Reviews

Words cannot describe

With one episode left I decided to finally leave a review which I don’t make many of unless I feel very strongly about something.
The way I am so emotionally attached to these characters and this show is insane. I have not skipped a week since it started airing and that says a lot because I am a very forgetful person but week after week this show has been on my mind and I have probably rewatched it 5x .

First of the acting is just amazing Nanon and Ohm are absolutely fantastic at what they do and my heart aches every single time with them. Their chemistry is seriously insane and I can’t help but cheer them on every episode. I truly wish I can see them together in something else again but if they leave just this masterpiece I am not complaining.

Although the storyline enemies to lovers is pretty cliche and over used but if it’s done right it came be so beautiful and Bad Buddy does an absolutely perfect job at this.

The directing is Straight to the point but with amazing flow that doesn’t feel like something is missing or there should be a gap filled somewhere. Let alone the music !! It’s so catchy?! PLEASE ?! I BE SINGING NANON’s SONG ALL DAY !!

I don’t want to bore anyone with more details but if you are going “hmm maybe I should watch this later” lemme just tell you, you’re gonna regret it later. WATCH NOW! ITS WORTH IT 100% GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK

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It showed what is easy, tells the obvious and avoided what could have been great!

The genre listed for this drama is Romance, Wuxia, Drama, and War, which sounds very legendary on paper, except that it managed to dip its toes in all four without actually excelling in any. This is just a guilty pleasure romcom.

I came here for some sweeping war chess and tactics, and of course a razor-edged female general we were promised in the trailer and the poster. I kept searching for the "larger than life" hype that I created in my head but sadly I was disappointed.

He Yan, on paper, is everything I expect from a strong female lead. Brave, witty, with a moral backbone and we get to see glimpses of it in the flashbacks. But somehow the balance between "female general" and "romantic lead" was off almost all the time. Here is where the drama falters the most for me.

We were told she fought her way up the ranks disguised as a man, surviving in a brutal, male-dominated world of war and yet in present, that struggle barely showed. She kept acting too cute.
Yes, women are allowed to be warriors and be happy and thriving in love but for it to feel real, the transition needs to carry that weight. I missed the awkwardness, the hesitation or even the tension. I wanted to see push and pull, the conflict between her desires and the hardened exterior that she might have built over the years of disguise. That would have felt earned.
But it looked like the writers got the amnesia trope themselves and forgot all about her past when it came to romance. The aegyo (lack of a better word) like behaviour undermined the whole dark and serious vibe of the drama I was expecting.

Also that whole arc where the FL pretends to be her brother really demands a huge suspension of disbelief. But I feel they did a good job with keeping her makeup to minimal to atleast make it look believable.

Coming to romance, the sparks existed, but again, it was too mild and easy. The angst, the longing, the courtship lacked passion. I wasn't excited for them to get together. I knew they were the leads and things just kept happening. Even the key moments felt dull. It wasn't bad but nothing to run home about.

The drama also wanted to scream women's empowerment, but like everything else, it just tells and does not show for it to actually make an impact. It was just all about the grand speeches. There was one scene where she was supposed to fight to show her talent in front of the army, and I was excited to finally see that fire but they cut it away and came back when it was over. If you want to sell me a hard-earned battle warrior, show her that way. There were other fight scenes too, but none of them left any impression on me.

Also, the focus on side characters who made minimal impact on the overall story was a baffling choice. I feel there was a lot more to explore about the lead characters especially the male lead. But instead I feel I know SML better than him. The SML in my opinion got the most fleshed story. It was unpredictable and he was given so much depth as a character compared to the leads. And the whole princess and master storyline was just not needed. Some deaths felt completely pointless, added neither the shock value or the story value. I was just confused.

And can we please take a second to talk about last 4 episodes. What in the world kept happening. The character arcs were already weak but somehow they manged to destroy that as well. I am still confused about a few things as why we needed that. This includes all fronts from comedy to romance.

Production-wise, this was below average. The overall set design lacked a certain richness. The poster had better colour grading, and the overall colour palette of the drama felt muted. And whoever is in charge of the blood effects should retire immediately. I mean, what were those ruby red lipstick swatches. Nothing disappoints me more than when a tragic moment is happening and fake blood on the actor's cheeks kept distracting me. Also, the dialogues were as lacklustre as the production.

Acting-wise, this is my first time seeing the leads, and I feel this shouldn't be the story I should be judging their acting on. Ryan Cheng served with his visuals, and Zhou Ye was bubbly ( a little too much) but did show us the few glimpses of a strong warrior when the script allowed but I was expecting more. Zhang Kangle, as Chu Zhao, impressed me the most. I liked his portrayal of the antagonist part. He carried that whole cold and cruel aura with justice. The rest of the supporting cast also did fine, but I wasn't too immersed in the story to comment here.

