Reviews

This is one of those dramas that I thought I would love, then suddenly lost interest. I'm not sure when I lost interest exactly, but I know that I went from eagerly awaiting new episodes to forgetting that it was still airing. For me, I think this is a case of mostly great story, not so great cast.

The plot involves seeing the future in your dreams, which is not a new kdrama concept, but I liked the way it was executed here. The supernatural thriller aspect of this show was what kept me most interested. I was excited each week to see if the characters would be able to change their fate.  There's also a lot of the plot that involves the characters' backstories, which I also very found interesting. It's not the most exciting or original thriller, but I was entertained. The writer, Park Hye-Ryun, wrote two dramas that I enjoyed with similar styles, "I Hear Your Voice" (one of my favorite villains) and "Pinocchio" (one of my favorite dramas). I think this one doesn't quite measure up in comparison, but in some ways it's kind of a hybrid of the two. "While You Were Sleeping" combines the law and reporting, asks similar questions about morality, and of course adds a supernatural twist in a way that is meant to seem totally plausible and realistic. The most obvious similarity, of course, is that it stars Lee Jong Suk. Maybe they were banking on recapturing past magic with all of these elements, but it still falls a little short.

Lee Jong Suk is fairly consistent. He's got this cool confident swag  thing going on, without being too arrogant, and while being vulnerable enough to maintain his charm.  In this role, however, he is supposed to come off as a little less cool, and it honestly didn't work. He still maintains his charm, but the lighthearted character he was going for still seemed too much like the character he usually plays, just in forced silly situations. I don't think fans of his will be disappointed, or that he does a bad job, it's just that something feels off with this character pretty early on. He of course is matched with Suzy, who I have been neutral about for a long time. She plays eccentric Hong Ju, the real center of this whole drama, but she went from being interesting to too predictable for me in this role. For a character who is supposed to be so headstrong and determined, she was still easily overshadowed by the guys. I honestly don't think she had a strong enough presence for this role.  It also doesn't help that her chemistry with Jong Suk didn't quite work either.  At first they were cute, really cute, but then they were pretty boring and forgettable. Both of their emotional scenes also felt really forced. She seems like an actress that relies on her costar's charm to make the chemistry really work, and since Jong Suk wasn't at his A game, that made her extra mediocre. So fans looking for a good rom com storyline will be pretty underwhelmed.

The rest of the cast is mostly great, especially Jung Hae In and Kim Won Hae. Hae In is a formidable second lead, if the romance portion wasn't so lacking, and really charming. I also love Won Hae's versatility, even though this role is more low key and emotional than I've seen him before, he is clearly a talented actor. Then there's the rest of the ensemble, especially the prosecutors and staff, who were all extremely entertaining, and added a lot to the story to hold my interest. Still, I have to say that I was disappointed by Lee Sang Yeob. He was good at playing arrogant, I will definitely give him that, but as a villain he was pretty boring. On paper his character is duplicitous, charming, and manipulative, but I felt like he was pretty one note in his portrayal. I'm a sucker for a good villain, so maybe I'm being extra hard on him, but I just wasn't impressed.

My rewatch value is obviously pretty low because my desire to even finish was pretty low. The plot is good enough, I think, to warrant a second viewing to see how the pieces fit. It may even be better to just binge watch so you don't have enough time in between to lose interest. I will also add the disclaimer that I was simultaneously watching other on air suspense/thriller dramas at the same time, and this started to pale in comparison, which didn't help.

The OST was pretty "meh" worthy for me. It fit the vibe of the story well, but I have no desire to hear any of these songs again. If I connected to this drama more I would probably like the OST more, but there are plenty of bad shows with soundtracks I love, so maybe not.

Overall, I'd say I'm disappointed based on the strong start, but not mad that I completed it. I would recommend too many other dramas before this one, especially since suspense is a common theme this season, but this isn't terrible, just not great. I wish more questions were answered at the end, instead of going for the standard ending, but I don't have any real major complaints. I would easily recommend this to fans of "I Hear your Voice" and "Pinocchio", with the disclaimer to lower your expectations, and expect some major deja vu.

