Reviews

Honestly im impressed

I'm honestly very impressed at how bad this is.
Im even making an account to write this review. Ridiculous.
I was excited at first, an adaptation of my favorite story featuring lee minho, jisoo and nana.
But wow. How could the director messed this up so badly. I don't like how absurd your changes is. I can't agree the way you change jisoo's weapon. But im giving a 6 for the cast because im still bias my fav actor/idol.
But its still terrible. You can't even use these actors well. Is your budget so bad you can't style lee minho well? He have a good face why made his hair like that. But i still love his acting. Maybe because im bias. He do look stiff though. Actually everyone is stiff. I love the movie because of some of the cast, hate the movie be able of you and how badly you butchered my fav story.

Don't get me started on the cinematography and cgi as well. What is this? I thought you had budget. Why is it terrible. I feel like watching slide. It feels like looking at a joke. Their words and their thoughts were all jumbled up im confused. It feels like im looking at a bad comedy.

Would not recommend to watch it. Don't waste your money.

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I haven't written a review on a drama in quite a while but couldn't resist writing one on this drama. This was a delightful drama. It was the first time I have watched Jang Hyuk in anything. Must say I am now a fan. The story line was easy to get hooked on. The characters had great chemistry. I watched this drama originally for Choi Jin Hyuk and he certainly did not disappoint...and Jang Na Ra was as adorable as could be. There were times that I felt this drama was a little "over the top" in craziness but that turned out to be part of the charm of this drama. I've mentioned how much I enjoyed the main characters in this, but I don't want to forget mentioning the others. This drama was filled with great characters. I don't normally rewatch a drama, however, I may make an exception with this one. I enjoyed the music also. I felt a full range of emotions with this drama. I laughed, I cried, felt happy and felt sad at times. I hope you will also enjoy this drama as I did.

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Disappointing Ending

First of all, Earth, Santa, and Prem were amazing and they deserve 500000/10 stars.

But I am left feeling so disappointed with the ending. The last two episodes were like torture. I never read the novel, but the series until ep 11 never indicated that the entire plot would cease being about Cake and Eiw's relationship (which is what I cared about, what I was expecting), and end up being entirely about Eiw's relationship with his parents.

There was no relationship development, there really was no character development (except Eiw became less shy??). They pretended there was a happy ending, but it touched on nothing. The last two episodes are entirely Eiw and his family sobbing uncontrollably and Cake hovering in the corner sometimes, awkwardly.

I guess the esteanged and dying parent storyline (besides coming from out of nowhere at the end of the season) hit too close to home for me and that’s why I'm grumpy. But like... Eiw spent an hour explaining why he hates his dad who abandoned them because he never stopped smoking. Really? Youre not at all mad that he abandoned you and your family for years, missed out on hugely important events? You're just mad... that he smoked?

The ending seemed to suddenly become an anti smoking commercial and an egregious melodrama, with almost no romance whatsoever. So... if you, like I did, thought you were about to watch a romance, you might as well stop watching after the one makeout scene.

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Covid and Social Media bringing out the boys to the yard...

If you want a short but sweet drama with not too much fuzziness to itself..this is the one for you.

I'm a sucker for effective storytelling that doesn't drag unnecessary drama or uses old tropes as plot devices. I'm also it seems a sucker for stories centering around COVID times and how social media plays a central role/platform in the story.

This mini-drama had it all. Two dudes that liked each other. Supportive friends, a female character that wasn't too caricature or villainized, and a straight (no pun) to the point script.

Aaron Li is such a sweetheart. I've always had a soft spot for him since HIStory days and I'm happy to see him getting work. He was so adorable and dorky in this and I was really surprised with his Japanese level of speaking. Seems almost natural (perhaps he lived in Japan before?)

I really enjoyed that bilingual script (being multilingual myself) it is so nice to see how they jump from one language to another which makes it so relatable for us who do this every day.

