Reviews

FLUFFY VAMPIRES

I never thought id say this but this is probably the fluffiest vampire romance ever . If you want an easy to watch, easy to finish romance then this is for you.

This is an 8 - 16minutes episodes (which is really about 14 if you cut out the cheesy opening and closing credits) series with nothing but cute guys and fluffiness. Seriously. before watching the finale i had to rewatch the first episodes because i forgot about the events in them. Its a story about a vampire "family" living together with a normal human.

I love fluffy and light shows and i really iiked the series, however, to be quite honest, there is so much to be desired storywise. The vampire lore was so thin i wondered why they have to be vampires. I almost always ask why, for the love of god, does Koresn BL industry insist on being this short - the limited screentime allowed very little story and character development. It may have been better if it was released as a binge or compiled as a movie but i still think the plot is too thin to really make an impact.

Its pretty obvious the entire series has limited budget and that its possible the entire series may have been shot on a day or two.

The saving grace of the series are the main actors - Yu SIn and Park Dong Ju are real cuties and they did really well as Ju Won and Dong Ha considering the fact that they are almost brand new to acting and what limited material they have. I already loved Lee Tae Hyung from Match Play and its really good to see him in another BL i just hoped the series used him more. I specially loved the acting in the end of episode 7 between Ju Won and Seon Jay, with that alone id say Yu SIn has a pretty bright acting future ahead.

The other couple is mostly used for comedic relief and their kiss at the last episode was so fake i wonder why the series felt the need to add it to the story.

So would i recommend? Definitely. Would i rewatch? Im not entirely sure. Its a good and light series but its also quite forgetable i dont think id remember it after a month. Overall im giving it a strong 8 mostly for the cast and the entertainment value.

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Well deserved ratings

This review is going to be a long one.

"Hidden Love" is one of those dramas that really deserve all the attention, popularity and love. Ever since the beginning of the drama, I knew it would be good just by looking at our two main actors - Lusi and Zhe Yuan. Everybody probably already know they are good at acting and it seems repetitive of me to always rave about their skills but they are so on point in this drama, I am blown away everytime I watch them.

Before this drama, I watched "Our Secret" (multiple times) and was really impressed with Zhe Yuan from there. It's quite rare to see actors who can portray such good expressions through their eyes. It's as though you could feel whatever he was feeling at that moment by just looking at his eyes. There are so many scenes I really, really love from Zhe Yuan in this drama.

1. When Jia Xu was sitting outside of Sang Zhi's house, starring into the sky. I immediately felt how burdened he was, lonely and just sad. He wasn't crying, his face was calm, but his eyes - you can feel how tired he was, trying to shoulder everything that is happening around him.

2. When Jia Xu opened the red packet Sang Zhi slipped in his pocket. This is another moment where he was feeling extremely tired and lonely, unwilling to go back to his hometown to face the gazillion problems waiting for him. When he opened the red packet and read this simple message from Sang Zhi, through his eyes, you can really feel how touched he was. The warmth that one simple message brought to him.

As for Lusi, it's no secret that she is a very happy-go-lucky kind of girl. Perhaps, even in real life, she seems like a person who would bring joy to the people around her. With dramas like this, I can imagine it'll be very difficult to portray this cute, innocent girl, without coming out as annoying. I've seen so many dramas where the female lead would always act cute and innocent but resulted in being cringy, annoying and (honestly) stupid. Lusi really has that capability to make you really like her without making you feel like she's forcing to be cute. Her character in this drama is someone who I really like, too. Protective, strong, well-loved and understanding. There are too many scenes from the drama I love with Sang Zhi in them but I guess my favourites are these:

1. When she confronted Sang Yan for hitting Jia Xu. She was unafraid to stand up for herself and for the people she love. The moment when she was trying so hard not to cry while telling Sang Yan that she wanted to cut contact with him was so impactful.

2. When she was in high school and cried the moment she saw her brother at the airport after thinking that Jia Xu had a girlfriend. Honestly, if you look at the scene, it's really not something we would cry about because she was just a kid who misunderstood her crush having another girlfriend. You can't even call that a "break up". But when she cried, it was so sad, you couldn't help but cry along with her.

On the topic of Sang Yan, I think I'll miss the siblings relationship more than Jia Xu - Sang Zhi relationship. The way Sang Zhi and Sang Yan interacted with each other are honestly so, so, so real and relatable. This is one of the best sibling-relationship I've ever watched in the drama land. They would fight like cats and dogs, most of the time they are incapable of speaking politely to each other, they complain to their parents about each other all the time, but when one of them is in trouble, the other person will always be there to support.

If I am to nitpick on one thing that I think probably is a bit off in my opinion, is when Sang Zhi and Jia Xu got together. It's really just a preference thing. After seeing how well Jia Xu treated Sang Zhi as a brother during the beginning of the drama, it's difficult to accept how he could switch from brother mode to I-love-you-only mode so quickly. I understand, Sang Zhi has obviously grown up and was treating him differently. It probably makes more sense to me if Jia Xu didn't treat Sang Zhi that well at the beginning. Instead of Sang Zhi's "second brother", if he was more like Sang Yan's friend, it'll probably be easier to accept how Jia Xu could change his feelings like that. I love the beginning parts more than the later episodes, to be honest. Probably also cause it reminds me of when I was a child and had a crush on my brother's friend, the whole concept seemed very relatable to me.

The OSTs. Oh gosh, the OSTs! They are so good. I feel like everytime when I was immersed in the drama and cried was 60% cause of the cast's acting, but 40% cause of the music accompaniment. My ultimate favourite song from the drama is Forever Star. When this song plays in the drama, I get the goosebumps, especially during the scene when Jia Xu opened Sang Zhi's red packet in the airport.