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missed the mark (watch suggestions)

Overall: though this is based on a book which has 2 other live action adaptations, I tried my best to review this series on its own merits. That being said, I think some fans of the book and original adaptation will not like a few changes that the creators have made as they fundamentally changed 1 character which alters their dynamic to feel imbalanced. Aired 10 episodes about 1 hour long on WeTV (need to VPN to Thailand, cut version & uncut version https://wetv.vip/en/album/pgahblq3qny0xuz) and YouTube cut https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqQkseRPA8d53_Hg0wnBlDFwNtFBw6xo3&si=rpt7pbo4KhLJoAoj Later added YouTube uncut for channel members. You can tell you are watching the uncut version if ep 1 starts at a fancy event in a flash forward. The cut version starts with a bunch of students taking an exam. Re-aired uncut version on Viki April 2025 https://www.viki.com/tv/41064c-addicted-heroin

Content Warnings (uncut): non con kissing/biting, fight, bullying, drugging, abusive parent/violence, transphobia, non con kiss, theft, kidnapping/held against will, punch, drugging, blackmail, homophobia

Watch Suggestions (this is for the uncut version, it cuts out some of the love triangle stuff)
- watch episodes 1 & 2
- episode 3 watch beginning to 12:15, 13-24:45, 36:25-40, 46-end
- watch episodes 4 & 5
- episode 6 watch beginning to 27 minutes
- episode 7 watch 22:15-23:35, 26:30-34:15 (if you want to see a character be unhinged), and 44 to the end
- episode 8 skip 14:40-38
- episode 9 skip 6:30-31 and skip 43:30-49:15
- episode 10 skip 31:15-37:30

What I Liked
- visuals (i.e. working out scene)
- countryside setting
- sweet moments
- that they modified a part in episode 7, the book appears to have been written in 2015 and I have no problem with adaptations changing some things from the source material
- that 1 character didn't get a redemption arc in the finale
- a decent plan in the finale
- satisfied with the way it ended even if there isn't a special or second season
- production value (especially how the opening scene transitioned into the flashback, however it needs better transitions overall)

Room For Improvement
- the cut version took out key relationship development between both couples however it did take out some of the evil girlfriend/wannabe girlfriend stuff which was nice, speaking of
- too much screentime on evil girlfriend/wannabe girlfriend cliche
- tried to cover way too much plot, the side couple would randomly appear and disappear, too much of the main couple's relationship development was done in a montage
- choppy (even the uncut), it quickly jumped from one scene to the next
- a character was toned down but then went very unhinged, the dynamic didn't work
- fake kissing (a reason not to cast a 16 year old and a 30 year old...)
- the transphobic comment in episode 3 which I think was supposed to be translated as "he's not even a real man, he's a trans friend of mine"
- too many flashbacks
- comedy sound effects, also the tone switching between comedy and serious moments didn't always work
- nonsense stuff ie in ep 10 characters didn't tell another character information because they thought it would make him sad so instead he was both sad and mad for many years
- one of the worst/most confusing releases I've ever seen, the youtube channel that released episode 1 was different from the channel that released episode 0, no subtitles even though there were supposed to be and then the subtitled cut version was removed from youtube shortly after it was available to watch, 1 week later ep 1 and 2 cut were back up with subtitles

Note About Actors' Ages (I didn't take off points for this but as an fyi, 1 actor was 16 when he filmed this, the other lead actors' ages were: 26, 17 & 18; age of majority in Thailand is 20)
- from the source material and as shown in the series, the characters are the same age, they start in high school and then later there is a time jump
- there were zero real kisses, the one supposedly intimate scene was very tame and only kissing the person's neck/close to their neck

