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EYECANDIES
While i cant say anything bad about the 4 main cast, who may be some of the best looking cast in any BL show, the story and the execution is a bit lacking.The plot is a typical Thai BL setting - boy hates (or pretends) to hate another boy only to fall in love in the end - whats worse is this time we got 2 of that (or 3 or 4 if you count the side characters). There is no real climax to the story except to make these guys fall inlove with each other - there was very little time for the characters to grow. Initially they were trying to tell the backstories of Zon and Tutor, only for all of that to not matter in the end. There was no antagonist and no real (or very little) conflict and the finale felt like it was really rushed - nothing really happened in the final episode, other than Saifzon's first time.
If they didnt try to be so serious in the beginning and just made it a completely light hearted romance drama, things would have been better.
Saint is always amazing but for me Zee stole the show. The way he cried when they broke up and the way he begged Tutor to take him back broke my heart too.
Thank god Tommy was cute enough that even if his character is so annoyingly written I cant still hate him. Jimmy is just charming and cute as hell. These 2 deserve a better series of their own.
Will i rewatch the series again - maybe, only for the EYECANDIES, and if i am locked down again at home for a long period of time. Otherwise not at all.
I do understand the pressure of finishing a show in the midst of the covid pandemic - we all know that the production was heavily affected by it. And because of their effort to not hang the fans in the middle of the show, im still giving the show a 7.
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1Love, Lies & Manipulation – Welcome to Secret Relationship
Wow. I don’t even know where to start with this one. Being my first-ever Korean BL, I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this drama threw me on. But I do know one thing— it set the bar ridiculously high.For a drama with only 8 episodes, each around 30 minutes, it never once felt rushed or incomplete. The pacing was so well done. Every single episode left me wanting more, and somehow, they managed to pack in all the tension, angst, and emotional wreckage without making anything feel forced. It’s rare for a short-format drama to feel this full, but Secret Relationship nailed it.
The Plot – A Toxic, Twisted Love Web
Jung Daon is caught in a very complicated situation—stuck between a controlling toxic oppa, a sweet sunshine who deserves the world, and an absolute devil who enjoys playing with people's emotions like it’s a sport. It's messy, so messy, and that’s what makes it so damn addictive.
Characters – A Messy, Flawed, and Completely Addictive Bunch
One of the biggest strengths of this drama is its characters. They are not simple, one-dimensional tropes. They are deeply flawed, frustrating at times, and painfully real.
Jung Daon – Walking Emotional Damage
– If "walking heartbreak" was a person, it would be him. The poor guy has been stuck in this cycle of self-doubt and emotional torment for so long that he genuinely believes he’s not worthy of happiness. Watching him struggle, make questionable choices, and slowly fight to break free was one of the most compelling parts of this drama.
Seong Hyeon – The Ball of Sunshine
–This man? Too pure for this drama. The absolute sweetheart of the show, My precious, soft-hearted, warm-as-the-sun baby.. He’s the kind of person who puts everyone else first, even at his own expense. He’s pure, kind, and incredibly loyal, which makes it even more painful to watch him get dragged into this emotional battlefield. He deserved all the happiness in the world, and honestly, I just wanted to protect him.
Kim Su Hyeon – TOXIC Hot Oppa™
– Where do I even start? Sir, you need therapy. Immediately. This guy is toxic, obsessive, abusive and emotionally unstable and unavailable in the most frustrating way possible.
You are toxic and I hate you. And you are HOT
Jaemin – The Devil in Disguise
–If there’s a character that deserves an award for mind games, it’s Jaemin. A psychopath. A master manipulator. This man plays chess while everyone else is struggling with tic-tac-toe. Every action, every word, every little gesture—it’s all calculated. He smiles like an angel but manipulates like a devil, twisting people’s emotions and pulling the strings behind the scenes; he’s always one step ahead. And the worst part? Jaemin, you are a menace. He was just that terrifyingly good.
Brilliant performances – These actors delivered— They nailed it.
Music & Atmosphere - The background music? Perfectly placed. won’t say it was the most memorable OST ever, but it did its job so well that I can’t complain.
Final Thoughts –
If you want a soft, healing romance, this is NOT it. But if you’re looking for a dark, twisted, emotionally charged love story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. It’s messy, it’s intense, and it will ruin your peace of mind—but you’ll love every second of it.
For my first Korean BL, I don’t think I could’ve picked a wilder, more gripping watch. It was toxic, dramatic, intense, and utterly unforgettable. If you’re looking for a romance with real emotional depth and a chaotic love square that’ll have you screaming at the screen, this is it.
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What in the stockholm syndrome hell was that? It was like a train wreck that you know you want to look away but you can't take your eyes off it. I want those 2 hours of my life back. X_XI started off just wanting to leave it at "I'm going to mark this as watched but I'm going to pretend I never saw it" --sadly, that fell through because it's forever embedded into my brain and I get, that's on me. That is what I get for seeing a cool cover and being like "I'm watching it" without reading the synopsis. But really. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS?!?!
There was barely a storyline. If you had to say the storyline, it was a storyline like SAW. Kinda, "oh you want to die? I'm going to traumatize you in so many ways it'll make you want to live!" make it make sense. SMH
Hats off to the actors, they did really great, that's about it. The actors did great but this show should have never seen the light of day. I don't get the whole:: of you want to die? Let me rape you repeatedly until you WANT to live! Oh and here is a hidden secret, I want to die too because I lost the love of my life and later I'm going to try to kill myself but YOU need to save ME this time.
Like it's some kind of fucking romantic drama? Are you shitting me?! My stomach is still turning. There is so much to say, none of it good but I swear I feel like my brain is a potato right now trying to process the bullshittery that was this movie.