100% recommend this drama. It's really not the typical high school drama that is probably 70% cringe and 30% real story. This one has so many depth and layers to it that it really hits differently.

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BEST DRAMA OF THE YEAR?! MUST WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T STARTED!

Love Like A Galaxy is like a drink of coffee or tea in the morning, something you need to start your day. It can be quite addicting to watch!
This family-centered drama is highly recommended for everyone because its humorous, relatable in certain ways, even the banter between female characters are fun to watch! It feels as if you're part of the family, watching Niao Niao develop into more understanding and mature character as the story continues on.

Niao Niao aka Cheng Shao Sheng is the youngest of her family, illiterate due to not being raised well by her aunt and grandmother while her parents were away at war. I persoanlly like her personality, despite not being educated academically or in mannerisms, she has a strong, willful, curious and carefree personality. She says what's on her mind, is quite street smart which is something you need to survive in that time. She will fight back if someone hurts her in any way. This quality trait gained a few admirers. She's definitely one of my favorite characters in this drama. Acting wise, very natural and definitely cemented my love for Zhao Lusi as an actress!

Ling Bu Yi is one of the strongest and youngest military general in this drama. He has connections with the emperor who treats him like a son. Its quite endearing. His entrance is always dramatic which adds some flair to the scenes. haha He says that if he lays his eyes on someone he fell in love with, he will treasure and cherish her forever. That person is obviously Niao Niao. He's always there to rescue her, protect her from harm and evildoers. However, he has a revenge story that he's constantly looking into, getting his hands bloodied for the emperor or for himself. In a way, he has a cold heart for criminals, and his, suppoesdly, parents, Fear not, his heart is giggly and warm for Niao Niao despite the ice prince demeanor. He gives no shits to people who hurt NN or is obviously trying to take advantage of him or use him. And I love it! xD In terms of acting, Lu Wei did a great job because characters like Ling Bu Yi is known to be stoic, and indifferent but how far do you have to go to keep up the stoic expression? It gets exhausting after a while. The way Lu Wei acted as the cold general is quite different, he gives the character subtle expressions, it tells the audience he's not stone cold either. I suppose I like the subtley of the warmth Lu Wei gave to Ling Bu yI .

Other character(s) I enjoyed watching is Wan Qiqi. She's my favorite support character, the actress, Zhang Yue, played her character so well!! I cannot give her enough praise! Wan Qiqi is Niao Niao's good, or possibly best friend at this point. Their fathers are close hence these two became friends as well. Wan is that friend who stands up for you if some bish is bullying you, its quite fun to watch! This is why I think the female banter in this drama is enjoyable because Wan is able to argue with a sharp tongue. Niao Niao is able to defend herself as well but Wan is more passionate in defending her bestie. Roasting her enemies just by talking back, its hilarious! Her expressions are fun to watch as well! Its so natural, you'd forget she's acting. haha The subtlety of her expressions is quite comedic espeically when Wan doesn't take notice of Niao Niao's second older brother. hahaha I really enjoy her character! I hope to see a happy ending for her!
The emporer is another note worthy support character because he would did anything for Ling Bu Yi, plus the fact that the biggest shipper of Niao Niao and Ling Bu YI, its fun to watch him give leeway to NN because he adores her for LBY. All because LBY has fallen in love with NN. haha

The rest of the cast are amazing actresses and actors, not one person is out of place in this drama and I love it so much. Especially, when there's subtle moments of parent & Niao Niao having similar traits, its funny. Albeit, her mother isn't the best mother because she clearly isn't fond of Niao Niao's mannerism and behavior.

I gave this drama a 9.5 because the music didn't stand out to me, but regardless 10/10 drama would highly recommend if you like historical settings of China, female bickerings, schemings, smart female lead, slow burn romance but the rest of the cast will make you enjoy the progress regardless.

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10/10 for a xianxia drama ??? what????

OH MY GOD IT HAS BEEN A RIDE!!!!! If you had ever told pre lbfad me that i'd rate a fucking xianxia a 10/10 i'd laugh. I could never seem to get through even one so I had pretty low expectations starting this. AND NOW IM OBSESSED AND GOING THRU WITHDRAWAL 😭 Anyways if you are looking for an epic love story that'll make you laugh, cry, throw whatever device your watching it on, and laugh some more (+therapy) this is THE ONE to watch!!! I just can't believe it's over like dongfang qingcang and orchid are my parents :( now on to the actual review:

Initially what attracted me to the drama besides the beautiful leads who managed to stun me with their acting (I'll get into that later tho) and the body swap trope. I thought it would be a "silly goofy romcom" and many xianxias don't present themselves like that (going for epic love story, angst, love, palace politics...blah blah in the trailer) and that for me is a turn off because i simply do not care. But as soon as I started lbfad it stunned me with it's beautiful CGI THAT ISN'T OVERDONE. But the humor is just so good because imagine the most powerful demon of the three realms finally out into the world after being jailed up for 30,000 years and immediately being stuck in a low ranked fairy's body. Esther Yu conveyed that so well. Additionally imagine being a fairy who just wanted to save a casual crush and ended up freeing a demon lord but not knowing it.
It was so funny seeing how inconvenient it is for the both of them. then the show adjusts to a more mature theme which fits so wonderfully well, and it never loses it's main message about how nothing can go against fate, except love.
It's not the most original idea especially in dramas but it executes it SO WELL . this show takes an age-old question, "how important really is love?" and tells a gutwrenching and watertight story with it. the writing is impeccable. scriptwriters understand what makes good comedy, and that so much comedy comes from pain, Something your laughing over in the earlier episodes will turn its back on you and stab you with emotion and pain.
Yes It does have the miscommunication trope but communicating WOULD NOT solve the problem the leads face with their love. In fact it would've made it worse, so we the audience have to suffer along. You DON'T KNOW WHO LOVES THE OTHER MORE because of the sacrifices they make for each other.
Some people may not like the FL in the beginning but keep in mind theirs a reason she acts like that and once you get to that point you'll be begging her to go back to her past self. Not gonna elaborate too much bc spoilers.
The MLs development is absolutely heartbreaking because he goes through so much and we see a loss of power as the show progresses which is quite different from the usual trope of "started from the bottom now we at the top" ABSOLUTELY GENIUS WRITING ABSOLUTELY GENIUS . The side characters are fully fleshed out and not just cardboard cutouts each character is fully recognized and make layered and oftentimes painful choices of their own!