Cut version differences in episodes 1 & 2 (overall the uncut version is better, I didn't have the energy to watch all cut versions to compare but this gives you an idea of types of differences)
- in episode 1, 12 minutes were cut, about 5 minutes of that was there was an intro scene that took place in the future/present before a flashback, they also cut short the vandalism scene, then they removed Pop talking to his grandma/dad towards the end, and they removed the very end where there is a flashback to the vandalism scene but a new part shown
- in episode 2 (58 uncut/47 cut), after store there is a short talk with grandma about him working which is why he is out late, they cut a little of the nurse talking, in the infirmary they cut at the end that Hero got into the bed with Poppy to cuddle with him, after the sneezing they cut where the girl must have left a box of toilet paper for Mr. Sneezy and Mr. Sneezy thinks it's from Mr. Grumpy who denies it but he is shushed, after Pop's meeting with Hero's dad he goes to school and walks by Hero who is shirtless and randomly wrestling other students for fun, Pop volunteers to wrestle pins Hero and they stare at each other, after Pop took Hero's shirt to wash it there is a scene at a convenience store where Pop helps Hero with writing/homework, they then get drunk with Pop defending his mom and putting his head on Hero's shoulder, Hero gives Pop a new pair of shoes, ties them, Pop then shushes Hero and leans in, it cuts to Pop waking up shirtless in his bed with seemingly a hard on

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Utterly disappointing (Only good for a HATE-watch)

The Next Prince feels like an underbaked cake with perfect icing, visually stunning, with gorgeous cinematography, lavish costumes, and clearly a high budget… but the writing is flat, disjointed, and lacking depth.

I actually enjoyed the first episode and felt a spark of interest, but after that, it was all downhill. Each week I found myself less engaged, to the point of skipping entire scenes. The writer set up a promising world and then just… walked out of the room.

Let’s talk about Khanin, or not, because what is there to say? He started off strong with a sassy, confident personality, but the moment he stepped into the palace, all of that disappeared. He became a lovesick puppy following Charan around for no clear reason. Was it just because they’re Zeenunew? Because nothing in the story really justified the romance. Imagine your entire life falls apart after some random guy shows up, and somehow you're supposed to fall for him anyway?

And don't get me started on how Khanin completely forgot his life in the UK the second he entered Emmarly. That entire backstory might as well have been deleted. As for Charan, the idea that he has a debilitating trauma response to rain, and still gets sent alone to the UK to retrieve the crown prince, is just absurd.

Their romance had zero momentum for me. It started with promise but became boring fast.

I adore JimmyOhm, but the Ramil–Paytai dynamic was just bad. Paytai deserved to run far, far away from Ramil, who was cowardly, frustrating, and made no smart choices.

Calvin and Jay actually had an interesting storyline, but they got the screen time equivalent of a fruit fly's lifespan, blink and you miss them.

Princess Ava had potential to be iconic, but her character was reduced to spouting "girl power" lines while being surrounded by constant misogyny. She deserved much better writing.

Now Chakri, Chakri is the moment. Scene-stealer, fan favorite, and honestly the most consistent character in the show. No notes there.

Overall:
The Next Prince is style over substance. Beautiful to look at, but hollow. The cast did what they could, but the writing left them stranded. If you're looking for something to roll your eyes at while admiring the outfits, this might be your perfect hate-watch.

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I decided to post a review cause I felt like I needed to express my feelings about this drama - my thoughts and opinions are completely different from most people, but anyways.

The thing is: a good drama for me doesn't need to be filled with moments that will make you suffer with the characters and it can't be that foreseeable. And You're Beautiful it's just this. You can fully understand the depth of the characters within some episodes, and if you try to take a guess on what they will do next, probably you'll be right.

There's no need to keep hammering a single point in the story, and still, they do this all the time. At one point, I got tired of gritting my teeth and screaming to the screen, cause I had already seen what was happening another billion times. It's repetitive, and even though I've kept rooting for one specific character, I knew since the beginning he wasn't going to get the ending I wanted, because, once again, the story is foreseeable.

The plot was a good one to work with - it never was supposed to be a deep story, but it could be better than what we had. The drama could be finished with only ten episodes, excluding unnecessary and dull interactions between the characters and mysteries that aren't really that mysterious. The music is ok, the few tracks we have are good, but I find myself really annoyed by the fact that, one, it seems like we only have five songs along the whole drama (and three of them are different versions of the same track), and two, why do they put such a tense instrumental in moments that doesn't have the need to it?

