Reviews

So Far Epic - Updated 12/12/22

Have been awaiting for this drama to finally be released and boy has it not disappointed so far.

Story: so far very intriguing, love the throw backs into how the main characters came to be and I believe they have picked a very unique FL/ML for this drama. The story in itself is modern refreshing and fits the mood I believe for most working class people with Asian parents. So as far as I am concerned thumbs up and I hope they can keep having each episode as exciting as the last. I’ve re-watched latest eps like 2-3 times already. (Completed - as of 12/12), not going to fluff here, the mid section of this series I feel after finishing this does drag a bit. I think this series could of been concluded a little earlier and the extra little romance twists in this mid to end parts of the series felt a little dragged but I understand why this was done to get the audience to feel / cherish what a good relationship can become and after missed opportunities you may not get back what you once had.

Acting: great acting so far from FL/ML, the ML parents are also amazing very fun dialogues and great chemistry so far. ML best friend is crackers fun, hope to see more of him too. (Updated - 12/12), acting throughout series has been constant. The dialogue between all characters has been good, the mid part of series approx from ep 28 - 40 does seem to drag a bit and the acting near the end does become repetitive however it plays well with the characters.

Music: nothing fancy, just dandy....however the main theme is starting to grow on me now after watching the past 10 episodes and some episodes again hehe

Overall: completed this series finally, the main theme of this story is really good, working class people who try to balance career advancement in a competitive world whilst also try to have a sustainable and morally justified relationship. What started to be a simple relationship transaction became something much more. Is it realistic in a sense yes but in a sense no, however as being someone that loves the drama series with also what if possibility in romance this one is really good. Is it worth rewatching for someone who’s has followed this series from the start, yes there is aspects and certain areas that can be like every series. Is this the best romance drama in 2022 in modern setting, no it is not. If you like the ML/FL specifically awesome as they do have great chemistry but for people who are new to the series or cdramas you may find this series starts off with good pace and story and will ? Think about a little drag near the end. The ending is at least a positive one, like many other people that love watching this type of genre it’s very important to know if it’s a Sad/Happy ending. (Hope that’s not a spoiler) lol

Update: 12/12/22 - I am aware some people have explained or have mentioned their thoughts about the series and how negative this series is. This is very subject to opinion however this is my take on it on a subjective level. Like many other series that’s similar to this one or similar in genre, you either like it or you don’t. It’s not for everyone, however I believe if you are a fan of watching (Romance/Comedy/Drama) series's this is one not to be missed. Yes the main actor/actress may have been the ones you originally wanted to see hence you watched this series but I would dare say or can challenge anyone that this has always been a reason to watch any TV series. We are fans of who we like of course we watch what they produce or involved in……..I’m not stating other peoples opinions are wrong I’m just saying for the new/veterans that are watching any cdramas, please watch for yourself and have your own subjective opinion. Don’t just rely on any reviews whether it’s positive or negative.

Thanks to everyone that has liked my review so far, I appreciate the support. Hope to watch more series in the future and update more reviews.

Cheers, ^_^

Shing

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The story was just terrible. Most of the drama was just Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye running from each other then running right back together. It made the character development and story line just implode upon itself. When I first started the drama, I was excited to see Lee Min Ho after watching Boys Over Flowers but I started to hate his character and his acting in The Heirs.

First off, the writer makes Kim Tan seem like a selfish guy who is obsessed with Cha Eun Sang. He keeps swearing to protect her but everyone knows all it does is just make matters worse. His vow to protect her seems to be just a sort of obsessive control he wants to have over her. His acting of being cute at some parts made me cringe even though I wanted to enjoy it because it was just so disgusting for his character. I think his character and acting in Boys Over Flowers was much more pleasant. His character there was written cutely and maturely: Gu Jun Pyo knew when to let go and didn't try to get back with Jan Di within 20 minutes of the same episode.

Secondly, my attention was definitely caught by Kim Woo Bin. I ended up watching the drama for him. He portrays his character pretty well even though his character is very cruel. Many people say his actions can't be justified but if you think about it, he really doesn't know how to express his feelings properly. He's just like a little kid that wants someone's (Cha Eun Sang's) attention so he'll do even mean things to get it. I feel that his means actions toward Eun Sang arise from Eun Sang misunderstanding him. People don't consider the bully being a victim him/herself.

I feel like most of the characters were just thrown in as accessories and suddenly had huge developments within one or two episodes whereas the rest of the screen time is given to Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho to stare at each other. Krystal Jung overacted but I got used to it and later found her and some of the other character parts to be good comedic reliefs from the overly dramatic and boring main couple.

Also, I liked Kim Ji Won's portrayal of the character Rachael. I think she did a really good job and it showed because I thought the character Rachael was very cold and mean.

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JUSTICE WILL NEVER LOSE ITS GLORY IN DARKNESS

Maybe the best quote for us, Mo Du fans that represent the cruel path happened to Justice in the dark, which was abruptly stopped from airing at 2023 and started again at 2025. Because of the best production team and best cast members, best script, best loyal fans, and so many other bests which I can’t mention one by one, Justice in the dark stay strong and finally finished all 30 episodes. Please ignore all haters and negative comments and keep watching it from the start to the end. I am sure you will love it. You will love the actors, the acting, the cast, the music, and everything else. I give it a perfect 10 of 10. And in the near future I will watch it again and again.

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Oh boy, strap yourselves in for this review.

It seems I’m starting to have a type for Cdramas: Modern Woman gets Chucked Into Chinese Ancient Times - A World Full of Hot Men.