Overall, this was a huge miss in my books. It's wasn't just about one or two incidents that can be overlooked for overall enjoyment, but it's the constant repeated choices to chip away at the integrity and heart of the story, i.e. the journey of the female general. There was nothing legendary or "general" about it. It's frustrating not because it is unwatchable but it constantly kept reminding me what it could have been.
Will I recommend this? No.

Thank you for reading my review! <3 I hope you like the drama more than me. Please take my opinion as one of many if we don't seem to agree :))

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The masterpiece that failed to stick the landing.

I feel like I can speak for many people when I say that after the last half hour or so of the last episode, this drama went from a 10 to an 8 to me. The ending is going to be what makes or breaks the drama for a lot of people, so that's my focus with this review.

Before that, I want to take a moment to commend the show on everything that it did right. The first 19 episodes were fresh, new and exciting, with an amazing supporting cast and one of the best FL I've ever seen in a k-drama. Of course, the FL was playing a male character, at least partially, so that perhaps could have influenced the writing for the character to be different from the average FL. There's a lot of messy business in there that I don't think I'm qualified to talk about, so I'll just say that the actress did a phenomenal job playing BH's character and I enjoyed her performance immensely. The leads had great chemistry, the humour was on point, and for those first 19 episodes, the only thing that didn't quite keep my attention was the politics which, unlike the fresh take on everything else that the drama had going for it, remained as stale and predictable as any other Joseon drama.

Then the ending happened. Then BH returned to the present, SY seamlessly took his place as queen, and they made an attempt at happily ever after. And that's where the drama lost its spark for me. There are a lot of nuances in the relationship between SY and BH, and sorting through it makes the ending really difficult to argue with. It's made clear that BH is being influenced by SY's feelings for CJ. It's SY's love for the king that causes BH to be drawn to him, so using that logic, it makes perfect sense that SY would stay with the king in the end. Even knowing that I'm left unsatisfied. Over 19 hours of this drama were spent watching BH and CJ interact and a lot of the interactions that stand out most to me were conversations they had that SY never could have had - their constant back-and-forth over BH's slang terminology and the moral conduct that he carried out while in SY's place are some of the best examples. BH's cooking knowledge, as well, is what helped the king get through the festival. SY would not have been able to do so because she lacks BH's experience. And that's just it--the king was charmed by him, by BH's quirks and strange behaviour. Without BH carrying their relationship on his back, SY would not have gotten her happy ending even if it was her who woke up after falling into the lake.

So what we're left with is a main character who does all of the work and gets booted back to his time so that the girl whose body he's been possessing takes all the credit. And I know I should have expected as much - I DID expect as much, right from the moment the drama started - but that doesn't make it any less sour. We've seen this done before, and despite a few years having passed since the last one that I recall, having two male characters in love on a major network, even when one has practically fused with the queen, isn't going to slide. I get it, I understand.

What really got me, though, was how little BH seemed to matter after returning to his time. Despite being the entire focus of the last 19 episodes, when he returns to his body he's only given a few brief scenes that serve entirely to explain the plot that's going on in Joseon. The characters of the past got some fluff scenes, some cute, happy moments, but his screen time was just: wake up-->run away-->find out what happened to CJ-->find out he's in the clear now-->smile while talking about his newfound morality. On the surface, it seems fine. But the more I think about it, the more it doesn't sit well. He spent months with those characters and whether influenced by SY or not, he fell for the king. Then, instead of showing any bittersweet emotions, he just moves on. At least it looks like he moves on. We aren't really given any time to see him process it all. This is the character we followed from the start but he became a side piece in his own story in the last episode, and that's sad to me.

I did like the ending. Well, the other aspects of it. I like the punishment for the antagonists, I like the happy little moments with the side characters and, as always, Court Lady Choi is a blessing. So really, I don't think it's bad writing that left me feeling this way but bad choices. So while I wanted to give it a 7.5 because of how disappointed I was, I did take a moment to look back at the other 19 episodes and all the joy they brought me. Even if the destination is less than desired, the journey was a breath of fresh air for historical dramas. It was like nothing before it and every moment until now was funny and exciting with amazing actors and a music score that perfectly suited the mood. I can't deny that, and I'm still happy to have watched it. I won't punish the whole show for one episode.

But to me, this ending is bittersweet. Seeing BH smile and cry while looking at the king's portrait and knowing that the king feels that something is missing after BH's disappearance, never knowing who BH was or where he really came from and never fully believing the stories that he heard, it's sad. If not to the writers then at least to me, they were in love and this was their story. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Normalizing toxic relationships 101

This show is the worst thing I've watched in a while...
Why is it normalized that Diao and Kuea are literally SCARED of the people that should love them?
How are Kuea and Lian supposed to be close
childhood friends even though they can't have a conversation about anything else than their relationship? Don't they have any common interests?

