Reviews

Why seek therapy and help when you can just fall in love with your best friend!

The drama runs on the premise of the childhood friends x lovers trope. And when I see this trope, the first thing that comes to my mind is slow-burning romance where two people who grew up together with embarrassing memories and inside jokes, slowly come to the realisation that they are in love with each other all along. The yearning...the pinning.... the subtle hints...The holy grail of slow burn romance.

But what I got was anything but that. Instead of character development, gradual tension and those push-and-pull monologues, what I got was fast-forward confessions with abrupt mood swings and no subtlety.
There was barely any tension or emotional build up. Just a series of "Oh, I guess I love you now" in a very reckless way.

Character Descriptions-

Han Tuo: In the BL world, we are familiar with a lead having a tragic past or a childhood trauma. A'Tuo was no different. This man didn't need a relationship, but a therapist. Despite having a backstory, none of it translates into actual depth. His internal conflicts existed but briefly and for name's sake. I wanted to sympathise with him, considering how emotionally distant his mother was and his abandonment issues by his mother, but somehow how it was portrayed and how he dealt with it as a character annoyed me.

His way out was to trauma dump Junxi with an invisible PowerPoint presentation with two slides - "I am sad" and "I love you". With his backstory came possessiveness on another level. If we remove the romance angle, it is controlling and manipulative. And let's not forget his communication skills, or lack thereof.

At best, he was an overgrown child desperately trying to prove that he is the centre of Jun Xi's universe and that being together is the ultimate solution to all his problems.

Lu Junxi: He was a third wheel in his own relationship and not in a cute way. He was always reactive to A'Tuo's mood swings and possessiveness, and somehow I wondered if he even liked him, or was it just the pressure and the anxiety that came with not having your childhood friend around that you mistake it for love. He makes all his decisions with the legendary stone, paper, scissors game and loses more often than you think.

Romance between them wasn't healthy, but if I remove the problematic lens, it was cute in fragments. It thrived on the notion that one partner constantly crosses boundaries because "that is how they show love", while the other passively accepts as if that's what love is supposed to be like.

There were many aww factors, especially when they were being absolutely sweet and domestic to each other. The way they bickered over the smallest things with silly arguments and small acts of care did entertain me, and I did enjoy their boyfriend era.
They had decent chemistry overall with some good kissing scenes, but honestly, the red flags were raised so high that there is no way to sugar coat them.

Lin Xiao Yang: She was such a breath of fresh air. She was understanding, supportive and out of the trio, the most sensible. I have many issues with how characters are written in the drama, but I am glad writers didn't turn her into the cliche female lead in a BL drama that we usually see, who only causes chaos and is irrationally protective. I wish they had explored her character more or in general, her friendship with the duo.

The other side character, He You Mei, was a hit and a miss for me. I liked her for her quirkiness, but sometimes her behaviour was abrupt. The emotional scene of hers came out of nowhere, and with much context.

I liked Junxi's parents for not being the stereotypical asian parent we see. Them being supportive and treating A'Tuo with so much love was heartwarming to see!

Acting-wise, I found both the leads passable. I mean, the emotional scenes could have been way better, but it wasn't unwatchable. The rest of the cast also did decently based on what the script had to offer, but nothing outstanding.

Writing & Production: I think writing was the weakest link here. The character arcs were painfully uneven. I kept expecting meaningful emotional growth both for the individuals and their relationship, but it rarely appeared. At times, we seemed on the brink of progress, only for the story to backtrack and reset us near square one. On top of that, there were far too many flashbacks to their teenage years, most of which didn’t add much to the present-day story. It felt unnecessarily redundant. Production seemed decent as well. The sets were clean, and the locations felt believable. (The college had students and everything).

Overall, this isn't a masterpiece by any stretch, but it's oddly entertaining in its own way. I reviewed it very critically but if I keep my brain aside, it has a weird charm to its flaws.

Will I recommend it? Maybe, but with a giant asterisk. If you are in the mood for some low-stakes entertainment but a clumsy attempt at romance and a hint of sweetness... then yes. Also, their height difference was really cute.
But if you are here for a deep, healthy relationship with a well-developed character arc, please look elsewhere.

Thank you for reading my review! I hope you have a good day! <3

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Worth watching

I have a lot to write about this drama. I have only seen good reviews so far. People are happy with the acting and story but I have few things that I want to point out. So bear me if you have contrasting views.