The best point for me is the acting - all the actors besides Park Shin Hye did a fairly good job. I kept wondering, why does she represents like this in this drama? I mean, Heartstrings was ok, Heirs too, and Pinocchio is her best drama without doubts, but her acting in You Are Beautiful annoys me so much. I don't find it cute, neither funny, nor girly. It's just annoying and the scenes I liked the most were the ones she wasn't trying so hard (episode 12, the greenhouse part, is one of my very few examples). Maybe she matured since then, and for me this one is her worst drama.

I can't say the drama isn't funny. It was one of the few things that saved it for me. I laughed so hard in some parts that it wasn't all lost. And if I ignored the existence of two of the three main male characters while Go Minam was interacting with one of them, I could go through the scene without any unneeded anger. It was silly, and sometimes fun, but not my piece of cake.

All in all, I would never rewatch it, but if you like silly thingies (and amorous triangles), if you're bored and want something to entertain yourself a little bit (only until the very first cringeworthy moment), you may want to give You Are Beautiful a try.

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I don't even know where to begin with this drama. Ever since I saw its teaser on Netflix, I was absolutely stoked, for multiple reasons. The production looked fantastic, it was shot in Taiwan , and the premise seemed extremely interesting and unique. My thoughts going into the show was the standard "genius detective that gives little regard to societal rules." As a friend pointed out, something along the line of characters such as Sherlock in "Sherlock BBC" or House in "House MD."

I couldn't have been more wrong. The first thing that this show really nailed home was the depiction of Asperger's. The lead male actor, Henry Chang, did a fantastic job with his character Fang Yi-Ren. From the little awkward quirks, to his inability to properly interact with society, and his ineptness in dealing with human emotion, he really brought his character to life. The show did not romanticise the disorder or the supposed intellect that comes with it, but instead demonstrated the internal and external struggles of someone who has it. Chang's superb acting portrays these complexities and layers in his character in a way that never felt cringey or was "overacting" to me.

Fang Yi-Ren's direct foil was Xu Hai-Yin, played by Tiffany Hsu. While Chang's character was trying to understand emotions and be a "normal person", Hsu's character used empathy to her advantage to get whatever she needed to report about. She plays the ballsy reporter that will do what it takes to rise up in this world, even if it meant obtaining information illegally. Her background felt a bit forced to me in relation to the story's overarching theme, but received a satisfying closure in the end. While dialogue between the two characters were written to be awkward and stocky, their chemistry was surprisingly fun to watch and grew even better as the show neared its end. Chang and Hsu complemented each other well and I would be stoked to see them act together again (rumours of Season 2?) in the future.

Nearly all the side characters, their background, and their role were memorable to me. The story, as unusual as it would be to happen in real life, was something I hadn't seen before and it was clear to me that the writers spent a lot of time thinking and researching everything to the best they could. The last five to six minutes of each episode actually dives heavily into the behind-the-scenes and the film team shared much of what they did, such as interviewing mental health workers, reporters, policemen, or the extent they went to to try to get a "message" across. And as a viewer, I can say they definitely succeeded in this regard as I am still thinking about this show long after I finished it (in a day) and probably will for quite awhile.

At the same time, the really only "con" to this show is that the writers were trying to accomplish too much with too little episodes and more casual watchers might not find the experience as satisfying. The overlapping themes and subtle details were very thought-provoking, but not everyone prefers to ponder over such things or look for such aspects in a drama. There were also clearly parts where they were trying to tie up loose ends that felt slightly forced to me. If there were more episodes and they had the ability to shoot more scenes and "fill up" the story, I think the drama's emotional impact would have been a lot greater. More time to bond with the characters would have been nice as well. But for what they managed to accomplish in eight episodes is already quite impressive to me.

All in all, the show has amazing acting (seriously still impressed with the Asperger's portrayal), beautiful cinematography, intriguing detective cases, and a murder mystery that definitely kept me on my toes up to a satisfying ending. I think, what's also the MOST impressive to me, is that it is a Taiwanese drama that has all of these. For the longest time, I could not find a Taiwanese drama that I could sit down and finish without being disappointed or cringing at the acting or story. I say this as a Taiwanese citizen who is often letdown by the garbage one's country can produce. But I'm so happy to say that The Victim's Game proved me completely wrong and I would be absolutely ecstatic to see more Taiwanese dramas trend towards this direction in the future. Or, maybe Netflix funding is just something to behold.