The characters of this show are puppets, flatly written to somehow drive the barely existent "plot" to some fan service, (there are so many unnecessary kiss scenes!) and then slip into the next recycled filler material about how they betray and gaslight eachother. These relationships are so unhealthy!
I was also just disgusted by the way that Hia Yi and Hia Lian treat Kuea and Diao like they are their dogs, it was infuriating! Two of the few things they did right in the show were letting Kon Diao stand up for himself and having Kuea be determined to call off the engagement (Only at first unfortunately). The glaring problems in their relationships were rather ignored instead of actually solved.

Despite the weird premise of the show I was genuinely hoping that the main couples were going to develop a meaningful connection over time, but there was barely any development. In fact for example, instead of showing his rebellious side more as the show went on, it felt like Kuea adopted a part of the "Annabelle " mindset more and more as his real personality. Just saying yes, smiling, shallow sweet talk and ditching the last bit of depth his Character had, until his breakdown when Lian proposed to him (The only emotional moment, I could actually get invested in). But afterwards he quickly paddeled back into mindlessly
obeying Lian.

Onto the next problem: Yi and Lian seem always keen on making Diao and Kuea as dependent on them as possible, taking their autonomy and controlling them, which is being portrayed as cute and caring, but it is plain toxic.

The "friendship" between Yi and Lian was also very lackluster, when they were meeting up they always just seemed annoyed and were missing, like pretty much any relationship in the show, any real common interests apart from being business partners.
Fortunately at least Kon Diao and Kuea's friendship was overall supportive and one of the few positive parts in the series.

Side note: I do appreciate the effort the actors put into portraying the characters well, but even good actors can't save a badly written show.

The only romantic relationship that wasn't absurdly unhealthy was the one of Syn and Nuer, they seemed to actually be on one wave length and even though their relationship was also lacking depth, it was still very cute and worth watching.

I truly believe that this show was made for a kind of thirsty viewers who don't really care about the plot as long as there are plenty kissing scenes between two hot actors (even if the kisses don't really feel romantic), as this is the only way I can explain why this show isn't as widely called out for what it is:

(also tldr) A substance lacking excuse for kissing scenes with a plotline almost exclusively consisting of normalizing unhealthy relationships, a few good songs and 10 minutes of preachy dialogue in the beginning and end, that can't be taken seriously, because nothing said is actually reflected in the show.
They should have called this series "normalizing toxic relationships 101"

I'm very disappointed, what a waste of time!

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bananakim (first review)is trash and false so here is the real info...

"The Wanted Detective" is a captivating Chinese crime drama that blends mystery, action, and emotional depth into an enthralling viewing experience. From the very first episode, the show grips you with its clever storytelling, well-written characters, and a refreshing take on the classic detective genre.

The story revolves around a detective who is not only solving crimes but is also a fugitive himself. This duality makes for a highly engaging narrative. As he solves each case, he is also running from the law, hiding secrets, and trying to uncover a larger conspiracy tied to his own mysterious past. The pacing is tight, with each episode ending on a hook that keeps you coming back for more. The drama does an excellent job balancing episodic crime-solving with an overarching storyline that grows darker and more personal as it unfolds.

What sets "The Wanted Detective" apart is its character development. The lead actor delivers a powerful performance, portraying a man torn between justice and survival. He’s flawed, complex, and entirely human. You can’t help but root for him even when he makes questionable choices. The supporting cast is equally strong. Each character, from the determined police officers chasing him to the civilians caught in the crossfire, is given layers of personality and motivation.

Visually, the series is polished. The cinematography is sharp and atmospheric, often using shadow and lighting to enhance the suspense. Action scenes are well-choreographed without being over-the-top, lending a sense of realism to the drama. The urban setting, often gritty and moody, fits the tone perfectly and helps ground the story in a believable world.

One of the show's biggest strengths is how it explores moral gray areas. It poses important questions: What does it mean to do the right thing? Can a person be both a hero and a criminal? The detective’s journey forces viewers to think beyond black and white justice. It’s this psychological and emotional depth that keeps the show from being just another procedural.

The writing deserves praise too. Dialogue is tight, and each case is thoughtfully constructed. Clues are cleverly planted, and the reveals are satisfying without feeling forced. The show also avoids dragging its plot with unnecessary filler, making every scene feel purposeful.

Another standout element is the soundtrack. The music heightens the tension at just the right moments and adds emotional weight during character-driven scenes. It complements the story without overshadowing it.

In conclusion, "The Wanted Detective" is an excellent Chinese drama that offers much more than standard crime-solving. It’s a mix of thriller, mystery, and emotional storytelling done right. With strong performances, a gripping plot, and thought-provoking themes, this drama is definitely worth watching. Whether you’re a fan of detective stories or just looking for a compelling drama with depth and excitement, "The Wanted Detective" will not disappoint.