The chemistry was actually there too! Which can be hard if the actors are not in the same room throwing lines. I liked the way they were awkward as well because it was a new thing for each of them. I love supportive friends! I mean that is the best takeaway from this drama in my opinion. Both male leads had friends who seem to be ride or die types and we need more representation like that in BLs.

in the end, watch it if you want something quick and enjoyable (get out of the gutter)

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I'm writing for the first time. This is that good of a drama

1. Ao Rui Peng did a brilliant job beside Bai lu considering she's my favourite but the guy was extremely amazing. Even the other castings are impressive as hell
2. Very clearly written drama
3. No extra nonsense like misunderstandings or spitting out 10 gallons of blood every time and the progress of each character is heavy good
4. Very individual centric since each character is given equal importance in their arc making them put a heavy impact throughout the story
5. We'll thought story is highly reflected since it followed a clear path with every twist it exposed

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A Journey from Excitement to Disappointment.

As a fervent MeenPing enthusiast and admirer of the outstanding chemistry between the actors, my initial enthusiasm for this series was at its peak. The connection they built in AilhongNhai left me emotionally invested in what seemed to be another promising installment. However, as the plot unfolded, the rollercoaster of emotions turned into a tumultuous journey with more downs than ups.

The first episodes were a delight, offering compelling moments and acceptable action scenes that held my attention. However, as we approached the conclusion, the plot seemed to lose its way, careening downhill without brakes. The figure of the "villain," Kenji, or as I prefer to call him, turned out to be a monumental letdown. Far from embodying the genuine malevolence I expected, he became a confusing and unconvincing character.

Adding to the disappointment, many of the secondary characters seemed to contribute nothing substantial to the narrative. Their presence felt extraneous, lacking the depth or development needed to enhance the overall story.

Moreover, the action scenes in the final episode were a particular low point. It appeared as though the mobsters had never handled a weapon in their lives. The choreography and execution were subpar, detracting from the intensity and realism that should accompany such crucial moments in a series of this genre. Additionally, the feeling that they attempted to hastily wrap up the last episode without care contributed to a rushed and disappointing final experience.

The combination of a lackluster villain, underdeveloped secondary characters, poorly executed action sequences, along with a rushed closure, ultimately left me with a bitter taste. In future endeavors, I hope MeenPing focuses on holistic storytelling, ensuring that every character, whether main or supporting, contributes meaningfully to the overall narrative, and that action scenes are executed with the finesse they deserve, avoiding the sense of haste in the conclusion.

postscript, I must note that I give this rating considering the first half was quite good; however, the ending significantly impacted my overall perception.

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I THINK I LOVE YOU

Sometimes you watch something that leaves you feeling so much and yet not enough, this drama was one of such works. Plot wise, after the many high school bls, this story was exactly the something different I was looking for. Though, was it really something different? Cuz this is literally the current world situation, only difference is, it comes with a side of rainbow and it has its own background soundtrack.

Listen, before I start this review, I need to get this off my chest. No one but the people responsible are at fault for Victor's death. From how I saw it, nothing could have saved Victor that day, no matter what, he would have died. I saw a lot of people angry at Tanwa for not telling Trin until it was too late. People, did we watch the same thing? Did you not see the kind of character Victor was? That boy did not take no for an answer. How many times did Trin reject him and how many times did he keep insisting? And since Trin became their teacher, did he not constantly advice them against the protests, and did Victor and his friends listened to him? No, so did you think Victor would have listened to him this time? Victor was about to leave, and felt he owed it to his friends to stand with them one last time, there was nothing anyone would have said that he'd have listened. Even his mother said after his death, 'he died fighting for what he believed in,' so she knew it herself, Victor would have been at that rally no matter what.

Trin & Tanwa
So yes, I was angry when Trin took some of his anger on Tanwa for Victor's death. It hurt that after seeing the way Tanwa's father treated him, Trin hit him and then left him. Trin got Tanwa to stop running away and faced his emotions, to open his heart and love, and then, he left him, and ran back to France. And the moment he said he was leaving I dead ass went, 'Yes, ran away, of course running away is your speciality, you did it when your girlfriend died too.' So yes, I was in my feelings andwas like, yeah if those two don't end up together I'd be fine with it, let them heal and move on, Tanwa don't need to be around whatever quilt Trin is feeling. But.

