Reviews

Dark Romance Comedy with very flawed ML.

The comedy aspect was good. Lots of hilarious scenes thru out the series.

The story was about ML who had lots of issues, parents issues, commitment issues. He met the FL when he at one of the low point at his life. They dated and even get rings together, but ML had commitment issues so as a jerk bastard he break up with FL with bunch of BS and insult the FL too.

Three years later, he find out he will had 3 months to live. By chance ( so many fate meeting in this series) he also find out that his ex (FL) will marry rich guy and she cannot carry a child.

He will.go road trip to try to find his real father (there are few candidates). So as a very selfish and narcissistic person, he go to the FL wedding, threatened her to come with him and then kidnapped her.

This when all hell loose break. They are being chased by a gang (from ML last job) and also the FL husband to be , SML.

Making it short, ML and FL deserved each other. Yes, ML is a HOT bastard . Who only thing what fun and best for him. What important for him. But even after being dumped by the ML years ago, although she had a very good fiancee, she crave the ML from head to toe. Even sometimes she beimg treated like crap again. But she willingly accepted the ML even she know he is so f-ing flaw and so selfish and will die soon. Yep, just because he is young and HOT and SML is not hot and young.

SML had to thank his lucky star he did not marry the FL. He deserved someone that truly love him and not abandoned him the very first chance she had.

The only character with real growth is SML. He was a Mama boy that obey his Mom before all this bride kidnapping happened. But because of his love for FL, he defied his Mom, runaway from home to save FL ( who does not wanted to be save in reality) At the end of the journey, he become more independent and more confident.

The story also show very long journey of ML try finding his real father with no avail. The writer should write more about the ML and the father that raise him till teenager relationship. But it never happen. They just getting back together as father and son just like that at end of ep 10.

The moral of the story: All people deserved love. Even with two flaw characters like ML and FL.

Lots of angsty and miscommunication and flaw plots. At least it was quick pace, good acting, quite funny here and there. The chemistry was good too with all actors.

Its entertaining watch because it only had 10 eps. Good but not my fav.

7 out of 10.

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"One is not Born to Kill"

Originally I wasn't sure I was going to watch this one though I loved TBOY and had watched DY. I just wasn't sure GJ could pull off a complex character as SMY, as he's commonly known to have a one note face. But in this case it worked plus the addition of CHS as SCH was right on point. It can be watched as a standalone or as I enjoyed comparing with TBOY.

Pros: Here we really delved into An He or Blood River and the pasts of many of its characters which was the best part; especially the main 2. Everyone starts somewhere, with different lives and names. As SMY said on numerous occasions "no one is born to kill." The show really reminded me of peeling back an onion. Reason being is because just as in episode one it seemed that the guys were going to be able to get out on their own and create a new An He, they were met with a new host of challenges. They would clear those challenges away and then something else would pop up. They always knew that they were as I like to call them the three ghouls sitting in some platform, a dungeon that they thought were the ones that dealt out the missions as in who to go kill, but it turns out that there was as mentioned above a whole onion to be unraveled(ie Shadow Sect who's figure head was none other than father of consort Xuan aka Prince Xi and Wu Xin's mom from TBOY and above him a shadowy Eunuch responsible for his share of massacres). SMY at first was not on board with the change and turning An He into something new as well as walking in the light and swimming or going to another shore so they were just like any other sect. He he grew to that idea even when SCH did tell him that he could leave if he wanted to, but because of how close they were to each other to the point where there were times during the series, you could swear they shared a brain cell. Originally SMY was supposed to be the patriarch and SCH head of the Su family once all the other three families older heads were gotten rid of, but for whatever reason the opposite happened and for those of us who watched and enjoyed TBOY; this fateful decision proved to be the unfortunate demise of many innocent souls later on.

I'm not going to go too much into the other series, but with this one, what was great was that even though it was a darker drama, it had a lot of comedic standpoints, as well as gave a lot of history and backstory on both of its main leads, as well as some side stories of other leads . It gave you a much more deeper understanding of who SMY really was and never changed even in the later series, however, something changed in SCH though in this one, he was comic gold and the actor that played him did a phenomenal job. I will say that every person for, however, long or short they were on screen did a great job. I was very worried to be honest because SMY and SCH coming from the other series are very complex characters so for these two actors to pull them off so well was a wonderful thing to see.

Even though we ended up losing two important characters, though they played minor roles, and it was sad they did essentially help their family members, even though not by blood escape. I did feel a slight bit of déjà vu for those who did not watch TBOY, prince number one because I don't remember his name and his actions nearly perfectly match those of as I called him the asswipe prince or number seven in the other series. Absolutely everything he did the underhanded tricks, trying to kill off his brothers and uncles and everyone else humanly possible just to get that throne, the only difference was that prince asswipe also had the help of the now older SCH who was a completely different person then who we saw here, though we did see the beginning of this person, and it was mentioned by another character how he can go from laughing to talking normally to deadly serious to lethal in a flip of a switch.

