Reviews

There is NOTHING to hate.

UPDATED REVIEW:
- perfect pacing, no boring scenes
- literally will make you feel satisfied, anxious, happy, giggly, scared, you also WILL cry on the last episodes.
- warning, you WILL get attached to the characters
- music was 10/10
- character development was top notch for ALL the characters
- main villain got her ass kicked (very very satisfying)
- a MUST WATCHHH 10/10



OLD Review after watching 5/10 eps

at first I gave this drama an 8.5 but then I sat down and really thought about it and realised that there is actually NOTHING I don’t like.

Side note: MYEONG Ja Eun is the most adorable pookie pie to ever pookie I just love her so much and the actress needs more roles!!

1. All the actresses are really good. This drama is the debut of Shin Seulki & Jang Daah and they are BOTH SO GOOD! Not to compare but if you look at the actress in the impossible heir, it’s her debut drama but she is terrible and everyone agrees. Seulki and Daah both show how it’s possible to act well in your debut drama.

2. The plot is really good.Definitely keeps you on your toes wondering what our female lead and the villain Jan Daah will do next.

3. Everything is just executed so well. The Ost fits the scenes, it’s very well written.

4. It’s very well paced and there is not a single boring part. I usually watch my dramas in 1.25x or 1.5x speed but not this one, I didn’t even use the 10x much.

Overall: there is a nothing to hate about the drama. It is very satisfying whenever our female lead has the upper hand and gets your heart pumping whenever she’s “losing”. It is worth your watch, no disappointment here!

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From a cold general to one who loves and cares for his wife, and their encounters

For ancient drama I give this a solid ten ! First all of it wasn't draggy at all , despite it being 30 episode.

Storyline- The daughter of the Shen family has to marry a general far away. This general is heard to be ruthless in battle, giving him the nickname Devil. The female lead ends up going in her sister place, because her sister didnt want to marry a ruthless monster. Female lead didn't want her mother to suffer so she accepted the marriage. On the way, she is met with some other tribe people, the male lead ends up saving her( she didnt know who he was atm) She and her maid makes their way to the general's house. From getting to knowing the general, to being with him on the training ground their relationship grows and blossoms.

Romance- This one had quite a lot of kissing. They are a pretty cute couple. They have good passion. It's really cute to see their love develop for one another. It is most definite that the male lead loves the female lead a lot and is very patient with her. She can be over bearing somethings but the male lead still supports her. Their kisses gets better as their relationship blossoms, which is very cute. Its quite natural, like a everyday couple. Their relationship has it ups and down.

Reason why this drama is good
Wasn't too heavily focused on one specific topic. The underlying story was the general wanted to investigate what happen to the 8th king's family. Others included the female lead and male lead in their training ground, when she goes back home to live, finding her old friend, starting up her own business and some more.

Starts off with a bang, already have a kissing scene in ep 4 lol

Male lead and female lead's love for one another.

Some things that i didnt care for
- ugh hated with a passion her two annoying sisters! same dad different mom. They were quite annoying , but its very limited. I cant stand those drama who has a lot of the evil people getting their ways.

This drama surpassed my expectation. I loved it!

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I literally made an account just to give this a bad review. The first ten episodes are pretty standard, but there is a plot twist in episode 11 that is so freaking disturbing that it ruins the show. The male lead is literally a textbook abusive husband except that he never actually hits her (though he does physically restrain her and drag her around to the point that she is crying and bites him to try to make him let go because he won't listen to her). He financial controls her, manipulates and lies to her about huge life events with no concern for her feelings, he stalks her, and even locks her in their house and won't let her leave. All the while he is professing his love and saying its for her own good and that he wouldn't change his behavior because it brought them together. Even after she makes her feelings perfectly clear, that she needs space and respect and doesn't want him to interfere with her life, he continues his behavior behind her back! He's literally insane. I cheered when she left him because she was escaping an abusive relationship, yet for some unknown reason the writers make her forgive him and they end up together. I'm actually disgusted. For a second I thought it was going to tun into a thriller where she has to escape him and try to put her life together while he stalks her and gets crazier and crazier. It's just horrible. I wish I could give it 0 stars.

