Reviews

The reason I started this was not only the premise and the posters but also the fact that Park Shi Hoo had a leading role. Ever since his comeback I've waited for a drama that would truly get him back into dramaland. Local Hero was an utter disappointment and I was already worried that he will never gain a foothold into showbiz again. But then My Golden Life happened.

The summary of the drama is pretty accurate, so I won't tell much more about it. If I did, it would probably contain spoilers that should only be revealed by watching the drama yourself.

This drama has so many charming points that it's actually quite difficult to find a starting point. If I had to point out the biggest strength, it would probably be the writing and the cast. Especially the veteran actors impressed big time. Every time the drama seemed to drag, they pushed the story forward and really made me care for their characters. Chun Ho Jin and Jun Noh Min... Two actors I respect a lot. They are so versatile in all of their roles, that I'm always happy to see them in a drama. And goddammit, they were awesome here.

The leads themselves stood their ground and were one of many driving wheels of the story. Actually, the whole cast was so well balanced that it's hard to find a weak link. Of course, I had to pay special attention to Park Shi Hoo since he was not that impressive in his previous drama. And what can I say other than that he found his confidence again. In the first couple of episodes he seemed shaky and nervous, so I was still skeptical about him. I couldn't force myself to ignore his flaws, so I hoped he would get a grip soon. And he did. It took some time but he finally managed to find his old acting self again. From that point onward it was not difficult anymore to enjoy his performance. Though I also have to mention that in some of the later episodes he got unsteady again.

Something that needs to be emphasized in this drama is the development of every single character. Everyone is going through some very dear and life changing situations which pushes them in unexpected directions and shapes their growth vastly. Forcing some of them to make a bunch of inevitable decisions, I didn't always like the direction they were taking. On the other hand they made them so understandable that it was also hard to oppose it.

Family dramas are usually not my thing because the sheer length of the episodes is bound to get draggy at some point. I can't deny the fact that this drama has some difficulties as well, but the amount of these parts is fairly acceptable and doesn't weigh too much into the enjoyment of the drama. And the reason for that are the couples. Each and every one of them had a very interesting story to tell. Whether it was the leads, their families or their friends. Especially the two male friends of Do Kyung (PSH) were a pleasant add to the main character. If one of the side stories got too depressive, there was always another "supposed to be" couple that ensured some lighter moments and lifted the heavy atmosphere.

I'm praising this drama so much and yet my rating only stays at 8.5... What to say about that. I had some issues with the ending. It was not a shocking one and I get parts of it. Yet, the way they wrote it seemed too exaggerated and estranged some characters a bit for me. Not only did they include one of my most hated drama tropes, they also gave the final resolution a torn connotation. Therefore I was not able to fully enjoy the end of the drama.

Overall, I would still recommend My Golden Life. It has some really sweet but also touching and heartbreaking moments, great character development and an endearing bunch of actors and actresses. And who knows, maybe you are more tolerable about its final minutes than my humble self.

One warning though:
There will be a character who will bring your darkest side to light. He is obstinate and stubborn and arrogant till the end, so prepare yourself for some seriously hair-pulling and fist-clenching situations.

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Chasing Love The Korean Way

The drama starts with the FL taking money from the ML's mother to break up with the ML.. Honestly.. If you love someone truly.. No matter the reasons.. You wouldnt normally do that.. And her reasons were ridiculous.. Then begins her struggle to breakup with him and get over him..

She broke up with him because he is rich?? Feeling she wouldn’t fit in with him or his family.. Most of the drama, she kept judging the ML because he is rich.. She had the audacity to ask him ' Did u ever skipped lunch because u couldn't afford it? ' That was her reason to breakup?? He was rich?? He loved her wiht everything he had.. Apart from the fact that he hid how rich he is.. Did he make any other mistake?? Most people don't know how to cherish true love.. The ML deserved someone better..

She acted like the most mature and smart character in the drama.. But I felt it was the ML who despite seeming childish at times.. Showed the real maturity in their relationship..

" You were afraid you would get hurt and let go of my hand right away.. "
" I know I am pathetic for not being able to get over you after breaking up.. But even in this moment I am only worried how to keep you from getting hurt.. So how could you do this to me?? "

ML was really pathetic.. But he wanted to fight for his love.. Unlike the FL who was waiting for a reason to runaway.. I don't know who was more pathetic..

I understand she went through her own hardships.. But that doesn’t give her the right to judge someone else’s life.. He showered her with love in every way possible.. While all she did was hurt him when he was trying to protect what they had.. Even when she got back with him.. She chose to have dinner with someone else instead of the ML.. Her situation was understandable.. But she could have shown some decency and spared her boyfriend the embarrassment instead of indulging some random guy’s interference in their relationship..

