Reviews

Finally something worth watching coming out of Thailand again!

I had all but given up on Thai BL's, but I am so happy I fave this one a chance! It has been a very long time since I have watched a BL out of Thailand that was this good. Were there flaws and missed opportunities? Yes, but it was still one of the best thought out, well written and original stories I've seen in a long time. It wasn't the same sloppy, clitche riddled formula that's been overtaking Thai BL's.

The story was a bit shallow at times, it definately could have dug it's heels in deeper. But since it was tackeling some new territory I can forgive that. This writer definately needs to give us more and hopefully will be even braver in the next one.

I don't fall down the hype rabbit hole so I really had no expectation going in. I see a lot of the reviews were dissappointed due to this. But from my perspective with no expectations I was extremley pleased.

Regardless of how much you know about this one before watching it is worth your time! You might want to have kleenexes handy for the last 2 episodes though!

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The Longdong Army

Yeah,the casting is always 10/10 for me bcuz it's a rare commodity to have them altogether in a show.

In S4, there are 4 world buildings (Dungeon Archive) and all the players enter the game worlds to find the truth and solve the cases.

The storyline for each episode is independent ,so you can watch any episode without order but I love the fact they sum up core storyline in final episode.

The backstory of each character is well- written and all the costumes are great.
I love this season explores more on sensitive social issues, AI technology ,mental well-being etc.

All the cast members and special guests have very good chemistry and all NPCs members are very good in acting.

And the props and machines walls are really impressive.

I love all the characters' names 🤣 and their slogan
"""The Longdong Army""".

The Case Number (Episode)---( Part 1/ Part 2)

1.The Heir Battle (Special guest: Wang Yu Wen)
2.Puppet Terror (S.G : Wang Yu Wen)

3.Love and Baristas ( S.G : Sun Qian)
4.The Scam Factory ( S.G : Sun Qian)

Dungeon Archive Bonus : Special Episodes - Reasoning Town 5 bugs

5. The Heroes' Manor (S.G : Yang Chaoyue)
6. The Death of Chancellor Tui ( S.G : Yang Chaoyue)
7. The Three Mischief Makers (S.G : Yang Chaoyue)

8. The Crazy Animal Party ( S.G : Zhang Rou Nan)
9. The Present- Day Visitor's time - travel murder
(S.G : Zhang Rou Nan)
10.The Escape from the Push the Door Game World
(S.G : Zhang Rou Nan)

Have a nice day, everyone.
Love you 🦋🤗🦋

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Pitched at right level

I highly recommend this drama,there are interesting multiple twist and turn in short phases which is pitched at just the right level, not too complicated nor draggy. Many reviewers think that only complicated story equal to "good"storyline -hello this is entertainment not exam

The acting is superb , especially He Yu who's not just handsome but has "attitude". He made the role funny and interesting, when the "chasing"could potentially be cheesy. The director and editors are very good too,in keeping it short without dragging or constant OST or memory fillers
All in all it's an enjoyable watch. Reviewers who complained about lack of romance hello romance can be in speech and interaction doesn't necessarily mean kisses and skinship,if you want those, historical drama is NOT for you,go watch low class porn

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Surprisingly well put together

The plot revolves around politics and border tensions between the Mongolia tribe's kingdom and empire in the central plains. To balance the power struggle the princess of one kingdom is betrothed in the other Kingdom in exchange for the king of that kingdom. But the FL takes the princess's place and gets married to the new king to spy on his kingdom and to find out the secret behind her father's unjustly death.

Despite the low budget this drama was enjoyable. The leads are average looking but they fit the characters like gloves. Their chemistry was good. The side cast was not the best .. pass-able. And even for being a low production project the wardrobe was surprisingly adorable.

the pace remains consistent and The story has almost no boring plot-holes ... Definitely worth a try.

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Crown to Coffin A Shakespearean Downfall: The Feudal Reality of Flawed Heroes

Set against the cruel backdrop of palace politics, *One and Only* suffers from deep moral hypocrisy. While it tries to sell a tragic romance, the reality is darker: a cornered, legitimate prince is emotionally starved by a passive-aggressive main couple who completely ignore feudal rules.

