Reviews

Apologies ahead of time if my review is subpar. I just saw that barely anyone has watched this and decided to write this on a whim in hopes it might get this movie some attention. Although it's quite surprising that no one has watched this considering it was played on airplanes.

In all honesty, I couldn't discern a core theme of this movie, and I suspect that I might have missed many points the movie was trying to get across. But regardless, it was a great experience. Paradise was a culmination of many different themes such as distrust, cruelty, racism, escapism, and isolation. Overall, it's less so a mystery and more so a depiction of how low humans can be. It was everything I did not expect from reading the summary, and I was very pleased with that.

A huge portion of the movie is demonstrating how the cycle of cruelty can affect human communities. As you watch these characters sink deeper, it's eerie how relatable they can be despite their actions. Perhaps that was the creators' intent: to put the audience in the shoes of the characters to demonstrate the evil deeds they too are capable of committing.

Personally, the theme of escapism was the most relatable to me. Often I wonder why people are so naturally sadistic. It's left me questioning that maybe it's the environment I'm in, and maybe if I left things wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps there's a paradise waiting for me elsewhere. I was surprised how well the movie presented these questions that I've asked myself for years. Although, I admittedly still don't know the answers to them even after watching.

The Acting: Absolutely phenomenal. Especially the actor who played Takeshi. None of that Hollywood overdramatic bull shite. The actors seriously did an amazing job making these characters feel real.

The Story: Although not entirely a mystery, the question of the real culprit's identity was seriously leaving me on the edge of my seat. The characters were incredibly well written and down to earth. The realistic feel the characters gave off lended immense credibility to the realism of the character's actions.

Overall: I love it to death, but definitely not for everyone. I would say give it a try but the first chunk of the movie isn't gonna be enough to tell whether or not you'll like the whole thing. If any of the themes I mentioned earlier really click with you, I'm guessing you'll enjoy it

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so bad and I don't mean bad in a good way

Not really sure what to say really UGH!!
For me a lot of what was going on made no sense and the story was well I thought all over the place.
A lot of the acting from most of the characters especially the support/side characters was beyond cringe.
Its like they didn't even bother to test people for the roles they got before giving them their parts.
Almost like they grabbed random people they saw on the street and gave them a part or
because the actors that got roles just happen to be signed with the agency. Sorry but acting or singing or any other talent you either have it or you don't.

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If any of you read my last review on season 1 you'll see that I could not say enough good things about it, with the exception of the first season being too short. This is not the case with the second season, as it manages to outdo the first!

STORY: 10/10
The main cast returns from the first season with a few new wonderful additions. The new supporting cast members help reinforce and close open-ended story-lines from the last season which helps launch this season into a whole new direction. Season 2 continues true to form, dealing with similar issues as season one, but also tackling new issues such as family, mixing business with pleasure, monogamy, and issues that same-sex couples have to deal with when starting lives together. This season is longer than the last, having 7 episodes with each one clocking in at almost 49 minutes. The writers of this show make use of the time given to again beautifully develop each character with intelligent writing, relatable scenarios, and thought-provoking dialogue.

ACTING: 10/10
Holy smokes! Some of the most realistic and emotional acting in any BL drama I have ever watched. Arm's character is yet again a standout as this season focuses on fleshing out his character and shows him as more than just a one-nightstand type of guy. Ten (who plays Arm) really gave his character a new profound depth that we saw a hint of in season one, but dives deeper into his past and insecurities. Nat's character stands out for me in this season as well, and I think he may have been my favorite character of the season. In season one, Nat's character was always very calm, patient, and understanding. this time we see Nat pushed to his emotional limits as certain events cause him to become unhinged. It was so fascinating to see that side of his character and he pulls it off well, nothing too extreme or character damaging. I also want to mention the new added actress who plays Satang's friend. She had very little to work with in terms of development and story-line but boy did she work with what she had! She blew me away and I wish there was more screen-time with her character (Here's hoping for season 3).

