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Came for the kiss scenes, stayed for the CP
Found this gem by pure chance. In the past few months, very high-end Xianxias were released that were overhyped too, but this one, many found it so suddenly! i'm glad i did. it's one of those rare Xianxias that kept me hooked from episode 1, and not a single episode was a filler imo( even though some episodes were a little rushed, and later I found out there were some things going on). not to mention the MOST beautiful kiss scenes and romantic scenes exist in this drama.Story:
Romantic Xianxia about demons, gods and fairies with a time travel flavor. That sums it up. The fantasy element is strong, yet the core of this drama is romance. as someone who loves romantic dramas, this satisfied me fully lol. The leads only have eyes for each other and there is no nonsense love triangle/3rd wheel. Even through amnesiac episodes, the couple stay faithful to each other. There are some loopholes and some things left unexplained. but there was no need to do so imo. There were no filler episodes in my opinion, and all episodes looked refreshingly interesting.
Acting:
I have been familiar with Arthur Chen since his Lighter and Princess days and been following him ever since. he is such a talent; they call him the Nepo baby, but this person indeed has the talent to shine.
Wang Ying Lu. I wasn't acquainted with her before, but she is a heartthrob and looks so cute. Hope to see her in more works.
OST:
similar to many Xianxias, there are a selection of pieces played out throughout the show and the matched the mood. i even liked the bgm music.
Production:
One of the biggest issues with xianxias are the CGI they use. this one's CGI wasn't without faults but it was ok imo. The scenery and houses they made for the drama all looked appealing.
All in all, watch it for the romance and the beautiful kiss scenes! the lovebirds in this drama can't take their hands off of each other!
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A Gritty BL Masterpiece That Deserves a Season 2 - Best BL in 2026
Wow, what a BL. This feels like the first proper China/Hong Kong BL that fully embraces a gangster and crime theme, and it is such a refreshing change from the usual school or office settings.From the moment it began, I was completely hooked. I was genuinely excited for every episode. Set in the 1980s in Kowloon Walled City, the atmosphere is incredible. The show captures how dangerous and chaotic the city feels, with crime everywhere and corruption lurking in the background. The attention to detail is impressive, and even the knife fighting scenes feel raw and realistic.
What truly carries the series are the two male leads. ChuSan is a quiet, nerdy student who dreams of escaping the chaos, while LiuYi is a powerful triad deputy leader. They are complete opposites, but their dynamic works so well. Their chemistry feels unique, with some surprisingly funny moments. Their eye contact and overall connection make their relationship very compelling.
The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is strong, and the darker tone helps it stand out from many other BL dramas.
Everything feels more cinematic and mature.
This Hong Kong/China BL is easily one of my favorites of 2026 so far.
It is very underrated and absolutely deserves more attention.
A masterpiece, and we definitely need a season 2.
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Offensive in some areas, good in others but pretty enjoyable for me
Backstreet Rookie is a tough one because it created so many controversies that I can't even count them lol. lSome were unfounded like the ones against the protagonist couple. Problematic scenes? where? They barely had any romance scenes at all so ??? Ok to some the first kiss may have been offensive to some but there's much worse in other Korean Dramas it felt like some of the audience was way too harsh on this one. The one controversy I did agree with was the Daeksil one. His character was offensive for many reasons and I admit his scenes were pretty hard to get thru esp in the beginning. I learned to ffwed thru him and enjoy the show without him in it.Now that I've gotten that out of the way I think it's easier to rate this show better on the acting, the plot and the story and the parts that I enjoyed,
The emotional parts in the drama were surprising. They were exceptionally done when they wanted to go deep into it like the differences of class in Korea(Rich vs. Poor) the bullying, the emotional strains some situations can cause on people and when people feel inferior to others. For this show being rather silly I liked how that was shown those moments touched me.
