Reviews

UNPOPULAR OPINION

Unpopular opinion:
The drama was good specially and only for the male lead and female and also for the sides characters,and obviously for the villain Situ Ling , i liked very much his story and evolution of his character, written and performed very well.
The story is simple but made well done ,like i said already the serie it was good not much for the dinamics of the history but for more or less all the characters that are inside of the story , specially for the main leads and the villain , because for my personal opinion them have carried on their shoulders all the drama .
It was a relief that in just 36 episode they made a right but a bit rushed ending of all open dynamics inside of the serie ,of course we have a good ending for the main leads 🫠 .
The photo,the colors and the CGI of the serie was so good and pretty but i dont liked very much the customes, atleast not all i have seen on the main leads maybe...a 50/50? 😬.
So in the end it was good to watch, easy to watch.
For me the right rating for this drama is not a overrated 8.8 or almost a 9 but a honest and not beyond 7.5/8 🫣.

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Approved by the School President

Story
Classic high school love trope, nothing new to see. The main couple is cute but nothing more (?), and the other two, are not so well managed: plot holes and very vague storylines.

Tinn and Gun are a slow burn, first love couple. Again, nothing new. They fit and support each other (maybe Tinn’s support is a bit more central, but Gun is understanding when needed and tries to do his best for the relationship as well). Maybe, sometimes, they’re too cheesy for me. The real problem? Their kiss is delayed in a very, very, not enjoyable and silly way. The kiss wasn’t needed in the first place: in my opinion, their love was well-portraited anyway. So, why showing kisses that never happened? People in high school do kiss. It’s nothing strange. Why the delay? It would have been easier (and better) without any kiss or just with one or two faints to laugh and then the real one.
Win and Sound could have been more interesting. The process of them becoming a couple is confusing and full of plot holes. Additionally, I like the arguing-loving dynamic but their performance is less natural than the Fourth and Gemini’s one. I liked their kiss tough. Satang’s character is a bit a question mark for me. They wanted him to be a bit different from the rest of the group but it lasted two minutes: after a bit he becomes exactly like the others and isn’t an arrogant guy anymore. Again, there is no evolution and we know nothing more about him (and I don’t like his hair). There is no point in even mentioning the ‘third couple’ because it doesn’t really exist. This is an example of putting to many things in and not being able to manage them correctly: too many cooks spoil the broth.

I appreciated the absence of usual toxic dynamics: jealousy isn’t really a thing, just a chance to flirt and the parents are good ones (they understand, defend their children, want them to be happy and try, as parents, to be better looking at themselves and their actions first). Furthermore, the friendship of the band feels real, especially during that argument at the temple. I mean, friends do disagree and get mad but, if you want it to last, you can always come back, apologise and do things differently. Tinn and Tiw have a solid and awesome bond, as well. Lastly, there is no ‘ep 11’ here.

I particularly liked Mark (Tiw) and Tao’s (Tinn’s mother) characters, best support roles from my perspective. Tiw is a loyal and exceptional friend and Photjanee is a good mother. Tinn’s father and Gun’s mom aren’t less important.

Acting
Before this, I watched Ticket to Heaven and I liked very much the Fourth and Gemini’s abilities. Here as well, I find their performance genuine and spontaneous, their portraits are soft and gentile. I think their looks and small, hidden physical contacts are touching. They are able to fit their role wonderfully (maybe I don’t enjoy their characters very much but that’s a different topic). They are good actors. Also, Fourth is a great singer and plays the guitar. Moreover, I watched a bit of the BTS and I found out Gemini is kind of an all-rounder (he sang and played the piano in Ticket to Heaven). That’s interesting, I think I’m going to follow them more closely.
Everyone in the band worked hard to be able to play an instrument and the performances good overall. I particularly liked Mark’s acting. Between all the support characters he’s the one who caught my attention the most. Mentioning Lookwa as well.

Music and Production
I believe the sound is well managed. The songs aren’t bad, but going on with the show they become more and more cheesy, too much. My favourite is: You’ve Got my Back. Fourth is a good frontman, in my opinion. Also, the whole ‘Chinzilla’ thing is also fun: the name, the greeting and the fake animal-God. So, the band’s image and performances are meticulously handled. Honourable mention the performance of ‘Smile Please’ to help Yo (he was great); Gemini’s dancing and Winny’s rap are so cool.
I like the setting. Both at school (music club in particular and pool), outside (sea and temple/mountain) and Gim’s milk bar with the music emplacement for Gun. Everything fits the image I think the production wants to pass down.