### 👑 Liu Zixing: The Psychological Masterpiece of a Rightful King
Passed over for the throne after his parents died because his toxic stepmother used his illness as an excuse, Zixing was the legitimate oldest son. Shiyi was his childhood fiancée through Imperial decree, becoming his ultimate life anchor and obsession. When her family selfishly called off the engagement the moment he lost the Crown Prince title, the devastating loss shattered his stability and directly forced him to escalate his brutal struggle for power. Trapped in a violent palace, a teenage Wang Xingyue—gives a masterclass performance. He uses devastating body language—shifting from an anxious abuse victim to a heavy, sad monarch—to show a prince hardening to survive and claim his birthright.

### 💔 Cui Shiyi: The Cruelty of Emotional Starvation
Shiyi belonged to a powerful noble household where her mother and aunt had already sacrificed their love lives for family duty. Yet, she acts with cold entitlement, treating the Prince's genuine love like baggage. The fact that she was never honest with her fiancé—unlike her own brother and his wife who were honest—is a massive blot on her character. By refusing to talk, she leaves Zixing completely blindfolded. Blindsided by his own devotion, he naively believed that once they married, his love would make her forget everything. Instead, he was left fighting a ghost, entirely unaware of her love for her master. Her cold rejections validate his deepest psychological scars, stripping away the warmth that could have kept him humane.

### 🏛️ The Paradox of Toxic Matriarchs & Arrogant Vows
The drama shows that internal greed, not outside invasion, destroys this empire. The Empress Dowager is a monster who uses Zixing as a public whipping boy while completely emptying the imperial coffers to live a lavish lifestyle. She leaves the running of the state to a violent, corrupt noble family—a disastrous reality both royal sons openly call out on at least two occasions. In contrast, the main couple acts with supreme arrogance. Zhou Shengchen vows lifelong celibacy, yet breaks all rules of propriety by carrying Shiyi piggyback in public and taking her to his bedroom at night. Their reckless behavior creates nationwide rumors of a military coup, forcing a fragile court into a lethal fight for survival.

### ⚔️ The Trapped Regent & The Macbethian Downfall
Zixing’s story is a classic Shakespearean tragedy. He orders a necessary political strike to stop a powerful military threat, but he underestimates the brutal violence of his ally, Jin Rong. His mind breaks the night he watches Jin Rong slaughter his own uncles; he immediately compromises to stop the bloodshed. Later when his ministers are slaughtered, though he wins the throne but seems to be losing his sanity. Even then, he shows humanity by letting Shiyi visit the temple, letting her mother meet her—a kindness she repays with a public suicide that leaves him to rot in total isolation.

⚖️ **P.S. On the "Villainous Rival" Misconception**
Labeling Liu Zixing as a basic "villain" ignores the harsh reality of feudal history. Eliminating an overly powerful army general who threatens central control has always been the standard, historical norm for monarchs all over the real world and in dramas alike. By medieval standards, Zixing is incredibly patient. In a world where nationwide rumors and breaking royal boundaries meant high treason, a proud prince would have executed Shiyi’s entire clan. Zixing was a deeply traumatized survivor who was punished, broken, and driven to madness for a crime he didn't even realize he had committed.

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Season 1 still tops!

The Shop For Killers season one still sits on the throne of one the best action thriller kdrama ever produced. The action scenes,the thrill,the background stories,the emotional attachment it had...every thing was top notch. I can't forget the absolute horror the little Jian witnessing Honda being killed and his hand haunting her for years....or that gut punching scene of her finding her mothers deadbody in the morgue and trying to find shelter by hugging that deadbody thinking that deadbody would save her....her bonding little by little with Jinman,Jinman finding her absolutely crushed after being locked in the school storehouse after calling out his name three times......the step by step revealation of Murthehelp and its backstory,Bale and his monstrosity, the absolute horror of him throwing grenade to room full of abducted women......and in the end of everything, Jinman coming back alive and the final relief in Jian's eyes. It was absolute cinema.

Believe me,nothing in this season could touch me the way season 1 did. I know second season of any popular drama almost always sucks. This one didn’t suck. It just didn’t had that attachment.

The things that bothered me in this season....

