Reviews

It starts big, it remains strong and it ends big! Consistently perfect!

From the very first episode, the scene is set. We meet characters and we know who's gonna be nice, who's gonna cause trouble and who we are to dislike forever. There are twists and turns obviously and there are surprises and shocks. But no one acts out of character, no one does things just for the plot going against their characterization.

An exceedingly well-written drama, beautifully shot and excellently well acted. There are no flaws, there are no lulls, there is no weak arc or filler episodes. I didn't like all the storylines, unfortunately, but this is where the lead couple shine. Even in the most frustrating moments the lead couple keep the viewers engaged in their personal and marital journey. I could not have loved this drama had I not fallen in love with the Lord and Lady of Wei.

I just wish there was one more episode, the last one seemed a bit rushed and a bit incomplete. We need reunions, we need funerals, we need celebrations, we need apologies and reconciliations. There are plenty of conversations that I needed to see.

Alas this is the issue with writing and directing an amazing story- the readers are often left wanting for more.

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Story: Watching the movie without reading the description in the summary is like going on a trip to the jungle without a road map, and even then, the potential to get lost is great. Which is what happened to me when watching this movie.
Only in the end did I realize that there was actually a love triangle between Lin, Josh and Sean, but it was really hard to tell among the constant revolving door of almost naked men in their cheap-looking underwear that look like they've been worn since they were teenagers.

Honestly, I did not realize that there's actually a story in this mess. My take-away from this movie is that gays do drugs, bad disco and sleep around with whomever and whatever is available. But I know this is not the case. There is even a line in the movie, that for gay men, what is important is not the clothes you wear, but the body underneath it. Basically, if you're fat, you're fucked. Or rather, not fucked. Unless you are some guy with connections or money, you're pretty much hopeless.

But to give you a quick brief, so to spare you from wasting almost two hours of your life. This is basically what happened, if I understood it correctly.

Spoilers ahead:

Main Line:

Josh has been in love with Lin , who is still hung up about the death of his boyfriend.
Josh sleeps around with everyone except Lin.
Lin has AIDS and Lin dies by suicide similar to what his boyfriend did.
Sean did something about a video, probably driving LIn to his death not sure.
Sean did the above to get Josh.
Sean also has AIDS.
The description says that Josh and Lin are boyfriends but it doesn't look like it in the movie, they may like each other but nothing that shows they were together, except that Josh frequents Lin's flower shop a lot.

Side Lines:

Miss Rose is the manager of the Red House.
Lang is Miss Rose BF who sells/supplies drugs in his apartment. Another hang-out.
Lang also sleeps around. No surprise there, as almost everyone is.
Miss Rose also provides sexual services to keep her business afloat.
The Red House burns to the ground mysteriously during or after or before a police raid.

Acting: They are all convincingly gay.

Music: The only good part about the movie.

Re-watch value: Watching one time is more than enough.

There are so many loopholes, gaps, questions about this movie that is so choppy at best, and laziness at worst.
The only reason I am giving this a 3 star even though it is a bad movie, is because I have seen worse if you can believe it. I'm looking at you, Graupel Poetry, Innate Differences, Alternative Love, In Between Seasons, A Touch of Fever, and the list goes on and on.

Unless you are a masochist, be forewarned. No matter how you like Sky Li or Aric Chen, they will not save this movie. Nobody can.

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fated mates, paranormal, vampire, codified chase/stalker/ seme

AKA I Wanna Bite It, from Moving Picture Company (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu's Wedding, The Tasty Florida, Tinted With Love) so we all expected a classic modern Korean BL.

The leads were perfectly cast, the ideal seme vampire and the ideal uke prey. I like it when a vampire is actually deadly and facing up to the moral quandary of living a very long life. I found the uke actor particularly endearing in this limited role, he was quite soft and appealing without being weak or inactive. I enjoyed most of it but near the end I did start to feel the sparseness and the limited cast, like it was a one act play of a fairytale.

I suppose if you name your BL kissable lips you better end with a good kiss, even if you are Korea. But even a great kiss doesn’t mitigate killing the gay in a BL. Sorry. Not my thing. I’m aware of the history of BL, and I know dark is part of the tradition (even from Korea) but I HATE IT. These days a sad ending isn’t really Korea’s bailiwick (with the possible exception of Peach of Time), and they didn't set Kissable up properly. Right until the last episode I thought they might pull it out and save the couple in some supernatural way. Not that death came entirely out of nowhere, like H3:MODC, but still, it wasn't what I wanted in a vampire BL and I have been waiting for this trope so long for one. *this is my disappointed face*

I also I hate that the sad ending explains why the kiss was so good. It’s the vintage trope of: Sexualize those gays and one of them MUST DIE. How old school of you, Korea. Anyhoozle, if they kill one half of the couple it gets a 2/10 (or lower) from me. Sorry not sorry.

