Reviews

VERY INACCURATE, HORRIBLE PORTRAYAL

As someone who read and loved Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, watching Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy was a deeply frustrating experience. The movie takes the complex, layered narrative of the novel and reduces it to a simplified, commercial action flick that barely resembles the source material.

First and foremost, the characters are completely mishandled. Kim Dokja’s depth — his psychological struggle, inner monologues, and slow evolution — is lost entirely. In the film, he’s portrayed as a generic hero with none of the quiet intensity or existential weight that makes him compelling in the novel. Yoo Joonghyuk is similarly mischaracterized, coming off as one-dimensional and overly emotional instead of the cold, calculating regressor fans know. Their dynamic, one of the most nuanced parts of the story, is glossed over in favor of comedy and forced drama.

Key arcs and plot points are either completely altered or omitted. The film skips the early scenarios that define the tone of the story and instead jumps into flashy high-stakes battles without context. Crucial concepts like the Constellations, Scenarios, Fables, and Dokja’s Reader status are either watered down or poorly explained, making the narrative incomprehensible for newcomers and insulting for fans. Additionally, they made the important parts of story such as Dokjas love for the novel that saved his life and his backstory that shaped him, the story and its impact completely irrelevant; they changed it all.

It’s not just a bad adaptation — it feels like the creators didn’t even read the novel or respect the intelligence of its fanbase. Worse still, the thematic heart of the novel — self-worth, loneliness, identity, and the meaning of stories — is completely missing. The movie trades introspection for action, wit for explosions, and originality for clichés. It feels like a product designed to capitalize on the IP’s popularity without any real effort to capture what made it special.

In the end, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy isn’t just a poor adaptation — it’s a disservice to a story that deserved so much more. By stripping away the novel’s emotional complexity, rich world-building, and philosophical core, the film reduces a groundbreaking narrative into generic spectacle. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a curious newcomer, this version fails to deliver on nearly every front. If you’re looking to experience the true magic of Omniscient Reader, do yourself a favor and read the novel — the movie doesn’t even come close.

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✨ATOTS SUPREMACY✨

A tale of a thousand stars made their way through successfully. It is an astounding series and novel as well. It's a series that doesn't require any kissing/love scene as emotions are poured within their sincere eyes and actions. ATOTS is a series that I've waited for so long and I can say that it is worth the wait. Phu &Tian will always be my comfort characters and my love. I'm hoping to see more series directed by P'Aof as well as WarthMix projects🥰

Starting from episode one, you could see how they put their whole effort despite the problems they encountered due to their location. Talking about the script, some parts was improvised and it was majestic😭 I just wish I'm there to watch them act behind the big cameras😭 ATOTS was really a huge success to everyone! kUdos to everyone behind the camera as well as all the actors! Congrats🥰

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Once again I was totally captivated by Iris. I think that although there are some reminiscent scenes in this sequel, there is also a great continued story line. My only complaint (really since this isn't a romance, it isn't like I can complain that much) is that I didn't feel anything between Yoo Gun and Soo Yeon. Well, at least from her end. However, the rest is action packed and suspenseful. I really thought it was interesting that from some characters point of view, they thought they were doing what was right for their country no matter what the action. Then there is Iris motivated by power and greed. Of course, I could see the ending coming a mile away (as I'm sure most people will), but it was fun to watch it play out. I have tons to say, but we can't post spoilers...so...

When it comes to acting, I believe Jang Hyuk has a gift. I laughed with him and I cried with him. His personality change was believable. I was fully invested in his character as Yoo Gun. Kim Yeong Cheol did another excellent job as Baek San. At this point I can't decide if I love him or hate him. His character is truly on of those that show there are two sides to everyone. I gave the acting a 10 for those actors alone. Lee Bum Soo is no joke as Yoo Joong Won. I really had no clue what his character was about for a while. Oh Yun Soo as Choi Min was also good, but nothing special. I felt like she was just a way to keep Yoo Gun in the story line and then she was gone. Lee Da Hae as Soo Yeon left a lot to be desired in my opinion. I felt nothing for her character except when Yoo Gun was upset. I thought Im Soo Hyang as Yun Hwa was a heck of a lot better. I can't give away the ending, but if there is an Iris 3 and she is in it, then I'm totally watching it. I also thought that Doo Joon from B2ST and Lee Joon from MBLAQ were good. This is the first time I have seen them act and they didn't suck.