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I was absolutely blown away by the script, the cast and the chemistry. The writers did an amazing job with this script. Whoever did the lighting during the filming was able to capture not only the night scenes clearly but also distinctively. The series was so good, I actually rewatched episodes and clips while it was still on the air. The acting, the plot, the chemistry, the intelligence and the humor. You get it all as well as tons of action and anticipation. You’ll shed a tear or two. You’ll be mad, happy, want blood and smile so hard. Just wonderful.

The overall story is about two people who encountered hardship in their youth uniting to establish their own sense of love, justice and peace. I am so thrilled that the leads were both charming and smart. There were no senseless games or fights just pure witty and authentic commitment, love and determination.

I would put this series up there with ten miles of peach blossoms and the lengend of fuyao. No cliffhangers, just clean and clear and amazing ending.
Hats off to the young female actress who played “Rong’er” she has some skills. I’ll definitely look for her in future films.

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Surprisingly ADDICTIVE!

I wouldn't say everyone will like this kind of drama, but I LOVE IT.

It's not the usual korean drama that comes with a cheerful starting, couple fall in love and followed with the story climax. Some people might not like the "psycho" theme drama because of the dark and depressing content, but I find it pretty addictive of its UNUSUAL setting of characters, story presentation and the chemistry between the main leads! As the female lead is a fairytale story writer, the show uses a "fairytale story telling" method to bring out some principles of life that touches the bottom of your heart, which I find it very special!

You will FALL IN LOVE with the two main leads, because they are not the usual main leads you will find in other dramas. The girl is cold on the outside but warm in the inside whilst the male lead is other way round. They both had some bad memories that shaped their behaviours; they hurt each other, but they protect each other as well :) So I would say their interaction and chemistry are the highlight of the show!!!! Not to mention, the three main leads (including the brother) acting is SUPERB! The brotherhood among the two male leads is very touching too and it will make you cry T^T

For those who are a scaredy-cat, be aware that there are some horror scenes too. Well, it doesn't really have physical ghost in the show (in case you are wondering), but because the main female lead had some dark memories, so she will have bad dreams and having sleep paralysis.

Although there were some parts not being well explained, I think you shouldn't be too serious about it and enjoy the scenes and stories this drama has brought to us. It brings joy, intense, sadness and also heart-warming relationships that makes you smile :) I love all the main and side roles and also their sweet and nice characters, the entire casting was pretty pleasing and I enjoyed watching it a lot!

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I honestly don't know where to begin... (Also this is a bit long/rambling because I JUST finished the last episode, so I have a lot of emotions)

STORY:
The first 16 episodes were great - so much going on, but it was all so entertaining. But then come episode 17 and it was a completely different story with somewhat different people - even though it was all the same people. Even so, I kept going. Episodes 17-53 though not as great as the first chunk of the drama were still decently entertaining to watch. Especially between the first two parts of the drama, there were just so many discrepancies about what was going on that they never resolved because it really felt like two completely different stories at times. And then somehow the final episode, ep 54 - my mind just went blank and I'm still not sure what I was watching... So I'm gonna rate this as 3 different parts.

A) Ep 1-16
B) Ep 17-53
C) Final ep 54

A) 9/10 - The first few episodes were so great. There was plotting and manipulation but it felt somewhat new and refreshing. Rong Zhi and Chu Yu's relationship was angsty but amazingly enticing to watch. The other characters at the Princess' manor were equally entertaining. It was a constant - what's going to happen next? What is Tian Ji Pavilion going to do? What is Chu Yu going to do? What is Rong Zhi going to do? Really fun to watch and definitely the best part of the drama.

B) 7/10 - the main core of the drama. The majority of the drama was focused on this part of the story - though it really makes viewers question why the drama was written to essentially be 2 different stories. Aside from the two main characters being the same people - though arguably their personalities were a bit warped - the rest of the drama was completely different. The setting moves out of Liu Song and into the kingdom of Wei (where Rong Zhi is now the Prince Regent leading the government for his nephew, the emperor) and Chu Yu is sent from Liu Song with the intention of peace through marriage. While this was the main core of the drama, it was definitely outshined by the first section of the drama, but nonetheless it was still an interesting watch.

There was a lot of framing and manipulation, which comes standard with these types of dramas, but honestly it was made a bit worse because there were SO MANY different people scheming that by the end it just feels like everyone was against everyone. Really it was hard to root for anyone just because of how much manipulation was going on.

Secondly, while miscommunication between the main pair is always a given, it was just a bit much sometimes. You have two very stubborn personalities, with one also constantly scheming to obtain power, but of course neither of them were willing to talk things out and would just essentially give up when the other was upset. It made it really hard to ship the main pair sometimes because it seemed like they were never going to be able to communicate well and understand the other person's feelings.