Kinda crazy when you think about, imagine diving into your own fanfic (every girl’s dream)

However, this drama was the definition of a mess. On paper, the premise and plot sound interesting (it's what drew me to the show after all) but watching it was a whole other story. There are so many flaws I don't even know where to begin.

The biggest problem in this show is the female lead. Chen Qian Qian is so ditsy, I found myself cringing at her actions 90% of the time. She spends so much time trying to make the story go exactly the way she wrote it in the script. Always trying to play wingman for the male lead and her sister and referencing the original storyline she wrote. All I wanted was for her to finally have an epiphany like ‘Omg, things can go different from the original story!’ What a concept! She wasn't dealing with a Back to the Future situation where she had to fix the past - this is a FANFIC. A story can go in ANY DIRECTION and I wished that she would just go with the flow rather than constantly trying to make things go her way.

I was also surprised how quickly she adapted to feudal life, she literally went from 21st century norms to historical China (or a made up version of it at least) and she was like “oh this is what’s happening, okay”. The only thing that separated her from everybody else in this world was how she kept trying to keep the plot on track. Speaking of, I don't understand her reasoning behind this. She has this idea that by making the story come to its written end, it will just magically plop her right back where she left off in the real world like some bad dream. Where is her logic behind this???

But what I missed from her character is she never has any 'modern' moments. For example, her saying something contemporary only we would understand (but would sound like gibberish to everyone else). I guess what I’m trying to say is: apart from her awareness that she is in a fake world (that she wrote), you wouldn’t even know she was a modern woman. She never has any times where her modern (future) knowledge comes in handy. For e.g. in ‘Moon Lovers’, Hae Soo helped the crown prince who had eczema because she recognised the symptoms and knew what would help his condition. Or Xiao Tan from ‘The Eternal Love’. She made endless modern references, forged a scooter, had a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, did a fun public dance in the street - she was iconic. I guess I just consider it wasted potential for Qian Qian's character.

Speaking of wasted potential, I need to talk about the second female lead: Chu Chu. I was so upset that her character regressed into the typical bitchy second lead (to the extreme I might add). At the beginning of the drama I found it so refreshing for the 2nd FL to be nice! After such a kind sisterly relationship in the beginning, it was such a let down to see it turn sour (especially when a lot of it was related to stealing a man). It hurt to see Chu Chu totally embrace the dark side, she has some major insecurity issues when it comes to Qian Qian.

I should also add, can the writers stay true to what they've written please? This whole time the plot has been centred around which princess will become the Young City Master, the heir to the City Master position. We are led to believe the City Master is the one in control of Huanyuan. But after some major political changes as everything is falling apart, the audience's concept on who controls the city does a full 180. Wasn't the City Master the one who had all the power and made the rules? But apparently the Minister of Defence has the power to instil laws and make political moves as well?? Like, how does a Minister of Defence get to decide on the city’s dress code??

And can we take a look at the logistics of this whole world please. Is EVERYTHING in this world written by Chen Xian Qian? Every character? All the backstory and history? She’s only a scriptwriter, I swear the drama script she wrote wasn’t that detailed. So…does the world just fill in the blanks? Because I don’t understand how this entire world was written by her, yet she knows nothing. For e.g. she wrote traitor Su Zi Ying’s character right? Yet she had no clue how Qian Qian’s character treated him badly when they were kids. How can that be? Did she write that in the script or not? Or what about the gasoline that was discovered under the mines? Total shock to her. How much of this world DID she write? Or is this universe just making its own rules and history? So many questions

Now, onto the couple. We all know that it's practically inevitable for a couple to have one of those forced breakups. Especially the ones that involve telling hurtful lies, secretly for their partner's ‘own good’. What I've always hated about this trope (apart from the obvious) is they can achieve the SAME RESULT by communicating with their partner and saying what needs to happen. Qian Qian could have literally told Han Shuo: "hey can you go to a secret location for the time being? I have a feeling a storm is coming and I want you out of harm’s way." it's THAT simple.

Another thing in regards Han Shuo: his heart condition. I feel like I need to voice the words of Dan Oh: “I have heart disease, why am I coughing?”

Where do I even begin with Han Shuo. Look, I love him a lot and he has many great moments. He is a loyal partner and supports Qian Qian wholeheartedly. His devotion to her is true, I completely acknowledge that. BUT there is something that happened that I feel like everyone forgot about. BIG red flag here.

There is a scene where Qian Qian is under house arrest (under Han Shuo's order) and he tries to sexually assault her. He keeps going until she just bursts into tears, it’s so hard to watch. He stops and you know what he SAYS? “You ruined my mood” yikes, yikes, yikes

And then he comes out of the house to see Mr 2nd lead out who's out in the rain and says “Do Chen Qian Qian’s screams sound nice?” Is it possible for my skin to crawl even further?

(I do know he had his reasons behind it - but even if he wasn't planning on going through with it, does that make it okay??)

I also understand that they eventually heal their broken relationship afterwards, but it was such an impactful scene (in all the wrong ways) that I couldn't forget it.

Another thing about their relationship is how Han Shuo calls himself her husband, but it feels so weird because did they REALLY get married?? They skipped literally every tradition and ceremony and didn’t consummate, so what DID they do to earn their marital status exactly?? And especially considering it was a marriage of kidnapping, does it really count?

