Reviews

This dorama already got great reviews that I totally agree with but thought of adding my two cents as well ;) It was the drama that I was most anticipating of the summer, and maybe of the year. As an anniversary drama, it is star studded as expected. It's the first drama for Tsumabuki Satoshi in 5 years ( except he had a guest role in an episode of Higashino Keigo Mysteries in 2012) since the lead a taiga in 2009. He's reunited here with Mitsushima Hikari (Villain) and Eita (Orange Days, Dororo) rounded off with award winning Aoi Yu. With that cast alone, expectations flew through the roof.

I was certainly looking forward to the reunion of Mitsushima and Eita and seeing Tsumabuki in a drama again after so long sure is a delight. Whether the drama met my expectations or not cannot be answered with a simple Yes or No.

My main reason of watching was for the cast, so in that case I can't say I was disappointed. The characters felt real for me, the relationships authentic, and the chemistry is present. I was invested enough with the family that watching them every episode was bliss. Acting from the main characters was top notch. Asahi's character got many criticism of being over-acted, but I found it was actually well thought out. I think if he were played any other way it would've been too dramatic so I cannot imagine anyone playing it better than Tsumabuki. Other performances varied from great to okay but none felt miscast. Yoshioka Hidetaka didn't really add much to the characters so my shallow self wished it would've been a better looking actor that took the role XD He wasn't miscast but not too great either.

The story overall is heartwarming and sweet, but we had some story lines that were stronger than others, some more relatable than others, hence some episodes stronger than others. The story line revolving around the three older siblings were the most engaging. The story of the 2 youngest siblings was set-aside in the background and needed more attention from the writer. For that reason I found their resolve a bit shallow. Episodes about characters other than the siblings were less interesting. There were also a lot of cheesy dialogs running throughout the drama. It certainly isn't something new to Japanese dramas but dramas without cheesy dialogs have been done and this could've benefitted without as well

The soundtrack was used effectively here and the theme song added this timeless enchantment to the drama.

On the whole, not a perfect drama, but still touching and uplifting, with great performances and memorable roles. I will miss this drama for sure.

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Go into this drama believing that true love really does exist after a long time-7 years- and it'll be easier to watch this drama. I have to say that reunited love is one of my favorite storylines so although this drama was draggy in some parts, and the plot wasn't that unique- I still thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Wallace Chung has good chemistry with Tiffany Tang. Physically, they look great together and Yi Chen (Wallace) demonstrated his anguish for Mo Sheng (Tiffany) very well. Yes, he was dubbed but that's necessary since Wallace's pronunciation in mandarin isn't that good since he speaks Cantonese natively. It's fine though because his dubbed voice is nice and the dubbing is in sync. The story itself is nothing that new but this drama was calm and beautiful. It's an easy watch even with some annoying characters that I fast forwarded through.

The flashbacks were also a main aspect of this drama, they used flashbacks periodically within episodes to slowly unravel the misunderstandings and backstories. Though this drama was slow-moving, the anticipation created within the flashbacks made me want to come back for more episodes; in that respect, this drama was kind of addicting for me. I admit that they did repeat the same flashbacks over and over again in the end but I just fast forwarded it so it wasn't a problem. In the flashbacks, the director used different actors for young Yi Chen and Mo Sheng. Props to the young actors, they channeled Yi Chen's and Mo Sheng's spirits very well. Young Yi Chen even kinds of looks like Wallace and young Mo Sheng was so cute and bubbly.

I liked how their love never wavered for one another throughout the whole drama, and that the antagonists couldn't tear them apart. There were tons of misunderstandings in the beginning, but it didn't take that long, and once they were resolved their relationship was wonderful to watch. I really liked Yuan Feng and Xiao Xiao (Viola Mi) here. They were both hilarious and had such character depth; they felt like real people.

The music was lovely. It complemented all the tranquil and emotionally anguished scenes. Wallace's real voice in one of the songs was also really good.