First of all I must talk about acting. Both the main leads plus second leads were amazing in their characters. The show was roller coaster of emotions for sure. I have problem with certain characters like heavenly god, he was so emotionless and useless at times that I doubted why was he even chosen as supreme god? Most of the time he was just sitting there and punishing people without any reason. I didn't see any character development in him even till the end. There were other gods who were equally unimportant to story except Siming(Arbiter) and the one with white hair( don't remember the name). While former wasn't much in the story the latter was again pretty much weak god like others. The God of War who was supposed to be the most powerful god could be easily defeated by any person. He didn't win any fight in the whole show! Again why was he chosen as god of war??? His human arc was much better than his immortal arc. Atleast that character felt much more real. Then there was black dragon who was at the epitome of stupidity. He was telling important secret and stuff to every person left and right. I mean he was the close aid to moon ruler so why was he so stupid in the entire show? He wasn't there to protect anyone at important times! He was shown quite fearsome in his dragon form which he never used again except in the beginning!Quite a let down I must say. His romance arc with Jeili was as stupid as his character. I didn't get the whole point. She was pretty avarice and manipulative. She broke up with him and then towards the end they were shown together like nothing happened?? And I was like... did I miss something? They were not on talking terms before? How did this happen?
Coming to the story, people might say that it had a great story but I have seen similar stories in many Cdramas. 'Blue Whispers' for instance has almost similar story. A disciple using evil power to resurrect his Shifu( master) who helped him when he was a child, which ends up causing chaos. A powerful person (ml) spending time with naive girl (fl), later sacrificing themselves for others, pretty much Ashes of love and love and redemption storyline.
First half was funny yet so stupid. Especially the female character. I found it hilarious how everyone could easily enter anywhere without much problem. They should just fire their gurads.
The story picks up the speed towards the second half. I loved how they showed the emotions of the characters. The reason behind their actions. Its no doubt that all emotional scenes were so portrayed so well. Especially towards the end. I must point out Dylan Wang's acting was really something in those scenes so does Esther's. I was disappointed in Miss the dragon but Dylan just proved his acting prowess through this show. I heard people criticised Esther's voice. But that's her real voice and really after sometime it grew on me. I ended up loving her.
I liked Dylan's and Esther's costumes the most in the show. Plus the make up. I did not like Changhan's costumes tbh...it really looked like a plastic armour.
I loved the CGI of heaven and universe (where arbiter lived) more than the war scenes.
This brings us towards the end...I wonder why all Cdrama always prefer rushed endings. I mean they can just easily edit out certain scenes of flashbacks which they were showing again and again for no reason and increase the time for the main leads. I am really disappointed with the editing in the whole show the most.
To conclude it, this was funny and worth watching not much for re-watch for me atleast but still lovable for its characters and their acting. I would love to see Dylan and Esther in other show for sure, they had a great chemistry. I really want to watch a show on Arbiter 'a storyline too. I heard there is a separate novel for her character. I loved this actress since Bloody romance. And to have her just for such a small role is really sus. I wonder if they are planning to make another series on her. It would be really great if that happened.

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A beautiful story about love and friendship

I want to start off by saying I havent watched the original yet but I may update this review after I do.
Update: ive now watched the original and to me i do think this remake did it justice. Tbh I enjoyed this more than the original because I think the writing and pacing was better. They added more elements that fleshed out the characters where i could understand their decisions more.


Now if youre worried about a love triangle, dont be. The male lead is just a secondary character with a secondary storyline. The main event is the friendship between mi so and ha eun. You see their journey as friends from childhood to adulthood. Its by no means an easy journey as they drift apart often but in the end they always find their way back to each other. This isnt exactly a sapphic movie either but its a beautiful love story about a female friendship.

I really wanted to watch this movie cause of kim dami and jeon so nee and they did not disappoint. They portrayed their roles perfectly and they had great chemistry. I also liked the directing as it felt really raw and brought out the actresses strengths. It had an independent film feel to it.

I will also say to bring tissues as this film may make you cry.

I really enjoyed this movie as a coming of age story about a female friendship and would recommend for the story and acting.

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Not your typical Star-crossed lovers yet one of the best shows of 2024!

This is a Melodrama, so the story is not your typical fluffy Japanese/Korean drama.
The drama started off with a fast pace. The story is very straightforward and no slow-burn trope here, yet the story is mixed with angst. There are misunderstandings too and language barrier and cultural differences are the themes of this drama.

A very romantic couple end up getting separated after harsh circumstances only to find each other again years later because guess what? FATE shows up., but they haven't moved on from each other. The yearning is palpable in every episode.

