I've warned you. 90% of people's reviews of this project as a masterpiece on various film resources are incomprehensible to me.

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A Short but Striking Wuxia Tale – Dark, Poetic, and Gripping

If you're looking for a compact yet emotionally resonant Wuxia drama, this 18-episode gem (with episodes around 25 minutes each) is absolutely worth your time. Despite its brevity, it delivers a powerful story, rich character development, and stunning visuals.

At the heart of the story is Mo Qingchuan (played masterfully by Cristy Guo), a tragic heroine navigating a path of revenge. She’s a morally gray character—mature, intelligent, and emotionally complex. Her backstory is revealed gradually through well-placed flashbacks, adding layers to her motivation and deepening her character with every episode.

Xia Qiguang (Zhou Zhan), the male lead, is a righteous and loyal figure who occasionally leans into awkwardness, but in a way that’s endearing. While Zhou Zhan may not be the most obvious casting choice, he holds his own and brings credibility to the role. His dynamic with Mo Qingchuan helps ground her, offering a subtle counterbalance to her darker path.

The supporting cast deserves a shoutout too—entertaining and well-acted, they add life and energy to the narrative. The various antagonists are interesting —clever, ruthless, and yes, often sporting dangerously sharp jawlines.

The cinematography is striking, especially in Mo Qingchuan’s fight scenes, which are choreographed beautifully and shot with precision. The costume design is aesthetically pleasing and fitting for the genre. One surprising highlight is the background music: an eclectic blend, sometimes reminiscent of Gregorian chants, which adds a unique atmosphere to key moments.

The storytelling is engaging and well-paced, with only a brief dip into melodrama near the end. But even that scene serves a purpose—it sets the stage for a truly epic climax that lands perfectly. One note of caution: after the final credits, there’s an epilogue. If you loved the powerful ending, you might want to skip it, as it slightly undermines the emotional impact.

Overall, this drama is a hidden treasure—elegant, intense, and emotionally satisfying.
Highly recommended for fans of Wuxia with a touch of tragedy and poetic justice.

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Female lead that is equal with the male lead in brain and brawn

I must admit I didn’t start watching Under the Power until I finished all other Cdramas because Allen Ren (Lu Yi) and Seven Tan (Jinxia) doesn’t fit my preferred look for Cdrama leads who are candy cuties, with fairy faces, and winsome smiles (ex. Jung Jin yi, Zhao Lusi, Zhang Zehan, Jing Boran, etc.).

In terms of acting and chemistry, all I can say is that the actors gave their A game in this production. Though they might not win the most good looking award, Allen Ren and Seven Tan definitely deserve an award for their superb acting that made me fall in love with Lu Yi’s resting frowning face, and Jinxia’s impish character. The supporting actors also gave their best and I must commend Dong Han for giving us the sexiest, and most handsome villain (Yan Shifan) to date. He did a great job by giving us a villain that you love to hate with his smiling face while doing vile deeds that sometimes you get to question yourself if you’re a psycho for wanting to side with him.

For the plot and writing, I love that all the crime solving in the drama are just subplots to propel the story forward to resolve the overarching conspiracy plot. I also like that there are SEVERAL STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS in the story not just the main lead (ex. Ms Shengguan, Mrs. Qing, Zhai Lanye, etc). These female characters are just as strong, intelligent, cunning, and brave as the other male heroes in the story. I also felt that there were no filler scenes and that though this drama is 55 episodes long, it didn’t take 30+ episodes for the main romance to be established. Some dramas take the easy way out and give viewers a lot of kissing or sexy scenes, but the writer of this drama took the harder route by creating more logical scenes to establish the romance. Lu yi and Jinxia’s romance is not your cliched love at first sight or the martyr type romance. I fell in-love with Lu Yi and Jinxia’s romance, so much so that I didn’t care that they never had and never needed a full kiss to express their realistic love for each other. I also love the way the characters were written and that they remained consistent to their core until the end of the series. The main leads’ problems were never drawn out and was resolved in a satisfying manner that you don’t have to pray for their angst to end.