Re-watch? Maybe, maybe not. I recommend it to people who don't want to watch a crazy plot, and just want to watch a beautiful romantic drama. (9/8)

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has its cute moments, but offers nothing new

I haven't watched the original film they based this on, but it seems to have a very simple plot. I feel like stories like these would have been more charming in the early 2000s, but all of it now is predictable. It didn't have anything particularly unexpected that set it apart from other romance films already put out. What could have made it better for me was if they showed more of the characters' nuances and thoughts.. and fleshed out their relationships. What made the ML truly care about the FL so much? What connection did they build from those surface level interactions? I like the actors in this film, but I couldn't really root for their characters because we're not given a chance to understand their intentions.. they didn't even know much about each other?

Visually, this film is so pretty! I wanted to take a screenshot of every scene.. it is all so pleasing to the eye.. god knows I WIIIISH the story was a bit better 😭

Final verdict: It is a cute little lighthearted film to watch on a slow day. It offers nothing much else though.

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Yes there is a lot, like a lot of sex scenes, but I don't this it was to much or to explicit sex was part of the plot there's more about the movie than sex. This about Love, different kids of love, there is friendship, true love (no matter how it started)and the extremely obsessed one this is what I think the movie is really about.

The acting is flawless, great job, every single character was well played and which I bet it wasn't easy to play.

The music is outstanding traditional Korean music that helped no only to understand the scene but also to understand the characters feelings.

If you're over 18 (just saying), should watch it, and see there is more deep than just just sex.

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plot = 9
writing/development = 5
directing = 10
mystery/killer = 1

the theme of this drama was great, the the 2 (or more) parallel worlds and the butterfly effects that ensue from the smallest of interactions, each choice and the aftermath and the way the worlds were different were really clever.
the acting from the 2 mains was amazing, I'm not a big fan of Yoon Shi Yoon's previous projects but I could see the great improvement and he finally broke away from his type castings.
I've been a fan of Kyung Soo Jin for a while and I'm glad she finally got a main main for well made drama.
the "killer vibes" were way too obvious and their "revelation" was too shallow and uninteresting.

at some points I thought this drama should've been longer, the "romance" and chemistry between brown DW and blue SK made 0 sense, well maybe it made 1% sense in the form that "I'll love and protect every you ever existed" and in some ways the miserable life blue SK lived through made brown DW have a bigger sense of "prince complex, ie I need to save you"
I wish he didn't have romantic feelings for brown SK, or I wish they gave us more eps so brown DW and Blue SK actually bonded beyond "I loved you in another world"

and in some ways with the last ep, that was blue SK finding brown DW, so like why didn't he look/find the "white" SK? what made blue SK special? since white DW was a "higher up -can't think of a title ;p" would white SK also be "happy" and well established and independent for brown DW to feel useless around?

so in some ways both brown DW and blue SK were the most miserable forms of themselves and they found "comfort" in each other but what about brown SK? was she nothing? so basically the whole doppelganger love was a fail.


now for the killer vibes it took too long for them to be literally the 1st person one suspects but that ending ep where the mom went through 4 worlds and had to suffer through loosing her son, plus killing her own counterparts was actually really clever I wish they focused more on that.

basically this is one of those "got a 12ep deal because they didn't know how to plan out their plot"..
the directing was beautiful, clever and really well done. and the ost was nice but I feel like they only had 1 song that was overused, and I never rewatch stuff ;D

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One of the best suspense movie I've ever seen so far!

The story was very detailed. It was very very interesting... Everything fits perfectly. All my whys were answered. You wouldn't want to miss a single scene... Some of the scenes are quite unpredictable and the psycho was really terrifying.

The characters were absolutely great. The psycho (Yoo Ji Tae) was amazing... I was really afraid of him and the next things he might do and what else he is capable of doing. The little girl who can't speak did a superb act as well, also her mother, the DJ.

The movie made me realized, how powerful words and media can be... (^-^). A must-see movie...

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Decent romance that may be worth your time

Pretty good overall!😊 The pacing and plot development is pretty good. Since it's only 24 episodes in total, I am glad things are going quickly in terms of plot. There are some parts where it feels like it's happening quite fast and other times where it's a bit draggy. There is a plot twist at the end (last two episodes) but it didn't really feel like it. There wasn't much suspense leading up to it, so I didn't feel the shock of the twist. It was more like "oh... okay." But the ending was happy and rather touching at a point.