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Fun & Light Undercover Drama
Undercover Miss Hong is a light and enjoyable drama that mixes comedy, investigation, and workplace moments in a simple but engaging way. The story follows an undercover mission that leads to many awkward and humorous situations while slowly uncovering a deeper mystery. Park Shin-hye delivers a solid performance and brings charm and confidence to the character.The drama keeps a playful tone while still maintaining some suspense through its investigation plot. The supporting characters also add energy to the story and make the interactions more lively. Visually, the drama has a clean and pleasant style that fits its lighthearted atmosphere.
Although some parts of the plot feel predictable, the overall pacing keeps the drama easy to watch. In the end, it’s an Average and some Kind of Boring drama that offers a good balance of humor and mystery, making it a decent watch overall.
My Rating 7/10
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Great start, somewhat lackluster finish
I liked this story and thought it had great potential, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the redemption arc readily granted to very devious characters. It felt forced and didn't really do justice to the story. I also feel that Ji Hyun forgives too easily. Jae Won offered no explanation and that felt wrong. I was angry on Ji Hyun's behalf. I understand Jae Won's trauma but he was projecting on Ji Hyun and also willingly conniving with Eun Ji in the process. I don't know! I felt that his return to Ji Hyun required a little more effort on his part. He just shows up and is forgiven.Ghosting someone also causes anxiety. Ji Hyun exhibits no signs of insecurity. The makers were so determined to wrap this happily that they hurriedly tied the ends together but the ends are loose and unsatisfying.
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turning unhappiness into happiness
Overall: the focus was on two characters who weren't happy with their current situation in life and how they figured out how to change things. I haven't read the source material and am basing my review on the live action series only. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4033/perfect-propose-2024-e01 ; re-released on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40542c-perfect-proposeContent Warnings: non con touching/hand job maybe turned consensual?, workplace harassment/bullying
What I Liked
- a forthright character
- sweet moments
- supportive colleagues
- realistic how it is difficult to get away from a toxic work environment, even when a person knows it's unhealthy
- production value
Room For Improvement
- the dub/non con was not needed and could have been handled differently
- had the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee (and by reluctant I mean unwilling, he verbally stated his boundaries only to have them steamrolled over)
- too much time spent in the office setting/that jerk boss
- the intro vibe was super fluffy but that was not the overall tone of the series, we also never see any of those fluffy scenes which was a bit disappointing
Age Info (I didn't put an age gap content warning because I don't think it's needed, but here's the age info thanks to a commentator :)
- in the past, their ages were around 11 and 17
- in the present, their ages are 21 and 27
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Family ties and romance...
This feels more like a movie than a series, as the pacing, music, story, cinematography, time well everything gave the vibe of a well made movie.The story is good, unlike many web dramas it does not feel rushed in anyway it has a beginning a middle, some kind of conflict and of course an ending too... one of those that fit the feel there could be a sequel but if the sequel would add anything to the story seems questionable.
What I loved about this movie (series that I shall now name movie), was the way it was filmed, and though the side characters where not always necessary they did add some extra flavour and had 0 annoying tendencies... I would for instance love a GL about the sister and the ML friend... The sister is probably one of my favourite siblings in all of Dramaland...
The romance here is pretty good, having the boys see each other for who they really are, or at least one of them, a guy who is very caring and sweet... But what makes this movie really good is actually the story within the story, the film within the film about the a child's relationship to weight loss and how it with the combination badly handled divorce/separation can scar a child deeply. They also show different types of not so perfect, I would even say some pretty bad parenting and it is done well!
Level of... 1-10
Bingeabilaty: 10
Cute couple: 9
Drama: 7
Exitment:5
Entertainment: 9
Annoying elements: non
Cinematography: 9
So if you ask me this is definitely worth watching!
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Lacked In Comparison To The First Season
Where Season 1 had me, I didn't feel it in this 2nd season. The action didn't really hit me, and Jian never felt like Jian from how she ended S1.For the first half of the show, there wasn't any action; it felt more like a buildup, and in comparison to Season 1, those who watched the first season should know what I'm pointing at. The second half of the show gave a lot more action than the first half, but still fell back a lot when you get reminded of the first installment. I went into this show expecting something from that end at Season 1: Jian's significant character growth, Jian being the ladyboss in Season 2. The trailer gave a lot more of her as a Ladyboss than the drama itself; trailers can be really misleading. The writers gave nothing about what she went through and became in S1. Firstly, she just ran from what she promised/her responsibilities into the countryside, where she could likely endanger the people living there with her identity. Her staying in that peaceful environment in the first two eps of the drama ADDED NOTHING TO THE SHOW: NO TWIST, NO DISCOVERY, NO VALUE. Jian of this season felt more like how she was at the start of the first season. The Season 2 focus wasn't on Jian's growth but more on the conflict between Muthehelp and Babylon, and it was saddening to me as the writer never cared about the growth Jian had from the first season.
The writers just killed Bale at the midpoint of the drama. It felt like when he died, he was a side character rather than a tough villain from the first season. I was really disappointed by the time he died, how he died, and the way the scene was directed. Bale was such a compelling villain in season 1, with a menacing screen presence, and he just died like a minor character. The actor really did a great job with his portrayal. They never gave a real face-off/showdown between Bale and Jiman; It was just anticlimactic, given how much potential these two characters had to make the show more engaging. J was an interesting character to me, and I would like to see more of his scenes, BUT the writers gave him an intentional death as a plot device in making Q develop a relentless mind in pursuing Jian and killing Jiman. It was dissatisfying. The fact that Q believed what was told of how her brother died, with what she knew of how dangerous Bale was, was NOT MAKING ANY SENSE.
Pasin definitely did what he had to do to save his son, but he really overdid it. If he chose to help his team, he would have found a way, even with him having the chip in his body. At last, the writers just killed him off (I felt the writers made him kill his team's opponent and him casually dying for redemption), and we weren't told what went on with his son in Jiman's hands. The writers picked what was important and left out some minor things I would have loved to see.
The villains of this season weren't as good as the ones from the former. If I were told to choose which villain had me, it would be K; he never talked much and had one gloomy face, but he gave me a villain feel, at least in comparison to the rest of the named Babylon.