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It's definitely not "better late than being single" but "better late than to be taken"

As me being single since birth made me think of how I wish I was from this show?? WAHAHAHHA'

It has been a fun ride with them, and it feels like fresh from an oven while watching the first ep. Mostly it was bubbly but it got all sudden to be serious and intense when they already realized and knew that some of them are "competing" with each other on who they'll end up with. While some of them are trying to fix their own things and managed to survive remaining to be single until the end...

Honestly, I've been posting some tiktok clips (@nugumars on tiktok) from this show and its my second show after watching my first ever dating show, nineteen to twenty. Well, I was expecting for more since the first ep and the ending was really unpredictable for me. I think I haven't seen some of the main couple's lovey-dovey and first move scenes in a detailed way but definitely these singles who never had a relationships also reminds me of how hard it may also be, especially thinking twice of what would possibly come up, it may be predicted or it may be in the worst case-scenario. I also understand how some girls we're been underestimated by the other guys, the other where just there for a show, competition and rivalry was there, but I would never forget the maturity as well from them. I also love the progress and the pain that they have carried all the way, and how they made few changes to make the first step to other singles who they we're interested in.


Perhaps, these girls really made an impression for me since the first ep:
~ Yi-do
~ Min-hong
~ Ji-su
They really stood out for me the most because every eps, there are progress and changes. They adjusted and think of possible outcomes and predictions, while the other, like Yido, really felt bad for her for crying like girl you've cried 5x from my list already T-T Yi-do for me was one of the weakest but yet she still had so much expectations and dreams of ending up with Jeong-mok but erm he's kind of a jerk from this show tbh. I really hoped for the betterment of Yido and finding the perfect guy for her, despite jeong-mok might be her first love and first heartbreak.

One of the strongest singles out here from this drama is definitely Min-hong, she was totally my favorite from this show and especially the mindset of giving so much advices to the girls, her roommates and the other guys like jae-yun. I liked her personality and the bravest part of her in giving reassurance to others who she gave advices makes her even more attractive.

Ji-su has been the most favorite and ideal partner among the three guys, Sang-ho, seung-il, and Hyunkyu. The competition of the guys we're entertaining, but to the point as well where I was totally disappointed of the guys really chasing her. I mean its their first time but who knows? Also, she does not rush anything because each day comes by since the first day she really had the chance to talk to them one by one while the other was getting so suspicious of their acts. I mean my girl ji-su was promising, but I felt a bit shocked that she chose Seung-il despite the little incident while they were a bit drunk and talking about their first day and the serious question from Ji-su about her past trauma of why she really choses the right guy as carefully as she is. Ever since the firs day, she really made a n impression to most of the guys since they we're introduced the first day. Hoping that while she ended up with Seung-il she would really find interconnectedness with each other.

For the guys, they we're pretty neutral to me, but definitely I was hoping more for some of them to interaction (and not being late) like seung-chan and mi ji T-T. Actually Seung-chan was one of my favorites, and as well as Jae-yun. I feel like I have not quite things to say but ever since few days passed by I think he had lots of progress and its really obvious that they are surrounded by their own worlds because they we're too shy to interact with the girls within the building or even their dates. I feel like I had a favoritism with Seung-chan and there was one episode where he gave an advice to one of the guys after the singles inside a room were talking about the guy who consumed almost two hours of talking to Ji-su.

Seung-chan, Jae-yun and Sang-ho were my favorite guys who stayed by their own preferences but they had at least few changes and progress of knowing themselves more, and that was the point of entering the show for them.



I think I do really understand the decisions that the eternal singles made at the end of the episodes because they weren't there for fun, but finding answers of where they actually belong from the two questions of "staying single?" or "finding or looking for your first love?". The emotions and confusions were all came with purpose and meaning, and I also love how the crew and production made this show very interesting and yet more intense. Also, the casts from this show were very entertaining, as this has been my first dating show that made me so damn interested in watching aired and being so impatient as I waited for few days or even a week to watch all eps.