Besides, the romance aspect is worth the watch. A light romance with good humor. I find myself breaking into a smile because of some of the scenes/dialogue. To add, the OST is beautiful and the main cast is not dubbed!! ❤

The female lead has great chemistry with both male actors and plays the two roles quite well that I can differentiate between the two. I've never watched her before but she's good (not awkward at all). She is especially good at the emotional/tense scenes cause you can see the emotions in her eyes. I already ship her with Chen Mo as Xiao Mu. 💕Their scenes are so cute and comedic. I find myself laughing/smiling unconsciously. The actor who plays Chen Mo is a bit stiff at times with his facial expressions and body language but he's still decent. So, I would definitely say the FL is carrying the drama compared to the rest of the cast.

The writer tried to add some angst when the lead couple had a conflict but it didn't really land. The mood felt kind of forced. I honestly like them better when they are being funny and bantering with another. And then the writer also attempted to put conflict between the twins, which worked, but the resolution was a bit too rushed for my liking. Meng Gui's sudden 365 in attitude in the last episode was a bit jarring but I'll take it since everyone got a happy ending.

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indeed as the previous comment said , it is a must to watch drama. When I started to watch , it was just of boredom who knew that I will get this addicted ( one episode after another until I finished season 1 ) .   FYI I am a fan of vampire stories , here in the description it didn't say anything at all although it contains it . Until now I don't know why did I like it this much , I have no Idea . The plot is filled with multiple genres ( comedy , adventure , fantasy , romance , supernatural ) and the story is well established although it is divided into 3 missions but it was smoothly connected  in a way that makes u want to watch what happens next .

The acting as was superb starting with :
Ma Ke : no word an describe him , where was I from this actor , he is incredible and very handsome . He is the most attractive vampire my eyes ever seen
Ye Yin : her energetic character was well protrayed , she was great ( funny , straightforward ) .. what I liked the most about her the idioms she used and the supporting words she gave to the other character I truly fell for it
Si Yin : can't describe his character exactly ., he had many incarnation , but his ability to apply all of them is amazing

the opening and the ending music was out of the world truly amazing and addicting
probbably 100% I will watch it again
so after all of this I hope u r convinced to watch , it wont disappoint  u  . thx for reading

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The Shades of Justice

In this gripping thriller, we delve into a world where the boundaries of justice are not clearly defined. The story revolves around a young servant who masterminds a heinous crime, leading to the murder of his master's entire family, heirs, and servants. With their wealth in his hands, he vanishes for years, only to be confronted by justice two decades later. This short drama, spanning just 12 episodes, is a rollercoaster of enigmas, mysteries, ironies, suspense, and dark humor.

Constable Qu Sangeng, portrayed by Bai Yu Fan, embarks on a harrowing journey to uncover the gruesome murder of his beloved superior, whom he regarded as a father figure. Soon, a string of similar murders emerges, all pointing to a common culprit. Qu Sangeng must untangle the web of connections between the victims and decipher the motive. The trail leads back to an incident that occurred two decades ago at the Lu mansion, which was razed to the ground, claiming the lives of most of its occupants. Only Lu Zhi, played by Yu Yao, and a handful of others managed to escape.

As the narrative unfolds, viewers will empathize with Lu Zhi, understanding the circumstances that drove him to commit these atrocities. As a clever adolescent, Lu Zhi believed he had executed the perfect crime, unaware that someone held knowledge of his dark secret. This mysterious individual resurfaces two decades later to exact vengeance on those responsible.

While Lu Zhi's story is the genesis of these events and the serial killer's vendetta sets Constable Qu Sangeng on his quest for justice, they are not the central characters. The focus of the story shifts to Qu Sangeng and his decision to prioritize justice over personal vengeance, as well as Song Chen's struggles, portrayed by Ning Li. Both the adult Lu Zhi and the serial killer make only hidden or fleeting appearances as the story progresses.

Every character seems to harbor a motive and arouse suspicion. As the present-day plot unfolds and investigators attempt to piece together a complex puzzle, flashbacks shed light on the events from two decades ago. While the drama hints at hidden and illicit affairs, there is no central romantic subplot, reflecting the societal norms of the era.

Without good translations, some viewers may find this drama hard to understand as it is laden with riddles from verses and poems by the ancient sages. Even those well-versed in Mandarin and written Chinese may find themselves struggling with certain scenes and story elements, as the narrative moves swiftly and some details remain unexplained, catering to a more discerning audience. Rewatching becomes essential not for cherishing particular moments or characters but to gain a deeper comprehension and capture the subtleties that might have been missed.

