While it isn't the kind of thing that would win any awards, KFH is perfect for pure entertainment.
Was this review helpful to you?
Half of a really good cupcake
Indeed this is a cupcake for two, a little to little to satisfy you but sweet, pretty and lovely as it has lots and lots of sweet moments (literally) .Had it been a bit longer it may have gotten a 9, the characters are lovable, fun to watch and aware of both issues concerning power relations and consent. That said they do show that awareness of these issues does not always mean actually practicing the awareness... but that is a different story.This very short series, is otherwise a pretty typical office romance with the twist of a mid life crisis, not a lot of drama, some fluffy icing that does a pretty decent job showing the very sad reality that gender conventions hinder men from enjoying most of the good and sweet in the world. But I would have wanted more of everything.Definitely worth a watch, and a show i highly recommend to all rom-com lovers out there, just do not expect to get a full dose of sugar.
Was this review helpful to you?
180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
10 people found this review helpful
180 Degree of a 52-hertz call
This is not your typical BL drama, so i already advice here that if you don't enjoy that theatre type of dialogues or heavy philosophical introspective tones, don't watch it cause this is not a high-teen type of drama at all; and i loved every second of it.What to say about this one? It was unique, heartwrenching with a slow burn that left me with a "void-like" feeling inside of my soul; and yet i enjoyed that feeling.
The story is simple and yet so complex in it's undertones. A boy searches for the pieces of his late father while traveling with his overprotective and overpowering mother and finds a lonely man that is broken by his own decisions and self-imposed guilt.
These are not beautifully rose painted characters. These are just three flawed human beings, each feeling that their own view of what is right or wrong is unjustified by the views of the other; each feeling that they have the rights over their own choices and that they were right on making them.
The world belongs to nobody and yet each of them holds their own "world" in their hands as if they are made of glass, unwilling to part with it or to let anyone with a different view go inside or to let anyone that is unwilling to stay, leave.
180 Degree longitude passes through while a 52-hertz call is made on each side, never able of actually meeting.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story reminded me a lot of The Master's Sun although this came out first and was probably the inspiration for the latter. I loved The Master's Sun and I loved this as well. It's not your typical romantic comedy as some horror elements and melodrama were thrown here and there. The mixture of the genres was definitely something new for me but it still had that typical "parting and reuniting" that most romantic Korean movies are known for which is just fine.
Acting/Cast: 9
Going into this movie I did not know who the male lead was but I completely adore Son Ye Jin in The Classic which was the main reason why I picked this up. Son Ye Jin is fantastic as usual and the male lead is definitely someone I'll look into in the future. He has a lot of titles under his belt so that's great. Their chemistry was not the best of the best, but it was there. It was subtle and not forced.
Music: 7
There were no catchy or memorable soundtracks I heard. Mostly, I would hear something and look it up on YouTube and discover another Korean singer but this was not the case. Still giving it a 7 for it's great horror sound effects.
Rewatch Value: 9
Definitely has rewatch value! I know a lot of people can relate to the female lead's dilemma (although not necessarily including the "seeing ghosts" part), but most of us has had times where we were all alone. This movie definitely made me feel better with the thought that someday someone will come into our lives and be there for us. I know I've experienced that scene where she ate half the cake in one sitting. LOL!
Overall: 9
A solid 9 for me. Watch it now!
Was this review helpful to you?
Where as Paul has a different personality lol, let's say ugly duckling turns into a swan after swapping places with his twin, it's hard for Paul as a straight man living together being in close skinship with a beautiful woman.
it's quite funny, it has got romance, everything except revenge, slap kiss & rape. :)
The things is the plot is a bit slow.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
1A Promise of 3-course Sweet dessert tasting, but the last course was Espresso!
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75** I did not read the web novel. The review is solely about the drama itself.
I can see why so many are disappointed in “The First Night with the Duke”, especially after a very fun first 7 episodes. It’s like you are promised this very delicious 3-course dessert tasting but the last course was a cup of dark and bitter espresso. I expected the focus of the plot would change to be about ML’s backstory and his relationship with the king, and I understand that. The disappointment is in the writing and execution, because many of us signed up for sweet desserts and not a cup of espresso (at least give me a sweet frappuccino!).