Q didn't feel like a villain/an enemy; she felt like someone who had to do something she doesn't want, and her shooting the gun at the wall instead of her foe in front of Jian says it all. Loved how the misunderstanding between Q and Jiman didn't drag out too long; also loved the interaction they had at the end of the show.
Kusanagi Jin didn't actually get me to feel anything, except at times she feels so comical, like a mentally derailed patient in therapy; she just feels so unserious and weird. She gets me laughing when asking for food when something serious and in need of attention occurs. The actress deserves praise for that performance. I couldn't truly get invested in her character as a villain because she actually did nothing other than bossing others around and talking big. They threw in action into her character at the end, and we see her with the guns killing the red team like flies, going through the leader of the reds and bursting into the door unscathed, pointing guns at Jeong Jiman and Jeong Jian. Everything felt so Hmmmm. She passes the red code leader offscreen. CAN'T THEY JUST GIVE ME THE ACTION LIVE AND STOP DOING OFFSCREEN? She came out unscathed from the red team and their guns, without the writers giving us a hint or a backstory to what she did in the past for her to be this strong; this just feels like A LAZY WAY OF WRITING.
Season 2 really fell short in comparison to the first season, and I shouldn't even be surprised; that is the way most series are.
Jian never made real use of a gun, and that was a problem because she felt like she was in the shell of her Season 1 character who hadn't overcome challenges, even though she had done all of that. But I was satisfied by the forehead shot she bestowed upon Kusangi Jin.
If they ever make a Season 3, please keep it engaging, fast-paced, and juice up Jian's character like it should be done.
Thanks for reading the long Review🩷
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A beautiful harmony made possible with great music and chemistry between the leads.
- STORY [6.5/10] -The story is very cute and fluffy. However, it's pretty short, so the story had to be crammed into 8 short (10 min) episodes which made the pacing feel a bit rushed, but it's definitely understandable since K-BLs are fairly new, and it was filmed during the pandemic.
The story had a lot of potential to be great but it was cut short due to the short duration of the episodes. But if it was longer, it could've shown more on Insoo's side, family and background, since most of the story we're seeing on Sang Yi's POV.
But one thing I really enjoyed about this short drama is that it gets straight to the point and there's no unnecessary drama, every scene was important in progressing the story and the relationship between the leads. I also liked how it showed some realistic aspects of debuting as an artist and what it means to be a real artist (not doing it just for money or fame, but doing it because you're passionate about it and you enjoy it).
- ACTING / CAST [8/10] -
The entire cast played their roles well, and there's amazing chemistry between the leads everytime they interact. There's hardly any awkwardness at all, and the expressions and acting of the two main leads were great considering it's their first time acting.
(Fun Fact: Before filming, the leads spent over a month doing almost everything together like eating, working on the music) - Source: Wish You Talk Live
- MUSIC [9.5/10] -
The music is really the star of the show and the focus next to the romance. The OSTs all sound amazing, and after you hear it, you would probably want to add it to your Spotify and keep listening to it for a while. The duet especially just sounds amazing (sang by the leads btw, they are both Kpop artists).
- OVERALL [8/10] -
S. Korea has yet again produced abother great BL drama, there's definitely flaws, but it's still great nontheless. It's a story you should watch at least once. Give it a try, you won't regret it!
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In the earlier episodes I felt MG did a terrific job on basing it off of the manga. It's expected that there has to be some variation, but most of it, I felt, was right on. As the show progressed, MG started to develop into it's own story. Not to say that it drifted far off, but events were done differently. Through it all, I felt the actors did a good job as the characters. Dao Ming Si's character acted like the original Domyouji, with minor differences. Shan Cai's character was bull headed like the original Tsukushi, hiding her own true feelings even from herself. The rest of F4 was portrayed well.
When I first started watching this show and saw F4 I wasn't sure how I was going to like them. Dao Ming Si and Hua Ze Lei fit Domyouji and Rui well, but I wasn't sure about the other 2. Mei Zuo as Mimasaka even fit, but Xing Men took me a while to get used to. As Nishikado, he looked different. But at the end I found myself liking him as his character. True I liked the japanese F4 better, and even Kim Bum as Nishikado better, but for the Taiwan version he played his part well.
They only had 2 songs in this drama, the opening and the ending. The opening song "Qing Fei Te Yi" (Can't Help Falling In Love With You) they played throughout the drama. It might just be me, but the song didn't get on my nerves.
For a drama that came out in 2OO1, I thought it was really good. You have to keep in mind while watching it that it came out 1O years ago, so of course fashion and technology is going to be different. The cell phones aren't as advanced as they are now. The filming for the show isn't as high quality as it is for new shows. That aside, I think it's a show worth watching. I really think that if I hadn't of seen the Japanese and Korean version I would've liked this drama a lot more. Because this was the last one that I watched, and I'd already read the manga, I found a lot of it predictable. The ending I felt was cute. I'm not sure if I'll watch the 2nd season yet, I'm still debating.
Ohh another thing I liked about this drama was how it included characters such as QingHe (Kazuya in the manga) who were eliminated in the other dramas.
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WHAT THE HELL?!
I'll get straight to the point. This drama leaves a message to people (specially parents) against LGBTQ+ that if they somehow manages to marry their gay son to a woman and give birth to a baby, their son might eventually end up being in love with the wife and baby and lead a happy life, just the way they want it.People are saying it's realistic. I agree, it is kinda realistic but not entirely.
The first part of the story was good...3 people- 2 guys and a girl who were close knit like a family. The guys were dating while the girl remained like a ....idk...maybe friend? (Not really tho). However, bcz Eiji's parents were against it, she volunteered herself to be a serogate mother to their child. Till here, I was fine... I was like okay she was really a well wisher that she was ready to make such a huge sacrifice for them.