Okay now lets talk about the leads! DYLAN WANG HEDI AND ESTHER YU SHUXIN THANK YOU FOR BRINGING MY DFQC AND XLH TO LIFE! They both look so good together and have the best chemistry (cue all the behind videos)! I just can go on and on about how amazing they were AND WE NEED ANOTHER DRAMA WITH THEM
i think why it works so well it because their 'YinYang' acting and their character personalities shuxin in more subtle acting while Dylan in intense acting. You can’t see that they overpower each other. They both highlight each other, and I think that’s also the reason why their chemistry works.
Dylan Wang Hedi his acting man it was just too good! I was familiar with him from MG, and that's also why I underestimated him based on his past performance. He does his comedic scenes so WELL (XLH in DFQC's body) and he fleshes out his emotions so WELL when we first meet him we really see how inconvenient this curse that spellbounds our leads together is an inconvenience for him . Him at his peak of badassery was SO GOOD LIKE STEP ON ME PLS, then we see how his character develops as he falls in love and how they can't be together and let me just say he's a great cryer. He had way more emotionally intense scenes than Esther Yu Shuxin because the story does focus on how love affects him and how that's not always good, but WOW he needs to bag ALL THE AWARDS BECAUSE HE'S SO GOOD.
Esther Yu Shuxin is just made for her role too! When you get through some of Dylan's emotionally intense scenes her acting might seem a little more subtle, but she was right on par with Dylans acting. She played Xiao lanhua with such sass and sunshine it was great! XLH is truly the core of the story and you can really see how much she cares about DFQC. Normally I dislike bubbly and childish FLs and XLH especially at the beginning IS JUST THAT! But she's also very smart and clever also as her character develops into more of a mature lady you'll be begging her to return to her original bubbly self! I know a lot of people don't want to press play just because of her voice, but it's Shuxins actual voice and it fits Xiao LanHua very very well + she's very young compared to the other characters in the show so it's only natural she has a high pitched voice and yes it might seem unusual at first but it grows on you very quickly! She definitely needs awards too.

The OSTs man i've never gotten PTSD from one but once the beginning notes of "Farewell love" start playing I started bawling. They just add so much emotion to the already emotional scenes. I hope they release all of them, because the (siren melodies were so good)

Anyways this review is way to long now so I'd like to end it with saying that Love between fairy and devil is a love story at it's purest form. It's a fairytale. it's about making your choice and facing the consequences and being able to because of love. Love that presents itself in a familial way in a romantic way in a way with friendship. it's about how love can be your demise but also be your savior. Watch this show even if you don't like xianxias because it's so differently orchestrated it really is a breath of fresh air!
LBFAD imo is the peak of xianxia the peak of romance the peak of star crossed lovers the peak of forbidden love

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Well, so it's over. And let's review it! (I feel orphan.)

The story is well built, the characters are well articulated and portrayed - every single one of them, even the supporting roles, the music goes along with the scene, just adding more emotion to it, and the way the episodes were developed was magnificent! I don't find myself so amazed by a drama since Reply 1997!

Generally k-dramas have this thing for making you scream of anger while watching them, but in this one, the screeches were of agony, because the feelings - especially pain, of course - were being so nicely portrayed that it wasn't possible to not feel along with the characters.

I like how the characters are human. I mean, none of them are completely perfect or completely awful, all of them have good and bad feelings - the want to do the good and the bad thing. Even the villains - you can't call them that, seriously, but let's go with it - have genuine emotions and actions, and everything is substantial and explicable.

Things in this drama happen like you would see happening in real life, the plot twists aren't something you would laugh about because they are so ridiculous (seriously, some dramas are impossible to be serious about). And for me, it's so good to see believable acts and events, especially because the plot is all about something that is inherently present in our everyday lives. There was only this or that scenes that probably wouldn't be possible to see (hello, Yoon Yu Rae, I'm talking to you), but they were made for the comic relief, so I just laughed and moved on.

Overall, Pinocchio is a great choice if you want to see a realistic drama. Kudos for Park Shin Hye for not making me want to kill her because of her acting and character - the first one is her fault, but the second I know it's not, I'm just glad she finally chose a character that wasn't developed by the screenwriters so... ugh. (Go Minam... Eun Sang... just no.)

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Pointless Idealism, beware you will be dissappointed

I consider myself a very broad-minded individual who watches all sorts of dramas and honestly, the subject matter is important to me but they failed to deliver it compellingly. I'm not even complaining about the romance but about the lack of coherence and the presentation of the story itself. The real issue isn't just the plot but the pacing, tone, coherence, and expression of ideas throughout the drama. The script starts with a strong foundation of idealism, but those core themes are abandoned by the end. It's a classic case of bad writing where the initial promises aren't fulfilled. It's too preachy and idealistic while lacking that "realness" quality. You can tell what they were trying to say but they failed to convince the audience with their story-telling and execution it in a memorable way. Surely there is more to a hagowan teacher's life?