Again, because I am a huge fan of the other series I really liked how a lot of that series sons played their fathers or even themselves if they were old enough. The one that took me a little bit to understand was SMY's father because his hair was different and he smiled a lot, and his clothes were different. It took me a few flashbacks to realize that this actor actually played SMY himself in TBOY. The sad part was that they all ended up in An He (trained to be brutal assassins) because someone decided to take it upon themselves to slaughter a town or a clan, and then these boys and girls as children would end up in An He. No one was born to kill.

I loved how they had both the CGI fighting scenes and the regular fighting scenes on wires or even without wires and it was just spectacular. This series was very rich in the storytelling and I'm not going to go into every single bit of it because then what will be your point in watching it. In the timeline of the universe DY goes first, then this one, and then, TBOY; though I do not remember exactly how many years in between each. I'm sure that there are much more knowledgeable viewers in the comment section. Every single character except maybe the two goals had a purpose, and my favorite were the younger family. Once all the trash was gotten rid of subtract of course the original patriarch even though he was a stone cold killer he understood loyalty, which are two things that usually would contradict each other, but in a way he sort of reminded me of the Italian mob. There was even a father-daughter duo. He was part of the organization and she was a miracle physician (they only reunited by accident in the beginning of the episodes,) who fell in love with SMY and vice versa, thankfully romance was not even on the radar, but there were a little glimpse between them and two other side couples, one of which unfortunately perished. The sets, the costumes (all were beautiful), music everything landed as it should've.

Cons: I'd have to say I don't have too many of these things that bugged me. One would be the age difference of certain characters, especially when talking about both DY and TBOY; it seemed like some actors between DY and this one did not change in age at all or this one and TBOY and then you had young prince number two who will eventually become the real emperor already blind, and his sword deity is the same exact age as when he saved him in the third film as an adult so that already does not make sense. I think what they should've done was cast appropriately so you could go with a timeline if that's what you were going with. Also, where did Prince Langya's Frost poison go? For people watching this as a standalone, it may not pop out much but for those that then we'll go on to watch the third series, these age discrepancies will become glaring and confusing. Another glaring issue was I guess you can call them couple number two she was MYM and he was basically the future leader of the Tang clan and they fell in love. Now, in the third series when she recounted their meetings to the Wushuang in the bar, she says every single time we met, which was a total of three times it was because she was going to kill him, which in this series we see is completely false. She came onto him first she was flirting with him until she got him to reciprocate her feelings. She even saved his life a few times as he did hers, so that false narrative is very much unnecessary, especially since in this series, they promised that once all of their obligations were done, they would reunite and be together. I wish this type of writing was more consistent, standalone, or not.

Also, where did ghoul number three go after he was done helping our guys with getting rid of the other two? He literally vanished without a trace and we never saw him for the remainder of the series. It's these types of things that I'm not a fan of. If you're going to have someone who's even remotely important to some kind of cause then you need to exit him out properly.

The other thing I didn't understand was the master of SMY and SCH when she saved SMY she also knew that fire palm thing which was supposedly taboo in their organization and then when she saved BHH a.k.a. SMY's lady, she made her father swear that he could not tell SMY that she was alive. He had to lie and say that she was dead, and that basically went on for 12 years until they reunited and that happened after the ending credits of the last episode for three minutes they did not speak, they stood 10 feet apart like you would see in a Xianxia; which this wasn't. By this time, the third series had ended and An He was disbanded but because for 12 years, he thought she was dead, he had become a shell of his former self and I think it also in a way contributed to SCH getting away with a lot that he did. So that one woman set in motion, a domino effect just because of her studies (or lord knows what) in the medicine valley that harmed so many people. I think it was a good thing that they closed them out with the proper reunion, not just the voiceover before the credits, but they should have at least hugged.

Would I recommend it? I 100% absolutely would. Whether you watch this is a standalone or is in conjunction to the other two or however, you want to watch it. It is wonderful storytelling with rich backgrounds and you really get to know the characters that in series three which happened first were very much on the sidelines because other folks were important. Definitely give it a shot.

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value to watch

VERY VERY different from Red moon.
Red moon very slow and bore ,I quiet at ep5.

this love in pavillian very good actor,actress ,value to watch ,strong recommend to watch.

strong costume ,music, stroy.
chemist between main role
and support role vety good.

Rating must 10 or more.
and i can't wait for next episode
and next trilogy.

I pay iqiyi vip member to wařch🐭🐭🐭.
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Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is a drama with not a lot of sticking power. That does not mean I didn’t like it. It has some really good episodes but overall it didn’t leave me with that joyful feeling of watching something great. It didn’t leave me feeling a little sad it was over.