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Just finished this AWESOME drama!! The feelings are still here. I can;t even count how much tears was produced due to this drama. This is definitely a must watch drama. Although some parts of the case may be pretty graphic (according to me) it was still good. This drama definitely wouldn't be how it is without those scenes.

Story: This is by the best story line I have ever seen. All the actors are perfect. I felt their pain, their happiness, their frustrations, everything. This drama made me smile, laugh, and cry. Nothing can explain the feelings I had while waiting every week for new episodes.
The writer did such a good job at keeping the suspense always there. The fact that the story has many questions left to answer and is kept for the audience to decipher on what they want to happen is so breathtakingly beautiful. Its just so amazing that the writer and director was able to mesh all that and bring this wonderful work. This drama is definitely by far one of the best detective dramas, or drama overall.

Actors: I love the actors. Every one of them meshed into their character so well, I couldn't even tell they were acting. The child actors just hit my heart so so bad, especially the famous omelet scene. Gotta give it to the boy, I cried so much watching that scene. After this drama, I am definitely having an ahjussi-crush on Jo Jin Woong. The mains of this drama was just the best ones the directors could have gotten. I can't even imagine any one else playing their characters. Kim Hye-soo was also superb. Her acting during the shock scene was just...no words possible. Last but not least, Le Je Hoon was not just eye candy. The emotions he showed touched my heart soo much. I fell for him even more after this drama. Overall, the actors and actresses were TERRIFIC. I wished this drama never ends.

Music: Love the OST. Been jamming with it every day. It's definitely going to be on repeat to relinquish my withdrawals from this drama.

So many questions are left after I finished this drama... Despite that fact, this is still a must watch drama!

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Don't believe hate reviews. This is a delightful rom-com

I see haters are already at work trying to smear this drama. Not just here, I'm seeing hate videos on Youtube too. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more rampant in the world of Chinese dramas where producers are blackmailed into paying up, otherwise their dramas would be defamed on social media. Apparently, the producer of this drama did not give in to blackmail, thus flaws were invented or flaws that are common in cdramas and are largely ignored were exaggerated with this drama. The attacks got propagated to other sites by so-called water armies and picked up and further spread by anti-fans of the stars or their pairing, Innocent viewers got swept up in the frenzy and got swayed by the smear campaign.

But please don't let haters keep you from enjoying this delightful rom-com.

Only For Love stars Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi, a beautiful, cute, smart, bubbly but rather quirky reporter of a finance magazine. Dylan Wang co-stars as Shi Yan, a hotshot mysterious young CEO who requests to be interviewed by Shuyi to publicize the vision of his venture capital company to help startups get off the ground. Shuyi has just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with a girl she mistook for Shi Yan's niece. Her boyfriend breaks up with her for the girl who promised to help him with his career. With her pride shaken, Shuyi decides to flirt with Shi Yan, seemingly to get back at her ex-boyfriend and to allow her to conduct a series of interviews with the much sought after bachelor CEO. Their constant meetings lead to romance. But what would Shi Yan feel when he knows the truth about Shuyi's reasons for pursuing him?

Shuyi is not the usual type of female lead in Chinese dramas. She is brilliant when it comes to work. But outside of it, she is somewhat clueless. Self-centered and shameless too. Her clumsy pursuit of Shi Yan is hilarious, showing how out of character she is at playing a seductress. But is it all play-acting? Might this seductress have fallen in love with her prey?

Shi Yan is being hailed on social media as the Chinese Mr. Darcy with his reserved and stoic demeanor as well as the dashing figure he cuts especially in a riding outfit. But he's also got a charm all his own. When he smirks at Shu Yi's clumsy attempts at seduction or when he looks at her with all the affection and sexual tension he oftentimes has a hard time keeping under wraps, your heart wouldn't be able to help dancing with excitement.

There might be some cultural challenges that could impact a non-Chinese viewer's understanding of the drama. For example, the joke about the cake in Shi Yan's uncle's dinner feast started with Shuyi mischievously texting "making love' to her ex-boyfriend's query about what she was doing. But when she noticed Shi Yan watching her composing the text, she changed her text to "making cake". The misunderstanding arose due to some texts not being subtitled. In addition, it seems "eat cake" has some sexual connotation in Chinese culture. So if you don't understand something in the story, try to join social media discussions and ask away.