BUT, BUT , BUT.... from the scene where it seemed that they had threesome .... Everything became so ambiguous. She was 8 weeks pregnant but she said Makki that she was 13 weeks pregnant so it must be Makki's child. While it was actually Eiji's child bcz she was 8 weeks pregnant. WHAT THE HELL? DID THEY HAVE 3SOME OR SHE CONTINUED HAVING SEX WITH BOTH OF THEM SEPERATELY? (THAT'S SICK !)
SO BASICALLY EIJI AND SHE SLEPT TOGATHER BEHIND MAKKI'S BACK. THEY CHEATED ON HIM? My biggest question is..can a person's sexuality change so easily? I mean Eiji was gay right? He deeply loved Makki and cared for Meiko. Then, after having sex with her, he started liking her and loving her eventually.
MEIKO- I didn't understand her completely. What did she want? She wanted to be with Makki forever? So she decided to sleep with both of them in the name of helping them? Who was she fooling? Herself? Anyways, she did want him but ended up with Eiji and a child and a happy family.
MAKKI- The most pitiful charecter. He helped Meiko when she was having a hard time and made her feel that she has someone who cares for her. He was a loyal bf to Eiji. Later, even when he realises that Meiko has feelings for him, he never reciprocated it bcz he loved Eiji. And in the Entire drama, these 2 were the only people in his life. But these 2 ended up hurting him the most. But it's good that eventually he was trying to move on. He has to. I feel really bad for him.
Anyways, I won't ever watch it again.
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A Blade Without an Edge
Spring of the Blade follows Xie Qing Yuan and Shen Run, who both survived a family tragedy. The two children promised to live and avenge what happened to their families. After being separated, they reunite years later. Their relationship then develops from childhood friendship into partnership and eventually love. This is usually the kind of setup that should work for me: personal trauma, long-brewing revenge, hidden identities, political intrigue, family conflict, and a romance built on mutual trust. The ingredients were all there. The problem is that the drama never quite knew how to cook them.The opening narration from Qing Yuan was actually one of the things I liked. Having her tell the story from her own perspective immediately made the revenge feel personal, and the beginning was relatively neat and focused. I expected the following episodes to gradually peel back the past and show us enough of their suffering to understand where their anger came from. Instead, the drama kept most of the important emotional material at arm’s length. We knew that Qing Yuan’s mother had been killed and that Shen Run’s entire family had been massacred, but the flashbacks rarely gave those tragedies enough emotional weight. They provided information, but not enough emotional ammunition. I wanted rage. I wanted grief. I wanted the kind of flashbacks that make you sit there thinking, “Okay, burn the whole place down.” Instead, I mostly sat there thinking, “That sounds terrible.” There is a significant difference between understanding why a character wants revenge and actually feeling their need for revenge alongside them.
This becomes even more noticeable because revenge is supposed to be the backbone of the story. The premise suggests that they are not simply trying to punish the people responsible for their family's tragedy, but also wants to clear their family's name. That is a perfectly reasonable reason for the initial investigation to take priority over revenge. The problem is that the investigation stretches on for so long that it overshadows the revenge. For a revenge-driven character, Qing Yuan does surprisingly little deliberate scheming. Her main calculated move is entering the Xie household. After that, we mostly watch her live her life as a Xie, investigate the past, and take advantage of family conflicts whenever the opportunity arises. She is often fueling fires rather than deliberately building the bonfire. Similarly, Shen Run's revenge feels underdeveloped. For a revenge drama, the revenge itself felt strangely passive.
The drama also leans heavily on foreshadowing and mutual understanding between the leads. The actors have mentioned in interviews that the story deliberately uses this structure, showing something first and explaining it later, while also having Qing Yuan and Shen Run make decisions based on the assumption that the other person will understand what they are doing. In theory, this can create suspense and make two intelligent characters feel like they are several moves ahead. The problem is that the drama does not give us enough character development or backstory to make those assumptions feel earned. We are repeatedly told, in effect, “They understand each other,” without being given enough material to understand why they understand each other so well. Their mutual trust works much better in the romance than it does in the revenge plot because the romantic chemistry is actually visible on screen. Outside of that, the writing often asks the audience to fill in too many blanks.
The penny token is probably the clearest example of the drama setting up something that made me expect more than it ultimately delivered. There was an ongoing discussion about whether Shen Run already knew that Qing Yuan was his childhood friend. I was one of the minorities who thought he did not know, partly because I assumed the penny token would eventually become important. It was given to us, highlighted, mentioned in the synopsis, and connected to their childhood. Surely this thing was going somewhere. Nope. Shen Run already knew who Qing Yuan was from the beginning, although the drama never properly explains exactly how he figured it out. Many explanations could work, but the drama never commits to one. More importantly, none of them require the penny token. Qing Yuan does not use it to identify Shen Run either. The eventual revelation simply confirms what she already suspects. So what exactly was the token doing there? It is one of those details that made me realize the drama had ideas, but not always a clear idea of what to do with them.
Qing Yuan herself was another case of lost potential. She was introduced as intelligent, determined, resilient, courageous, and capable of scheming. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, she was increasingly reduced to a damsel in distress. She would put herself in dangerous situations, apparently betting that Shen Run would come to save her, and he would. Once or twice, this can be cute. Repeatedly doing it weakens the character. I also have mixed feelings about Zhou Ye’s performance. I think she has roles that suit her very well and others that still feel like a work in progress, and Qing Yuan unfortunately falls into the latter category for me. At first, I enjoyed her colder and more intimidating expressions. The longer I watched, however, the more those expressions started feeling fake and performative. Some viewers describe her performance as bland or emotionless, while others defend the lack of expression as appropriate for a character who has suppressed her emotions for years. Ironically, I think her lack of expression sometimes feels too expressive. Instead of becoming one with the character, it occasionally feels like she is role-playing revenge in her own head. There are moments when Qing Yuan comes across less like a woman consumed by years of grief and more like a salty girl sulking at her family while imagining herself in a revenge drama. That sounds harsher than I intend, but that was genuinely how some scenes landed for me.