Lastly, only people who expect this drama to be either 100% crime solving or 100% rom com will be disappointed . Because this drama has the perfect blend of the elements for everyone. The breakdown of the drama elements are as follows:
40% crime solving
30% solving the main plot
30% romance between the leads

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IN MEMORY OF YOOK WOO DANG (1984-2003)

That’s what it says at the end of this short film, so I read about him. Yook Woo Dang is the pen name of Yun Hyon-seok, a South Korean LGBT poet-writer-activist. He took his own life in protest against discrimination against gays in South Korea.

The short film is also about contemplating suicide. Jin Joon Won is bullied because he is gay. The girl who he fights with is not his girlfriend but his true self, which he blames for his troubles. But he makes peace with her (or himself) before attempting to end his life.

The initial scene in which Jin Joon Won is eating lots of fried chicken, to me, shows that he is not enjoying what he is doing anymore. He is eating, yes, but his eyes are blank and his mind is not in it.

This 12-minute film says a lot in such a short time. Acting is good, and so is the direction, cinematography, editing and overall look. Definitely worth a rewatch.

The lead actor here, Yoo Jun, is also lead in COLOR RUSH, another great show (this one is a BL series of 8 episodes) from South Korea.

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Not groundbreaking, but still a hidden gem that is definitely my best watch so far this year~

This show only having 26 episodes is unconstitutional! It's realistic and grounded, but with very good writing and direction. People often mistake "ethereal aesthetics" as the pinnacle of good dramas, but good direction shines even more in dramas like these. Before I start with my review of the story, it's important to note that this is a slice of life show that you watch with your family on TV over dinner or while you're lounging in the living room in the evening. It's intended to be a legal education that is digestible for normal people. It's not some grand legal drama emphasizing the "glory" of the legal profession and the judiciary. It's very down to earth, and if you don't like that and expect dramatics, you probably wouldn't enjoy this one. Another downside I can see about this show that might turn people off is the weird dubbing at some scenes. But it's not even a problem of the actors. It's more of the production team changing the lines post-production to pass censorship. If you can get past some scenes where they do that, then you're good to go.

STORY:

I'm going to preface this by saying that they definitely did their research in writing the show. But then, I read that this was supervised by the Supreme Court, so it's bound to be accurate to a certain extent.

First of all, what I love about this show is that some of the cases don't end definitively or in a way that is intended to satisfy the audience. Instead, some cases are resolved in a way that is true to human nature. It's very much true to life and close to reality. Because some family matters just don't get resolved in the "perfect happy ending" that we wish them to be resolved. Like Shen Xiezhi, we go on this journey to slowly acknowledge that even when the law dictates this, even when the moral norms of society expect that—the wishes of the parties themselves are the most important, and to truly resolve the grievances in their hearts, the resolution of their cases must be tailored for them and their situation, and not mere textbook answers we find in codals and society.

On this note, I also love how they don't just focus on one case at a time, because the reality is that judges and lawyers have to deal with several cases a day. And this show simulates that pretty well without disrupting the flow of the story, since we are still able to see the linear timeline of the main characters' personal lives.