My Verdict

This thriller is an adrenaline-pumping ride, offering a captivating storytelling format, top-notch direction, and commendable performances, with Yu Yao's portrayal of the juvenile Lu Zhi and Ning Li's portrayal of Song Chen standing out the most.

What makes this drama truly striking is its realism, even in today's world, in depicting the complex backdrop of wealth and power. Characters like Lu Yuan Bao, portrayed by Zhang Xi Lin, who transformed from a bandit to a wealthy and influential figure, highlight the murky waters of power dynamics. The story also portrays corrupt government officials who can be easily swayed, and the wealthy who, despite their outward respectability, remain to be despicable and thuggish. The concept of justice is portrayed in shades of gray, demonstrating that what one person sees as justice may be viewed as injustice from another's perspective. This theme resonates with the contemporary geopolitical landscape. For Qu Sangeng, choosing justice over personal vengeance is a wise choice given his superior's role in his father's death which he remains unaware of.

Great watch!

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Initially the drama created so much interest and curiosity regarding the Ian's death. I really like the first two episodes of the drama. But midway in completing it, I lost interest in the present scenes. All I cared about to know the murderer of Ian. But after 20-21 episodes the plot seems predictable and even when the 5-6 episodes left you can tell the murderer of Ian.
Still, I completed it. I think it's a one-time watch drama. It's good, I can't say it's bad, but it could be better by creating some more suspense.
And, I also agree that the ending was so much rushed. It seems like from last 4-6 episodes the evidence start coming, and some of them are from nowhere. You will shock that for all the time the evidence was in front of the people, but all they do is laying fingers on each other.

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Best Bromance (NON BL) drama since killer and healer and word of Honor

This drama is all about Male friendship between the two male leads,, the romance with the female lead is subtle and not overly exaggerated,, it's friendship and youth struggles in life
I loved loved the friendship
to have that long lost friend finds you and protect you from your own self that's friendship goals
one of the two friends is desperate to carry his grandmother's responsibility in a young age and she's sick most of the time
he endured everything on his own for his only family, his grandmother until his childhood friend found him again and began pursuing him to connect again and to live his young age properly
of course, the young man has a lot of responsibilities towards earning money for a living and taking care of his ailing granny
but his friend and his new girlfriend of sorts didn't leave his side,, they did everything possible to help him take care of his granny and also get him to feel happy and wanted again
it's really emotional story and really amazing sweet friendship you can't miss
I felt happy watching this drama and feeling all these amazing feelings of love without cause or sexual intent
pure innocent strong love
I really recommend it

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Tooth-Decaying Chemistry!

This was an adorable drama. I’m usually not a fan of modern c-dramas (more of the historical type), so I was instantly hooked when I found out that Mr. Bad had a dual-plot (that is, one with historical and modern elements)! The drama was light and refreshing. There were no unnecessary love triangles or crazy misunderstandings. Sure, it did follow some cliches, but these cliches were executed fairly well. And unsurprisingly, that was only made possible by the leads chemistry.

Lord. This has to be the first and only drama where the casting team struck gold with their choices. Chen Zheyuan and Shen Yue, although an unexpected duo, completely swept me off my feet. Their chemistry was undeniable- heck, it practically OOZES off the screen.

However, CZY x SY’s chemistry wasn’t the only thing that had me compelled to watch this show. The characterization for the secondary couple, as well as the other supporting characters, were so tender and enough to make a grown man cry. Characters were well-rounded, adorable, REALISTIC, and the writers even gave us a generous amount of character development for characters that needed them most.

Good things aside, I knocked off half a point because kiss scenes could’ve been improved, since they looked rather sloppy (?), and the ending could’ve been.. how do I say this.. some things could’ve been a bit different.

All in all, the drama was incredible, and I would highly encourage anyone who’s a fan of rom-coms (or if you aren’t, like I am, but who fell in love with the genre again after watching this) to watch this drama! Don’t let the low rating (8.1.. REALLY?) discourage you from watching it. I’d say give it a chance!

Just a side note, but truthfully speaking, I really can’t watch any other dramas where CZY or SY are paired with other love interests anymore. I miss them so much TT

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