But overall, it was okay for me, but then I really wished that they would reunite (but not possible because it might be awkward for them already)

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Cute, adorable romance with few question marks included!

This drama was low-key a catfish. Hear me out... I went in fully expecting a light, sweet, fluffy romance with cute bickering, unresolved tension doing the absolute most, and nonstop soft vibes. And yes it is all of that, but then it randomly hits you with grief, regret and an existential crisis you did not see coming. It tries to unpack all of that through a fantasy lens and that’s where things start getting a little shaky.

At its heart, it is cute, romantic in a fluffy sense but it's not just that. It's also about timing being terrible and fear absolutely ruining the party. The whole idea of romance is constantly competing with "what ifs", which gave a little emotional bite to the story.
The story runs in two tracks- The present or the fluff where the feelings are finally being named out loud, and another shaped by fragmented, anxiety-induced visions. The rules of how the second world works aren't exactly clear though.

At the centre of the drama is the relationship between Jerome aka "J" and Jinn, our classic rivals-to-lovers trope. Their relationship has been marked by years of unresolved tension from childhood.
J is the definition of realising things too late and then spiralling about it. While his heart was in the right place, sometimes the lack of commutation trope was stretched too thin considering how understanding and accommodating his partner was. I understand the decisions were driven by fear and it took a while for him to figure it himself but the writing could have cut it short.
Jinn, on the other hand, was not here for instantly rewarding apologies. And I was glad because years of emotions being side-lined don't magically disappear because J got self-aware. He was genuine, funny and cute as a button. I enjoyed their bickering, affection and chemistry between them. Cute, comforting but not boring.

Coming to the second couple, Van and Farm. This is also the opposites attract trope (more on the friends-to-lovers side). While I sympathise and sort of understand Van's emotional distance stemming from unresolved grief and fear of attachment, the way he treated Farm at times pissed me off. I was glad Farm took a stand for himself. But I did like their story too and was glad as the second couple, they had their own storyline with themes of troubled love different from mains but still cohesive to the overall storytelling and were not there just for decoration or filler scenes.

The drama's strength lies in romance and emotions but where it stumbles and fumbles is in its final stretch. The pacing becomes uneven in the later episodes, with certain conflicts lingering longer than necessary while key explanations never arrive. The supernatural element, though thematically effective at the start, felt like a gimmick rather than a logical subplot. These choices don't derail the whole story but they definitely softened its impact on me.

Visually, the production is polished. They managed to portray the difference in timelines well, considering I wasn't confused between them. Though it was hard to believe they were 31, at least they tried.
Acting also elevated the material when plot holes tried tanking it. Sea and Keen continue to impress me. I know they are cute and everything, but they can definitely act and deliver when asked. There were a few emotional scenes where I felt Sea was a bit stiff, but nothing too distracting. Surf and Java were adorable too. I will definitely look up to their new projects.

Overall, even if my thoughts above makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy it, I really did. It’s one of those dramas you watch to destress, even though it might low-key stress you out but it’s wrapped in the cutest fluff, which somehow balances it out... I digress, but yeah, I liked it. I would recommend it just with the expectation that the fantasy element isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. You will likely be left with a few questions, but also be fed with cute romance.

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This was certainly a emotional drama which really takes your eyes for adventure. It really great news to hear that the main leads were an official couple when they still filming this show. Long dramas really are quite rare these days. But most of the episode were entertaining and wasn't boring. One thing I have to say is the ending was confusing but from some sources I heard that there is going to be a season 2 which may help answer this conclusion.

Story:
I am not going spoil it for whomever is going to watch the drama. Sooooo..... I am going to shortly-summarish- explain this. There was a time period before the current time period in the story. The people in the before time period wants to revive their period by making their prince the emperor. But of course the time right now already has a king and that king is doing a fair job. This is actually the main problem of the whole story but there are many tiny other issues that occur in the drama too. Love plays a big part and there is a lot of heartbreak too. (Multiple heartbreaks)

Acting/Cast:
I can't really describe how the acting was but I just know that I really disliked the antagonists. Which probably means that those actors did a great job on making me hate them. The good people were likable and the audiences' feelings was controlled by the story. So I have to say the acting was amusing. The cast was amazing too each of actors represenyed the character and the feeling matched correctly.

Music:
I can't recall the music but I just know that something occurred during the tragic scenes which made me cry. So I guess it decent?