OH...and watching the outtakes made me think that a lot of these actors did their own action scenes and were hurt. It looked brutal to me. So props to all of them for that!!!

The music was pretty good. GO and Mir singing "Foolish Me" is a really good song that you should check out even if you don't watch this drama.

I might rewatch this sometime.

If you like action and suspense, then this is a drama that you should watch. :-)

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Let me start my review of this version of Full House with a statement that I was not particularly impressed with the original Korean Full House (starring Rain & Song Hye Kyo). I am also pleased to finally see this in MDL; having searched for it to write a review after I finished watching this drama around 2 months ago. So here it goes, my review:

Story: The story follows the basic story as per the Korean original Full House, but with much better credibility and elaboration of story sequences. More is invested in exploring the development of relationships - be it between the main leads, between the male lead and his family, between the leads and the second leads and so on. Everyone has their story told adequately which made each scene progress with better logic. The ending is so much better too - well explained and not rushed. Of all of the Full House versions, I must say (to my utmost surprise since I would never expect this of a Thai lakorn!) that this Thai version of Full House is the best ever made to date!

Acting/Cast: Perfect cast and better acting all around. When I say 'better', I refer to comparisons with the original Korean Full House. Although this Thai version uses young Thai idols, I must say that they can act better than many Korean idols out there who only relied on their looks to pull through their stiff acting! There can be no better combination of leads as these two leads in here. Super cute, super sweet and very compatible! The chemistry is so much more believable than the chemistry between Rain and Song Hye Kyo! Plus the female lead in this one is so adorable and definitely not annoying like Song Hye Kyo's character in the original Full House! And the kissing scenes (especially the ones involving a certain ice cream!) will change the way you view an ice cream forever! I also like how they cleverly incorporated Korea into the drama; thus acknowledging the story's origins. The sceneries in Korea featured in this lakorn are also beautifully filmed.

Music: Melodic and sung by the male & female leads. I am no fan of Thai music, so I gave this a 6/10. I know many young women/fans out there who will be rating the music as 10/10. It's all a matter of preference.

Rewatch value: Extremely high. This lakorn thrives on funny, sweet and scenic scenes that you'd love to re-wind to again and again, and because it is such a light story to watch, it does not require much brain power to just sit back, relax and fall in love all over again.

Overall: For a light romantic comedy, it is a great honour for it to be able to achieve anything from 8 and above from me as I am very picky when it comes to storylines and the dramas/movies that get high scores from me have very good storylines. Since the storyline of this lakorn is to-some-extent-, a "recycling" or "re-telling" from the original one, I gave it a 8.5/10. I really enjoyed this lakorn.

Lastly, I would like to appeal to the powers that be in MDL to please include more Thai Lakorns in here. There are a couple more lakorns that I can think of from the top of my head that have very good ratings, besides the Thai Full House. I am more than happy to write reviews on them. :)

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160 Boys Held Hostage by Bad Editing

This was the worst season of Produce-type show in Korea so far. NOT because of the trainees, but because everything else in this production failed them.

I will talk about trainees only very briefly: The boys were gorgeous, skilled, entertaining, talented, fun, charming, hardworking, good looking individuals and none of the criticism in this review is directed to them. This is not a hate-piece aimed at trainees. Congratulation to winners, good luck to trainees who didnt make it to the final group. Most of you are super awesome. Best of luck to aldi, this seems like a solid lineup.

1. Storylines
This is the SEVENTH korean iteration of Mnets hit reality show of Produce format. The name might be changed, some gimmicks were added, but this is still Produce 101. Except they attempted this to be seventh and EIGHTH season. That's the first and actually the last straw that broke the camels back.
There were supposed to be two shows, two debuting groups (one for Korea, one for China), but due to some reasons, it fell through and two shows were merged into one. Even before audience voting, the number of trainees had to be suddenly halved. This lead to instant elimination of "personality" (and future "storyline") trainees. What happens to your show, if you eliminate the rowdy, no-filter personality hires and leave in well-behaved, media-trained, talented guys, desperate to debut and play it safe? Seemingly you get boring show. Except based on after-show testimonials, the remaining trainees were not trying to play it only safe, it was all the BAD EDITING.