1. The nerfed down version of Jinman.. He suddenly became brainless. The person who made Murthehelp from scratch,without letting even Jian guess anything under the basement of the house she lives,went head to head fight with Babylon....suddenly he became inactive. He cant make any decision, he was out of the picture half the time. And an amature like Jian taking alll the decisions, not even someone like Minhye. I really dont get it. Yeah I know this season is to showcase Jian's growth as the CEO but hey,if we think realistically, Jian still has a looooooong way to go as to become a decision maker for something like Murthehelp. She didn’t even know its existence like few years ago,distanced herself from it. Going face to face war with something so massive like Babylon without Jinman,idk how is this even possible. They just kept Jinman out of picture out of the time when he should be the one guiding Jian in this season. I still don't understand why she sent Jinman to Babylon as an abducted when it could be a suicidal decision if they failed.

2. Bale's death. It was waaaayyyy too early. I admit Kusanagi is a very stratagic villain but she is also extremely narcissistic person. She has no personal animosity with any of Murthehelp. She's just doing her job and saving her a**. She thinks she's great in her job,but she couldn’t bring the absolute horror. But Bale was the first threat that started all of this chaoes. Bale HIMSELF is the chaoes. He doesn’t care if he lives or dies,he only wants Jinaman to rot in hell at any cause. And this sort of madness with personal animosity was really necessary to keep the things tight till the end. Bale and Jinaman both had worked together for years. They had background stories. They both were trained the same way. Its their morals that collided. Bale brought the monstrosity and Jinman brought the humanity. This story needed Bale. I believe Bale and Kusanagi together could be a very powerful villain duo.

3.Q. Her introduction was powerful ngl. But as the episode proceeds,it started to get evident, she doesn’t use her brain much except in action sequence. So many things happened,she is a skilled assassin,she knows kusanagi and her nature, she got to know Bale and the grudge between Bale and J,she also saw how Jinman saved both of their lives before,a whole bus of people from Babylon got burned down to death......but nothing made her think something is going on inside Babylon behind her??? And after she got to know the truth,she just went back to her country instead of going after Kusanagi??? Girly was literally after Jinaman to avenge her brother, then why not Kusanagi????

4.Pasin. Oh God what should I even say about this storyline.... What madness possessed the makers to make one of the most loveable characters of the series a betrayer??? And also why could pasin communicate through writing or anything before the hidde camera was installed? Also that camera was blinking red right before our eyes ffs. And again...why was pasin's son so out in the open that Babylon could get him so easily? We know Pasin is Jinmans right hand man. Babylon went all out to find Jian when she didn’t even know anything. Now when Pasin is actively working,what made them think Babylon wont go after Pasin's weakness too????


5. Killing almost all important characters. Idk if they ever gonna make season 3. But if they do, Murthehelp without Pasin,Brother,the detective and a villain like Bale....idk how are they gonna compensate that. Bring all new characters you want,but emptiness of the characters that started this journey can never be fully compensated.


As I said,this season was'nt all bad. But that attachment is definitely gone for me.

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Amazing!

I don’t normally like red/black flag type MLs in stories and won’t watch those types of dramas. But this one… this one I could help watching. I can give this nothing less than a full 10 star rating, and it is not even for the story itself!

The director has done an amazing work with this series. The cinematography, the transitions between the ‘reality’ and the ‘movie’ were just beautifully done. Superb acting from the leads. They portrayed the multilayered roles within the series so well, that it was clear who were Fang Chi/Gao Zhun and Zhen Xin/Zhang Zhun at all times

While the characters were distinctive, the emotions were not. The way the emotions and scenes between ‘reality’ and the ‘movie’ being made just blended into/mirrored each other and fed each other was just sooo well done. The actors were indeed too ‘deep in’ to it. And so was I. Every time the director within this drama said ‘cut,’ it felt like my attention, which had gone deep into the movie within, was being viserally pulled out. So well were both stories done. Both the plots were equally engaging.