But, but, I also understood Trin. It's in human nature to think we could have done something to make a difference when things like this happens. Would Trin had been able to talk Victor out of going this time, when he hadn't been able to talk him out of anything so far? Would he have reacted the way he did if he'd known Tanwa actually warned Victor, but Victor made him promised not to tell him? We'd never know. Cuz at that moment, giving the information he knew and the hurt he felt, he reacted accordingly, so I understood Trin, but it still hurt that at the end of the day, Tanwa was the one who was left behind again, cuz in trying to please two people at once, he ended up breaking a promise and losing the man he loved.

But Tanwa grew, and it was beautiful to see. We met him as this carefree hippie who didn't care about anything, just here to enjoy life and make paper cranes. But with Trin he changed and it was nice, but then everything fell apart for him again. First he broke, completely, but slowly, he put the pieces together and I was so happy for him. Thanks to his that one friend with the hair who never gave up on him. That father, all he did was be a father like he was supposed too, so he gets no thanks from me.

As for Trin he actually left France and came back home to make a difference, and he didn't sit on his arse, and actually worked on making change, though when the side he choose got hard he left again. Sure he said he could continue doing the work he was doing out of the country, and perhaps he could, a pebble thrown at one end of the ocean could make a tsunami at the other end of the world, so yes he could, but for half of the finale, I felt like he was running away, probably, he was doing both. And I don't blame him, this was the second time his pain was being written with the same ink and ending.

Personally, I think they'd both would have survived on their own if they hadn't ended up together again. But, I'm glad Tanwa learned to respect himself, choose himself, and grow before he decided to speak out and then go and try to make things right with Trin. They both needed that time to sort out their feelings and heal, and they were stronger for it when they got back together.

Krailert & Naran
I am surprised one of these two didn't die. I am not gonna lie, I watched this whole drama thinking Krailert was a coward and he was gonna die a useless death. Yes, I was cheering on him, happy when he was all in love and hating on clothes and playing piano, but my opinion of him was not much.

Cuz really, he was in a marriage he didn't want. He did what his superiors told him with little to no opposition, and most of the time his best effect was to wish the soldiers under him would listen to him, and make sure his nephew wasn't anywhere near whatever disaster was coming. Even the day that Victor died, yes he tried to save the students, even tried to send Trin out on some errand to save him, but in the end because he didn't really hold any respect or power in the army from his soldiers, after all this years, his men disobeyed him, and he ended up losing the one trusted man he had.

And it wasn't that he didn't try to do the right thing or speak up, it was just that he held so little power, that his voice and effects meant little to nothing in the long scheme of things. Yes, he did what he could, but it wasn't enough, which got me thinking with how much power his father in law held, how the eff did he end up with none but that dude with the cigar ended up with so much? Was it because he was too kind, too nice for a profession in politics when he'd rather be playing the piano naked? Either way with a family like his wife's backing him, him basically ending up a 'yes, sir' dude at work was unfortunate. Though his ending was an unhappy trophy husband, so really, short end of the straw.

So, I was so so so happy when in the finale he grew a pair and finally spoke out, though, what good it did him, he was immediately arrested and was about to die or imprisoned for life, until his wife came in to save him. But even so, I was so happy that he decided to speak up and to tell the truth, even knowing what consequence he would face. Both Naran and I were very proud of him.

Naran, spoke a big game of wanting change, of wanting to tell the public the truth, and for a while he was passionate about it and did it, but when he kept being silenced, he allowed himself to be silenced. Sure there wasn't much he could do with a boss like that, but thinking about it, he'd write, tried to push, be silenced and he'd let it go. He knew how horrible those politicians were, yet, he didn't really talked those student out of anything, just stood in the crowd with them with his camera, taking shoots and videos that never saw the light of day. Even Victor's father's book, in the end it was actually Krailert who called in that favour for him to get it published.