The second couple literally stole the show.. I found myself wanting to see more of them than the main couple.. They deserved more screen time.. And their relationship really called for deeper exploration.. Their chemistry was captivating.. And the moments they shared felt more genuine.. It would have been great to see their story developed further..

Overall.. The drama falls short of expectations..The FL's choices undermined the genuine affection of the ML.. In contrast, the second couple shines with authentic chemistry..

P.S.. Moon Sang Min needs to find a new agency or start picking good scripts for himself if he doesn't want to waste his career doing dramas that doesn't treat his career well.. This drama was an average one.. But He could do better..

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The Hidden Gem Smile Code

The NEW CDrama of 2024, "Smile Code" has awakened Fans from around the world to watch this upcoming story about a young man played by Lin Yi who suffers from Alexithymia. What is Alexithymia? It is a condition where a person is unable to express emotion, and 1 in 10 people suffer from it and their unable to "LAUGH". It is common condition with people that suffer from depression and Autism (ASD).

Next, comes the witty, clumsy, and humorous Shen Yue who makes everyone laugh except Lin Yi. They develop a friendship based on coincidences and it sparks a new relationship about Love while still dealing with the aftermath of their past family trauma and circumstances. This is another beautiful love story with 34 episodes and is a must Watch series. This is a drama that is unlike any other drama because it deals with a condition that is not talked about and the only cure is finding another person who has the opposite personality.

What I Love about this Drama? Both Lin Yi and Shen Yue are the 2 Most Popular International Chinese Stars that are underrated in China, but around the World they're "Loved" by their fans across continents from: Thailand, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Brazil, Venezuela, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and the USA etc. All the promotion from this Drama is "Fan" based because platforms only provide advertisements for the well-known actors in China. Fans from around the world have come together to watch this CDrama for their favorite two stars, Shen Yue and Lin Yi. The chemistry and friendship of these two actors is displayed on the screen.

The amazing Director, Randy Che his experience in Cinematography displays some of the Best Screen shots and even with less resources when you watch this drama it is a Top-rated Film production. The English music, "Yes" you heard me right International fans, the songs are in English so we can sing along including singer-songwriter Lily Allen.

International Fans subscribe with Viki to watch Smile Code. They have better English Translations and the drama is easy to find on their Website: https://www.viki.com/ and for more information here's an Article, you can read about the Storyline: https://kisskh.at/article/shen-yue-returns-to-the-small-screen-with-smile-code.

Congratulations Smile Code on providing audiences with a sincere Story and a heartfelt drama that will be watched by millions of fans. Hopefully soon Netflix will pick this drama to showcase to all countries. The dynamic duo is really a must watch drama that will leave you laughing and entertained.

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The first season was good, but the second season after all the wait seemed to just rehash pretty much all the old gags and make them less funny. The writer could've come up with new gags but it was written very lazily.

As much as I loved the original cast, having Lee Yi-Kyung or Lee Jun Ki remain as the only person from the original cast and write them off like they were side characters was not pleasant, if anything it was another example of lazy writing. I hated how while they could've used an entirely new cast, they kept him and just copy-pasted the cast into an entire portion of his past and assumed it would be convincing.

It's a comedy so lets focus on that: watch 2 episodes and you've essentially watched them all. Just a bunch of running gags overused to the point of not even being funny anymore. Lee Yi-Kyung's role was an over-the-top kind of role in the first season, but it wasn't so bad because there were characters to balance it out. But here, it's the focus of the show, the characters were dull and the acting was stiff or unnatural.

Cinematography was good, and whoever wrote the script, planned to just make a few easy bucks by capitalizing on the nostalgia of the first season -- had pretty much everyone hooked just by reminding them it was Welcome to Waikiki.

Overall, not really funny and too predictable. It was just something to watch for closure after the first season or if you just need help moving on from it. The conclusion was good though, I liked how they wrapped it up.

Hopefully they don't make another season.

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Lot of potential but ultimately never lived up to its expectations.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the drama is terrible or anything. It has its moments when it shines bright but at the same time, it's too far and few between. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the female lead. She had a lot of charm and sass to her character that it was refreshing to see. It's her character that brings the most interesting and refreshing dialogues in the entire show. The story was reasonably well-paced and give enough screen time for each and every character instead of focussing only on the main leads. The relationship between the main leads was definitely another one of the highlights as well..
And that's where my positives end.

