Reviews

I feel like this is probably an unpopular opinion, however I found this drama to very mediocre... For a show that keeps pushing the idea that beauty isn't everything and personality matters more, you would think they would give the two leads some pretty interesting personalities to work with. But no, the two leads were the most uninteresting characters I think I have ever come across in a Korean drama. The only "chemistry" they had, was the fact that they were both in the chemistry department at school. The male lead seemed to only have one facial expression; brooding. His only attractive quality (pretty much his only quality in general) was that he was extremely attractive. And even that was spoonfed to us each episode by characters needing to excessively point out that fact. When the two leads were in scenes together it was almost painful to watch. The only character who actually had depth was Soo Ah.

The story? There basically was none. Pretty much everything that happens in the drama is written in the description for this drama...

I also feel I need to point out that this drama seems to be being praised left and right for apparently having a strong message, but it completely fails to deliver when it has multiple product placement ads for weightloss tools such as real diet pills and drinks. What a joke.

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What genre was this?

The tags: mystery, comedy, romance, drama
There was a mystery, but it was so convoluted and filled with so many players I lost interest. I'm still not real clear on why everyone was trying to kill her.
Comedy - there were some funny scenes
Romance - there was none, I'll be honest. They could have been brother and sister. And the ending with them standing far away from each other and laughing...what?!?! They laughed because they knew that us romance lovers would be mad that we didn't even get a kiss?
Drama - yes, it was mostly a drama, but in my opinion, was ruined by the casting of Uhm Jung Hwa. I have only liked her in one drama that I've seen her in. She tends to overact, and the constant loud sobbing was so irritating!

The younger version of the leads were excellent.
I liked the idea of him having liked her forever, but it went nowhere because of the lack of chemistry.
Lee El as the witchy second lead was excellent.
I love Cha Chung Hwa in everything she is in.

Hair and makeup - why did they have to make her look so ridiculous with the puffy hair and the bright pink cheeks. Very distracting.
Costuming - of my gosh, the FL's wardrobe was awful. She dressed like she had been dumpster diving for clothes.

Some people really liked this one, but I wasn't one of them. I'm glad I can move on (hopefully to something better).

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Campy romcom has solid chemistry, with great FL and adorkable ML

For a low-budget romcom, this was pretty fun and entertaining. Gao Hanyu is adorkably hilarious playing the "cold CEO" who finds himself completely discomposed and thrown off kilter when his fake, contract actress girlfriend suddenly becomes a strong and fearless independent woman with uncanny knowledge about subject matters he is passionate about.

I am not always a big fan of romcoms, but I found myself snort-laughing out loud in every episode, especially during the first half dozen or so. Right from the opening scene, the antics and set-ups in Exploration are slightly over-the-top in classic romcom fashion without veering into the slapstick genre, so for me, it totally works. And of course, there is no need to quibble over points of logic or think too hard or too seriously about any plot holes -- these will be a given in this genre and calibre of C-dramas. The story does take a more serious turn, and there are a couple of small misunderstandings, but I didn't mind those or the developments in the last two episodes that bothered other viewers -- they're all short-lived and the ending is still a happy one.

Gao Hanyu isn't the most expressive actor, but he has great comedic timing, and exudes charm and charisma, making him a consistently entertaining watch. He also has great chemistry with his co-stars, and Song Yanfei is no exception. Overall, they are supported by a very likable cast. Unfortunately, the weakest link is around the secondary couple -- the little sister becomes extremely annoying pursuing Gao Ling. Given some of the great, healthy messages elsewhere in the drama, I wished they had followed an unconventional route with that storyline. (Aside: For those discovering Ryan Cheng for the first time, I recommend checking out the short-length mini-drama A Familiar Stranger.)

The drama could have been tightened significantly to 16 episodes instead -- a similar length as Dine with Love, which is the better of the two dramas. The pacing and momentum slowed down towards the middle and never fully regained its original footing. Even so, despite its flaws I thought it was an entertaining and easy binge.