The character arcs were good too especially Saetbyul's I think her character growth was the best on this show. KYJ did a good job wiht this character too. JCW was soo good too. Loved how he portrayed that innocence, romance and sweetness of his character. Choi DaeHyun showed that he can do more than the strong, action heroes all the time. I know some of his fans didn't like this role for him but I did. Just like I liked SB for KJY. I see why they chose to do this show and IA with their choice.
The romance was pretty enjoyable, it was a slooowburn without any physical affection and although I was disappointed at first, I was satisfied with it at the end. Like I mentioned somewhere else what mattered to me in the end was if I believed the love between the characters and I did.
The OST was okay I only liked the main love song which was Something. Not much of the OST was memorable.
My Overall Rating( 9.0). I'm just gonna go with my gut, the reason I'm giving it a high rating while others may not is because I liked it. Despite it's flaws and the controversies I enjoyed watching it every weekend. I looked forward to it & it's one of my favorites of the years. I'm gonna miss it but I can always go rewatch when I feel like it XD.
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One word: BRILLIANT
Tl;dr: I highly recommend, especially if you're into the demons and magic fantasy. Amazing frames, exceptional soundtrack, incredible mood setting.As per usual, I expected something quite different, based on the teasers (I don't really read summaries, if I do, I forget what the drama is about lol). I thought it would be a great demon bewitching regular people with fever dreams, a storyline composed of multiple single stories. I do LOVE what they did with this drama.
First thing hitting me in ep. 1 were the incredible frames and environment. The huge, huge spaces of the Demon Hunting Bureau, where you feel so small because it is so huge and yet so big because it looks like inside a mini copy of a city. The gardens, the rooms, the exteriors, just wow.
The color grading of the frames. I have seen quite many c-dramas by now, but I have not seen any drama do such exceptional mood setting for each and every frame. Some parts are warm tones because they are funny or uplifting, the other parts are grey and dark because there's action and drama. Just genius work.
The soundtrack??? I'm not an OST person, but this OST really hits home for me. This is the second drama where I really like the soundtrack and can immerse into the lyrics and music. This drama has in fact my most favourite soundtrack so far. It sounds so grand, so emotional, just really, really beautiful.
The casting. I will always prefer to watch Neo Hou as a thousands years old demon/god/mythical creature in a human form. His facial features are ageless, he can make his face very soft and also very sharp. He was a fantastic casting option. From the rest of the cast, I have seen Chen Du Ling and Gulnezer Bextiyar before (I knew also Yan An and Cheng Xiao, just have not seen them in dramas before). I love that Chen Du Ling is a very strong FL here. Gulnezer Bextiyar is forever a goddess. I absolutely adore the rest of the cast too, everyone is so good in their character.
The comedy. I really did not expect this drama to have comedy, I totally expected just darkness without a glimmer of hope. The comedy element was very refreshing. Bai Jiu's screams, Ying Lei's personality, Zhu Yan's pranks, really really loved it.
I'm currently at ep. 26, we are having a little Team Crisis™ since ep. 23. I'd have preferred a smooth sailing, but I guess it would have been boring. There are twists and turns in the plot, they are never out of character. There is usually a small foreshadowing. I hope that the ending will be satisfactory to me. Even if it won't be, I think won't be mad (I'll add an ETA when I'm finished).
This is the first drama (correction: fifth) where I put a 10/10 for rewatch value. I'd rewatch it for the soundtrack and aesthetics especially and pretty much everything I wrote above.
ETA after finishing, in case anyone wanted to read it: Personally, I did not quite like the ending, because I like a certain type of endings (not going to say which because I'd spoil you). From an unbiased point of view, the ending was on brand with the title of the drama (advice: get your tissues ready). There is an extra episode after the official last episode. I think the creators could've added this extra episode within the final episode and make one more extra episode. Despite me not really liking the ending, the 10/10 rating still stands.