Another thing I love about this show is that the world doesn't bend to accommodate Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's love. Instead, they are the ones who have to bend to accommodate to how the world goes. That's reality. That's life. And it makes me appreciate their relationship even more, knowing that they've made a lot of efforts and thinking to make it work—all the while not sacrificing what is inherent in them as individuals. Their careers really matter to them, and they respect each other's careers and choices, too. Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui are two people with different dreams and aspirations—one wants to be a judge in the High Court, the other wants to work in a big law firm and earn a lot for herself and her Grandma—and they both know from the start that being together might hinder their career options in the future (because of the recusal rule preventing a judge and a lawyer from working within the same jurisdiction). And you know what? This is what makes the angst so good, delicious, and just *chef's kiss*~ This is what makes the wait to see how they will resolve all of this all the more thrilling. Here are two people who love each other; and they love each other too much, to the point that even if it hurts their heart—even if they miss each other all the time, they are still genuinely happy for the other for pursuing their dreams. There is no resentment in the choices that they made—just understanding (that it is what it is), longing (to be with the person even if it is impossible at the moment), and a sense of pride (that the other is reaching greater heights that they have long dreamed of achieving). I can't emphasize this enough, but they are truly just such a mature pair and a very healthy couple. And even when they started off at the wrong foot, with endless "meet uglies", their best traits still shone for the other to recognize and admire.

I also love how we saw different types of marriages in this show. We saw Judge Shu Jing and her husband's marriage, as well as Judge Yu Le and her husband's marriage. I particularly like the side story about Judge Shu Jing and her husband because I think aside from Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's relationship, they are another good contrast to Jiang Feng and Lou Yue. While Jiang Feng and Lou Yue think that it will be a sacrifice to take a step back in their careers for the sake of their marriage and may be a cause for emotional blackmail in the future, Judge Shu Jing's husband has made peace with his decision regarding his career change and doesn't necessarily see it as a sacrifice, because he's more than willing to live a much simpler life for his family. As for Judge Yu Le and her husband, they're kind of a "perfect" pair. I say this lovingly: She's such a pampered princess off work, but it's okay because her husband is more than willing to indulge her. There's also Judge Ying Danian and his wife, who are quite a lovely and chill pair, even at the face of challenges (like his wife being sick). They're braving it together and he's a constant support for her, and it's just lovely to see.

On the topic of Judge Yu Le off work, I really love her off work outfits. She's so fashionable. Also Hu Aixi.

Special Mention: Jiang Feng and Liu Lian. Jiang Feng is such a funny friend. He's just a silly comedic relief for me. Whenever he goes to Shen Xiezhi's apartment unannounced and unsolicited, I just know they're going to piss each other off. As for Liu Lian, she's such a great friend. I really love her friendship with Qin Rui. They have stuck with each other for better and for worse and I love how in the moments where Qin Rui feels down, she's there to pull her up and remind her that she's there, better days are coming, and everything will be alright.

Special Mention 2: Chen Xianghui. I really love his ending. It was such a pleasant surprise for me when I saw it. And you know what? HE DESERVES IT! He's so dedicated to his job and constantly shadows Shen Xiezhi to learn from him. He can be a little self-deprecating because he has failed the Bar Exam multiple times, but that never stopped him from doing his best. It's just so commendable.

(You can check the comments if you want to read some of my insights on Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's characters and relationship.)

ACTING/CAST:

I'm going to be honest, Gong Jun didn't really stand out to me as an actor BEFORE. I watched his shows early in his career and after that, I stopped tuning in for his shows altogether. I am quite fond of him in variety shows, though. He seems like an overall lovely guy in real life. But this show changed my perspective of him as an actor again. He's actually good if given the chance to work with good directors and writers. He really brought Shen Xiezhi to life and his acting is so natural and convincing. He can be funny with his judging looks in the courtroom (he's a judge, and he judges LOL), but he can also deliver the perfect emotions of a discerning outsider watching emotionally-driven confrontations in court. Sure, he is moved, but he also maintains the level of professionalism required for his job. I really hope he gets a chance to work in similar shows because I feel like these types of shows suit him more? (Anyway, this truly put Gong Jun back in the map for me. I might even revisit some of the shows he has done after I stopped tuning in for his shows back then. And tune in for his future ones, too.)

As for Ren Min—THE ACTRESS SHE IS. I have always liked her. She's such an effective actress that I can always count on being immersed whenever I'm watching her. There's so much depth and nuance in her acting, that I could empathize with Qin Rui and feel for her. I saw that she actually wrote a character analysis for Qin Rui before they started filming and this dedication to the craft is truly awe-inspiring. She's definitely going places and I'm so excited to see her future works.