All in all, this drama is pleasing to the eye and is quite entertaining. It starts off lighthearted but the characters turn out to be more than typical rom-com characters. These are multi-dimensional characters who are not all good but also not all bad. In short, they are human. Dissecting the characters and what makes them tick is fundamental to enjoying this delightful drama.

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I’ve never written a review before but I’ve been so invested in this drama I just had to write one to show people my perspective.
Now I’ve always loved the HIStory series, and there’s no different with this one. I must say, this one is my favourite of them all simply because of the realism of it all, it’s a simple storyline of enemies to lovers set in a high school surrounding, but, it’s also so much more than that.

I didn’t really care for the side couple as much as I did whilst watching Trapped but I’m honestly very tired of the age gaps in BLs. However, despite this, their story was beautiful and you get to see a realistic couple and their struggles. However, in this review, I will mostly talk about the main couple, Haoting and Xigu. (or xianggu lmao)

Without spoiling anything, the story has a very nice pace, it never felt too rushed nor too slow, and you could really tell how the characters were evolving throughout the series. Haoting being really aggressive in the beginning as he thought Xigu was flirting with his girlfriend to later realise he has feelings for him might be cheesy but I also think that it’s charming, not every LGBTQ series has to go deep about social norms, the gays also deserve a cheesy romance like this one. Just a big guy being head over heels a boy who is the polar opposite of himself and doing everything to get him to like him back. This premise is often a very grey area as consent often is forgotten in BLs and with an aggressive main lead I was very worried he might overstep his boundaries but the way Haoting tries to get Xigu to like him is so different from what I first thought and I was surprised by him many times. We get to see how love can change a person and I think that’s beautiful and although Haoting is aggressive he is always respectful and always wanting the best for the people around him. He makes mistakes but you can really tell that he knows when he’s in the wrong and does everything to make up for it even though he even might hurt himself in the process. (Also wanna talk about how much I love their entire friend group!! Precious!)

I keep seeing people complain about this series focusing too much on sex but remember that they’re in high school so it’s completely normal to think about that sort of stuff when you’re that age + I wouldn’t say it’s focused on sex all that much. The scenes that DO focus on it are so well thought out, meaning the cinematography is amazing, passion, intensity, build-up and climax, it all just made me sit in awe and I really want to applaud everyone who created it. They never fetishize gay people like BLs tend to do as they want to appeal to fujoshis and I appreciate that, they make it all feel so realistic and that might not be super interesting to some but it’s perfect for me.

Now the acting, one word. Amazing. You could feel every single emotion of the characters, despite most of the actors being inexperienced in acting. You could feel the love, the confusion, the sadness, happiness, everything. When the character was in pain my heart hurt too because the way it all was displayed really just made me feel as if I was right there with them, experiencing the struggles myself and that is very powerful.

Although not a lot of songs, the ones that you hear fit perfectly, it never felt out of place or awkward to watch any scenes as the music fit very nicely. The intro is also probably my favourite HIStory intro of all time and the outro is also very very nice to listen to after you sit and stare into the void after finishing every episode lmao.

I have so much to say about this incredible drama but I will never be able to put those feelings into words I just hope you watch it and get to experience it by yourself.

Onto the only negative with this drama, the ending… Don’t worry there aren’t any spoilers here!!
Well going from the best drama ever to a horrible ending, uh I truly do not know what to say about this ending. It felt so out of place and with all the characters so different it just didn’t sit right with me, I truly feel like this ending could be from an entirely different show. It was so sudden and just felt like they didn’t know how to end it which is very disappointing. Watching the preview for the last episode I never would’ve imagined it would end like this and despite the characters not feeling like they used to I cried like a baby, I probably cried throughout the entire 55-minute episode… I can myself think of at least 10 different endings that would fit better with the characters and tie the plot up nicely, it just feels like they threw away all of the work they put into the series right in the last moment which is just so sad.

