Reviews

I just finished watching it. It'll be very hard for me to write a good review for this drama, because it has so many aspects. I will try to stick to those 5 aspects that mydramalist created.
First of all, Story. The plot is very complex and interesting. At the beginning it's a typical romance but it soon turns out to be more than that. Actually it's a drama about the older generation. The reason why I gave this drama a "2" and that is "dreadful" for the story is because it turns out to be a pretty sad drama. If you like positive, funny, romance stories, do not watch this drama. This series is full of awful characters that got on my nerves all the time.
Second thing is Acting. Most of the actors did a great job especially the older ones. I only gave "7" for acting because I think that one of the main couples, Joo Young and Woo Bin didn't act very well. For me their acting was unrealistic and they didn't show the right emotions.
Music, well, music was good, but it was often too much like in typical soup operas.
When it comes to rewatch value, I gave it a "1" because I would never watch it again. It's just that the plot went into the wrong direction and like I said before, it's a sad kind of drama. Overall I gave it a "5" because it has a lot of postive aspects but also a lot of negavite ones. I hope my review will be somehow helpful to all of you who haven't watched it yet.

Read More

I originally had no interest in this drama.. But after watching a few scenes I kind of went into it because it gave me a vibe similar to Love Me If You Dare.. Well this was nowhere close to LMIYD.. It felt pretty generic and a bit too overdramatic at times but still a well written psychological thriller.. And the ML’s obsessive, possessive love was another reason to watch this.. The main leads had good chemistry and intense dynamic right from the beginning..

Obsession, guilt and regret are what make a psychological thriller like this thrive and this drama does that well.. The pacing can feel a bit slow at times with how much it leans into backstory and buildup but it’s clear every detail is carefully placed to connect the pieces and lead you to the finale..

I think we have to talk about the FL first.. She was at the center of a lot of criticism.. Personally, I don’t think she is completely blameless in the way she treated her husband but that just makes her human.. Her connection with her ex runs deeper than most people would imagine.. They were childhood friends.. He was part of her life for as long as she could remember and she loved him for years.. It’s not easy to just move on from something like that, right?? But she still did.. Even after he came back, even after it became clear he wasn’t the bad guy, she chose her husband.. She faltered at times and did hurt the ML, but she never crossed the line.. She made it clear that what she felt for him was in the past and now, she loves someone else.. She realised the ML was her safe place, her home, her future and she didn’t back down from that.. As for the rest of her character.. She didn't feel like a badass character no matter how hard they tried.. But the ending, she flipped the script..

“ I think you have been wrong about one thing from the start..
I didn’t come here to be your hostage..
I came here to avenge my brother..”

Yup that's when she was a badass..

And I have to say this, I keep seeing people call her character complex.. Seriously?? There was nothing complex about her.. She was just someone carrying deep regret, sadness and guilt.. Not every female character needs to be labelled complex just for the sake of it.. And let’s be honest, if the roles were reversed and the ML treated his ex like that, he would be called a creep, a red flag and worse..

The ML, well he was desperately, painfully, completely and maybe even a little foolishly in love with the FL.. I think Jing Boran did a really good job playing Jiang Hansheng.. A lot of people might not like how rigid and stiff he was.. But it fits someone who is so controlled on the surface but a mess underneath when it comes to her.. And his cat and mouse chase with the antagonist was genuinely exciting to watch..

The SML, I really didn’t find him pitiful.. Yeah, he lost a lot but that was the price of the choices he made.. He probably sacrificed the most in the entire drama.. Sure but that doesn’t mean he is entitled to a ' Welcome back, everything is just as you left it ' with a pat on the back.. His decisions affected a lot of people’s lives, especially the FL’s and not in a small way..

The twists in the middle phase weren’t all that surprising.. I had my doubts about Zhan Wei from the moment he appeared on screen but the identity of the mole, I didn't expect that..

Anyway the last two episodes really lived up to the psychological thriller tag.. The ML’s confrontation with Qi Yan, the antagonist was well done.. He stays calm and doesn’t lose his temper even with the FL’s life in danger, because he knows he has to target Qi Yan’s weakness.. The whole buildup was leading to that moment and it worked really well..