Rewatch:
I would most definitely rewatch this. It is one of the most complex long historical drama in 2017 that became popular and known. Before I die I would no doubt watch it again!

Remember if you watch this, bring a carton of tissues.????

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UNREASONABLE!

My headline says it all! What a disappointment.

Finally having a chance to be with your long time crush and not grabbing it just because of a cliche reason of his father hindering you? Then solving that issue towards the end yet you still don't want to be him?

Ben knew what happened to Jim while he was gone. He was disowned by his father and lived a miserable life after finding out that he is also in love with Jim. As if he was not moved a little to think that he was the one who displayed his feelings first. His eyes always looked like he's about to cry but his actions contradicts it. As if he leads us on wanting to get back with Jim but Jim ends up listening to Ben and Roy exchanging I love you's.

My heart breaks for Val. Unlike some comments here, he did not take advantage of Jim. His intentions were pure. He even told Jim not to rush things between them. Then he just let go of him like that when he knew he can't replace Ben in his heart.

The ending was the most unreasonable part. It sums up how the story was messed up and non sense. Ben and Jim finally had a chance to talk and catch up with all the things they went through. Ben even said he loves Jim and will always carry him in his heart and mind. But takes it back saying they can't be together that time. IDK what does he mean by not meant to be together at that moment even if they still love each other and all issues were solved. What makes it more fucked up is that after that heart to heart talk, Jim goes back to the party, holds hands with Roy, act intimately with each other and smile like no one is hurting. I CANNOT! I REALLY CANNOT!

My only consolation is the side actors and their stories. I personally think Olan and Yana, Dante and Flo and The "Orgy" couple were cute and adorable. EJ Jallorina has always been a good actor, but I found the acting of his partner Miko off in this series. (He made a better job in his previous BL tho.)

My verdict goes with majority of the commentaries here. A BIG NO. MESSED UP. UNJUSTIFIABLE. UNREASONABLE. NON SENSE.

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A stress-free story with the theme of sincerity.

Whether it's romance, family, or career; the series shows us that if do things with sincerity, it will not go unnoticed. Not everyone will be moved by it, but there will always be people who will see and feel it. The story is simple, nothing ambitious or unique. However, the chemistry, the heartfelt moments, and honest interactions between characters made this series very memorable for me.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Very likable leads and a mature relationship. Loved the chemistry. A very capable female character and a very green-flag and sincere male lead.

✔ Good communications between the lead. Very drama-free relationship

✔ Lots of cute moments


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ While I loved Ro Woon with Pyung Hwa, his inclusion in the Sibling Six or whatever they called themselves felt rushed. Would've loved to see more development and him building relationship with the others.

✖ The resolution for both Pyung Hwa's and Da Eul's felt too easy given the time we spent seeing their struggle.

✖ Sa Rang's exile to the tourist hotel seemed pointless to me since she was easily brought back to King The Land. Just felt like a nice vacation to me.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The story around the workplace politic and the power struggle between the brother and sister wasn't something I was super interested in. I can't even say that it was the journey of their love that kept me interested as they got together relatively quick. What truly captivated me about the series were the characters themselves and the sincere interactions between them, whether it be cute, funny, heart fluttering, or just pure honesty.

Gu Won is our main male lead. Initially, he was just some chaebol who hated pretentious smiles and could not care less about his family's hotel business. However, he became more interested in the hotel when he meets Sa Rang, whom he falls for. What I absolutely loved about his pursuit of her is was his sincerity and willingness to learn how to be in a relationship. He got to know her bestest friends and her grandma, and they all had advice for him. The core advice was honesty and clarity. Showing how we feel with actions is great, but saying how we feel and what we're thinking helps avoid drama and miscommunication. It's also very romantic to me. Consent is also very sexy. Loved that he asked permission before kissing her during their date. Also, Gu Won's dad was a very likable parent for me. He never really forced his son (mostly since he knew he couldn't) and there were lots of nice father-son moments where he was understanding. The only thing I disliked was when he sent Sa Rang to the tourist hotel. I don't even know what the point was since Won easily just brought her back.