The writing was uneven. There was a fun supernatural element along with the premise of 4 flower boys living in a mansion and charged with turning a goth girl into a lady. The friendships were portrayed nicely and the love story was cute. Some episodes were good. But some were just bad. The last one left me cold, with a twist I did not like.

The acting was uneven. Some gave pretty good performances. Kamenashi Kazua was a standout. But he’s been pretty good in the three dramas I have seen. Oomasa Aya was good as the girl who loves blood and skulls and death. The others were a little choppy but I got passed it because I liked the friendship between the four boys.

I think I have seen too many really stellar dramas to fall in love with this one. But having mentioned the negative things let me mention a few things that I liked: I loved the relationship development between Kyohei and Sunako. They truly had some very funny moments together and some very touching and cute ones as well. I liked how fast he came to accept her even if he took a long time to sort out his feelings. Sunako truly had some fun/funny personality quirks. The dynamic of friendships in the house between everyone was enjoyable and kept me watching until the end. I loved that house! I want it!

The music was forgettable except for one little detail: The bar/café they frequent has a very fun detail, almost easter egg to watch for. I’m not going to spoil it here but watch closely. Once you figure it out…It’s very fun to keep your eye out for.

The rewatch value is low for me. I probably won’t watch this again.
This is a cute drama…it has it’s value and it’s place. If you like supernatural elements in dramas and a cute love story, this is one drama you may like.

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Love - CURSE or FATE ?

This review also contains the thoughts I had while watching since they were too precious to be removed !

Synopsis-
Story revolves around cupid who gets shot by his own arrow and the question that follows is ....will there be a chance for him at love ? Is this finally the end of all the lonely wandering .?
Cha Sang Hyuk or we may call cupid burns his wings after a fateful encounter and ever since then opening up to someone meant death of the person. With a heavy burden to carry he somehow manages till the time of his last metamorphosis ....but "LOVE" has other plans.
Cupid crosses path with Baek Ryun who has never had a shot at love - no strings of fate attached, a girl who falls for cupid himself ....will these star crossed lovers have a happily ever after ?

-- You can pick this up if you are in the mood of a Typical Kdrama with cliches pretty faces , gorgeous scenes and a serial killer background story, this makes a good Fantasy tale ! - do not have high expectations from any segment development and you'll have a good time !

Acting -
I expected so much more from Nana - like she does the comedic relief well enough for me to say she's a good actor but the scenes with emotional depth ..girl lift up your game pls - she did not ,sorry but you are too good for this mediocre acting in the portrayal of someone with zero survival skills lol !
Cupid - Jang dong yoon - IDK why people are saying he's not doing a good job ...or that he has a straight face all the time ...he's not yet at the point of flexing his emotions ...he needs to have a cover ...IDK but I really enjoy myself seeing him on screen to me he's doing quite a good job imo...
SML - I like him - tbh more than the acting I like his perspective towards FL ...that she's cool more than just being attracted to her beauty !
He's doing a great job but I don't feel Second lead syndrome just yet ....so it's cupid and nana ship ❤️ which I very much hope sails !

MY PERSPECTIVE - MILD SPOILERS (will avoid direct ones) --
To some FL's character seems desperate and childish - to me it's more like it's her very first shot at love, seeing the people you wished have the best of everything ,get hurt bec they are with you is really heartbreaking after that if she clings on to someone who doesn't , that's not very pathetic ...it's more human to me ! wanting the person all for herself and getting a bit jealous it's okay to me ...reasonable but debatable at the same time! tho I do not find it annoying !

I love the fact that she was given choices and she chose to fall for ML and not really bec he was able to live bec at the back of mind she always knew that someone would pop up on the 1000th time and she wanted it to be ML she prayed for him means she knew she had a choice. I really like that point.

I don't know why the god of fate (I assume )- is being such a meanie ...like come on lift that shot from ML if you can why just appear randomly and go - I won't set you up with anyone ...we already know that ...just leave cuz you annoying me ! or else atleast tell me what's the metamorphosis criteria ? when does it happen ? what are the rules ? and why are the other 3 being punished? why is that fairy converting into dog now and then ....tho it's kinda funny to me but yeah i have questions ...i can't just do with - I won't set you up ! (bec i know you will lol ) - and most annoyingly that's all we had to settle for !

Also I don't get why FL is being punished ...like cupid shot the arrow what did she do ? - except for being drunk all the time !
also what's with her acting all so brave - to me it's like so so dumb ...just hand out a message there are 2 people literally running all around to protect you and you just go around being ...no imma go alone ...like wth ?

The surgery scene was so not done well ...like don't they cut hairs or something before the surgery ? I am not a med student but I just thought that they do ...(ignore if I am dumb )

the second half has been a bit of disappointment with that dumb surgery, too much screen time for dumb side characters (yep i hate them ) and more than that I don't care what happens to them. EP 11 and still that side character fairy is making a fool outta himself and been given so much screen time ...aaahhhh !