Overall this was a good watch.. The story development is neat and well written.. It builds slowly and with attention to detail which works well for a story like this.. I do think it needed a bit more psychological tension but that’s just my opinion.. I really liked how clingy the main leads were.. Even more so after they made up following the whole divorce situation.. I would have enjoyed it more if the SML wasn’t a focus in the final episode.. It felt like too much time was spent on him.. I wish we got more domestic moments with the main leads instead.. Now that they had worked through their issues and moved past all the revenge and chaos.. We deserved more of them just being at peace..

Read More

One of the best modern c-dramas in the recent years

Among the normal youth c-drama, there might be some dramas with unexpected depth and warmth. Lighter & Princess is one such drama. Great acting, amazing chemistry, good soundtracks, and wonderful cinematography - this drama has everything the audience needs to enjoy it.


Lighter & Princess is adapted from the novel The Lighter and the Princess’ Gown, written by Twentine. The name is taken directly from the story. 'Lighter' symbolizes the ML, Li Xun. He always carries a small lighter along with him, which he got from his father. 'Princess' depicts the FL, Zhu Yun. Li Xun always used to call her Princess and also gifted her a 'princess gown', when they were in college.


L&P proves that rather than an over-the-top plot and dumb comedy, a simple plot and depthy characters are enough to make a drama loved. Lighter & Princess is actually a hard-hitting drama with a slow and subtle plot build. It touches many real life problems as well. The pace of the story was perfect and catchy. The drama started in the present day and shows flashbacks to the past, when the leads were in college and, in Li Xun's case, when he was a high schooler as well. I won't talk much about the plot because of the risk of spoiling something, since the synopsis barely says what actually happens in the drama. The thing about the story that wowed me the most was how everything has a rich backstory. Everything is explained without loopholes. The reason why Li Xun always carries a lighter, why he dyed his hair blonde when he came to college ( yeah, we get to see Chen Fei Yu in blond hair, and believe me, he looks awesome in that! ), and why he always calls Zhu Yun "princess" or "your highness" etc. Everything connects with each other and makes the story beautiful and moving.


The romance in the story is another aspect I liked. Li Xun is an arrogant but brilliant student, who is very much ahead of his class in coding and programming. He was even more gifted and talented than his teacher. He's handsome as hell and attracts many girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been confident in himself and hasn't had even a bit of self-doubt. Many people admire him for his brilliantness and good looks, but they hate him for his arrogant attitude. He never trusted anyone but himself and always acts like he's the king. He doesn't abide by any rules and thus becomes completely opposite to Zhu Yun's character. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the romance. Li Xun is a conceited but an intelligent student who is well ahead of his peers in coding and programming. One could say tha he I as gifted and talented even more than his teacher. He's  also handsome as hell and attracts a lot of girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been self-confident and has never had any doubts about himself. Many people admire him for his intelligence and good looks, but they also fear and despise him for his arrogant demeanour. He never trusted anyone but himself and always pretended to be a King. He does not follow any rules and so becomes the absolute opposite of Zhu Yun's character. Zhu Yun is the ideal daughter that any parent would desire. She's beautiful, innocent, and pure as well.


When Zhu Yun first meets Li Xun, despite despising him, she's attracted to him by his carefree personality and confidence as well. As far as she could remember, Zhu Yun had always walked along the path that her mother had paved for her. She hasn't made a single decision for herself before and came to study programming because of her mother as well, not because she likes it. Thus, when he, Li Xun, entered her life, Zhu Yun had an urge to step out and experience life by herself. Because of Li Xun, she even started to have a liking for programming as well. Slowly, she saw herself falling in love with him. Li Xun noticed himself caring for the 'princess', who suddenly barged into his life, giving off warmth in his cold life. The romance was kinda slow burn and we got to watch how they warmed up to each other and dealt with every difficulty together.


The side characters were as interesting as the main characters too. No one felt unnecessary, and everyone had their own individual stories even without much screen time. The side characters were absolutely necessary for the plot. My favorite side character is, of course, Ren Di. I love her personality and how she deals with problems and follows her heart. In a way, she's similar to Li Xun but more open and friendly.