There are two reasons for me watching this:
1. The plot of FL trying to play matchmaker for ML and 2FL but ended up falling in love with ML. I like this trope!
2. Ok Taec Yeong - need I say more about how tall and handsome he is, and with beautifully sculpted muscles?
Well, for these two reasons, I am quite happy! I came into this looking for a romantic comedy and it was delivered in the first 7 episodes. As I said, I like the trope and I love the obsessive tyrant who is possessive, clingy and gets jealous…and he’s actually NOT mean to his girl! I had a really fun time watching those early episodes. I wasn’t expecting anything amazing but I got what I wanted. The acting in general is not bad and the chemistry between the main leads is pretty good. We got a couple of not-totally-steamy scenes and good kisses. They are cute together as a couple. The supporting cast is OK. The mean girl isn’t too mean, and the ‘innocent’ girl is to be expected. No plot twists here.
But things go downhill with the introduction of another character at the end of ep 7. That’s when the shift in tone happened. We got revenge, palace politics and a fight for the throne in the last 4 episodes. The comedic tone disappears and we’re left with a typical historical political drama. The writing is fine, the villain is fine and the king is fine. It’s all very average but where was my promised dessert for the 3rd course? I don’t want espresso now! “The First Night with the Duke” is unable to balance the comedy throughout the drama.
Since this is a fantasy drama, I am not going to be picky about the how and why FL was transported into the novel. There really can’t be a ‘realistic’ explanation because it’s not real. You can only judge whether it's creative or not or it's the same old same old. But you can totally tell that you are NOT watching a C-drama because the censorship police did not come and give you the standard ending to a Chinese transmigration fantasy drama (know what I mean??).
Overall, I have a decent time watching “The First Night with the Duke”. It’s only 12 episodes long and at least I enjoyed two-thirds of the drama. I don’t hate the last quarter, I just wish it was executed better. I would only recommend this drama if you like the actors or this particular fantasy plot. Otherwise, you can save some time and watch something else.
If you read the web novel, can you drop me a comment and let me know if it does a better job in balancing the comedic tone throughout? Was the politics handled in a much better way?
Completed: 7/29/2025 Review #608
Was this review helpful to you?
You'll fall in love with all of the members once again, laugh at their quirky personalities and amazing English skills. It is essentially a story of their success, hardships and a way to the whole western music world. By the way, these are some of the most iconic memes and jokes of BTS that are jumbled into 8 episodes. so if you're staning any member, you NEED to watch this. My favorite thing was the interaction between the group members and the American artists. You can really spot the cultural differences and how 2 separate cultures can merge into 1. As much as every episode was enjoyable and totally amazing, in my opinion, this show needs a season 2!
An entertaining series worth the watch that will put a smile on your face!
Was this review helpful to you?
Let's start off with the story. At first, it seems like another cliched nice girl-bad boy falling for each other story. To say briefly- this is the real story. Yet, so different and likable. This drama dared to used heavy cliches but twisted and turned them in such a way that it was hard to get bored. One aspect I loved was that both leads- Yi Lei and Mei Le were characters with real depth. Generally, the romantic comedies tend to have shallow characters and their behaviour is hard to contemplate. Here, the guy and girl are both damaged in their ways and they always give us the reason for their behaviour. And the excuse doesn't seem silly. It is actually believable.
The main girl seems too perfect and boring at the beginning of the show, but after she meets Yi Lei her flaws start showing. And on the first few encounters Yi Lei seems predictable and the typical bad boy who never changes. But eventually he starts softening up because of Mei Le. I think this is the first time in any drama that I have understood why a super rich, super handsome guy fell for an ordinary girl. Mei Le is really unique and a hard worker. She strives to do her best in every thing and gives it her all. Because of this, she also manages to win over Yi Lei. Both characters manage to break the image that they first created as the story progresses. Also, I love how they both bring out a different side of each other. When they are together I felt like they were an actual couple! The depiction was so realistic.
As for the secondary characters- Yi Feng is, and remains an idiot (till the end) who cheats on Mei Le and goes for an insufferable girl like Xuan Xuan. I actually empathized a bit with Xuan Xuan at the beginning but after that I wanted to yank off her stupid woolen hats. She was very annoying. Then there are the brother and sister of the main couple who very cute together. Again- the first time when the second love story was equally likable. There was also the mother of Yi Lei who was a completely nasty and horrendous. I hated her the most. The actress also overacted and her angry expressions were almost comical.
Now- the relationship between Yi Lei and Mei Le. Where do I start? I love, love, love their relationship together. Here, instead of the girl the guy falls for her first. He managed to completely win me over by the second or third episode. Mike He in the role was an added advantage because of his good looks. I won't say he is the best actor in the world and he definitely overacted at times- but he was so cute! Especially the actions of Yi Lei and what he felt for Mei Le was FANTASTIC. I also love how the story gives them time and the perfect opportunities for them to get to know each other before falling in love. I had some issues with Mei Le denying her feelings, but she confesses the reason for her behaviour too and I felt like it was forgivable. Cyndi Wang is an amazing actress because she managed to make a naive, clueless, pushover sort of a girl into some one who was easy to like. And this is a record where I was hardly annoyed with the main girl.
