Reviews

Not bad, but why bother?

This film wasn’t bad if taken on its own. But it hewed so closely to the very good Japanese original that it was impossible to avoid making comparisons and that is where it falls far short. In particular:

• The pacing was off. This remake was too slow in places where it should have moved faster and too fast in places where it should have slowed down. The net result was to rest emotional resonance (not that it wasn’t plenty emotional, just not nearly as much as the original).
• That acting (particularly the leads) was noticeably inferior.
• We got a very washed-out version of one of my favorite characters (the FL's best friend).
• The original benefited greatly from being told primarily from the point of view of the FL. In switching much of the attention to the ML, they miss out on some of the best parts of the story,.
• Neither the overall production nor the OST were as good.

But despite all these criticisms, I did enjoy watching this remake as a way to pass the time.

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It ended. That's all folks! (eps 1-13)

Review ep 1-5:
So much anticipation. So much disappointment. I'm NOT dropping this since I keep hoping for redemption, BUT it better come.
As many, I got so hyped up by ep. 0. But the only thing left standing is the acting. Honestly, I commend the actors for portraying these people so well. They are making stupid decisions, act irrationally and the story is both boring and weird.
Some scenes make me vear up with excitement because I hope this is the moment it gets better, but alas.
The fact that the comic relief character has the best part, is shocking.
Wish me luck for the remainder!

Review ep 6-7:
We seem to be getting more story and real drama between our leads. Ep. 7 is the best one so far. The last scene is heart breaking, even though Praew is totally unlikable. Poor Nine is finally making some real choices and Daonuea is being his dramatic self. On the very edge of annoying and cute. For the first time i'm actually excited for the next ep.

Review ep. 8-9:
It keeps overpromising and underdelivering. The love scenes feel insincere at this point, they come from nowhere, there is no build-up. A few scenes later a new (or old) drama ensues and were back to the start. It could be so much better!

Review ep. 10:
Finally!! This was sooo so cute!! I loved the way they are getting shy now that they are officially together. The rings exchange made me swoon. The soft looks Nine gives Daonuea are everything. Lets keep this vibe up y'all!!

Review ep 11:
Well the dreaded 11th episode served us Drama!
Poor Daonuea. Always drawing conclusions and not checking. So much insecurity. I hope he'll be able to overcome this self doubt and trust he is worth all of nines love. Tee and Ice are having moments! There's something brewing there for sure. Candy and Boat are adorable. Although this is a BL, I want more of them. I adjusted my overall rating from 6,5 to 7,5.

Well I did it. I finished without dropping. And ended with a 7.5 rating. With the remark that 7.5 in my way of always generously rating is just about average. It could have been so much better, so much more than average!

What I liked:
- DaoNine chemistry. Especially coming from Nine. I get butterflies level 1000 when he only even glances at Daonuea.
- Scenery. Especially @The Air. I want to book my next vacation there...

What I disliked:
- Daonuea when he throws a fit over nothing. I would love to see him get help for his dramatically low self-esteem and paranoia.
- Rough story telling. Not really bad writing, it just feels like the writing was not really completed when filming started. Still needed much work.
- Too many unfinished character stories. Candy & Boat just bled out, IceTee is just getting started, who and where are all those other boys with Nine...
- unfunny comedy attempts
- horrible pacing

And... It seems like 1 or 2 scenes from the trailers did not make it into the final version. Why??

Review Ep. 13:
Surprise! We get more of IceTee (love this ship name :) ). How or why Ice comes in for an interview? Who knows. But he's here. and he's not going anywhere apparently because before we know it him and Tee are all over eachother. It says a lot that their office make out scene is much hotter than NineDao's was. But that is about the only difference. and this scene is most likely why the episode was made. Not that we are complaining, because whew! But not a lot else is worth mentioning here. But you should definitely watch it.

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? Mercy for None: Stylish Fights Over Substance

Rating: 7.5/10
Recommended for: action junkies, background bingers, or anyone craving intense visuals.
Not for: lovers of layered storytelling or emotional nuance.


If you're in the mood for a visually gripping binge with intense action and minimal brain work, Mercy for None might just be your weekend filler.