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This review may contain spoilers
A GOOD 1000 YEARS LOVE STORY
I have to admit I initially got discouraged from watching this drama just because of the low rating, but once i started it, i just binged all episodes non-stop in one night. IT IS THAT ENJOYABLE! If you liked "I will Knock You", chances are you will like this too. Pun may be the greenest flag character in almost all of BL.BL genre has fast evolved in the last few years - and so are the viewers. Nowadays, a lot of series without real substance gets good and high ratings even when the show isnt really deserving of it just by putting cutie cutie famous couples/stars in it or by putting a lot of shocking NSFW scenes . I will not put this one as one of the the best BL ever, but it certainly doesnt deserve to be in the low 6.
Just a quick recap. Yo is a university student who is fascinated by the extraordinary - thats why he became part of a gang of friends who are devoted UFO seekers, but deep inside his heart he knows something un-normal is happening in the world and he will discover that its not extraterrestrial in nature but something mystical. He was instantly drawn to Pun when he met him at a local eatery - was it love at first sight? Was it his mysterious demeanor? Then he adorably stalked him until Pun revealed to him what he is - a vampire! And you guessed it- this is how their love story began, and together with their friends and family they will prove that their love will conquer all odds. This just sounds about right, the end.
Eventhough the title of the series is '1000 Years Old' which pretty obviously tells us that one of the chracters is indeed an almost immortal, still the series managed to keep us guessing for the first half of the show if Pun is really what he says he is or just a weirdo who thinks he is something that he's not - after all he is not the familiar vampire we see from the lores - First, he is a poor vampire who lives in an old building. Second, he keeps saying he is burned by sunlight (SPOILER ALERT HE DOESNT) and always covers himself up fully and uses an umbrella . He is also not afraid of crucifixes, and he doesnt get burned by Holy Water. He aslo sleeps at night( not before the sun rises and in a coffin-like bed in a messy living room because the bedroom is his cat's room) Lastly and most importantly, he is not afraid of garlic and he also doesnt eat anything besides cooked Pork Blood Soup. He is weird but you just cant hate this guy!
One of the funny highlights for me was when he was trying to prove to Yo that he is a vampire and jumped off the building's rooftop!
Also, even if early in the series they showed a few flashback scenes from Pun's past, and even with the presence of another mysterious and scary character SoomChai - just like Yo, we as viewers still end up questioning whether he is really a true blooded bloodsucking immortal or was he just delusional?
While trying to hide the reality of Pun's true identity, the first half of the show felt like we were watching a Thai version of the Korean series "Start-up" when Pun and Yo and their newly formed gang were so focused on trying to make their food business succeed. The antics are so corny but you also cant help root for them!
It was around the later episodes when the truth was confirmed - that Pun is an alien.
Ok, he isnt an alien, but a real Vampire. The limited screentime of SoomChai is both annoying and effective - I would have loved to be bitten by that actor just like Shin. And as much as i hate it and just like a lot of other BL shows that create an annoying female character to be a villain, Janja's (she does look like a vampire seductress even without the fangs) presence is important in establishing the connection between Pun and Yo and the truth about their long history and past lives to make their love story seem more epic in scale and not just spur of the moment.
Let me also say that despite the many things that I enjoyed about the series it is not without shortcomings. First, for almost the entirety of the series nothing physical happens between the Pun and Yo (only a mild hint of a kiss) which is almost unbelievable. Second, I hate that the YOU.F.O and the gang were sidelined as if they never existed entirely when they were the group that opened the show. Third, the cluelessness of Pun's character to the current technologies is just unbearable and incredibly stupid (even if it was intentional to misdirect us about his true identity) like walking to mall, no idea how to get to point 1 to point 2, really? Fourth, Yo's contninuous denial about his feelings and Pun's intention to him is eyerolling.
Id like to end by saying that the final scene of Pun and Yo is genius but also both tragic and conflicting. While it was implied that they had a happy ending and they get to at least spend a really long time together in this lifetime, Yo's passing under the sunset is just so heartbreaking and it made me cry.
Overall its a 8.5 for me. Great leads and support with good direction , very rewatchable too.
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I love Lee Seung Gi's smile, and it is in this drama that I have heard of him for the first time. I loved the music they played in the drama and all the different themes for the main characters.