The leads have an awesome chemistry. The kiss scenes, hugs, them holding hands, everything is done so beautifully. I dare say this is one of the best Asian dramas i have seen where couples' interactions and romance is so natural. Despite the language barrier, they play so amazingly.

This drama's main point is that love can conquer all if couples COMMUNICATE.

The cinematography is artistic. The director of this drama is known for indie movies so cinephile fans will greatly appreciate the aesthetics and details shown.

The OST is amazing! the background music pieces are just marvelous. The cinematography and colors they used truly match the mood and also show the emotions of the leads.

Overall, if you're in for a romantic mature angsty melodrama, this is for you! don't miss it!

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Don't know how I made it to the end

There are quite a few issues with this series unfortunately. Some massive and others subjective. I'll list them and leave it to you to decide how you feel about watching this series.

1. The series drags a bit and could have been wrapped up sooner. I almost didn't feel like continuing several times. Nearly 70% of the episodes were watched in 1.25x or 1.5x speed for this reason.

2. Casting issues that feel confusing. The FL is depicted as knowing the ML as a child while he was already an adult. But later they seem to be of the same age. Similarly, an adult female character is introduced to two children and later they look like they are older than her or the same age while she hasn't aged at all.

3. The FL is initially shown as a powerful force and a strong woman but her character deteriorates significantly. She becomes unbearable, overbearing, a bully, extremely suspicious without justification at times, breaks and enters while portraying a cop, beats up the ML, her fight scenes are a joke, she ruins investigations and leads by the ML, and is the worst character in the series.

4. No chemistry between the ML and FL. I don't understand why they even like each other.

5. The humour is funny but at times cringeworthy. For example baby talk, split pants, pulling faces. Not really my style.

6. The action was ruined in the finale. Something that I had been looking forward to. Almost fell asleep at one point.

The good aspects that got me through.
1. The cafe Minamdang team has good chemistry and they are the heart of this show.

2. The male lead acting as a shaman could have easily come across as over the top but he kept it classy. He lives up to his character as a profiler and is good at catching clues.

3. The mystery element is decent.

4. When the humour is good, it's entertaining. I am glad that this was a light show considering the number of murders taking place.

5. If you enjoy strong female leads then that would be the character of the sister. Enjoyable persona.

Cafe Minamdang is not the best mystery, detective, comedy, action series so I wouldn't honesty recommend it for any of these genres. There are better shows out there. But if you like the male lead then you'll enjoy it.

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An alchemy of genres that went a bit wrong

Take a dose of a classic shonen anime trope and mix it with romcom. Then add some wuxia elements and for the cherry on top, give a historical kpop-like styling and wrap it with a high-quality production. What you’ll end up with, is Alchemy of Souls.

Alchemy of Souls (AoS) is a weird combination of many different tropes & genres which make it definitely stand out as a very unique drama. I believe that’s partly why it gained popularity and is loved by many; it has its own special charm.

AoS is easy to watch and overall, an enjoyable-entertaining ride. It may consist of 20 episodes, but it can be easily binged if you feel like it. Watching this drama while it was airing and discussing events and theories with other watchers made the experience a lot more fun. Thus, I highly recommend watching this drama with company.

~The Story~

Even though I quite enjoyed the drama, story wise I had many issues that disappointed me and I wanted to highlight. The story had a very promising beginning but unfortunately, as unique was the style of this drama, as shallow the story ended up to be.

~~The main concept: body sifting

NOTE: If you don’t mind spoilers, read the first review’s spoiler comment for more details about this matter.

As a concept is nothing new, yet if it’s done right, it can make the story extremely interesting. In AoS the rules/grounds of body sifting are very interesting yet the concept of it somehow lacked.

Firstly, biologically speaking it has plot-holes. Since it’s a purely fantasy drama, I didn’t get bothered by it, I just found it funny. With that move though, it was made clear that what really matters in this concept is the soul and not the body. But did any other actions show that the soul matters more than the body? Well, in general I didn’t feel like they did.

When you play with such themes you have to constantly remember where the soul is coming from and its original form, especially if that form comes back eventually. You have to make clear that a soul is “parasitizing” a body. This can be succeeded with several directing-writing ways. In AoS when at first this “parasitizing” was clear at first but started to get blurry from both the directing and writing side.

From the directing aspect, I wanted more audiovisual stimuli of the original soul’s form. From the writing, I wanted to see the persona I was promised this soul has and its gradual development-changing and confliction, which weren’t really shown. This leads me to my next issue.