The series centers entirely around revenge and while that’s a classic motive, the storyline doesn’t offer much beyond that. There’s little to no plot development or depth, and if you’re someone who watches for clever twists or emotional arcs, this might fall flat. It’s a straight road from Point A to Point B, with fists flying all the way.

That said, the fight choreography is incredible. Stylish, brutal, and sometimes over-the-top to the point of being unrealistic but that’s part of the fun if you’re in the right mood. It’s one of those shows where you won’t care much about what’s happening as long as something’s exploding or someone’s getting kicked through a wall.

The acting is strong, which is no surprise given the star-studded cast. They make even the most cliché moments watchable. But even their performances can't fully compensate for the lack of a compelling story.

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Goodby Lonely Heart...

first of all, yes it's definitely a romance!
While up to episode 20 you can still speak of a very intimate friendship/brotherhood (with many subtle), this line is crossed at the latest from episode 21.
Because what happens then can no longer be other than a love affirmation, because you have kisses, cuddling, dirty jokes and even a confession on the beach and thereby the series goes very tame but still further than some KBLs I've seen recently.
And the relationship itself is probably one of the most romantic things I've seen lately, as you really see two soul mates who would give anything for each other.
But just in the middle are a few lengths and a few plots that are not bad in themselves, but could not fully convince me, such as the story of Wu Bis's birth mother or the girlfriend of Wu Bi's brother.
Apart from that, family has a special place in this drama and especially the scenes with the chosen family of the two with little Dua are always very heartwarming.
All in all, "Stay with me" is a more than positive surprise and I personally like it better than the other version "Addicted" but I don't know if it lives up to the current hype.
Apart from that, I'm not that happy with the ending, even if it is the technical end of book one, especially because a second season is not guaranteed.
And also that at the end of another more explicit version with extra scenes should come out, I'm happy of course but I hope the whole project does not fall victim to censorship before.

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The chemistry between Chae jong hyeop and park ju hyun

It's worth watching, I kept watching it over and over again and I'll still watch it again. You've got to watch it guys. It's just so interesting 🥰. They both got through their problem together and when it comes to their match, they have a team work and they understand each other. Chae jong hyeop shows us that no matter what happens, we should let love lead, we shouldn't be selfish, we should put ourselves in others shoe. And the chemistry between those two, I mean the park twins, it's just so muah........... Like I said before, I'll still watch it again, I'm keeping it till I see a movie that's far more interesting than this but I don't think there'll be any because I'm just so obsessed with the park twins. They are my new celebrity idol 😘. I'm a fan and I'm rooting for you guys. Fighting 💪 and keep up the good work. More projects with good ratings is coming your way very soon.

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Left Breathless

Okay so I NEVER write a review for a drama I'm still watching but I have to make an exception. GO AND WATCH THIS DRAMA IF YOU HAVEN'T!!! Who needs romance when you've got a fiery priest, a crazy woman, a rapper lady and a silly detective???? Nobody that's who. I just finished episode 26 and the last scene with Song Sac doing Muay Thai on the bad guys gave me life ahhhh, It's the reason I'm writing this review.

STORY: Let me start by giving the writers a standing ovation. The story is genius, yes It takes sometime to get to the synopsis but even the build up to it is amazing, not a single moment of boredom! I dare you to skip lol. I don't know but I - just like a lot of the other viewers- think this story has to be referencing the Burning sun issue. There's a lot of similarities and even if it has nothing to do with it, let me say kudos to the team for bringing this issue into light. Also that one scene where they referenced Reply 1988 with Ryong and the detective really had me rolling lol.

ACTING: WOW! Could Kim Nam Gil get any finer? He manages to draw you into his emotions, you start believing that everything is real. Honey Lee also, I've loved her since I watched Rebel and even if her character was sooooo infuriating at first, you managed to crack up whenever she did something silly. The whole cast is amazing. The villains/Antagonists make you hate them so much and the Heroes/ Protagonists make you love them.

MUSIC: Honestly the only OST I've really paid attention to is the one with the rap, that aside the two BTS songs that were briefly played - Fire and Idol - and the Honey bgm that plays for Honey. Still I rate the Music a 10 in general lol.

