Reviews

I just finished watching this. This was my first Japanese historical drama. I'm not good at writing reviews so I usually don't even write them. However this time I decided to write something.

I watched it because of my favorite actress Nakama Yukie. I've seen her acting very different characters; high school student, high school teacher, Sadako, clumsy police, woman with multiple personality, silly yet lovable reporter and her character in Utsukushii Rinjin whom I have no words... So I was tempted to see her acting in this one too.

Second reason why I watched this was Gackt. I loved his creepy yet attractive character with long tongue. If you're curious what he does with the tongue watch the drama.

I was amazed by the drama. I'm glad it wasn't super long. Otherwise I would've ended up dropping it...

The music was very good and now I feel like I know something about Okinawa's history.

The acting was good but from some new actors it wasn't as good but I still liked it.

Okay I have no idea what I'm babbling about. I liked the drama and that's all. I think this is a drama no one should miss.

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A Wild Goose Chase w/an anti-climactic ending

I fully understand this production had lack of funding and I watched it only because of Wang Yibo. It was a comedy but it lacked a lot. The ending was stitched together like a bad rag doll. Yibo's character getting constantly beat up was hard to watch. It should have been renamed "Where's My Notebook?" There were a lot of plot holes that never got filled, like why did the teacher cooperate with the ultimate bad guy? Or how did the fat guy and Lexi end up with powers? The ending was very haphazard and random. For one of Yibo's first series, I'd say it was a good start and his acting was the only thing that I admired. I won't rewatch it but I look forward to seeing his future works.

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Love story in warlords-time Manchuria

First, let's clear away some misunderstandings. The story is not about a "last princess" or even a "fallen" noblewoman. It is about a couple of characters who fight for their own visions and aspirations, and who are somewhat fated to be together, despite hurdles and threats to their life.

I was quite satisfied by this drama, despite the sometimes-abrupt editing, which makes suspect parts are missing. But this is understandable since the history of this drama also was not really smooth. As some previous commenters pointed out, it was an adaptation of a novel and in the very long time since it was shot, it got reduced from 50 to 38 episodes, more or less put aside for almost three years, and finally released with little fanfare. Original title is Bu Yun Qu , 步雲衢 (Bù yún qú, which may translate as Crossroads under piling clouds). The original novel was not available to me.

Warning: this is a long review, with History reminders for those unfamiliar with the period. Those who are may of course skip these details.

"The Last Princess" is a historical romance drama set around 1911-1932 from the fall of the Qing dynasty until the end of the warlords’ period and the establishment of the Manchukuo puppet regime in 1931. Despite the grittiness of that Republican era period, it is often the theater for “romantic” movies and dramas using the models of real historical figures, while depicting imaginary characters who might remind of the adventurous ones from Alexander Dumas novels of the 19th century. So, this one is also not a docu-drama, but an imaginary “romantic” story using impressions of some historical characters and events.
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To start, some reminders about Chinese “Republican era “timeline and places may be useful:

* The Qing empire fell in October 1911. A provisional government was established in Nanjing the following year under Sun Yat-sen, who had returned from his long exile to lead the revolution. But the "southern" revolutionaries were not strong enough to defeat the Beiyang army of Yuan Shikai, in the north, who became the de facto dictator of China after the Xinhai Revolution established the Republic of China in 1912.
* The Warlord Era began in 1916 upon Yuan Shikai's death. It lasted until 1927.
* Two of the most powerful strongmen of the Warlord Era were the "Old Marshal" ZHANG ZUOLIN (warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928) and WU PEIFU in Zhili, known as Hebei province, now. (Today, the C-shaped area of Hebei, surrounding Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, makes up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region bordering the Bohai sea, the Shandong peninsula to the south and the Dongbei north-east region to the north, which borders with the Changbai mountains and the Korean peninsula).
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The drama focuses on the story of a couple, who struggle to fulfill their dreams despite many oppositions

FL character Yurong may appear cold in the beginning, but she does not waver in her sentimental attachment once it is formed, although at times to the point of unreasonable clinging, while also being at times too eager to distance herself from her dangerous warlord. She manages not to appear too unbelievable despite her ever-impeccable hairdo and manicured nails, But her sacrifices for the “public good” are exaggerated and make her stand out sometimes irritatingly as a rigid and stubborn would-be martyr. But not as whiny and childish as another female character (the very irritating Jiaojiao).
28-year-old Rain Wang Herun王鹤润 (who played Yurong) has been acting in many dramas since 2017, including as FL in one (2019 Yanxi Palace: Princess adventures, a Yanxi Palace spinoff)), where she portrayed a determined Qing dynasty princess contending with palace intrigue and a vendetta against her family, while navigating the treacherous terrain of romance. Her portrayal of the conflicted Yurong is adequate. The former princess attempts to become an independent modern woman putting action before passion, sometimes recklessly and clumsily, while she at first remains bound by remnants of old-time family loyalty.