I will definitely rewatch this but I’ll probably skip the last episode…

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A MASTERPIECE FOREVER

If you are a c-drama lover Do Not Miss this series highly recommended it is simply a masterpiece the story of yanpoyue from an arrogant highlyselfconfident army boy who thinks that he is and has to be the best bcz he has to rely only on himself in his life and doesnt know the importance of his comrades to a mature soldier who eventually becomes down to earth understands the meaning of teamwork and learned to value his comrades the character development of yanpoyue is great
This drama has shown every aspect of a soldier's life with a great perfection and detail
This is package full of:- bromance courage,selfconfidence,teamwork, hardwork,passion,motivation and many more amazing life lessons are conveyed very well through this drama
Yang yang has given his 1000% for this drama the hardwork he has put in for his dream role is really commendable
All the actor and supporting actor did a fantastic job in giving justice to thier roles i got connected to every character of this drama
One of the best work of yang yang so far and the best military drama till date
This drama does'nt have and does'nt need any romance its bromance love respect care for the comrades is more than enough to make people connect and fall in love with this drama
This One is surely one of my Forever favourite

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I'll do something new in my experience: keep my review short. I'm not sure this drama can be described in words, and the reasons to like it are very subjective. For me, watching this drama was a little like reading a novel by Kurt Vonnegut.

Q10 is surreal, poetic, highly amusing, thought-provoking and surprising . It's brilliantly acted too, which adds to its delicious oddity. It doesn't have even one unpleasant character: they are all very weird and very human, at times histerically hilarious and at others wonderfully deep.

I'm not sure whom I would recommend this drama to; however, I'm certain it won't do for those looking for a rom-com, for an uncomplicated plot, for simple entertainment, for shine or for glamour. The one and only requisite to approach it, is to do so with an open mind. If you believe that people have each their own sound, that calling for help loud enough will make somebody come to the rescue, that death is just a way of thinking and that you achieve a goal because you want and not because you can, then "kiuto" is for you.

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Soulful & Healing

This drama is probably not for everyone. It's more than just a kdrama that's why it doesn't apply to a global audience. But it gives heart to those who can relate to having had mental health issues, to those having someone close to them suffering from it or those who're interested in the subject from a scientific point of view. More than just stories about the patients, we also get to see the healing process; even simple anger management exercises feels like they could be easily implemented by anyone else. Those scenes are rather long at times and that's why I suspect they are there for that purpose, for that second purpose which might not be applied to everyone but could possibly help someone in need.

It's a beautiful series.

There has been a few dramas that broach the topic but compared to some extraordinary or rare diseases I feel like the way this drama is approaching the subject is hitting closer to home. Anxiety, delusion, anger issues, depression, eating disorders; fighting to stay clear minded despite facing challenges in a society that expects us to always be ready and on their feet is a common issue that isn't talked about enough. Compared to other dramas where mental health issue is either the main focus on the story or is a background feature of a character, something that the character can make use of or hide, here we see ordinary, working people that can't hide away from it because it shows in their daily life. We get to see how they struggle to overcome, frankly, themselves, and how hard it is to do so when society doesn't take you or your mental health seriously.

If that didn't convince you to give this drama a chance... let me ask you this then. Have you ever felt burdened by the things happening in your life? Have you ever felt it was unfair how many bad things kept happening around you? Well, this drama not only answers from the perspective of those that are lost and deeply wounded by this but also from those that keep fighting through it. And unlike the usual kdrama trope where the main leads are suffering from painful memories and keep on a straight face, here we see main characters that are suffering, who are not okay, but they keep searching for that light with all their might.

"Whatever your illness may be, don't struggle alone. If you can overcome it on your own, it's not an illness."

This drama is giving me so many emotions. I love how Han Woo Joo can see right through the ML. She just 'gets' him. It's an entertaining dynamic. They're a pair of dorks, and at their best, they just work together. It's interesting to watch them because we're not only being told that they like each other, but ultimately we can see it and judge for ourselves. They are two wounded souls, and sometimes it can be rather scary to see their vulnerable sides so out in the open but ultimately they're people that need each other and are able to help each other heal. As long as one doesn't give up, we can continue to move forward. An additional bonus is that this drama skipped on a lot (if not all) the usual, annoying, repetitive kdrama cliches regarding romance while staying true to the main storyline and keept us entertained with continuous character development.

Jung So Min is an extraordinary actress. The variety of emotions she portrays is incredible. It's both feels-inducing and also fascinating to watch, seeing how one actress can play so many raw emotions on screen. And Shin Ha Kyun...how can he be so pure and adorable? He's precious. Sophisticated but also a real dork at heart.