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Fear of the unknown

This drama tells the story of Li Jia, a young man whose family is afflicted with a genetic mental health disorder that has caused the deaths of his mother and brother. Although this condition is hereditary, he searches desperately for a cure that will save him from suffering the same tragic end. His search takes him to Hong Kong where his idol, a renowned expert in the field of psychiatry, seemingly has a way to treat his affliction…

Thus begins Li Jia’s journey of healing and hope. Along the way, he forms strong bonds of friendship. He even experiences love for the first time in his life. Together with his new found friends, they repeatedly encounter strange and unusual occurrences that seem to intertwine with each of their lives.

The Journey Across the Night’s very intriguing premise plays out very slowly but surely, with some dramatic and thrilling moments at the conclusion of multiple story arcs or chapters throughout the 26 episodes. These chapters are “mini-mysteries” that focuses on unexpected incidents affecting various peculiar characters and gets resolved within 4 to 5 episodes, while the overarching plot concerning Li Jia and his affliction eventually reaches its zenith in the final episode.

The screenplay is generally quite good. The major and supporting characters were well written while the main plot and the various sub plots were neatly interwoven. The way that they intersected with the various characters were smoothly transitioned without appearing awkward or contrived. The mini story arcs were particularly engaging and very creative, especially the one about heterochromia and red velvet. That plot twist at the end wasn’t exactly unexpected but it somehow fits with Li Jia’s narrative in the whole show, so kudos to the writers for not being predictable.

The main cast did a fine job with their portrayal where the friendship as well as romantic themes were fully depicted. I particularly enjoyed the bromance between Li Jia and Shi Cheng played by Joseph Zeng and Zhou Cheng Ao respectively. Cherrie Ngan’s Zhang Cha Cha experienced tremendous character growth as well, which is fortunate as I was initially a little annoyed with her immaturity. Having seen Joseph Zeng in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre last year, I thought his acting range has improved immensely in this drama where he had to portray “more than one role”. The most interesting character for me is actually Xiao Si, brilliantly acted by Feng Jian Yu. Even as a support role with diminished screen time and totally no dialogue at all, Xiao Si aroused the most curiosity and that dramatically poignant scene undoubtedly evoked a whole myriad of emotions. The HK veteran Lawrence Ng did a decent but unremarkable job of portraying the show’s “mild antagonist”, Chen Ming Xuan.

I really enjoyed the entire OST (track listing in the comments board) and felt that the music really is appropriate for the rather dark subject matter that the show dealt with. The opening theme Dark Night Rose (Joseph Zeng) projected the essence of the show while during the funeral scene where the Cantonese song Listen to the Wind (Rao Wei) was played captured the mood of the moment perfectly. My personal favourite is actually the hauntingly beautiful ending theme sung by Feng Jian Yu (who plays Xiao Si).

26 episodes for a modern C-drama is usually about right. However, there were noticeable pacing issues at certain points. I felt that the chapter on green nails was a tad overlong, while the Halloween sequence dragged on for a bit. But probably what irked me the most was the rushed ending. The most important part of any drama, aside from a strong beginning, and the writers didn’t do justice to the entire show with that dissatisfying ending.

Overall, this drama is an acquired taste. Not everyone is into this theme and genre, especially with such slowburn evolution, no less. I would say that I savoured certain moments in this drama and appreciated the premise of the story as well as the way the cast acted out their roles. This is most definitely not a light and easy watch, and probably not the kind of show meant for binge watching. It’s thoughtfully written and induces some form of introspection at various stages. I would recommend that you watch the first episode to see if this fits your current viewing mood.

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When writing a BL novel changes the family

Before anything else, let me point out that this is NOT a BL.
This drama's focus is on a journey through a time of growth -- in this case, it's the grandfather and the grandson, along with their family members, who try to save their orphanage; it just happens to have a few gay characters (and one confused character).
Along the way, the series picks up a few topics that are currently discussed in Thai society -- That there is some romance is more coincidental than central.

So, those who are interested ONLY in BL romance series should give this one a miss.
However, if you're willing to follow the story of a family of multiple generations through troubled times, who push through by doing things they would have not done normally, and who learn and grow because of it, then I fully recommend this drama.