My guesses - The other three fairies are allowed to date because they didn't shoot themselves like they did not have a cupid arrow. Now if the cupid's arrow was directed to himself bec of someone else it could be a punishment for maybe trying to set someone up who does not have a string of fate. - one of these was wrong and I seem to hate their explanation that it was just some random kid god fooling around for no reason. - I still don't know anything about metamorphosis and their past life memories are coming back without an explanation on top of everything is extremely annoying !
-- i feel sorry for myself for expecting so much from this show !

finally some development still they are hung up upon that dumb side character fairy but i liked this ep it had a scene where they show us not everyone can burn wings and they have finally mentioned metamorphosis tho I still don't know why he has to suffer that but okay atleast they talk about it ...now it's more like I have started to look for positives and I am enjoying less than I previously did !
-0.5 to reach 7 ! lets hope for a good season finale !

The season finale was a good closure with a lot of character development for everyone !! - including the god of fate lol
The mystery definitely fell flat, but then this isn't a police procedural anyway. I wanted to have some endings for the other fairies too. In the end, they played it a bit too much to the FL's remembering about past lives.
And why the fu*k did they not bother explaining any fairy insights like metamorphosis, dog conversion - does the writer think all the viewers are fairies ...awww that's too cute to be REAL !
-------------------------------------------------------

also for the people who are like ...there's a serial killer on the loose ....guys chill sit back it's not a thriller ...so they won't be going around all the time finding the killer ...like pls pls ...RELAX ! - also you must suffer from amnesia if you can't remember these things are common.!
PS. the crime part overstayed its welcome (by a lot).

Conclusion -
I am enjoying myself and I absolutely like to spend my time around dramas like this ....so yeah I would suggest you pick this up if in the mood for a light watch ! Fantasy with adorable leads and amazing cinematography are a must watch aren't they !

will edit once i've completed the show - till then
Let me enjoy these cuties on my screen ! and you guy's breathe !

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I admit that I may be over ranking this drama by giving it all 10s. The story isn't new or epic. The actors aren't the best there is. The music isn't mind blowing. However, I felt GREAT the entire time I was watching.

There is suspense, romance, a little action and the trials aren't boring. The way the writers use the fact that So Ha can read minds is excellent. I enjoyed the small things like when Hye Sung's mom wrote on her hand and then later in the drama we see Hye Sung writing on her hand. There are morals to the story as it tries to convey a way to live life. I like what Hye Sung's mom says about not hating and that from birth we have a limited time to love (paraphrasing). Even though it is intense at times, I still came away with an over all good feeling. The character growth is the highlight as all the characters stayed true to their personalities as they learned hard lessons and go through some pretty horrible traumas and grow. Even though there was an extension of episodes from 16 to 18, it was well done and the ending was great.

The acting is daebak!!! Lee Bo Young as Hye Sung was perfect. She plays an excellent flawed character. She is really pretty too. I think her chemistry with both the leads was good. Lee Jong Suk as Park So Ha is a character that I will remember for a long time. I think he really came into his own as a male lead. His chemistry with Lee Bo Young although she is older (I don't know why so many people have a problem with age difference) was good. He was definitely a man. I have read that a lot of people don't like Yoon Sang Hyun. I don't really understand that. I have loved him since Take Care of the Young Lady. His portrayal of Attorney Cha was right on. Lee Da Hee as Do Yeon was also good. I was prepared to hate her, but ended with respecting her. I think Jung Woong In as Joon Kook would rival Yoon Je Moon in the bad guy department. He is really good at making a person hate the character.

As for the music. Even if you don't watch this drama, then check out Jung Yup's "Why Did You Come Now?" and Echo's "Every Single Day" and Shin Seung Hoon's "That Word You Cannot Hear".

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

I recommend this drama for everyone...no matter what genre you prefer.

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First of i'm extremely happy this show finally ended, it was over hyped, the casting was wasted with bad writing, and i will never watch such a drama again. I through with these pounding of cliches, like I cringed at the repetitive actions of the characters.
What I Liked
> they showed a more melodramatic experience of high-school
> the cast was amazing and did what they could with their parts
> they had enough cuteness in every episode to watch if you wanted something to do
> The way for the first time the bad boy was explained so thoroughly i fell for him rather than the lead
> They cried and expressed their sadness well
What I Didn't Like
> the wast of ALL the minor characters, like why did people end up the way they did, that was never answered
> the way the love triangle wasn't even one, the feelings were never reciprocated all all
> the long stares and the terrible OST like ohh god! if i ever hear "LOVE IS THE MOMENT" again i will bust someone's head
> the lack of story, it went in circles, and felt soo dead
And Last
I didn't really enjoy the drama as much as i had hoped, It started okay but it went downhill from there, idk what the writer was trying to accomplish but i just wasn't feeling it. Those of you who love the cast, the ost, the acting, the chemistry then please continue too; but one things for sure it was quite a ride after 10 weeks, but at least everyone got some kind of lovin':) Cheers

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With poor writing, bad props, horrible editing, no semblance of a plot whatsoever and cringey CGIs, The Legends was a pretty bad start. However, the promise of a badass female lead and Zhaoyao's snarky personality was the only reason I stuck with it.