ML character Zhao Zhengnan ( played by 38-year-old singer and actor Ryan Zhang He张赫, who seems blessed with never aging physique) is both handsome and determined: a soldier intent on putting the state before his personal feelings, but still doing his best to protect his love whom he puts before his own life. He manages to reel Yurong in and contain her excesses several times, despite many heartaches.
This was my first time watching a drama featuring this actor born 1984 in Shenyang. A graduate of Shenyang Conservatory of Music, majoring in opera, he is also a singer, but does not sing in this drama. He made his acting debut in the 2009 film “Perfect Bride” and has since taken part in 7 movies and 19 dramas, of which 2 are upcoming. Among these, he was playing, together with Hu Yitian, the role of a war pilot in “Defying the Storm” (a drama set in the period from 1937, when Chinese air force was still in its infancy and relying on foreign planes, sometimes complete with foreign pilots, such as the famous Flying Tigers, an U.S. volunteer squad which operated 1941-1942). I was favorably impressed by his Zhengnan and may look up more of his work.

Special mention to Tao Yi Xi who plays Yurong in the first half of the first episode. She often plays child or support roles since 2013, but we don't know much more about her. She does stand out here, with her kitten!

Each character in The Last Princess represents a part of the turbulent History.

As the descendants of prince Chun did in actual History, the child “gege” (title of a Manchu princess) Yurong decided to cast aside her Aisin-gioro name linking her to the imperial clan, adopting the name Jin (金)instead. (The real-life descendants of prince Chun did the same and lived to become valued professionals and even civil servants in the PRC). From childhood already Yurong set forth to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor to “help people”. She thus represents the New Women in the beginning of the 20th century.

Yurong was an idealist and stubborn young lady. But at first, she was saddled with a cumbersome family member in the person of Guri Bude, a feckless Manchu cousin to whom she had been betrothed in infancy. She never agreed to fully accept the arranged marriage, living instead as a student housemate or sister, in their Tianjin house near the university where she studied medicine. She was concerned about his numerous weaknesses but without more than a sense of family loyalty to him.
He knew she had a crush on a boy briefly met in her childhood, who might be in Tianjin, but Guri Bude failed to evaluate the importance of this. Guri Bude (played by Zheng Xiaodong) represents the clueless and weak people of the previous regime, who could not defend their spouses, their country or themselves, dreamed of restoration of the Qing empire, but only failed miserably and fell prey to a greedy woman and to opium, the evil drug that led to the downfall of the Qing and invasion of China by foreign powers.

This greedy woman, Baoxi (played by Ke Nai Yu), belonged to the antagonist Wu warlord clan, vying for control of mines and land in Manchuria. The Wu family represents the factions who, in Zhili (present-day Hebei) sided with government only for their own gain, with no sense of honor or of country. Their son Wu Pei (played by "Sean Zhang"/Zhang Liang) was a vicious murderer, ready to kill even his helpers and sell-out to the Japanese who would soon launch a full-fledged invasion after killing the main opponent to their schemes: the Zhao warlord of Manchuria. These were the traitors to the country.

On the other hand, the Zhao warlord was, if not exemplary, at least more likeable, and patriotic. The old marshal cared enough for his son Zhao Zhengnan, main protagonist, that he accepted to cancel another infant betrothal, so Zhengnan might marry his one and only flame. This despite having to forego the direly needed money from the Sheng tycoon family, and make an enemy of Sheng JiaoJiao (played by Chen Meng Qin), the rejected bride-to-be. She would never accept the situation and go to extraordinary lengths to “re-capture” her obsessive life-long interest, Zhengnan.
Meanwhile, beset by lack of funds, the Zhao clan struggled to keep their hold on Fengtian and its rich mining resources. (Fengtian was the name at the time of present-day Shenyang city, and of the province, known today as Liaoning province); another important Manchu name for Shenyang was Mukden, but the drama avoids referring to the game changing Mukden incident of 18 September 1931. It features instead the assassination of the warlord of Manchuria (loosely modeled on real-life Zhang Zuolin, who was murdered by Japanese agents on June4, 1928).

In "The Last Princess", Ryan Zhang /Zhang He plays the role of “Young Marshal” Zhao Zhengnan, loosely based on the historical ZHANG XUELIANG (1901-2001), the so-called "Young Marshal" who became both warlord of Manchuria and head of the Beiyang Government after the death of his father.