~~ Development: Plot & Characters

Some would say that AoS is a slow-burn drama. I would say that to characterize a drama like this, the plot has to move, unlike AoS where honestly, the plot is moving slower than Flash the Sloth from Zootopia. Don’t get me wrong though, AoS is an eventful drama, just most of these events don’t escalate the storytelling, they are fillers.

These filler events were mainly comedic & romantic scenes. The writers made sure they gave the audience a decent amount of juicy funny and romantic scenes which provided exclusive entertainment and made the viewers get more attached with the characters. These scenes didn’t offer anything to the plot, so as the drama was running out of episodes I was wondering “I’m having a good time watching, but what about the story?”. From one point onwards, I couldn’t but constantly get the feeling that the writers wanted to win over viewers’ hearts and extend the series as much as possible rather than make a consistent story.

AoS is a fantasy story that has its mysteries. These mysteries made the story very intriguing to watch and many viewers started theorizing about what would happen next. Sadly, even the mysteries didn’t escalate as they should. For example, one of the main mysteries, which was also a very important part of the story, was noticed and solved pretty early in the story process. Yet, it was “explained” so late to the point that when the director finally presented it as a very intense revelation, it didn’t feel intense at all, because it wasn’t anything new.

About the characters, some of AoS them had likable personalities, others didn’t and very few of them had multidimensional personalities. Many characters were just used as mere plot-subjects, love interests or/and they were very important parts for the story but they were never fully explored. About character development, the two protagonists barely had any, and in fact, they were predictable. It’s really funny how static the characters were when the drama consists of 20 episodes with a duration more than an hour each.

The universe of AoS is very well created, I would gladly see another story from the same universe. But about the character relationships of this universe, everything was predefined, everything was forced. From the start it was made clear who are the bad ones, who are the good ones. Even their appearances and acting were decisive. There was no room for doubt, everything was black and white without them getting mixed and creating a gray area, even if the good guys sometimes did the same things as the bad ones.

~Conclusion~

AoS is a drama in which you’ll enjoy the journey (individual moments) but not the destination (the overall story process). The story started really well but lost its main focus as the episodes were passing. Despite that, AoS can turn out a very good drama depending on what you are looking for. If you want to have a good time, laugh and you don’t really care how the story will turn out, then watching AoS is a very good option. If you want a story with more depth, escalation and more complex writing, then AoS is not what you are looking for.

I would also advise you to not have high expectations while watching AoS, you will enjoy it more that way. I believe the main reason I ended up really disappointed at the drama was that due to the amazing first episodes, I set the bar too high and I expected a lot from its story. In the end, the drama didn’t satisfy my high expectations and I was let down. I want to believe that the second season of AoS, writing wise, ends up better than the first one so the final taste this drama leaves in my mind is a more positive one.

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is this even love ?

Background story:
XF the legitimate son of heavenly emperor and empress therefore is loved and cared by everyone. He can have anything and everything he wants, also he holds the military powers bcoz of his legitimacy basically he has Freedom to everything.
On the other side RY being an illegitimate son of emperor, he is not the favoured child and doesn’t have the right to even chose or express his wishes basically not privileged, not only that but if RY doesn't lay low he will be killed. Also, RY is engaged to the daughter of Water and Immortal 4000yrs back and is waiting for that person.
Both XF and RY encounter JM "the daughter of late floral immortal and water Immortal" (due to a pill she is incapable of falling in love with someone) in different circumstances though XF didn't fell for JM at first but helped her escape Floral realm, sheltered her in Heaven Realm and bullied her at the same time but later on fell for her Beauty (after she wore a pretty dress) unlike RY who liked her from their first meeting. After JM identity as the daughter of water immortal and RY's fiancé revealed, we can guess how it goes........

But after watching the entire drama i didn't felt the Love part between XF and JM, it felt more like an Infatuation and forcefully wanting to prove it as Love:
1. After that beauty transformation of JM, somehow XF started to see all of JM's actions in a romantic way that too when he is very well aware of the fact that she doesn't know gender differences neither socially well equipped.
I read so many comments claiming that JM isn't some consolation price which RY can have but she belongs to XF just bcoz he met her first, is JM an item for XF?. XF can kiss a drunk JM under the impression that she is his sister isn't sexual assault?
Not only that but XF bullied JM in the initial eps by trapping her in stools and make her do maid stuffs etc however all that is treated as comical but if the same thing is done by RY then what ??