Plus, the chemistry between Mike He and Cyndi Wang was too good. When they kiss or hug, it ends up giving you a warm feeling. I really loved how they were able to understand each other completely. You can really compare the relationship Mei Le had with Yi Feng and the one she has with Yi Lei. I was almost wishing like I could be in their fairytalesque story too. Both characters have their shortcomings and they way they manage to make it work irrespective of that is amazing. My shipper heart was happy all the way upto episode 10.
Now, the last 4-5 episodes were kind of lacking in romance. I wasn't too thrilled with the reappearances of Xuan Xuan and Yan Shao. The sister-pretension plot was silly, but it managed to be an alright plot device to drive the main couple apart. Plus here there was another more of a sensible situation than a dumb ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend breaking up the couple. I have seen enough rom coms to know that separation is always inevitable. It happens here too. But it is amazing that the story managed to remain interesting enough to watch even after driving them apart. I had a few issues with the last episode because every one was crying so- I suggest you skip the depressing parts.
I don't know why every one complained about the ending. Okay, they didn't show Mike He but I actually liked how they concluded it. Plus, it was a happy one so what's there to complain? Rom coms never have perfect endings either.
So, all in all- it is one of the many romantic comedies, part-melodrama. Yet, I think it was different and definitely more enjoyable than the ones I have been watching till now. It has ended and I feel like I parted with a friend. I am happy giving this drama a try and it definitely goes in my favourites' list. Highly recommended!
Was this review helpful to you?
Kamo, Kyoto e Iku (Kamo Goes to Kyoto) belongs to an unusual subset of dramas. While a plot exists and the story is passably well-told, everything ends up feeling rather educational. We see the beautiful city of Kyoto, complete with its landmarks and various traditions. We see how the ryokan is run, right down to maid etiquette, ofuro cleaning, and the composition of kaiseki (traditional Japanese cuisine, a staple of these establishments). This aspect is much stronger than the script itself, though even that remains enjoyable if somewhat simple. And if you like themes of modernity vs. tradition, you may discover another layer of appeal.
Should you actively seek out knock-out performances, continue your search; this drama will not offer them. However, nobody does a poor job either; most characters are pleasant and, at the very least, reasonably acted. Matsushima Nao might be most memorable, headlining as Ueba Kamo: seasoned finance official and Kyoto anti-fan (she even hates her name, originating from the famous river which runs through that city). Her elitist portrayal is believable, as it is when she switches gears. The exploits of this character lead us through the events of the drama, and the operations of the ryokan itself. Though she also has a cute side, mostly shown through her morning exercise routine.
Music follows a similar tack as acting. Everything is suitable and works in most scenes, but very little stands out. However, Sheena Ringo provides the striking vocal theme ("Iroha ni hoheto" or "Even Blossoming Flowers") definitely worth listening to again.
I would mostly recommend this drama to Kyoto-lovers, or those seeking cultural enrichment. Coming into this drama for other reasons might lead to a lukewarm experience. Don't be discouraged though! Kamo, Kyoto e Iku might have a lot to offer potential viewers of any kind.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
With each loop, it gets better!!
The time loop continues every time Tol dies and so does their story right from the very beginning. When I first watched the series I didn't have much expectations from it but damn it I was hooked from the very first episodes. It's just so good from the storyline to the cast, everything... like every single thing. The first time I read the synopsis of Triage I thought it would have a lot of loopholes and it does have a few but very minimal that it can be easily ignored. It's a very interesting story. It keeps getting better with every episode. The characters are well portrayed and it such a fascinating watch plus a unique genre in the BL world. And my god Tae and Tee make it so much more better. It feels so good to see them together again in a series. Moreover Sing and Gap are adorable. It's definitely a must watch.Was this review helpful to you?