No Min Woo looked amazingly HOT as always! I felt really bad for his character. I think that both of the male leads had done really well, and I could tell how much No Min Woo's character wanted the Gumiho to go with him. The Gumiho played by Shin Min Ah, done a fantastic job. Applause for her.
Everyone in the drama were either really cute, really HOT, or really really funny. I cried while watching some bits. I will not tell you the summary because I don't want to ruin it for you, but I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. You just HAVE to watch this, LOL :P
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happy ending?
gap the series is very good and the characterization by the actor is very good andvery animating the actor is very good at expressing expressions and animating the
characters in gap yuri and sam mon are very
suitable to be partners they are very romantic
and animating and there is a very good ending too which is funny, sad and romantic and I hope
this gap the series series is a success and
hopefully Freenbecky returns to play his role together again
very good series gap yuri😀
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I appreciate the attempt, I question the presentation.
I’m not sure how I feel about this drama. Being romance driven, I cared about romance the least. While I loved the gradual healing on Uea’s side, I do believe the level of trauma this child had to face in such a short period of time (screen time wise) made it a bit ridiculous for me. By the 3rd toxic person in his life I just started to laugh… And it’s not like this scenario is completely unrealistic - many people who were victims become victims more than once. That said, the way they presented it with lack of good spacing in time and pace, I just could not take it seriously. The presentation was just lacking too much.I also could not get on board with how Uea treated King a few times closer to the end. Everything that happened at first is understandable - miscommunication happens, especially if you don’t trust the person yet. At some point though, it felt more like Uea testing King for no other reason than enjoying watching King plead. Even that would not bother me if they established it’s something King is into, but they did not. So it seemed like a mind game when King had to constantly prove how much he loves and respects Uea to the point of asking before he can touch him (and I don’t mean in a sexual way, I mean literally any way) and being denied by Uea with a smirk on his face. That’s when I started to think - maybe Uea is truly completely not ready to be in a healthy relationship and needs to book a visit to a therapist first. It’s not like it happened a lot, but enough for me to feel a bit uncomfortable.
While I loved King, I also find him painfully underdeveloped and one dimensional. Net did a great job with acting, but the writing of the character itself was empty.
As for the nsfw scenes - let’s say I’m glad I watched the cut version, because even that was a level of cringe I could barely handle. Most of the bed scenes made me laugh, some skipped completely.
Acting was decent - big props to all the villains, perfect presentation that made me hate them with a passion. Net did great with some vulnerable scenes, but James sadly does not have enough skills yet to truly deliver the pain and suffering Uea as a character was internally going through.
Production was okay. Lately a lot of BLs are truly overdoing it with the blur filter on actors faces making them look like Barbie dolls - ain’t fan of that. Last episode was more like a bonus than the continuation of the plot - everything was concluded and there was nothing left to add. Personally, I was kind of bored watching it.
Overall… I don’t know. I kind of enjoyed it? It led to a few interesting conversations I had with folks on mdl, but I find it sad that most complex ideas came from the community and not the show itself. A lot of things were truly basic and simplistic, and by now I think we can expect a bit more nuance from the genre.
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I started watching this drama because a friend had told me so much about it. She knew I was a sucker for romance, and thought I'd enjoy this drama.
The music was mesmerizing, and fantasically helps display the different emotions portrayed in the drama. The cast was perfect. The two leading roles had sizzling chemistry. :D
The plot was very interesting. It kept me watching episode by episode...I didn't skip any parts!!
I especially loved how the plot of this super amazing drama makes the viewers think if there is a "fated" or "destined" person out in the world for them (if you watch the drama, you'll understand what I mean).
I honestly recommend this drama for viewers who are looking for a romantic, historical-modern, and comedic drama. Or, for viewers who are looking for dramas that could help the time past. This is also the perfect drama to cry and laugh to.
Also, in terms of the rewatch value, I gave it a 10, because the drama captures so much detail. The filiming was beautifully captured. :)
"The Rooftop Prince" is definitely one of my favourite dramas ever!! I finished this drama in three days. That's how great this is!