Which is why it's almost criminal how they reduced her kickass self to little more than the Male Lead's side kick in the latter half. So much so, that in some scenes the legendary Demoness is nothing more than a glorified damsel in distress whose sole purpose is to stand by the ML's side.

Speaking of the male lead, even with his cute face and pure love he was still pretty much boring, bland and quite one-dimensional. No match for the somewhat antagonist/second Male lead: Jiang Wu. Who was one of the most interesting characters in the show. Being a nasty sonovabitch demon with hilarious moments, he was easier to root for than the ML himself.

My biggest complaint is that the show gave so much screen-time to completely irrelevant characters. Screentime that should have been used to further develop the main leads and their journey. I could count about 4 to 5 story-lines which I didn't give a shit about and that were constantly forced on me.

So over-all, yes there are some pretty adrenaline rushing moments here and there and yes, there is good acting by all those involved but it is nearly not enough to counter the drag.

If you are planning to binge watch this, like I did. My advice is: Make the Fast Forward button your best friend.

Enjoy!

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PURE MADNESS!!!

I understand why many viewers felt disappointed with the ending. At this point, the drama could have followed the webtoon more closely, especially since its ending, though still sad, felt more complete.

That said, I genuinely enjoyed this drama. It’s one of the rare shows where I didn’t skip a single scene. From start to finish, it held my attention.

The early high school episodes were a highlight for me. I actually wish they had lasted longer. Without them, if the story had begun only when Baek Ah Jin became a celebrity, her character would have seemed like just another fame-obsessed star willing to do anything to rise to the top. But that’s not who she is. Those early episodes showed the roots of her trauma, and because of that, I could empathize with her, and I pitied her, even if I didn’t agree with her choices at all.

And it wasn’t just her. Every character in this drama had their own brand of madness. Let’s be honest: the world Baek Ah Jin lived in was far from sane, and the people around her were just as chaotic in their own ways! Everyone was mad in their own way!

Despite all this, I admired the two male leads. Their devotion to the female lead was unwavering, and they were willing to do anything to support her. Still, I can’t say I condone all their actions, especially Jun Seo’s behavior toward the end, which was absolutely wild (although that's not what happened in the webtoon).

Overall, I’m really satisfied with this drama. I usually gravitate toward lighthearted romantic comedies filled with cute fluffy moments between the leads, and this show was the complete opposite. Yet I found myself appreciating it deeply, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something different.

I’m just giving it fewer points for rewatch value. Because of its dark themes and how emotionally heavy it is, I feel that watching it once is more than enough.

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An Emotional Rollercoaster Worth Riding

This drama grabs you from the first scene and refuses to let go, keeping your heart racing long after the credits roll. It’s the kind of story that leaves fingerprints on your soul.

Duan Wu: She’s a force of nature. Fierce, street-smart, and unshaken by challenges—yet there’s a vulnerability in her innocence about life beyond the pearl farm. She’s the girl who punches first and figures out the rest later, and honestly, it works. Hardworking and fearless, but not invincible, her flaws make her real and relatable. Watching her grow into someone even stronger, someone more aware and mature, yet still kind at her core—it’s a transformation so raw and profound, it’s like witnessing a pearl form under pressure.

Yan Zi Jing: Oh, the layers. He’s sharp, complex, and burdened by a past that’s as heavy as it is painful. Living in the grey areas of morality, he’s ruthless when he has to be but still clings to shreds of humanity, refusing to lose himself completely. He’s the guy who looks ridiculously good while taking down enemies and even better while side-eyeing the FL’s stubbornness. A total tsundere, he pretends to be indifferent but sees her in ways that matter. His evolution? Breathless. Watching him rediscover his humanity and love is mesmerizing.

Zhang Jin Ran: The unsung hero. Kind, optimistic, and oh-so-easy to root for. He’s the guy who holds up the light in a dark world, even when it flickers. His hero complex might annoy some, but it’s laced with such genuine care that you can’t help but adore him. His journey from idealistic to grounded is realistic. Honestly? One of the best-written second leads.

Antagonists and Villains: Deliciously dark and grey. The kind that get under your skin, making you rage one second and admire their complexity the next. A perfectly woven balance of evil and intrigue. With a few wicked redemption arcs thrown in.