2. If XF really wanted to redeem for what his parents did then he should have helped RY in getting the happiness he deserved rather he kept his own happiness first. XF can only pity RY but he will never do anything beyond his limits like he did for JM by threatening his own mother.

3. I still remember in one episode RY cleared that JM like means in a normal way not in a romantic way in front of Floral chiefs and XF but still after JM accepted the engagement XF did not stopped pursuing JM? Instead XF manipulated JM during Mortal trial with the help of Moon Immortal ( A fate deity who is responsible for the love and marriage of any mortal couple) however, in the end JM only thinks that RY manipulated her but what XF ??

4. If RY had followed JM in the mortal realm, will moon immortal would do the same? Tie him with her then ofc she will fall in love with RY since, Moon Immortal has the power to manipulate mortal couples. Also XF tampered with JM redemption but still pardoned why ??? As he is the legitimate son, bcoz I m damn sure RY wouldn’t have the same pleasure due to his birth.
XF could have protected JM without actually becoming a Mortal as our beloved XF doesn't follow rules or cares about it...... so. i believe XF just wanted to have some uninterrupted romance with JM....so much efforts... bcoz in the end it was RY who saved JM the very reason for which XF went to mortal realm ohhh i m sure he isn't interested in it. BTW if Muci had killed JM in her early teenage or before that then what was the use of following JM?

5. The basic foundation of love is trust and understanding, JM stayed so long with XF but still he doesn't know a thing about JM even when XF is aware of the fact that JM doesn't know gender differences or for her meaning of love doesn't mean in a romantic manner still he never tried to know why is that and considered each of her actions as a romantic gesture also, they both claimed to love each other but when the time required them to trust each other they choose the opposite. XF planned to have sex with JM after learning about the marriage date that's why he used Alcohol that too while RY was mourning for his mother, this is just about desiring someone intimately not loving....

6. JM was only unable to fall in love but wasn't mentally challenged but still acted like she doesn't get anything. If she is capable enough to trap empress in her own game then how come she doesn’t know what she is doing when it comes to XF's matter.
RY never confirmed XF being the killer it was JM who learned about Internal Alchemy and moon Immortal helped her understand it better but still in the end she pushed all the blame on RY. If RY was behind that then why she didn't take revenge the moment she learned about the dream being real but instead she waited for 3 yrs to kill XF ...

7. XF never stood up for RY when he is already aware of the fact how RY is being treated by Empress. You are actually making someone live like hell for thousands of years are u a monster and those who watched it what they are..? Parents does everything for the sake of their kids security and future so, if XF never agreed with what his Mother then why he never stopped her?? XF consent is irrelevant unless he is in his right conscience mind to stand up against the Injustice towards his own brother.

8. why JM only knows about her mother's death but not how the emperor raped his mother ???

Though the show did a lot in trying to depict that JM chose XF on own her own free will but it turned out to be a biggest lie bcoz she was manipulated by Moon Immortal and XF to make her fall in love.

Therefore I can’t really say whether it’s even a love story or not? Love and responsibility r equally important, otherwise why water immortal would will live after the death of floral immortal so, many things just doesn't makes sense. Anyways my complaints won’t end, very disappointed with this show. Somewhere it’s very easy for everyone to say that they understand someone’s pain and suffering but in reality they don’t understand at all, it’s just a notion to satisfy themselves. Highly overrated show, i guess it's bcoz the leads r famous unlike leo yunxi …I m sure if the roles r reversed then there reasons and logics would change along with the character they support.
Acting skills:
Deng lun : he is a good actor but in this show his character was quite dull bcoz it doesn’t have much growth.
Leo yunxi: for a new comer, he looked very natural and i m really impressed with his acting…..specially his voice.
HE OWN THIS DRAMA .
Yang zi : I really didn’t like her acting much except for 2/3 scenes and her character was quite annoying in most part of the show.

It’s my personal opinion, no one has to agree with it...(subject to editing )

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I'm waiting for better development in the plot.

Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to connect positively with the drama. I don't see anything different here from the usual Korean dramas of today. The political aspect is the same old greed, and the idiotic villains only change actors. Even worse, the romantic storyline—aside from the couple's chemistry—doesn't captivate me at all.

Eun Nam is far from my favorite type of heroine. She's opportunistic, rich, spoiled, and has a gorgeous, devoted man at her feet, yet she's drawn to more and more money... disappointing! Where is her nobility of character?

Park Hyung Sik is a great actor, incredibly handsome and charming, but his character, Seo Dong Ju, despite being intelligent, is emotionally weak. This makes him less appealing in a role that initially seemed vengeful and determined.