Before anyone says our male lead is too old let me redirect you to Ji Sung's profile page. Ji Sung might look like a baby duckling but he's still a mature man in his forties. Also our couple has 14 years gap, but that's not a new thing in a kdrama world now, is it? Furthermore...female lead being 31, she's a mature woman herself.

Other issues? There are a few. I know of a patient-doctor contraversary issue, dubious psychiatric methods used in the series...but that's just not it, not what this drama ever was supposed to be about.

What this drama truly teaches and the message it is trying to portray throughout the various stories and lessons is that - You Can Heal. And that each person is unique on their own so the healing method is also something unique for you. It might even be something only those deeply invested in you or you yourself can truly find. But that's okay. Because each of us has that answer in our hearts. We only need the will to move forward.

I can't praise this drama enough. It's a true gem. It truly met all (and more) of my expectations. It's a soul healing drama.

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The best Multi-Leads Chinese Drama Ever!

This is my first time writing a full review here on MDL, and this drama absolutely deserves it. First of all, I started watching it right in the middle of its hate train because—what do you mean it’s getting so much hate when I genuinely enjoyed the first few episodes? It’s one of the very few dramas where I actually liked the opening episodes. It’s not boring, it’s not dull—it’s a romcom, and they did it so right!

Pacing
Right from the first arc, they introduced us to the Li sisters and established the tone of the story. The backstory of the Li family—why there are only daughters and why they have a single mom—was explained well, with no glaring loopholes. Then, just a few episodes in, the two leads got married. I was shocked. Like, why did they get married so fast? Is the angst coming? But I was even more surprised when the focus suddenly shifted to the 1st sister. That’s when I started piecing everything together—this drama isn’t just about one couple; it has multiple storylines between different leads. Since I didn’t check the plot beforehand, I was confused at first, but honestly? It made me so happy! I was excited to see how the rest of the sisters’ stories would unfold. Overall, the pacing was great—every lead had enough screentime, and everyone felt equal.

Storylines & Character Dynamics
Each couple had their own unique storyline:
1st couple – The noble introverts
2nd couple – The chaotic duo
3rd couple – The scheming masterminds
4th couple – The cold husband and cutie wife + amnesia plot
5th couple – Enemies-to-lovers
Brother’s story – Childhood lovers
This variety in plots made each couple stand out, which is why I never felt like there was a main couple. Instead, it truly felt like a story about a whole family, where everyone was equally important.

The Li Family – Best Family in C-Drama?
Speaking of family, I love the Li family. Honestly, they might be the best family I’ve seen in a C-drama. The bond between the sisters, their mother’s strength, and even their relationships with their in-laws felt heartwarming and genuine.

Production, Acting & Overall Experience
The acting was fantastic—I could feel my blood boiling whenever the villains appeared, but I also found myself giggling at all the sweet moments. The comedic timing was on point, the production quality was solid, and the entire ambiance of the drama was just chef’s kiss.

Rewatch Value? 100%!
I would rewatch this over and over again, just to catch all the subtle interactions between the leads and appreciate the details I might have missed the first time.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10
If you love romcoms with strong family dynamics, engaging storylines, and well-developed characters, then this drama is a must-watch.

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A Delightful Sweet Fluffy Romance

If you want a romance that is sweet from the beginning till the end, this is it. Since their first meeting in episode 1, our main couple holds hands, sleeps together and hardly gets separated. There’re hardly any moments they are not together, and when they are not, they miss each other dearly and cannot wait to get back into each other’s arms again. This drama is easy to watch with very little angst though the last few episodes become rather tensed. All the characters are lovable, an antagonist that is revealed from the beginning, and an ending everyone loves.

Ji Dinglan (Wang Xingyue) is a prince born with no taste buds nor emotions. He cannot feel pain, happiness nor sadness. No one knows about his condition because if exposed, he is deemed a demon and would be persecuted. He becomes a hermit, changes his name to Mo Qingchen (meaning strange light dust), and lives far away from the palace and everyone else. When he accidentally touches Lin Chi (Bu Guanjin), all his senses come back temporarily. For the first time in his life, he experiences a new world which he has never known before. Since then, he attaches himself to Lin Chi and they quickly fall in love and inseparable from each other. They also realize they can transfer their power to and fro via each other’s tears. Lurking under this romance is Ji Dinglan’s ambitious and vindictive half-brother, Ji Dingyue (Nie Zihao). Time and time again he tries to expose Mo Qingchen’s secret, and he tries to hurt the couple to achieve his goal. Again and again he fails because of the unyielding love and devotion Mo Qingchen has for Lin Chi and she him; both do not hesitate to sacrifice for the other.