The constant power struggle, sometimes armed, between factions in Beijing (Nanjing was official capital in that period) is depicted in this drama. The Beiyang government was changeable and unstable: it had seven different heads of state and more than two dozen different ministries between 1916 and 1928 when China was partly reunified under the Nationalist banner. Foreign influence was important, as despite the capital being in Nanjing, foreign countries also recognized the Beiyang government, pressing it for advantages such as land deals and railroad building and operating. In the decade following 1928, Japanese aggression increased on the coast of Manchuria, which was gradually abandoned by the Guomindang Nationalists. The GMD was more concerned about eliminating their political rivals : the Gongchandang Communist party, following the doctrine of先安内, 后攘外 "first internal pacification, then external resistance" (=getting rid of communists, before fighting the Japanese).

I did not skip any part and was not bored. I will not go into too many details, but here's a bird's-eye view: Zooming to end after many twists and turns, after separations and reunions in cities, on railroads, in hospitals, and in the wild Changbai mountains close to Korea, with bandits! Happy end for the pair, although Jiaojiao got a frightful end, but she was so stupid anyway, that it was a wonder she still was around, and what did she mean, bragging to very end about all the dirt she had on people armed with guns? She really was asking for what she got.

Of course, Manchuria was not yet liberated at end of drama, but the survivors were envisioning peaceful futures. We were spared from gritty depictions of death camps; instead, the cell that held our GCD heroes was surprisingly airy and clean, and I was looking at those handcuffs which slender-wrist Yurong easily could have slid off, and her impeccable clean hairdo with the pearled hair tie... Mmmm looking good till the end! Fingernails always clean and well manicured. THE pin-up heroine! Only found in c-dramas.

Zhengnan also looked dashing in his military uniform, even grazed by bullets that mowed everyone except him. But of course, he still needed to be persuaded to join the Party since this was PRC produced.
(In reality, historical model Zhang Xueliang did not join it, just as he never married a Manchu princess of House Aisin-Gioro, nor a doctor or nurse, for that matter; his real-life personal story was quite eventful, but he was far from a romantic, very different from the Last Princess drama.)

All considered, it was a satisfying melodrama with a handsome cast and mostly OK acting, which I did not regret watching. Since it followed at least more or less the timeline and some features of the Zhang Xueliang historical model, it made me read more to accompany my watching, and I liked the incentive to dig deeper, including watching some documentaries and listening to some period songs, both famous romantic songs by singers like Li Xianglan, the “Liaoning nightingale” (1920-2014) and other ones. These are not featured in the drama, but the OST is soothing and pleasing, and the music is not overshadowing dialogues.
The most memorable song is the one featured on episode end credits: At a glance - 一眼之间 Yīyǎn zhī jiān (Zǐ Zhú 紫竹).
While looking at end credits, I also noticed that there was a musical cooperation with Thailand, including instrumental music directed by well-known Somtow Sucharitkul who is both a gifted writer of horror and science fiction, and a composer (he composed five symphonies and a ballet, a “Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11,” "commissioned by the government of Thailand and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and T. S. Eliot. ").

You can watch the drama and listen to the complete OST on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2b2Z8Kvi8&t=15s.

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Started out great than lost its way

The plot had so much potential and I was immersed into the story until the 12th episode where things started to get boring and some answer weren't given

The good:
- For a show about a time loop the story was surprisingly moving at a steady pace and things kept happening.
- The acting was good

The bad:
- The reason was underwhelming, I would understand if the creep was in the bus but that wasn't the case
- the girls action didn't make sense, why didn't she get off when the bus stopped in an actual station instead of the highway, and I'm supposed to believe that a girl timide enough to stay silent while being molested would then cause a scene to get off the bus
- The scenes of the police suspecting them for giving them informations was interesting the 1st time but it got old really fast.
- I hate how now shows don't even bother explaining why they are in a time loop of time travel. I know it's a genre but a little throw away line would've been enough, unless I missed it.

It was a fun ride overall but the conclusion was weak, could've been better.

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Hook ups, throw ups, fuck ups, hiccups...

Only friends does not really have much of a story at least not the first few episodes as there will be people touching each others genitals in pretty much every single scene making me wonder 1. did they use protection and 2. how durable are the skin and muscles of youth down below...

Pretty much every single one of the men in this is despicable at one point or another with the exception of the bartender who just had to little screen time to be so...

Only friends can apparently do a whole lot of shit making me wonder if these people really are friends forget the only, I would settle for acquaintances at some point, s this is probably the loneliest bunch of friends I have seen in all of Dramalad.

The main characters;
Sand- Smile to die for is shown to be this kind of saint but deep down we kind of know this guy is disloyal and can easiely throw his friend under a buss... He is however a good influence on some and has the best t-shirts.

Ray- Boy is crying for help so loudly... he does give up some psychopath vibes and I keep on going between wanna hug the guy and wanting to put him behind bars...

Top- Man is good looking, the ultimate bad boy you want to tame and make go good... but for the life of me I do not get what he sees in Mew... badboy desrservs better

Mew- I really do not get the guy, selfish annoying, fake... Psychopath... yes he has a nice smile but that is where the guys character ends. Why can't this actor get better parts?

