Reviews

Toxic, chaotic, but Ryan Cheng in Republican Era garb is everything!

Let’s be honest: we are all here for one reason and one reason only. After catching Ryan Cheng in the first 10 episodes of Footprints of Change, we were all desperately craving more of him in Republican Era fashion—and this drama delivers on that front 100%. He is aesthetically flawless, incredibly charismatic, and wears that dramatic aura so well.

However, when it comes to the plot and the characters, it is a full-blown red flag parade. It’s the definition of a toxic romance where neither character behaves well, and all they seem to do is hurt each other.

The psychology behind their relationship remains a complete mystery:
- Why he is so deeply in love and obsessed with her is an enigma with zero logical rationale.
- Her sudden attraction to him only makes sense if we assume she's dealing with an undiagnosed case of Stockholm Syndrome.

As for Xu Ruo Han, I didn't have high expectations to begin with, and this just confirmed them. She delivers her usual whiny and stiff performance (after she ruined The Best Thing for me, I’ve been actively trying to avoid her dramas). Because of this flat acting and the chaotic dynamic, any real chemistry feels forced.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a healthy romance or a well-written plot, skip this. But if you're in the mood for some senseless toxic drama and just want eye candy in the form of Ryan Cheng in Republican Era suits, give it a go (just leave your expectations at the door)!
P.S. The best characters hands down are Yu Chang Xuan's friends: Dai Yun Fan & Chang Long!

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Here I am, wondering how I’m supposed to go back to my life

Usually, when I write reviews, I love rambling. I want to get every single thought out of my head, write those massive walls of text where I overanalyze absolutely everything. But when it comes to Payback, my mind is made up

There’s really only one thing you need to know.Just watch it. GO FOR IT. Seriously, don’t even think twice. Dive in, take the plunge, because this drama will completely transform you from the inside out.
For the first seven episodes, I was just sitting there, blissfully unaware of what was coming, thinking, Wow, this plot is SOOO GOOD. The acting is incredible. The chemistry between these characters is actually addictive.

And then episode 8 happened.

And suddenly, everything made sense. I completely fell apart. I discovered what a real emotional roller coaster feels like.
I was crying nonstop. I couldn’t get a grip on my sobbing, and I genuinely don’t know how to explain what I was feeling. The happiness, the sadness, the pain, the love I have for these characters… it all hit me at once. I was so emotionally invested that I think I actually forgot how to function for a while.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

This drama touched something in me, something so deep that I genuinely struggle to talk about it without tearing up. Part of me cries because I’m so grateful I got to experience something like this. The other part cries because I can never go back to episode 1 and experience it all for the first time again. That hurts.

This series didn’t just exceed my expectations. It made me realize I should probably shut up about having expectations in the first place. Because what am I even supposed to expect after THIS?

This is a MASTERPIECE.
I could talk about the acting for the rest of my life. The way these actors brought their characters to life was so painfully accurate and genuine that I don’t know who could follow up a performance like this and expect me to be normal about it.

Obviously, I cried my fucking eyes out

And the revenge plot? Oh, you’re speaking my language. I absolutely loved watching these characters get consumed by revenge, only for each of them to come out of it having learned something completely different. I love seeing how the same desire can take people down such different paths.

And the script scene? Yeah. I cried my fucking eyes out

The character development was another thing I loved. Everything felt so right, so earned, and it stayed that way right through to the very last episode.

Where, naturally, I cried my fucking eyes out AGAIN

But honestly, Payback is the kind of drama you don’t just finish and move on from. I’m genuinely sitting here wondering what I’m supposed to do with my life now. What am I supposed to do now? Just carry on living my life like everything is normal? Funny
Every second spent watching this drama was an absolute blessing.

And much like Sun, I felt so empty before I started watching it. Somehow, this story reminded me of something I think I needed to hear: emotions can be overwhelming, sometimes unbearably so, but they’re also what give life meaning.
They remind us that we’re here. That we’re alive. That we can still be moved by something, that we can still love, hurt, cry, and feel so much that it almost becomes too much to hold.
And maybe that’s the point.
I don’t want to just exist. I want to feel alive.
And Payback reminded me exactly what that feels like.