2. Editing and Production
Someone call Korean Academy of Film Arts and ask them if their courses on tv production and editing are still open cause people who worked on editing of this show really need some more tutoring. Horrendous. Disappointing. Boring. Inconsistent. Unnecessarily serious. Bad. Not viewer friendly.
I understand and emphatize with production team, as they had really hard task of carrying out this big show that was falling apart in their hands. They had to patch up together 2 shows into one, were being probably told to come up with something new, something that never happened in previous seasons, something fresh… but they just couldn't and so we got terrible show instead. None of the gimmicks, none of the "classes", none of the "plot twists" worked. I wonder if this is a result of pure incompetency on so many levels of production or if there is something deeper.

3. "Rigging"
It shocks me to say this, but looking back, i enjoyed the rigged/fixed seasons much more than this one. At least in that case, the votes were rigged but the need for character assasination and visual erasure of "unwanted" trainees (by mnet) by the means of editing was not that big. The way some extremely prominent and early-promoted trainees were not shown later even in moments of their excellence was frustrating. Not in the prefered lineup? No storytelling for you, even if you got set up for a story in the begining.
It feels like at least in "fixed seasons" the editors were handheld by final result and they could build around it. But in this season, we had to be pushed very hard to "the right direction". I know this is not a "documentary" and the integrity to telling the truth and all the context is not that .... important. But with 180+ minutes long episodes, you really could give us more without it looking like this was badly hidden promo for 5-10 trainees.

4. Styling + songs
Maybe this is more of a proof of the state of kpop genre, rather than this show, but long gone are the days of "To my word", "NEVER", "Boyness", "Rumor" - top tier original songs given to participants. The selection of songs - original or already existing was lackluster and mostly unispired. The styling has been the worst i remember - with the strong emphasis on the "killing part" and "his backdancers" (i swear it didnt use to be like this!!). The styling for final performances was embarassing and must be an act of sabotage.

5. FINAL WORDS
I am still flabbergasted by how mid the finale was. Until last second, i was 9 members truther. The fact that no such surprise happened only cemented my disappointment from this season. 8 members is so little for show with 160 participants. Too little for debut group from Mnets show that is guarranteed success. You COULD afford it, you have so much power but not decide to use it, smh.
I am also enraged by the fact that, in the end, chinese version of the show went through and cplanet trainees get round 2 of this rodeo. I find this so offensive to all the guys who had to be cut early from kplanet only for merge to happen. (but best of luck to all the cboys who decided to participate).
This show sucked, but i am still happy i got to witness these talented guys. I just wish they could shine more in a good show.

PS. I'm sorry, Kang Woojin, you deserved better :(

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if you're looking for a cute and innocent, super light and fluffy c-drama, then this is it!! it's one of those super cute melt your heart dramas that just makes you smile about the characters and their growing love for each other. I feel like the plot line was thought out very well. Although, it's quite similar to other high school dramas where it's obvious the female lead falls head over heels for the male lead, their friendship progression to a deeper relationship really shows how much they care for each other.

the supporting characters are all also really pertinent to the experiences that they all go through as kids, they learn how to grow up, mature and make important decisions. the female lead pushes to make the male lead happy and enjoy what's in front of him, while the male lead pushes the female lead to achieve her ambitions and goals. The super small jealously moments were really cute and just made you fall in love with the characters even more! honestly, would highly recommend if you enjoy this type of plot line!

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Man, I was so disappointed with this drama. I went in with so much excitement that kept disappearing as I watched more episodes.

There were some good things though. Like:
* Jung Kyung Ho. But if you're a fan, you probably know he's a hell of an actor, so he could sit there with a paper bag over his head and I would still watch it. His character development as Min Ho is a delight to watch, I had so much fun watching that and there were a lot of funny moments.
* Side characters. His secretary Woo Shik was hilarious, he had me rolling on the floor every time he was on screen. And he has such great chemistry with JKH, their scenes were non stop laughing for me.

Those two are the things I liked most about this drama. I didn't like:
* The main plot: It was SO boring for me. But I usually find business plots in dramas boring, so maybe if you like that kind of thing, it will be enjoyable for you. I was just falling asleep since I didn't get most of it. And don't get me started on that murder subplot....
* Kim So Yeon. Not that she was bad per se. And let me tell you, I am KSY's number one fan. I am crazy about her and I've liked her in everything I've seen her. My problem here is Sun Jeong. I don't know what it is but I feel like they could've done more with her character. I kept waiting for her to do something: I know her thing was being all strong and taking whatever came her way but I just wanted her to stand up and say stop for once. But well, I guess it's just that I don't like that kind of characters. There were cute moments between her and Min Ho but everything was kept too formal for my taste I just wanted her to be a bit crazier.
* Lee Jun Hee. His storyline made NO sense. ABSOLUTELY NONE. What a way to waste Yoon Hyun Min's talent. They should've just made Min Ho and him BFFs like in Cruel City and go with it. (Kidding, tho I still need another drama with these two)

Anyway, I don't even remember the OST and I finished this two weeks ago so I guess it's not that memorable, not that it's bad either. It's just there.
Overall 7.5 from me. JKH makes this drama.