Boston- Dude is crying for help... I hate him I love him I hate him again... I have had issues with Neos acting but honestly this time he nailed his character and did a great job.

Nick- One pretty huge mistake but after that I think Mark finally made my crush-list the most charming of the bunch...

Bowing- I have no words... dude needs to get some help...

Actually the whole bunch could use some help....

That said it was an entertaining watch, it completely lacked substance (unless you count saliva as substance), but it was indeed entertaining and filled a whole yers quota of watching people hook up!

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A gem I picked up on the journey

I originally wasn’t familiar with this drama, nor had it been on my watchlist for the longest time. One fine day, I accidentally clicked on the ad when I launched my iQIYI app, and now here I am, writing this review after spending the entire night sorting out my thoughts after finished watching. It was quite the rollercoaster ride with this one. It felt like so much was happening simultaneously, and simply judging this drama as good or bad doesn’t quite capture its essence.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the journey. Here’s why:
The characters. While a few lack depth, the main characters served their purpose beautifully until the end. Wei Zhao, the poor guy who lost his parents and ran away from home with his sister, fought relentlessly for his family and his tribe. I’m not trying to ignore the bad deeds he committed, but he never wavered from his goal and was always clear about his intentions. Then there’s the happy-go-lucky girl, Jiang Ci. She found herself on the wrong tree at the wrong time, but somehow encountered the right person. Some may argue that Jiang Ci was foolish for caring about Wei Zhao and her Master the way she did, but it aligned perfectly with her personality. She also balanced the resolute and stern Wei Zhao with her own playfulness. And there's also the lovesick puppy, Pei Yan. Bro experienced love for the first time and lost himself for a moment—which honestly frustrated me. I’m glad he finally came to his senses and realized that forcing a marriage was never a good idea to begin with.

However, when it comes to characters like the Emperor, the Master, and Madam Rong, the writing was largely subpar. These characters seem completely disconnected from reality. It feels like there isn’t enough rationale behind their despicable actions. While it's true that the Emperor didn’t physically murder his brother, he undeniably played a significant role in pushing him to his death. The Master, on the other hand, was a source of frustration for me about 80% of the time she appeared on screen. For someone who is "supposed" to be an assassin, it’s baffling how she’s managed to survive this long given her sheer stupidity. As for Madam Rong, her character arc felt mired in petty grievances from two decades ago that she simply can’t seem to move past.

Another reason I enjoyed watching this drama is the acting. The actors and actresses did an outstanding job. Even with zero physical contact (yes, no kissing scenes) between Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci throughout all 40 episodes, their relationship still feels incredibly romantic. You can argue with the wall on this one, but the way they look at each other, their shared hugs, and the mutual pining are off the charts. Truly, you don’t need toe-curling kissing scenes to define a romance, do you? 😋

And, if we're discussing the ending, it would be a blatant lie to say I’m not the slightest bit sad or disappointed with how the story unfolded. However, upon reflection, Wei Zhao was doing what he believed was best for everyone involved. He single-handedly took the blame for the Emperor's death. If he had survived, there would still be people in the palace trying to pin the blame on him, which would only implicate his tribe further.

Well, I also couldn't stop myself from sobbing as I watched Wei Zhao prepare the 'gift' for Jiang Ci. Deep down, he knew he was embarking on a suicide mission, and there was no turning back for him. He was painfully aware of how slim his chances of surviving the poison were. And the way he decorated the house, incorporating the little details that Jiang Ci had shared during their time together, just made it all the more heartbreaking.

All in all, I’m really glad I stumbled upon this drama. While there were aspects I wasn't entirely satisfied with, it didn’t diminish my overall viewing experience. This drama has easily earned a spot on my favorites list.

And oh, extra credit goes to Wei Zhao's velvety robe when he entered the slave arena. That attire was pure elegance. He strutted in with such flair, fully confident that he would come out alive. 🥳

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Steamy Fun, Zero Plot, All Chemistry!

Wow 😳 First time I’ve seen a BL series with intense NC in every episode. Honestly, the creativity every week had me eagerly waiting for the next drop! 🔥 Who doesn’t love a little heat mixed with their drama? 😏

What plot? 😂 After 12 weeks, we still don’t even know what the characters actually do at the office. Are they working, or are they just... distracted by their growing feelings? 😂 Just a bunch of horny workers navigating their emotions, and honestly, I’m here for it. Sometimes you don’t need a deep plot to enjoy something—this series is so silly in the best way. I laughed and cringed at the same time, loving every moment. 🙌

The dynamic between Jun (the mischievous intern) and Sorn (the serious, no-nonsense guy) is pure chaos in the best way. Jun’s pranks? Iconic. Sorn’s reactions? Hilarious. The slow-burn tension between them? Unbeatable. 💖

