Reviews

Lovely little drama. Not as good as it could be, but worth a watch.

~PROS~

Production:
Colour grading, scene composition, lighting, music, set design are all pretty great. Adds a lot of richness and atmosphere to the drama and each scene. The entire OST is beautiful.

Costumes/Styling:
Main characters have a variety of outfits, and there's different levels of wealth/class level being communicated through the costumes among the cast. In later scenes in the capital some of the fabrics and textures look great, robes look HEAVY and layered. Liu Xue Yi's styling in particular is outstanding in this drama, really works to highlight his best features and he looks true to his character's reputation of being particularly handsome.

Story:
The story has an interesting premise, isn't overly complicated, and focused from start to finish. It's not a literary masterpiece, but nothing meandering or offensive here. Pacing is also generally consistent all the way to the end, doesn't seem super rushed and crammed like some other dramas in recent years.

~CONS~

Fight Scenes:
Choreography of the fights aren't bad, but it feels like the director isn't experienced in filming them. There are instances where you can see the actors moving a bit slow and you become very aware they're going through a planned choreography, which took me out of the scenes sometimes, as someone who likes wuxia dramas.

Ju Jing Yi's acting:
Let me preface this by saying I'm completely unfamiliar with her and her acting prior to this drama and have nothing personal against her, but this section is lengthy because her role is extremely important on multiple levels for this drama. JJY's acting in this drama is just okay/passable for me. She goes through all the motions the script demands of her, and displays all the appropriate emotions, but I think this role is a bit out of her depth. I do not see Yang Cai Wei in her. I'm often aware that it's "JJY acting like Yang Cai Wei" instead of "Yang Cai Wei in the body of Shangguan Zhi". Any resemblance to YCW in her acting are from superficial things (such as saying things YCW would say or displaying YCW's deduction skills), she doesn't have any of YCW's body language or facial expressions, nothing that makes her FEEL like YCW, that this is a character who's carrying a complex past and resulting mental burden. I've had to remind myself many times that this person is supposed to be YCW and not a completely new character. It's no surprise that there are so many jokes about Pan Yue "cheating", because it does feel like that sometimes, especially when the chemistry between post-swap PY and YCW is also very different. The dubbing voice actress remained the same for both versions of YCW throughout the drama but even that didn't help convince me that JJY was actually YCW. She's not a deal breaker, but her lack of ability does drag the drama down compared to if they'd casted an actress with more acting ability. And while I liked seeing the main couple together for plot/ship reasons, on a technical level Liu Xue Yi and Ju Jing Yi's scenes together lacked texture and flow compared to LXY's scenes with some of the other actors (his father, SGZ's brother, original YCW). The gap between their levels of acting ability and commitment is very obvious sometimes, to the point where I have to applaud LXY for doing the extra lifting in some scenes of them together.

~OVERALL~

As a whole, I actually really enjoyed this drama. I've had to suspend my disbelief a little bit when it came to JJY's YCW (remind myself that it's really YCW in the story's universe regardless of what I'm getting from the actress in reality), but I can only do so because I find the drama generally very charming and I wanted to continue and see PY and YCW get together like they deserve. The main couple is very sweet and their affection for each other is steadfast and reliable despite the initial mutual suspicions (understandable). There's a lot of things this production does well, and I admire the team for spending time and effort into things that really matter to make this production feel more expensive than it is. If they make a second season I'll definitely watch it!

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Rivals in business since Childhood

Xixi was adopted by Duan Ran's family when her mother died when she was 9. Her dad left her and her mom working inUSA. She's been friends with Ran and they fight all the time. They were regarded as siblings so they both adhere to this. As adults they rivaled being the CEO of Rui. There's a lot of Johnny carrying Jinyan in this show which are so cute that I shipped them immediately.

I love their teamwork when they saved the company from Cheng (former owner of Rui) evil plan to sabotage Rui.

MUSIC background is sometimes distracting as it is sometimes too LOUD.but they fixed this around ep 14 or so. Yay.

Ep 12 and w8ing for next episodes on IQIYI. IMMEDIATELY subscribed as soon as I saw this show was on.