Highly recommended drama and I will be rewatching in the future. I would love to continue to discuss it with anyone who would spare the time to watch it.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Here are two central themes of the story that I wanted to talk a little more about in a way that I feel the drama didn't completely do and that would be better understood from a citizen's perspective.

The first victim, You Cheng-Hao (River Huang), chose death because she felt that she was trapped as transgender (male to female) in a society who shunned her. Her parents disowned her, she was forced to live a hard life in a host club, and even the customers mocked her as a "gay" when she was just trying to be herself. The reason behind her character couldn't have been more clear to me, as despite Taiwan being the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, a lot of discrimination and legal issues still exist.

The perpetrator, Li Ya-Jun, was not only a depiction of mental health issues, but also on the struggles and likewise discrimination of illegal and foreign workers, which is quite prevalent in Taiwan. They are "nobodies," as one of the characters say, and being treated as essentially human trash in Taiwanese society led Ya-Jun into finding some kind of worth in her supposedly meaningless life.

Each of the "victims" had their own story and background that I assume the writers wanted the viewers to be able to empathise with. I certainly did with cancer patient...that one hit home.

To end with before I go on for too much longer: In one of the ending interviews, the screenwriters mentioned that you could see a part of each of the victims in the main lead, Fang Yi-Ren. That's still something that I'm thinking about and there is still so much to unpack in this amazing show. I hope that everyone who watches it will enjoy it as much as I did!

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CLOSE YOUR EYES – NOW FEEL ⏯️

DISCLAIMER: I completed this a week ago and had time to collect / sit with my thoughts so please take my opinion / review with a grain of salt as I’m not here to argue with anyone.

I also have not watched the Taiwanese version yet (but I will do so soon) It will be interesting to see if my opinion on the show will been alter / change. Anyways, this is just a my summary of the drama. I watched it completely blind with no preconceived notions.

The emotions you will experience while watching this drama cannot be replicated by reading a plot synopsis or watching a summary video on YouTube. I recommend that you watch it without looking at the spoilers or hating / comparing it to versions you've seen before. Just pretend it's a whole new drama.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Fantasy

Tropes: Time travel, time loop, doppelgängers, friends to lovers, second chance romance ,found family, friendship, transmigration (body / soul switching), soulmates.

Likes:

This drama was interesting to say the least. The cinematography was beautiful and it felt very nostalgic because it takes you back to the 90s and 2000s. The time travel plot was very well done. I thought it would be confusing but it wasn't. It was easy to understand and found myself figuring out the plot half way through. I figured the scarred man was in fact Nam Si Heon and came up with reasons how this could be possible etc. My guesses were close enough lol. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat, thinking I had it all figured out, only to be surprised by unexpected twists and turns. I had to pay close attention because of the back-and-forth storytelling, but it was worth it.

Jeon Yeo Been's performance was outstanding, especially in how she portrayed the two different characters – she was convincing in showing us (the audience) that it was in fact two different people. The especially how she shifted her personality between the characters. The way she looked at Si Heon / Yeon Jun, laughed, walked, smiled and talked – all changed with the person and the timeline.

Ahn Hyo Seop gave me butterflies and made my heart skip whenever he was on screen, he really is very handsome and I think I developed a crush while watching. Si Heon / Yeon Jun was soooo boyfriend and just the greenest flag ever, across every single timeline. I mean he did such an amazing and convincing job as he portrayed the Si Heon / Yeon Jun who longed for his love (Jun Hee) across time and space. I thought the way he could immediately tell the difference between Min Ju and Jun Hee was precious and endearing. Min Ju could not fool him and unfortunately he would never be able to return her (or anyone else’s) affections becasue Jun Hee was his one true love.

Kang Hoon proved that even without a lot of lines, one's screen presence can be pretty impactful. Also, the way he emotes with his eyes is at another level altogether.