 MUSIC: 9.5/10
The only reason this is getting a 9.5 is because I can't say I remember a lot of the music. Not to say that it was bad because it was great. But there was nothing that I would say I could point out as my favorite.

REWATCH VALUE: 10/10
I would watch this season again ten-times over. This season went above and beyond the first and I truly hope they continue with at least one more season

OVERALL: 10/10
A Masterpiece. I know most of you may think I am giving to much hype and praise for this series, but it truly deserves it, in my personal opinion. This season did a great job of fleshing out all the characters and showing how we sometimes make mistakes, but instead of regretting the past we use it to become better for the future. The ending of season 2 is again open-ended and I hope there will be a season 3. Usually the lifespan for a BL drama is 2 seasons but I hope this show will be an exception. I need at least one more season to curve my withdraws.

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This is the first review I’m writing in almost two years. I’m not very good at it so bear with me. I won’t be covering what the lakorn is about since its easily found in the synopsis so I will just get straight into it.

I was first interested in this lakorn because of the early teasers that were released. It looked like it was gonna be really funny. At this point, I hadn’t read the synopsis which I rarely ever do, to begin with.

☆Story☆
At first, I thought the story was off to a good start but then somewhere around the middle it started to get extremely repetitive – seriously like no other! I also think the pregnancy side of things were done extremely badly. Without going into too much detail, I thought the insemination process was done well – though I’m not an expert – but anything else that follows in a “normal, real life” pregnancy I felt was done very badly. There were no follow up appointments unless the female lead had just narrowly escaped yet another attempt on her and unborn baby’s life. If a writer is going to use a plot such as this one, at least try to make it a tiny bit realistic.
At times, I felt like the plot was dragging and next to nothing was happening so they could’ve easily cut the episode down by at least three.

☆Characters☆
I’m not even gonna lie – I disliked/hated most of the characters, except for perhaps two couples. As the story progressed, I started to find more and more characters annoying for one reason or other. Without revealing who is paired up I actually started skipping the third couple pretty early on because I found them extremely boring. I couldn’t force myself to watch them anymore – unless they were talking to other characters I did like.
I thought the male lead was really nice in trying to keep the promise he made to his brother, but I also feel that his methods were somewhat unorthodox. Sometimes it was funny and sometimes it felt kinda creepy. I don’t really know how to describe it. They had great chemistry straight from their first scene together.

I loved the bromance between Kim and his friend (I forgot his name) – the shenanigans were really funny. The sisterhood was probably the best thing because I feel like its not covered as well as other countries who do them – unless I’m not watching the right ones lol. This one was really good cos these girls had each other’s backs like they were biological sisters.

I thought the villain was pretty obvious almost from the beginning although they tried hard to make it seem like it was someone else and for about a minute I almost fell for it but after watching more than enough of these types of plots you kinda start to pick up on certain things. Their motive, actions + reasoning I felt was insane even for a Lakorn.

☆Music☆
Well, it’s a Thai drama so not much by way of music that left a lasting impression, but I liked the one they almost always use in every lakorn and two other ones they played like a broken record.

☆Rewatch Value☆
Overall, I enjoyed watching this, but I wouldn’t rewatch – mostly because I don’t make a habit of rewatching Lakorns unless I liked it a whole lot, like on the levels of Game Sanaeha. Some parts I felt were a little bit too much for my taste so just because you see a pink cover doesn't mean the content will be all soft and cuddly like a teletubbie lol. I didn’t like those darker parts, but I liked that they had a mixture of comedy + dramatics.

If you are someone who enjoys the male protecting the female, constant bickering, fake/hate-love relationships, comedy and romance and nothing I’ve said has swayed you at this point – not that that’s my intention!!! - then you might enjoy this if not just for the cudorable that is Toey.

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too many characters/love rivals - also deja vu???

Overall: though I was excited for a gangster romance, this vertical mini series was a let-down. Originally watched unsubbed on ShortMax (also has Kiss Me With Unspoken Love and My Uncle, My Ex-Boyfriend). 70 episodes under 2 minutes each. Watched May 2025 on Shortime episodes 1-10 free to watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTFqKh1zTrY Upon re-watch, I realized it has several plot similarities to KinnPorsche to the point that if someone had said it was a Korean adaptation, I would have believed them.