Even though I listed so many positives it was a frustrating experience.
I have seen many reviews raving the main lead for being such a gentleman and such a refreshing character, I mean I get it where the praise comes from but at the same time, the character never had any personality. He's one of the blankest slate a character can be, so ultimately the viewers can ultimately project themselves or anyone else. This is lazy writing more than anything else.
Without going into too many spoilers, let's just say they introduce a character who is gay and never fleshes his character out and just uses him to create a conflict that ultimately does not even affect the story in an impactful way.
The second couple's story is generic and something we have seen a million times. The characters have good chemistry but the story was just basic and by the books. This is something that I have seen a lot lately if the story of the main leads is somewhat different or modern, they introduce a secondary couple with the most cliche story to satisfy a certain section of fans. I can understand why they do it because ultimately the success of the drama depends on how many audiences watch it. I don't consider it as a huge negative but I'm just stating facts for what it is...
The acting was ok overall wasn't impressed with the mail leads performance but was not hugely disappointed either.

Ultimately my frustration arises from the fact that all the negatives I mentioned above were easily avoidable if the screenplay was written a little better.

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Nice guy in a not very nice drama

I believe the reason i didn't really like this drama is because it promises something and gave us another thing, or at least that's not what I expected before starting it.

It's a romance, family, drama, but all we got were gangs war.
Romance was very little to none in the beginning, it's all about the two gang leaders and the animosity between them, of course Seok Cheol is caught in the crossfire.
The family parts is only about the mess the older sister made and the hopeless dating case of the younger, Seok Cheol had little influence on both, he's just there trying to pick up the broken pieces.

I saw someone comparing this drama to "call it love" because it has the same vibes and I agree, it has the same atmosphere but heavily focused on other things aside from the romance.

I believe if they just cut the romance and advertise it as a gangster drama it would have been much better.

Another thing is the slow boring pace, and I mean in general, it's not a calm healing drama, though it has all the aspects of being so, it is about struggling with things you have no influence on, which makes your heart heavy unnecessarily, I'm of course talking about Seok Cheol in this case and I can't not focus on him because he is the ML.

The FL is lovely and adorable but I don't know what they wanted her character to be, in the very beginning we meet this introverted character with a traumatic past that made her life miserable and had a hard time maintaining a job related to her passion for music, she feels better performing in front of a camera than a few people (her words not mine) then suddenly she is performing on the streets, in bars and in front of the whole republic of Korea.

I think the drama is generally good it's just need some polishing here and there, so if you like family dramas and gangs this one is for you, if you are watching for the romance drama part, I don't think you will be satisfied much ~

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ABOUT THE ROMANCE....

Touted as a female-centric drama, The Story of Pearl Girl tells the story of Duanwu's journey from slave girl to entrepreneur. It is a story of hope, perseverance, and resilience. Zhao Lusi's portrayal of the growth of her character from one whose actions came from desperation for freedom to one who uses her prosperity to help other women was captivating. Lusi as a versatile actress is well known. I am not part of any one fandom and have several other actresses I enjoy watching, but I have to say that I cannot imagine another actress in this role. She was outstanding!

One expert in the field of TV and communications noted that "the drama opens up a new direction for the transformation of female-oriented dramas... as there is an awakening of women's consciousness, shifting from a desire to watch love stories to that of watching business dramas. " Well, not me. As much as I enjoy an interesting business drama, I enjoy love stories more. For more details such as expert feedback, background, production, and all things The Story of Pearl Girl please see Frost-edelweiss' companion piece. Just copy and paste the following link or you can find it in discussions at the top of the TSOPG forum. https://kisskh.at/discussions/zhu-lian-yu-mu/131556-the-story-of-pearl-girl-companion-piece.


Romance....

I felt the tension between the leads long before they got together. Lusi and Liu Yuning's chemistry captivated me in such a way that I have never wanted so much for a happy ending. Their relationship did not start with love at first sight...even though I saw a l flicker of interest in Yan Zi Ying's eyes when he saw the beautiful Duanwu in her pearl dance. Their earlier relationship was not one of equality and YZJ was not the gentle hero. You might even find him cruel and unyielding at first but you will come to understand him. The relationship developed at a steady pace. Duanwu's quick mind allowed her to keep up with YZJ. It was obvious he found her fascinating and smart. And little by little he gave in to her wishes. But he also allowed her to learn and to grow on her own. I don't know at what point he realized he loved her, but watching this big tough man fall in love to the point her closeness unnerved him, was endearing in itself. I am unsure if it was character or actor, but the way YZJ held Duanwu's hands, smiled at her, and simply engulfed her in his protective arms melted my heart. And perhaps it wasn't just him, but the chemistry between Lusi and Liu Yuning that made it so special. Viewers have to see for themselves, but anyone who has watched Lusi before will not be surprised. This is my second drama with Liu Yuning as the ML and I find myself loving him the more I watch him. And yes, there are kiss scenes...special kiss scenes...special to their unique chemistry.