Acting: Zhao Lusi’s growth as an actress is evident; she’s more captivating than ever here. Her abilities are stronger, more powerful, and stable throughout the drama. She’s mesmerizing, with her emotions hitting you like tidal waves—raw, beautiful, and unrelenting. First time watching Liu Yuning, and he’s impressive—he brings believable subtle emotions and totally owns a tortured, morally grey character that is borderline red flag. His quiet intensity and tortured eyes carrying so much weight, you feel it in your chest. And Tang Xiaotian? Solid and nuanced, keeping his character compelling without overshadowing.

Plot: Fast-paced and brutally real. It’s a story that isn’t afraid to dive into the shadows—exploring slavery, resilience, and redemption with unflinching honesty. The imagery is vivid and unforgettable, lingering like a bittersweet echo. At its heart, it explores the unbreakable bonds of family—the ties that anchor us, but also the ones that weigh us down when love and revenge collide. It’s about a love so deep and unwavering it defies logic, carving through pain and misunderstandings to prove that sometimes, love is not just a feeling but also a choice. Betrayals cut like knives, their sting magnified by the trust that preceded them, and redemption feels hard-earned—messy, imperfect, and profoundly human. This isn’t just a tale of good versus evil; it’s a reflection of life’s grey areas, where the lines between right and wrong blur, and every choice carries a price.

Chemistry: Fire. Between the Duan Wu and Yan Zi Jing, it’s charged with simmering heat, the kind that makes you lean closer to the screen. And with the Zhang Jin Ran, it’s tender and heartwarming. Even the bromance between Yan Zi Jing and Zhang jin Ran was heartwarming. Lusi and Yuning’s connection, obvious and through the roof. Yuning's eyes are so expressive and matches Lusi's intensity. Their height difference? Dreamy. Their comfort with each other brings every romantic scene to life in a way that feels seamless and positively electric.

Cinematography & OST: A feast for the senses. Stunning visuals set the tone, and the music? Hauntingly beautiful, amplifying every emotion.

In short: This drama doesn’t just tell a story—it pulls you into its world, holds your heart hostage, and leaves you grateful for the experience. Watch it. Feel it. Love it.

PS:
The ending made every moment precious and worth it. A Walk to Remember left a lasting impression on me, but The Story of Pearl Girl takes it a step further, its finale is unforgettable. Duan Wu and Yan Zi Jing were dealt some of the harshest cards in life, yet they played them with fierce determination. They didn’t just survive, they lived and loved with all they had, defying every hardship thrown their way.

In the end, their dreams weren’t just fulfilled; they were brought to life in each other’s embrace. Their time together may have been fleeting, but it was luminous, filled with memories that eternity itself couldn’t erase. Their story showed something profound: life is brief, fragile, and unpredictable. But in the moments we do have, we can choose to love deeply, live boldly, and create something timeless. Duan Wu and Yan Zi Jing didn’t just exist - they made every second count.

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The worst regression of a plot and its characters I've ever seen

This entire drama is a fraud. It pulls you in from the beautiful pilot episode filled with symbolism, breathtaking cinematography, and the heartbreaking backstory of who you THINK is the main lead, Han Jipyeong. And then it pulls the rug from under you.

Nam Dosan is the main lead, though he had a 10 second clip only in episode 1. Regardless, he was great in the beginning. Relatable, cute, dorky, and very lovable. Until he's not. I really can't pinpoint where this happened, but Dosan quickly became the most toxic, manipulative, serial liar with anger issues and violent tendencies, male lead who never gets called out for his actions. In fact, he is rewarded for everything he does, good and bad. Why? Because he's the main lead, of course! Duh.

On the other hand, we have Jipyeong, our second main lead who feels like the main lead but is treated like a punching bag and a waste disposal. Everything revolves around him: the plot, the letters, the character development, and the relationships with all the other characters. He is the heart and soul of the story, no matter what the writers were trying to convince us otherwise. This was in part Kim Seon Ho's doing, as he breathed life into his character. What I firmly believe happened was that Han Jipyeong was not MEANT to be as loved as he is. Rich, quick-witted with a sharp tongue and a self-made man, he could've easily become the antagonist of the story, but Seon Ho achieves in making him out to be a beautifully flawed human, a man who grew up with nothing and has had to fend for himself all his life. Props to Kim Seon Ho, who was a hidden gem that was discovered through this mess of a drama, and for that reason only I don't regret watching it with my entire self. As much as the viewers learned to love Jipyeong, the more the writers began to hate him, and his entire character arc ended with a whimper, leaving us unfulfilled and demanding justice for him.

As for Seo Dalmi, our female lead, the writers were amazingly horrible in developing her. She went from being independent, hard-working, dream-filled to a pathetic and helpless nobody who couldn't do anything without the help of a man. We never really learn what she's thinking, or why she's doing anything, or the reasoning behind any of her thoughts or actions. Honestly, I don't even know who she is. The show failed in fleshing her out and showing any sort of character growth and development on her end. She's a mystery box. You can't predict anything she'll do or say because nothing about her is consistent. Very disappointing.