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For me Doctor Stranger was a drama which began strong but, then suddenly got messed as episodes went by. I don't blame the director. I don't blame the actors. I blame the writer.
There is only one way to explain why I'm thinking the way I do today.
My episode guide on how I felt through each episode:
EP1: Excited! I was even reminded a little bit of City Hunter. 10/10
EP2: This is fast-past! So much happening all at once. Loving this so far!! 10/10
EP3: So much fun! Every character...especially Park Hoon is so enjoyable to watch! 10/10
EP4: This keeps engrossing me the entire time...every second. 10/10
EP5: "I don't get it! What does she/insert character name here want?" 9.5/10
EP6: I still don't understand. 0_0 9/10
EP7: This episode was very mellow....no climax. 8.5/10
Pause for a second reader. Do you notice something? Ok well let's continue on.
EP8: "What are you doing Park Hoon!?" "What are you doing!" 8.5/10
EP9: First half of episode: Intense. Second half of episode: Boring. These characters are confusing me but I don't want to drop it because of the first four episodes. 7/10
EP10: "Is this even the same show anymore?" "I'm really disappointed..." 5/10
This was the part were I put the show on-hold and waited.
Yep. It took a long time and a lot of convincing to make me come back but I did.
By this point I was two weeks behind in watching Doctor Stranger. So I skip-watched and I am not afraid to say it.
EP11: Ok. It was ok but that's it. 6/10
EP12: "Yea!!! Jae Joon!" I had found one character that I actually respected and liked. 7/10
EP13: The show is trying to get back on it's feet. Good. 7/10
EP14: Thank god for the medical excitement...or I would never have been able to make it through this episode. 6/10
EP15: This love triangle is annoying. I want more action. 6/10
I'm going to skip some of the episodes because really they aren't worth explaining.
EP19: 5/10
EP20: Honestly by episode 20 it didn't matter what the ending would be. I wasn't going to like it. Why you may ask? It's because I knew the story was already ruined and the only way the writer could fix the mess he made was having a ending which wouldn't make sense. I know it's a he because I looked up who wrote this rubbish. Just for everyone to know. His name is: PARK JIN-WOO. Remember the name because he is the one to blame. 1/10.
Just a heads up. You may want a coffee break or something because this is a long review. You may also want to watch other dramas or maybe get some lunch. ^^
So here is the big question of the day. Do you want to watch it? Do you? I mean your probably thinking LJS was so great in "I Hear your Voice" so this should definitely be worth it or Kang So Ra was the best in "Ugly Alert" and she probably will be awesome here too. DO NOT LOOK AT THE CAST. IT'S A GREAT CAST BUT THE WRITER CAN NOT BE TRUSTED. This drama will ruin how you feel about the cast.
The lower your expectations are the more you will enjoy it and that's a fact.
That might be a good reason why the reviews are so different.
Ok enough about that. On to what everyone wants to know. How is the music?! Doesn't everyone like a good OST? Well your in luck! Here is one of my favorite OST's from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QusjP1V7qo
This was basically all I listened to for about two weeks. "Saraghae. Saranghae.....I'm just a stranger without you, my love....Ohhhhhhmmmmm."
Ok. Finally.
Should you watch it?
If you want to. I'm not going to say don't watch it because that's pointless. I mean you really want my opinion? No. Don't.
To those who may disagree with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw
Sorry!
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Will You ‘ Cha Cha Cha’ into watching this drama?