While TSOPG is said to NOT be romance centered, it was the love...the chemistry... between YZJ and Duanwu that held me captivated. To me, their relationship was the center. Meeting YZJ, set off a series of events that led to Duanwu's character growth. There were times he watched her fail, and times he helped her. Watch for those little quirks of his lips whenever she succeeds. You will see that he fell first. Duanwu was too busy trying to achieve freedom. I felt the romance every time the leads were together. There is a separation after episode 18, but it doesn't last long and even before the misunderstanding is cleared up, they still see each other. There was never a doubt that YZJ still cared for Duanwu. The lull in their relationship allowed for the FL to grow in her efforts following the ideals of female empowerment. Yes, the plot was interesting and it was gratifying to see Duanwu's resilience and intelligence result in her success as an entrepreneur. BUT it was the chemistry of this couple that had me so invested in this drama that I had ONE WISH! Both Duanwu and YZJ suffered many losses. I wanted them to be happy at the end.


The Ending (SPOILER)

I have no regrets watching The Story of Pearl Girl. It was a beautiful journey. And beautifully performed. Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning went beyond expectations. While Duanwu and Yan Zi Ying were able to achieve goals and take fate into their own hands, there were some things they could not change. It was heartbreaking to see the dignity in their acceptance that YZJ was going to die. He decided to leave as he did not want her to see him die. He wanted so much to be with her, so it was heartbreaking to see his selflessness even as he cried. It was heartbreaking to see the composure that Duanwu held together for so long fall apart as she asked him not to leave her. But it was beautiful to see the way they were in their last scene. It was when they finally faced the truth together. YZJ didn't have to hide his health from Duanwu, and she no longer had to pretend she didn't know while doing everything she could to help him. Only then did they share their pain. I like to think perspectives changed once it was all in the open. Perhaps YZJ did not leave Duanwu behind. She wished to see the world with him and she told him. She might have convinced him to let her go with him. We don't know how much of an open ending we can see this to be, but knowing Duanwu, she had always been able to sway YZJ to see her way at some point. We do know at the end, that she declined the position as head of the guild so she could travel. Some might say the gradual build-up to finally facing the truth together, sharing the pain, and then shifting to Duanwu receiving recognition for her accomplishments was beautifully done.


But.... I detest sad endings. And I detest open endings. Good for those who feel the ending works for them. Even though I see how beautifully it was done and appreciate the performances of both Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi I still need to ask, "Wèishéme?" Why? Why couldn't they have had their happy ending? Why must we watch 40 episodes of ups and downs, be dragged for almost 22 episodes hoping for the cure only to find it was hopeless? And why did they make this couple so loving that we feel invested in their outcome? They deserved their happiness. We deserve our happiness! His death was not necessary to show female empowerment or that Duanwu could do this on her own. She had already proven her resilience and capabilities. I gave TSOPG 10s for everything except rewatch value which I put as 9 at first. Then I changed it to a 10 after writing this review because I miss them. Needless to say, I have already rewatched the final episode several times looking for answers. My heart aches and it is hard to move on. They made me love them ....


Liu Yuning sings the OST "Only Wish." Visit Peachey Blossom's The Story of Pearl Girl Full OST video: https://youtu.be/oNvhO0pbO-4 to listen to Liu Yunings beautiful voice. The lyrics show life and death are two extremes of life's journey. We don't always get our wishes because some things are beyond our control. The following are some lyrics that stood out for me in terms of the drama.

Floating life is like a boat , ferrying the sorrows and joys of the world.
I hope this fateful entanglement is half regret and half hope
...the splendid memories will stain your eyes
...the bitterness of the world is still accompanied by dreams.
...I'll be moored on the other side of the river for the rest of your life, watching

The message here is in life there is good and bad. But may you always remember the good times. Even if there are sorrows, there are joys. The joyful memories will never go away. They are worth it. And this is what I have to say about watching this drama. Yes, it has a sad ending or an open ending as you might see it to be. Like the leads, I didn't get the ending I wanted but it doesn't negate the beauty in this drama or all that went into this amazing production. It is a 10 for me. And it is a beautiful journey you should see if only for once.

It is worth it.

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Too many episodes, not enough story…

I know I’m probably in the minority with my rating but this drama was good but not amazing to me. The plot was a basic setup, very similar to some other modern dramas but managed to keep me until the end.

What I liked:

The TCM profession was interesting and I would have liked to see more about it in the show. I know the focus was on romance so it only skimmed the surface of the profession. I also enjoyed the story between Shen Xifan and her ex. It definitely pulled on my heart strings when it reached the conclusion because it’s very relatable. Although there were some moments where I felt the directors trying to push the drama to be for a younger audience (i.e. them tiptoeing around Shen Xifan’s need to spend the night), overall, the drama did offer a more mature view on relationships and I appreciated that especially since most of the cast is late 20s/early 30s. I like when dramas provide a more realistic take on adult relationships in this age range.