Rewatch Value
I don't think I'm going to watch this series for a second time, just maybe listen to some songs.

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NO difference with season 2, SAME PLOT, same disgusting shameless FL.

I watched the second season before watching this drama. The stories aren't actually related, except the main leads are the same actors.
HOWEVER, THE PLOT IS THE SAME!!!

GETTING OVER AN EX, HAVING A PHYSICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH WITHOUT ANY EMOTIONAL CONNECTION, EVEN THOUGH ML HAS LONG HAD FEELINGS FOR FL. FL BEGINS TO DEVELOP FEELINGS FOR THE ML, BUT STILL MAINTAINS A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER EX. FL IS PORTRAYED AS AN INDEPENDENT AND ASSERTIVE WOMAN, BUT WHEN SHE'S WITH HER EX, SHE'S ALWAYS WILLING TO BE CARRIED AND HUGGED, VERY WEAK. THE STORY OF FL'S PAST HELPER IS THE ML, BUT THE EX TAKES THE CREDIT.

SAME PLOT, SAME MAIN ACTORS, WITH THE SAME FL CHARACTER, THE DEPICTION AT THE BEGINNING AND THE BEHAVIOR IN THE STORY ARE VERY CONTRADICTORY, STILL THE SAME AS THE SHAMELESS AND DISGUSTING FL WHO IS NOT LOYAL AND CAN COMMIT TO ML.

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A great potential wasted ...

this drama started strong then lost its potential, honestly, I can't exactly tell where it went wrong but what stood out to me that the writer didn't really focus on one aspect of the story and kept building around it so everything fell flat .
the stories of the ghosts really didn't have any depth , I don't remember anyone of them nor did it touch me in any way, maybe because it was rushed .

the antagonist story was extremely rushed and built on a weak excuse " a misunderstanding " , actually till the very end I didn't hate him even after all he had done , as I never got attached to the story that much , not to mention the little screen time he had .

maybe what made this drama lose its potential is that it tried to tackle many aspects and ideas all at once.

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Great if you like the Cliches of arranged marriage turns into real love

The chemistry was real good between the two leads. I ate the show up since they had such good chemistry but I the story was quite all over the place sometimes.
Overall, the plot is seen everywhere its very cliche, arranged marriage, hidden identity, miscommunication and falling heads over heals in the person you're married to because you don't know them since it was arranged. HOWEVER, just because its cliche doesn't mean it was a bad drama. It was designed as a short web-series so the episode's are short and very easy to get through which was very nice since i got quite invested in the characters.
BUT I have to be honest as well I mostly picked it up from the tags and used it more of a time pass kind of drama, which is why I don't think I will rewatch it unless I am really in the mood for Ryan Ren who I think is a good actor. I also think the ending was rushed a bit. But yes a good short show which you can watch in less than 6 hours.

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A Romance of Agency, Ambition, and Uneven Execution

The Princess Royal delivers a compelling blend of romance, political maneuvering, and wuxia action. Although I’m usually not a fan of the love‑triangle trope, this series handles it surprisingly well by contrasting two fundamentally different expressions of love: Paternalistic Love, which prioritizes protection and control, and Autonomous Love, which respects independence and agency.

Both Wenxuan and Rongqing genuinely love Li Rong, but their approaches couldn’t be more different. Wenxuan consistently honors Li Rong’s autonomy. Even when he has his own strategies, they rarely conflict with hers, and throughout their second life he repeatedly commits himself to supporting her goals. Rongqing, on the other hand, spends much of the series undermining Li Rong’s plans under the guise of “protecting her from herself,” often becoming her primary obstacle.
Wenxuan and Li Rong’s relationship is one of the highlights of the drama. Their twenty‑year history gives their interactions a natural warmth, with plenty of playful bickering and banter. But their early second‑life dynamic is a bit odd — Wenxuan initially pushes her toward Rongqing before abruptly changing course — and the show doesn’t do a great job explaining his shift in perspective. Still, his jealousy is portrayed in a refreshingly positive way: instead of anger, he counters Rongqing through subtle, supportive actions that demonstrate why he is the better partner.