(( And did they have their first time in a jail cell of all places? Ouch ))

Okay I should talk about what I did like about the story though so it's not just a review of negativity lol

I loved the idea of these 2 cities which the story is focused around. Xuanhu: where men is the superior sex. And Huanyuan: the other where woman are superior. It’s interesting to see a world where the roles are reversed and the women are in control. I was entranced by the beginning where they showed Huanyuan's social norms and history (where it's a blessing if the baby is a girl and a disappointment if it is a boy. A city where only women could study, have important positions, be soldiers, be the head of the household, etc). There is SO much to unpack with this concept. Unfortunately we only scrape the surface for the majority of the drama and only in the final 3 episodes do we finally get to see Xuanhu city. It's only then when we start to get into some good stuff like gender equality and comparing the two cities. I wish there was more focus on this!!

(And along the way there's a reveal that Han Shuo is Mulan’s son??? Say what? What IS this universe lmao)

Honestly... why do I feel like my favourite thing in Tiger and Rose is the costume department? XD
Chen Qian Qian had the most gorgeous clothes!!! Everybody has exceptional clothing, did all the budget go towards this hahaha

On the whole: the premise for Tiger and Rose was intriguing. However, it needed to be properly executed for it to be a drama worth giving credit to

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Let's go on an adventure.

This show is worth watching. It's about friendship, love, adventure, and most importantly, the meaning of family. A lot of people say that this is a sad ending but to be honest, it's not. It's more so a bittersweet ending.

Spoiler Warning:

It doesn't end with us seeing him dead. The male lead has a terminal illness so obviously he will eventually die. So I guess knowing that is what is leading people to say this had a sad ending. His ending was the best ending one could hope to have given his situation and life circumstances. He was reunited with the people who matter to him in life and was able to accomplish the things he most wanted to. He was also surrounded by a supportive group of people. A lot of people in their last days don't get that. Anyways, that's just my take on things. Don't let the comments or other reviews discourage you from watching this.

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As long as you have dreams achieving them is never late.

Words might never be enough to describe how much I loved this drama, from episode one till the end. There is nothing ordinary about this drama, a heartfelt story, a true MASTERPIECE.
Each episode will touch your heart, it'll make you rethink life decisions, or help you to find a little bit of hope in your life, will make you laugh, cry, get upset about some characters, and then forgive them as you'll get to know them better, I bet any person can find themselves in introduced personages like I often found myself in Chaerok and the battles he faced, I could relate to Eunho as well.
"Navillera" left me hoping that all of us will get a chance at least once in our lives to soar freely, and feel true happiness.

First of all, let me tell you how proud Song Kang makes me feel. He is such a pro. He took ballet lessons for just six months to be able to play Chaerok's role and dance.
Producers of "Navillera" said that while Kang was filming his ballet scenes, all of the staff on set stopped breathing, and they were all drawn into his performance.
And seeing him dance which came about through an enormous amount of practice was a certain shock to me as well. I was so moved by those scenes, all I could think about was how an amazing actor he is. It was majestic! Even though he had body double for the hardest scenes that doesn't belittle his effort in learning how to balance himself, be able to carry the right posture, and do all the moves he had to do by himself. The dedication this man has!

I started this drama mainly for Song Kang since I am a fan of his. I haven't read webtoon so I didn't have any prior expectations. Tho I desperately wanted to see Kang dancing ballet.
Then I saw the trailer and that short video made me cry, so I already knew I had to prepare my tissues.

The story is about 23 years old Lee Charok a ballet dancer who was going through a slump and 70 years old Shim Deokchul who wanted to learn ballet from this young ballet genius. For 12 episodes you will observe how these two get to know each other, go through thick and thin together, how they overcome obstacles on their way, how haraboji starts treating Chaerok as his own grandchild, how they learn more and go towards their individual dreams together.
Navillera reflects on real-life a lot. All the characters are just like some people you might've met in real life, or even know yourself. This drama showed how bittersweet life can be, that even though we suffer on a daily basis with all different causes small happiness still can be found as well.
This drama shows so many aspects of life from different angles. How youngsters suffer to become something in life, and how desperately they try to handle all the hardships that life gives them. How middle-aged people are striving to manage their lives for now must have some shape but unfortunately for some, that's not like it at all.
And lastly, the elders who are expected to have lived life to the fullest now must live for the next generations. As if getting old gives you fewer rights to have dreams and work for them.
Drama gives you so many life lessons throughout the episodes and development of precious characters, shows you that a coin always has two sides, that we shouldn't be quick to judge people, we shall give them time and get to know what's behind them, shows us how just a little bit of warmth and attention can save the day.

Out of all personages I loved Chaerok and Deokchul the most. I loved how their unusual friendship started and how their relationship turned into them becoming like a real family. Loved to watch how haraboji helped Charok to get on his feet again, how he helped this depressed boy, who suffered so much from life, who had nothing left except for a few people around him and Ballet get out from the slump that was holding him back. Also how Chaerok helped Deokchul and the people around him as well. They both supported one another throughout everything. They just stood by each other's side till the end.
Chaerok and Deokchul were each other's reflections. If Chaerok wouldn't overcome his slump, he'd end up like Deokchul who deeply regretted neglecting his own dream.
All the characters we met through the drama had meaning and hope with them, none of them were meaningless or insignificant. They all had their own place, they all had something to say, they all carried their own misfortune and success.

The acting was fascinating, especially in the second half of the drama. Kang did such an amazing job, he really shined brightly and stood out a lot, every time he cries I end up crying double so yeah his individual and Haraboji's scenes had me bawling my eyes out a lot.
Park Inhwan did a great job as well and all the cast members! They made me forget that I was watching a piece of fiction and not a real-life story.