I'm waiting for better development in the plot, but for now, just good fight scenes and action aren’t enough to win me over.

Such a shame—I had high hopes for this story.

So… the wait is over! The drama really wasn’t what I expected.



The first thing I felt when I finished the drama was a raw sense of uselessness. I even called myself stupid for insisting on something that hardly captivated me from the beginning.



Then, after cooling off, I thought I was being unfair to myself for disregarding my own effort — and unfair to a great actor like Park Hyung Sik.



At the very least, I felt obligated to share some thoughts about this absolutely confusing production that was *Buried Hearts*.



From the start, I felt this wasn’t a production that could accommodate a romance between the main characters, Dong Ju and EunNan. In fact, in my opinion, EunNan was one of the worst characters in the entire plot — she didn’t even deserve the title of female lead.



From beginning to end, she was bland, ambiguous, and unappealing in her decisions regarding Dong Ju. At no point did she deserve to be by his side — neither as the protagonist nor as the FL character.



The political setting had its ups and downs, but the excess of convoluted family schemes and deceptions was a total turn-off. So many manipulations, so many unresolved entanglements, so many family misunderstandings — it became exhausting.



In the end, many characters entered and exited the plot in na obsolete, meaningless, or completely underdeveloped way. Among them, the unfortunate Ji Seon-Wu, son of Gang-Cheon. I can only assume the producers lost their minds when they gave him such a stupid ending. The kind, gentle young man introduced to us at the beginning suddenly turned into a senseless monster. Saying ambition got to his head doesn’t convince me... where was the character development that justified such a change?



Other characters who entered the story with some promise but led nowhere: the unpleasant daughter Kuk Hee, the mysterious secretary Kong, Dong Ju’s psychologist and his clown-like father, the charming hacker, the president of nothing… among others.



Of course, these are just a few examples, since there were so many unnecessary characters in the drama that I can only assume they were added to fill space or justify part of the production budget.



Even the main villain, Yeon, played by the good veteran actor Heo Jun-Ho, ended up being more laughable than truly threatening. His ending would’ve been far more interesting if they had just kept him locked up in the Daesan vault for life — since his human conscience is clearly unreachable.



Park Hyung Sik was masterful, commanding in both performance and presence. He brought Dong Ju to life like no one else could. For me, his strong presence was the only thing that made the story worthwhile.



It’s not a drama I’ll carry with me. And if they ever create a second season, I’ll happily skip it with no regrets.



I’m glad it’s over — life is too short and too precious… no one should waste 16 hours and 20 minutes on this.



It’s not a drama I would recommend to anyone I care about.

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Reminded me of old rom-coms

It's been so long since I watched a good K-Romcom, this reminded me of how this genre used to feel. Delightful from beginning to end, with charismatic characters, super cute and sexy moments, and the right amount of angst. I laughed and clapped through it the way I used to. 10 points.
I didn't know the cast and was blown away by the ML, hoping he gets more main roles as he knocked it out of the park (plus he has younger Hyun Bin vibes all over, which got me double excited). This proves we don't need huge productions with well-known names, but good storylines filled with chemistry.

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Im soo Done

This is just soooo sad ,im done with MAME and clikbaits stories.
To be honest when the story it self is soo bad then you have to relay on clickbait of of sexy scene and cutness of Actors, you've lost the way.
This goes for this serie and Love sea , because after LITA(love in the air) i wish these young Actors would have improuved.
The sad part of it is not showcassing improuvement of these Actors, i think instead of intensifiying how you ship these couples and somehow they only seen while acting for fan service acts ,make sure to invest in their acting skills and evolvement in that Carrier they trying to have.
It's undisirable and damiging for these Actors, to only be seen and be admired for that fact only.
Im sorry but my comment is addressed to all those companies behind these Actors, because i do believe that these kids are genuinely trying ,but you are not helping.
Make sure that the audience (we the fans) knows that these are Actors and they acting (is a job as any other) stop shipping and pairing them ,so they can have more opportunity to act and learn on multi lever .
I apologise if if cross the line but is my opinion.

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1)The reason I watched this:

I already watched the drama then I found this YouTube Edition later on. I was unsure what to expect but I watched it anyway.

2)Storyline/Plot:

I would say they fixed some of the missing parts in the drama since the story felt unfinished back then.

Positive points:

*Unlike the drama, these short episodes showed us more Baek Seung Jo's love and care for Oh Ha Ni.
*There were Baek Seung Jo and Oh Ha Ni's normal marriage life that the drama missed while it was the core of the entire "Itazura Na Kiss" story.
*They added some cool parts that made the specials much fun.