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Disappointed

I would expect a relationship like this from teenagers. She definitely has an anxious attachment style and is very possessive. She won't let this man breathe: he was brushing his teeth and, as soon as he picked up the call, she asked him what took him so long. In general she looks like a child who loses her temper when she doesn't get what she wants.
He, on the other hand, is confusing. I don't understand why he likes her: there's no tension between them. She kisses him despite being rejected for the third time and is quite aggressive in my opinion. I don't like how spineless this man is. Also, is the drama about the triangle with Sejin too?! Because the amount of screen time he's having is crazy. I keep watching this drama hoping that it will get better but it just gets worse

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Impeccable until it just wasn't

The acting of Tian Xiwei was on another level. She was a perfect choice for dual roles. You can tell instantly which one she is playing.
The story though? It started fizzling out around episode 12, I think. That's where I initially put it on hold, then gave it another chance. And then I kept hoping it would go back to being great but no. I don't feel any enjoyment in watching it anymore so I'm dropping it at 18 episodes. It's a shame.
The FL just feels like she's lost IQ and is now just a punching bag. Which would be fine if I was still interested in the story, but I'm not. It feels over? What other mysteries are going to take up the rest of the 12 episodes?
I was interested in the romance at first but that too I've lost interest in.
Overall great acting (from not only Tian Xiwei) but poor second half of the story.

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no spoilers in first paragraph (Spoilers after warning)

I liked this movie but I struggled to go between 7.5 and 8. its a feel good movie but I feel it lacks a bit of conflict. I dont know if thats the right word, but I expected something to happen to push the narrative a bit more but nothing came (in my opinion) even towards the last act. its a feel good movie so I don't expect anything insane but just to give more weight to the emotions and to have a stronger resolution (or in this case make the final resolution feel more impactful) keeping it very vague to not include any spoilers but still give insight for those who want to know what to expect from this movie. I think this lack of "conflict" is what separates those who give it above an 8 or below. It depends on what you expect from this type of movie. For me I would usually put this movie below an 8 but it feels really well done for what I consider a "7.5 average just a movie" with not a lot of depth to it.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

like maybe after MC made food and the teacher starts to warm up too her she does something wrong (as kids make mistakes growing up) which causes them to have conflict. but in that the teacher realizes the relationship between them and changing to have a more guardian role to protect her. this will give more emotional weight to her deciding to become MCs guardian at the end as they formed more of a family bond. Anything like this or similar, where something wrong happend for them to come together/push through to make the happy parts feel more happy and we'll earned

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A charming, lovely rom com done well

Things I adored

1 The FL. This was the first drama I watched with her and I loved her. She's a great actress and she made me not only care for her, but also laugh, cry, yell. No matter what kind of scene she played she made feel what she felt. I also loved her hair, and her chemistry with the ML. Her relationship with her brother and her sister was also perfect. The best actress for the role. I can't imagine many would play the part so well. Her character was great but also the actress, so the combination made me love everything about her.

2 The ML. I wasn't one of those who checked his previous dramas so I was sure I wouldn't like him at first. He's not my ideal man and I thought he would be wooden for some reason. I was so so wrong. He played his part to perfection. Just his smile and his vulnerability made me fall for him. There was something n the way he played that moved me, touched me more than I thought it would and that's rare for a rom com to move me like this. Kudos to him and 'm looking on his other dramas now.

3 The relationship between them. From the first misunderstandings to their living together and falling in love, it was done great. They conveyed the right feelings. they were fun, romantic, jealous, all you need in a romantic comedy. It's been a while I loved both leads so much. I'm always disappointed by something when it's a rom com. Here they did the tropes just right.

4 The kisses, the touches, the jealousy, the caring, the doubts. Everything was well done and not on your face. They should do another rom com together.

The things I loved

1 The 2ML. He was a great second lead. I watch him in parallel in another drama where he's also 2nd lead and I find his character similar in a way, although I can't seem to care enough to finish the other drama whilst I finished this in three days. He's not at all someone I would call handsome, yet he made me care about him and I was sad that he had to give up on her. He did the right thing, his character was great, and that's why I was sad. Great job from the actor, even though, I'll be honest, I don't see him in a lead role for some reason.

2 Her family. Her brother and her sister, but her parents as well, even though they had a small part. Such great characters and it warmed my heart to see their relationship. How they protected her and never judged her. Great job from everyone. I even wish I could see them more.