Ep 23 first kiss happened and more love adventures


I hated Duan Ran's mom even after her acceptance of Xixi. The ending was happy but the kiss is more passionate in the earlier episodes

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I have no idea why I started watching Ring Ring Bell because 1. I wasn't familiar with the cast, 2. The synopsis sounded lame, and 3. It's really hard for me to finish a Taiwanese drama without dropping. When I noticed that the first ep was subbed on Viki something in my mind told me just give the first episode a try, no harm done...

Story- The first episode was so original. I liked that we got to see a backstory of how fate will play a role in them meeting again, although for a bit they don't know what we know. This drama was heavy on the romance and the story is predictable but I just found it so fascinating. I love that the feelings the main couple had for each other never wavered. Now there was plenty conflict especially towards the end but it never got too angsty to the point of frustration. My only complaint about the story would be the arc about the tug of war team, it really could have been done without. The ending was happy=)

Acting/Cast-The leads really carried the show. Their acting especially by Janine was really really good. She had a lot of crying scenes and managed to make them very believable. Peter and her had such an AMAZING chemistry. Now a lot of the supporting characters I thought the drama could have did without, like Xiao Xiang’s friend she meets competing for a job and her tug of rope posse. They were so annoying and also Xiao Xiang’s family especially her mom(the overacting was really too much). Other than that I liked the supporting cast.

Music- I don't usually notice a Taiwanse OST unless its to the point where I can hum the melodies of the songs outside of watching the show. So I can say without a doubt, I really liked the OST and score because they were memorable.

Rewatch- I can see myself watching this once a year just because the drama is short and I loved the leads. I could never get bored with watching this.

Overall Ring Ring Bell might seem cliche and silly at times but it was such an enjoyable watch. This is my top Taiwanese drama even beating out Autumn's Concerto & Devil Beside you. That's saying something!

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I'm split on this series

I will admit it- it wasn't that good. However, it wasn't that bad either. Yes, I can say that this Korean BL isn't up to par to the other Korean BL's that I have watched and I am even comparing it to some STRONGBEERY series (Long Time No See and My Pistachio) that I have watched. But! I did enjoy watching it.

Story-7.5/10
If you are looking for a realistic Joseon Dynasty historical drama, I got news for you- continue looking. This series ain't it. But if you are looking for something to pass the time away- go ahead and give this a go. Yeah, there are so many things that were brought up like how the mother and sister hasn't realize that Ryu In Soo's wife has an Adam's apple. But, you know what? I'm not going to dwell on that.

The synopsis the series sounds promising. But like most Koren BL's, time is the issue here. There is not much time to develop he proper flow of this series, so it feels like there are missing pieces to the story (that hopefully the movie version will be able to bring).

Acting/Cast-8/10
In all honesty, I liked all of the actors. Especially Jang Eui Soo. I felt like when he was in a scene, he stole the show.

Music-8/10
I liked the music.

Rewatch Valu-7/10
While I may rewatch this series, I am not that eager to watch it anytime soon. So, for that reason I give it a 7.

Overall-7.5/10
Overall it wasn't a strong series like the other Korean BL's that I have watched. But I still enjoyed myself watching it every Thursday for these past four weeks.

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Wonderful story, chemistry- wonderful drama

So at first, I watched the trailer and didn't really expect much, except for the Hikaru No Go crossover. At first I thought that this will be just like another adult drama with draggy storyline and annoying characters, however to my surprise, this drama is excellent.

The series revolves around the 2 best friends work and love life. Throughout the series, you can see how each character develop to become a better person. In this series, each person plays an important role, not only Li Yi Tong and Chen Jin as the main lead, but I feel like every one is the main lead in the drama. At first, I kinda grumbled seeing how the third couple (Ye Zhou and Guan Ye) has so many screen time, thinking that it was unnecessary and boringg. But after finishing the drama, I realised that every one of the character in the drama is the main role (even though their world revolves around Lu Ke and Shen Si Yi) . Each of the characters have their own story shown, even though not much of the screen time of them is shown. Every person that appears in the drama and the problems encountered help every one of the character in the drama grow, they grow alongside with the main lead (which is very unoften to see in dramas). Insignificant characters and their own story makes me very attached to this drama, it is their presence and each of their story that makes the drama a 很了不起的 drama.