If you are still wondering, rather than give it a try or not, do so! You won't regret it. It's absolutely a must-watch
P.s Don't forget to grab tissues, I cried during all episodes.

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The Story (plus Ending) is Beautiful!

I love the story so much! I would ring Love Alarm's Love Alarm 10x a day!

I love how the story changes from First Love to True Love. It is actually very realistic! These *effing teenagers here* dont understand what is the real essence of love.

And now I wanna explain to all who plans to watch it (you might be spoiled tho) and already watched it on how the story really goes.

It's not that I dont like Sun-oh, he's actually kind of a nice guy, and we can really see he loves Jojo, but you might've forgotten that he took advantage of her because his bestfriend liked her. And continues to break her protective barriers to the point Jojo can't handle it anymore.

If you're a real fan of the show, you should read the manhwa where it contains more details and explains why this happened, why that happened, I absolutely know the drama and manhwa might have different sequences, but bro— they are still under the same writer, still the same characters, still the same story.

So let me tell you that Sun-oh actually admitted that the reason why he chased after Jojo in season 1 is because he knows Hye-young likes her, and wants to steal her away from him. It was also mentioned by their driver that Sun-oh tends to be obsessed with Hye-young's company to the point he doesnt want him to be friends with anybody other than him, even doesn't want to let him save phone numbers other than his!! So that's where Hye-young developed his skills on memorising numbers and being good at math—which led to his future job on being an accountant/stock holder in LA corp. This where comes why Sun-ho decided to tail Jojo, because he is intrigued why his bestfriend likes her so much. So you might wanna throw me your "Hye-young denied that he likes Jojo" card, but you better rewatch LA again and properly read the lines and underlying actions, because it's very clear to me that Sun-oh KNOWS Hye-young— his bestfriend AND somewhat like a brother, likes Jojo.

I know Sun-oh wants to do his best to show all his love to Jojo but how it goes creates a heavy burden to Jojo. She gets all the unwanted and (physically and mentally) painful attention, specially from her cousin Gul-mi.

Remember!!! Jojo doesn't have a very great childhood. A survivor of a family mass suicide—with severe trauma about what happened, bullied by her aunt and cousin, overworked and feeling pressured so that she can pay her grandma's hospital bills and pay her mother's depts, which result to sacrificing her LUNCH MONEY, and forced to eat EXPIRED goods and even results to running laps instead. Blamed by everyone that it is her fault that all bad things is happening, even telling you WHY DID YOU NOT DIE, ( more like telling you to Kill yourself ). Majority of the people watching this show are teenagers, probably because the first season is in a school setting. BUT PLEASE CHECK LOVE ALARM again because it is an 18+ show. (Not all 18+ shows contains sexual content) I've read a comment which they said Jojo is a gold digger, EXCUSE ME??? I bet you're a kid leaving comment hun, grow up first then watch this show again so that you CAN understand what really happened in the story. Jojo is NEVER, and NEVER WILL BE a gold digger. She couldve just asked for a house or a car ot to pay all her mother's depts, but SHE DID NOT. She's even frustrated that Sun-oh paid for her school lunch and other things. Because she doesn't want any help from anybody, BECAUSE she feels and will feel small. And that's actually one of the reason why she was burdened on being in a relationship with Sun-oh and finally installed the shield.

You're blaming Jojo that she broke up with Sun-oh, but you didn't put yourself on her shoes. I bet you didn't even properly follow the story, and just want to watch the fluffs happening between Jojo and Sun-oh, cuz boi-oh-boi this show is not for you.

Hye-young is and will always be the right choice. He is just the perfect fit for Jojo's life and Jojo is just the perfect one for his as well. You all are too focused on Sun-oh's good side and ignored how toxic he became. In real life you will be mad as hell if your bestfriend/like-brother or sister just even stole your crush, let alone kissed them! And dated them! Lucky us, Hye-young is very mature and understanding he didn't even had a chance to show that he is mad and hurting. But thankfully blessed to be given a chance to court Jojo after 4 years! He held it in, endured it and he deserved the ending. They both deserved the ending.

Please take time to think how the actors and even the production staff worked hard to make this show. Atleast give it a good rating. You all are so childish.

And to those who planned to watch it, you should have a mental checklist — you should be mature enough to watch this show.

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Pleasantly warming and inspiring, like a cup of tea that you may enjoy sip by sip

Once again a wonderfully authentic KDrama with amiable characters, who are living a live just like any South Korean life could be. The KDrama is neither captivatingly suspenseful nor does it urge to be devoured in one go. Instead, it's rather pleasantly warming and inspiring, like a cup of tea that you may enjoy sip by sip. The story could always go on as everyday life is - in Jejudo and elsewhere (in the province).

At first glance, “Welcome to Samdal-ri” is a sweet Rom+Com and, in passing, it is also a declaration of love for Jejudo, the largest South Korean island. At second glance, however, the KDrama also delivers a lovingly drawn and yet time-critical image of society, in particular of a generation that is struggling to balance between archaic roots and home on the one hand as well as global, urban & digital lifestyle values on the other.

In general, lifelong friendship can be considered the overarching theme. The peer group as a family of choice in the sense of a community of fate, whose commitment has been growing from the inevitable spatial proximity of a village community - here: Samdal-ri.
Specifically, the story is about such a lifelong friendship between two friends, who at some point naturally became a love for life, yet without automatically being able to be lived as such.
As so often, it´s about family with its particular momentum, mingling as centrifugal and as pulling force, too.
Refreshing, soft and tangible: Shin Hye-sun and Ji Chang-wook. But overall, "Welcome to Samdal-ri" offers great casting in all positions.