Now let's talk about the acting. I have not watched any works of Zhang Jing Yi or Chen Fei Yu before, but I have heard people say that Fei Yu's acting was lacking in Ever Night, his first drama. I don't know about it, but in this one he was absolutely phenomenal. I like actors who portray emotions through their eyes, and Fei Yu is one like that. He has gotten on my list of favorite actors with just this drama. Just through his gaze, one could decipher what he's feeling. That pain and anger that had been inside him for solong, we could see it. Zhang Jing Yi's performance made it seem like she was born for this role or that the character was made just for her. Her innocent appearance is perfect for the character and makes it believable.


The cinematography in L&P was simply beautiful. Each and every scene was aesthetically pleasing and very pretty to watch. It's rare to see such top notch cinematography in a c-drama, unless it's historical or xianxia.


The songs and background music used in this drama were catchy and very much in sync with the actual drama. I especially liked the song "Fireworks" by Zhou Shen and the opening theme.


Finally, it has been a long time since I properly liked a modern c-drama. I was disappointed in almost all the modern c-dramas I have seen this year. But, thank God, this came to my rescue. I highly recommend this drama to everyone who has been disappointed in the quality of recent modern C-dramas because I'm sure this won't disappoint you!

Read More

Impressive political drama with some romance

First of all this review is for the uncut version, where every episode has a runtime of about one hour. On youtube you see a very cut version which runs only about 45 minutes per episode. Also this series is not a BL. It's just a drama where the main protagonists happen to be gay, one open and the second one not so open. There is a romance part in it but not in the typical fluffy BL style. We see that Vee does admire Nong from the start and he warm ups to him very early. Nong is a grumpy type and very stubborn and it takes time to "warm up" to Vee.

The star of this show of course is the story and the superb acting. Every character has his flaws, some have more, some have less, but nobody is perfect. They depict the backstabbing and horse-trading in any politics, but they focused on actual events in Thailand which is a novum. While the series is more a slowburn, there are so many characters to keep track of that I'm happy we had the time to do so.

And the final episode was also atypical to any BL. This season ends on negative and positive notes but they clearly aimed to have a second season because the story is not finished with only eight episodes. So there is hope, we get another eight episodes to get a real happy end.

Because this is not GMMTV, we get a realistic story, with a great cast, good production design and overall an amazing series. If you are only in the fluffy stuff, this series is not for you. If you liked "Shine" you will like this series also.

Read More

Missed opportunity

*****This does contain spoilers *****

This is the go-to show that got me hooked on the Asian market. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched it. I like the English version for falling asleep to -Daniel Kim’s voiceover work for Ahn Hyo-Seop is smooth. 🫠

One thing I don’t understand is how at least 10 years later (after college) Yeon-Jun and Jun-hee are not married. As in love as he is with her, why wait so long to propose? We know Si-Heon takes the entrance exam in 2008 and JunHee goes to New York in 2023 so that’s a HUGE chunk on SiHeon’s part.

Now, for the missed part. Uncle is explaining to YeonJun the meaning of his stores “27” names. It would tie in better with the story line if Koo Yeon Jun were to “fly to New York” when he was 27 years old. It would make more sense to wait those few extra years after school to get finances in order and propose. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Gather My Tears still hits, especially knowing the tragic background of the artist.
This drama still makes me cry. Every time. ♥️💔

Read More

It felt like a bad fanfic come to life - disappointing but I still want a season 2

I literally made an MDL account just to write this review because I am tweaking after watching this special. Unfortunately, this was a chaotic, non-cohesive, and awkward mess. It felt like the writers lost the original vision of Jack & Joker, leaving us with flat characters, a convoluted plot, and abysmal pacing. Somehow, despite being two hours long, it managed to feel both too long and too short. Another reviewer said: “...Their friend group is still going strong, although it seems everyone is poor and basically surviving off air.” LMAO it is true and also applies to the energy of this special—barely holding itself together.