The political intrigue is engaging, though the constantly shifting factions can be difficult to track. The retellings of the first life that happens late in the series is excellent — First with Rongqing explaining events to Li Rong, and later with the dual telling of Rongqing recounting them to Ronghua intermixed with Wenxuan explaining to Li Rong — are particularly well executed.
Unfortunately, the final ten episodes struggle to maintain the drama’s earlier coherence. Character motivations become inconsistent, and several plot points contradict earlier emotional logic.

Li Rong’s shifting reactions to Rongqing and Li Chaun are particularly jarring. Early in the series, she forgives Rongqing and maintains him as a potential love interest despite believing he had killed her. Later, upon learning that Li Chaun had ordered the killing under false pretenses, she becomes vehemently opposed to his ascension. The emotional calculus doesn’t quite add up, and the writing seems to bend to plot convenience rather than character truth.
The handling of Rongqing’s treason is similarly perplexing. The idea that he might escape punishment—after committing a crime that directly threatens the stability of the empire—feels implausible within the political framework the show itself establishes.

The finale, while emotionally satisfying in parts, is marred by a noticeable oversight. The three‑year time jump is effective in showing Li Chaun appointing Li Rong as Regent Princess Royal, and Wenxuan’s proposal scene is genuinely touching. Yet the script appears to forget that Li Rong was pregnant three years earlier, meaning their daughter would have been born out of wedlock. It doesn’t ruin the ending, but it does highlight a lack of narrative continuity.

The Princess Royal is a drama of ambition—romantic, political, and thematic. Its exploration of love as a negotiation between autonomy and protection is compelling, and its central relationship is one of the genre’s more mature portrayals. The political intrigue adds depth, and several sequences are executed with real artistry.

The series falters in its final stretch, losing some of the clarity and emotional consistency that make its early episodes shine. But even with its flaws, The Princess Royal remains a rewarding one‑time watch: thoughtful, engaging, and anchored by characters whose relationships feel genuinely lived‑in.

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Could have been so much more

This was one of my anticipated dramas of the year because its plot stood out to me from various recently released dramas.
Its had horror mixed with romance and an interesting premise with the fl solving death cases by finding bodies. And it did start off strong , we got to see her in action and had the ghosts' backstories. The chemistry between the leads is also ever present. It should have worked. But towards the second half we are pulled into the chaebol drama and everything other than the investigation of the ghosts. The romance development also lacked. Through the end i was just dragging myself to finish it .
I wanted more from this and it just fell through.

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This could've been an email

The biggest problem I had with Royal Betrothal is that I never really felt like I was watching the story happen. I constantly felt like I was being given the summary of a story that could have been much better. Everything moves so quickly and the scenes barely connect. They can talk about going somewhere together or sharing a ride, and then suddenly the next scene has one of them somewhere completely different. There is no time for anything to settle or for a moment to actually develop before we're already onto the next thing. It made the whole drama feel strangely rushed, like every scene existed only to deliver a piece of information and then disappear.

Because of that, I also never felt like I actually knew either of the leads. We see the FL doing things and going through hardships, and I genuinely liked her childhood story, but I don't feel like I know who she is beyond what the plot requires her to do. I don't know much about her inner thoughts, her fears, her aspirations or even what she really wants for herself. The ML has the same problem. He mostly exists in relation to the FL, and outside of that I don't think we get enough of his personality or his own thoughts to understand what kind of man he actually is. They both feel distant, and sometimes almost like they're just reading lines that were handed to them.

The romance suffers from this more than anything. Their childhood connection was such a good foundation, especially because he saved her life, and later he does so much for her. He changes rules, takes a beating, repeatedly stands up for her and remains determined to be with her even after finding out that she's the last royal blood of the Zhongween people. He clearly has very strong feelings for her, but somehow I never felt those feelings developing between them. There was no real tension or gradual warmth. Their relationship feels more like two people who have become very good partners and then suddenly we're expected to believe they're deeply in love. His confession in episode 24 was the clearest example. After waiting all this time, he confesses and the scene is over almost immediately. There was so little emotion or buildup that it honestly felt like the drama suddenly remembered it needed a confession scene.

The whole Zhongween storyline bothered me for the same reason. We're told that she's the last royal blood of the Zhongween people, but we barely learn anything about the people themselves or what happened to them. Her parents were killed, her people were killed, and the emperor's father was responsible for it, yet I barely felt any emotional connection between the FL and that history. I don't need her to spend the entire drama hating the ML for something his father did, but surely she should remember it and have some complicated feelings about it. The fact that she can apparently fall in love with the son of the man responsible for killing her parents and people should be a huge emotional conflict, and the drama barely touches it.