And another important thing is this drama doesn’t have draggy problems and storyline. The problems encountered in the drama is very realistic and they don’t drag the problem solving. Also, (THANK GOD) there is no annoying male or female lead.

And of course, li yi tong and chen jin chemistry is impeccable!! Their acting skills and chemistry made me really though that I am watch a documentary series about them. Last but not least, the cinematography and music is also perfect. The camera angles, editing, and everything it is like watching a movie production. The slow-tempo and jazz music is the perfect combination for the cinematography. With both of them, you really feel the ambience of the series. You can feel that you are “IN” the series, watching alongside each of the characters and their growth.

In conclusion, if you are watching for a light hearted drama which makes you smile, laugh, cry this is the perfect drama!! My review can't really sum up how amazing this drama is, but I do recommend every one of you to watch this drama!!
And I don't know if they dubbed for this series, but god.. I am in love with Zhang Meng's voice and accent!!!

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Revenge Must Be Served With Blood

Watch if you like: historical dramas with revenge arcs, low romance, strong complex female leads, and no-nonsense action.

This is a gripping wuxia revenge thriller that trades traditional romance for character loyalty, trauma healing, and politics.

The drama centers around Mo Qing Chuan, once a feared general, now a fallen woman navigating survival, vengeance, and identity behind the palace walls. She is one of the rare female leads who genuinely looks and acts like a legendary general: commanding, physically capable, and emotionally unreadable. Her strength is both stoic and devastating.

While the plot can be dense (especially without deep historical/political knowledge), what pulls you in are the character dynamics, not just between Mo Qing Chuan and her student Qi Guang, but also with Jiang Kui, the chaotic strong-woman sidekick who could kill a man and look adorable doing it.

Qi Guang is such a lovable male lead, not a typical romantic hero, but a loyal, idealistic not-so-respected prince who admires greatness with his whole heart. Watching him wrestle with loyalty, admiration, and the weight of truth is half the journey. His chemistry with both Mo Qing Chuan and Jiang Kui makes him one of the show’s hidden pillars.

Despite a few pacing dips (especially in court politics and repetitive subplots), this is a drama with a tight cast, excellent character casting, and moments that hit emotionally when you least expect it. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it earns its impact with strong performances and a rare female-led narrative that doesn’t romanticize strength but burdens it.

Highlights:

Mo Qing Chuan’s character design and arc

Jiang Kui: scene-stealing, physically strong, emotionally gentle

Qi Guang’s loyalty + discovery arc

No forced romance, but heavy bonds and subtle emotions.

"MO Qing Chuan will live."

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Pink Sugar: Almost Too Much Cheese and Fluff – Not Enough Depth

If you need a break from serious dramas and real life or just a quick watch –this could be a decent way to spend your time. But do not expect depth and character development. The female lead is not stupid and clueless, even though she is acting all cutesy. I don't hate this drama but I don't see why it deserves really high ratings either. I see the appeal of it but it also feels like this is really more suited for teens and fluffy romantic enthiausiats? I get it, it's based on a shojo manga :D I definitely prefer this overly sweet drama with lots of skinship over toxic relationships that are usually more common with this genre. If this was a perfume, it would be Aquolina Pink Sugar (Eau de Toilette).

They do touch upon serious topics but those issues seem to be always magically solved. I appreciate that they talk but it feels almost too good to be true? I think marrying someone so fast should cause more conflicts? I guess I get that this drama is more on the fluffy side, but I would have been ok with moments where they discover habits etc. they dislike or a hobby/interest/unexpected side of the person they married. Some people rated this with a 10 and I'm confused because Jdramas on here are rated quite low here usually.

The intro is a lot of fun, I absolutely loved watching it and never skipped it. However, those supporting guys seem all to be useless? I don't like love triangles and unneccessary conflicts, but somehow I would expect them to play a more important role in this drama? Like they appear here and there but in the end they are simply plot devices. Even the best friend of the ML is quite unimportant and 2D.