Yes, he had no power when against such powerful people, but the pen is mightier as they say, so... Anyway, I was glad he quit. And also, he could have had his own publication had he lied and stayed with his girlfriend, but it was good he didn't want to add to the pain by staying with her. I was happy he came clean and let her go, otherwise he'd have ended up in an unhappy, suffocating marriage like Lert did. Though, was a one way ticket to wherever he went any better? Probably.

Was their ending sad, yes, but again, I am still shocked not one of them died and they both made it alive. Though, are they even alive? He was forced to leave the country alone without even seeing the man he loved one last time, and Lert was threatened to remained in an unhappy, unwanted marriage as a live-in sperm donor. So, I say alive with huge question mark.

Secondary characters:
Dhevi :
I was not surprised one bit that Krailert's wife was pulling strings. Literally, her hair was never out of place no matter the time of the day, of course she was silently a force to be reckoned with. Woman to woman though, does forcing a man you know does not love you, plus in this case, wasn't even intimately interested in you, ever make this people happy? What did she get out of this? A husband who is dead inside? A baby? Bishes be crazy. Naran's girlfriend hit him with a shoe and moved on, what Krailert's wife did was just cruel. Girl why? And all that to save force cuz of social norms? What was the point?

Victor:
I liked that loser. He was so adorable when he was in love, and I'd admit, I was lowkey looking for drama and going, 'you know what, just one, one tiny kiss.' I know it would never happened cuz Trin saw Tanwa one time and was a goner rearranging his bookshelf in the middle of night, but still, I was delulu and wanted something, I'd have taken a very firm handshake even, In the end, he died for what he believed in, gone too soon, yes, but he left a mark on the friends he left behind and that counts for something.

Veera:
His death hit so hard, cuz at one point I was like, hmmm he loves the wife too much, you think he'd snitch? Shame on me for thinking bad of him, cuz he didn't. In the end whether for Dhevi or Krailert, he was loyal, and died protecting them. Poor boy didn't even get to attend his fake wedding. I still feel how sad and hard I cried during that episode where both him and Victor died, and with Mile singing Dawn in the background while everyone broke down in tears did not help. Damn that episode broke me.

Which brings us to why everyone on this cast needs to win an award, especially the four main leads. Everyone did so amazing with their characters and actually looked like they enjoyed coming to work and producing this amazing series for us. And it was an amazing series. I loved every moment of it. The plot was wonderfully executed, and everything from the cinematography, direction, editing, costumes, casting, script and the music made me like it more. Speaking of the music, the original soundtrack was amazing, I saved almost all the songs on the show to my playlist. Loved them!

I highly recommend this to all bl/drama lovers out there, cuz this is so much more than just a bl drama. The genre and topic might not be for everyone, but if you are looking for a drama with good plot, direction, acting and overall amazing production, give this one a chance, it's one of the best bls/dramas that I've seen that's come out of the Thailand. I am looking forward to more from the cast. BeOnCloud, thank you!

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Horrible...... Just horrible

I won't start talking about OST cause its terrible and I usually skip that.

I'm just going to start talking about the problems of this show.


1) Tonhon : If Tonton isn't the worst problem in this series after his dad, then I don't know what is. Ton is the real definition of toxic masculinity. He does things without thinking about the feelings of those around him. All he does is to take his anger on others. He knows nothing than to use is fist. I believe that dude needs anger management. Kissing his ex just to prove a stupid point, got me so mad that I wanted to smack Ton's head so hard. Ton is also very dumb that it's laughable. How someone can be so oblivious, baffled me.

2) Tonhon's dad : How can someone like that be in this series? He is nothing but transposition. Saying something about those women having no womb, was just disgusting. All he wants is children, as if women are made to be a baby factory.

3) Na : Na is a better man than Ton. I really don't know what Chon sees in Ton, when there's Na right there, loving him for him and being okay to be a second choice cause he supports Chon's decisions. Ton might be older and filled with muscles, but Na is the real man.

4) Amp is just a dumb bitch we see at every Thai BL series. Nothing new.

This movie has everything disgusting in it.