Negative points:

It would have been much better if they made these short episodes a second season because they felt too short.

Story: 8.75/10

3)Acting/Cast:

Nothing to add from the drama, the usual cast but there are some points that I would like to mention:
*Baek Seung Jo was warmer here with a lot of affection which is something that we weren't used to in the drama but his cold attitude never disappeared.
*Oh Ha Ni had her usual foolishness although I wanted her to change that part but the needles special showed a different side of her: it was a great special.
*Baek Seung Jo's mom and brother were cute as usual.

Cast: 8.5/10
Acting: 8/10

4)The ending:

This ending was better than the drama's ending; it felt well-done even though I wanted more.

The ending: 8.75/10

5) My Impression (How did it affect me):

*It was fun but it was too short that I couldn't enjoy them enough.
*I kept recalling Itazura Na Kiss's story and comparing it with these specials, even though it wasn't very close but it was fair enough.
*I finished all the specials in one go, I really hoped they would make it a little longer.

My Impression: 8.5/10

6)Overall:

*If you watched the drama than you need to watch this.
*If you haven't seen the drama then don't watch this.

Overall: 8.75/10.

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The Biggest Waste of My Time

This was probably one of the worst BLs I have ever seen. It has a typical fanfiction soulmate plotline, where the two leads meet each other's eyes and immediately realize they are meant to be. The plot itself seemed intriguing. I think they could have gone pretty far with this plot, but their execution was awful.

The main character clearly has some trauma regarding his mother going missing and he vows to never follow his probe. The part I didn't like, however, was the utter lack of explanation on his trauma. What was the point of it being there and clearly having an effect on his perspective when they won't even explain it or go into the tiniest bit of detail? All we know is that the mother disappeared and the kid couldn't remember the color of her headband.

On top of that, the show moves SO SLOWLY and it's only 8 episodes. But then at the end, all of a sudden they throw a bunch of content in that doesn't make any sense. I thought their chemistry would build and it would be fine at the end, but I was very wrong. The actors had no chemistry on screen and they were so beyond stiff. Their kiss at the end was downright painful. Don't even get me started on the acting. The flat, monotonous tone of the second lead was SO painful I can't even put it into words.

Maybe I'm just too critical and I'm being mean, but after watching a bunch of other BLs, even these short ones, this seriously did not compete. The execution of the plot is half assed, the characters are poorly developed, the acting is complete and utter shit, but at least the music is nice. Would I recommend this show? Absolutely not. If you would like, I can give you some wonderful recommendations for other BLs.

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To see all without being seen.

Deep Lurk 深潜 is an intriguing and immersive Republican era spy thriller; one of the few that pulled me in from start to finish. It is set in 1939, at the prelude to the first Battle of Changsha. Changsha was a strategic city that the Japanese tried and failed to take four times from 1939-1944. As a result, they were never able to consolidate their territories in Southern China. At the time, the Republic of China's Nationalist Army had seriously considered abandoning the city but Xue Yue, the commander in charge of Changsha's defense refused to budge. As a result of terrain, Changsha could only be flanked from the east or the west, making it a difficult city to both attack and defend. In this kind of set up, intelligence and counter-intelligence can make a win-or-lose situation difference for both sides.

After a botched assassination attempt on Xue Yue, a traitor escapes to Shanghai with strategic Changsha defense intelligence. Multiple parties converge upon him in Shanghai to intercept the intelligence. The players include both the Changsha and Shanghai station of the KMT Military Intelligence (NBIS), the Wang Puppet Regime, the Japanese Military and hidden CPC operatives. Yun Hongshen, the idealistic young second master of the illustrious Yun family is sent by his father Yun Muzhi to observe. Predictably, this sharp but impetuous young man raring to make a difference does more than that and his path tangles with that off brave young NBIS agent Wen Yeming tasked to hunt down the traitor. An auction for stolen intelligence relating to the Japanese army's plan of attack for Changsha results in a deadly scramble to obtain or retrieve the intelligence. This coincides with the re-emergence of Kunwu, a long dormant Japanese spy and Muzhi's nemesis. Hongshen is lured back to Changsha, where he must crack the code to the intelligence and smoke out Kunwu in order to save his city from the encircling Japanese army. He reunites with Yeming at NBIS where they pit their wits against this master spy who seems to be able to see all without being seen.