1. Disappointment Was Expected, but Not Like This:
Like most J&J fans, I saw the spoilers from the theatrical release and knew I wasn't going to walk away feeling amazing. I mentally prepared myself for disappointment, but even with lowered expectations, this special left me feeling incredibly off-put and cheated. I even PAID for an iQIYI subscription just for this, and the return on investment was painful.

Unfortunatley YinWar superiority was not popping off in this. Their acting in the first part was... rough... for example, When Jack proposed to Joke, neither of them cried or anything. Like this is a huge moment and they both just kinda looked at each other???? it was honestly an incredibly awkward scene to watch as both seemed to feel lukewarmly about the thought of getting married. The acting in the second part was better, they do well in emotionally charged scenes.

2. Who are these people???:
EVERYONE felt out of character. Jack and Joker’s relationship, which used to feel dynamic and natural, was suddenly overly affectionate to the point of feeling forced. The chemistry just wasn’t there the way it was in the series, and I genuinely don’t understand why T_T. They explored TattooAran and someone in the comments said one thing they really like about the movie was "Tattoo and Aran playing gay chicken. I wonder who would win." LMAO I agree it was fun bc like it was so unserious... but also... It felt more like an afterthought than meaningful development.

When they held the memorial for Joke, NO ONE CRIED LMAO LIKE NOT EVEN OUR GIRL TOITING... Joke's parents cried and so did Jack and Hoy, but no one else??? Really???? B for real guys...

3. What he heck did I just watch??:
The attempt to bring back the whole gang resulted in everyone being there, yet no one having enough screen time to feel substantial. Because of this, nothing felt properly developed and the pacing was super strange. Basically they have to break into a casino and steal a hard drive they go in with basically no plan and no forethought..Its like... did Joker lose his touch or did he stop giving ANY fucks?? Here are more things that made me do a double take:
---The tonal shifts were JARRING—the beginning was lighthearted, then it suddenly turned dark with no smooth transition.
---The fight scenes are now very stiff and fake looking.
---Bringing back Carbon as the villian was weird honestly I feel he is too stupid to make this plan himself so this whole set up felt OOC for him.

4. Now lets address the elephant in the room... The Wedding (we were pranked):
The biggest let down for sure since it was hyped in the trailer. It was one of the most uncomfortable moments of the film. Watching Jack break down was heartbreaking but it is offset by how stupid the 'wedding' was. The fact that they made a cardboard cutout-esque Joke to walk down the aisle at the fake wedding was both insane and tragic. Like.. it was sad but I couldnt focus on being sad and instead was like... logistically... wtf did the wedding guests see??? and why did everyone lowkey smile??? Erm.. did u guys like seeing Jack basically lose his mind in real time T_T?????????

5. The end (question mark?):
Then… that ending. I hate when shows pull this kind of cop-out. Joker is revealed to be alive, waking up in some unknown house with a shadowy figure looming over him. Based on his terrified expression, it has to be someone he knows—maybe Boss? Or someone he met in prison? While I’m glad they set up for Season 2, they could have done it so much better.

I don't wanna say everything was bad. The second part shined more than the first part for sure. Here are some special shoutouts:
---BONZ (Hoy) ACTED HIS ASS OFF LIKE BRO WAS HARD CARRYING THIS MOVIE HIS CRYING WAS IMPECCIBLE AND HIS ANGER WAS SO PALPABLE... Give that man an oscar RIGHT NOW
---JOKE'S 'final' goodbye to Jack on he pier was heartbreaking and I cried... War delivered it perfectly.
---Tattoo's tired and sassy eyes were back T_T they need to give bro a break fr his eyebags do be popping off and he looks done in every scene LOL

Read More

My Mix-Up

**𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄**

𝗌𝗈 𝗂 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝗋𝗈𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 - 𝗂 𝗌𝗍𝗎𝖼𝗄 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍 & 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗂𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆, 𝖪𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗉, 𝖧𝖺𝗅𝖿, & 𝖬𝗎𝖽𝗆𝖾𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 & 𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖽𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒/𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖺. 𝖨 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆/𝖬𝗎𝖽𝗆𝖾𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺 𝖼𝗎𝗍𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆 & 𝖧𝖺𝗅𝖿. 𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗂 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗃𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌. 𝖭𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝖨'𝗆 𝖻𝖾𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗀𝗈. 𝖨 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖾 𝟦 𝗈𝗋 𝟧 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖾𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗈𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝟦 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖮𝗁! 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝖻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖼𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 & 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖭𝗈𝗍 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖾. 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗋𝖽 & 𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌. 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 - 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍 & 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉. 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗐 𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎!