Enjoy your tea time...










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SIDE NOTE...
...on "Welcome to Samdal-ri" offering a felicitous, good-humoured and optimistic time-critical image of society

On the one hand, the monotonous everyday life in the provinces just glides along. In “Welcome to Samdal-ri” the social tightness of the village structure is intensified by the island situation on Jeju-do. Binding village life in its everyday occurrences may be boring for some, while reliably familiar and pleasantly manageable for others. Rhythm, rules, community - everything is well-arranged. You can count on being safely caught by a social net that is protecting, warming. However, it comes with a price: a naturally intrusive social environment that would like to have a say everywhere...
On the other hand, the shimmering metropolis of distant Seoul is attracting the young with its wide world full of fashion, culture and lifestyle, promising individual fulfillment in a varied, anonymous, fast-paced, entertaining, colorfully inspiring, glittering city life that bears the stamp "successful". But this has its price, too, as the KDrama clearly shows with various examples. Fast-paced, cool big city life is mostly superficial, curt, nonbinding, aloof and mercilessly leaving you out in the cold.

Gossip apparently seems to be for us humans naturally coming with our anthropological cradle… Whether city or countryside, whether Seoul oder Samdal-ri, it is everywhere - the KDrama is cleverly using this as a dramaturgical bridge between the two worlds...
In a village with an intrusively curious neighborhood like Samdal-ri, where almost nothing can be kept secret, gossip adds spice to an otherwise uniform everyday life. However, it turns out, globalization and digitalization have by now raised village gossip to an unimagined, even more threatening (since anonymous) level. Rumors multiply virally in the form of social media posts shared at lightning speed, thus turning Seoul into just another (digital) village, yet on a global scale - with the effect that the brutal force of the impact far dwarfs that of a rural, analogue village. Once a rumor like this has started, it's hard to stop it and it's practically impossible to undo it. The anonymity of a viral rumor mill also invites hateful comments, the existential consequences of which no one seems to have to take responsibility for. Never mind whether there really is something to it or not… no one is interested anyway.
In the worst case, self-imposed exile from the analogue village offers an opportunity to escape social pressure at least. The digital village of the globalized new world, however, no longer shows any mercy. It's everywhere... there's no escape...

The uncontrollable social media with its enormous power as well as the largely non-binding, superficial encounters of an anonymous urbanity are juxtaposed with the archaic themes that continue to shape life on Jeju-do today - and thus the roots and grounding of its people. Eventually, "Welcome to Samdal-ri" tells of the dominance of tides and weather shaping everyday life; of the power of the sea, which continually takes its toll; of the lives of the Haenyeos diving for abalone and more - day after day, year after year; of the Haenyeo families, following the mother as the strong head of the family; and even of bloodguilt that turns friends into enemies, urging to pass this feud on from generation to generation.

Although life in the provinces may seem archaic, tight and boring, not everything automatically has to be wrong or bad. Nevertheless, young people increasingly and understandably prefer to go to Seoul. They want to leave the dusty roots and rigid structures behind. They prefer to live at the center of the vibrant new South Korean world instead.
But even if they leave their village home for individual fulfilment, psychologically they are still far from finding their way back to themselves. And even if Seoul has such a promising, almost magnetic, electrifying, cosmopolitan charisma, the capital, along with the temptations of big city life, also harbors a fatal seed, that many have not expected: Betrayal! Betrayal of oneself (and/or eventually betrayal of others...) For most people sooner or later this seed will be sprouting, if they lose their grounding along the way - if they simply radically cut off their roots instead of finding ways to continue to nourish them...

As such I appreciate "Welcome to Samdal-ri" offering way more than a Rom+Com - e.g. a felicitous, good-humoured and optimistic time-critical outlook on contemporary issues within modern society.

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Everything Feels So Unearned

The way I would describe this drama in two words is 'wasted opportunity'. It could have been good. A simple premise. Good actors. But it fell apart before it could get off the ground. The writing is a big, big problem.

So, I went into this drama for Singto (fickle I know, but I feel like most people did so there ya go). The trailer looked promising. The premise was simple, light-hearted and sweet. I love art and draw and paint a lot myself so I also thought I'd enjoy some of the art side of things too.

But, writing, writing, writing. *shakes head like stereotypical disappointed parent* (am childless tho...)

The writing of the characters and the plot is a big problem. It's so poor that I'm actually not sure where to begin.

Let's start with Maze. Who is he? As in what are his external motivations? Money, just money it seems. That's fine. What are his internal motivations? I haven't got a clue. Like at all. What is his backstory? Dunno. He has this step-brother who he argued with once upon a time and never resolved the conflict with (for literal years, like huh?). That's it. What are his dreams? His fears? What does he love? Hate? What makes him feel comfortable? Uncomfortable? Safe? Lonely? Bored? In this script he is a one-dimensional boss who wants money, money and more money. He is not at all fleshed out and his whole character changes in the blink of an eye without any development or substance of character.