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DEF worth the watch!! the plotwist GOT ME GRIPPIN MY SEAT

bro this movie was like so slow at the beginning, and i was so fooled cuz i was like lol this sucks. I was also comparing it to better days so i was like damn this shit bad. BUT THEN IT ALL LIKE STARTED MAKING SENSE AND I WAS LIKE OOOOOO OKOK AND BRUH. The acting is FIRE, but i personally don't think the main couple had much chemistry but it was bareable cus hs romance is usually not super like intense ykwim. I could really feel the emotion through their acting and honestly had to tear up. The story is kinda slow and doesn't make much sense at the beginning which makes it kinda cringey to watch but later on it progresses and ur able to assemble the pieces together in ur head. Also, im like not even gonna lie, the romance was not the star of the show, but rather the friendship. However, the movie focused so heavily on the romance that it did not live up to its potential. THE CINEMATICS ON THE OTHER HAND, OMFG THEY WERE BEAUTIUFL. I felt like each second of the movie could be paused and would be so beautiful and perfect that it could be like my computer wallpaper. It really helped immerse the audience in the young and youthful typa vibe. But overall, I would say its a great experience and def worth the watch if ur into coming of age films.

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The Musical started off so strong. The first couple episodes were funny and the leads had a good chemistry...

When the characters were actually working on the musical it was very interesting. Then somewhere in the middle the story took several directions. Towards the end it became just very dramatic and there was no focus on musicals. I actually forgot that this drama was called the Musical just because there wasnt that much music. I didn't watch the end but heard it was rushed so I'll probably just read a recap. Still though for most of the time the story kept my interest.

I think the casting was perfect...except for Ko Hye Sun. I think what brought the quality down was her poor singing voice. Also, her character development was poorly written so that plus her awful voice just made it hard to want to root for her. Daniel Choi was perfect in his role. I did like all the supporting characters.

The music was memorable but nothing I'd want to listen to outside the show.

I'm not sure If Id rewatch this or not.

Overall if this drama was written better and casted with a better female lead it would have left a lasting impression but since thats not the case I'd just rate it as being average but worth watching once.

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You either hate it, or you're absolutely obsessed with it. There's no in-between.

This drama is not for everyone.

But it is for people who have an open mind and an open heart. Because this drama gives you the story you need, but maybe not the one you wanted.

Let me explain.

This drama is a typical costume drama with court politics, schemes, epic battle sequences, and stunning costumes. Now, what makes it special is that there is a fantasy element to it. And it comes in the form of a mermaid. Unexpected, I know. The fantasy element plays a small role in the overall story, but an important one, nonetheless.

Also, there’s a romance between a student (Haishi) and a master (Fang Jianming).

With this information in mind, you expect that you’ll get a mix of court drama that ends with the main characters falling in love. And at its core, that’s exactly what the show gives you.

Except, it also gives you three very unlikeable characters at the start of the show (Haishi, Fang Jianming and the Emperor). One struggles with unrequited love, one is emotionally inept, and the other is taking grieving to a dark level. So, naturally, there are moments where you might dislike the show because the characters are dislikeable.

But this show makes it very clear halfway through, that it’s a story about massive character transformation. All these characters go from unlikeable to immensely likeable. And the acting is strong enough to make these transformations convincing.

And what keeps you watching the show, despite the frustrating slow-burn romance and some annoying subplots, is how unpredictable the show is. Trust me, once you start the first episode, you’ll see what I mean.

To me, the show really picks up from episode 30 onwards. It took me 30 episodes to realize this show would be on my favourites of 2021. But, because of how unpredictable the plot is, it’ll be a breeze to get to episode 30 where everything starts falling into place.

Finally, if you’re like me, and you hate sad endings, you might be surprised how much you won’t regret watching this show despite the tears you might shed at the end.