Sa Rang is our beautiful female lead. She is a very capable and hard working girl. She doesn't needs much saving for the most part and was able to take care of herself. The employees of King The Land did not like her at first but her sincere attitude won them over eventually. Sa Rang's growth in this series has less to do with her character development, but more a realization on what she truly wanted to do as her dream career. I wished we had spent more time earlier in the series to build up to the idea of Sa Rang wanting to start her own hotel. Maybe they did sprinkle the idea that she was not happy doing what she was doing subtly and I missed it, but it felt sudden to me. I'm happy though that she found what she wanted to do at the end. I also absolutely loved Sa Rang's grandma. Most memorable for me with her was where she was helping Won set up a savings account, it really touched me.

They pair was great at talking to each other. There was a lot of honesty between the characters and I'm thinking that's what I like so much. Even the interaction between the villain and her brother was for the most part very honest. And the characterizations of the characters were honest in that we knew who to root for and who not to.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I can't lie, 2PM was the first KPOP ground that I really got to know so the members hold a special place in my heart, even if they aren't my favorite group. With that said, I think this the first series with Junho that I was interested in seeing. I might go watch some of his previous stuff later but they're not super high priority. Watching King The Land, however, did leave a good impression on me with his acting. And I loved his chemistry with Im Yoon Ah. She's so pretty. I need to dive deeper in Girls' Generations. I think everyone did a group job, I felt the feels when I needed to feel them. Special shoutout to Kim Sun Young who play Won's sister. Great antagonist!

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

"Yellow Light" from Gaho and "Confess To You" from Kim Ye Yim both stood out to me as my favorites, but all the OST were great! Need to relisten to some of them and see which ones I need for my playlists, but they're all great songs. Not much else to say in that regard.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I can't say I will watch this in its entirety but there were so many cute, romantic, and funny scenes that I adored. So I wouldn't watch it again for the plot, but I would rewatch clips just to feel the butterflies.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

So my overall impressions was that this was a very light, fluffy cute series where I didn't need to stress about the villain, overthink anything, or even get overly frustrated by anyone. Very stress-free watch for me. It was funny and it was romantic. Checks both the boxes for a romcom for me. Also, lots of scenic scenes. Loved Thailand. Loved the forest vibe of the tourist hotel. Loved the cityscape shots. Yeah, this was an easy watch and very enjoyable watch. I've watch so much kdramas so one would think it would be boring and stale for me, but it wasn't. This series has a lot of charm due the characters and I definitely recommend watching it at least once.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Keeps you guessing...forever

This is an ensemble drama that had to balance so many pieces of a puzzle and characters to make a complete piece. The cinematography is gorgeous and the costume and sets are beautiful as well. This director really knows how to shoot actors, the lighting in the dark Gong residences was excellent. Instead of looking dull the actors looked ethereal and darkly beautiful. Gong Shangjue is often shot like a viper who sits in the dark on first watch, but on a second watch he looks like a lonely man who holds a lot of pain and responsibility. Ryan Cheng was a stand out for me in this show. He had to bear two weeks plus of everyone hating his character, poor him. I never doubted that he was always rooting for his gallivanting brother to get responsible and protect their family.

Esther Yu especially impressed me in this show, in LBFAD I liked her character towards the end but in this one she handles a meatier role in stride. Her crying scenes are actually heartbreaking and not grating, you get the sense that she put a little of herself in order to bring out the grief, not the persona she wears for the character. I'll definitely follow her projects after this. I must commend Lu Yu Xiao as well, in another drama she appeared in this year I found her annoying but in this one she is electric. You never really know what she wants even in the end. She kept the audience guessing, if c dramas were not so reliant on flashbacks I would have never known what she really desired or cared about. An excellent spy in that sense.

Now, the writing in this show was a little wanting. I liked that all the characters were taken care of, instead of using the supporting characters as tools to prop the male lead, each of them holds weight that creates an emotional heart of the story. This always gets a plus from me, no matter how messy the main plot is. The writer/director was able to make us care about the supporting characters so that a big loss is felt if we lose any of them, even the ones we hated. The humor was not my style at all and I skipped many Gong Zishang's scenes. Sorry but she was overdoing it. The main problem I had is that not enough time is given to the part of the plot that moves the gears forward. Ziyu's actions move the plot forward, the three trials he must take are how we get to the next bit of the story, yet this part was the slowest moving part of the plot. This is why I found the third trial and Master Hua's arc wanting. Often important developments were paused after making the audience think there should have been an immediate consequence. As much as I hate to admit it, Yun Weishan was often conveniently covered by plot armour. In C drama writer fashion, the villain is revealed in a cartoon like fashion who describes their plan and declares "if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" And so much exposition. But I hardly think c drama writers will ever change this style of writing. The final act needed either tighter writing or the drama should have done the full 40 episodes. It is as if the writer was rushing to solve the mystery by writing twists in for convenience (some of which were predicted by the audience, but still). However, probably this could be justified if that ending means there is going to be a season 2. How that will work in the C-ent industry would be nothing short of a miracle. Unless all the actors signed up knowing it might end this way. If there is no season 2 then I'm afraid that ending was clumsily done.