The comparison that came to mind was Zhuang Han Yan from The Glory. Both characters have a certain emotional restraint and carry themselves as women who are carefully calculating their next moves. The difference is that Han Yan’s restraint felt natural and impactful to me, whereas Qing Yuan’s often felt performed. That said, Zhou Ye has moments where she absolutely gets Qing Yuan right. Her snarky expressions during family drama were probably my favorite. They felt a little modern for the setting, but they also made me feel what she was feeling. I could practically hear the internal “Are you people serious?” I also cannot completely put the blame on Zhou Ye because directing plays a major role here. The attack scenes during the bandit infiltration in particular made Qing Yuan look strangely helpless. I even ended up watching BTS footage because I was curious about how those scenes were directed, and it became clearer why the character had so little to do. The staging often prioritizes men coming in to save her rather than allowing Qing Yuan to demonstrate any survival instinct.
Xu Kai, on the other hand, landed Shen Run for me. His character is introduced through the identity of Yan Rui, before eventually revealing himself as Shen Run. What impressed me most was how consistently Xu Kai maintained the distinction between the two personas. Yan Rui is corrupt, sly, mischievous, flirty, and irritating in exactly the right way, while Shen Run carries himself with a much more commanding, righteous, and reliable presence. Even his speech patterns and expressions change appropriately. I especially loved how the drama managed to change our perception of him through Qing Yuan’s eyes. There is a scene where Shen Run walks ahead of Qing Yuan and she watches his back in slow motion. Suddenly, that same back that previously belonged to an annoying and mischievous Yan Rui looks charismatic and dependable. It is a simple visual trick, but it works beautifully.
And honestly, the biggest reason I stayed with this drama for as long as I did was the chemistry between Zhou Ye and Xu Kai. Together, they are electric. Their early dynamic as Qing Yuan and Yan Rui is filled with flirtatious banter, coded conversations, metaphors, close proximity, and that constant feeling that neither person is saying exactly what they mean. They reminded me of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. There is a delicious push and pull between them. Yan Rui keeps trying to partner with Qing Yuan while she keeps her guard up, yet she repeatedly finds herself relying on him anyway. The robe tug, the almost-touching moments, the nose-to-nose proximity, the eye contact, and the dialogue all create a tension that the plot itself sometimes fails to maintain. When the line between Yan Rui and Shen Run becomes clearer, their relationship changes naturally as well. The proposal and wedding scenes were particularly satisfying, and the earlier flirtation had enough heat to carry several episodes by itself. Unfortunately, the romance also suffers from the drama’s structural problems. After the couple reaches its emotional peak, the story simply moves on. Instead of continuing to show them working together as partners, the drama shifts its attention toward bringing down the villains.
The supporting characters also suffered from writing that did not match the performances. Li Chong Xin is probably the biggest example. I still don't know when he fell in love with Qing Yuan or what exactly she did to leave such a lasting impression on him. The drama gives us their encounter, but it does not convincingly show the moment he becomes fascinated by her. His pursuit therefore feels less like a natural development and more like a plot device designed to establish Qing Yuan as highly desirable and give Shen Run a reason to be jealous. Xie Shu is another missed opportunity. The actor gives a convincing performance, but the character writing becomes increasingly exaggerated and dramatic. He is introduced as a formidable villain, yet by the end he feels strangely beatable and even pathetic. I can understand why some viewers enjoyed the actor’s crazier performance, but for me it was too much. The problem is not that Xie Shu is dramatic. The problem is that the writing does not adequately connect the character we saw earlier with the man we see at the end.
Visually, Spring of the Blade initially lived up to the trailer’s promise. I particularly liked how the visual style changed with the mood of the scenes. The drama also did not shy away from showing violence, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the visual quality also became increasingly repetitive. The greenish, yellowish, and purplish color grading started appearing so frequently during daytime scenes that it became more noticeable than the actual cinematography. The nighttime scenes grew darker as well, and the production increasingly relied on the Xie family hall as the main setting. I understand the budget limitations, and nothing about the sets completely pulled me out of the story, but the production eventually felt increasingly confined and familiar. The funny part is that this did give me more opportunity to focus on the dialogue and script. I am not entirely sure that was an advantage.
The music was another issue. I really liked the opening instrumental theme because it immediately established an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. Unfortunately, that is probably the only piece of music from the drama that stayed with me positively. The volume and placement of the songs were frequently distracting, especially during dialogue-heavy scenes. There were moments when the music seemed to compete with the actors instead of supporting them. Since this is a drama that relies heavily on dialogue, monologues, clues, and information, missing even a few words can make a scene confusing.
Then came the final five to six episodes, and this is where it completely lost me. The ending is incredibly convenient, and the twist involving Qing Yuan’s mother feels like one of the drama’s biggest missed opportunities. There was potential for something genuinely shocking, but the execution made it feel underwhelming. The Emperor’s decisions were especially convenient. I understand the argument that no one outside the Emperor can truly know what he thinks, but the way this story uses him makes him feel less like a powerful ruler and more like a plot mechanism that says yes whenever Shen Run needs something. It is one thing for a trusted official or powerful minister to have influence over an Emperor. It is another thing for the Emperor to repeatedly hand over convenient solutions to a lone wolf like Shen Run with barely any resistance.
Commissioner Hu suffers from the same problem. For most of the story, he is presented as a mysterious and powerful figure who controls numerous influential people in Hengtang. His supposedly formidable attack is then stopped before it even gets started, largely because of Chong Xin’s arrival. Shen Run later takes him down with the Emperor’s authority. I genuinely had to wonder why the drama spent so much time building him up if he could be dealt with that easily. If the villain can be defeated by the narrative equivalent of pressing the “Emperor’s Will” button, then perhaps we did not need all those episodes of planning to defeat him.