Episode 1 - The outdoor handjob scene in the first episode? So intense and full of chemistry—it was a perfect start to a wild ride. 😳🔥

Episode 2 - first ten minutes blew everything out of the water — the heat was absolutely palpable. Jun sliding onto Sorn’s lap, the teasing lip kiss, the slow-burning music, and the pink and purple haze created a scene dripping with seduction. It delivered one of the most electrifying and provocative kisses I’ve seen in a long time. Jun’s innocent belief that Sorn was merely “teaching” him how to kiss made the moment even more sinful, especially with Sorn savoring every second with unmistakable hunger. The first ten minutes of Episode 2 didn’t just maintain the tension — it turned it into a smoldering fire. The plot might be wild and utterly ridiculous, but honestly, I’m completely addicted.

Episode 6 - After watching Episode 6, one thing’s clear: Jun is not innocent. At all. 😈
First, the couch scene — he could’ve sat anywhere, yet he deliberately chose to sit right in front of Sorn, between his legs. The tension? Palpable. That wasn’t just casual — that was silent seduction. 🛋👀
Second, the infamous banana car scene 🍌🚗 —
These were his actual lines:

Jun:
“Want my banana?”
“It’s a big one though.” 😏
“Perfect in my hand.”
“Big, juicy bite.” 👅

Then, without missing a beat, he peels the banana slowly… locks eyes with Sorn… and takes a long, deliberate bite. 🔥

Sorn:
“Can’t you eat like a normal person?” 😵‍💫
Let’s be honest — Jun knows exactly what he’s doing.
He’s not innocent — he’s dangerously seductive, and he’s loving every second of it.

Will it win awards for intricate storytelling? Probably not. But did it give me 12 weeks of pure entertainment and laughs? Absolutely! And I will always come back here to re watch all the NC scenes.

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Stunningly Acted and Shot Film

Egoist is in one word, heart-wrenching. It will pull at your heart strings and really reminds you how harsh reality can be but at the same time, it shows us how beautiful love can pull us from the depths of darkness. The acting from both Hio Miyazawa and Ryohei Suzuki is truly commendable. They gave their heart and soul into portraying these characters. Hio especially shone in this role, he was radiant, charming and beautifully vulnerable (definitely deserved those awards). The subtle gestures, tone of voice and the eyes really make their relationship believable and so poignant. Everything is said through action, not just words. The chemistry is also very palpable and incredibly shown on screen, especially in those love making scenes. But in the end, does Ryohei’s character stop being an egoist, is he purely motivated by self interest or something else? (That’s the real underlying question) Even after the man he loved passed. It’s showcasing the need to be needed, to push your ideals onto an individual to perhaps make yourself feel wanted or to feel better. So are his actions truly altruistic? Overall, a thoughtfully melancholic and moving film about loss, acceptance and the human condition.

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Enigma is real

where do I get the words to even describe this show like only 2 eps and soo much happened and everything seems sooo real , i really get scared
the acting IS PHENOMENAL LIKE NO DOUBTS EVER ON THIS win prim and Evey other person realated to this show has. done soo perfect .
I really hoped it has more eps then 4 😭😭 love them sooo much .
believing that black magic actually exsists it's just wow 😮 never thought gmm could give us something like this
the latest ep blew my mind that how the ameture ghost tricked them into thinking the curse is simple but actually she is a Daredevil
win looks sooo hot with the tattoos i really can't wait for other 2 eps 😭

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Everyone Needs a bit of Sexy in their Lives

How to begin this review? This drama wasn't on my radar at all until I saw the trailer and it stopped me in my tracks. Was this c-ent's version of 50 Shades? How were they going to make this possible? I was extremely curious; I'm totally unfamiliar with the entire cast save for the actor of Mr. Han who I saw last year in The Story of Xing Fu. Everything about this drama from the trailers gave off a totally different vibe than what I've previously seen in c-dramas. And for real, everyone does need a bit of sexy in their lives.

Pros: The Bohemian vibe, the rich color palette of the locations, just gave the series this extra richness and made every scene extremely alive as it awakened the senses to exotic surroundings and vibes. I never cared about the age gap as that's what the story is about and how the characters overcome to develop their own love story. The music was probably my favorite part of the series and that says something as usually OSTs are ok or good but not to the point where you want to hear them on repeat. Jerry Yan obviously has a very long and impressive résumé in both acting and music, here he knew when to be aloof, almost wooden and when to let his walls crumble and be taken over by emotion. The little nuisances that could be missed sometimes but were very important to viewers like the significance of the painting and the fact that he started out with a copy and ended up with the real thing.