It is absolutely worth watching even twice, the first to work out what is going on in the plot because the drama was good at leaving clues for the audience to figure out, the second time to decipher the truth from the lies. The ending will not be satisfying for all, but I thought there were great enough elements in this to deserve a 9. This is one of the high quality outputs from c drama in 2023.

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a masterpiece with multidimensional/flawed characters (please give it a try)

Overall: I think some people won't start or finish this series due to the premise and Ritsu's character in the beginning. I would highly encourage people to watch the entire series because it is 100% worth it. Aired on GagaOOLala and Viki.

Content Warnings: there are several some of which might be extremely triggering, I will put them in a comment with a spoiler

What I Liked
- flawed/multidimensional characters (I could write an essay on Ritsu)
- realistic and very well done NSFW scenes (including talking during and not overpowering music)
- relationships between characters (enjoyed the found family theme with the four of them)
- how Meguru was not a cliche/stereotype and the actor (used as a gender neutral term) is non-binary so that's pretty awesome
- production value/cinematography (you can tell it's the same director from The Novelist & Mood Indigo)

Room For Improvement
- the flashbacks kind of took me out a bit from the story in the present
- not a fan of some of the one lipped kissing
- the special effects near the end were low budget/cringey
- definitely could have used a longer run time to more fully develop characters
- I wish they'd go with something that could actually happen like a deadly virus, nuclear war or a large natural disaster but I realize they had source material

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Music, Friendship, and Second Chances

Rearrange has been such a pleasant surprise. The band can actually sing, and the best part is there are no over-the-top comedy or cringe moments. Although it’s set in high school, the writing carries a maturity that makes it stand out. I especially love how the story shifts between the younger Win and Nut, and then jumps 27 years later to show the older Win, who regrets never confessing his love earlier. It’s another time travel story, but one that I’m genuinely enjoying every minute of.
The series also makes you think: what would you do if you had the chance to go back 27 years to when you were 17? The cast, acting, and plot are excellent so far, and the attention to detail in the “back in time” scenes is remarkable, from the old cars to the heritage houses.

By episode 8, we finally got the long-awaited first kiss, and it was worth the wait. Win climbing the ladder into Nut’s room mirrored an earlier scene, but this time it carried new weight because Nut already had feelings for him. Their kiss was sweet, natural, and full of charm, easily the highlight of the series so far.

That said, I do have two complaints. First, the build-up to their romance felt rushed. For most of the series, there were just small hints, then suddenly Nut liked Win. With Nut also spending time with Lin, it almost felt like I missed an episode. A bit more focus on their one-on-one moments would have made the progression smoother.

My second complaint is with Win himself. If I had the chance for my 44-year-old self to go back and meet my 17-year-old self, there are so many things I’d want to change. That could make for such a powerful plot. But in this series, Win doesn’t do much with his second chance. History simply repeats itself. He briefly admitted his feelings to Nut, but then brushed them aside as if they meant nothing. For twenty years he regretted not confessing, yet when fate gave him a chance to change everything, he still didn’t take it. It makes you wonder, what’s the point?

Overall I really enjoyed this series. It’s super cute and I liked it even more than High School Musical. Everyone got the happy ending they deserved, and it left me smiling.

I love both Nut and Win and wish the story gave them more time together to build their chemistry. The show has everything: school life, music, friendship, and family conflicts. I just wish Win made bolder choices, especially given the title Rearrange. Still, it’s a beautifully made series.
Rating: 9/10

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Not Perfect But It'll Have A Special Place in Your Heart!