In the initial episodes, the ‘movie being filmed’ mirrored the ‘real life’ so much. Then in the later episodes, it was the opposite. When the plot with Fang Chi/ Gao Zhun was filled with heartaches, we got sweetness from Zhen Xin/Zhang Zhun. And when things got intense with the Zhen Xin/Zhang Zhun, things were improving for Fang Chi/Gao Zhun. It has the right dose of angst and sweetness mixed. The director truly played with our feelings. And like a person under thrall, I went through all the emotions the director meant to convey. So many emotions within the short span of each episode, that by the time I was finished with each episode, no matter the actual story, I was left in awe at the masterfulness the director.

And the OSTs. They were just amazing! As someone who doesn’t listen to music much, even my attention was thoroughly pulled and hooked by these OSTs. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve listened to them!

This drama is not just a story. It is truly an amazing art. And I loved every aspect of it.

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I Didn't Expect to Get This Attached

I genuinely enjoyed Genius Girlfriend. I'm not going to pretend it was some perfect drama because it wasn't, but I got really attached to these characters and their relationships.

I'll be blunt though, I didn't really feel that much chemistry between Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai. I still like them together, and I was happy to see them end up together, but their romance just didn't give me the same feelings as some of the other couples. Maybe it's just me, but I found myself much more invested in the people around them.

But I also really liked Zhixia's character growth. She doesn't suddenly understand love or relationships overnight. She slowly starts figuring out what love actually means, not just romantically but in general. I loved watching her gradually become closer to the people around her, make friends, and actually learn to understand their feelings instead of only seeing things from her own perspective. That growth made her feel much more human to me, and honestly, I think it was one of the most satisfying parts of her character.
And I really liked Yubai's role in Zhixia's journey too. He was one of the first people to genuinely accept her as she was instead of trying to change her, and I loved that about him. He wanted to stand beside her and support her, even when understanding her wasn't always easy. Their relationship wasn't my favorite in terms of chemistry, but I really appreciated what Yubai represented for Zhixia—someone who saw her potential, respected her differences, and chose to stay by her side while she slowly learned how to understand love and other people.

Lin Zeqiu and Jin Baihui were easily my favorite couple. They gave me SO many emotions. Their relationship felt warm and genuine, and I loved how Zeqiu treated Baihui. And honestly, Zeqiu is such a huge green forest. He was genuinely one of my favorite characters, and I kept thinking how nice it was to see a male character like him.

I also really liked Duan Qiyan and Tian Tingting. Their playful bickering was so much fun to watch. They had that kind of dynamic where you can tell they genuinely enjoy annoying each other, and honestly, I lived for their little interactions.

Another thing I really loved was the friendship between everyone. It didn't feel like every relationship had to revolve around romance, and I really liked seeing them support each other and just be friends. My favorite friendship was probably Jiang Yubai and Shen Fuxuan. The fact that Fuxuan was honest with Yubai about liking Zhixia, but still genuinely supported Zhixia and Yubai being together, meant a lot to me. He obviously had his own feelings, but he didn't let that ruin their friendship or make him resent them, and I really respected that.

I also loved the sibling moments between Lin Zeqiu and Lin Zhixia. Their relationship felt so natural and believable, especially in the way they looked out for each other while still teasing and annoying each other like actual siblings. Those little moments weren't always about some huge emotional scene, but they added so much warmth to the drama. Honestly, I could've watched more of their sibling interactions because their bond was just really sweet.

And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel sad for Shen Fuxuan and his patient.

Overall, Genius Girlfriend gave me a lot of emotions. I laughed, felt sad, got attached, and had plenty of moments where I was just genuinely happy watching everyone together. The main romance wasn't necessarily what sold the drama for me, but the friendships, side couples, and character relationships absolutely did.

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Disappointment

I don’t normally write reviews. But there were so many things on my mind about this one that I had to write it down.

Pie’s acting was good. The changes in his expression from being a friend to slowly falling hard for Nao gradually were visible and delightful to watch.

That’s pretty much the only positive thing about this show that I can mention.

The parts that didn’t work so well:
1. The story was such a jumbled mess. The whole mafia plotline was a very underdeveloped mess. So Tiger goes from not liking his family and their mafia ways to being not only okay, but also very much a part of it. Except that all the major parts of it was kind of not shown much. So there was no angst and no retribution regarding the mafia/stealing/killing parts. Even the father, who was this supposed villain was kind of offed in the end without any drama whatsoever. Conveniently so.