OVERALL: This is a must watch, yes I haven't finished watching but I know I'm not going to be changing my rating lol. I'll edit this after I'm done with the drama.

EDIT: Just finished it and I was right, this drama did not fail my expectations. Thank you to the team for bringing us this gem and like I said earlier, EVERYONE should watch this!

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Sweet and very watchable rom com with insane chemistry

What’s not to love about a sweet rom com? This one has it all, sad bits, bad guys, adorable female lead, brooding male lead, happy ending.
The chemistry between ML & FL is really believable and that of the second (and third) is also excellent casting. All three couples face their challenges but as you’d expect it all works out in the end.
The acting is very convincing and the chemistry hot, hot, hot. The scene where the main pair reunite after the FL gets lost on the way to the mountains is absolutely breathtaking and you can feel the relief, love and true connection when he starts kissing her all over her face. When the second ML finds out he could be dying I will admit to lots of tissue use!
This is not a ground breaking piece but if you want some light relief filled with fluff then you good do a lot worse than watch this one.

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This drama is for the one who are patient. If you don't get nervous and angry quickly this drama is perfect for you, because it really tests your patience.

Rome plays the playboy Kongkai let me tell you haven't see yet such a horny male lead in any of the dramas I have watched,

He is on duty for.. you know what. He jumps from his mistress's bed to his wife's bed.

He's stupid enough not to see the true colours of his mistress Na Prungchat portrayed by Songkhla Pornchita let me tell you she does such a great job that you end up hating the girl.

Prungchat is the daughter of a rich family, she's a model, her makeup is always bright, I believe they chose bright colours on her lips as her lips looks bigger with bright colours. She has never been loved, so clings on men.

Arunprapai potrayed by Hargate Araya Alberta, she's bright, beautiful have a successful career, she marries Kongkai out of love, as her bf impregnated a girl and for him to do the right thing she marries Kongkai, at first there was no love, but they eventually fall in love.

Though it took Kongkai such a long time to understand that he loves Aru, but it didn't stopped him seeing that ugly mistress.

Mistress has done everything in the book to trap Kongai, each time she got him back, and when he finally said he loves his wife, she used the pregnancy lie, to get him and she was nearly successful, whereas his wife is actually pregnant and kept it secret

We do have an annoying maid, a messenger of the mistress, her inside info about Kongai, and she also learns her lesson from her.

We have such a loving & caring mother in law, the other maid, she was loving and caring, she's the mother of the annoying maid...

We have a family lawyer, he helped Kongai w/o all the time for him to give the right decision

Things go pretty slow in this drama, we don't get to see romance in each episode.

But the ones who are patient enough get to see the happy ending.

If I were the wife in the lakorn, most possibly I'd have already kicked his unfaithful ass..

Oh but she's so caring, loving, giving, that she did not do anything to hubby and that cheap mistress.

If not I'd have asked him to get tested for STD / STI .. I mean it doesn't even happen in western dramas, let alone expecting to see it in an Asian Drama is a bit nonsense but I'm only expressing my opinions

You can call me mad, mental but I cried so much when Prungchat became a nun and when Kongkai, Arunprapai and the gay friend visited her after she became a nun

PUNGCHAT becomes a nun after her husband got killed by his own mother.

The temple scene was intense & emotional

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Look it has to be said so I'll go ahead and get it out of the way first: Seo Bi is the smartest character on this show & if it wasn't for her the Joseon Dynasty would've been wiped out about 10 seconds in.

Right, now I got that off my chest...

Season 2 really stepped it up from season 1. Beginning exactly where the first one leaves up, you'll easily binge all six episodes as the energy, intrigue and zombie guts do not let up. The special effects are believable, the 18 rating means they are not shy when it comes to blood and guts. The scope of the show is huge and some of shots are just breathtaking to look at.

Each cast member is amazing, especially the core cast. My love for Seo Bi only grew this seasons, but our Crown Prince and his band of heroes, along with the Evil Queen and her villainous enterouge all continue to be so much fun to watch. My one wish was that we had more time to flesh out the relationships between the cast.