Content Warnings: murder/death, blood, sexual assault, non con kiss, beaten up/violence, non con picture taking, blackmail?, past murders, rape?, kidnapping/held against will, torture, victim blaming, manipulation

What I Liked
- the tie pull
- sweet moments
- a few actual okay kisses
- good he didn't kiss him when the other guy was passed out in ep 27
- visuals
- good ending

Room For Improvement
- way too many love triangles/love rivals
- several camera blocked/cut to black kisses
- jumpy between episodes at times
- one character needed to stop drinking


My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

App Information/How to Watch for Free ShortMax
- you don't have to create a login for the app
- daily check ins were between 20-30 coins plus ability to double if I watched an add
- watched 6 ads for 25 coins each (wait time in between) plus 10 bonus for having watched all 6
- watched 10 free episodes per day (if you are out of coins, on the pop up on the lower right there should be an option to watch an ad to watch an episode)
- episodes cost 50 coins, you can't watch out of order, once unlocked they stay unlocked
- I was able to watch about 14 episodes per day, if starting at zero coins, that would take about 5 days

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I'm flexing my drama review muscles again after a brief hiatus. First, I'd like to thank HappySqueak for her recommendation article which led me to this drama. Here goes my review!

Story: I have to be honest here and say reincarnation and time-traveling stories are a dime in a dozen in Chinese dramas to the point the Chinese authorities had to regulate it! Melding modern with ancient Chinese settings is also pretty common. Having deities, ghosts, vampires etc as characters has been done for the umpteenth time!  The strength of the story lies in the love triangle between the three main characters. Love triangle? Yeah - common amongst commons in Asian dramas! But the selling point here is......you can't really tell who's the male lead! In fact, I believe both men in the love triangle are the male leads. They are equally outstanding and equally worth your support as they both fought for the female lead's affections. So, you'll end up as either Team Ya Long or Team Si Yin. And true to Chinese drama, the romance is of tragic nature. That, however, shouldn't deter you from watching this drama because if you're like me in appreciating a good story and good characterization, you'll agree with the ending of this story. The good news is, it's not an open ending and it is one that will give you a sigh. I actually feel that after all the three people had been through, it's a fitting and compassionate ending.

Another nice addition to the drama is how first impressions may not be the right impression. Ya Long was characterized as the evil vampire - indiscriminately killing, possessive, arrogant, looking down on humans as food etc. First impression and even throughout the drama, he played the role of the vampire to a T. Then, he fell in love and didn't know what to do with it! At first, he dealt with it poorly but slowly, you start to see his point of view and before you know it, you are rooting for him! Then, at the end as his past-life story is revealed, you start to have split feelings about whom the female lead should end up with. His character was dealt at least a couple of twists! I also love Si Yin's character. First impression and throughout, he played the character of the nice guy who sacrificed all the time for the female lead. You couldn't help but feel sorry for him when it slowly became clear that his is most likely gonna end as an unrequited love. Then came the twist and you start to question if the female lead actually did feel something for him! She has many touching and loving moments with him. Just as you think you should switch your loyalties, his past-life story revealed a different character and you'll realize that Mr. Gentleman-Good Guy ain't Mr. Gentleman-Good Guy after all! There is a reason why he out of the three of them, got punished in the worst ways throughout all his reincarnations! And lastly, our female lead's character is pretty standard in most Asian dramas - bright, bubbly, innocent, bumbling, sometimes incorrectly street smart....she provided the bulk of the comedy in this drama. However, you'll find out at the end of the drama that where female leads are concerned, you'd prefer not to be in her shoes. Without giving too much away, I can summarize her character by saying she is the comedy and the tragedy of this drama.