The script is written extremely well -- the plot flows smoothly from one point to the next. Problems are -- although enhanced for tension -- never too "out there", and characters don't react dramatically, but rather like *people*. The characters are well-defined from the get-go, and the following character development makes sense.

The titular characters, their relationship with each other and their own journey -- both grandfather and grandson are mentioned in the Thai title -- get, of course, the most screen time and the most character development. Grandfather Sak starts out as the typical (Thai) traditional patriarch, who might care for his family but thinks he has to be strong and flawless as well as strict with his sons at all times, and learns to let his family take on part of the responsibility, learns to show weakness and, most importantly, learns to accept his sons the way they are. Grandson Save's story is a more common coming-of-age story; with a light twist in that he doesn't just grow up to be a responsible adult family member but also that he learns things about himself that he had never thought of before.
The development is gentle, but by intention not smooth: It has fits and starts, stalls occasionally -- just as it happens in real life.

The family dynamics are introduced step by step -- at first they just seem like an ordinary family of four generations that share a house, and then slowly we get to know and love their kindness, their flaws, their struggles, and their love for each other. Which is why when the reason for the uneasiness that occasionally pops up in early episodes gets revealed later, it hits much harder.

What is a bit unfortunate is that the children and the great-grandmother get only a minuscule bit of plot for themselves. I do understand the need for a focus on few sub plots but I would have loved to know more about the kids and about great-grandmother's own story. Maybe we can get a spin-off?

The plot is, for the lack of a better word, a slice-of-life, that refuses to collapse into soap opera, even though some plot points would make a weaker writer yield to temptation. Instead, in these moments, it gentles the tension -- by having a character accepting the inevitable, or neatly side-stepping the huge fallout by giving into the big emotions.

The actors as well as the directors follow the understated way of dealing with these big emotions -- they get as much room as they need to, but no more than that.
All of these elements combined make for a drama that feels very grounded, even as the emotions hit hard at the same time, especially in episodes 8 to 10. And by this I mean that Yes, it made me cry. More than once.

In all of this, as well as in its overall style, it is a very typical Thai PBS production.
Which means it comes as no surprise that it also touches on contemporary issues like scams, health issues in age, gender roles, to name a few, as well as a call for mutual respect between generations.
The most prominent issue is the acceptance of gay men and of gender non-conforming people by their family members -- how what we are taught in childhood still influences what we believe in adulthood, but also that there's a chance of changing your beliefs.
Another point, one that I found very interesting and think would deserve its own series, is how BL (dramas and novels) are still considered "lesser" than other, more traditional genres. And I find it quite fascinating that it's specifically compared to adventure novels here, which don't have the best reputation for quality themselves (at least here in Germany they don't).

Overall, this is an excellent production in terms of writing, directing, editing and acting. Done in the typical Thai PBS style, it's made to appeal to an audience of different ages with a goal to educate Thai viewers for the 21st century.
There are a few things to nitpick (like the fact that all children at the orphanage are all of approximately the same age), but in the greater context, these become insignificant.
The drama has a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve, and in my view, it did.

I have no reservation at all to recommend this to anyone who is willing to follow a story about a family with flawed characters, who struggle through a time of confusion.

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Harbin is the historical fictional retelling of the assassination of Japanese Resident-General Itō Hirobumi and the events that led to it. Told from the perspective of An Jung Geun, one of the activists in Korean Independence army, the movie depicts a chain of events that led to the planning of the assassination. The film features themes of war, espionage, and political plotting. That being said, the first half was boring. It struggles with pacing issues, bogged down by way too many characters who fail to leave a lasting impression despite the star-studded cast. It's filled with boring scenes of men discussing, planning, and excessively smoking in a dark room. This slow buildup feels tedious, making it difficult to invest in the story or its players.

The second half becomes more thrilling as the plan to assassinate General Ito comes into fruition. It is packed with more action and suspense. There's a race against time to reach the general, while Japanese soldiers are riding on their coattails. One thing I loved is how they depicted the inner conflict of one of the characters. The film takes a nuanced approach to representing certain historical figures. General Itō Hirobumi is depicted as a complex individual rather than a one-dimensional villain. The movie even managed to mention some of his accomplishments. In contrast, the Japanese Army is depicted as cruel, inhumane, and barbaric.