Xie Shu’s downfall is even more absurd. He goes from being a supposedly manipulative and dangerous villain to someone who seems to have lost all sense of reality. His final antics are so exaggerated that I found myself laughing instead of feeling the satisfaction of revenge. The idea that years of manipulation and moral corruption could eventually push someone toward madness is perfectly reasonable, but the drama does not properly build that psychological progression. Instead, Xie Shu suddenly becomes incredibly theatrical, then turns around and speaks perfectly rationally when the plot requires it. And once again, the Emperor’s convenient will does much of the heavy lifting. Qing Yuan and Shen Run do not get the elaborate revenge plan that I had been waiting for. There is no grand chess game where they finally outsmart Xie Shu. Things simply fall conveniently into place. Even the final scene where Qing Yuan and Shen Run approach him while holding the fire igniter together was so dramatically staged that I laughed.
The character endings were similarly rushed. I did not mind Xie Qing He and Pei Guan Ling's brief happy ending since they were always more peripheral. Xie Qing Rong’s ending was ambiguous and bittersweet. Xie Qing Ru's ending with Chong Xin was strange because the drama does not spend enough time exploring the complicated implications of him accepting a woman whose family is responsible for his father’s downfall. As for Qing Yuan and Shen Run, the drama barely gives them the romantic closure they deserve. Their fishing village scene is sweet, but it is also brief and vague. I wanted more. I wanted to see them actually live after everything they had survived. I wanted the story to breathe for a moment and show us what their happily ever after looked like.
Ultimately, Spring of the Blade is a drama that had all the right ingredients but could not consistently put them together. Despite all of that, I did enjoy the drama, especially up to around episode 24. The romance was difficult to ignore. I just wish the story had trusted its own premise as much as I trusted the trailer. Spring of the Blade could have been a sharp revenge drama with a compelling romance woven through it. Instead, it became a compelling romance trapped inside a revenge drama that gradually forgot what it wanted to be.
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This review may contain spoilers
THE most healthiest and Best Xianxia Main CP! Totally worth the journey in the end!
Moonlight Mystique is among one of the anticipated drama's I have been wanting to watch, since I know this is adapted from the novel which is part of the trilogy/spinoff that focused on Tian Qi and Yuemi love story from Ancient Love Poetry (Shang Gu Novel). After watching this drama as a whole, I can tell you that Moonlight Mystique has the least(almost-to-none) connection to Ancient Love Poetry, so this can be regarded as a standalone drama/story featuring Fan Yue/Jing Yuan and Bai Shuo/Xing Yue.So you don't really need to watch Ancient Love Poetry to understand the backstory since it was changed completely. MM doesn't feature the god realm, and has no relation/connection to the original backstory for Tian Qi and Yuemi in Ancient Love Poetry.
Instead of the God Realm(ALP), in MM, this was changed to the 3 Divine Realm: Lunar (Govern by Goddess Xing Yue), Demon (Govern by Demon God Jing Yuan) and Hidden (Govern by the Hidden God Mo Li).
Before Jing Yuan and Xing Yue backstory was revealed, I didn't know it would be like this out of all my speculation, but it actually turned out to be so different than what I imagined their backstory to be like. I really love the playful and silly side to Jing Yuan from back then (60,000 years ago), because one way or another, I still like to find some references that will tie back to his original character in ALP (Tian Qi). So with this being said, I am glad his character somewhat stayed true in that sense that Jing Yuan is not afraid to confess his love/feelings to the woman he loves, in this case it is Xing Yue and I love that. In it's originality, Tian Qi is someone who will choose to protect the woman he loves first before the three realms. He would go that far to just protect that one person. I'm glad to see that Fan Yue/Jing Yuan is the same, in that sense where he will always choose to protect Bai Shuo/Xing Yue first. These are traits and qualities that I'm glad they kept to the original in MM.
But in MM, I am glad that we get to see that this is being directed at someone like Bai Shuo who can return his love equally. He deserves to be love. They both deserve their happy ever after at the end of all this. I am glad they got this happy ending in the end.
The God Realm is my favourite arc, although it was short but their backstory truly touched my heart and made me fell in love with Jing Yuan and Xing Yue back story.
Even when the story to MM was changed completely from their original backstory for Tian Qi and Yuemi, please don't let this discouraged you from watching Moonlight Mystique though, because I can assure you that the journey for our beloved main character: Fan Yue and Bai Shuo and this beautiful pairing is very worth it in the end!
While from ALP fans perspective (since I am also ALP fan), I get why fans want some form of connection back to the original story too. Since that is where their backstory started.
But from the writing perspective, for fans who never got exposed to their backstory and watch this as a standalone, they probably don't want to see Jing Yuan(Tian Qi) loving someone else in the past and Xing Yue(Yue Mi) being hurt by this unrequited love in the process.
To me, the change has its pros and cons. The change was done better for Tian Qi part for me but cant say the same for Yuemi with what was portrayed in their backstory revealed as Xing Yue and Jing Yuan in the past. Since Yuemi will never hurt Tian Qi on her end. But as we have seen from their past; despite they love each other, they cannot be together, and this leads to their tragic ending, which is very sad. I love how they made it clear/explained that Jing Yuan have been searching for Xing Yue on his end, and I find their story to be somewhat bittersweet in that sense. I actually wrote up my feelings in this thread in here, if you're interested in reading: https://kisskh.at/discussions/zhu-yue/134640-jing-yuan-and-xing-yue-ending-contain-spoilers
With that being said, I will add this part to my review as well, I remember when this drama(MM) started airing, I told my online friend about it, since we both like Tian Qi and Yuemi story in Ancient Love Poetry, and we were talking about the cast selection. When I shared this to my online friend about the actress Bai Lu in this drama; he made a comment saying if I can still watch Bai Lu? Since he knows how I feel about her, and if I am going to be honest with you, her character Li Su Su in Till the end of the Moon had really traumatized me to the point there was a period of time, I cannot watch any of her drama's at all. I remember back then(when MM was still airing in the early episodes) my reply to my online friend was: "At the end, Bai Lu can either have two outcome for me, she either will go into my blacklist if she turned out to be another character I don't like in this one by traumatizing me once again, OR her character in this drama (Moonlight Mystique) will heal my previous trauma of her character in Till the End of the Moon. So in the end, what I can say is, I am glad I gave her this benefit of the doubt, while it is true that I started off neutral with her, but her character growth/journey and her portrayal in Bai Shuo or Xing Yue had really won me over and made me became a fan of her as the story progresses, although I love Bai Shuo better because her character is written more to the way of my liking. Bai Lu have done an excellent job bringing out the character: Bai Shuo and Xing Yue to life. I like how she played out the emotional scenes, and her crying scenes didn't feel force but genuine. I like that because it makes it more impactful when I watch those scenes.