this is where i leave the camp & go back home.
i was pretty much looking forward to this show after each of the first 4 ep's.
i have no idea what happened during ep. 5. the acting sucked. the story sucked.
fourth/atom cannot confess his feelings. something dumb keeps happening. annoying.
long stares at nothing. long stares at each other. long stares daydreaming. just long stares.
at this point it feels as though they are trying to stretch a 5 ep show into 12. & there are 7 more.
there literally nothing left to tell of the story. we've seen it all. what else is there other than more staring?

i'm so confused as to why directors are doing this relentlessly. just tell the story and move on. if there's more, create a 2nd season. don't stretch a story out! viewers will grow annoyed with the show, the directors & possibly tune out a future product. the only ppl being punished here, other than the viewers, are the actors. fourth is incredibly talented and attractive, so it's difficult to give up on his acting. i'd for sure watch him in something other than this. i remember when Cooking Crush was released and ppl were livid because OffGun deserved better roles...a better storyline and they had proven themselves able to carry a more serious drama and not that particular kiddy drama. i actually enjoyed Cooking Crush, but now i understand what critics meant. there was so much this story could deliver with GeminiFourth...it just sucks the direction it's going. the comedy is not landing with me - well it's hit or miss and more miss than hit, i assure you. i may pick it back up when it's over and binge it all the way through for a different result, but as it stands now, this is only the 2nd BL i've every dropped. i dare not say what the other one was. thinking about the suffering makes me cringe all over again.

Read More

a really thilling and imaginative story

Well. having read previous reviews and had watched 3 episodes, I really had the dilemma whether I should continue watching Grid or not. Thank goodness I did! The storyline was very clear from the beginning and you could easily connect all the dots given by the writer, when the appropriate time came to it. Suspensful, full story, no holes in it at all. It kept my mind alert all the time and I had no difficulty whatsoever in following the story. I really do not understand why other viewers found it so difficult and non coherant. The idea of grid was all over the place, it did not fail the story not even once. Another thing that was interesting about it, is how the writer exploited the theory of probabilities and the philosophical question of what time is. She wisely kept a low tone tossing the question to the viewers for the time being. Excellent job, mrs. jakkanim!
I trully believe that it was one of the best Kdramas I've seen so far, and I 'm anticipating season 2. All the hints for season 2 were given from episode 7 and on.
Worth watching it? A profound Yes.
Acting was very good from all actors, many kudos to all of them.
Directing was also fantastic throughout all episodes, especially the two last ones. It was giving the hints of season 2 in a very laconic manner which I loved. Congrats to the director for that and also the writer who had the bouldness to keep it that way.
Finally, the music was auxiliar to the story and not over the top, but I'd rather like one more score than the one and only, just for variety.
Rewatch value, now. Yes, I'd watch it again.
I hope this review would attract more viewers, thank you for reading this.

Read More

In summary, if you are looking for a satisfying romance (and by satisfying I do not necessarily mean it should have a happy ending), you should definitely go elsewhere. If you are looking for something dark and thought provoking, I think that might have been what they were going for, but it's been done better.


It started off interesting, if cliched (your typical Cinderella-esque story)

BUT, there were more characters and storylines than the writers or the cast really knew what to do with, and in trying to do justice to all they really did justice to none.

They dropped hints that they never picked up, and generally lead the viewer to believe there was more meaning than there ever ended up being. I think it was this promise of something that led so many people to the last episode, and the utter failure to deliver that has inspired so many negative reviews.

The ending was shocking, but in a better crafted drama it would have worked. It never pretended to be a rom-com, so a nice neat happy ending was unnecessary, but at the same time it only ever played at being the kind of dark drama it tried to become at the end. In this case it felt like a cop-out, like the writers simply couldn't find any other way out of the quagmire they'd created. Like they thought the shock value alone would make everyone forget all of the loose ends, and the fact that basically every character was stripped of any respect or redeeming character traits. Like the ending alone would somehow make it profound and thought provoking.