Lastly, between the second female lead actually playing two different characters there was WAY too much screen time attributed to her (specifically as General Huo Xuan) and honestly it got way too overbearing and annoying that I (and as I've read many others) pretty much skipped through all of her scenes. The writing really made it seem as if they wanted the second lead actress to be the main actress. Between the war zone story lines, to her story lines with Rong Zhi, to her story lines with Gu Huan - it was just way too much time focused on her and not enough on the main actors.

C) 5/10 - The final episode. There are literally very few dramas that have me honestly lost about what the hell happened by the end. Even this drama, everything seemingly went together up until the final episode. Maybe it was because they rushed the ending? Which is ridiculous because they had 54 episodes to work out this whole story, but the last episode was just super weirdly paced and there was so much going on. I honestly don't know if it was a happy or sad ending just because it depends on how you look at it, I suppose. By the end of it, I really just want to know who the writers were supporting this whole time because the way this ended - unless they're planning a sequel - just didn't make sense to me. In 40 minutes time, they crammed in so much stuff with no explanation and they were just like "Welp, that's it." Such a let down.

ACTING/CAST:

Song Wei Long (Rong Zhi) - As the male lead, I feel like SWL did a pretty decent job carrying such a weighty drama. He is definitely a young actor, so hopefully he will progress over the next few years, but even so I think he did a good job. Many people criticize him for not showing emotion very well, which I agree with to an extent. If it was any other character, I'd wholeheartedly agree that he was bad in that regard, but for this drama and this character, I think it still worked out well. Rong Zhi from the beginning was a very complex character who was very reserved, meticulous, and brilliant. For someone who is a genius at manipulation and scheming, I appreciated the fact that he was terrible at expressing himself and his feelings because it showed some kind of weakness in his personality. If he was great at everything, it would have made me dislike him honestly because no one can be perfect at everything.

Guan Xiao Tong (Liu Chu Yu) - A lot of my feelings about her probably come down more to script than it does to her actual acting, so it's hard to give her a fair review. In the first part of the drama, she was portraying Zhu Que of Tian Ji pavilion who took over the life of Liu Chu Yu to complete a mission. This character was smart and cunning, but had compassion and morals. Her character and acting were very entertaining as she portrayed the cunning Zhu Que but also the murderous/lustful Liu Chu Yu.
In the second half, it gets more confusing because you have the real (but not real) Liu Chu Yu and Zhu Que completely disappears (though it's the actually the same character). By now she's just a fairly basic female character. She's still smart (or just really lucky) as she gets herself out of trouble (with tons of help, of course), but she now harbors this idealized sense of morality - even though she is also a part of an imperial family and should be used to the scheming by now. And yet at every turn, she criticizes Rong Zhi and the others for fighting for power, even though it is something to be expected of people in power.
Again, these are all issues I have more with the writing for the character, more so than with Guan Xiao Tong's acting abilities. I think for what she was given, she did a good job - but nothing mind blowing.

Bai Lu (Huo Xuan) - I'm giving her a shout out mostly because I actually REALLY enjoyed General Huo at the very beginning and thought she was really entertaining, but eventually I just stopped watching most of her scenes because there was just way too much focus on her and it got annoying. She honestly did a really good job though (from what I didn't skip xD)

REWATCH/OVERALL:

I'll honestly probably watch this drama again some time in the future because even though there was a lot of stuff I didn't like about it, overall I still enjoyed it as a drama (aside from that last episode). It was nothing groundbreaking or particularly memorable, but for some reason, I was still really intrigued watching it and still felt it was fairly entertaining.

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The reason why I chose this drama among the lot, is the number of great reviews it got. I've read words like "perfect", "unforgettable" and "awesome" in regard to it, so I started with more than a little expectation. These high praises are also the reason why I'm writing a review myself; because perhaps out there there's someone like me who'd find words like "bland", "silly" or "yawn inducing" much more befitting to this particular drama.

The plot is sweet enough, but I truly fail to see its purpose. The premises, that is, a girly girl who lifts heavy weights, could have been everyone else that comes to mind – a clown, a dock worker, a truck driver or a simple student. The sport of weightlifting itself does absolutely nothing to deeply define this girl, except for 2 details: 1st, the hardship of balancing love for this sport with the basic womanly needs of being pretty; 2nd, the ridiculous choice of main actress, who is as believable as a weightlifter as I am as the first queen of Goryeo.
In Cheese in the Trap, the last drama I saw her acting in, someone called her "a giraffe", which I'd say is quite accurate a description. Lee Sung Kyung is tall, thin and beautiful, and her acting here consists of an alternation of pouts and a goofy gate that should lead us to believe she's not feminine. While watching, I spent a lot of time deciding whether I should raise one eyebrow or both.