Aside from its questionable title ‘ Hometown Cha Cha Cha’ is a remake of the rom-com’ Mr. Hong’ (2004) updated and directed by Yoo Je-won, the same director behind dramas such as ‘Oh My Ghostess’ and ‘Tomorrow With You’. The storyline isn’t labyrinthine . Cha-Cha-Cha is a straightforward rom-com ( taken from the original movie) of “ city girl moves back to the sticks and falls in love”. However this boils down to the ultimate question for newcomers thinking of picking the series up; “is ‘ Hometown Cha Cha Cha’ actually worth watching? “
Arguably the drama does a really good job at subverting certain cliches and stereotypes beyond the expectations of viewers . Whilst the villagers are sometimes used for stock comedy , they are often more than just filler characters also. Many of them have their own problems which are revealed as the series progresses. For example Oh Cheon-jae (Jo Han-chul) is a cafe owner and a washed-up one hit wonder who despite often ending up as the butt end of the joke, has a more sensitive side by desperately yearning to return back to his brief glory days. There was something oddly heartfelt about each episode taking a moment away in order to focus upon side characters such as the village grandmas who main heroine Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah ) encounters in this small seaside town.
On the other hand this brings us onto one of the biggest elephants in the room surrounding our main female lead Hye Jin. Actress Shin Min Ah is decent enough here. On the other hand her onscreen persona Hye Jin is trickier to address. Hye-Jin is the epitome of the “ carte blanche female lead”; a character who has some necessary plot-driven angst, sweetness and backstory, but rarely has more definitive depth, emotions and realistic flaws.
Adding to the issue of Hye-Jin’s character arc is that whilst she does have “flaws” they’re never really pointed out by director Je-Won more directly . This is because Je-Won tries too hard to present Hye-Jin as a “ loveable and perfect” female heroine without considering that perfection can often be flawed . Of course our MC does have her sob story and angst-ridden moments later on in the series but these scenes rarely enforced more powerful emotions onto viewers as there was little to make Hye-Jin grow or learn from her past mistakes . This was case and point when others such as male lead and main love interest Du Sik( Kim Seon Ho) pointed out Hye-Jin’s mistakes at times as arrogant or rude, the drama rarely gave her the chance to grow or explain herself without either turning the blame on Du Sik for interfering, making Hye-Jin burst into tears or failing to accept her own mistakes sincerely . The problem with Hye Jin is that her character arc runs on pure plot device steam than actual character writing- we never find out what really drives Hye Jin either through her current flaws addressed, her career and future goals ( rather than mere romance) or for the sake of plot.
This moves us onto main lead Du Sik. Similar to costar Shin Min Ah, Kim Seon Ho was delightful as dexterous “all-round-ace” Du Sik- adding his own sweet charm to a character with a surprising amount of profoundness . He’s an extrovert, incredibly talented at everything and good-natured but also shares his own personal troubles as well. On the other hand whilst later episode scenes relished in tackling Du Sik’s past, this did feel slightly rushed than well-paced. We do see Du Sik’s problems build-up in early scenes and it was surprisingly refreshing to see vulnerability against a seemingly “ strong” character such as Du Sik.
Consequently it felt as though the drama could’ve done more to have built-up dramatic tension around Du Sik’s past and character arc. Whilst it is used to present drama and a spanner in the works with his relationship with Hye Jin, it was evidently used to add some tension and dramatic dilemmas rather than feeling gradually built up or allowing to present the profound connection between our leads more sincerely.
This of course leads us to discussing about the romantic setup between our leads which is (unsurprisingly)a rocky road. On a positive note it was heartwarming to see their feelings blossom . Even from the first episode the route of potential romance between our main characters was obvious. Bland chemistry in early episodes was ignited by more cutesy interactions as episodes progressed as well as fire added to the flames with dramatic tension keeping the ball game going between the two characters.
Similar to his previous works, Yoo Je-Won adds his own personal touch of oozy sweetness to the overall production. Pohang City in the province of North Gyeongsang in South Korea sets the perfect location for the fictional Gongjin village. The blue horizons of clear skies and crystal waters, provided an idealistic escape throughout the series.Vivid cinematography accentuates scenes alongside bright lighting, whilst more slapstick comedy from the original movie is replaced by a few farce scenes in order to focus upon more meaningful scenes between its main characters. The ending offers a more bittersweet note for viewers with an ending that was sweet but admittedly expected.