1) Slut shaming

2) attempted rape.

3) Toxic masculinity

4) Homophobic in the highest level.


I've always loved Pod in "Dark blue kiss" and I was excited to see him have a main role. Same goes with Khao as he was one of my favorite character in "2gether". But the characters Ton and Chon, ain't for me. This series is truly the worst out there. What saved this series was the side characters (Ai, Ni, Miriam, Na, Pang and Chon's mother).

The ratings should be way lower than 7.6
GMMTV needs to know that Quality is way better than quantity.

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‘What’s wrong with Secretary Kim’ Is a drama full of clichés, full of things we’ve already seen and we often find annoying. But the way those clichés are shown is what makes this drama different from all rom-com dramas we’ve seen.

Even the plot seems familiar – a rich arrogant man and his secretary fall in love with each other without realizing their feelings at the beginning.
Park Seo Joon plays Lee Yeong Joon – a narcissistic vice president who is full of self-confidence. When i first read the summary before started watching the drama, I thought that he will be like those arrogant male leads people usually find annoying. But he wasn’t like that, he wasn’t that arrogant type like Joo Joong Won from ‘The Master’s Sun’ for example. I think the writers exaggerated a little bit, saying that he doesn’t pay attention to the people around him since I didn’t see much of this side of him.
Park Min Young plays Kim Mi So – a smart secretary who was by his side for more than nine years. She is one of the strongest female leads I’ve seen in rom-com dramas. It’s really rare to see a mature female lead who is honest with herself, who always says what she thinks and who will always show your mistakes while being understanding at the same time.
Their romance was well-developed, one thing I liked the most about this drama is how honest their conversations were. They proved that when two people are honest with each other without having any secrets, the things between them will work out for sure. I liked how their relationship was getting stronger with every episode, the writers didn’t dragged the things between them much which was a big relief. Their chemistry was perfect, but what else can we expect from such actors like Seo Joon and Min Young. Their romance reminded me of Bo Yeong and Dr. Ye in 'A Poem a Day', no wonder the screenwriters are the same.

The other two couples – Yang Cheol & Se Ra and Ji Ah & Gwi Nam were also funny to watch. I especially liked Yang Cheol and Se Sa’s story, they were hilarious. I will never forget the moment with the Cola, it was my first time seeing that kind of confession, it was such a precious moment.

Most of the other characters had funny roles (except Yeong Joon’s brother maybe). Yoo Shik was hilarious most of the time, he’s the type of character we often see, but he was somehow different.

And now, the thing I didn’t like – all the shits with Secretary Kim and Yeong Joon’s past story. Another drama cliché – the two main leads know each other from their childhood and something bad happened to them then. With or without, it would have been the same. I think the writers tried to put some pressure to ‘shake’ the watchers a little bit, but it was boring most of the times. Yeah, the relationship between the main leads got stronger because of that, but still, they brought a character such as Yeong Joon’s brother, which dragged the drama a bit. Still, I didn't hate him.

The cameo appearance of Lee Minki and Jung So Min as Mi So’s parents made me so happy, it made me realize how much I miss ‘Because this is my first life’.
Also, I think it was 13 or 14 ep… They showed Eric and Hyun Jin’s kiss in ‘Another Miss Oh’, why did they do that? I almost got a heart attack. I mean, it was that kiss, that powerful kiss. If you’ve watched the drama there’s no way you can forget about that kiss, it was that powerful. Why did they have to torture me like that, I got too distracted of the romantic moment between the main leads when I saw that kiss.

Overall, it’s a good drama. Simple plot, but yet entertaining, cheesy and funny moments, a lot of kisses and brilliant acting. You can watch it if you want a light romance that won’t pressure you too much.

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No impact

This drama was mid.