I hated the preachy tone of this drama and the impractical idealism (country, education system issues vs personal idealism). Can one teacher change a whole socially entrenched system? I get the issues of Korean education but I was excited about a story of that one teacher that actually cares about the kids, but it was not. the drama is written in a weird, cliche way. The portrayal of the characters doesn't tell their stories well at all.

From the outset, this was not a story about the struggles of the FL to reach her dream but a critique of the education system, teaching, and how teachers see themselves with all the pressures that the hagwon industry brings. That's why we have the struggles and the politics, the competition etc.

After acting like a virtuous sacrificial lamb who was ready for a crusade fighting for the academy & the students and profession she loved. Even going to the extent of being so condescending and preaching to the “white-haired witch”, talking about ethics etc.

After creating a strong female character like the "white-haired witch", the writer wants me to believe that she was slapped out of existence when she was a good strategist and businesswoman throughout the drama. Questionable ethic yes, but very focused.Many things sub-plots are left hanging with no explanations or closure at the end. I found it hard to believe that the "white-haired witch" who was a strategist who planned her moves would get into a catfight as her ultimate end. That was so out of character with all the expectations built up by the writer from the beginning. I thought there would be some great mind games and a reveal at the end that would justify all the politics, fighting, and competition. In the end there was nothing.

I would have applauded the writer if the story was all about the FL's struggle to reach her dream from the 1st episode but it's not it's about a system she was trying to protect. Therefore the whole build-up of the drama from episodes 1 - 16 is totally out of sync with that ending.

You are made to believe that there is more but there really isn't anything, just a disappointment.

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Melting Me Softly was such an awesome drama. I was completely rooting for Mi Ran and Dong Chan the whole way through. What was especially great about them was how simple they are, they haven't got that super complicated : "we can't be together, you can't like me and I can't like you so I'm going to push you away" thing that goes on in some dramas. This was a very nice change. They went after what they wanted the whole way through and, in my opinion, there is no better way. The plot too was really cool. I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of frozen humans and their unique journey as they came into the modern world. The ending was really good too, everything was tied up nicely and the main characters had the happy ending they deserved. I think Melting Me Softly has been severely underappreciated and underrated. It was great. Truly great. Don't let anyone's bad reviews stop you from watching. This goes for all of the dramas out there. One man's trash is another man's treasure after all. Enjoy watching!

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Man is Stone, Woman is Water; W/Time Water Flows Over Stone, Becoming Smooth, Complimenting Water.

I'm so glad this drama got cleared to air. I watched for LYN primarily and not only did he exceed any expectations but everything and everyone did too. I can't put into words how proud of him I am. To think we never nearly didn't get to see this wonderful drama is eye opening. I only knew the FL (at the time) from a variety show she was on with ML but that show which was filmed earlier the same year this drama was, gave them a chance to build their friendship and the chemistry that flowed naturally. I knew many of the supporting cast as well. As someone who goes into each drama without expectations, this went beyond mine.

Pros: "A man is a stone, a woman is the water; with time as the water flows over the stone, it will take a smooth, round appearance, and complement the water." This paraphrasing was essentially said by QX's (FL's) grandfather explains this drama in a nutshell. What started as a 14 year blood feud between the Wei and Qiao states/clans due to a betrayal by the aforementioned grandfather but for the sake of his people that caused many deaths including that of ML's (WS') grandfather, father, and brother resumed as a marriage alliance between a very smart and strategic QX and strong, powerful lord of Wei State WS. For him it was love at first sight but he was still hard to come around regardless how much she helped him at first and they bickered, schemed against each other though not enough to cause real harm. After all it was an alliance to be able to work together to unite the states and bring the country together. QX also had to deal with internal conflicts within his family as his stupid mother and random chick were always trying to cause problems. The fact that she had his grandmother on her side was a good thing and after some time his 4 generals and advisor also very strongly had her back. Her first priority were the people of all states and safety of her family before they grew together from cohabitation to bickering friends, to love and trust.

The story telling was very well done. The comedy was ever present and even when it didn't seem more than just getting along domestic life, the comedy made you howl sometimes. The chemistry was liquid fire and even though we only had two real intense scenes of intimacy, they were very well done, smoke was coming off the screen. I was really surprised that it passed censorship even though both were fully clothed. It can't be described but seen for oneself. Both actors did very well; we now know not to trust anything LYN says in livestreams or interviews. In one he said his shirtless scene he was just skin and bones pork ribs from a local super market with his face stuck on it lol; when in reality he had a full 6 pack. And when asked about kissing he first said there weren't any until SZR told him to stop and that they had two and that the audience should really prepare themselves. And did we have to ever! He was a total tease and actually let her take control at one point which was very hot. I better stop or my review will get flagged as rated R lol. I can write a whole review on just their two really hot scenes; one sadly interrupted but they made up for it a few episodes later and then some.

The friendship and love between the generals, assistant, advisor and their Lord which was both as boss and employee and brothers. Losing one towards the end was very sad but you knew it was coming especially when right before they spent a lot of time together. And he was nearly engaged to the maid; them two chubby folks were great. I loved how after his death the other 3 generals kind of adopted her as one of their own. Then there was the very complex and multi layered creepy and sleazy cousin or SY who fell for FL. That whole thing was very cringe but he really was a lonely soul that eventually found his way in the world and became his bastard father's successor. I really liked how they evolved his character and the actor did a great job. The other well done characters other than those mentioned were the other maids, BZ, FL's family (subtract uncle and his advisor), especially her younger brother, another general and awesome leader in the making. Eventually WS' mother came around as well.