‘ Hometown Cha Cha Cha’ is the epitome of a rudimentary sweet sugary ice cream treat- cutesy fluff and with its own bittersweet edge at times, but it could easily melt under the pressure of its own plot build-up and dramatic tension. Overall it is really dependent on what you’re looking for in a drama- a quick, easy and back-burner romance setup ( which you’ve probably seen a million times already) in order to pass the time? Then definitely.
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This review may contain spoilers
Lackluster and Ultimately Disappointing Series With Cowardly Characters!
By the time you reach the last few episodes, the series becomes like a plate of mushy carrots. You choke them down just to get through them, so you can move on to something better.I’m going to start this review by saying that Shin Hye Sun is one of my favorite actresses, and I started watching this series because I saw that she was in it. However, I will say that this is the worst series that I’ve seen with her. It’s not her fault, however. As always, she gives an illustrious performance, given the lackluster and convoluted story and a very unappealing character in Cho Sam Dal.
The series is pretty solid through about the first eight episodes or so, but then it’s all downhill from there. No, it’s actually more like dropping off a cliff because the lack of story, quality, and direction, are suddenly nowhere to be found.
Cho Samdal is a prominent photographer, rising to near the top of stardom as one of the most sought-after photographers in the business. She photographs model and celebrities. Her protégé torpedoes Samdal’s career, forcing her to retreat to Jeju Island, where she is from. She hates the island, viewing it as a primitive locale where no one can possibly succeed in anything. What we end up having is a character who whines, drinks, and cries—often in that order too! At heart, she’s a true coward and unable to deal with her thoughts, feelings, or desires as well as her inability to stand up for herself. There is very little that is actually appealing about Cho Samdal.
Cho Young-Pil is a weather man based on Jeju Island and Samdal’s former boyfriend. Young-Pil is a man dealing with the tragic death of his mother—a haenyeo diver (women who dive for mollusks and other sea life) eight years prior. At the start, all we know is that Young-Pil and Samdal broke up, leaving the viewer to question why the breakup occurred as well as who instigated it. We find that one of the most cowardly characters of the entire series is Sang Tae, Young-Pil’s father.
A drowning man will always try to pull someone down, and Sang Tae is the spitting image of a man so lost within his own grief, that he sabotages Young-Pil and Samdal’s relationship. He holds Samdal’s mother responsible for the death of his wife, despite the two women being the best of friends. What is sad is that Young-Pil never really confronts his father about his irrational and self-destructive behavior. Even when Sang-Tae is verbally abusing Samdal, Young-Pil simply stands there without offering any defense or attempt to pacify. Sang Tae is a man who can’t see anything beyond his own pain, which literally mars and threatens to destroy the true memory and love of his wife. However, nobody bothers to even bring up this point with him. He spends his time drinking and sulking. The ultimate coward is the one who won’t let go.
In the midst of this, Go Mi-ja (Samdal’s mother) is suffering from a heart condition, which we might well connect with her own grief and guilt. I found her character the most appealing, and I wished the story had focused more on her and the friendship she shared with Young-Pil’s mother.
One side-story that was also far more appealing than the main one, involved Hae Dal Cho, the youngest sister and widow of Samdal. Her interactions with Ji Chan—a dolphin expert—were sweet and far sweeter than anything between Samdal and Young-Pil. I would have preferred a story surrounding her than Samdal.
By the end of the series, we have a cast of characters who are largely cowards at heart. Samdal is unable to deal with her past or even truly fight for her future. Doormats are only appealing because you can wipe your feet on them, and yet Samdal allows her protégé to use her as one three times throughout the course of the story. Samdal only wags her finger at her protégé, which does absolutely nothing. And I’m not entirely sure why Samdal would allow her ex-boyfriend to work with her after he betrayed her. So many things in this series made absolutely no sense at all.
It's sad how everyone believes that a “better life” must be in Seoul rather than in Jeju. I would have preferred seeing everyone make a success in Jeju, rather than treating it as the hindquarters of Korea where success goes to die. Who said you have to go to a big city in order to be successful? Not only is this deluded thinking, it’s also untrue. Samdal only succeeds in revealing her level of immaturity by how much disdain she has for her hometown.