The climax was intense. There was great use of sound editing and mixing to capture the thrill and suspense of the moment. Overall, this patriotic film is a great one time watch. I don't think I'll be watching again unless I'm a huge fan of war or historical films.

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This drama would have worked better as a movie

I chose this drama based solely on the poster, thinking I would get some suspense/horror/mystery drama…but I didn’t

The first three episodes were so slow, I almost drop it.

Nearly every character is so one-dimensional, it’s painful to watch: the plucky FL is plucky to the end, the suffering but righteous SML is righteous to the end.

The only character that I liked was the antagonist, but his only saving grace was the charisma of the actor who played him .

Chris Wu is another bright spot, but sadly after being used as a comic relief for the first few episodes, I wrote him off as a viable love interest, so when hints of a romance with the FL appeared, it felt forced and unnatural.

Practically the only characters that have a hint of complexity are the mother of the antagonist and her daughter, their confrontation in ep 5 was a breath of fresh air, unfortunately the emotional layers of these characters appeared too late for me to really care.

Finally, the "big revelation" comes and goes so quick that it leaves no impact whatsoever, and neither does the defeat of the antagonist. After all the built up of the mystery, the real killer basically outs themselfs in such a head-desk moment... and the last trace of goodwill I had for this drama went up in flames.

This is the classic case of a drama that doesn't know what it wants to be, it doesn't have enough horror elements for the genre, the mystery was mediocre at best, the comedy fell flat, and the romance just wasn't there.

The soundtrack made me want to fight whoever was in charge.

In short, a good drama to binge if you're reeeeeeally bored.

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A philosophical overlay on the original work. Good enough.

Parasyte is based on the story of a new life form whose cause of origin is not known. They have been programmed to take over human brain, physically and symbolically.

Story starts with a parasyte taking over SooIn's brain. Because of some exigent circumstances the normal procedure of taking over can't be performed. Hence, the dual personality of parasyte and SooIn have to work together. Jeon So Nee really shines in this role. SooIn's role might have been weakly delivered but she played an excellent parasyte.

ML's lead is kind of supporting role. Nothing to write about.

Any discussion on this would be incomplete without comparing it to the original work. Instead of focusing on journey of protagonist (like it was in the original), this drama focuses on the face-off between human organisation Grey and parasytes.
Since, the original work had a different intended audience, mostly younger audience, they couldn't explore the philosophical aspects of existence. This one does.

Rather than simply existing humans strive to find connections with fellow humans and that is their driving force for existence.

PS: I gave additional +0.5 because of last 10-15 minutes of last episode.

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Not Me Going in Bc It’s GMMTV & Staying For OffGun