You guys, I can't write absolutely everything I liked because then it wouldn't make a point for people to watch! But there were so many great moments of symbolism like for example; when one of the generals helped QX with her backup plan of blowing up the dam to release the river, (very LOTR style though on a much smaller scale); to back up ML when the enemy was invading on multiple fronts since she couldn't get reinforcements, thanks to her selfish cousin. The general (WX; who by the way used a bow and arrow and was probably half elf when it came to fighting) that was helping her and had her back in every single second was the same general that in the beginning of the series was ready to kill her because his family was murdered during the betrayal 14 years prior. It just showed how far this particular character had come from that time to absolute trust and faith in protecting this woman and backing her play. Another moment happened to WS himself at the end of the series when he had to make the choice of either returning and protecting his home or continuing with the original plan and finally understanding the why of QX's grandfather making the choice that he did. Because his choice was the same exact one that WS chose as well, which was to save the people as opposed to just save his family; whom WY appeared in the knick of time and saved. These little moments of symbolism really brought the entire story of many characters and many reasons full circle, and it was so important. They didn't sleep in the same bed for a year in respect for her grandfather's passing; the fact that he allowed her that bit was a big step. Also was a little less than the timeline of most of the show.

Another great point was that misunderstandings were very quickly resolved between the leads because they essentially had great communication skills and misunderstandings didn't stretch for 10 episodes each. Plus with the help of maids, generals, advisor and everyone in between those were handled very well because they both had great people on their sides to help them. WS in particular didn't know how to be gentle or say things that came from the heart as opposed to just blurting things out, but they figured out how to do it and many times it was comical because he would blurt something out and then realize it was the wrong thing to say because he pissed her off and ended up sleeping in the study more times then not in the beginning, which itself was a comedy show. But then he would try to get back on her good side and it was just very funny to see. Not to mention WS' hysterical jealousy.

The series had a smaller budget, which was obvious from a lot of the scenes, but it made up for it with the storytelling and the relationships and the acting. Costumes were beautiful sets were all right, OST's were very well done, especially the opening and closing credits by their respective artists. There are many many many more positive things, but I cannot possibly put them all into a review. This show is worth watching because there are so many small things that end up mattering later on and conversations that have incredible symbolism and mean a lot from start to finish.

Cons: Not a lot for me. Because of the smaller budget, I believe the battles were shorter that could've been longer instead of focusing on villains that were very lackluster. CGI was used and though decent, it was short. When they did fight in skirmishes and battles, it was really great to see, but they were always way too short. Another point of contention were the villains themselves or "the snakes" as I called them which included FL's uncle and his advisor, as well as SY's bastard father. I also did not like FL's cousin; there were people in the comments on both sides of her explaining why she said this or why she did that, but I really felt that she was a coward and selfish because after everything FL did for her including take her place in the marriage alliance, which ended up actually being a blessing for both, but she did not provide reinforcements because she wanted to live a peaceful life; but you can't live a peaceful life when you have war at your teeny tiny states borders from five sides and your husband is the commander of all of these troops. She said very hurtful things to FL and her decision to return back to her home even though neither she, nor her husband were accepted originally by her father, and it was such an obvious trap because he had by that time betrayed everyone and joined the snakes was very gullible and stupid; I felt that she was just waiting to be captured. I did not feel bad about her death; I felt bad for her husband and her child but she reaped what she sowed.

The deaths of all the snakes were very lackluster. The chick villain after she had her nose sliced by WS--who should've taken her head off then it would've been less problems--just took herself out after she realized that her entire life with her fake empress fate she had screwed up herself when there were literally three or four men that truly loved her for real and she just used them. And LY, who was drunk and delusional with power just got harpooned by BZ and WS at the end while he laughed or cackled maniacally felt off; I very much felt like the last two episodes were rushed. They could've had a bit less of the domestic life in the middle and made the villains feel more like antagonists as opposed to just clowns in the middle that threw wars in that for the most part, they couldn't win, even if they had more troops came and went to get power. It honestly just seemed like the villains were there just to say that the series had villains and nothing else.

Would I recommend it? 100%. It didn't get a perfect score because of the cons but it came close. LYN has outdone himself yet again; love him in his role here. I can call him Mr. Sexy for sure! I very much love this series and it's forever in my heart and in my rewatch pile.

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Jang Na Ra is Refreshingly Magnificent - Always

Sell Your Haunted House is one drama I'm really, really going to miss. I got so used to the magnificence that is Jang Na Ra every Wednesday and Thursday that I'm not sure what I will do for the next couple of weeks. But that said, I truly enjoyed this finale for its unexpected ending. I have to say I didn't foresee Do Hak Sung (Ahn Kil Kang) as an unrested spirit, so kudos to the writer for that very well-done twist. His exorcism was brilliant, one of my favorites of the series.

Week after week, I found myself continuously saying the same thing repeatedly about the cases and the exorcisms -- this episodes' case of exorcism was the most fulfilling until I finally realized each case and exorcism were special on its own, be it for the message in them or the method. I don't think I exaggerate when I say besides having Jang Na Ra, the exorcisms and the stories they carried are the best parts of this drama.