bulldozer girl
The title “The Girl on a Bulldozer” is one that generates a fair bit of curiosity regarding the feature’s content. Who is this girl and what is she doing on a bulldozer? The poster, which depicts a petite girl driving a massive bulldozer as loose soil clouds around it, hints at a possibly gritty, slightly action-y content. In his Busan Film Festival welcome message, director Park Ri-woong mentions that this is a revenge story, heightening expectations even further. Having seen the finished product now, I can safely say that this is one of the most wrongly marketed films this year. This is in no way a negative remark on the actual quality of the production, and to be completely fair, it does eventually deliver what it promises, but Park Ri-woong’s debut is more than a standard gritty thriller.Go into “The Girl on a Bulldozer” expecting a gritty crime thriller and one is most likely to be disappointed. Yes, there are bulldozers, but the girl gets on one for a grand total of two times in the 113 minutes of its runtime. The grit as seen in the promotional poster is practically non-existent. Sure, the revenge as mentioned by the director in his welcome message is exacted, but it doesn’t happen until the final few minutes. Despite all of that, this narrative works first and foremost as an excellent character study. It of course helps that the events around her are fairly engaging to keep the story progressing, but Hae-young is such a well-written character that it is fascinating to see her go on her own internal journey as much as it is to see her try and solve this mystery. There is a lot of angst with her, towards authority, family, society and life in general.
Slowly, as the layers of her story are peeled, this anger converts into pain, a pain that is coming from taking on so much and going against so many at such a young age with so much stacked against her. The feature’s title too works in more than one ways. Besides the obvious, Hae-young is figuratively also going through life on a bulldozer, razing much in her wake. Her anger gets the better of her in most situations, affecting relationships. Her bullish ways and thoughtless actions often land her in irrevocable problems. Even her ultimate action, her revenge if you will, is a cry of desperation, born out of a helplessness to think up much else.
Such a complex character would’ve failed in less competent hands but in Kim Hye-yoon’s, it becomes highly compelling. She may be only four films old and this is her first leading role and thus the meatiest, but Kim brings much maturity to her performance. Despite Hae-young’s vulgarity spitting, tough exterior and fist fighting ways, Hye-yoon manages to play her very delicately, bringing this briefly evident naivety that flashes across her face now and then. This is further enchanting to watch when her anger changes, when she knows she may be way in over her head and when she finally lets it briefly break her. That particular moment is a tender one, shared with her young co-star. The adults around her are effectively cast, but it is ultimately Kim Hye-yoon’s performance that looms large over the feature and the one that lingers back in minds.
The cinematography stays true to the production’s indie roots and the sparsely used music has a few moments of impressiveness, but “The Girl on a Bulldozer” proves an effective debut from Park Ri-woong, thanks to a very well-written character and a compelling and constantly progressing story, all of which is anchored by a superb lead performance from Kim Hye-yoon. Both she and director Park are names to be on the lookout for..
Was this review helpful to you?
MY MOST FAV ML EVER!!
Uhh writing this with my tears still falling out, the ending is very beautiful and honestly the best as I think forced romance in their current stage of life indeed feel unrealistic.. but it doesn't mean i dont want to curse the director for not including some fluffy epilouges! Well guess they save it for season 2 but honestly if they dont use the same casts then I really not enthusiastic to wacth it. The drama beautiful for the story and strong chemistry between actors and their brilliant characters potrayal so it will make a big different if use different people for it..By the way though i like all chara but the carry of this show definitely the ML! Uh let just say how happy im that the ML is not the usual cold straight A guy, but the guy that seem very second lead-ish.. as he is cheerful, positive sunshine boy that very street smart and gifted genius. Honestly all this time usually my fav ML is type of badboyish, sarcasm but very sweet inside person, but for the first time my heart just melted away by the kind hearted guy.. Well, Hua Biao not naively kind or anything but between their gank of friend he is maybe the most unfortunate, well everyone have their own problem but if compared with ML's its heartwrenching that all his friend's problems seem to be your normal spoiled teenager drama, but ML had to shoulder sickly eldery who is your only family that you have, financial problem etc so he is extremly sensible and responsible person .. But the most amazing thing is despite his circumstances how optimistic, cheerful, confident, kind hearted, hardworking in life and study but he is not pretentious at all.. in fact he is flexible as he can be cunning or break some rule when needed too, very loyal with his friends.. His way of loving a girl is not become territorial but become her best support, protecting her and keep encouraging her even though actually her problems seem very childish compared with his mountain of problems.. His smile is medicine for anything as it never falter and always shine brighly.. So his emotial breakdown is really tear jerking, i really crying hard for ML and grandma scenes.. Hua Biao, let me hug you okay 😭😭
I can go on and on about Hua Biao, he is just very beautiful person ah.. In real life we met many people, and understand that human is not perfect, and some time the imperfectness just ugly, sometime its just make a person.. normal. But between those many people you sometime found one or two person, that is like a shining diamond between river stones.. Hua Biao is such diamond if he really come to my life.. The actor really did amazing job too, his aura and emotional potrayal just so poignant and spot on. So if there is season two please please just please for the same actor juseyo..