2. The mother. I get that they wanted to portray Nao and Nue’s mother as supportive, but it just gave weird vibes instead. All she does is cook or talk about how her school life was difficult and she understands what they (students) must be going through. I understand what they were trying to convey. But the execution was lacking.

3. Pie-Golf chemistry in the series. The thing is, Pie’s acting as Suer who has been secretly in love with Nao is nice and believable. But till the end, I could only feel a friendly, buddy vibe from Nao. I just couldn’t see Nao falling for Suer - nothing more than a friend, honestly.

4. Now for the more problematic parts:

Suer acts like a red flag. He doesn’t confess his feelings. And then get hurt, throws tantrum, and chases off everybody who Nao likes or who likes Nao. And then runs away and gets out of contact with Nao whenever Nao likes someone or someone likes Nao. This leaves Nao confused and wondering what he did wrong. If Tiger hasn’t confessed, what right does he have to act out like that?

And then the gaslighting all of Nao’s friends do. When Nao goes out with Linn and Suer sulks and stops contacting Nao, all his friends repeatedly gaslight him mentioning how he doesn’t like Linn really and he should rethink his relationship with Linn. Repeated gaslighting. Awful. I get that they were rooting for Suer and Nao to get together. But that doesn’t give them the right to gaslight Nao’s thoughts or feelings.

Nue, North, and all of Nao and Suer’s friends keep saying repeatedly how Nao has been clueless and couldn’t see how obviously in love with him Suer has been for a long time. Almost as if it was Nao’s fault, when Suer is the one who hadn’t confessed yet. How is Nao supposed to magically deduce Suer’s feelings toward him if nothing is said to him? Duh. And then Suer has the audacity to tell Nao how it has been awful for him to be in love with him for six years and waiting for Nao to realize how he felt. Dude. Seriously. Communication, ya know.

I could keep going with all the issues I had with this drama. I do feel bad for Pie ‘cause he acted well. Too bad the story itself and the screenwriting was so awful.

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No no and No

The fact that the ML made me feel bad for his character is a HUGE testament to his acting. Why writers and producers even put this material into existence is a whole different question entirely. While i was watching this i kept thinking of the song Whiskey Lullaby. There was a mistake and they could neither forgive themselves or eachother or let eachother go. However, if he really loved her, he should have let her go. That being said the best part of the series was when the MLs father beat him for what he did to the FL. The biggest victim of the entire show was the 2ML who did nothing but be an kind human being who got delt shi$$y life cards.

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Beautifully Packaged Angst

As much as I adore watching Bai Lu onscreen, I developed compassion fatigue in this drama. The actors were fabulous, the visuals were superb, and the music was outstanding, but my heart can't take that much angst.

The Good:
• Color was a visual cast member. The sets were every color but beige, and the costuming was rich in jewel tones. The CGI was pleasing purples, teals, and blues. Even the FL's magical fulfillments left her with sparkling multi-colored eyes.
• The costume designer draped the actors in exquisite clothing and accessories. Kudos to the actresses who played their parts seemingly effortlessly in heavy wigs and ornaments, and mad respect to the actors who avoided getting impaled with all the hairpins each time they hugged the actresses. They were forever in danger of losing an eye!
• A pleasing OST enhanced the drama: the relentless "Flowers Fall Without Trace," and the plaintive "Under the Moon" and "Embrace and Never Let Go" complemented the scenes.
• I'm forever indebted to the writer for making the main couple steadfast and trusting of one another. Even when people tried to drive a wedge between them, they believed in each another.
• Ao Rui Peng's voice was dubbed by voice actor Wai Wai, and what a beautifully deep tone. I'd watch this drama just to hear that rich voice!

The Bad:
• Too much angst. Do you love that character? Well, I've got bad news. Everyone dies. Repeatedly. There's very little breathing room from one anguishing situation to the next. The only death that gave me relief was when Mo Li commented the Lanling immortal was too noisy and quieted him permanently. He was such an annoying character! It's the one time I could get behind a villain's actions.
• The ML was powerful and dynamic in the beginning, but he got relegated to a supporting role after he and the FL got together. His role changed from dangerous Demon King to being beautifully bedfast or being hugged while dying. I'm exaggerating but not much.