The humour is off, at least for my taste. I didn't laugh once. There's too much screaming and wrestling, and most of all, there's too much eating. When I enter the realm of Korean drama, I'm psychologically prepared to see people eat at every opportunity, but here they really don't do much more. The quantity of food – and junk food – shoved into everyone's mouth is such that I got nauseous.

Acting is average. None of the actors shine in his or her performance, possibly because the script has no room for deep characterization. This isn't even a coming of age kind of story, since all characters end up being basically the same they were in the beginning, but with a partner. All the interesting cues, those that somehow delved deeper into the emotions of some characters, are conveniently skimmed and resolved in the space of a few minutes. Everyone lies to everyone else and calls it either friendship or protection. Bah.

There is some music… I think.

Never to be rewatched. Once was enough to establish this is not my kind of drama and simply forget about it. My 6 is due to the fact that I completed it.

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Perfect drama for people who is in misery!

I don't like a drama with the sad ending, or drama with questionable ending so watching this drama is just a perfect for me! At first I don't like the male lead but little by little, I started to like the character that he play. I started to fall for the story and after that the songs. All are just perfect.

I love how the younger brother accept the male lead and love him as brother in law. I love the bonding between them as family and as best friends. The Ji Na and Joo Ik couple also awsome! I thought she will choose her long time crush. I will be sad if she really choose her old crush because Joo Ik is just so perfect.

There's one thing that make me thinking. How the male lead suddenly can be a doctor? How he apply for the job after has been terminated as a doom? Well i don't want to crack my brain. All I know is, this drama is just perfect for me. So, the conclusion is, if you are looking for a drama that can make your heart flutter, make you fly in the sky, make you laugh, make you smile, make you nagging alone, watch this!

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From Rock, Paper, Scissors to a Love Without Secrets - The Best Taiwanese BL of 2025

I’ve watched every Taiwanese BL released this year, and without a doubt Secret Lover is the best of 2025. It is not the usual formula. Instead, it is fast paced, emotionally rich, and captivating from start to finish. Not once did it leave me bored.
From the very beginning, I was drawn to both leads. Tuo is obsessive and intense, while JunXi is sweet, gentle, and adorable. Their bond, rooted in childhood, grows naturally into something deeper, and watching them fall into love felt organic and inevitable. The NC scenes were tender yet romantic, their kisses full of sincerity, and the playful “rock, paper, scissors” moment to decide who tops or bottoms was cheeky, lighthearted, and unforgettable.

What makes this story shine is the shift in their dynamic. For once, it was JunXi who chased after Tuo, who kissed him first, who showed boldness where there was once only hesitation. Usually, Tuo takes the lead, so JunXi’s affection was refreshing and heartfelt. Their communication was equally moving. When Tuo admitted he had only dated girls to hide his true feelings for JunXi, his honesty was raw and deeply touching. His apology lifted a weight from them both, and in that moment, his growth was undeniable.

The smallest details melted my heart, cuddles, forehead kisses, waking up together, and most of all JunXi’s quiet back hug after Tuo’s fight with his father. Without a single word, that embrace carried the message: I am here. You are not alone.
Even Tuo’s father was written with nuance. A single parent abandoned by his wife, he worked tirelessly to raise his son, though his strictness strained their bond. I sympathized with his burdens, but it made me appreciate JunXi even more. He gave Tuo the love and reassurance his father could not, validating every piece of who Tuo was.

Many judged Tuo early on, calling him selfish or forceful. But episode nine revealed the truth. Tuo never left JunXi because he loved him less. He left because he loved him too much. He could not bear to see JunXi hide forever or carry the weight of secrecy. That is why the series carries the title Secret Lover. Tuo’s love was not possession but protection.
And then came JunXi’s powerful declaration: Even if my parents are against it, I still want to be with Tuo. I didn’t realize I loved him this much. At the park scene, it was JunXi who kissed first, who confessed first, who chose reconciliation. This was not weakness but extraordinary courage, especially in a culture where tradition and family reputation hold such power. I admired him deeply, because I know I could not be as brave.

Love often needs distance to return stronger. You do not realize the depth of your love until you almost lose it. This series captured that truth with aching precision, showing that Tuo was never the villain but always the protector of the one he loved most.

When JunXi finally cried, his tears were not born of sadness but of joy. They carried the weight of years of silence, and with them, the heavy stone pressing on his heart was finally lifted. For so long he had hidden his love, afraid of disappointing his parents in a culture bound by tradition and generational values. Yet as his hand clasped Tuo’s, he was no longer alone. Their love was no longer a secret in the dark but a truth they carried into the light.