I didn't understand the FL at first when she bailed on him twice when she started to relapse. In her mind, though she was sharp as a tack, she didn't want him to see her sick. She wanted him to see her happy and healthy. Though I don't understand the logic in it but I'll speak about it below. In her mind, she wanted to not present as weak for better or for worse. Because they focused so much on flowers, paintings, and animals; I'll use the latter as an example. Both cats and dogs do this, when they know they are in the last stages of their lives, they tend to leave their homes and owners, they just want to go on their own quietly. Of course as humans, we want to be there for them and say a proper goodbye. So in that sense, HR was like a cat running away so her human could remember her in her prime, while not really considering or understanding the human's or XH's need to be with her, nurture, and take care of her even when he had no idea what was going on. That's the best way I could describe how I felt about the two sets of breakups. Also though she broke up with him the second time, she still was ridiculously jealous of him even talking to another woman, which showed her internal tug of war with whether to tell him the truth or just keep pushing him away. Thankfully he solved that one for her.

The last two episodes, I think were very beautifully done. Though he had to put the puzzle pieces together himself and we don't actually know how much time passed between the gorgeous wedding he gave her in his hometown and her passing away in his arms in the snow. I'd like to think they had sometime together to live in between. I love how the mom smartened up and gave her blessing and finally just let go. The extra scene after the ending credits I think was his dream where they always meet in that field of his favorite flowers in front of the building he proposed in; it's forever their very special place. I know many people cried but to me death is just the next step that a soul takes in order to return home. And most importantly, she's now pain free and can come to XH in his dreams in the best of health. She's waiting for him now instead as before it was the opposite.

Their chemistry, for me didn't start right away. Though he claimed he already had feelings for her when they met, I didn't feel anything for real until their first intimate scene in Ep. 9. Even after, all the scenes, cut or not, I have to say that real love and the feeling of it came with the cut scene in 17 when he says the words. They cared for each other and the make out sessions were well placed, but it wasn't until he uttered the words himself that I understood, that he understood it himself. I put this in the pros instead of cons because I felt prior to that, it was more on a physical level of things; nothing wrong with that. And I liked the development of his understanding of his own feelings as it builds his character.

Other characters I liked were Mr. Han, Fatty, the hotel chick that was related to SML, I really liked SML, even HR's roommates. Not one person in the entire series made it an issue of the leads many differences and that was beyond refreshing. C-dramas are known to always point out differences like they're the plague and then create an entire show around how everyone has to learn to grow and accept them instead of just being like "yeah, so what?"

Cons: The secondary couple, they were definitely more of a filler as I never really felt from mom the same passion or longing as from SML. It seemed like he put all the effort into the relationship which even didn't quite feel completed at the end. Were they really necessary? This show didn't need to turn the original into an older woman/younger man thing just because that's a trope very frequently used. Should have left well enough alone.

Even though mom explained she suffered from insomnia and anxiety, her symptoms present as PTSD that induces the other two. I wish they explained that more as to the reason she was essentially the jailer of her own daughter in the beginning of the series. As someone who suffers from all three but for different reasons, if you're going to go with the diagnosis, at least do the proper research on it because what she was actually experiencing was totally different from her explanations. You've already got Leukemia in the picture, which I'm unsure they researched properly either, might as well be as realistic as possible.

I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the FL in the beginning at all, though she pursued ML like to the point of almost stalking, she didn't even act 20 but more like a high schooler; the baby voice at times, pouting in others, the way she walked and the things she said, just didn't jive with this very smart woman we saw as the show progressed. I really wish this was one trope they could permanently get rid of in c-dramas.

Why was the character of Han Yu even there? That dude lived in his own world literally until the last episode. It was quite funny that even his uncle was like "I don't like him" because he was this narcissistic, annoying as nails spoiled, delusional brat. I never felt sorry for him, I just wanted him to go away. He added a layer to this series it didn't need. I'd rather have the cut scenes over his entire character.

Personally not a fan of characters hiding health conditions from their loved ones and going as far as breaking up. That second break up, I completely skipped over. Some people may agree and that's fine but I don't because I've got a plethora of health issues, one of which if it would relapse most likely then not lead me to seeing my guardian angels early, I would never keep something like that from someone. While I don't want them to suffer, I would want them to have that choice since I decided to make them a part of my life (this could mean significant other, family, or close friends). The fact that she eradicates that choice for him the second time around given their strong love, is something I do not and cannot agree with.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the sad ending, it's a drama that you would most likely see in the west not in c-drama land. Give it a chance, it deserves it. You're basically watching a work of art so don't just look at the surface details, because inside are where the real flowers bloom.