I have watched some of Wang Xingyue's previous dramas and find him an excellent actor. This drama is his first drama as a main lead, and his acting here is believable and again outstanding. At the tender age of 19, Wang Xingyue has a chisel good look and mature in his demeanor. He has a great potential ahead of him. Bu Guanjin on the other hand is a lot older than Wang Xingyue, but the pairing doesn’t look awkward because the couple has great chemistry together. Her acting is natural without trying too hard making the Lin Chi character very lovable. As with most young actors, Wang Xingyue is not stingy with his kisses. Nie Zihao has been acting as antagonists for several dramas I have watched. He has a very good-looking face with a sliver of hideousness in it and he is perfect for this tormented role as Ji Dingyue whom I’ve come to empathize. His acting here is applaudable.

I like the second couple and all the side characters. The acting by the whole cast is solid with an intact script and commendable editing. The background props look authentic and the costumes are carefully designed and made. The official soundtracks are some of the most impressive ballads in recent historical dramas.

My Verdict

This is such a delightful drama that has a very clear plot with very few visible plot holes or flaws. The flow is good and the pace is on spot. Despite the couple spending a lot of time conveying their love and admiration for each other, this doesn’t feel draggy because there are other things happening simultaneously. The acting is solid by the whole cast. The comedy is light and dialogues are humorous. Though rather predictable, I find this drama a great de-stressor that gives us a make-believe world that perhaps such love and devotion do exist. If you’re a romance buff and want something easy to watch with no angst, this is it. This is a story well told and deserves a bravo!

Don't miss it!

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Funny? Yes.
Cheesy? Damn right.
Shameless bromance? Hell yes! I wouldn't miss a single moment of it.

This is one of those brainless, binge worthy dramas. It doesn't take itself too seriously and makes the most of its cheesiness. The many ways the hero tried to ingratiate himself with the dark lord had me rolling my eyes while laughing like a hyena. I love all the characters: From the dark lord's venomous foster brother to the hero's slightly dense senior brothers. From the sassy servant girl to the foxy courtesan. They are a hoot to watch in action.

Their hilarious absurdity aside. The drama pleasantly surprised me with its fighting scenes. They are pretty decent and I can honestly say this is a wuxia drama (comedy) and not a wuxia wannabe.

If you have a couple hours to kill and just want a lighthearted drama that gives you good belly laughs now and then, this is the drama to watch.

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script sat in the sun too long

Overall: The number of times I screamed "what is going on?" might have been a record. I was both bored and confused. Beautiful location and great actors were wasted with this nonsense plot. Watched on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: suicidal ideation played as comedy, dub con kissing, held against will, manipulation, slap, drugging

What I Liked
- beautiful ocean side location/beach town
- cute intro but on the long side (3 minutes)
- Boun & Prem!!! It was fun to see actors from several different BL series together in this series
- the end of the boxing match was bizarre but cute
- the dads discussing love is love
- the outro with the behind the scenes footage

Room For Improvement
- too many couples, there were (I think) 4 and maybe one or two love triangles. This was just too many for six episodes.
- boring, 1/3 of episode 3 was getting down from a mountain, 5 full minutes of cleaning in episode 4
- confusing, there were several times where I just did not understand what on earth was going on, things just happened and we didn't get enough explanation. The most clear plot was the two boxers and they had about a minute per episode of screen time.
- nonsense things i.e. what was the dad's "plan"?, who leaves their (expensive) adult stuff lying all over a bedroom?, Arthid's elaborate plan instead of just...talking to him?
- some choppiness
- the comedy fell flat for me, the comedy sound effects didn't help
- that suicidal ideation was played as comedy
- the two trans/effeminate male characters played as slapstick comedy characters
- the red/orange hair and glasses weren't my favorite style (would have preferred tattoos/lip ring/etc) but I didn't take off points for it
- subtitle errors, but I didn't deduct points for them

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If you are looking for a romantic comedy then look elsewhere. This drama should not be watched if you are looking for a heart pounding plot.
but i promise you if you love watching flawed like characters grow, if you love touching music, if you are bored with the stock dramas in dramaland and want to try something new and if you are ready to be shocked episode after episode then this drama is for you.