Rowoon's guest appearance was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed seeing him on screen even thought it was short lived.

Min Jin Woong was a very compelling villain. He nailed the psychopathic murderer / serial killer role so well. I was definitely creeped out and on the edge of my seat watching and waiting to see what his character would do next.

Dislikes:

Some aspects of the time travel phenomenon weren't entirely explained, like why there were two people with the exact same face? I also found it puzzling how Chan Yeong looked exactly like his older brother. That resemblance was truly a mystery for me but I guess it made the storytelling easier from the writers perspective. It seems like that's just how the world of 'A Time Called You' works. I did not have a problem with Si Heon / Yeon Jun and Min Ju / Jun Hee existing in the same timeline like other people. It was very understandable and if you pay close attention you won’t be confused.

What triggered me was Min-Ju’s suicide. It captured a suicidal persons thoughts perfectly but reinforced the fact that no matter what you say / do to help a suicidal person, it won’t change the fact that if someone wants to die… they will kill themselves. They have to want to live for themselves and want to heal / get better and have something to live for. I’m not saying this to be cold/heartless because I just knew a girl like Min Ju. The only difference is she'd always threaten suicide for attention (unlike Min Ju) but in actuality, being her friend was exhausting. Safe to say we're not friends anymore and she still has her depressive episodes but I’m glad I’m not around for her to trauma dump on me or act like her issues are for more important / greater than anyone else's. She used to claim other's do not understand her and that she doesn’t have the mental capacity to care about anyone but herself (at least she was self aware, but imo she was also self centered and mean spirited most of all!). I don't think it was for a lack of love or attention, because it seemed she received both, but like Min Ju she was bullied a lot in her formative years and then kept attempting to transform herself indefinitely. Unfortunately she did not realize (and still hasn't to this day) that by doing all that she was killing the person she used to be, leaving her feeling empty and full of self-hatred (much like when Min Ju claimed to be Jun Hee lol!)

Anyway, it's ironic because thorough everything I was deemed selfish and told that I just don’t understand even though I always was encouraging, reassuring and supportive much like In Gyu. Seeing such a similar occurrence in this drama brought up a flood of emotions for me, which is why I think I felt overwhelmed then slightly irked while watching it. It was insane, especially when they showed inside Min Ju’s mind, Jun Hee trying to stop her, In Gyu pouring his heart out and trying to comfort her by lending caring / supportive worlds to then hearing Min Ju claim nobody cared about her. It was even more shocking to then see her catapult / launch herself off the building, thus killing herself (bleeding to death) and In Gyu taking the blame. I had so many mixed emotions but that very intense scene left me feeling sad and disheartened most of all. I could feel the same sense of hopelessness much like how Jun Hee felt, just being a mere bystander/watcher from that cave – not being able to do anything to help or convince Min Ju her life was worth living.

Moral of the story is choose your friends wisely, try your best and be kind always. If it’s not good enough (especially to the other person) and they don’t see the value in their life then know it’s not your fault / on you. Don’t blame yourself and go to prison for someone else’s choice or twisted wishes to be fulfilled like In Gyu. As Jun Hee said it was Min Ju's own expectations of people that made her miserable and she needed to take time for herself and take care of her wellbeing.

I wish the show explained the alternate ending better, I would’ve liked to find out exactly how In Gyu saves Min Ju on time. It would also have been nice for them to tell how Min Ju gets stuck in a cave where she see through the eyes of Jun Hee and vice versa plus how they escape from it and become the main host of the body.

I’m a very emotional / sentimental person so I did tear up while watching. If you’re the same (or worse) be sure to bring some tissues.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, each of their stories was beautiful as was the ending. Even though it’s an open and some what bittersweet ending I think it gives the viewer hope and promise of what is to come between the two main characters. While watching I felt warm seeing the kind of love that was portrayed throughout the drama. It made me feel the butterflies of a first love, the comfort of a mature love, the pain of separation and the overwhelming relief of their reunion.

The ending made me hopeful and happy, but it also made my heart hurt. I think it’s more so because of the realization that so many precious memories and relationships formed across various timelines would be lost forever, as if they never existed.