Overall the show advertises itself as a business youth drama, but it really isn't. It pretends to be one until the plot falls apart and character development is thrown out the window. Plot holes everywhere, dead storylines, and "main" characters are more like cameo appearances- AKA Kang Hanna. The writers forgot the overall arc of the story and instead focused on a love triangle that went nowhere for 10 episodes. In all honesty, the plot could've been concluded in about 6 episodes. It dragged on for so long and so painfully, with virtually nothing happening in the second half. Without Seon Ho's portrayal of Jipyeong, I really doubt that this show would've caught the hearts of the viewers, and as amazing as he is I would still never recommend anyone to watch this show. You're better off watching clips of him on youtube.

Lessons and morals of the story? Cheat, lie, play dirty, fight your mentor and those who help you, blame others for your failures, never be grateful to your friends and family, use "fate" to explain your mistakes, and win the girl. Wonderful, very heart-warming.

I don't think I'll be watching another Bae Suzy or Nam Joo Hyuk work for a while to cleanse my palate from their portrayal of the worst characters in kdrama history, which is ironic given that I started this for them in the first place.

1/10.

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START UP becomes MESS UP. The writer / production team seemed to be wasting the potential in this drama.

After watching episode 12, I had to change the review about this drama.
This drama is very promising at the beginning because the theme, storyline and actors are very good. But only for the first 8 episodes.
From episodes 9 to 12, in my opinion, the quality has decreased dramatically in terms of the storyline.
The only thing that kept me watching was because of the character Han Ji Pyeong, who in my opinion he was a very extraordinary scene stealer.
As the second main character, he can attract the attention of many audiences to beat the main character.
There are still 4 more episodes left, but I didn't expect much.
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This drama went from 만점 (100) to 빵점 (0) real quick ?

The issue isn’t the fan ship war that has erupted lately.

It’s that This has become the most important question for viewers to judge whether they come out of the drama slightly satisfied or not: “who the female lead is going to choose as her beau?”

•The second female lead has been reduced to a poor cameo role; who despite being sister, daughter & granddaughter doesn’t even get told in 3 whole years that her Grandma is losing eyesight.

•The female lead turns from an independent, almost self-raised woman with a bold personality to a damsel in distress who cannot function without help from the men in her life.

•The Start Up title is a bait. We start off with a group of inexperienced + Zero business knowhow but passionate people who hope to become the next Steve Jobs or Google. Whilst the first half of the drama gives you hope that this team will slowly learn how to become entrepreneurs and encounter common start-up problems.... We end up with a bunch of (very) immature people who rely heavily on plain luck to secure investments, recognition & success and then proceed to Sell off their company in ONE day without any forethought about their goals. The drama then proceeds with a misplaced time skip to gift this team success & wealth from jobs at other companies.

•One of the worst time skips ever. Not just because the actual scene transition was terrible. First due to when it takes place, it robs the characters of the opportunity to reflect and learn from their mistakes. Second, zero character development in 3 years skip. Everyone seems to have frozen in time. (stagnation) Third, all the previously struggling characters have found (lucky) career success & wealth and we miss their journey through it.

•The show seems to Romanticise/gloss over undue violence and immaturity Especially in a workplace/professional area. (Guys if you punch your mentor At work or school because he made your girlfriend cry after your Own friend told Him to tell Her the “harsh truth, no feelings involved”..... You will be kicked off campus/site and not allowed back in. There may also be lawsuits on assault.) The main characters consistently & unrepentantly make business decisions based on personal emotions- love life, jealousy, euphoria, entitlement. I cannot stress enough the lack of maturity a bunch of 25+ somethings show in their Place of Work- that even teenagers in contrast can seem more wise.

•The male lead has been reduced to a whining entitled toddler who, like a broken radio in order to gain sympathy points from everyone around him, keeps crying & repeating he “has nothing” just because his love life isn’t sailing smooth. THIS, despite the fact that he has 2 very loyal friends, supportive parents (regardless of their expectations of him they still invested into his loss-making, no-real-plan, debt-run business for 3 whole years prior to the show start), a close cousin who’s more like a brother that does marketing for him for basically free, genius coding talent, handsome & tall looks, a warm family house (not an apartment!) to return to.... and after a time skip, even becomes successful & wicked rich..... Like dude, what the hell more do you want ?!? And what’s more ridiculous is that he’s the most well-off character in the show. One of his own friends has lost a brother to suicide. The girls have a dead parent + blind grandma + enemy like stepfamily. The other guy is a literal friendless orphan whose success is all self-made......


It’s a wonder we’re still watching this drama. The effort of the actors, the pretty cinematography, the enticing OST. There’s not much else bringing us back except needing to know the conclusion of a drama we already invested our time & energy in.


*credit to someone*

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Legend of my undying patience with this show.