All it did, and not just the final minutes, but the absurd pacing of the entire final episode, was highlight the flaws up until that point. The drama was at the same time repetitive and inconsistent, unbearably long and at the same time rushed, a mess of contradictions that did not work in its favor.

In the end it tries to be too many things and succeeds at none.

Read More

I don’t even know what to say...

If I had 10 cents for every time I wanted to DNF this series, I'd have a thousand cents in my PayPal account!
Sigh.
I feel some type of way…
I am disappointed.
Maybe it’s my mood?Maybe it’s work? Maybe it’s cause I’m thirsty?
I don’t even know.
This is like sitting down to eat the fruit salad I normally enjoy, but instead, I was served random ingredients mixed with cream and ice cream. I reluctantly ate it all because I knew my favorite fruits (strawberries) were in there somewhere, as long as I kept digging around for them.
I guess I should get to the series ha? Yeah, well that is something, and it can’t be denied that watching this is certainly an experience - Positive, negative, annoying, funny, stupid...somehow.
I’m waffling, thinking about fruit salad or whatever, but the truth is that I really don't have any strong opinions about this show. Mostly just bemused annoyances. I think I’m probably being too critical, because I didn’t even dislike this. Don’t get me wrong, it started well at first, but my enthusiasm quickly faded ( I want to listen to Faded...I'm faded, I'm faded. So lost, I'm faded, I'm faded.So lost, I'm faded).
Maybe I’m just annoyed because I thought the plot was doing one thing when actually just ended up doing another. I would say this was more of an romance serials sparkled with some very not hungry vampires.
I love vampire stories. I love romantic stories. I love vampires romantic stories. So, by the same logic, I should have liked show. If the universe was fair and rational, I would have loved it and given it ten stars. But it she is not fair.

But this series was not:
- funny
- scary
- compelling
- exciting
- populated by lovable characters (there was one and they killed him.)
It was:
- predictable
- the kind of clichés that feels like a trick
- centered the most boring one the romance I have ever watched
- sad yes, but mostly just exhausting
- this one was simply just too darn slow for me.
This is a sweet, hot, tiresome lengthy story.
Mark is basically a Rome god and Tong is basically Sleeping Beauty or something. OK, fine, one years ago, we all swoon for hot handsome engineers. Today, we swoon for hot vampire who have a personality and does not drink the golden blood.I guess my cynicism is showing.

Okay enought with the negative.
I'm a fan of the opening song. I love it. There is some sort of magic in this song. I am so obsessed with it. I could listen to it all day.

Тhis show just is not for me. But if this one has caught your eye, don't let my opinion sway you. So many people have loved this series and I’m just really sad I couldn’t. I started out expecting to love this story.

Final
The series started with a bang, but ended with a dang.Thank God it's over.

Read More

Feels like this drama is going to be universally cherished, an instant 10!

I have rarely rated k-dramas as 10 because those kinds are truly top-tier and close to my heart. This one feels like one of them. The character is a lawyer and on the autism spectrum which the drama takes utmost care in addressing. As a psychology student myself, I can tell that its neurodiverse representation is done right in many ways, exploring many facets of ableism. (Also, it's got amazing LGBTQIAP+ rep!)

The drama portrays how her co-workers are more or less 'accepting' of her but you may observe some forms of microaggressions towards the character even from their end. She receives pity and judgement in plenitude. Hence, it would be nice to see this show explore how people around her take efforts to address and overcome their prejudices in future episodes. The series even touches upon the capitalization of women's bodies in episode 2, so look forward to that because it highlights a great narrative on intellectual and body autonomy.

Love how each episode is dedicated to a new case. This format is crucial for addressing a wide range of social aspects and the show sets out to do exactly that. It leaves you to think about a lot of its themes, about the nuances and perspectives one can use to interpret certain scenes which are all equally valid.