As for Male lead actor goes, I have never seen Ao Rui Peng in another drama before, and the irony was while I have watched a few episodes of Blood of Youth back then, his character didn't stand out to me in that drama, BUT him portraying as Fan Yue and Jing Yuan is just on another level!!! Love him and his make up/costume in this drama. He looks so cool/handsome and especially with the purple shades in his hair when he played as Jing Yuan (The Demon God)!!! Ao Rui Peng whether he is Fan Yue or Jing Yuan, he is very good at playing out these emotional scenes as well. He also has a very passionate chemistry with Bai Shuo/Xing Yue (played by Bai Lu). I love all their screen time together onscreen, and their interactions is just a delight to watch, even at the beginning! There is never a boring moment when they're onscreen! They are definitely noted down as my favourite couple of all time, as a matter of fact, I think I am bumping Fan Yue and Bai Shuo up as my no.1 favourite Xianxia CP!
When it comes to pairing side of things, I don't think I have ever encountered a pairing that is this healthy, what I mean by healthy is... Both Fan Yue and Bai Shuo, they have communication, they will talk it out and not let it lead to any miscommunication or misunderstanding between them. Communication is the key!!! And Bai Shuo and Fan Yue have this and I am really thankful that they are consistent with this to the end from their characters. This is really refreshing to see, and I really love it. It makes them stand out to be the most well written pairing that have communication that work through things together. Not to mention they definitely have chemistry as a pairing!! Their Kiss scenes makes me blush and I am glad we got these beautiful scenes for our beloved pairing!
Xianxia is my favourite genre, but if I am going to be honest here, how I feel about xianxia in the overall have been disappointing as time goes by in terms of having a promising start, but a disappointing ending where they recycled the plot about the "responsibility in protecting the three realms". I am honestly at the point where I don't want a love story where the ML have to shoulder that responsibility in choosing to either protect the three realms or the woman he loves.
I want a love story where the ML choose to put the woman he loves above the 3 realms(or how many ever realms there is). I guess this is why Fan Yue and Bai Shuo love story appeal to me so much, because I see this as a breakthrough to the overused plot of choosing to protect the three realms and carrying that burden on your shoulder and cannot love freely the way you would want to without those responsibilities.
So going back to my favourite character here, whether it is Fan Yue or Jing Yuan(in MM), he is really a romantic person in my eyes, because he will continue to protect the woman he loves above anything else. I honestly love his love for Bai Shuo/Xing Yue. I LOVE FAN YUE & JING YUAN!
One of the things that makes Moonlight Mystique(MM) stand out is that there is never a boring moment with the plot that makes it feels like a filler, because each arc has a purpose that tells the story and will connects to the next one, which makes everything come into place at the end. Even when the side character/stories have their own impactful story that was written so well that it made me cry or teary for them, so they really stand out on it's own(in a good way).
I love the kids actors who played as Fan Yue and Qi Feng and Bai Shuo and Bai Xi, their backstory played by these little actors where they played their role in the backstory, made the present time more impactful because you know how much has changed between them from back then (as kids) and now (as adults).
I also want to make a memorable mention on the character Chen Ye, I didn't think I would like him when I first saw him, even when I found him handsome, because he was cold and ruthless, but when his backstory was revealed, I cannot not like him you know. I even love his interactions with Fan Yue and all their screen-time together (because...... I won't spoil the details for you).
Fu Ling is another character I didn't think I will like, but in the end, she has become a character that I came to like on my end. I also like her love story with Chong Zhao as well. It is quite sad to be honest. Yeah sad, meaning they got a tragic end.
In terms of ending for Fan Yue and Bai Shuo, I just want to say this, I really love the ending to MM, I was really nervous that it will be a last minute happy ending like ALP or TLI, but I am glad it isn't the case in MM. To be honest, I was already happy with the ending I got from Episode 40 because they get to hug and shared 1 last passionate kiss together, but when they gave us an epilogue to show their wedding at the end, this just makes it more satisfying for me, because I have come to love Fan Yue and Bai Shuo so much. I love them to the point that if their ending is a Open Ending, I don't think I will be able to control my emotions. I mean, I was really disappointed with Song of the Moon(SOTM) Ending which is another Xianxia by IQIYI by cutting out the ending I know was filmed, but they never included this in the epilogue in that drama(SOTM) so this is why in MM, I am happy and over the moon for finally giving us and our beloved pairing Fan Yue and Bai Shuo their happy ending in a satisfying way! They deserve this to be honest!!! Because they have suffered so much from their past as Jing Yuan and Xing Yue!!!
MM ending is loveable in my eyes because we got a satisfying and conclusive ending for the Main Pairing, and the other side characters was implied and confirmed they will return one day (so that is a hopeful happy ending for our beloved side characters who died for the great cause). The writers didn't have to give us this but they did so I love them for this.
Among the three story: Ancient Love Poetry(ALP), The Last Immortal(TLI) and Moonlight Mystique(MM), as far as ending goes, while they are all a Happy Ending, but MM definitely have the best and most satisfying ending compared to the other 2. I felt like TLI(Yuan Qi and Feng Yin) got the short end of the stick, because at least Bai Jue and Shang Gu(ALP) get to hug, but Yuanqi and Feng Yin(TLI) ending was them standing at a distance looking at each other.