This was the kind of drama that stays with you long after you finish watching it. I still feel an ache in my heart when I think about it or listen to the OST (which by the way is just as amazing!) I think everyone who enjoyed this had that moment where they played "Gather My Tears" and tried to close our eyes and dissociate pretending we were going back in time like Jun Hee.

If this drama was a quote it would be: "In a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality – I'd find you and I'd always choose you."

It truly deserves an 8.5/10 and I will definitely be sure to rewatch it in the future, whenever "a time calls me."

If you read all this ILY! 🥹


Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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a masculine sensitivity.

It was Hashiguchi Ryosuke's birthday recently and it reminded me I hadn't seen one of his films before. Given he's a noteworthy filmmaker in modern Japanese queer cinema, I thought I would fix that.

Hisaguchi’s preference for long arduous shots often leaves his characters bare naked in scenes—their every motion captured raw for potentially masochistic viewers. It’s awkward, but so is being a teenager, and it’s in this way that the movie really goes for the jugular. These characters are incapable of truly being themselves—they either don’t know how to or are afraid to or both—and after a painful two-thirds of skirting around feelings, everything comes to head in the film’s stunning final act. It’s potentially some of the most captivating 30 minutes ever committed to screen, considering how hard it was to look away. Each shot finds ways to imprint itself more & more into the brain, until it's all taken away.

As an intimate exploration of sexuality—not in the physical, but in the emotional—Hisaguchi has crafted an almost surreal piece of escapism via self-actualization that still manages to resonate some 25 years later. It’s tender, brutal and honest, and kindly asks its audience to be the same. It's not for everybody, but it certainly was for me.

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I am not the type that writes reviews, but since there were none by the time I finished all the episodes, I felt I must since I really want more people watching this drama.

For the most part this is an historical drama, but don't let that throw you off. It makes valuable history enjoyable to watch. I have seen multiple shows with similar plot revolving around Japan entering the Meiji era, but none as detailed as this show was, "as expected of 50 episodes."
If you are interested in a great drama that will entertain you with historical Japanese stories this is the show for you.

Sorry for not being able to express my thoughts of the drama properly. But what I suggest is watching a few episodes and if you don't like it, then you can drop it.
I encourage more people writing a better review than mine, please.

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I've always wanted to see a real, full-blown love triangle in Korean dramas. The regular kdramas never quite satisfy my triangle-loving side. So I can say happily that Spring Days quenched my thirst for such a drama. I marathoned it like crazy finishing it in less than 3 days. In fact I am so satisfied that I'm not sure if I ever want to watch such an angst fest again in near future.

I enjoyed hating parts of this drama more than I enjoyed loving them. How ironic, I know! It had me pulling out my hair, screaming and cursing with frustration. I almost wanted to give up watching, and for some reason I couldn't. I was addicted badly to it. The characters were all crazy and nobody is normal in this drama. All their lives suck and every character suffers from deep guilt, abandonment issues, mommy issues, daddy issues and what-not. Plus, it being a melodrama had the tragic makjang also. All this craziness is what makes this drama complete. Perhaps all this seems a bit too much for me since I am not a melodrama loving person. For those who do watch melodramas, I can guess it won't be a big deal at all.

The acting done in this drama is way above than normal ones. The main leads are perfect at playing their roles. This drama does have a lot of crying in it, but some scenes have been done beautifully. Especially Ko Hyun Jung- who I've seen for the first time here was outstanding. She really knows how to pull off emotional scenes with perfection. In fact, I've not been so impressed with an actress in a Korean drama before. Jo In Sung went way overboard at times when he was crying or yelling, but at least his emotions came through to me as a viewer. Plus he's so good to look at. :D I liked the other actors too especially Han Go Eun who always plays her characters well.

As for the overall story- I thought it was good. It does have flaws and boring parts in it but it manages to be decent enough. I suppose I loved the characters most. This one is an entirely character-driven drama. I loved the fact that the characters were messed up and there was no good guy here. All characters were flawed- especially Jung Eun and Eun Sub.