The kissing scenes and bed scenes were really nicely shot. They are not awkward and very cute. Sometimes I got the feeling that this is a fanfiction story :D

I think there was potential to make the characters and story line more well-rounded and dimensional but in the end it felt more overly sweet and simple perfume like the perfume Aquolina Pink Sugar – you can easily use too much and get sick of it. The dialogues are quite simple and I feel like they used cute, crafty and sadist 1000 times. I don't hate this drama but I don't love it either. Don't expect a master piece.

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This drama is a gem and a rarity in Kdramaland. The level of sensibility in this show goes above and beyond anything I’ve seen in my 70+ Asian drama repertoire. This show is incredibly impressive when it comes to relationships and maturity. The characters are so functional together.

I watched this with the family. We did plenty of marathoning. It’s an easy show to watch with great little arcs that are quickly completed so annoying people/events aren’t dragged out unnecessarily. I do feel like that is one of the killers in Korean dramas, especially if you’re watching it with others and can’t press the fast forward button as liberally. The plotlines and the setups were intriguing, thought-provoking and feasible.

I enjoyed the pacing in this show with all the neat and tidy arcs. And the show maintains its consistency and quality all the way through. That’s noteworthy. At first, the comedy felt forced, but in general, the drama was everything – funny, sad, meaningful and intelligent. All the characters are fun and don’t waste their screen time.

The start is a little shaky as most Korean dramas are. But it settles in nicely. The characters are smart, funny, quirky and loveable.

One of the main things that stands out to me with this show is their problem solving, friendship and communication. Because they all dream about each other’s lives, it’s hard to keep secrets and they all talk about their problems together. This is awesome.

Jae Chan – male lead
This is probably one of the first LJS dramas where he’s not this perfect upstanding guy. I liked his flaws. His character development is wonderful and his backstory fits in nicely with his philosophy and attitude.

Hong Joo – female lead
I loved how respected she is in this show. She is well positioned in her workplace and she gets to play a significant role in problem solving. At times, I’m annoyed that she just thinks she’s helpless in the face of her nightmares.

Woo Tak – aka Batman
This guy was hands down the most favourite character. He is so good-natured, handsome, and strategic. His involvement in the show made everything better. I loved him so much from beginning to end.

Yoo Beom – bad guy
This guy is handsome too but he can also be hella annoying. Still, I liked his character and how he contributed to the troubles of our team.

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This is the longest drama I have ever watched. Was 50 episodes too long? YES!!! Even if you love the characters, a drama can still overstay it's welcome, and I think this one did. If it were 30, or even maybe 40 episodes, my overall score would've been much higher. Am I disappointed I watched it? Not at all. In the beginning I was completely confused, but "I Have a Lover" was very entertaining until it got to the home stretch.

The story centers around a ridiculously attractive couple played by Kim Hyun and Joo Ji Jin Hee. Their dysfunctional relationship ends up being the catalyst for infidelity, mistaken identity, family wars, business betrayals, and a lot of frustration (not a plausible plot at all, but still entertaining). Ji Jin Hee was great as Jin Eon (who I named "The Brat" because of his annoying tantrums), but Kim Hyun Joo was really unbelievable, and the MVP of this drama! I really thought of Hae Gang and Yong Gi as two completely different people. Even knowing that it was the same actress, I still felt like I was watching 2 completely different actresses who looked slightly similar. I started calling her "Orphan Black". Then there's Park Han Byul who played the young "homewrecker" who tests their relationship Seol Ri ( I started calling her "Young Ho" - inappropriate but befitting her character). I wanted to smack her in her head for most of the show, but that means she was really good. Then they added Lee Kyu Han as Baek Seok (who I named "Forever friendzoned"). Will he ever get the girl? I just watched him in "Can you hear my heart" and he is really the perfect second lead. I would totally friend zone a guy as cool as him, but I hope to see him as a lead (Does that drama exist?). In the first quarter, it's the dynamic between these four characters that drives the story, but this drama almost changed into a completely different drama several times before it ended. It's only the acting that really holds the whole story together.