What I didn’t like:

This show shouldn’t have been no more than about 16 episodes. There wasn’t much story to tell especially after the main couple got together. There was a ton of uneventful dialogue and basically we were just watching a couple date, sending random text messages about nothing, having conversations about who fell in love first and late night dinners. There just wasn’t a story, it was just a series of random events between two people. I wish I would have but I didn’t find that very entertaining because it dragged on for so many episodes. One thing that bothered me was the overuse of slow-mos. There were so many slow motion scenes throughout this drama when watching the main couple date or stare at each other. To me, it just dragged the already uneventful scenes even more. The supporting cast also didn’t add much value to the story. They attempted to give us a little bit of them here and there but most of the interactions with the main couple was just uneventful and they didn’t flesh those characters out at all. The final thing I will say is the character setup between Shen Xifan and He Suye was cliche. Follows the same formula as a lot of other modern dramas. Female Lead is in a long-term relationship when they meet and Male Lead is single but falls first. Would have been nice if maybe the roles were reversed or both were in relationships or single. I wish these dramas would give us something different.

Overall, if you’re just watching because you are fans of the actors, then you’ll enjoy this along with most of the ratings here. Judge it for yourself.

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Best Chinese Drama!!!

This is my first time completing a Chinese drama and I’m so glad I decided to watch this. Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan’s popularity can be explained through this drama because they performed their roles excellently. Seriously they have the best chemistry out of all romantic dramas I’ve watched. They portrayed a couple in love and expressed romance so naturally. I especially love every moment between ML and FL when they start dating because we get to see how much they deeply love and care for each other, absolutely precious bond they have. It was a beautiful series that teach many valuables lessons about familial, romantic, and platonic love. I cried tears of joy and sorrow and sympathized with the characters from beginning to end. The rewatch factor value is a 10/10! I feel like I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed watching this series. No exception I would definitely recommend Hidden Love to anyone who likes romance.

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i don't rely on reviews but, “this one deserves all the love it can get.” so i had to do one

HERE ME OUT. I NEED HUGS. THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

i’m so happy i decided to watch this. i don’t usually enjoy dramas that focus solely on female independence because many tend to portray it as mere reckless underdeveloped character. but this one? hands down, THE BEST. it made me laugh. it made me CRY buckets. but in the best way possible. every little thing was perfectly executed.

they managed to capture the quiet struggles of womanhood—how societal norms can feel like an invisible cage, limiting women despite their ambitions. the female lead defies expectations, not through reckless rebellion, but with grace, intelligence, and resilience.

and the ml? a WHOLE GREEN FOREST. not a trace of fragile masculinity. such a rare gem. never once threatened by the fl’s independence—he respects it, genuinely. “he knows exactly when to step in and when to hold back, making decisions with careful consideration. he’s gentle, not because he’s passive, but because he understands her deeply—reading her in a way that feels truly intimate. this trait itself isn’t rare, but what is rare is his unwavering consistency in staying true to his values. and with this, he unintentionally creates a warmth of comfort—a place you’d seek refuge in. you feel safe, not just because of words, but because his actions stand as proof.

this is not just a story, but a mirror to reality. i feel for those who have read the novel because the writing is just as IMPACTFUL. i’ve saved so many screenshots of lines that tugged at my heartstrings.

PLEASE WATCH THIS. it’s a must. you’ll come to understand the different struggles of being a woman in a world orchestrated by men. maybe i resonated with it so deeply because i’ve watched my own mother suffer—belittled by relatives, by my father, by friends, all to protect their own pride at her expense.

this drama gets it.

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The only word that could come to describe this show would be PERFECTION.

Everything about Goblin is set so right that you can never regret watching and rewatching and rewatching it again.

Story- one of the best fantasy stories you will ever come across. It is not only beautifully set, but moves forward with a wonderful pace, blending both past and present stories together. The story of Goblin is such that you want never want it to end. The funny moments will have you in splits and the sad one will rip your heart into pieces.

Acting- tremendous. Every actor is on spot with their acting but Kim Go Eun is particularly brilliant. Her playing a teenager and a mature character is so well put that you will actual believe there's a time gap.

Music- OH MY GOD. I have each track of Goblin and I listen to it almost always. The music adds more value to the show.

Rewatch value--I've already seen it over 7 times. No matter what show I watch, I always end up going back to this one.

Overall- without even thinking about it, go watch it and you won't ever regret.

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The Cooks Who Moonlight As Assassins

Here is the sitch. Kant is a love bombing, manipulative snitch for the police. Bison is a cheeky, deadly, adorable hitman, Fadel is a moody, no nonsense hitman who loves cooking burgers, and Style is an annoying gremlin, stalker mechanic who is unknowingly dating an assassin to win an old car. Between the four of them, someone is about to get burn, and it's sure as hell ain't the hamburgers!