FL is quite a dumb head at first, she come from very different family circumstances from ML, so she is spoiled and childish, and made some blunder where what she think as harmless pranks actually can give serious consequences toward ML, though ML never blame her.. I think I can get where ML come from. When you are experienced life's bitterness that shredded many of your naivety, then FL's carefree and innocent childish either make you envy or want to protect such blank paper from being stained, I think the ML is both, how much he envy his friends with their parents around to cheer or trashing your exam result, maybe so much.. so it really show how amazing his self control is to never shout at his friend when they were throwing childish tantrum "Can you stop your sh*t?! At least you have parent, i dont!" LoL
Btw FL step by step become more sensible in the end, so does second ML.. honestly though i dont ship Yan Xi and Li Yu but this is one of painful thing depicted in the drama that when you grown up, you had to let go of many things, Two people that grow up joined in the hips, practically faced everything together, and even some feeling had to involved.. in the end, you had to accept it .. that you grow distant and separated.. (Thankfully Li Yu is in another drama where he and his childhood sweetheart have HE romance there)
Aaaah this cant do! I need season two because really need the mature version of Hua Biao and Yanxi finally in mature relationship, Yanxi and Liyu become friend again, Yan Zhao and He Mei, Huang Deng Deng and Situ Ertao.... their family too.. And more and more my sweet sweet sweet Hua Biao!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not too good but super cute!
I can't rate the drama highly but I really LOVE every single frame of it!The cinematography and the music are amazing. This is the first reason why you should watch it if you just simply want to relax and nothing else. I mean every scenery is so beautiful with the lighting, the choice of shot size, camera angle and movements. As Ye Xi Yan (FL) says, Lu Ming Yu (ML) does know how to enjoy his life, doesn't he? He live in a place including the village, the tea garden and the beach. Every song used is nice, so are the funny sound effects.
The tone is comedic, romantic and peaceful, which is totally opposite to the dramatic synopsis. The director chose to show us more about the countryside life than the city work life. I'm glad I saw the drama for its posters, not its synopsis. By the way, the posters are really different, they're full of green, the color I rarely saw in other dramas' posters.
The main couple is cute and funny, green flags are everywhere. FL and ML has a lot of hug and kiss scenes. The bathroom scenes are really something I didn't expect. And I love how they have the same tone as the drama, not hot, just peaceful.
The main cast makes me surprised, how can they look so serious and funny at the same time? Especially Eric Hsiao (萧子墨), a Taiwanese actor playing Lu Ming Yu (ML), I have never seen him before. His look is average but really manly. I'm glad he got the role because he's perfect for it. I can see he has experience with action scenes.
I feel calm and comfortable watching this drama.
Despite all those good things, the whole story is quite simple and the plot development is too fast. The plot has so many plot holes. For example, why does no one doubt when Ye Xi Yan (FL) pretends to be someone they've known for many years? The villains are weak and I mostly forget about them.
After all, if you are looking for a simple and restful drama to entertain, then Love in the Tea Garden is a choice that you should consider.
Was this review helpful to you?
Y’all know the drill, negatives first which for me was FL. Whilst she wasn’t completely useless, she had knowledge and apparently knowledge is power. I just wish that physically, she wasn’t so weak and needing to be rescued every single time.
STORY
I had absolutely no idea what I was walking into when I started this but I knew there was Magic which I’m a huge fan of - clean not Black Magic. This is possibly the highest level of Power Struggle I have ever encountered, even more than Laila Thida Yak (last Action lakorn I watched).
ACTING/CAST
I wanted to watch this solely for the Action and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. ML is one of the strongest I’ve seen in all the year I’ve been watching dramas in general with no signs of weakening as the story progressed so his definitely my favourite. I think together the characters worked really well and the actors made their characters their own.
MUSIC
I mostly remember the opening song since I heard sooo many times, even during the episode so it’s stuck in my head but there is one other song they played that I also enjoyed.
REWATCH VALUE
If you enjoy it as much as me I’d say yes, but if not then obviously not lol.
Whilst there is Romance here, this lakorn is almost pure Action so if you’re thinking of watching this for the romance you may be disappointed. The Romance is so little you may not even notice it but if you’re a fan of Action then this may be right up your street. As I pretty much enjoyed this all the way, I can’t say if this dragged or not so I’m not really qualified to comment on that. I do hope Thailand come out with more lakorns like this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
-
BL Drama Lovers Club7 minutes ago -
Conspiracy Theories??14 minutes ago
-
GL Drama Lovers Club28 minutes ago -