What about Phab? If you look at the comments on here everyone loves Phab and loathes Maze for the most part. I dislike both. Phab is as much a walking one-dimensional stereotype as Maze, it's just his stereotype is more likable. Phab is an artist. In spite of being enormously broke he can still afford expensive art equipment and a nice place to live. He can afford food and other necessities for himself and his various pets. He also, simply out of a bit of a dislike, tries to refuse well-paid work when offered. Bruh, come on now. Don't be stupid. I really dislike this stereotype of artists and other creatives that they just don't care about having enough money to live (and somehow get by happily and comfortably). Being broke and being in debt is f*cking stressful. It's not a personality trait. Who is Phab? What are his external and internal motivations? He needs to earn a bit of money (although he seems mostly chill about this). That's it. That's all. What is his backstory? Who knows, maybe he is from the moon. His fears? Dreams? What makes him feel happy? Sad? Disgusted? Lonely? Bored? Who is he?

All of the other characters are not at all fleshed out enough either, but I can't be bothered to list it all here. Most are more consistent in personality than the two leads however.

Each episode of this series is predictable and unsatisfying. It is the same arc each time. Phab and Maze are in conflict over something (usually a small misunderstanding or miscommunication). At some point near the middle they are on good terms (usually unprovoked, they just are, for some reason), either sweet romantic moments or some sort of friendly situation. Then a short while before the end of the episode there is another conflict (usually a small misunderstanding or miscommunication), this then carries through into the next episode where the cycle repeats. There are a few episodes that stray from this but not many. It is a tedious viewing experience as the arc is incredibly unsatisfying.

I have just finished watching episode 10. I cannot afford a GagaOOLala subscription right now and am cancelling so I'm reviewing as I take a financial pause from GagaOOLala. Please bear in mind I'm writing this before the ultimate conclusion of the story.

Let me rewrite the overarching plot for the two leads to make the series better (according to myself).

The series begins with the first episode largely as it happens. But you see Phab has a part-time job at university teaching an evening class for art students. With this he can pay for art equipment (like I said, it's expensive, stop sh*tting around) but it doesn't support his living. Maze comes to meet Phab and offer him the work. Phab declines. Maze leaves, annoyed. A while later Phab comes across a stray animal who is injured. He takes it to the vet. The vet treats the animal and tells Phab he needs to pay for it. Phab hesitates but calls Maze. He says he'll do the wedding job if Maze pays for the animal's treatment (and the original amount). They negotiate and come to some fair amount. At the wedding Phab brings the animal. It causes havok and Maze and Phab have a similar argument to the one seen. Phab gets the job with the pay from the series and starts working at the company to pay Maze back and keep up the ruse.

As time goes on Maze and Phab bicker but we see Phab trying to work well with everyone (like in the series now) and Maze's work ethic. At some point Maze and Phab argue about the work. Phab isn't being serious enough, according to Maze. Maze is unforgiving and brutal, according to Phab. Towards the end of this argument Maze falls ill (fainting or getting dizzy or whatever) from overworking. Phab stays with him and insists he rest. Maze insists he has to work. They argue. Eventually Phab leaves but calls the VP character to stay with Maze at the office. There follows scenes/montage where Maze is overworking and Phab is noticing. Phab asks around but everyone says this is just Maze's way. After a bit of professional success the team go for drinks (like in the series). While a bit tipsy Maze gets annoyed with Phab and complains about his way of working. He then starts to talk about his own backstory. He is from a family that struggled financially. He had some sort of issue that made his parents' financial struggle worse (illness, injury whatever). He blames himself for this and feels that he caused their early passing with the stress it put them under. He is now used to overworking because he distracts himself with work and it makes him feel like he is repaying his parents or becoming more like them and their hardwork or something along those lines. He also keeps his distance from others because he's afraid of burdening them. He doesn't like when people don't work hard because it feels like an affront to his most important values. He feels personally disrespected.

Phab still draws Maze (this is still the small conflict from the series cause it was entertaining to me).

Following this information Phab becomes more considerate of Maze. He starts to bring him a nice drink at the office on occasion and pays attention to his schedule. He takes the job more seriously and becomes a bit more mature in the workplace. In an effort to encourage Maze to stop working so much Phab encourages Maze to come and spend time with the animal they both saved (and invites him to his art class in the evening). They bond over this and talk about work and their personal goals/fears/pasts etc while together. Maze talks a little more about his family and Phab begins to open up about his. Phab doesn't know his parents but he grew up financially secure and stable raised by an aunt and his grandparents. He is still close to his aunt, but lies a little about being financially fine so she doesn't worry. His grandfather died a while ago and his grandmother is ill. Money he inherited from his grandfather he spends on his grandmother's health. He learned to draw growing up in order to give comfort to his grandfather, who had dementia and would tell stories and forget them soon after. He drew them so that there would always be images of his grandfather's memory, even outside of his mind.

They connect over these memories and feelings for family. Both begin to feel romantically for the other, but Phab is more expressive and open, whereas Maze is wary and reserved. Eventually they sleep together and begin dating. Phab is open, Maze is discreet. This begins slowly to cause a little conflict.

Phab starts to feel like Maze is pushing him away. He tries to talk to him but Maze freaks out and closes off. They argue and stop speaking for a while. When Maze decides to apologise he overhears the job offer for Japan. His immediate feeling is one of fear and he tries to stop it from happening. As they forgive each other from the previous argument and Maze and Phab begin openly dating etc Phab then takes Maze to meet his aunt and grandmother. Here they learn of Japan and are encouraging. Phab is hesitant and reluctant cause of Maze. Maze realises how much of an opportunity this is and starts to encourage Phab to go.

They then do long-distance for an epsiode or so. In the ending they reunite in Thailand a while later. Phab has an exhibition on in Thailand and has got work in Japan designing posters and covers etc which he can do from Thailand.