What I liked:
The cast/acting (Ji Chang Wook is an S tier romance ML. When he loves, I love. When he cries, I cry.)
The potential for revenge/justice against Bang Eunjoo
The friends/lovers/EXs/family convoluted feelings
The background of why the leads broke up
The family town aspect

What I disliked:
The fizzled out romantic ending. The leads could have gotten married, or moved in together, or took some other step to farther their relationship, but no. Some sneaking, kissing and cuddles then BAM: Another long separation. It reminds me of the ending of Because This is My First Life. I understand that SK people are into traveling and fulfilling your dreams at the expense of romance and family, but damn. Cho Samdal could have went with him! Or he could have worked in Seoul. Or just take a 6 month work abroad for the experience. The kicker is he didn't even need the work experience because he was already offered a job in Seoul. Like really, working in Switzerland for 2 years FOR WHAT? Like that's going to make a difference in anything. It was so sudden and illogical.

The lack of fulfilling revenge. Cho Samdal's career was set right again with a nice little bow after 1 thing was revealed. There was no satisfying dramatic reveal of Eunjoo's sly personality, cheating, or catty behavior to everyone. Just a quick, she lied and took money. Oh, Cho Samdal is welcomed back now. What? Where is the drama? I felt heart wretched with worry for what. There was no satisfying, meticulous take down.

To be honest, halfway through, I started skipping through a lot of supporting character scenes. It was slow and I don't think I missed much.

This drama makes me feel like I stuck my hands in water. It felt great for a while, but when I pulled my hands out - there was nothing. It all slipped through my fingers. Nothing of real substance to particularly love and remember.

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I do not know what other's are talking about

This was a great show. Honestly, it was simple, pacing was good, story line was straightforward, everything was suggested early enough to address later. This isn't a complicated show and that may be why I've seen so many negative reviews. One person said that star in my mind was better but that show brought an abuse plot and brushed over it and their conflict continued on until the last two episodes. Dunk's acting isn't perfect but he definitely improved and he made me feel the same nerves that his character felt during many scenes in the show. He played the "trying his best" character really well even if it wasn't always perfect. I can't criticize the bobble head comment because I know people in real life that move like that, so it genuinely didn't bother me. Joong's acting was perfect, their chemistry was so natural and it's one of the best potrayals of a dating couple I've seen in a show. The puppy love, the progression, the nerves, the true love (which joong nailed, he was acting incredible from face to body). And it's not fair to compare them to other high quality shows because a lot of those had the romance as the side plot and a bigger plot occurring. This show's main plot IS the romance and the obstacles they face during its progression. Joke explains he developed a crush on Zo because he was the first person to ask what he wants and respect it which made sense when we see how neglected he felt by his parents. Zo is the textbook nerdy boy with his walls up because his mom was strict and his friend lead him on and ridiculed him in the process. The debate club wasn't even that in your face but that was explained because Zo wanted to make his mom proud. They argued when they needed when Zo or Joke were being a unreasonable. The stalker story was explained to be occurring from years before and which didn't need to take up more time than it did and resolved in the most rational way you can instead of brushed over. The parents' effects on the boys were implied from the beginning and then things occurred for them to get closer (Zo's dad in the hospital, and Zo telling Joke's dad that he realized life is too short for him to mince his words and he should tell his son how he really feels). And the biggest criticism I've seen is the hidden agenda. One, the author can name the title whatever it may be, it really is not that serious but MOST IMPORTANTLY, Zo was absolutely valid in his hurt. Zo and Joke put so much importance in honesty and communication and it was mentioned SO MANY times so finding out he came to Zo with hidden intentions definitely made sense in the grand scheme of things especially after his past friend lied to his face and shut him down when Zo confessed. Zo was always upfront with Joke even with the Nita situation. And if someone were to find out that your partner lied to you, especially after being confronted, it makes you wonder what else they may be lying about. It wasn't stretched out too long either, Joke tried to make amends his way and then apologized and Zo stated all he was looking for was an apology. Everything was fleshed out as well as it can be for a cute show like this, so it makes me wonder if other critics and I were even watching the same show. I understand if this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it felt that some of the critiques were not coming from a fair place. Not everything needs to be shown to be understood and they utilized their 12 episodes really well. There were some lagging moments in two episodes but not enough to turn me off. The side couple were there and cute and did not take too much time but enough to get their story across. There were honestly only about 1.5 NC scenes and the couple others were just kiss scenes and their chemistry was so natural and beautiful, I genuinely believed I was watching two people in love. If the show was as bad as people make it out to be then they deserve a chance to move up from here especially with how many veteran actors have been in worse shows and now are great in their craft. But my final thoughts, I truly thought every aspect of this show was amazing and the dynamics were natural. Watching it from the pov that this is a romance focused or almost slice of life type of drama, it hit the mark and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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This show! It has taken over me!