Favourite thing about the show: The dialogue and character banter (I would pause, rewind, and replay a lot of lines).

Technical elements: Obviously, the OST is stunning. Diamond Zhang is on the record which is an automatic green flag. Also, this is a high-budget production so expect epic battle scenes, rich costumery and lush cinematography.

Some trigger warnings: sexual assault, self-harm, major character deaths, violence.

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Part endearing part aggravating

The male character is endearing - his zest, drive, and heartfelt portrayal of his character are what lifts the show. Unfortunately, the protracted and frequently boring storyline regarding the actual running of the academy, together with the unprofessional conduct, and competitive behaviours - all take away from the overall charm.
I guess at the end of the day what really was a turn-off was yet another portrayal of an archaic, face-saving, and frequently harmful society. Destroying someone's career on the basis of them dating another adult - well, that doesn't make for compelling storytelling, it just makes one aggravated.
It is a sweet, slow-burn romance that touches the heart. It is also a slow and frequently frustrating watch.

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Wow, that was traumatic

Writing this quick review for my LGBTQ+ community because all the positive reviews did not prepare me at all. But like...this short series packs in an unnecessary amount of trauma and I wouldn't recommend it to other LGBTQ+ viewers unless they're up for that kind of thing. We've got gay bashing, run-of-the-mill homophobic school bullying (and authority figures failing to properly intervene because they are also homophobic), attempted suicide, a forced breakup due to the characters' sexuality not being acceptable to a parent, and a father literally pointing a gun at his gay son and threatening to kill him unless he agrees to marry a woman. There's a third character not involved with the main romance, Xu Yang, whose entire purpose in the story is to illustrate how much gay boys get bullied in school. He gets almost no characterization, and he's not even friends with the main boys (he's from a different class). Yet the story keeps cutting back to him so we can see how he's getting bullied and gay bashed now. Then he tries to commit suicide after reaching out for help to adults multiple times and getting ignored. The story thinks it gives him a happy ending, but even in the last scene we see him, the entire school laughs at him for dressing up as his favorite character (Sailor Moon). So that wasn't cathartic! Justice for Xu Yang!

And like, the romance isn't even worth all the trauma. The boys are great actors, but Xiang Wan kind of harasses Zhi Chen at times, and their only kiss is nonconsensual (with Zhi Chen trying to push Xiang Wan off him while Xiang Wan forces it. Zhi Chen does eventually give in, but that doesn't make Xiang Wan's actions okay.). After their forced breakup, they reunite after thirteen years and just ride off into the sunset together without talking much.

I feel like the show was trying to make a statement about how horrible homophobia is, but it went over the top without balancing the trauma with enough hope. Like, at least give poor Xu Yang scenes where we get to know what he's like as a person and not just a target for homophobes!

Also, I know not everyone is sensitive to this, but the story includes an arc about (high schooler) Xiang Wan getting out of a romantic relationship with his male teacher before he moves on to Zhi Chen, and the series doesn't portray the teacher/student relationship as predatory. If anything, it could be interpreted as portraying *Xiang Wan* as inappropriate for pursuing a married man, instead of acknowledging that his teacher is the one at fault for getting intimate with a minor in his care.

So like all around just not a lot of good vibes. Great acting and music though. Take care, y'all!

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Struggled to finish the drama

The drama kept me interested for a while until the two main leads GBZ and WSY started all of a sudden caring so much about each other and getting all emotional when something happened to the other. I think the plot was interesting, it kept me watching with the mystery aspects but the romance was done terribly. I think the two main leads had like two interactions and all of a sudden they are willing to die for each other and getting all jealous and wanting to control each other's decisions. It just didn't make sense to me. I like the plot and I think it could have been a great drama if they didn't add these poorly done romance aspects. Another annoying thing was how they characterize BLHY to be this super smart guy but a lot of figuring plots out is given to the character GBZ, and they show BLHY's intelligence mostly by BLHY figuring out what GBZ is trying to convey to him in threatening moments. The characterization and plot together just wasn't very coherent to me. I liked some of the support characters back stories like that of GBZ's lady friend, while the addition of other supporting characters were quite confusing. Like, why give such characters so much screen time when they have little influence on the plot? It was just annoying watching them (like that of LR's brother). The point of LR's character and her ear-piercing "Er Lang" was also confusing to me. Why??? What is the point to show us this besides annoying viewers?

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