The bath scene made this even stranger. She sees the black bird tattoo and something is obviously supposed to click for her, but we never really get to understand what happened in her head. Did she remember something? Did she suddenly understand her origins? Did seeing it trigger a memory? I have no idea. She just rushes out of the bath and tells the emperor she wants to marry him. We don't even get a proper conversation between them about her origins or what she has just remembered before this huge decision happens. That should have been such an important moment for her character, but it felt like another plot point the drama needed to get through.

The same thing happens with her saying that she doesn't want to become empress. She says it more than once, but I never really saw her do anything with that conflict. If she genuinely doesn't want that life, especially considering everything that happened to her family, I wanted to see her seriously wrestle with what marrying the emperor would mean. Instead, she says she doesn't want it and the story continues toward exactly that outcome anyway.

I was also surprised by how little actual court intrigue there was. With an emperor, royal succession, political enemies and the last surviving member of a destroyed royal family, I expected the court to be full of schemes, factions and people trying to use the situation to their advantage. Instead, the political world felt strangely empty. There are officials and conflicts, but I never really felt like there was a living political system behind the characters. Even the investigations have this problem. We suddenly get evidence or discover something important without really seeing how they found it. I wanted to watch them investigate, make mistakes, connect clues and slowly figure things out. Instead, we usually just arrive at the answer.

I also struggled with the FL's characterization from the beginning. She's supposed to be an orphan who survived a difficult life, but she is incredibly confident and reckless from the first episode. She kills someone in public, chases another person with a knife and openly challenges the emperor, and I kept wondering why someone with her background wasn't more careful or calculating. I expected her to be quieter and more observant, someone who had learned to survive by thinking before acting. I also don't feel like she changes much throughout the story. Things happen to her, but I don't feel like those things really transform her.

The casting and styling didn't help either. I really liked the actress in The Double, but here I couldn't feel much of the character's inner life through her performance. Sometimes I genuinely couldn't tell what she was thinking, although I think the writing is partly responsible because she isn't given much to work with. Her chemistry with the ML also didn't work for me. The makeup, costumes and camera angles made it worse, and there were times when she honestly looked more like his aunt than his love interest. I don't mean that because of their actual looks, it was mainly the styling that felt rather cheap.

I actually found the second couple more convincing because their dynamic felt warmer and more natural. I was also confused by some of the deaths. Captain Di's death in particular made me wonder what the point was, and the ML's guard as well. If characters are going to die, I want their deaths to actually change something or carry some emotional weight rather than just being another tragic event added to the story.

The ending was probably the final nail in the coffin for me. The last few episodes felt extremely rushed, and then the final episode was packed with flashbacks. There was so much repeated material that it genuinely felt like the drama didn't know what to do with its remaining runtime.

And that's what makes this frustrating, because I can actually see how good this could have been. The childhood connection was good, the FL's background had potential, the ML's devotion could have made for a really compelling romance, and the history of the Zhongween people could have given the whole story a much deeper political and emotional layer. Even the conflict between her past and her relationship with the emperor could have been one of the strongest parts of the drama. Instead, everything is introduced and then immediately rushed past.

I think that's why I kept feeling so detached while watching. The drama keeps giving me the outcome without letting me experience the journey that leads to it. We're told they're in love without really watching them fall in love, we're given evidence without seeing the investigation, we're told three years have passed without ever feeling those three years, and we're told the FL carries this enormous history without really seeing how it affects her.

But After i knew that the director is actually the same from "Rebirth", it clicked for me why it's this bad. Also, stop adapting great novels to cdrama if you're not gonna commit to the same level, like the end was so good in the novel...why change it to something this vague? Nowadays, everyone is afraid of producing an end. I would chose a sad ending the whole day that an open one.

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"Good Spooky But Not Great In Love"

Spooky in Love starts strongly with funny and thrilling episodes, while the investigation parts keep the drama interesting.

The romance becomes the main focus later, but after the leads become a couple, it doesn't feel as engaging as the beginning.

Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong have above-average chemistry, and both deliver good performances throughout the drama.

The romance has some genuinely sweet moments, although a few scenes feel slow and boring.