In the end, it's up to you whether you will watch it or not, but IMO, if you don't watch it then you are really missing out. It may not be every one's cup of tea and that's fine, but I will just say that for me personally, not many Xianxia nowadays pull through as the best and this feeling stay true to the end, since they normally started off well, but then got boring like how I feel towards The Blossoming Love which was airing at the same time, In The Blossoming Love, I got bored with the plot and the direction it was going whereas for Moonlight Mystique, the plot and characters got me engaged/hooked into the story from beginning to the end!
Oh and let's not forget about the OST! Please be sure to check it out because they are all so good!! I love all of them!!! And I have to say that this is the first time, I never actually want to skip the Opening (Intro song) and Ending (Outro song), because they are very captivating!!!
P.S: Fan Yue and Bai Shuo is now officially my no.1 favourite Drama CP. I still want to make an honorable mention to my other favourite pairing: Jing Yuan and Xing Yue! To me (if you have not read that thread of mines), then I will just add it here as well: In the overall, how I took the theme to their backstory and ending is, Fan Yue and Bai Shuo are reincarnations to both Jing Yuan and Xing Yue, and they lived on as their happy ending. Just like what Jing Yuan said to Fan Yue before he joins Xing Yue in the stars: that perhaps his awakening(60,000 years later) was to give them(Fan Yue and Bai Shuo) a chance to be together. He told Fan Yue to protect Bai Shuo well and don't let their(Jing Yuan and Xing Yue) regrets in the past repeat itself 😭😭 so to me, this is how I saw it... To say I am not sad would be a lie, because I was sad in that scene, but when I look at this in another sense/perspective, their ending gives a sense of bittersweet where their happy ending lives on in their next life(as Fan Yue and Bai Shuo) it actually makes sense if you look at reincarnation side of things. I felt like how the writers wrote this was very poetic and sad, yet beautiful at the same time that the love they held for the one they love is irreplaceable. We saw this through Fan Yue, Bai Shuo and Jing Yuan.
So in the end, does this make me dislike Fan Yue and Bai Shuo for having a happy ending? No!! Because Fan Yue and Bai Shuo deserves their happy ending too and considering all their suffering and sacrifices they earned it and I am glad one way or another Jing Yuan and Xing Yue can live on in Fan Yue and Bai Shuo in that sense(since that is their next life), without Jing Yuan and Xing Yue backstory, then we wouldn't have the Fan Yue and Bai Shuo that we came to love in this lifetime. And I will end my review with one of my favourite quotes in this drama:
"That's all in the past. This time, we've met again, not as Xing Yue and Jing Yuan, but as Bai Shuo and Fan Yue. In my heart, you're the best Bai Shuo, the only one in this world, and is irreplaceable" - Fan Yue.
Thank you for this wonderful journey, thank you for making a great start in 2025 for me! MM gave me back the hope that Xianxia can have a happy, satisfying and conclusive ending! I am still reluctant to say goodbye to my beloved characters, so this is currently on my rewatch list!!!
After several rewatch of this Drama, I decided to check out the Novel, in which I have on my end, and here's my feelings to the Novel in comparison to the Drama: https://kisskh.at/discussions/738079-zhu-yue/139258-reading-the-novel-made-me-appreciate-love-the-drama-better-contain-spoilers (In summary, after reading the Novel, it made me appreciate/love the Drama even more).
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There were a lot of things that I liked about this drama and a lot of things that I didn't.
The acting was one of the best thing of the drama. Each actor and actress did a great job portraying his or her character and they complemented each other perfectly as a family. Sometimes they fought, sometimes they cried and sometimes they were plain hilarious, but each time they did it as a family. Seeing them like that kind of made me wish I had such a huge family like them!
The music was a lot better than I expected, I even learned the lyrics for the songs! There was one that was specially catchy, the one with the ?vis a vis face to face? chorus.
Now to the main part: the story. This is a really long drama,so the story is like several stories put together. The first chapters were really frustrating for me to watch because every character is really annoying and dumb. They made me just want to smack them really hard.
But then, as the story continues you learn to love these characters even with their flaws, and feel what they're feeling. Maybe, you will even learn to relate to them.
In my opinion it was a wonderful story, because it wasn't the kind of story that made you want to dramathon through the drama, but it grew on you slowly and made you want to keep watching what happened to this crazy family, and how each character grew (they really needed to grow, ALL of them).
The downside of this drama for me was that it was extended. I think the drama would've been a lot better if they had finished it in episode 39-40. The last 5 episodes were a torture for me to watch, because I felt like I had already witnessed the end of the story, and that the last few episodes were a really LONG epilogue, and no one wants long epilogues.
Overall this a really funny, light and heart warming drama. It is constantly entertaining and you will never get bored watching it, there's always a crazy scene waiting in the next 5 minutes. If you're in the mood for something like that, this drama is just for you :)
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1Eh….
It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.The biggest downside for me was the pacing and the lack of suspense.
There’s a lot happening in this series that I found engaging, yet the pace feels incredibly slow. I’m not entirely sure why — maybe because I was expecting the kind of intense action that Season 1 offered. There are also so many plot threads that drift around for a long time before finally connecting.
Part of my dissatisfaction might come from the fact that after the first episode I rewatched the previous season (I barely remembered anything), liked it a lot, and then simply couldn’t connect with this one at all. Where was the suspense? The mystery? The story just drags on and on… and when you look back, not much of real substance actually happened.
Luckily, it really came alive for me in the last 20%. In fact, that final stretch was so good that I bumped the rating up a full star. I just wish the show had been that consistently wild the whole way through.
The romance didn’t work for me either — I honestly don’t see any real reason for it to be there.
On the upside, the cast is excellent, and I genuinely enjoyed the overall plot.
Just because it didn’t fully work for me the entire time doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you’re interested, I’d still encourage you to give it a try.
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