There are also clear indications in this drama that the author of this story is influenced by both eastern and western beliefs and culture. Ya Long is very much a western vampire - with his sensitivity to sun, silver and the wooden stake. You will also be treated to some popular western myths re. creation such as the creation of a woman from a man's rib. I will not comment re. the author of this story (Vivibear - she's Chinese-Swedish which explains the western influence) and her fame as the Queen of Plagiarism. I'll just leave my review of the story at this: it's interesting enough to capture your attention and is worthy as a drama marathon material, BUT it is not outstanding! Hence, I rate the story at 8.5/10.

Acting/Cast: It is not often that we are treated to two male characters who are equally deserving as the male lead. Both Ma Ke and Fu Xin Bo shone through the drama. They embraced their characters to perfection! The female lead, Zhou Yu Tong, though not the prettiest and most outstanding female lead, adequately portrayed Ye Yin - a modern 18-year-old at the cusp of womanhood but still very much a little girl at heart. When you watch the drama and realize that the female lead is just 18-year-old, you'll understand why Yu Tong had to switch from being sometimes a girl and sometimes speaking and behaving like a mature woman. She's very much a modern teenager in ancient times! Special mention to Nie Zi Hao as Fei Niao (Ye Yin's senior). For a newcomer, he's doing really well. I hope to see him in a main role soon. The rest of the cast did an excellent job too! Hence, I gave the acting 9.0/10.

Music: The OSTs are worth downloading. My personal favorite is the ending OST by A2A. "....the happiness I once had, has come to the end of the road...your love is too blinding... what I wanted I cannot stop...in the end, there is only loneliness......love becomes a burden...." The lyrics aptly described the story.

Re-watch value: It took me 2 days to marathon this drama. I will not be re-watching it anytime soon but I think there will come a day when I become bored and unmotivated with the currently available dramas (aka Drama Slump) and this drama may serve as an adequate reprieve to that sort of boredom.

Overall: This is a drama worth watching but it is not a 9.0 and above sort of drama (if you get my meaning!). My only beef with this drama in terms of the production is the poor visual effects. I understand that it's not a big production like Eternal Love or Novoland, but the special effects can be better. However, if you can grit your teeth and turn a blind eye to the poor visual effects, the story will shine through. Overall, I rate this drama 8.5/10.

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Give Me A Second Season Right Now!

I never really intended to watch 'Sell Your Haunted House'. Being still relatively new to the K-world, I wasn't aware of either of the leads of the story or their works . It was just one fateful night when I really had nothing to watch, I accidentally stumbled upon it thinking it would be an okay-ish pass time for a while BUT one episode and I was just hooked. SYHH proved to be the best out of all the on going shows for me.

One important thing that needs to be noted is that this show might be 'horror' but it's not meant to scare you off. I agree the CGI/graphics were pretty solid but still, the story behind every one of those unrested spirits stirred up so many emotions in my heart that sometimes it was difficult to hold back the tears. The right amount of comedy was always there to mix the heavy emotional scenes with the lighter ones. The dynamic duo- Ji-Ah and In-Bum were fabulous with zero unnecessary misunderstandings and 100% pure faith and friendship. Plus, all of their exorcism scenes are so well-executed and their chemistry is worth rooting for.

This is that one show that that started with a bang and ended with one as well while maintaining its quality throughout. If you like a show with an actually strong/badass female lead, amazing partnerships, a sweet bromance, blood-boiling antagonists , emotional and action packed exorcisms and overall something that's worth f every minute of your time, this is the one for you.

I really hope there is a season 2.

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Thrilling, haunting and beautiful

Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a much worthy Special episode and Sidequel to the original Kingdom series, and is a must watch if you enjoyed the preceding series.

If you haven't yet watched the first two seasons of Kingdom I highly recommend you to do so before watching this one. The seasons only have six episodes each and are easily devoured in a day or two. Watching it will give you everything you need to enjoy this Special episode and its splendour to the fullest.

Compared to the original series this one feels even darker. Together with the beautiful cinematography and excellent storytelling the Kingdom universe truly comes alive in the most chilling way during these 90 minutes.