Maze has learned to have a work-life balance. Phab has learned some maturity and adulting lessons.

In my version Nueng would be a childhood friend of Maze's. They still had the same argument cause Maze was overly dependent of, and possessive over, Nueng. It was around the time his parents died and Maze felt abandoned by Nueng. He later regretted the argument but didn't apologise because it was too connected to those horrible memories, so he buried it and remained estranged from his closest friend for years. Although he accepted he was in the wrong, he was also always hurt that Nueng never reached out afterwards either. There is no jealousy plotline with Nueng at the centre. Conflict with him is work-related and whatnot. His relationship with Than evolves similarly to the series just with fewer bs games. He doesn't try and manipulate Phab and is always polite to him.

This series needed fleshed out characters, with room for development, which is satisfied through the story. Just because it is a light-hearted premise and story does not mean your characters get to be superficial in their characterisations, all one dimensional and whatnot.

There are so many individual scenes I love. Any sweet scenes between Phab and Maze are great. The bickering, especially at the beginning, was entertaining a lot of the time. I really like the side characters. I like a lot of the humour (which is rare). But there is no narrative to this series really. It doesn't flow. The pacing is tedious. It is often like you're missing all of the information for the character motivations. It's annoying. This could have been such a nice, enjoyable watch. I enjoyed scenes, not episodes, not the whole series. I enjoyed the scenes as independent experiences. So it wasn't all bad, but it is a sign of a somewhat incoherent story/plot. They should be trying to tell us a story, led by characters. Instead they show us scenes with the characters on puppet strings just doing as they're told with no motivation or substance to them at all.

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Rather Bizarre Ending

Believe in Love is a partly xianxia, partly non xianxia drama. The xianxia elements are not pronounced throughout the story, as most of the characters are all normal humans living an earthly life, until towards the end when some elements of xianxia come to light. This is another story revolving around cuisines and food, and it is my fourth one in a row. Despite the tag that says “comedy”, there is very little comedy here, or comedies that don't make people laugh. Nonetheless, it’s quite an enjoyable light watch with some “angsts” for some viewers.

Hua Yinan (Huang Shengchi) and Lu Yue’er (Zheng He Hui Zi) were lovers in their previous life as General Mu Yuan and Xiao Man. Mu Yuan died and Xiao Man perished while trying to save him. Thousands of years later, they meet again living on an island -- Hua Yinan as the son of the owner of the island and Lu Yue’er as the daughter of the owner of a small noodle shop. With mysteries and unexplained circumstances, Hua Yinan is told to marry Lu Yue’er in his father’s will before he can inherit his father’s legacy as the rightful owner of the island and all his properties, including the biggest and best restaurant on the island. Hua Yinan is reluctant to marry Lu Yue’er as he doesn’t like her and the feelings are mutual. Through various encounters that make them save each other’s life, Hua Yinan begins to fall in love with Lu Yue’er. So when she agrees to marry him, Hua Yinan is overjoy. He inherits everything the will promises he will. Comes our antagonist who was the antagonist in their previous life as well. What follows become a test of their true love for each other.

The whole cast is new to me including the main leads. Huang Shengchi is good looking and despite having acted in many dramas, this is my first drama of him. His portrayal of Hua Yinan is convincing with a mild demeanor and a soft romance towards his love. Likewise, I have never watched any of Zheng He Hui Zi’s dramas, and her portrayal here is equally convincing as the naïve Lu Yue’er or the arrogant Tang Yingying. Her outfit is rather unconventional with bared shoulders, accentuating her narrow frame, making her looking like a little girl. Their dynamics together are sweet and authentic with a lot of intimate scenes. The antagonist is vile and hateful, and Xiao Kaizhong's portrayal is very convincing. The second couple, Su Tang (Zhu Rong Jun) and Du Ruo (Hou Dong), is quite a joy to watch, and the stepmom and step sister are so horrible that you want to slap them. These supporting actors are great in their respective roles.

My Verdict

This drama is not great nor very bad. It’s easy watching though it can be rather slow pace as there is a prolong romance play which can be welcoming for some romance buffs, but boring for others. The last episode turns into a love triangle with a xianxia fight with superpower. The endings have multiple plot holes and questions not answered. It's rather bizarre. Overall, watch it for light entertainment and don't be too bothered with the details.

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Fun and entertaining watch

This show is a romcom about 2 hitmen brothers with 2 guys that are trying to gain information on them with one being a police informant, by making them fall in love with them. It is based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew (and the movie 10 Things I Hate About You). The aesthetic is very typical of Jojo's (the director) works with a strong 1980s retro American influence in music, decor and fashion.

Is the story realistic of how hitmen and police informants work? No. But it is a very fun story with the 2 main couples KantBison and FadelStyle going through a cycle of betrayal, forgiveness and the ups and downs in their relationships. Both sets of actors FirstKhao & JoongDunk are skilled in their portrayals of their distinctive characters and have strong chemistry. FadelStyle's story arc is especially beautiful about accepting oneself and letting go of the past.

In the end, this is a romcom that doesn't take itself too seriously that teaches valuable life lessons along the way and can be watched in a lighthearted manner.

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Was ready to hate it, ended up loving it.