If you loved the first, you'll love this! And as long as you aren't too squeamish, I highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys sageuks, fantasy, horror, thriller, action & politics!

PS. This is my first ever review on MDL, so please be gentle/forgiving of any faux pas made here!

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More isn't better when it comes to the number of BL couples

I imagine at least one creator behind this series thinking: "Let's throw in as many BL couples as possible. Maybe at least BL fans would find one of the couples their cup of tea."

The inclusion of Newyear and Both, a real-life couple that is semi-fictionalized here, is a symptom of this desperate attempt to make the series commercially successful. After all. the fans of their YouTube channel may be drawn to the series because of them. Never mind that their purpose in the story is really just to own a cafe that the other (mostly unrelated) characters patronize so that there is a semblance of a unified story world. The subplot of Newyear and Both is rather unimpressive as far as the creation of a series is concerned--even if they do look cute together.

The story should simply have focused on one main couple and one side-couple, namely Simai/Lukmo and Phob/MaiEak. Lukmo is an employee of the company at which the other three are interns, and the focus on just these two couples would have allowed their stories to be more developed.

Simai and Lukmo's story, while not original, is the most compelling. I think it would have been interesting if more had been shown of Lukmo's youth and the longstanding grudge he has been holding against his estranged father. More revelations of his inner world early enough would have made his uncharacteristic openness to Simai more moving. The transition to Lukmo's reconciliation with his father could also have revealed more complex emotions. For instance, how does he feel regarding his relationship with Simai when he is told that Simai is not really his half-brother. As for Simai, the actor playing this role seems to suit the role of the innocent and sweet Simai (with a dash of playfulness) very well. The story would have been more interesting if more work had been done on his struggles after being told that Lukmo is his half-brother. Surprisingly, the two new actors playing these two characters seem under-stretched in their roles.

Phob and MaiEak's story is the old story of secret one-sided love. They would have been a good secondary couple if there had been more scenes of them, such as the scenes of Phob's crush on and quiet sacrifices for MaiEak from the time they are freshmen. This is mentioned by the other characters but we don't see it for ourselves, and so we are unlikely to feel much for Phob. MaiEak's uncertain feelings towards Phob could also have been the focus rather than his (sloppily written) attempts to woo a girl in the company. The focus on his attempts to woo the girl simply makes it unconvincing that he would later start to realize that he loves Phob too--he is supposed to have felt something for Phob all these years, but it is not convincing. Adeptly executed flashbacks would have helped in the portrayal of this couple.

The other notable couple is Copy and Nampu, whose story is unabashedly ripped off SOTUS. The inclusion of this couple is unnecessary. So is the inclusion of Plawaan and Suea. Sure, more cute actors are thrown into the series, but at what expense?

If effort had simply been spent developing the Simai/Lukmo and Phob/MaiEak storylines, this could have been a rather good series. The disjointedness that results from moving from one couple to another would also have been effortlessly eliminated. To the credit of the series, at least the five couples are clearly differentiated and their stories are usually not confusing. But audiences have grown to expect more from BL.

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Wow, what did I just watch?? I liked the first 9 episodes. When the story seemed to be about the female lead trying to uncover the truth/get revenge using all kinds of methods and entering a partnership with the male lead, it was enjoyable. They were an even, balanced match - both smart and driven, with their own goals. I thought they were a pretty cute pair. The male lead's best friend is also a fun, kind-hearted character.

But after episode 9, the plot becomes increasingly convoluted and nonsensical. There are so many different people involved, their motives were murky (I never did understand Xia Yu Xuan), and the science fiction aspect was pretty far-fetched. From episodes 13-21, the plot just kept going back and forth with no progress, and then in episodes 22-23, the characters finally just explain everything. The final episode was disappointing; I was hoping for some fun scenes to reward me for getting through 23 episodes of ridiculousness. If you are watching for the romance, you'll be especially frustrated.

Note: On iQiyi, this drama is separated into two seasons of 12 episodes each.