The final episodes become predictable, but the happy ending still makes the overall experience satisfying.

Overall, it's a good and enjoyable watch with humor, mystery, romance, and some memorable moments.

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Spooky in Love delivers a delightfully charming blend of supernatural mystery, crime, and sweet romance that relies heavily on a beautifully balanced lead dynamic. Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong show undeniable chemistry as Cheon Yeo-ri and Ma Gang-Uk, offering a natural, heartwarming relationship that strikes just the right romantic notes without feeling overdone. The contrast in their personalities drives the show’s best comedic and emotional beats: Yeo-ri’s fierce, independent, and fearless nature balances effortlessly against Gang-Uk's bubbly, devoted charm. Watching Gang-Uk slowly break through Yeo-ri’s deep isolation—a loneliness rooted in her touch-avoidance and cold family dynamics—makes his presence in her life feel genuinely comforting. The narrative weaves clever stakes into the plot, from the serious implications of Gang-Uk's heart condition linked to the "black monkey zodiac" lore to the poignant backstory of Min-hwan and Ji-hwan that reveals why Yeo-ri can see ghosts in the first place. While the middle stretch strays a bit too far from its supernatural roots—feeling slightly underwhelming for a show with "Spooky" in the title—the final arc recovers brilliantly by tying the ghost mystery directly to Ji-hwan's sacrifice. With solid performances and a fun fusion of crime and rom-com elements, it stands as an engaging, highly enjoyable drama.

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Cute office crush but slow

THE GOOD:
I generally liked this drama but it didn't do a whole lot other than cute flirting. I think as long as you manage your expectations then you may enjoy this a lot, if office romance crush is what you are looking for.

There are some nuances to these characters that are a bit richer than many of this kind of web shorts. The crushing FL is cringe of course as she should be, but she also has a bit of backbone and willingness to put herself out there, which is a careful balance that they handle very cutely.

The boss FL is also well controlled, though she doesn't get to do very much due to the unwillingness to move the pacing forward nearly ever.

THE BAD:
What is slower than slow-burn? They spent 2 seasons doing the same cycle of having a crush on your boss and being awkward with her. It is cute but it is just circled over and over, and to a degree that is kind of hard to believe. Like if you always just stare dumbfounded at your boss, once is a little cringe, but it was pretty much 100% of the time. Every single elevator she is going to have to wake you up to get in?

Yeah this is light fluff, so we have to set our suspension of disbelief very high or else her behavior is way over the top. Still as long as you do that, there is cute stuff here.

The big other problem with the "pace" is just there is almost no pay off. The fact that they did an entire season 1 and didn't even have any resolution was already kind of crazy, but even with the ending of season 2, we only get a few hints that the feelings are reciprocated. No confession. No verbalizing our feelings. Were they expecting a THIRD season to flesh that out? I guess we will never know, it has been years now.

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I love every scene specially actions. Love to watch again. Iloveyou Jung Jin man since first I saw you. The series was so good I recommend this Korean series.. The cast and everything so cool and also add cast in other country like Thailand and Japan. Love this series.
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THE ACTION: I personally didn’t see any better action in this season. That knife fight between Jianman and Bale alone in season 1 is far better than all the fights in season 2 put together.

THE CGI: It was what it was. But that scene where the two photographs are blown away by the wind was just too much. I did like those terminator bots, though.

Overall, I’m very very disappointed in this season. Yes, it’s very unlikely that season 2 would top season 1, for any show, even though there are exceptions (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul). But the least they could’ve done was not make this show so ordinary, devoid of the sheer force, grit, and heart that season 1 was. Deviating from the source material was a PHENOMENAL MISTAKE on their part.
THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.
THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.
The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.

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Messy and real

Overall I loved this movie.

Set against early nineties Taiwan and university students trying to change a system that has been rife with uncontested top-down power structures.

Following characters that have nuance and depth. This is only a movie, so there isn't the same amount of time to flesh things out as you might get in a drama series. But they use subtlety and care to craft characters that are vibrant and distinct, and each have their own complexities that may not necessarily make them bad people, but certainly could be considered messy people. Flawed people. Struggling to balance protecting themselves and being true to themselves. Real.

There are some serious themes here. Nothing too crazy, but this is not just romance fluff. It is more about figuring out your place in the world and what you actually want from it.

All in all I was very glad to have stumbled across this movie.

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