The most moving moment of all was the parents’ reaction. They had always known. When the truth was spoken, they embraced their sons with warmth, kindness, and joy. Their smiles shone brighter than words, their love wrapped around the boys like a blessing. This is what every parent should give, the assurance that love is love, no matter gender, no matter expectation, and happiness is the only thing that matters.

As the story closed, it became clear this was not just another BL. It was the best Taiwanese BL of the year for me. No dragging storylines, no unnecessary jealousy, no forced third wheel. Every kiss, every touch, every NC scene was alive with passion, intimacy, and vulnerability. Their chemistry was breathtaking, transcending the screen itself.

It did not feel like acting. It felt like watching two souls discover one another. The glances, the touches, the comfort in each other’s presence, it was impossible to believe it was fiction. Even behind the scenes, in playful moments and tender gestures, they radiated a closeness too real to ignore. Perhaps this was more than a story, perhaps it was something lasting even beyond the cameras.

Now it has ended, and their absence lingers like a quiet ache. Secret Lover was not simply entertainment. It was a memory carved deep into the heart, a love story that breathed, that lived, and that will be missed long after the credits fade.
💯 Secret Lover is pure perfection. Romantic, emotional, meaningful, and bold, it is everything I could ever want in a BL. Without question, it is the best Taiwanese BL of 2025.

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The Inferno ran out of fuel

This season of Single's Inferno was a whole mess, and if I had to sum it up in eight words, it'd be: Tarzan & Jane: A Dumpster Fire in Hell. The show's attempts at forcing drama and romance were cringeworthy, and the cast was just...meh. The whole thing was a skippable snooze-fest and that’s putting it lightly. Netflix has officially driven Single’s Inferno into the ground, and Season 4 is the flaming wreckage. What started as a mildly entertaining dating show has devolved into a predictable, lazy mess where one contestant hoards all the attention while everyone else fades into irrelevance.

This season’s culprit? Sian, the show’s leading lady, who spent ten episodes collecting male validation like Infinity Stones, culminating in a finale where three men lined up to get their hearts stomped on for the privilege of losing to Junseo—the human embodiment of the Cart Titan.

Let’s talk about Junseo. Every interaction was a performance, from the unnecessary back-and-forth with Minseol (as if he’d ever pick her) to the grand finale where he slung Sian over his shoulder like he was Tarzan reclaiming Jane. His entire existence was exhausting, yet somehow, Sian was enthralled. She didn’t want stability, sincerity, or basic respect…. hell no, she wanted someone who’d play mind games with her for ten episodes straight. And she got exactly that.

Meanwhile, the actual interesting contestants: You Jin, Hae Lin, and Min Seol barely got any fucking screen time because the producers were too busy shoving ‘the Sian show’ down our throats. The editing was trash, the pacing was horrific, and it was obvious Netflix has no idea what the hell they were doing. Instead of genuine connections, we got the same old and haggard love triangle formula dragged out like a bad K-drama. The way they were expected to choose people based on looks alone and like a 5 minute conversation pissed me off.

The best part of S4 was Theo, the greenest flag of all the guys and You Jin, the most bubby down to earth girl from the women. They are the reason why I’m giving this show 2 stars because they at least gave me something to look forward to and had me rooting for them even though both were so overlooked.

Lowkey, this season's panel was better than the others, but Dex needed to ditch them and get back to the inferno immediately! Ji Yeon deserved better than what she got like it was so obvious her and Tae Hwan were not compatible. I honestly would’ve liked it more if she turned him down at the end. And, tbh, the wild card men should've all stayed - what was the point of that whole thing, anyway? Jonghoon was hella bland and much too relaxed for my liking. Bro was just there for free vacation like Habin from season 3. He literally put in zero effort, and that "relationship" with Hyejin? Forced, fake, and chemless. Same energy with Jiyeon and Taehwan - I called it from day one, they had zero sparks.

This season was TRASH, and the fact they're making a S5?! HELL NO!!!! WE DO NOT WANT IT!!!!

At this point, it’s clear the show is beyond saving unless they bring in regular people instead of these performative plastic diva’s and lazy ass men. Bro the way they need men who actually try instead of them sitting around waiting for women to chase them. Like, I could try to understand if these men thought they were some prize or were super fine, but that wasn’t the case this season. They were all so unbelievably MID. The most decent looking guy to me was honestly Theo or Dongho. Every single one of them was mid compared to the Season 1 and Season 2 cast. It’s safe to say Single’s Inferno’s flame has officially burnt out.

This franchise needs to die expeditiously!