I genuinely enjoyed this show. It's not perfect and it may not be the best drama you'll ever watch but it'll have a special place in your heart. Cinematography was well done. Filming locations were beautiful. There are some things that are different from the other versions of Meteor Garden and that makes it really exciting because it keeps you guessing what was changed in this version. The story is still the good old Meteor Garden tale that we all loved. As someone who grew up watching Asian dramas, this particular story (Meteor Garden, Boys Over Flowers, Hana Yori Dango) is a classic and timeless tale. It's always fun to watch the modern remakes of this story and I'm glad this one didn't disappoint me. Everything cliche in an Asian drama is in this drama lol but I mean, it IS Meteor Garden, so it's expected. This story is basically the foundation of all Asian drama cliches lmao. But it's always so refreshing to go back to this story again in a different setting & with a different cast. If you truly want to enjoy this show, I highly recommend NOT to compare it with the other versions and nitpick on the inexplainable and ridiculous things that happen in this show. Just take it lightheartedly and you'll be able to truly enjoy it. It has 50 episodes (49 on Netflix idk why lol) but it never felt like it was a task for me to finish it because it was so much fun to watch (besides the side story that dragged on for too long *cough cough*). Just don't have extremely high expectations or else... that'll ruin it for you. Other than that, it's really enjoyable to watch. There is a lot of comedy, romance, and it shows the value of friendship and family.

ACTING
Acting was just okay, nothing too spectacular. Most of the cast members are new to acting so I wasn't surprised that they were somewhat lacking. It didn't bother or annoy me, though, because the characters were still very likable and cute. It's so fascinating how much Dylan Wang suits playing as Dao Ming Si. I'm so glad he was chosen to play as DMS because I honestly can't imagine anyone else playing it. Dao Ming Si is such a difficult character to pull off, so I give props to Dylan for doing a great job, despite this being his first drama ever. Out of the 5 main characters (F4 & Shan Cai), only Shen Yue and Darren Chen had some experience acting in dramas prior to Meteor Garden. Shen Yue is an excellent actress (became a fan of her during her previous drama!) but for some reason, her acting here felt a bit unnatural sometimes? But she is amazing in dramatic scenes. Her tears fall down so quickly and she makes me wanna cry too ;___; I liked all the F4 members but my fav was Darren Chen/Kuan Hong. I fell in love with him while watching this show. His smile and dimple is to die for!

MUSIC
I LOOOOOOVEEEE THE OST OF THIS DRAMA. I love how they included old songs from the original Meteor Garden. It brought back a lot of memories of my childhood so I was really pleased to hear them again. They included old songs like Qing Fei De Yi by Harlem Yu, Liu Xing Yu by the original F4, and the new version of Ni Yao De Ai, which was still sung by Penny Tai. The songs that the 2018 F4 sang were lowkey cheesy lol but they're really catchy and I found myself listening to them a lot! Honestly, most of F4 can't really sing besides Caesar Wu (Ximen) lol but they're super cute so it's okay hahahaha. There are two English songs that was played throughout the show: Say Something by A Great Big World, which really set the mood, and Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake), which really ruined MY mood bc it's such a terrible song lol.

OVERALL, this wasn't such a bad show at all. I would wait for the new episodes every week and had so much fun watching it. It kind of became my stress reliever since I enjoyed it so much. A lot of my friends enjoyed it as much as I did too.

So now... the final verdict: SHOULD YOU WATCH IT? YES. Absolutely. Go for it. It's funny. It's cute. It's romantic. It's dramatic. F4 members are eye candies. What else could you ask for in a drama? I highly recommend it. Like I said before, it may not be the best drama you'll ever watch, but it'll have a special place in your heart. PLUS, it's on Netflix so it should be easy to watch for a lot of people!


(don't read past this if you don't wanna get spoiled lol but I just wanted to share my personal thoughts)


SPOILERS/MY THOUGHTS
- Shancai and Dao Ming Si's relationship is bipolar and cyclic af lol the same shit kept happening over and over again, just with some minor changes lol BUT THAT DIDN'T KEEP ME FROM LOVING THEM. THEY ARE WAY TOO CUTE.
- JING AND LEI'S STORY OMG idk why but it had so much impact on me in this version. Darren and Sun Yi Han are so shippable! Til the end of the show, I still kept waiting for Jing to come back to Lei so that he wouldn't be alone... at least in this version... ;____;
- Xiao You and Ximen deserved so much more screen time ;___; I'm literally craving for more of them ;___; they're so adorable
- Cai Na and Terrence, a.k.a, the most irrelevant characters and have contributed NOTHING to the show, had so much screen time, I almost went insane. SAVE YOUR SOUL AND SKIP THEIR SCENES.
- the last ep was a big wtf lol but it's weirdly NOT disappointing?? lmao

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