Love and Redemption snuck up on me and now I can't function.
I don't want to make this a post about comparing and sh*tting on another show but I'm gonna say this for people who like me tried to watch/watched Ashes of Love and didn't like it and now they are not sure if they should check this out because the two shows seem similar: This is like Ashes of Love if Ashes of Love was actually good! I’ll say give it a chance!
Okay, trash-talk over, moving on to positive review!

I'm going to give a tiny summary because the description here is bad.
A thousand years ago, there was a war between the heavenly realm and the demon realm. The demons were winning thanks to a very powerful general called Star of Mosha. Then this God of war showed up, annihilated Star of Mosha, and the heavenly realm won the war. But because Mosha was very powerful, they couldn't fully kill him and a part of his soul was put in a jar and was hidden in one of the sects on earth. A thousand years have passed and it seems that stars are (literally) aligning for Mosha’s return.
Now, the story really starts when during a cultivation tournament, the younger daughter of the Shaoyang sect leader, Xuan Ji, meets the star disciple of Lize palace, Si Feng, and they become friends. Xuan Ji doesn’t have the six senses (She is color-blind, can’t differentiate sounds, smells, and tastes, has no sense of pain or touch, and doesn’t process emotions.) Si Feng, Xuan Ji, her sister Ling Long and senior disciple Min Yan form the most adorable quartet of friends and decide to help Xuan Ji regain her sense by finding this magical mirror. They end up uncovering some serious demonic activities regarding Star of Mosha and what happened a thousand years ago…

This show has every trope and concept that my romantic heart could possibly crave:
1)star-crossed lovers
2)Falsified history
3)Hot men with wings
4)Ride or die group of misfit friends
5)The rejects are the good people and they get together and are cute and adorable and heroic
6)Some serious subversion of romantic dynamics and gender-norms
7)Happyily-ever-after
8)Complex female characters
9)Did I mention FRIENDHSIPS TO DIE FOR?
10)No instalove. It’s a S L O W B U R N!
11)Mythology, fantastical creatures and figures
12)Love that lasts lifetimes…10 of ‘em!
13)No love-triangles, ridiculous cheatings, or other boring shenanigans that make hetero-romances garbage…
14) Subplots that are actually interesting and engaging
15)Perfect foreshadowing work…PERFECT
16) HOT MEN SUFFERING WHILE LOOKING PRETTY

I did not expect to love this show as much as I did. However, I loved the story. I loved the execution and everything in between.
One of the strong points of this show was its plot and story. Unlike a lot of other shows which just drag out the plot with melodrama, love-triangles and etc. this show is actually dragged out by action-packed plot and complex narratives. There is a lot happening in every episode and even if sometimes it becomes overwhelming, it’s definitely still moving the plot somewhere. Even episodes that slow down to develop romances and such are very well-paced and seem justified. I could maybe shorten it for 3 episodes but eh, it’s fine. A problem that I have with some cdramas is their boring B plots that I just want to fast-forward through but L&R manages to have such an endearing supporting cast of characters that I was genuinely invested in all of the side-romances and their plots. There are some mind-blowing plot twists in the show that you realize were all foreshadowed. They leave a mix of spot-on clues in addition to fake clues to both give you information and confuse you and then they deliver for every.single.one. fake or real clues. *mind: blown* Overall, I would say the plot develops and moves in an incredibly satisfying way. Something I really love is that despite an obscene number of misunderstandings in the show, at crucial moments there is always one character screaming at everyone else for being idiots and misunderstanding the situation. The show ends up also being very feminist with some very positive messages about women and identity, trauma, agency, and autonomy over one’s body which I consider an inherently feminine issue but also one with [SPOILER] [SPOILER] tones and the story has BOTH…you’ll get it when you watch the whole thing!