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Repetitive story

This story is very repetitive, even some scenes were very similar to other wuxia dramas, it's like they mixed a little from all other dramas and copy pasted here. For example immortal samsara, the journey of Chang zi, Ashes of love etc. therez nothing new so it's very predictable. Mainly cuz in the first episode starting scene they themselves mentioned what's going to happen in next 27 episodes where step by step the guy says how ML ended up killing her and everything, that was stuck in my mind when watching it so it was easy to guess what was going to happen next. Some plots were very unnecessary, just to create drama they showed unwanted things like when the evil girl turned good they killed the guy she was going to marry ( when devil can kill literally kill anyone at that point but they choose the groom 😂)just to make her evil again connecting it to Ayin's torture and death for no reason cuz she was anyways going to die but ML goes to great lengths to save her only to kill her in next 2 episodes 😂😂😂 it's funny cuz ML makes a long plan thinking she won't die with his punishment but she died in hands of ML for very silly reason that he didn't know her immortal spirit was already damaged. There is no strong story here, basically one thing lead to another creating such circumstances, some developments are very random.

I really like Zhao Lusi but why shez acting same as she did in hidden love? Baby voice and everything, I didn't like it. And ML's acting wasn't that bad but he didn't give main lead vibes at all, other male characters were more charming than him.

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definitely worth watching!

i'm not sure why there's so many negative reviews because personally i enjoyed this drama very much, although there is cliché moments that people might not like; the relationships in this show is what brings it all together. i loved seeing the development of all the main characters and side characters. i think the show could've developed on some parts like adding more to the side characters story and giving us more at the end but other than that i would say this show has been an emotional journey. the only con i can think of is the ending, they disappointed me with that because i think the episode could've been stretched out more, possibly a wedding happening and how all the other characters improve in the future.
out of 10, i rate it an 8 because of those reasons.
asides from that i loved the cast, everyone is an amazing actor especially seo inguk who showed various emotions during this show and park boyoung who also did an amazing job. also dawon from sf9, i believe this was his acting debut and i'm just so overwhelmed with his performance because he did it so well! i'm looking forward to how his acting will develop.
i will end my review here by saying give it a chance! it might not be for everyone but i fell in love with it straight away and i'm so glad i watched it, so who knows? you might feel the same way too.

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How's the story: does it exist? I don't think so,

Jung Jin Soo is creepy, monsters are funny (literally), Min Hye Jin is reckless but cool (But what's the use?), Kyung Hoon is... wait what's his role? lol. My brother is annoying, Oops sorry this is unrelated. Well, so is the show apparently.

"When one person suffers from delusions, we call it a mental illness. When the society suffers from them, we call it being normal." -Anonymous

One of the few things done right is the portrayal of society and its mindset lol... I'd rather won't comment on how religious things are shown... but the whole setup of how people (normal people not the crazy dudes) think... was relatable.

For 50×6=300min (approx), I was staring at my laptop screen, was legit for nothing coz this drama is just so random. Some random characters with some random backstories, with their random purpose put together and bunch of super annoying characters are thrown...wait, that explains poster well. Drama ends up being a hot mess that doesn't serve justice to anything, anyone... characters, actors-their acting.

I'm curious what's the writer trying to show actually...Story is like some scattered pieces joined together without giving proper time to explore any character well. I didn't the webtoon to I've no idea abt the background story.. but just judging from the drama. It lacks in many ways, it's confusing, writing just sucks, editing is choppy, the whole cult thing is crazy, why some characters exist... then they just vanish in a thin air. Other than Jung Jin Soo's purpose everything has loose ends, should I call it a Netflix thing so they can create seasons per season.

I do not have a problem with bad CGI even though it made me laugh at the monsters... they legit look funny, or even cinematography. They can have a small budget it's understandable... but what's wrong with lighting? Okay, I get that Netflix is been trying this for a while now... making dark lighting and cinematography to suit the theme of thrillers, but that doesn't mean it should be this bad that I had to check the brightness of my device two times. With bad color grading, it's weirdly dark.

The acting is spot on. Yoo Ah In legit gave me chills... but he doesn't look himself and if he's the sole reason if you want to watch the whole thing, you'll be disappointed he's dangling carrot. I appreciate Kim Hyun Joo's performance too. Park Jung Min and Woo Jin Ah slayed in a very small amount of screen time given.

I think the main problem with it is they just tried to do many things together is a small amount of time. Trying to put many characters... many things happening at the same time. But this season is just meant for the introduction and things are explained in later seasons... I may ignore it but right now I'm just thinking of it as an individual drama.

It doesn't have many surprising, thrilling, action factors. I didn't find it the least bit scary nor any jump-scaring moments. It's gory, disturbing at times...you might get disgusted on many occasions but I won't call it a good horror.

It doesn't bother to explain anything, just wreck your brain on your own. Nothing is impressive... nothing. I admit it's different but not in an extraordinary way. It's just normal... might be good as time pass, as I'm the least bit entertained and thrilled. I just hope the second season (if it's gonna happen) will prove me wrong and this is just a build-up for it.

Am I being harsh? yes. I should be.

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