Read More

Very draggy

"Nabi" is my first lakorn. The first few episodes start off well. My only complaint in the beginning was the ML constantly grabbing the FL and dragging her everywhere. A few times would be okay, but I could've started a drinking game with the amount of times he did it. Towards the middle, the show quickly became draggy. The cause, I think, is likely the writing. They obviously had to stretch a simple storyline to 22 episodes and it was tiring at times. I didn't help that what happened to Nabi's sister and Kawin's mother was revealed so early on...

So why did I stick around? Two reasons, really. Fah and Joss had great chemistry and I genuinely like the cast. They were all doing the best with the script they were given. Nat, especially, was able to carry most of the show. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to carry it through that terrible ending. I mean, are you kidding me? Half the characters took stupid pills towards the end and you cannot change my mind on that.

To improve "Nabi," I think the writers should've incorporated more flashback scenes. I really enjoyed the ones they did show and thought it added more depth to the characters. Nabi and Kawin's were particularly touching. Also, more time should've been given to Luke and Jan's characters who ended up being glorified extras. I guess that also goes for Wa and Sirin, who were basically forgotten, despite them being the mystery of the show.

I was entertained for the most part but I was not satisfied with the ending. I will likely never watch "Nabi" again, though I look forward to the cast's other projects.

Read More

"Everything will be fine when the sun rises"

From the moment you see four white circles dancing over frosted tree tops you know you are watching a master at work. Director Zhang Yi Mou takes on the spy genre with the grace and flare he has refined over the decades.

Four Chinese spies trained in the USSR drop into Japanese controlled Manchuria to rescue an escaped prisoner of the dreaded Beiyinhe camp, where prisoners were tortured, experimented on and killed. They want him to tell his story so that the world will know what is going on in those devilish camps. Unfortunately, from the moment they hit the snow covered ground and split up they find themselves in even greater danger because a traitor has revealed their mission to the enemy.

Xiang Chen partners with Lan as Team 1, while his wife, Yu, and Lan's lover Chu Liang form Team 2. Both teams run into subterfuge and lies dipped in murderous intent. The pace of the film moves ever forward with enough chases through the snow on foot, in trains, and in automobiles to keep things exciting. It's often a cat and mouse and cat and mole frantic affair. The script took a sentimental turn at the end, which frankly, I enjoyed because I'm a big softie at heart, even when watching a spy film. That's not to say there wasn't violence, fair warning for the squeamish, there were some utterly brutal torture scenes and deaths.

Zhang Yi Mou took a flawed script and made it gripping as each of the team members had to get by on their wits as well as their training. His trademark stunning shots and framing were in effect in every scene. This truly looked like a frigid world, emotionally and physically. The Republican Era costumes were sharp and spy approved black with plenty of Fedoras and fur-lined coats. Cho Young Wuk's music perfectly fit the scenes regardless of the mood. The closing song's melody was hauntingly beautiful. As a whole the film was stunningly put together.

Zhang Yi as the team leader did an admirable job playing the skilled and stoic spy. Yu He Wei as Zhou, the man dangerously straddling two worlds had me rooting for him and hoping I wasn't wrong. Unlike many Zhang Yi Mou films, the women's roles seemed less well defined though the two female spies held their own as they struggled to find a way out of the traps they were in.

Cliff Walkers wasn't a perfect film but I found it engaging nonetheless and a treat for the eyes and ears. Zhang Yi Mou has run afoul of the censors before so hopefully, this more patriotic film will give him more room to work in future endeavors. Having said that, he kept the political propaganda to a minimum focusing more on the individuals, their strategies to overcome the terrible odds and sacrifices that had to be made. I found it to be a well made spy thriller and worth checking out, especially if you enjoy this director's works.

9/24/22

Read More

This was hot hot hot!

Revenge of Begonia did catch my eye while it aired but i decided to wait til summer to watch it. Its not for everyone`s taste, especially being a web short drama, and the cliche trope (though so deliciously done) and the very dark turn of events where the mainleads get so destructive in their relationship. I loved the mainleads so much. The Male Lead was this ruthless but neverthless good hearted warrior and our female lead totally ensnared him with her pure seduction and charm...and eventually stole his heart. I love romance so much and the romance between them was so very gawd hot and passionate!

Read More