As for Do Hak Sung, he wasn't so much of a villain as more of a thug and criminal who, to the very end, did not dare to recognize the errors of his way and let greed rule his life, destroying countless other lives in the process. They say greed is a bottomless pit that exhausts the person carrying it in an endless effort to satisfy a need without ever reaching satisfaction -- greed makes a man blind and foolish and makes him easy prey for death. I don't think better words would have described Do Kak Sung. Sealing his unrest spirit to eternally feel the pain he caused is a fate he more than deserved.

Kudos to all the actors in this drama, from the lead to the support, guest appearances, and production team -- a job well done. From Jung Yong Hwa to Kang Hong Suk, Kang Mal Geum, Baek Eun Hye, Ahn Kil Kang and Changhwa Restaurant owner Baek Hyun Joo. They each completed this drama, driving its ultimate message of letting go -- only when one lets go of past anguishes, grudges, and sorrows can they forgive themselves and find joy and love in the people around them. And what a lovely voice Jung Yong Hwa has - his rendition of the I Got You OST is excellent.

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Well...I said I would change my rating once I'm done with this drama but alas....my rating stays the same.

If I had known this series was going to go the way it did I wouldn't have watched the first season over. That was a BIG BIG BIG mistake. But it's not my fault because I thought the second series was going to be like the first.

I was so dead wrong. This series was so bad that it made me go back and see who the writers were. I was thinking did the original writers do something wrong to the new writers?

Sadly enough it was the same writers!!! How could they have done this to the people who fell in love with the first series??

To anybody who watched the first drama, everything that you loved in the first drama....it's not there in this drama if you haven't seen it.

There were stupid things in this drama that was a waste. For instance the so-called 'evil' characters who struggled to speak Chinese. There was no purpose for any of them. The extra counters...why?? Another waste. Ju Seok becoming more powerful than anybody and the explanations as to how he was so powerful didn't make any sense. Not to mention the fighting scenes if that's what you call it. It was more like a telekinesis battle than anything. Everybody got choked by thin black air so many times that I was shocked they were still able to function.
Then there's So Mun who turned out to be the cockiest and most powerful of the bunch while Mo Tak just sat back in the shadows. Mae Ok was the only character who progressed. She fought more but still had that endearing heart of hers. That was the one saving face for me. Then there was a gun battle....why??

The last episode had me skipping through a lot. For the take down to be so quick it sure was drawn out. The series could've easily ended within the first few episodes but again, everything was drawn out.
I wanted to like this series but it wasn't the same as the first. I shouldn't have been so greedy by wanting a second season to come out.
For what it's worth the very last few minutes of episode 12 was worthy of a second watch.

if a drama is good and they only stick with one season, I will be fine with that.

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Cute but boring

This drama is okay. It's cute but boring and does'nt reinvent the wheel.

What I Liked:
- It's cute
- It's easy to watch
- Youngest sister's romance plotline
- ML and FL are likable
- At least the first episodes were entertaining to watch

What disliked:
- the palace/mystery plotline -> it was boring as hell and I skipped the scenes
- I don't know why but FL acting was somewhat boring, rowoon was not better
- Of course the drama is about matchmaking... but I think they could have managed the different romantic plotlines better... it was kinda difficult for me to remember who is who. Some of the plotline lacked depth. I would have liked it, if the youngest sister and her match had more screentime

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I started this drama because I was missing Kim Min Jae. Yep, that was the reason I decided to give this drama a chance. The plot didn’t particularly sound appealing but I’ve been so lost in the Chinese historical drama world that I decided that this Korean drama could be a welcome change while still feeding my hunger. LOL IKR WTF WAS I THINKING. I thought that with Min Jae, I could make it through anything, even if I didn’t make it through Goblin, Hit The Top, or Tempted. Mmm maybe he picks shitty scripts? I dunno. Add Seungyeon as the lead and I thought at the very least, the acting would be decent because they’re both very capable young actors. Thus, I set out on my journey with this drama.

While I didn’t find the first few episodes to be atrocious, I did find them a tad boring and not like what I thought this drama was supposed to be. That being said, I wasn’t immediately turned off and kept watching. This was also due to my innate need to be petty and continue this drama because all the Seo Ji Hoon stans were mad that Min Jae was the lead. Ji Hoon did look sexy as fuck as the locksmith, so I can understand.

However, after those first 4-6 episodes………..

I have said previously that I am a fan of messy plots as long as they are entertaining. The problem here isn’t that it is necessarily a messy plot, but rather something that manage to be stagnant and arduous. There was the overarching theme/storyline that we know is there, but we’re riddled with so many other things that even though it all connects, I am just left with a feeling of why should I give a fuck. And sure enough a fuck I did not give. It sucks to say, but this is straight up fifteen episodes of buildup with a shitty unsatisfactory payoff. The tensions of the political aspect was never felt. I never felt like there was any fear in anything and I felt that maybe the writer wanted there to be more than sixteen episodes? There was this idea of “a marriage case per episode” that I found interesting, but then that disappeared. It was like everything was expected to be serious and not serious. But honestly, that is to be expected considering they literally had a scene where they played ‘It’s Me (Pick Me)’ and the women were ‘auditioning’ to join the crew.

I am having a hard time figuring out what the saving grace for this drama is. A part of me wants to say it is the romance, but I am not completely convinced. Like in the moment the scenes were all great and romantic, and I think it was due in part to the chemistry between Seungyeon and Min Jae, but it wasn’t particularly memorable. I also didn’t like the constant miscommunication between them. To me, it was so contradicting to see Gae Tong, not just tell Ma Hoon, “Yo! I wanna be a noble lady for my brother, not Soo!” I know that she didn’t tell him sooner cause she thought he would send her home, but like that was definitely contradicting to what we’ve seen of her personality. Oh silly me, I forgot that women become timid, fragile, babies when we fall in love.