Listen, this drama promised a recipe for disaster and chaos, and it cooked and delivered it perfectly. This was an emotional rollercoaster and I enjoyed the ride very very well. As someone who read the novel I had a lot of expectation and they were exceed to the maximum.

CHARACTERS
Both FirstKhao and JoongDunk delivered a wonderful performance. I'm one of those people who believed after watching Hidden Agenda that JoongDunk took their acting lessons from one of them red bricks, but this was their best role yet. Dunk embodied Style to perfection, making me like that annoying character so much. So kudos to all four main cast, great job, clap clap. FirstKhao and JoongDunk were the perfect cast for this role, and it was great seeing them bring the characters to life.

BISON
So like we all agree Bison is crazy right? Sure he dresses like a middle-age divorce woman from Santa Barbara, and his adorable face makes him looks like cute a plushie, but don't be fool, dude had the personality of a ticking bomb, you never know when he was gonna blow while giving you one of those adorable smiles. LMAO, the scene where he was imagining all the ways to off Kant after he found out he was a snitch had me going, 'Damn dude, yous is a cray-cray'. No, he had one solution for every problem he came across. 'Let's kill it.' Bison's character was the most intriguing to me, so of course he was my fav, and Khao as always was great in his role.

Also, I knew Bison was batshit crazy, but he's borderline psychotic, cuz who the hell eats their cupcake muffin from the centre? And when he took Kant to use that laundry line, out there in the open? In the prison when those men were bothering him, I shook my head like, 'Ah, so you want to die this morning.' They did eff around and found out. I don't know what it says about me that the psycho with the cute face is my fav, but Bison was my fav... so.

KANT
Kant. Oh, Kant. What a giant red flag you were. Sure he did all he did so he could clear his grand theft auto charges. Which sure, who wouldn't wanna be free from the popo, but all that love-bombing in the beginning was just cruel. Plus he let his best-friend flirt with a gun firing, steak knife wielding assassin and didn't tell him. Sure, Style would have screamed 'hell no' but letting your friend flirt with someone you suspects murder people for a living is sucky. Homeboy sucks, but, snitches do get stitches, or in his case lungs full of water. He lucky Bison decided to save him in the end. Fadel would have let him be fish food.

I did like how all out Kant went when he finally realised his feelings for Bison. Homeboy even managed to find a pro-bono job in the prison just so he could be closer to Bison. Ah the things crazy people do when they are in love. I also liked how he cared for his brother, what he had to go through to give his brother the best life he could, which makes him like 16% less sucky for his snitching era, but I just remembered Bison and Fadel's heartbreak when they learned the truth, sooo taking back that percentage. I'll give him one thing though, he was brave and one lucky mfker, cuz he faced both Bison and Fadel's guns and lived to tell the tale.

KANT & BISON
Okay, but first question, did FirstKhao take a masterclass in kissing cuz... fam, those smooches were on a whole new level of eating. Now how this people go back to being co-workers/friends after these scenes? I can never be an actor cuz what do you mean, 'no we are not married, I shaved my tongue down your throat for work'. Na ah, yous is my husband now. Shit, after a kiss like the one in the empty pool or on the hammock swing, there's no way I'm leaving without a ring. Unless the police throw me for prison, I am stuck on you like glue.

Anyway, the moment Bison started doing his little inlove-ness-ness cute thing with the tissue like a disney maiden in a musical, I knew he was a goner. These two should not work, but they did, cuz they both had pasts the other understood. I'm glad they found each other, kinks and all. Cuz only two crazy people will do it in a prison courtyard behind sheets. No shame whatsoever. Oh, and that titanic empty pool scene. FirstKhao's chemistry is really one of the best in the bl industry.

I am so happy that they finally got to see the northern lights, in that episode when Kant showed a projection of it, as a way to spend one last day with him, so he could betray him the next day, I was so mad at him, like, why are you doing the most romantic stuff with the worse of intention?? Was so happy when Bison made him jump into the sea, he deserved it for that one scene alone. Though, with everything they've been through, I know they gonna last forever.