Gong Jun and Ren Min have amazing chemistry, especially when they're bickering. I really ate up their dynamic in this show and kinda went crazy when the obvious dislike their characters had for each other became charged with something else that they're both too scared to name. I hope they work together again. I think they would work well in an investigation drama. Or maybe those infinite flow stories (I think it's the new trend in C-Dramaland right now).

I have constantly said before that an actor is good is when I'm able to enjoy the show while watching him or her. If the actor delivers what he has to deliver and make me feel for their character, then they're good in my books. For this show, everyone has done a great job in doing that. From the main characters, to the supporting characters, and most especially to the main characters in each of the cases. The acting in this show is very grounded, and I think that's what makes it more effective for me. I am truly convinced that these are real life people facing these real life problems and I'm really just wishing the best resolution for their cases all throughout the show.

MUSIC:

The OSTs in this show are quite unassuming. I didn't even realize that I've had it memorized (and that I even remembered it) until I started humming along when the songs play in some scenes. There's nothing really much to say about the music, but the sound effects and BGM are all well-placed throughout the show and they have never felt out of place.

REWATCH VALUE:

Would you believe it if I said it has so much rewatch value, I end up rewatching while I'm still watching the episode itself? I always catch myself rewinding the scenes (especially Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's scenes) and as if that's not enough, I even go to XHS to watch edits. The rewatch value is just so high for me, I can't even explain it. It takes me hours to finish a 45-minute episode, it's quite insane.

OVERALL:

I thoroughly LOVE this show. I love this show so much, I have written a lot of thinkpieces about Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui. I just cannot find it in me to shut up about them. At the same time, this show has also generated a lot of discussion (especially on Chinese social media) and it's quite interesting to read some of other people's takes, too. Not only is the show fun in itself, but the experience of watching it is fun, too. Call me a nerd, but I really love it when good discussions are made regarding the plot and the characters, interpreting their backgrounds and motivations and how these affect how they move along in the story.

Like I said above, it's not groundbreaking. But nevertheless, it is still a hidden gem that everyone should have the luck to come across with. It's definitely my favorite watch this year so far and I really hope everyone can give it a try~

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This drama is awesome!!! If you like psychologically disturbing, deeply emotional, life questioning dramas, then you will like this. I don't know if I am qualified to write a review for something this emotionally provoking.

The synopsis for this drama doesn't even begin to tell the story. It is dark, but somehow gives hope. The story is very detailed and all the characters are intricately combined. The imagery as well as the references to Dante's inferno and Rodin's Gateway to Hell etc. trigger so many emotions and elicit so many thoughts. The use of the tarot cards throughout gives answers and brings questions. I was blown away by the way each character’s story is told. The cinematography was so well done. There were so many scenes that I thought were perfectly portrayed. There are very few times in this drama when I knew what was going to happen next. I watched this ***with my sister, finally someone to watch drama with*** in a few days because it was hard to stop due to the perfect pacing of the drama. I almost felt desperate to know what was going to happen next. The ending is one of the best that I have ever seen. I would give this drama a 10 for the ending alone. This isn't a romance and there is no fairy tale. If that is what you want to watch, then this is not the drama you are looking for.

The acting is beyond great. Uhm Tae Woong plays Kang Oh Soo who is the detective of this drama. I won't try to tell his story, because it is too complex. I have liked Tae Woong as an actor for a long time, but his portrayal of Kang Oh Soo’s good, bad, and ugly emotions is perfect. It is hard not to find this character pitiful and lovable. Joo Ji Hoon plays Oh Seung Ha. This character is so multifaceted. He is cold but just by using Ji Hoon’s expressions, I knew there was more to him. There is no way that I could not be sympathetic to his character. I have seen Ji Hoon in Goong and Antique Bakery. I liked him in both, but I really had no idea that he could pull something like this off. It makes me want to watch Five Fingers next. I love Shin Min Ah. She is one of my favorite actresses. I don’t know why she isn't in more dramas. I’m really enjoying her in Arang and the Magistrate also which is airing right now. I hope she does many, many more. Her portrayal of Seo Ha In is so good. She IS the light in this drama. There are so many more characters that make this drama worth watching. Usually I get annoyed with secondary stories and lots of secondary characters, but for this drama every character had his/her place and the actors did a great job of bringing those characters to life.