Jung Eun is at first a female who has been closed off and living in a shell for years due to her sad past. Then she meets Eun Ho who helps her open up and they fall in love. She also meets his younger brother- the hot, self-centered and childish Eun Sub who also falls for her. Then you have a complicated story with brothers in love with the same woman. The only question here is who she will go to in the end.

I thought Eun Ho was perfect in the beginning but later on he sort of became redundant to me. I couldn't root for him as much as I did for Eun Sub. I didn't even love Eun Sub entirely. He was too flawed. But I have to say that Jo In Sung suited the role. Eun Sub makes for an interesting literary character who has an unhealthy, all-consuming love for the woman. Not just that, he needy and desperate for love and he shows it time and again. He was unlike other Kdrama guys that I have seen till now who usually remain closed off. Here you have a guy who shows that it isn't easy to close off once you have opened up. Apart from these characters I LOATHED their mother. She drove me crazy. She was beyond INSANE, I tell you! I didn't get why she kept beating up whichever female got close to her son. Crazy, crazy woman!

I think every person would want to root for the brother that I rooted for. He's the one who suffers like hell and also gets his deserved happy ending. In fact the ending is happy for almost every one. Sort of. That is why this is one of the best melodramas according to me. :)

This drama has an outstanding background score. I also loved the main song which they kept playing in every episode. It was simply perfect.

Since it was so tiring to watch, I will never rewatch it. Ever.

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A MASTERPIECE OF SUSPENSE, BONDS, AND RESILIENCE

This drama is more than just a supernatural tale it’s a beautifully crafted story that draws you in with its perfect blend of suspense, action, and humor. From the very first episode, the intriguing plot and seamless balance between intense moments and heartfelt character interactions keep you captivated.

One of the drama’s biggest strengths is its cast. Every actor delivered stellar performances, bringing their characters to life in a way that felt authentic and deeply moving. The group’s chemistry was undeniable, and their evolving relationships made the story all the more compelling. You could feel their struggles, triumphs, and unwavering loyalty as they joined forces to face otherworldly threats.

The humor was another standout element. The comedic moments didn’t just provide relief from the tension they also revealed the humanity of the characters and strengthened their bonds, making the emotional scenes hit even harder.

The OST (original soundtrack) was absolutely stunning. Each track perfectly complemented the mood, enhancing every scene, whether it was a high-stakes confrontation or a quiet, emotional moment. The music stayed with me long after the final episode, elevating the drama’s overall impact.

In the end, this drama wasn’t just about battling demons it was about resilience, friendship, and finding hope even in the darkest times. A thrilling, emotional, and unforgettable journey, this is a masterpiece that deserves to be experienced.

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this was one of the worst dramas i've ever had the misfortune of watching.

cee being controlling and insecure whenever kate so much as interacts with a man because she's a controlling/abusive lesbian tm and of course, kate is 100% going to cheat on her because kate is a promiscuous bisexual tm. the glaring biphobia that the show didn't bother to address, let alone correct, in the form of cee not being sure if kate wants to have a relationship with a woman because she used to date a man.

cee knew that kate wanted to have kids early on in their friendship. cee knew that kate broke up with her ex-boyfriend because he didn't want kids and she did. but for some reason (internalized homophobia that is, again, never addressed), cee thought that kate wouldn't want kids if she were dating a woman. lol. (also, cee thinking that same-gender couples can't have/raise kids because, "who would be the mom and who would be the dad??" that's a direct quote!!!)

and then came the worst plotline in the form of them both deciding that they want what the other wants!! (cee suddenly wants kids because she doesn't want to lose kate, and kate suddenly doesn't want kids because she doesn't want to lose cee.) since kate wants to get pregnant and she doesn't want to adopt because she wants the kids to be "theirs" (yet another issue but let's keep this review short), they decide that kate should have sex with a guy to get pregnant. makes total sense, right?? i wanted death at this point.

as if that wasn't bad enough, kate ends up marrying the dude and cee is her maid of honour, while clearly still being in love with her. no thanks.

tl;dr do yourself a favour and don't bother watching this.

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