Me during the first few episodes: Why are these episodes so short? Why aren't they 45 minutes long?
Me during the last few episodes: Why are these episodes so long? Why aren't they 30 minutes long?
That would sum up the decline of my enjoyment as I was watching the drama.

I want to be perfectly clear - I am not one of the people who were unable to enjoy it because of their expectations. I had zero expectations, I saw no promo materials. I went into it blind and willing to accept whatever they threw at me. I just did not expect them to start throwing bullshit.

It started well. Solid set up for the female lead, explaining why she needs to climb the military ladder from the bottom. We had fun “mulan-esque” plot lines that made me sing “I'll make a man out of you” as she was kicking ass during the practice. The tension between her and Xiao Jue was great. And then it slowly started to hit me how little generaling we have in this story about a female general. How the drama does not really have much plot, not substance. How the most interesting character is actually the second male lead. How the villains are empty shells that make me feel nothing.

Why did it happen? I think every plot line, every interaction, every motivational speech and feministic message did not have proper set up. Things just happened and we moved on to another scene. They kept telling me how bad women had, how she is this brave and strong and the idol for all the other women, but I did not really see much suffering or discrimination. Don’t get me wrong - inequality was clearly visible, but they presented with dialogue a completely different level of suffering than what was actually shown. It left me with a feeling of dissonance.

Not everything was bad. Outside of her preachy monologues I actually liked He Yan a lot. I appreciated how she was not this cold, stoic man like warrior. She was witty, cheeky and at times even bubbly. She had a bright and fun personality, but also knew when to focus on work. That made her far more enjoyable to watch.

Even if underdeveloped, I also enjoyed Song Tao Tao and Cheng Li Su. They served a good contrast to both leads. Tao Tao had little to no physical strength, but was motivated and because of her knowledge in poison, was not a defenceless damsel in distress. Cheng Li Su might have seemed like a spoiled nuisance, but was also loyal and dedicated.

Sadly, that’s where the positive aspects end. Sure, the acting was good, but does it matter when the writing was not? I don’t even want to talk about the production value. What was that crayon blood? They did not even try to fake the injuries and wounds - they just smudged some red pain on their faces with artistic vision. Yes, Cheng Lei looked hot with that fake blood, but it was still too fake to ignore. There were also issues with the continuity of the shots (eg. blood being there in one cut, and not in the other from a different angle). The whole last arc (last 3-4 episodes) were so ridiculous I wanted to cry.

Overall, I should have dropped it, I have no idea why I finished it (I do, Cheng Lei’s face).

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Not worth the wait

3 long years after the insanely good and very high rated first season, I have to say I’m very disappointed with season 2. It fell way below what I was expecting, and honestly felt like a completely different show to me.

First off, I was very sad that the original cast made it so far for half of them to be killed off by the second episode. They introduced way too many new and not important characters with no character arch or background on any of them. The cast from season 1 is what gave the show such great charm, and these new characters had nothing to them at all. Not to mention, none of the good characters from season 1 remained except for obviously Hyunsu and Eunyu. Everyone else that was there I could care less about. Give me back Jisu!!!

Next, the storyline was just so all over the place?? There were 5 different storylines going on, all of which added barely any substance to the plot. We definitely could have done without Yikyung and her weird monster baby, that pretty much added no value other than, that monsters are evolving, which we knew would happen at some point. Didn’t need to be some weird sub storyline. Keeping with this thought, I could give a shit less about the people at that damn stadium. It became pointless to me after Eunyu left it to find Eunhyuk, but instead we spend most of our time here instead of the more important plot points. Who was Chief Ji? Why was she so suspicious? Was she harboring a monster? Was she a monster? Guess we’ll never know that because they didn’t explain anything. What was with the old man and Hanni?? What was their added value?? Why did they want us to care about these soldiers so damn much? They were a tad bit more important to the story though as they did come across more neo-humans, but why do I have to care about them? We were gonna end up at the research facility at some point with or without them.

And lastly, my BIGGEST issue with the show: where the hell was Hyunsu for half the show?? Main character but they gave him no main character energy. He was sidelined to make way for these less important characters. Last we saw him, he was petrified/turned to stone by Uimyeong at the research facility as it was crumbling, then what happened?? How did he get out? How did he become unfrozen? How did he find Yikyung and her weird monster baby?? And then he’s just gone? for three episodes? and magically shows back up for the last 2?? For a story about Cha Hyunsu and him being the only one that can stop monsterization (maybe) he sure was given dust. What happened to Uimyeong after he petrified Hyunsu? He was j chillin until Dr. Lim showed back up? I mean none of this story made any sense and lacked what made season 1 so popular.

All I can say is, I was very disappointed with the long and highly anticipated wait for season 2. With the return of Eunhyuk at the end, I have slightly higher hopes for season 3. I hope season 3 can redeem any lost hype that season 2 didn’t have and bring back the feeling of what made Sweet Home so incredible.

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