I honestly picked this series up bc it was a GMMTV production but I ended up staying bc of the amazing cast and their performances . The primary reason I didn’t give the series the overall 10 star rating is because most Thai BLs are 12 episodes and close their shows with a satisfying ending. So for a show that got the coveted 14-episode slot , I expected a clean finish , even if it was just paragraphs of the characters outcomes , I probably would’ve been satisfied . I get that it was a significant moment where the people pardoned them but judicial pardoning as well would’ve been amazing .
Tawi’s outcome was never actually shown . Him breaking his usual cool was … not enough .. I would’ve liked for Sean to get the closure he needed to feel like he can put his dad’s case to rest . Also old man that threatened to off Dan’s family … like who tf was he ??? I need ‘splanation, bruh !!! Black and White’s dad … where was he in all this ??? Like his child left home and he just … what ??? Sat on his laurels ? Like bruh you ain’t concerned about where your only son is in this world ? The mom ? Don’t even get me started on Madam Judge . From the get-go I knew she wasn’t right in the head and her meeting with White … I was disappointed , angry , disgusted , and just downright flabbergasted by that character . I hated her more than Tawi . I liked the henchman more than her . She’s on the same level as Rose from Titanic for me . How does a mother who prides herself in knowing her twin sons apart shred both of their spirits to pieces ??? Tf !!! As a judge , she should’ve been proud of Black and guided him properly; encouraged him to be the one that makes the difference in society the legal way . There are so many ways to change the old ways without becoming a vigilante . Also , I lowkey wanna know what Todd does when he comes out of his coma and how the fight between him and Black went down . I highkey wanna know what Black does with his life after the dust settles .
On the flip side tho , oddly, I loved the story line and actors . That beautiful moment of OffGun cheering under the 🏳️‍🌈 during the protest … chef kiss ! Loved it ! Esp now that Thailand has passed their same-sex marriage rights 🥹 still so new so I still get teary eyed 😩♥️
Gun’s performance as always was absolutely brilliant . He’s one of the few actors that can pull emotions out of me . Off and his Jay Park looking head ass 😂 (sorry I can’t ever unsee it 💀) I love his chemistry with Gun . First and Gawin … it was a pairing that I wasn’t onboard with at first but when he started sketching Gawin … it hit me like a greyhound bus . First has this way of staring at someone like he’s looking into their soul and Gawin can show this vulnerability that makes you wander what you have hidden in your soul . It was a perfect portrayal of loving and trusting someone blindly , and finding it being reciprocated . To me , the painting in the end showed more than just the problems with social hierarchy but love and trust in the most deepest and purest but basic forms .
Gram and Eugene … idk man … personally I don’t like dating someone my friend already dated … you know the code . Can’t break the code man ! I did like Gram and Nuchy tho . Nuchy challenges Gram in a way that’s healthy and she covered his ass on multiple occasions . I was rooting for them til the end !
Hia Kumpha !!! I fudging love that man and not cuz he’s about my age but bc he’s faithful , loyal , trustworthy , steadfast , and protective . I knew that he knew from the start that White wasn’t Black . The new lotion excuse was a stupid excuse .

I’m gonna close this cuz it’s getting too long but yeah that’s my take on this series 😂♥️ make good decisions today 😌

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SCALPEL!
GAUZE!
IRRIGATION!
SUCTION!
CUT!... CUT!...
This are the common commands you hear during the surgery scenes in #RomanticDoctorTeacherKimS2

As the season 2 started I also started the season 1 last month since I haven't watched it. I was amazed on the first season and as well as the 2nd season I cant compare which season is better because both are great medical dramas. I was rooting for Dr. Yun and Mr. Park because they are just the cutest couple. I am also glad to see Dr. Do In Boem from the character in season 1 he made a special appearance. And love the ending of the story of Dr. Cha and Dr. Seo. And of course my favorite character ever is KIM SABU!! And hoping for season 3 ?.

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I was hesitant with good reason.

•ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜱʏꜱᴛᴇᴍ: 4.5 = [ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅʀᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜʟɪꜱᴛ, ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʀᴀꜱʜ ᴏʀ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ.]

I initially skipped this, then with some free time I decided to try it. Couldn't make it all the way through, skipped a lot in each episode. I'll break it down why starting with;

THE GOOD;
1. Visually appealing. Budget was obviously not bad for this.
2. Sky was (for the most part) a likeable and fairly grounded character.
3. The kissing scenes (only, and not including the very, very, veeeery long lean in shots leading up to most kisses) didn't feel forced, especially between and Sky and Prapai.
4. ...I can't think of anything else.

THE BAD;
1. Rain (as an overall character) was not likeable and his stupid, flakey, flip flopping and nonsensical hot cold 'wtf is going on' behavior was very tedious. I thought it was impossible to get worse, but then the writers drowned the character in cringeworthy tropes during the couple arc with Payu and wow, it was so awful. NB: only really bad writers make their characters declare out aloud to random people (and TOTALLY uncalled for) that only their boyfriend can screw them. That is terrible. And it's not sexy. Self respect is attractive! At least to me.

2. 'Badass' characters should be written in a 'less is more' vain please. I did not at all find any of the bikers, and certainly not Payu and Prapai to be badasses or badboys or whatever. I mean, they looked cool most of the time, but that was about it.

3. The editing. Abrupt cuts scenes and background music abound. There is no flow here. Just 'something happe- cut to a different scene, lose the atmosphere, carry on'. Feels like a rush job. There's an art in cutting a scene at the right moment or fading it out, the editing here didn't flow well in many scenes. Also using boom mics will fix that noisy mic jostling sound that is heard when the actors are making close physical contact.