This drama is not for the fainthearted or for the casual viewer. It took me whole of 17 episodes for me to decide if i love this drama or i hate it with a vengeance. This one lies somewhere in the middle.

None of the 4 protagonists are your stereotypical characters from dramaland. All of them are flawed and selfish enough to self destruct themselves and everything around them.

Eric Mun as Kang Tae Joo is forever etched in my mind as the bastard with the human heart. Don't expect to love him but he is the type of man who we love to hate. Eric did a fantastic job portraying his character and brought such range of emotions that i am shocked that this drama is so under appreciated and received low ratings in its time.

I stand conflicted if i love the heroine or not. She is something for sure. She is the most unique heroine you will meet in dramaland. She looks naive and stupid but you will get to know her slowly and understand the things that she does. If you get past that horrible hairstyle that Jung Yoo Mi portrays throughout then you will see that her acting is pretty darn good.

Their is quite a good chemistry between Tae Joo and Eun Soo. When I saw them together on screen i felt everything what they were feeling. Those simple touches, those hugs, those kisses. The chemistry is well done and their is no tight lipped kissing here. The Romance has a mature tone so no fluffy stuff here.

Lee Kyu Han continues to get supporting roles but this man seriously needs his own drama to bring out the acting that i know he is capable of. He is quite good as Shin Joon Hyuk and as the man who is utterly cold and lonely in his life.

Cha Hye Rin is the type of woman who is easy to understand and someone who is just as lonely as anything or anyone.

The protagonists live in the hell of their own making and that is why this drama is full of so much angst. Their is lot of crying and moping and emotions flying around but it is not driven by external factors. This drama shows that we as humans are selfish and base. It is twisted and dark but oh so lovely to watch. It is told with raw realism and something akin to as if the writer can read our mind. Some shots, some quotes will forever remain in my memories. This was an intense drama that slowed down and kept on picking itself up at the same time. Don't expect a plot here.There is a plot though and it is quite good but not much happens in the way we viewers are used to. All the 17 episodes were about these 4 lives and their entangling and their character growth.

The music is downright phenomenal from Gotan Project to "Moonrise"
this is too intense a drama to be rewatched again.

Give this one a chance..this starts a little slow but will be up and running in no time. Que Sera Sera will bring you a little closer to understanding the human nature and much closer to life's realities as well. But as Peter Bishop says "behind every cynic their is a romantic".

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When I was younger, there were these cartoons that I used to watch known as ‘Dora The explorer’. In these cartoons Dora used to go around on her kiddy-sized expeditions (mainly in her backyard or the neighborhood park) and discover new things.

However, despite being known as an excellent kid explorer, Dora wasn’t the brightest bulb in the closet. Every episode went something quite like this; Dora would stand in front of, say, an apple tree and the treasure that she sought after would be an apple. So in order to find that apple, Dora would first cluelessly look to one side then the other, then she’d look all over all the while conveniently missing the tree located right behind her. After a good ten minutes of looking, when Dora still wouldn’t find the darned apple, the creators of the show would decide to give her a hint.

The hint went something like this: “Dora, if you look exactly behind yourself, you’ll find something. Now, we are not telling what it is, since this is only a hint but I think you should look behind you and see what you find.” For further help, a huge green arrow would point towards the apple on the tree. That was when Dora would finally have a light bulb moment and discover the goal of her expedition. Feeling mighty proud of her feat, she would then ask the viewers whether they too were able to find the apple or not.

Even as a child, I was about ready to combust at this point, for I had found the mighty apple the moment the tree came into the view. However, despite all its flaws it was still one of my favorite cartoons because it made me feel so clever. I was smarter than Dora. The world was a good place. What could possibly go wrong?

Except, when the same Dora-style execution is done in Contemporary Crime Shows, things do actually go wrong. This is exactly one of the reasons why people love “Stranger” so much. Stranger doesn’t come with the usual BS. It doesn’t assume that its viewers are mentally impaired baboons who can’t put two and two together. It actually respects the audience by considering them smart enough to follow the plot. There is no spoon feeding here, nor does a big ass green arrow point towards every idiotic discovery ever made. Instead, it’s a drama with an intelligent script that demands your full attention.