I saw the mild/bad review scores before watching, and was fully prepared to be disappointed, but I guess there are some factors that make me the ideal audience for this series:
- Despite watching SO MANY series set in university and seeing similar tropes here and there, I'm not tired of them and I'm still willing to give them a chance.
- There have been a few titles in the past that I had to drop because they bored me. This one is absolutely NOT one of them. I didn't have to put any effort in finishing all the episodes either, I just played them one after another without being able to start anything else.
- The flaws of the characters didn't make them insufferable for me. I ended up finding them endearing and more real instead.
- I happen to like stories that have more fluff going on. No unnecessary tragedy in the family, no random violence, no silly attempts at sounding edgy or adult just to make a love story more interesting.
- I don't care about actors stripping and grinding on each other as they make out to make their love more believable. (Hint: if you think that passionate kisses on camera are called "chemistry", then you don't know what chemistry means in the first place. Also, if the characters need to kiss to make you understand that they're in love, then it's a very badly written story.)
- The secondary characters weren't fleshed out as much as the ones in other series (there wasn't time for any subplot, so putting more work in personalities without exploring them would have been pointless I think), but they did their job just fine and I never felt like they were filling gaps or anything like that.
- As much as the misunderstandings and the lack of communication were annoying, they somehow got me even more invested in the series, and the ending turned out to feel even more rewarding than I was expecting it to be.

This series is now among my favorite BLs. It feels sweet and comforting in a special way, and now it has a special place in my heart. I really hope I'll get to see Dunk and Joong in other projects in the future.

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A Cliche Done Right!

The premise of this drama is totally cliche but wow, they sure made it fun and cute despite that! I am usually wary about trying cliche dramas like this but I watched the trailer and sensed their chemistry immediately. It was also a plus that all episodes are released at once and it is only 10 episodes.

After watching episode 1, the plot picks up quite fast; there are many funny scenes and many sound effects. Normally I don't like those sounds but it added to the scene and I actually found it quite enjoyable. It could be overbearing to some though. I liked the way the plot developed the characters and their relationships, and it was clear the motives behind their actions. There is a lot of comedy and absurd funny scenes throughout the 10 episodes but they weren't too bad to watch and I laughed a lot at some of them. Some of them really cheer you up. The romance was also nicely paced but I would have liked them to have more sweet moments and fake dating moments so I can see more of this couple. I felt that they could have had more sweet moments :( The second couple was a bit lacking but they were still cute sometimes too. It was my first time watching both of these actors and they did great! There weren't any moments where I felt like they didn't deliver the emotions or were disconnected from their characters. The friendships are also quite touching, especially the male lawyers at the firm. The drama overall also focuses a lot on the problems in society with patriarchal beliefs about women, which I found nice.

As someone who usually stays away from romcoms like this, I have to say that this drama was a pretty good watch and I enjoyed it a lot. It was nice to see this couple and their cute moments. I recommend!

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Finally another drama that held my attention all the way through to the end. I've been dropping dramas left and right, so this was just what I needed to get back in the game.

As some other people have already mentioned, the drama truly shines in the first couple of episodes. The comedy, the action, the melodrama, the music and the cinematography – everything is spot on, and you feel like you are witnessing the birth of a new masterpiece. However, you flip the page, and the direction of the drama suddenly takes an entirely new turn.
Contrary to other people here, I do not think the story turned boring or bland. While the latter episodes can by no means compare to the stunning start into the drama, they are still above average of what we get presented in K-drama land.
Even though it turns into a revenge drama and you might argue the focus of the main character also changes, it's still a fresh breeze in a chaebol world ruled by men, revenge plots driven by men, where hatred and cold-bloodedness are traits mainly expressed by men. Han Yeo-Jin is a character that breaks with the stereotypes of an idealistic, warm-hearted female lead, who fights for the weak and poor and would never use underhanded means that go against her ideology. Yeo-Jin is tough, powerful, adamant and, at times, even cruel. I loved her in that role, even though my heart broke for her at the same time. The relationship between her and Tae Hyun is one of such deep understanding, that it is even more painful to see them suffer.

The drama definitely has its flaws: repeated flashbacks, too many characters without a conscience (like, seriously, the amount of hateful and spiteful people in this drama is ridiculous), obvious plot-twists, an ending that left lose ends and could have been so much better... But despite all that, I really enjoyed it a lot, and I suffered and laughed with the characters, and Doo Cheol might just be one of the coolest characters in drama history!

Enjoyment is still the biggest factor in a show for me, so I really do recommend the drama.

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Soft vibes, steamy kisses, and zero drama—Shimane serves BL comfort with heat!

P and the adorable chaos twins Pan & Plai are back from Kiseki in Tokyo Chapter 2, and it honestly feels like we’re third-wheeling their Japan trip. No toxic drama, no love rivals—just wholesome vibes, good food, and a random “hey let’s all move in together” plan that somehow works. 👫👬✈️

Plot? Sure… if you count “friends hanging out, sightseeing, and convincing their Thai pals to shack up in Shimane” as a plot. But honestly? I’m not mad. Sometimes you don’t need rollercoaster drama—just soft, slice-of-life moments that feel like a warm blanket (with occasional spicy scenes to keep you awake 😉).

Speaking of spice… THIS is how you do intimacy in BL. Every kiss? Hot. Every NC scene? Steamy but not cringe. Realistic, tender, and just the right amount of “oops, did I just replay that?” energy. 🔥

Look, I get why some people say “it’s boring” or “there’s no plot.” But let’s be honest—we’re not here for Shakespeare. We’re here for pretty boys, beautiful Japan scenery, and NC scenes that actually deliver. And on that front, Season of Love in Shimane absolutely nails it. A cozy, low-stakes binge that hit the spot on my Sunday night.

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