4. TROPE TROPE TROPE and none executed particularly well, if at all. I am not against tropes, some can be fun and enjoyable if they're done nicely, but no. Just no.

5. So many people are just gay all the way, and in such tight circles. Not realistic. I'm a supporter of sexual fluidity, but if we're basing a show in a factual setting, let's try not to write out fangirl daydreams maybe.

THE UGLY;
1. I don't get why in many BL shows these days things have to be rapey or have unequal power dynamics being abused or enforced. It's not attractive, it's not appealing, it's cringe and it's ugly. I won't comment again on the disaster writing of Rain, but when it came to Sky, I think portraying him as being a little easy would have been better than portraying it as him sleeping with Prapai under some kind of duress. As for his history, well I guess they kind of tried to explain something with that but missed the mark. And making Prapai essentially a stalker was very weird too. Generally, that behaviour would lead to a retraining order guys.

FINAL THOUGHTS;
Over all, both main character pairings had underlying 'manipulated and coerced' vibes. Icky. I would not recc this. Go watch Semantic Error instead!

I don't blame the actors, they follow the script and the director!! I believe they tried their best!

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Judge it by yourself

People's are judging it pretty quickly. Initially I also didn't liked how the story. I thought it's gonna be classic trope of inner court family fighting drama. But now I wait for new episode everyday. The things I lked about this drama are :
1. Leads are very understanding of each other. They support each other and don't get in each other's way.
2. Fml's character is consistent. She take good decisions, like in some dramas fml's are shown smart initially but as the episode progress fml starts relying on ml, but here it is not like that.
3. Some people might find fml voice annoying. I also found it annoying at start, but now it does not bother me at all. So as the story progress you will get used to it.
4. Both leads have their unique storyline & they don't overshadow other couple.
5. Leads resolve their misunderstanding quickly.
6. There is no sml syndrome. Fl straightly draw a line with sml although there is a reason why fml does it.

Please give it a try. You may skip initial 2 episodes if you don't like concubine trope.

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Loved this so much. This story wasn't so much revenge though, more about the growth of a character. A fascinating, astounding character. Despite my appreciation, I'm giving this 7.5 because the 2nd leads and all the other side character had way to much screen time. It was so boring when the leads were off screen, that I fell asleep in the middle of the day. I started skipping all the scenes without the leads after that.

So, for the story: our beastly character - hot, handsome, powerful, and charming - is like a wounded bear who is rough with and hurts everyone around him because that is all he knows in his life. He is upstanding and revered in the community but despite commanding loyalty, I think many people don't get close to him because he is fearsome.

Then he suddenly has a family in the form of a little boy and the boy"s aunt. This was formed by force - because what the hero wants, he gets - and he hates the aunt due to some misconceptions (because slap and kiss lakorn). He treats her so badly that I'm surprised no one calls the police. Yet all his workers and his lawyer keep making excuses for him. I hated that part. Why must a woman put up with abuse because the man is lashing out from the scars of his past? Why did everyone keep making excuses for the abuse?

He really wanted the love of the little boy, but he didn't know how to get it, so in the process, made things worse. The boy and his aunt hated and feared him. So he was sad. Boo Hoo. Still no excuse. Despite all this, you can't help but be interested in this hero and his story. He is an outstanding character in every way.

But slowly, he changes and learns to let his little (forced) family in. The best parts to me (because I'm a romantic) were the many times he apologises to the MFL for treating her badly and hurting her. He does it tearfully and genuinely. When he falls in love, he accepts that love whole heartedly. For example, when she angers and betrays him, he is sad and disappointed, but he is not mad and does not hate her. He is rather open to her about his feelings.

And he pouts so adorably. especially at the end when he tells her he's mad at her but he can get un-mad at her. Lol. He was asking to be buttered up. By the end, he is a completely different person, changed by love and so very willing to accept that change and that love. That alone (and his hot bod) made this worth it.

My only problem - Why the 2nd leads got so much screen time? Their story was boring and useless to the plot. I skipped them the entire show.

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