Every scene and every character has a reason for existing. With brilliant direction and almost no plot-holes the drama not only succeeds in captivating the audience, rather it also gives them space to really think about all that is happening.

For a lot of actors a “cold and emotionless” role is the gateway for slacking. They leave all their acting skills in the backseat and decide that posing like a cringey af model throughout the show is the way to go. Jo Seung Woo with his “Prosecutor Hwang Shi Mwok” explains that kids, it is indeed not the way to go.

For a character that is supposed to be expressionless and indifferent to everything and anything, Seung Woo sure did put out the acting of the century. While his face remains carefully blank at all times, there are slight nuances in his expression that highlight the emotional development Shi Mwok experiences throughout the episodes. A slight twitch of the brow to show frustration, relaxation of the facial muscles to show ease and the gorgeous, beautiful and rare smile to show happiness. Simply put, Shi Mwok is a delight to watch. Without showing, he still shows so much that by the first half of the drama, the viewers have already formed a deep connection with him.

A lot of people thought that the whole “brain surgery” plot-line was unnecessary, however, I think it was wholly essential in order for Shi Mwok to become who he was. He was a prosecutor who was able to observe every crime scene with a cold detachment that is unachievable for a normal person. And the show facilitated the fact by backing it up with a genuine reason instead of feeding the viewers some bogus and over-dramatic crap.For all those people who have seen God’s Gift, I know that Seung Woo shocked your pants off. The utter versatility of the actor cannot be described in words. He was a completely different person in this show, simply unrecognizable and for that, he has all of my respect.

I think one of the most endearing characters in the show was our female lead Han Yeo Jin. Bae Do Na held her own in terms of acting and the amount of chill that her character had was unlimited. She was such a genuinely cool person. Relentless, strong and quirky. Even though she won against bad people numerous of times, there was never any pomposity in her, for to her, even the wins felt like failures because they were against her own people. You can see how her heart hurt at the name of injustice and how fully determined she was to stand against it. No matter the consequences. She was the kind of fearless cop that is every ordinary citizen’s dream and every corrupt person in power’s nightmare.

So considering how exquisite these two were individually, it’s no surprise that they were unbeatable together. Lieutenant Han and Prosecutor Hwang: The ultimate dynamic duo that made the baddies shiver in their boots. The chemistry between them was excellent; easily topping many romances. They were the kind of comrades that can lean on each other in time of need, rely on the other in time of action and above all, understand each other all the time. As weird Shi Mwok was, Lieutenant Han just seemed to get him and he in turn respected and shared his secrets with her.
With best friends like these, who needs romance?

All of the other side characters came with their own quirks. They had their own story, their own motives behind actions that appeared to be ruthless and their own flaws and weaknesses. Nobody was completely good or completely bad; rather they were all wholly mortal.

Like other crime shows, the show did not make use of convenient plot-lines or shock value. There weren’t any WTF moments or nerve-wracking cliff hangers, rather there was a constant under-current of gravity that kept the viewers rooted to their spot.

This is the kind of drama that will warm your heart, fill you with sadness at the world’s corruption and leave you with the sweet hope that not all people are wicked, that there is still some good left and that little bit of goodness might just be able to overcome the evil.

I know that I should just end this review here but I need to be completely honest. As as you can clearly see, I have nothing but good things to say about this show. However, it doesn't mean that I am going to give it a perfect rating like many others because despite all of its beauty there were times where I wanted something more. I wanted to know why Mwok Shi was so relentless on eradicating all corruption. If he couldn't feel anything, where did all his righteousness sprout from? I wanted to know more about Lieutenant Han's background. Why was she always so alone?

Even though the whole drama came with a certain amount of simplicity and subtle intelligence, the last few episodes did at moments take on a fairy-tale touch. The conclusion was everything that you could've wanted, it was the perfect ending. However, considering the somber tone of the show, personally I expected something more gritty and raw.

So while this was one of the more amazing shows I have watched, I will not claim that "This was the best Korean drama ever made".

That being said, with some of the best dialogues and a spot-less execution, this drama is definitely not one to be missed. Which is why I wholeheartedly recommend it to every crime/thriller fan out there.Enjoy!

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