I was really into the relationship story, then the show started to focus more on the corrupt family business, and that's when I started to slowly lose interest. Dok Go Young Jae, Baek Ji Won, and Gong Hyung Jin were great at playing characters you love to hate, but I just didn't care about that story line. Thankfully eye candy Lee Jae Yoon starts having a more prominent role (I called him Dr. Aspergers) and I started to wish that he, Kim Hyun Joo, and adorable Kim Ha Yoo had their own spinoff show. Soon I started to like them more than the main couple, who's antics became just too repetitive, but they weren't given enough scenes, and their story resolved way too early in the show. That's why, for the last few episodes, I was forcing myself to watch, because it seemed like a waste to drop it after committing so much time to it.

Would I rewatch this whole thing? No! I could definitely watch certain scenes again, strictly for the chemistry and attractiveness. The last few episodes felt almost like complete filler (so many flashbacks at the end), so watching those episodes even once was more than enough. I also didn't like the introduction of new characters at the last minute. It almost seemed like they had no idea how to resolve certain main character stories, so they just added random characters to make the audience feel better. I didn't feel better, I felt cheated.

What about the music? Ryu's "Years" is damn near impossible to get out of my head. That's probably because it was played so obnoxiously during every single tragically romantic moment. Once that drum intro started I knew Hae Gang and Jin Eon were about to have a "moment". It's a beautiful song, so having it as an earworm is forgivable. The rest of the soundtrack was good too, and I like how music played a part in reminding them about their daughter. Oh, and my confession about the Ryu song... yes I already downloaded it. The fact that i still wanted to listen to it after hearing it so many times during the 50 episodes, means I must like it a lot. I think I will play it while I finish writing this review, to set the mood *Cue drum intro*

Overall, This drama is good enough to recommend, but I definitely understand if people don't want to make the 50 episode commitment. I didn't feel that addicted feeling until about episode 10, and it didn't lose it's thrill until after episode 40. I'm personally not sold on watching dramas this long, but I have no regrets about watching. What this drama does really well is show the depths a relationship can go through, which I loved. This is a grown up love story that is sad, and sexy, and frustrating, and inspiring. I would recommend it, but suggest loading up on snacks, getting a super comfy spot, and not making any plans for a while.

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A very good chemistry between the actors

SPOILER ALERT

if it wasn't for the open ending, i would definitely rate this 10/10 (currently trying my best to recover from the heartbreak).

But overall, loving the plot, the chemistry was top tier, the couples were very mature and sweet, even the chemistry between main and support role can be seen. A very well done drama indeed. The plot was well-written too. Actually the ending wasn't that bad cause its totally make sense but its just i am a sucker for a cliche happy ending hahaha. But still i love it. Everyone really should give this a try!

Also i freakin love zhang jingyi she's so good, hopefully we could see both male and female lead in other drama in the future.

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This drama is like a gem in a pile of trash. And no, I am not saying that dramas around it are garbage. Marriage, Not Dating is both the pile of trash and the gem in it.

The story is as cliche as it gets. Marriage contracts, evil mothers, ex girlfriends and second male leads, this drama has everything! While that doesn't necessarily make it bad, in this case it did. Both the second male and female leads were annoying and hard to understand, the writers failed to make them even a tiny bit relatable, they just threw their backround stories on us saying "Here! That's what you want, right?". Both of them felt superficial and God do I hate people who smile all the time like Yeo Reum did. Since it doesn't really have a story, then It's automatically aiming to be a character driven drama, but they failed to costruct good characters. The last 3-4 episodes redeemed a lot of the drama by giving some character development to Jang Mi's parents and Gi Tae's mother, the way they handeled her character was easily the best part of this drama. The two main leads were cliche. A clumsy, no good female lead who's driven by her feelings and a rude main male lead who becomes nice by the end because love(?). Both of them only got sappy developments which is fine I guess.