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THE ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE BL WITH THE PLOT WE ALL WERE SECRETLY DREAMING OF

Let's start with the fact that I highly recommend to watch this drama to all BL fans because it's a gem of 2022 and probably the best BL of this year (sorry, KinnPorsche, I like you so much but this drama turned out even better). I wasn't going to watch Khun Chai because I thought it was a soapy opera without BL plot but just with the gay story (yeah, BL series and gay story are completely different). But I was curious about Film Thanapat who is a famous and popular actor and who had never played in BL before. So I started to watch and fell in love until the last episode!!! I can't explain how badly I waited for each episode, like a crazy! Let me explain why this series is such a masterpiece:
The plot. The most important thing in every series is the story itself! This plot is super interesting and intriguing; there were no boring episodes, none of boring minutes! Characters are well - written, unique and developed. The love story between Tian and Jiu is the story we haven't get for a long time in BL. Enough slow-burn, drama, sweet moments.. It looks like real love! Healthy love between two non-school boys, not students, it's so rare to have two grown up characters (even though they are about 21 y.o according to the plot). But this love is wonderful. It is risky, sweet, dangerous but still the purest love I've ever seen. We didn't have historical BLs before and this one is the first so we can see about forbidden relationships of two men in 1940, BUT it's not a tragedic tragedy! This is love which can stand any problems and survive. There is a great combination of the love story and plot. Jam and Film now is one of my favourite couples, their chemistry is out of the charts!! For me it's definitely the unique series and I added it to my favourites (which are only 6-7 among 100+ BLs I've watched) Just watch and enjoy the great love story!

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Part endearing part aggravating

The male character is endearing - his zest, drive, and heartfelt portrayal of his character are what lifts the show. Unfortunately, the protracted and frequently boring storyline regarding the actual running of the academy, together with the unprofessional conduct, and competitive behaviours - all take away from the overall charm.
I guess at the end of the day what really was a turn-off was yet another portrayal of an archaic, face-saving, and frequently harmful society. Destroying someone's career on the basis of them dating another adult - well, that doesn't make for compelling storytelling, it just makes one aggravated.
It is a sweet, slow-burn romance that touches the heart. It is also a slow and frequently frustrating watch.

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Holy fistpumping glory, this was even better than I expected it to be. This drama managed to fill 28 episodes with great character development, fantastic action and suspense. I was at the edge of my seat for a lot of it, and even the ending was satisfactory for me.

My Rating: 9.5

In Short: This drama was a really entertaining and suspenseful story of an unconventional hero. I thought after the first few episodes that Kang To was pretty much irredeemable, but the character development and acting was spot on for our complicated hero (and his equally complicated nemesis/bro).

Pros: Joo Won was a revelation in this. He really sold this complicated character and I look forward to seeing him in other things in the future. Also, the 30s is a very interesting era for a historical drama like this. I do not like sageuks very much, but this was right up my alley, with great sets and fabulous fashion.

Cons: Torture. Lots of torture. Some of this was hard to stomach. The female lead was a bit bland at times, but that fit the story well. I was also a bit apprehensive concerning the anti-japanese feel to the drama. Since I am not Korean, I do not carry a grudge against Japan, but I guess it can be compared to Germany in WWII, they sure are portrayed as evil in WWII movies, but I do not consider Germans today to be evil in any way.

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The Midnight ____ in Hagwon

Such an amazing cast let down by a mediocre-at-best script. I went in to this show with rather low expectations considering the relatively low rating, yet I was still left disappointed. It's not all bad, like I enjoyed some scenes with the two leads together when they weren't arguing. But for the most part, the show is just boring and the story tries so hard to make things dramatic to the point that it becomes kind of unrealistic, which is not very good when you're trying to go for a more deep and realistic approach to a romance drama.

The overall tone of the show is supposed to be more mature, with less focus on cliche romance and more focus on genuine people struggling with normal life problems. The vibe is there, but the execution was very poorly done in my opinion. I suppose this was supposed to be more of a slow burn drama, which maybe just isn't my cup of tea, but I felt consistently bored and uninterested throughout the show and had to start watching the episodes on the computer in order to utilize playback speed options to watch at 2x speed. Even then it was kind of a struggle to get through some of the longer episodes. Everything felt rather muted, with long drawn out conversations and actual lectures you have to sit through like your actually in the class. There was one scene that focused on Mr. Pyo's lecture, and I understand it was supposed to be an important scene for his character development, but it just dragged on for so long and was basically just a full on lecture you have to sit through. Most of the school stuff (which is 90% of the show) I felt completed uninterested in, and often found myself tuning out which made it even harder to figure out what was going on later in the show. The show is titled "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon", but there really wasn't much romance. The very little romance we did get was admittingly pretty cute, and I think the two leads are great at acting and did their best with what they had. Most of the show focused on the education drama and the whole conflict with the grey witch or whatever. The chemistry between the leads was good for the most part, although it felt like most of the time the FL saw the ML as an immature kid and treated him as such. This was addressed in the show, but was still there up until the very end.