Since it’s not the romance then surely it must be the characters, right? RIGHT. Yeah no.. Definitely wasn’t that at all. While everyone did a good job with what they were given, I cannot stand dramas that try to come off as modern and progressive with their female characters because that ends up being the complete opposite. We have our female lead who got coerce into this marriage with her childhood sweetheart simply because he was there and like family. She then moves on to fall in love with a guy who was nice to her, maybe four times. There was Ji Hwa , who honestly could’ve been so much more than they designated her to, and I even thought they were going to do that, but talk about zero character growth. And of course, the Queen Dowager was a moron and the palace maid who died for no reason, but to increase Soo’s man pain. I won’t give a thesis lecture on the issues with the portrayal of the females in this drama, but like if you wanna be tropey, stick with being tropey and don’t try to do something else because it comes off as insincere.

I suppose now we’re left with the music and I mean, that was about as expected. A few songs stayed in my mind after each episode, but that’s because of stockholm syndrome. After completing all sixteen episodes, I just felt relief that it was finally over and maybe I can see Min Jae and Seungyeon again in something else.

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SUCH....A....SL...OW...BU...RN....

I can't believe after ALL THAT STUDYING, Sheng Wang decided to fail his exams on purpose cuz he didn't wanna fantasize about his brother's throat while he drunk water in class. Son of Adam, was that the best solution your horny arse could come up with? Child!! People in love are so... #facepalm. Also, that ending. I don't know whether to cry, cuss or accept it. Really, a hopeful ending?? Hopeful endings sucks. I didn't come here for hope, this ain't a goddamn wishing well! Give me my happy ending :(((( Oh, the wait for season 2 is gonna hurt so bad.

The slow burn in this drama hurts sooo good. But, any slower and we'd have gone back in time. You know, the time when we hit each other in the head with giant sticks and go 'awooga, awooga, I love you marry me, I have a goat.' Somehow, I think this is exactly how it's gonna happen when one of these two decides to confess. ^^

Again, I can't believe they hit us with the 'I know my feelings, but I can't act on them because he's my elder brother.' Where? Show me the birth certificate. Your baby photos?? And then SW kept using 'Brother' every chance he got. The way I was side-eyeing him. Mfker did yous lose a brother? If you don't shut your face and go sit down.

That finale! If I could go into my screen and hit Sheng Wang with a rubber chicken I would. Cuz dude, what in the stupid arse solution was that? Sure, I went 'Oh, dear God we've lost a brother,' when he realised his feelings and turned into a horny delulu, who fantasies with bi-sexual lightning, I knew he was about to do something stupid. I thought him changing his statues to 'brother' was the something stupid, but intentionally messing with your important exams?? CHILD? After all that studying to stay in class A?? Arggggggg feelings + decisions = stupid.

And I'm out here, in tears, sad at seeing Jiang Tian break down and punch a wall, and they are making room for those two teachers and I'm like... my friend my friend will you move aside, I don't care about you, fix your own goddamn problems in season two. Damn, that hopeful ending hurts soo good. I liked what we got, but if we don't get a season two, then what was the point? If felt like the story was just about to pick up, and then bam, it's over. My mood is ruin for the rest of the year until January 16th. No one better try talking to me over my pudding this christmas, imma feel the room with my bitterness.

Oh and, the music in this show was sooooo gooood. I loved the soundtrack!

Anyway, listen, the reason I chose to watch this drama wasn't because of the plot or even the actors. It was because of Jiang Tian's short haircut. I was so happy when I saw it. Why? Cuz, I am tired of that hairstyle trend some male actors and singers are doing these days. You know, the one where they cut the front short and leave a long thin part falling down their neck like a curtain? What the eff is up with that haircut? I thought we left the mullet with the bygone cowboys?

Cuz, why is it back? Why our fav stars now out there looking like long neck ponies? You’d see a fine arse fella but then bang, the back of his neck looks like a giraffe having a bad hair day. Who even came up with this? And now people out there given it a corny arse name like the turtle or some sh!t. What turtle you known out there looking like sugarcane with a bad wig? huh? Look, I don’t even hate the hairstyle, it looks good on a few, I just… it’s so ugly, can’t they see it’s not nice? who hyped that shit up, cuz some of y’all must have been out there going ‘aww oppa, nice hair’ no, no, sit yo arse down! I need y'all to stop hyping it, so it can go in the corner and slowly die. Burn it with gasoline and matches.

Why is that the haircut every male wants? They don’t own mirrors? What I miss? is it me? am I a hater of the hairstyle, or like does it honestly super fucking sucks like I think? Some of these stars need a new hairstyle. Matter of fact, get the love sick haircut, nice fade, bald hair, your neck not looking like a cucumber in a cheap wig. Just why? they protecting their necks from something we don't know about? are the horses about to riot? cuz like, there's no way... wait… what was I talking about?

Right. Metro cards. Was it just me, or finding out Sheng Wang kept the metro card Jiang Tian came him as his lucky charm was super darn cute? You know, like rainbows, unicorns, cotton candy and whatnot.

Anyway, the plot of this drama isn't new. Heck it's a reused trope that's been done to hell, but it's how it was executed, that made it special. It was amazingly done, with actors that had good chemistry and knew how to act, making it one of the best dramas this year. The support characters were also good, that friend group was as funny and chaotic as they needed to be, which added to the overall enjoyment. And as for the tension, damn, those two! The little lingering of romance we got was done so well, although there was barely any touching involve, the leads really had chemistry that was chemistrying. I am on my knees hoping for a second season.