Jun Ji Hyun is perfect for the role as the mysterious Ashin. With a main character with very few lines she still manages to deliver Ashin to the viewers in such a convincing and raw way. Jun Ji Hyun's potrayal of her makes Ashin feel less of a character in a fictional world filled with horror and monsters, but more like a real person dealing with pain and betrayal in a world filled with darkness.

There is no doubt that Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a well-written high quality production that lives up to the anticipation.

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I honestly loved this movie! Even though it did move a little slow at times (e.g., dialogue and character development), the plot was absolutely superb from beginning to end. The writers did a marvelous job thinking this one through, even down to the small, creative intracacies. The cast's (outstanding) acting was really the icing on the cake, making the story more relatable and believable. The chemistry and personalities expressed throughout this movie are just soo touching!! Perhaps the ending might seem predictable to some people, but the journey there was anything BUT forseeable. What a gem. ^^

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Disappointed but hope to see more from the Leads in the future

This show started decently. I loved the friendship that the main characters Theo & Akk (Book & Force) had, their chemistry was addicting to watch and it was what helped me get through this show. The motivations for the Enchante guys was so flimsy that it was hard to believe anyone would fall for their acts. The fact that Theo let them use him then acted hurt over their actions bothered me a lot. Akk was such a sweetheart the whole time and Theo let these other guys make Akk feel like he wasn't important even though it was all Theo's doing frustrated me. And this storyline wrapped up in episode 8 and focused on a new storyline that was even more frustrating for 2 more episodes.

I understand why Theo was upset since he based all his opinions of love on what he thought his parents had, but how he reacted to the divorce stuff was beyond childish. Taking it out on Akk because as a neighbor he knew they were divorced was uncalled for. It wasn't Akk's responsibility to tell Theo about them, but he was the one who ended up apologizing it was stupid. Also Theo basically not explaining who Sun is to him & not telling Sun that Akk was his boyfriend was unnecessarily hurtful. Why did Akk have to put in all the work to find a way to France make this relationship work is beyond me, Theo was selfish and that made me the most upset.

Overall it's easy to watch and ForceBook are a great on camera couple, but I wouldn't recommend this unless you want to just watch something easy.

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This kdrama is not worth your time

This kdrama would’ve been perfect if they just explained the reason on why these people are suffering.. and there are so many unexplained scenes and I literally can’t understand. Especially the way in episode 2 they did not get a tarot card.. and why was there unnecessary inappropriate scenes like they could’ve just portrayed the “cheating” without showing any nudity. The only things I like about this drama was how good the acting was..literally the best. Also the plot twists were insane. Dex episode literally was funny and he slayed the role, the child actors were really good too. I hope they make another season to explain everything because if they did I would give this kdrama 10/10.

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I don't really know where to begin with this drama review, but here goes. I am not a big fan of historical drama, yet I can't seem to complain about this one. The story begins in the most appropriate manner, with not to many odd junctions, or confusing climax. The very personality of Ok Jung is fill with hope and the King is seen to truly love her only. However this drama may not depict what was written in history it did a great job of filling in the "what if" questions. Plus the actors did a fantastic job at portraying the deep and agonizing emotions each character could have felt at every decision. The music help in veering from one emotional scene to the other; without losing the pace for the drama. In the end every one of the main characters had me in a like and dislike roller coaster ride based on how they dealt with any conflicting issue. Overall I gave this drama so high a score because it really tried to showcase a different point of view to a historical story, without over stretching the facts. So i recommend this drama to anyone interested in the tragic, yet sweet love story of Jang Hee Bin in a different light.

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Why did they try to make second lead main lead? This is not Netflix Start-up.

WOW!!! what an amazing journey. I got to know a lot more about the main leads characters.

Chan Young exerts main lead energy being ignorant to his friend struggle and just think for himself first. His love line with Ji Yu is cute because I got to know how much shallow dating your fav singer is so convenient as studying in the same school and same extra curriculum. Her songs are truly powerful indeed as to convert a misunderstood common interest into definitely love.

Love is such a simple thing that Ji Yu falls in love with a handsome guy who acknowledge her talent and compliment her achievement and most importantly, an act of kindness returning the book she forgot on her desk in front of her which happens to be her song title which is probably why it was allowed to be left on the desk during extra-curriculum class.