Some of the dialogue didn't feel very natural. The way that some of the characters talked to each other and interacted didn't seem like the way actual people would interact or have a conversation, which made it even harder to see this as a realistic drama. One of my least favorite episodes, episode 10 (which I'll talk about more later), had a scene between Mr. Pyo and Seo Hye Jin where he informs her that he's quitting, and the entire scene dragged on for what seemed like forever. Most of the dialogue didn't make much sense to me considering I was tuned out most of the time, so I had to sit there through 15+ minutes of Mr. Pyo talking in a very slow, monotonous manner with slight psychopath vibes as the FL sat there with an overly dramatic scared expression like she just saw a ghost.

More on episode 10... this episode was a struggle to get through for me, and I almost dropped the show at this point. As mentioned, the episode starts with the incredibly boring drawn-out scene between Pyo & Hye Jin. Honestly, I know that Pyo had probably some of the most development as a character in this show, but I still found it difficult to like him, so I hated having to sit through an entire episode essentially all about him. I'm not kidding when I say that the entire episode focused on Mr. Pyo. It seemed like every scene with dialogue mentioned his name at some point. This is the same guy that through a fit at the beginning of the show just because Hye Jin was challenging him and I think slapped her (or almost slapped her, I honestly don't remember) in front of everyone. Like, I don't know if you should really be a teacher if you can't even control your anger when someone challenges you, especially when you end up resorting to violence. The writers try to turn his character around, which seemed a little out of the blue considering he was barely in the show since his tantrum, and he wasn't established as a likeable character to begin with. He does sort of redeem himself by the end, even if his character seemingly did a 180 and all of sudden became a main protagonist. The FL frustrated me a lot during this episode, and was honestly kind of frustrating throughout most of the show. She was supposed to have a lot of inner turmoil and conflict with doing the right thing and surviving in her field while trying to educate the students, but most of the time came off as rather stubborn and somewhat arrogant. She spent most of the episode visibly shaken and scared during and after her conversation with Mr. Pyo. I was trying to wrap my head around why she was so terrified like she just witnessed the paranormal, and why she decided to visit the antagonist. She felt responsible for Mr. Pyo quitting and potentially ruining his life as she figured he wouldn't be able to survive elsewhere. This is great and all, but I could honestly care less about Mr. Pyo at this point, and he hasn't done anything likeable to justify her actions in trying to help him, and it definitely doesn't warrant an entire episode dedicated to him and the FL's dramatic shookness over something that seems so trivial. The FL does this multiple times throughout the show, where she'll encounter some form of conflict or setback and she'll act so distraught to the point that she's literally falling to the ground with a blank stare. It seemed a little too overly dramatic in my opinion, and I felt like the stakes with the conflict wasn't nearly serious enough to realistically evoke these reactions.

The FL & ML spend most of their screentime together arguing. The cute moments we do get are cute. The acting during these arguments are really good, but the constant fighting between two characters who are so firm with their beliefs and values made it pretty difficult to sit through. Like full on scenes between the two just yelling at each other trying to convince the other to do things their way, often leading to the FL storming off and the ML having to chase after her and apologize, even if both were being equally stubborn. It really annoyed me when, after the FL's conversation with Mr. Pyo, the ML sat down with her and basically tried to guide her through the situation without even bothering to ask what was really going on and how she felt. This obviously angers the FL and she storms off like usual (without explaining what was really going on to him so they could work it out), only for the ML to have to get lectured by side characters on how to be understanding and a "good boyfriend" so that he can learn his lesson and apologize. This didn't really make a lot of sense when looking at his character up until this point. I feel like his character was already supposed to be mature and understanding enough to be able to realize that that was the wrong approach. I feel like he should have been smart enough to realize these things without having to hear it from someone else? The FL's lack of communication and stubbornness also didn't help a lot of these conflicts with their relationship, and it seemed like she still viewed the ML has a student who needed guidance that only she could provide him.

As for the other characters, Kim Hyun Tak was there but I didn't really feel much for him at all (he was kind of annoying imo). The bad guys are obviously bad guys and do bad things, though I will say that Seo Jung Yeon was pretty good as a villain (albeit poorly written and cliche). The side relationship between Nam Cheong Mi & Choi Sung Gyu was cute but not really necessary. Cheong Mi was a good character, but I felt like she was a little too convenient at times and didn't really have much character development. She spent a lot of time being the "reasonable" one who guides the others during conflict and often showed up when other characters are crying to provide emotional support. I kind of wish they gave some of these scenes to the FL/ML instead to help develop their characters and relationships.

The ending felt very anticlimactic given the build-up throughout the entire show. I'll be honest, I wasn't really following much of the storyline at this point since I was mostly tuned out, so maybe if I was more invested it would have been a better pay off at the end. Many people seem to defend the writing by bringing up how it's supposed to be more realistic and dive deep into the intricacies of toxic education systems, but I'm not sure where the line is between a misunderstood and deep story versus a boring and confusing one. I'm leaning more towards boring, but maybe give it a shot and you might disagree?

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