STYLE
Style can annoy a ghost back to life. Homeboy was so in love with himself and the sound of his voice, even his father found out his son has been dating a killer for the past years and he was like 'Honestly, good, only a hitman can handle your dramatic arse. Good luck Fadel, hope you can survive him.' No, but, that child was crazy. Him still taking that car he won for the bet made me love him more. Also, Fadel has the patient of a saint, cuz if I was the one who kidnapped style i'd have brought him back within the hour. Heck, I might have just turned over my weapon to him and asked him to put me out of my misery. LOL, that boy had me laughing and shaking my head. I've never met such a friendly, yet, annoying stalker like him. And I don't know what that says about me that I love him this much. No, he's so annoying, but like... he's the best. When Style showed up in his tank-top in ep1, I knew he was going to be annoying as hell, and immediately I went, yes, more please,

There were so many Style moments I love in this drama, but my fav might just be when he was kidnapped. Like he had demands, even had Fadel stop so he could purchase a better outfit to die in, cuz he couldn't die in an ugly shirt, which, sure, understandable, no one likes an ugly corpse. But he even had them attending, and officiating a wedding, wanting kisses and a good time, that bathtub scene. Nah, I'd definitely had un-kidnapped him. And like that scene at the bowling ally, boy literally forgot there was a crazy person with a weapon because Fadel said he was someone else's boyfriend. Child, this is not the time nor place. Oh, how I love his dramatic arse.

FADEL
Mr. Cool assassin who comes off as cold, but is really soft at heart, and just wanna be in his kitchen all day cooking. Fadel had a heart of gold, and the will power of a mountain, cuz the strength it took for him to not kill Style needs to be studied. That scene when he took Style to the creepy forest place, I for sure thought Style was a goner.

Of the four characters, Fadel came off as the most broken. He didn't have expectation of anyone, and he kept everyone away so he wouldn't get hurt. The boy had his grave ready. Legit, was he just gonna go off one day, lie in it, and wait for someone to fill it with soil? Lol. He felt things the most, which is why I understood him when he was being difficult in the prison when Style didn't show up to teach. He was afraid of getting hurt again. Even after they found out Style and Kant betrayed them, and he wanted to get rid of Style, he still couldn't help but care for him. All it took was him thinking Style was gonna get hurt in the ocean for him to give in. So yeah, heart of gold, probably the best of the four.

Plus he really cared for Bison. He was his whole family and he took his job as brother/mother really seriously. Which good, cuz that mother of theirs was the devil.

Naaah, let my man cook in peace, he was born to be a lover not a hitman. The scene when he almost kill Kant but was talked down, and then then went back to his cooking had me laughing. Plus every time he looked at Style with such loving eyes, ahhh, no really, lover not a killer.

FADEL & STYLE
Fadel is like one of those people who are like: 'Dear dairy, I went out today, and the humans are still there. I hate everything.' And Style is one of those people who pets random dogs on the street and talk with everyone in the park. These two are so opposite they shouldn't even work as friends, yet their love story expand years. Fadel is someone who has been hurt so much from his last love, and now guards his heart, but here comes Styles, he walked right into his heart like a bulldozer, just forcing his way in and making a home there for himself until Fadel had no choice but to accept him. No, their love was really beautiful, and I enjoy every moment of it.

They drove each other insane, in a good way. JoongDunk have also grown in the kissing department. These two used to serve fish kisses, given us basically nothing, but look at them now. No, did the four cast take a masterclass in lips locking, where? when? who is teaching it? Boss? How can we sign up for it? Asking for a friend. Cuz... literally Fadel went from 30% to 60% with just a neck kiss. Anywho, personally, I wish Fadel all the best growing old with Style's dramatic arse. I mean it took years and he still couldn't teach him any mechanic's cuz all he did was yap. And yes, JoongDunk also did really well in their roles here, and I was very impressed by how well they brought their characters to life.

PLOT
As someone who read the novel while waiting to the series to air, I knew what was going to happen. I am so very grateful, that for the first time ever the screenwriters did more to the story than the novel. This was much more better than the novel. We got more plot, Style had more personality and wasn't two dimensional and the other three had more depth as well. So thank you khun director and khun screenwriter for this.

That being said, although the plot was interesting, made me laugh, cry, and laughed some more, there were a few things that had me question stuff. Like, what the hell was up with the episode where they tried to get dirt on the Mother? Are these two really sure they're professional hitman? How they stayed alive until now? Cuz Fadel went on a stakeout with Style who wore the brightest outfit he could find, homeboy might as well had gone with a neon sign that read, 'Yes, I'm following that one guy over there.' And of course he got caught, why won't he, in that hotel he and Fadel were literally just standing by the corner, like, three steps from Keen's vision. Also whoever put that hat on Fadel's head deserves prison or whatever powder they gave the mother. The moment I saw him in that hat, I said out loud to myself, 'See head, like bucket' and then laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.

The way I was rolling my eyes when Style was able to disarmed Keen, and then at one point the gun was basically pointing at nothing. And the Mother, she couldn't spot Bison there on that golf course? Bison was literally standing like one umbrella away from her, he wasn't even in disguised, and the mother still didn't recognise/see him? Like??? And and, did Style leave to change his outfit before he went out to comfort Fadel? Priorities, am I right?

Also, during that kidnap Style scene, like was Fadel serious? Homeboy had his gun out, pointing at Style, inside an opened window car, on a busy road, full of witnesses with eyes... like, hello Mr. Hitman are you new here? What in the sorry arse kidnapping is that? It was like he wanted to get caught.