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I don't know how to write a preview without being spoiler :) so i wil try to make it short.
The leads here are not typical at all , so if you are looking for cool arrogant male lead or cute naive girl , you won't get it .both lead have a weekness points in their personality have to be recognized and fixed.the silence play a role in the drama was impressive , the superpower and the blades were metaphor and choice the lead has to make
I find the story simple ,but indirect
The direction , cinmatography and the music were awesome
Lee dong wook was perfect and his expression was wow
SSK was cute but sometimes i get annoyed by her stare gaze esp.her character needed more expression
Kim kap so was perfect too
The flaws, it has a slight slow pace , the supporting characters were needed to be more contributed . the first episode was over the top .over used of flash backs at the first
.enjoy it ,thanks

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SO sweet I died!

Give this a chance! I realized MDL reviews tend to be really critical sometimes. Honestly, there are many times where I enjoyed the show despite the rating only 7. Similarly, sometimes high rated show isn't as good as it is, it's sometimes just hype.

This show is one of those gem that's UNDERRRATED but WORTH WATCHING!

Oh my gosh, the last episode, it's SO sweet, I died..lol

I love how simple this drama is.

No complicated plot twists, no overly done drama, no toxicity,- just pure, innocent, love.

There are moments we think they could have handled the situation better" But,Bear in mind, it's a youth love after all. I mean, they are still young and learning what love is about, so spare them some grace

Overall, I really enjoyed the show a lot, totally become a fan of Joong after this.

There's one open ending in last episode, but I guess that's because there's a follow-up show after that? I'm not sure, gotta check. Apart from that, as far as the main couple is concerned, its very well done.

Neat, sweet and simple lovey dovey ending :)

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Lesson on maladaptive coping mechanisms.

I don’t think I've ever watched a drama where all the main characters needed therapy more than these three. Pathological avoidance, codependency, constant need for external validation, running away from the pain and sadness - building it up inside you until it reaches breaking point. "It's just tolerance, not acceptance" - delivered in the drama in context of sexuality, but it also quite well described the way the characters were dealing with loss. Tolerating the existence of the tragic past, not fully accepting what really happened. Escaping from anything that might force them to face reality.

Daddy issues, yes - you read it well. Surprisingly, no matter how strange the relationship might have felt, I could not stop myself from being pulled in and wishing it would have a happy ending. It seemed like the only way out of hell for both In and Wang (the mom can stay in hell as far as I know).

Many people told me this drama feels more like a play, and I have to agree. Not beating around the bush - I’m not much of a theater fan. Everything is amplified and exaggerated on stage, there is not much space for subtlety as it has to reach each and every audience member. 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us somehow managed to keep the unique feel of plays while also being more detailed and approachable about it, making me fall for the charm it possesses.

All that said, I cannot say watching this drama was an enjoyable experience - it’s not a fluff romance you can relax to after work. All the characters are painfully frustrating, but observing their actions, witnessing their regret, being pierced by the hurtful things they say and buried under even more painful silence and unspoken truth… Felt like a solid dose of life lessons. What kind of person do you want to be? One that cannot face their own guilt? One that runs away from what’s important to them, cosplaying it as self-sacrifice? Or one that stays true to themselves, fighting for what feels right, while still trying not to hurt people around them?

For the acting - loved it for the majority of the show. Pond did an amazing job bringing Wang to life - I want to adopt and protect that character with all my heart. The skillful way he was able to present both youthful stubbornness, but also maturity that comes from pain he had to go through. Mam also impressed me, especially in more emotional scenes. While I did like Nike as In, and for most part I had no issue with his performance, there were moments of his line delivery that felt quite robotic, especially when compared to his co-actors.

The production and directing? Loved it. One of the aspects I appreciated the most was how some scenes played a bit longer, truly making it possible for all the emotions to settle in and have a bigger impact. The drama was both choking you with feelings and letting you breathe and take the moment for what it was, without distracting you, skipping right away to the next scene.

Overall, what a surprisingly interesting and intense watch. I feel like a lot of scenes could be dissected and have an essay written about their meaning - they just invite you to make your own judgments, reflect on the characters, their choices and how you might react in a similar situation.

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