The casting in this show was just perfect. The main leads did an amazing job. Crystal Yuan was wonderful as Xuan Ji. She actually made me endeared towards a character who if done badly would have been very frustrating. She actually has nuance in her performance because slowly as Xuan Ji gains her senses and catches feelings, you can see the little changes in her behavior and it’s the most satisfying thing ever. Cheng Yi also knocked it out of the park! That man carried this show on his shoulders. Definitely the emotional anchor of the show was Cheng Yi’s portrayal of Si Feng and the many, many, MANY tribulations he goes through! Lol, I can’t recall the last time I watched a male character suffer so terribly on screen. But the perfect acting doesn’t end there. Liu Xue Yi plays his character so well… a little too well at times. I am obsessed with every acting choice that Bai Shu made for his portrayal of Teng she. Hou Meng Yao made me tear-up TWICE. Fu Fang Jun might just be the most charismatic man on earth and Li Xin Ze had no right breaking my heart like that.

The music, I didn’t love. It wasn’t bad. I just…I think I’m just not the right person to give an opinion on music. Sorry

The production of this show was also better than most you’ll see in Xianxia shows. The CGI was very good. The sets were quite lovely. We have three realms, five sects, and at least four random towns the characters visit and each had distinct styles and aesthetics. There were some grey wash “bare meadows of misery” where action sequences occurred but I guess that’s just how life is; sometimes the background is grey! I especially loved the design for Lize Palace for SPOILER reasons. It was a very nice little clue left for the viewers who were paying attention to details.

The costumes: I wasn’t crazy for the girl’s costumes and hairstyles but I guess most of the budget went into providing Si Feng with his majestic wardrobe and I respect that decision.

The negative: There are a lot of misunderstandings. I know at some point a lot of viewers hated Xuan Ji and were blaming her. I personally didn’t and there were certain things going my way even during the darkest episodes of the show which made me really excited to keep watching so I was satisfied. However, the misunderstandings can absolutely be a turn-off for some viewers. The show is also tropey as hell while subverting some other tropes. I love my xianxia tropes and I haven’t watched so many that I’ll be annoyed by the repetitions yet. I actually enjoyed recognizing certain tropes and calling them out. There are also some “convenient” McGuffins in the story if you are going to be nitpicky about it.
But I believe, once you start enjoying a show, and you are so invested in the characters, and the story keeps delivering in a satisfying way, the occasional plot hole, bad lighting or framing, and whatever else won’t really matter anymore. It’s only when you are not enjoying yourself that you will get hung up on the technical aspects of the production.
Somewhere between episode 2 and 3, I started to love this show and I just loved it all the way, and those minor issues didn’t matter at all.

Love and Redemption is also one of those shows that require a rewatch because there are so many things that will be revealed that actually affect the way you perceive the whole story. These will come through in a second watch once you already know all the plot twists and outcomes and will look out for those foreshadows.

I will recommend this to anyone who likes the things I listed above. It’s definitely the best Xianxia show I have watched so far and I will probably not be over it for a while.

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Disappointed

I know this could have been a good show. The casts truly have good chemistry with each other.

But my goodness. The story was all over the place. There was no proper synchonization of the storyline and the characters. And Kang Si Yeols personality was soooo bland I just want to cry. I know Park Solomon is a versatile actor, so how they made him act in this drama is a travesty! Same goes for Hye Yoon too! These actors are great and can truly play with viewers emotions! Sadly, the bad storyline and dialogue really brought this show down. I’m so heartbroken and disappointed with it.

Plus, that ending! 😭😭😭 There really isn’t growth for Hye Yoons character… And the last few scenes of them together were too cringey to watch. I KNOW they have chemistry, it’s just that the way the scenes are written and the way the lines are thrown, it’s just really bad.

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