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A Masterpiece of Blurring Realities, Trauma, and Boundless Love

I was incredibly reluctant to watch Deep In because of short clips circulating online regarding the heavy assault scenes. However, after the people here assured me it was worth the watch, I took the plunge—and I am so glad I did.

First and foremost, the production value is outstanding. The cinematography is utterly flawless, and the soundtrack elevates every single emotional beat.

For anyone searching, the incredible opening track is "Back to You" by Cayson Renshaw, the heartbreaking ending theme is "Tiger in My Love" by Ollie, and that hauntingly beautiful episode 5 track is "So Cold" by Anna Stefanie.

The actors deserve immense praise for pulling off complex, multi-layered performances. Even the actors playing the antagonists and supporting roles did a phenomenal job bringing complex, difficult realities to life.The character dynamics are beautifully complex. Zhen Xin and Dr. Fang Chi mirror each other; both are fierce lovers willing to risk absolutely everything and wait patiently until their partners are ready.

Though, I might add a doctor falling to his patient, its a little crazy story, isn't it? It's a question of when does it end?

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhun and Gao Zhun parallel the intense psychological weight of surviving deep-seated trauma. How I wish it was portrayed more and we were given the chance to dive more on what both Zhuns' experience.

The ending completely blew my mind!!

Throughout the show, we are led to believe that the actors Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun are the central reality. Instead, the finale reveals a mind-bending meta-loop.

Fang Chi and Gao Zhun are the real couple whose lives inspired the movie. The actors playing them fell in love for real, and their actor love story became the very novel Fang and Gao are reading in the post-credits. It’s a brilliant narrative nesting doll showing that true love echoes across reality and fiction

What truly resonated with me was the social commentary. Mr. Qin’s statement to Zhun's grandmother that we live in the 21st century highlights a painful reality. While the world is shifting, LGBTQ+ individuals still face rampant criticism and fear. I deeply admire love that transcends societal restrictions. Love shouldn't require validation from family, friends, or society. It reminds me of a conversation with an LGBTQ+ friend of mine; when asked if he was scared to love openly, he simply smiled and said, "We love each other right now, and that's what matters."

If there is any reason I didn’t give this a perfect 10, it's the handling of justice and the way nonconsentional is very obvious mostly in the first few episodes. The series highlights the harrowing reality that assault can happen to anyone, regardless of gender or age, at the hands of twisted minds.

However, because the show handles a complex "story within a story" structure, we lose some of the characters' internal dialogue. I deeply wished for a more explicit focus on the legal punishment of the abusers and a deeper dive into the victims' recovery thoughts

Ultimately, Deep In is a profound, intentional piece of art. It deserves immense recognition not just for its electrifying chemistry, but for its raw, heavy message on trauma survival, acceptance, and the infinite loop of love

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Best of '26

I've seen eight episodes and what stands out is how the story telling and character development shift skillfully from serious to comedy and into drama and then thriller.

A new mother must balance her career and her at home duties with a young child and a husband who have no idea what she really does at work. At work the story does not shy away from her job as an expert assassin.

The first two episodes were mostly set up and getting to know the main characters and laying down a stark contrast between the idilic home life of the husband and wife versus what she does at work.

It's the third episode in which the hook is set and then the story takes off in the third and fourth episodes.

I just finished episodes 5 & 6 and this just gets better and better with an enjoyable collision of new subplots, new characters, more backstory reveals, and new complications ensuing.

Episodes 7 & 8 spend a lot of time on the background detailing how the two leads met and married. The producers/director/writers are not afraid to take their time and dive deep into the beginnings of the relationship.

It's interesting to compare how these different vigilante series justify their actions outside the justice system. Some ignore it or throw so much comedy that the murder and mayhem aren't taken seriously. This one has the main lead explicitly lay out the justification when she explains to a new member of their team why she didn't kill some bad guys that they instead covertly delivered to the police. Her team first allows the justice system to deal with miscreants, and if the system fails, then she and her team step in to provide justice on behalf of society. In other words they're the good guys providing an essential service for the greater good.

I'm looking forward to see where the series goes. So far it's very promising.

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