The first three episodes are fast paced, exciting and littered with clues and character introductions and needs to be watched (and re-watched) carefully. But the setup and the storytelling is so intriguing I was compelled to re-watch; to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's been a long time since a drama pulled me in so deeply that I was literally unable to watch anything else at the same time. Even though there are some logic holes, the overall plot is tight and riveting. All the important characters are introduced early on and they are multi-faceted and grey with different loyalties and motives that reflect the clash of culture and ideology and the rival factions within the KMT during that pivotal era of change. The narrative brilliantly builds a credible case around several key characters with motive, means and opportunity to be Kunwu and maintains the suspense into the final episodes.

This drama has an all-round stellar cast anchored which by veteran actors including Wang Jingsong and Liu Huan and brilliant character acting by Hou Mengyao's disingenuous Milan, Han Chengyu's ruthless and competitive Ling Han and Zhang Tianyang's well-meaning Yun Hongqi. I really enjoyed watching Hongshen meticulously narrow down the suspect list and try to out-scheme the hidden master spy who eluded his father for years. The young Cheng Yi brilliantly captures how this character's intelligence and survival instinct makes up for his lack of experience and the shattering consequential mistakes he makes along the way. It is a shame that this drama has not enjoyed wider viewership. For this genre however, I don't need romance and I didn't enjoy Ying'er's acting or the couple's chemistry. I was far more invested in the Yun family's close bond and amused by how Hongqi and Hongshen are so different and resourceful in their own unique ways. Zhang Tianyang is a subtly hilarious actor and his brotherly scenes with Cheng Yi are among the drama's best moments for me.

Despite many cut scenes, the pacing, suspense and excitement holds up into a strong finale that delivers a good ending twist that deftly avoids one reversal too many. My only disappointment is that I had hoped for a more complex villain origin story. I won't say more to avoid spoiling the reveal. This is by far the best Republican spy drama I have watched since The Rebel (2021). I am happy to rate it the same at 8.5/10.0 despite its lower budget. It is a good watch if you are in the mood for some mental gymnastics but it can also be enjoyed simply as a fast paced spy thriller.

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Main actress terrible acting

I just can’t seem to pass the main actress acting. It was just too terrible for me. Her face seemed to be frozen pretty much throughout. Of all characters, hers was the most unclear. Is the character supposed to be cute? feisty? Stubborn? charming? lazy? bold?? etc. it was almost as if there was no planning in her character. Just threw anything on and went w it. The reviews got my hopes up but damn it was just straight bad.

Storyline is your standard gaming dramas. Nothing too fancy. But the highlight on the stereotype against gaming, even worse, female gamers gave the drama more depths and light into the struggles of people in this profession. In addition to this, they highlight the pros/cons of the entertainment industry as well as celebs/fans relationship.
The supporting characters were not well developed. Its the typical “bestfriend” in kdramas where everything is for the main characters. Just glad it was more in a positive way.


Highly NOT RECOMMEND

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Monotonous watch

The trailer put me in spin as romantic comedies are my go to stories. The star cast drew my attention as Mr. Queen has been teaming with K2 for the first time.
Once upon a time, a boy and girl was entangled in love fate as soon they were born. Their love story bloomed by the shore of Seoul but a cyclone paid an uninvited visit to the long stretches of Jeju only to wash the blooming love. So, did they leave each other or did they fight for their love.

One thing is annoyingly becoming common in romantic comedies which is a love connection happening when leads are growing. This may used ignite spark at the beginning but now it is the biggest turn off. This is the biggest loophole for Sam Dal and Young Pil story. They have been unconditionally and irrevocably in love only to break up at the age of thirty. Love does not fade and enmity does not make them sour. You know what's happening next.
Penned by the person responsible for cult classic like 18 again and Hi Bye Mama, this story is just an elongated drag of some of 208 or 2019s sweet stories. Director Cha Yeong Hoon who is known for making joker in When Camellia Blooms failed to bring the allure. The cinematographer did a wonderful job in snapping the beautiful shores.
Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Soon fit perfectly in the shoes of the leads. But their chemistry did not make butterflies. Kang Yeong Sook as Bang Do tried to turn heads but attention mostly vanished before the yellow car.
Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Soon fit perfectly in the shoes of the leads. But their chemistry did not make butterflies. Kang Yeong Sook as Bang Do tried to turn heads but attention mostly vanished before the yellow car.
The story is a perfect amalgamation of love, enmity and humor. The friendship of the five who gets along even after staying apart all these years will tear you. Even though it is a love that we know, watching the journey through various nooks and holes makes it a beautiful watch.

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