I was so annoyed because why did they give Heesu so much screen time when he is a typical support character who helps setting people up. He didn't even help the main leads get together. Why did they show him trying to sabotage the main leads when his gig is being a shy best friend? If he was supposed to be the antagonist then they made his character so weak with weak motive as falling in love with childhood best friend.

Furthermore, why does a support character get a support character? Seung Won literally is non-relevant to the main storyline when he just sit by the side on everything. What was his point even? to be Ji Yu bestie? what did they do together to relate so much? To introduce a jealousy storyline with Chan Young in Ji Yu relationship? they did try and succeed but it concluded so early. He was only introduced as a way to stop Heesu rampage in a non violent way.

Through out the 10 episodes Heesu and Seung Won relationship progress is literally as obstacles for Chan Young and Ji Yu. I get that they wanna be family friendly so maybe they could conclude it with a second lead love line but with a BL twist.

Overall, I am a little disappointed by the direction of the series in progressing the main relationship but I am glad to say that it is another kdrama that I have successfully sat through.

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Unique, bittersweet and touching story about love, grief and friendship.

One thing I've always loved about Japanese dramas is how they come up with crazy concepts like this and somehow make them work. I feel the main reason for this is the balance in their stories. They take a unique premise and make it feel grounded with relatable characters and genuine relationships.

Apart from the quirky setup, the biggest strength of Eien no Kinou are its two main leads. Koichi is the kind of person everyone loves to be friends with. His fun, cheerful and kind personality draws people in. Micchan on the other hand is the calm and collective type, and he seems unapproachable and slightly intimidating to the people around him. However, this doesn't stop Koichi since he's determined to become friends with him. What I really enjoyed about this relationship and their characters is that they slowly and realistically established their bond, despite this show's short length. 

Koichi showcases an admirable inner strength by the way he handles the debilitating situation he's in, being more concerned with how other people feel than allowing himself to grief his own loss. Micchans experiences shaped him into a lonely, introverted person that has a hard time being around other people. He hates himself for being "cold" which he absolutely isn't. His sensitive and deeply moving monologues show that once he has someone in his heart, he's an incredibly caring and loving person. These two polar opposite characters develop a genuine bond and give each other the warmth and love both of them were craving, and it was truly touching to see them feel at home with each other. 

I really enjoyed the performances of Komiya Rio and Inoue Sora. Komiya Rio already won me over as Tanaka in Takara-kun to Amagi-kun which was a drama that I personally didn't really enjoy, however his performance stood out to me in the few scenes he had. While Tanaka is a vastly different character to Koichi they both have an engaging and likable charm in common which I credit the actor for. You're on his side and want him to be happy, so when he does allow himself to show his pain, it hits you hard. Inoue Soras Micchan is gentle, restrained, and yet you can see a whirlwind of emotions behind that facade. He convincingly portrays Micchans calm strength and protective nature, as well as his vulnerable and lonely side. 

While I enjoyed this story, and they were able to move me despite the dramas short length, I can't help but feel the impact would have been even stronger if they had the time to establish the characters and their relationships further. Spending more time with the leads before the accident and developing their other friendships would have given this story another layer, which I would have really appreciated. Some parts of the story felt rather random and disconnected, simply because they lacked the time to explore them. 

I've to quickly mention the amazing OST of this drama. The opening theme Sunshower by Ayumu Imazu is a melancholic yet hopeful song that made me feel emotional after its first few notes. While the hauntingly serene ending theme, Toi Natsu no Hi by Kubo Aoi makes you reminisce the episode once the ending credits start. Both songs are absolutely beautiful, with touching lyrics that add to the meaning of the story. I thought the scenes of the ending credits getting blurrier with each episode was a really nice detail, and so was the changed ending for the final episode.

Eien no Kinou is a poignant story about cherishing the time you have with the people you love. It's a delicate yet powerful drama about love and friendship, told with so much heart it lingers in your thoughts long after you've finished it. 

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