Also, are you seriously going to tell me that someone with her wealth and notoriety doesn't have an attorney on retainer?! That was about the most ridiculous thing of this series as if the writer had no clue!
The writer and director clearly had no idea where to take the story, and we have everything magically being resolved within the last few episodes without any viable explanation. Samdal doesn’t bail herself out. Everyone else does it for her, leaving the viewer to realize that she’s still never grown up or known how to take care of herself. True strength isn’t as much about helping someone out of trouble as it is about helping them figure out how to get themselves out of trouble! The story would have been far better served had they chosen that road.
Despite having some truly hilarious moments—especially the seaweed fight—Samdal is just a very annoying and largely unlikable character. She acts like a 14-year-old child most of the time. She gets angry with Young-Pil over the smallest things. She peeks at him through her bedroom window, and then gets angry when he confesses his feelings for her. She then runs off like a scared child and barricades herself in a shed because she can’t deal with any challenges or forms of confrontation. She’s about as big of a coward as you will ever find! I also lost count of how many times she hits Young-Pil. It was supposed to be humorous, but by the tenth or eleventh blow, it just becomes silly and tiresome.
Given the great cast and acting performances that this series had, it’s a real shame that it was all wasted on this unappealing story, which lacked both charm and sophistication.
I went back and watched “Our Beloved Summer” again just to get the bad taste of this series out of my mouth. I wanted to revisit a series that was well written with smart, likeable characters, because this series just doesn’t have either one. “Welcome to Samdal Ri”? More like, stay away!
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the OTP's chemistry is totally off the charts! their acting, spot-on! i can feel their pain, their frustrations, their happiness, their emotions.
the only reason i put an 8 for rewatch value instead of a 9 or 10 is because i rarely rewatch dramas that i've seen. but i wouldn't be surprised if i catch myself taking another peek at an episode or a scene from this drama in the foreseeable future.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's a masterpiece!
------------ Spoiler-free part --------------First of all, let's all agree that the title of this series is terrible. There are many series to watch, and I skipped this one simply because of the feeling of "another way too cheesy drama" the title gave me. I was wrong.
The plot twists and turns until the very end, the acting is excellent, and the production is superb!
Most importantly, we've finally got a series that talks about many LGBTQ+ issues openly and explicitly. No more this "I don't like men, I just like him" BS! I couldn't bear to watch another series where being gay is something to be ashamed of and, therefore, protagonists are wiggling out of confirming their sexuality. Contrary to that, this series probably has the highest number of times the word "gay" is pronounced in the history of the Thai BL industry. And it definitely has the highest number of moments where "gay" is used as a self-description.
------------ MAJOR SPOILERS! ---------------
Here are some thoughts and my opinion about the ending. A lot of people didn't like it, and I get that. But what other options were there? Let's say Tarn gets out of the coma, and Nut remains human. Now what? Tarn, whose love literally gave life to Tofu and saved Nut and his dysfunctional family, remains alone, watching Nut and Tofu living happily ever after from a sideline??? Is that fair? And how would Tofu live knowing that about Tarn and not being able to talk about it to Nut ever? Do you think Tofu could possibly be happy??? I don't think so. Therefore, IMHO, the ending IS the best possible outcome.
Now, here's a message to those heterosexual ladies who love watching BL and are very disappointed in this one. I understand that this entire industry was created for you, but gays are not inflatable dolls that exist solely for your entertainment. Thailand is a pretty homophobic country, if you haven't noticed. And when you are "sinking" such a series, sending a message to the Thai BL industry to say that you are only interested in fluffy fairy tales, you are stealing voice from people who are suffering. This series was supposed to be an unrealistic fairy tale but somehow ended up portraying an actual real-life gay and his life in the most realistic way. If you don't like how the series ends, make sure that the described abuse and violence don't happen in your family and society.
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