Of course there were scenes I loved: Like the scene at the beach when Bison was crying and asked if Kant was trying to lie to him again. I was a mess. When Fadel showed Style his empty grave. I was crying into my popcorn and pointing at him on my screen like 'Child, why you making people emotional on a random Wednesday, huh? When Kant kept saying Penguin. Look, personally I had more ways to add to Bison's list on how to off Kant's snitching arse, but that scene made me go, 'please, forgive him, he said penguin. Penguin, that's your thing, you can't kill him now.' Then, when style worked so hard to buy back Fadel's restaurant back for him. Our boy grew up so fast from his days of stalking Fadel and going 'Fadew, Fadew, Fadew.' Oh and the scene when they got arrested and they were both crying but Kant was trying to be strong to comfort Style. And when they were taking their mugshot, I was throwing popcorn at my screen hiccuping like 'booooo, set them free, that ugly prison outfit ain't even their colour.'

Ah, this series was supposed to be a romantic comedy but really, only Style understood the genre, the rest of the time the characters were out there making me too emotional.

So like is the Mother dead or what? These two are professional hitman, and they just left that woman sitting there, looking perfectly alive. What if she has an antidote? What if it was powder and she was bluffing? Prison softened them.

That being said, I know Fadel and Bison were like the reddest flag, dudes killed people for a living, but Kant and Style were also red flags. Cuz we have Kant's arse love bombing poor Bison, ready to snitch on him so he'd be free of his crimes, and Style stalking and disturbing a quiet gentle soul all because he wants an old car. In the end, all four really dd deserve each other.

All-in-all a very good drama, one of my favs, and a good way to start the year of bl. I'd recommend it to all bl lovers looking for an entertaining show, you won't be disappointed. Looking forward to FirstKhao and JoongDunk's next work, I am very much seated.

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I absolutely positively love and adore this drama it is currently first place in my heart and it took the place of princess man which is an extremely significant feat since that drama is on a whole other level as well. what put this drama over the top for me was the acting talent that was casted. the child actors were simply amazing and beautifully casted to compliment their adult counter part which I have rarely seen done with so much success in my eyes. and the adults acting was not lacking what so ever. the story was good I liked it and kept me well engrossed and coming back for more at the end of each episode which I love my dramas to do. I highly recommend seeing this drama maybe three or four hundred times lol

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Heart warming drama!

The plot, the soundtracks, and the chemistry between Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan were extremely perfect! One of the cdramas that I would recommend to many people. A very sweet love story, warmth of the family also the cuteness of the brother-sister siblings make our heart feel so calm, It’s really worth watching over and over again. The acting all of the cast are chef kiss (they look so natural).

Sang Zhi is such a thoughtful, cute and smart character. She never gave up on her love and pursue her dream in education. Duan Jia xu, HE IS A WALKING GREEN FLAG MAN i love his character and started dreaming about where I could get a man like that in the real world??😭

At the end, good job hidden love team this drama is a masterpiece!✨

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WHIB is not about love triangle like it seems on the surface. In fact it's not about love at all, it's about obsession over money and how that screws people up. It's not the most typical drama out there and it will make you depressed. But I feel like it really hits the nail in criticizing Korean society and explains why so many people just can't be happy.

Jae Min feels like In Wook is taking all his women.
In Wook feels like Jae Min is getting his women.
Young Joo feels like Soo Jung is taking all her men.
Soo Jung? She just has to choose but is having a hard time.
But choose between what?

And so the show goes on in small circles, again and again and again. The force what drives life and moves the world is money and it dictates the laws of darkness. There is no love, no happiness, nothing meaningful in money but everyone needs it. One doesn't have it, second has too much and third experienced both situations. No one became happy. That's life folks.

The whole drama is boring and drags on like your feet after walking 100 miles but... BUT! The beauty of the show comes to light after you have finished it! This dark show is not to be taken too lightly, you have to analyze everything and you will understand the beauty within!

The cast is wonderful and acting super good. The main girl, of course, super annoying. She is miserable but at the same time hateful. Then there is Young-joo the nasty girl. I liked her pretty much. She is bad and desperate but well... everything makes sense in the end.

I am sure many people will find this drama hard to like and easy to loathe but give it a chance and dive into it as deep as possible. This one show is deep and needs devotion, you won't get anything out of it without analyzing the psychology behind every action. It's going to be a depressing and miserable ride but that's what life is about sometimes.

What happened in Bali?
Happiness.

Complaints? Well, backgrounds of some characters could have been explained better and there were some questions left unanswered. And there could have been less episodes. And it's a bit unsatisfying that instead of getting over their problems these people... well... yeah.

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