I loved that this series didn’t rush into the romance part or even put the most focus on it. Instead they gave us BACKSTORY!! Nowadays most shows have characters that are 1 dimensional, with little to no depth and super basic. But this series had depth, it made us learn about the characters, understood where they are coming from and where they’d been. We got to stay with them and withins their growth, which made me enjoy watching it. So, yeah, although the plot wasn't new, it was very well done executed with a talent team who understood the script. So kudos.

TEN THINGS I LIKED ABOUT YOU:
1. Jiang Tian learning to open up, and letting people into his space. (When he finally unpacked his suitcase, I had tears, and clapped for him.)
2. Sheng Wang learning to share his space. He went from not wanting anything to do with JT and his mother, to accepting them, and hugging and telling her they were family… #tears. He even gave up his comfort zone, to move to the dorms with JT.
3. The slow burn. Yes, I complained about it, but, I actually really love how we get to see how every little time and things they do together adds up to their moments, and slowly built up their affection for each other. Still so frustrating though! This is what happens when a slow burn is down well, it drives you insane and makes you crave for more.
4. Every back-hug/back carry— I lived for them, my fav was when Sheng Wang just jumped onto JT's back and made him carry him upstairs… I was grinning like an idiot.
5. When Sheng Wang saw those two teachers kiss. SKKSKSsksk his reaction sent me!!
6. Sheng Wang realising/confronting his feelings. His awaken. It was so well done, how remembered all the little moments between them, his little fantasy, and then deciding not to kiss JT. I way I was holding my breath that whole scene then...crickets. After waiting so long for this scene of him looking like he wanna kith, all we got was that?? Im under your bed writer/director!(SD: Jiang Tian being awake that whole time!! Damn, would homeboy have let his brother kith him and pretended to be sleeping? I see you homie! ^^)
7. Jiang Tian's very moments: LMFAO, finding out he orchestrated the whole kissing and truth or dare thing in ep1 was gold. Does this means he fell first, but Sheng Wang fell harder?
8. Every time JT rushed to SW’s aid, either to help or just stand there and support him, made me smile. And of course Sheng Wang was also there for him. Such supportive 'brothers'. I swear this year has not been a good one for single people, all these in love people been real annoying in their loveness-ness.
9. Gao TianYang and Pepper's friendship. The friend group in general.
10. When JT said, they should try 'getting closer' a chance.

Of course, everything wasn't sunshine. The story was very slow to progress, seemed the most we got was them doing something school related. There was little to no romance at all, and except for the two male teachers, there wasn't even any side stories of interest. I personally wanted to see how they deal with Qi JiaHao, and how his character progressed, he was annoying as hell, but quiet interesting with how his character was slowing going over to the edge because of the education system. Since they spent so much of the story in school, I wanted to see how that effected the characters. Perhaps if we get a second season.

Now, let's talk about that one unholy flashback reveal of what JT’s dad did with that man and the cigarette. I am still picking my mouth off the floor. Damn, with the door unlocked? on the bed you share with your wife? with your family pictures there too? Mfkers are so bold these days! Such audacity! The emotional trauma that left on that child. I heard from book readers that it left so much scars on JT and prolong their getting together, cuz he needed to stop hating, accept, then heal. So, now am wondering...

Anyway, I thought nothing was gonna top seeing all those butts on my screen when they lost the games. Well, there was that morning and the woods thing, but we don't talk about that, I'd laugh and been shocked enough over it. The production team is sure not shy, huh? Hopefully, y’all watching and hyping this drama. That director needs to give us a second season… you know… for the thing with the character… growth. yeah, we need s2 for character growth! yep. XD.

So like, we all thought those two teachers, who also owns that restaurant were dating right? The whole time I thought they were together, and getting jealous of each other because of the female teacher. Turns out they are not together and they both think the other wants the female teacher? Not gonna lie, was not that interested/invested in their story, but like how they were they for the kids. Though I wondered if they made any profit with how much free food they gave those hungry students.

Speaking of the female teacher. She was very extra, and not in a good way, she needed to be less. Though, I liked how she was just in her own world, buying mugs for a dude who's flipping barbecues with another dude. But like, after the thugs who kidnapped her were chased away, why weren’t there police around the school and stuff? They were so chill, she literally just went on with her day?? HMMMMM Janet, children goes here? Report it, including that psycho Qi JiaHao. This was not his first crime. Sure there was some off-hand comment about reporting it or something but then nothing. Okay? This is a serious matter, and all three adults involved sort of just---chilled. HUH?

Also, that one student, Qi JiaHao was such an annoying loser. This was my initial thought, but then it got me wondering. do people actually have to study that much/excessively in school, in some countries as it was here? Sure we all lived in the library and survived on coffee during exams and project week, but like damn, this whole education system seems so serious and stressful. If everything is as bad as shown here, then I do understand why Qi JiaHao is slowly losing his mind.

Side note: Taiwanese bls have been doing their thing this year. First with unknown, and now this. Here's to hoping we get more great shows from them.

All in all, this show was a good one. I truly enjoyed watching it, and would recommend it to all bl lovers, you're gonna enjoy this one. I am hoping for a second season, and looking forward to seeing more of work with the main leads, they were amazing in this. It's going straight to my list of fav dramas this year.

PLZ, PLZ, a season two!! We need it. I need it!!

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waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!
waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!
waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!
waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!
waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!
waste of time, i feel bad for other contestant for not having enough screen time and theres gwanhee having all the screen time in every episode which i had to skipped 40 mins all for him? hes not even funny anymore, WORST SEASON!!!!

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