Honestly, I couldn't tell you what music was played in this drama. I can say though that it wasn't annoying like some music in a melodrama can be.

I will rewatch this at some point.

I recommend this to anyone who likes revenge and psychological dramas.

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One of the best dramas I've seen in a long time. Amazing film quality cinematography, breathtaking on-location shoots for beautiful scenes of China, stellar cast (how'd they get Adam Chen and Leon Lai??) , and a highly developed world with complex characters and a story that unfolds in a coherent, logical, intriguing way. This isn't your average fluffy, nonsensical cheesy romance. So if that's what you want, then don't watch it. However, if you love a great story with focus and purpose that's driven by strong characters then this is it. Epic is really the best word to describe this drama.

The camerawork is outstanding. You may not notice or care but most dramas are not shot like this. This is theater-quality filming with all on-location and natural weather settings. You can see the snow falling and melting into the actor's hairs. The wide angle aerial shots make those vast desert landscapes and green mountains seem to burst out of the screen. Just for the visuals alone this drama is worth multiple rewatches.

The story is this grand world that's on par with something like Game of Thrones. Deeply detailed with multiple kingdoms and all coherent and well-established. You can tell this drama is based on a well-written novel. The key driving force are the characters of course. Arthur Chen does an amazing job as Ning Que. He is charismatic and fun to watch on-screen. His chemistry with Song Yi Ren (Sang Sang) is fantastic. You can tell he is a rather young actor in some of the scenes that require deeper emotions and subtlety but he really holds his own against super veteran actors and a grand-scale epic story like this. Can't believe he is only 19 with lots of room to grow.

They really didn't skimp on anything for this drama. At a budget of $70 million USD (quite unheard of for tv dramas), everything is high quality. The costumes are realistic and so are the sets (again, money well-spent on those on-location shoots). Also, no poor wire tricks here. The action sequences are again movie quality. Very well choreographed and executed. Each movement is so tightly done and well-executed. For an action buff like me I just couldn't get enough. The thing I noticed the most? The soundtrack. From the opening scene to the various character themes the music is amazing. Just listening to it transports you back to the scenes and characters.

Obviously I can't say enough about this drama. I think I was just taken really aback by how well made this drama is. I haven't seen work like this since HK's Golden Age. It makes me hopeful of many of the C-Dramas that will come out of China in the coming years. Although Arthur Chen is not coming back for Season 2, which is extremely disappointing, I will watch Season 2 if it has the same high production value as Season 1.

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It’s a mature and melancholic love story so worth the watch!

I adored the calming vibes, soft music, the poetic dialogues, the wonderful aesthetics and most importantly, our heartwarming main couple; Jin Woo and Mo Eun are both flawed and have their own struggles, so empathizing with them requires zero effort. Although the pacing is quite slow, it's never boring as their relationship develops in a very natural way.

Of course, they have doubts and anxiety of not understanding each other, especially when they start seeing how different they are. Miscommunications in personal feelings, family matters... are unavoidable, but it never feels long-winded and frustrating. Watching them interact is just beautiful. Jin Woo conveys his emotions through impactful sign language and his thoughtfulness are shown through his care towards Mo Eun. Then, Mo Eun, even when she cannot exchange dialogues with Jin Woo due to her shortcomings in sign language, she makes efforts to comfort him. Their story gives me all the feels and that's all I could ask for. The drama overall left me feeling hopeful.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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