Now the gem of this drama was the atmosphere, the way they handeled the comedy and mood shifts. It's so hard to do, yet they managed to do such a good job at it a scene could be both funny and heart wrenching and only God knows how they managed to pull it off. That's why I still managed to enjoy this drama. The main characters, even if not the most original, were fun to observe, because of the comedic situations they got themselves into and the way the writers handeled them.

The soundtrack was catchy, too. The way they used the "Bridal Chorus" was very creative. All the songs could totaly stand on their own.

This could have been really good, but it just wasn't and I am not seeing what other people did. While the gem shines brightly I just can't ignore the trash around it thus I would only recommend this drama if you have nothing else to watch and want a few laughs.

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Quaranthings: The Series (2020): An Underrated Top-Tier Pinoy BL Series

“Quaranthings: The Series” deserves a higher rating than its current My Drama List (MDL) rating. It’s definitely underrated. In eight episodes, it has consistently proven that it’s a top-tier Filipino (Pinoy) boys' love (BL) series.

In terms of plot/storyline, “Quaranthings: The Series” never lost track of what it's all about throughout its entire run. It’s about two boys from different class, economic, and educational backgrounds who developed love for each other while on community quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal and social contexts were clear with real-life issues like gender identities and sexual orientations, family relationships, economic difficulties, and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Class and gender, and to a certain extent, even religious consciousness were explicit on this series. Character background and character development for flawed characters Judah and Rocky were solid. Pace was terrific. Each episode contributed to the unfolding of the plot/storyline. And there weren’t any dull moments from this series. I did have some issues with some of the scenes (e.g. drunk sex scene) but all in all, I enjoyed most of the scenes. Most of the loose ends with regard to Judah's grandmother and mother, Rocky’s father and family, Kyo’s relationship with Glenn, and Kyo and Rocky’s relationship were resolved. Even with all the emotional rollercoasters throughout its season, in the end, we did get our happy ending!

Screenplay was relatable and well-balanced with enough cute, funny, and naughty lines and with sufficient dramatic and socially sensitive dialogues. There were relevant political commentaries as well. Highlighting its social consciousness, it had non-preachy socially sensible lines about being poor (“It's hard to be poor in this country;” “It’s easier to be true to yourself when you don’t have to worry about money;” “When you’re poor like us, there are so many limitations. There’s so much internal conflict”), homophobia (“Do you have some type of internalized homophobia?;” “Homophobia is so outdated”), sexual harassment (“I hate people who sexually harass others”), religious gay conversion therapy (“She was planning to send me to some Christian conversion retreat like I’m some sin that can be prayed away”), being gay (“Dad, remember when I said there’s someone very important to me? This is him, Dad. This is Judah. Dad, I’m gay”), etc.

Acting was generally natural especially the performance of Royce, who’s a magnificent specimen of a man -- really handsome and sexy! Royce never overacts. Everything’s just right with his acting. Kyo, a cute newbie, was alright especially in portraying an unapologetically queer character. He was on point in a lot of scenes but he was also flat in a few scenes. But he did improve a lot and towards the end of this series, he had very strong dramatic performances. Both Kyo and Royce made me shed lots of tears. They had good chemistry together. I relished the banter between them and I loved their intimate moments. The sex scene was tastefully done but I would have preferred less camera tricks on the kissing during that sex scene. The kiss during the finale was a bit tamed but it was sincere and heartwarming. The supporting cast members especially Karl and Jan were fine.

Production design, camera work, and editing were done using simple techniques but were executed cleanly. I love that there's an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez photo, Martin Luther King Jr. quote, and Thai BL series posters. I'm actually impressed with how they're able to make do with their limited budget. I’m still intrigued by the meanings of those phallus-depicting paintings in the living room though. Audio was uneven. I love Karl’s rendition of the soundtrack “Sansinukuban” (My Universe) and it was perfectly incorporated on the episodes throughout this season. The soundtrack “Ipu-Ipo” (Whirlwind) performed by Kyo also sounded good.

Overall, I would certainly recommend rewatching “Quaranthings: The Series.” With its solid plot/storyline, largely natural acting performance, and mostly clean production, it’s quite underrated. It’s a top-tier Pinoy BL series and I hope it gets appreciated for how excellent it really is.

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