3 The ML assistant. I will admit, I thought sometimes that he was the bad guy. I'm glad he wasn't. He played the role with some ambiguity and his face, his expression helped, but at the end of the day he was someone who cared about the ML and that also added to my pleasure watching the series.

4 The plot. When I first read about it, I thought: Great, another rom com I'll abandon after one episode. I don't care about this kind of plot normally. I prefer real situations where there isn't an element or supernatural or something out of the ordinary, although I've see quite a few. But it was so well done that I came to care about his heart and her power, and pan intended, their chemistry was so electric, the plot didn't bother me at all.

The things I disliked

1 The outfits of the ML. I see that many praise them and yes, there were sometimes he was dressed well. I decided to mention this in my list though because I'm fed up with the way these men dress. Don't they have a mirror? Why on earth unless for a special occasion you'd wear such unfitted clothes. The ML here had some truly unfortunate outfits and I wonder if they don't have a say or if more men in China have bad taste in clothes. I'm all for individuality and you can wear a sac of potatoes if you want, but when I watch a drama I watch to get inspired and enjoy things, not to see people wear awful things without make any statement. Wear these kind of outfits in your personal life if it's your cup of tea. Rant over and it was slightly for the Ml and more for the whole industry. Also, there are some dramas where the leads are perfectly styled and yes, it enhances my enjoyment.

2 That it was only 10 episodes. I would watch the double just to see them together. They were so cute and adorable both. Their chemistry was exceptional.

3 The grandmother. I think the actress was too stiff and she didn't embrace the role. I'm not even sure what was the point of her being like this. I think she is the character I didn't find essential. She wasn't a good grandmother if you ask me, and although I hated her daughter, I also understand why she'd have such a bad relationship with her mother. Plus, she never redeemed herself in my eyes. But it's the actress that bothered me more. I've seen her in other dramas, she's not great, but here she was particularly bad.

The things I hated

1 Han Seol Hui. What a vile and stupid person. I can't fathom that someone could be that awful, yet here we are and even though I don't want to cross that kind of person, they exist in real life. Did she play well her role? Probably since I hated her, but to be honest I didn't like the actress for some reason. It's not only about the role. I just didn't click with her.

2 Do Yun. If I hated the 2FL a bit, I wished for him to go to hell a million times. It's crazy that someone can have such hate in his heart and not being able to see his shortcomings. I'll say the same thing, he's done well since I hated him, but I won't. The actor wasn't good, he was rather bad actually. I didn't buy his evil persona and sometimes I wanted to laugh at him and hiss schemes. To play well an evil character you need some charisma and he had the charisma of a wall painted beige.

3 The parents of the 2ML. What stupid characters. They deserved everything it came their way. They should have paid much more. There was no excuse about their pathetic behavior. Greedy, malevolent people who only care about themselves.

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If you really think about it, it is really not that deep.

First of, I will start with how I came accross not others. I was just scrolling and I came accross an uncommon name for a movie. Not Others, as how? I digested it trying to see if it will give me a feeling of you and everything else, by the way, it's just that title that made me watch YAEE. But no, its not that, however, I decided to give it a try, it made me inquisitive. It is a story about a mother and a daughter and most importantly, it was writen in the summary that they live as roommates. I just knew there will be that bond, uncommon bond as its uncommon title. I was not dissapointed, you know that feeling of having a good food in your mouth, even though you should swallow it, you just want to savour it more, that was not others to me.

Not others is a movie about the relationship between a mother and her daughter, one could say she is a gen Z mother, she still have her life in front of her, regardless, she chose her daughter as well. The character of the mother is such that just live, but she does as much to try her best in everything she does and paraventure, it comes accross as living a good life. She treats things simply, and appears haugty with her flippant character. Even tho, contrary to many people point, I felt it is an attribute to build and live by to a point. I love the fact that she tries to make awkard situations less awkard with her tone and the it is not a big deal attitude, I love that she turns shameful situation around, infact, what is the standard for shame, and there are situations that is not even to be overemphasised or maybe, feel sorry, and move on cause either you move or beat yourself to it, life moves on regardless. it is not really that shameful, if you think about it, is it really shameful? you caught me doing ... fine, okay, I am sorry, I am human, you see. Does that sound like who is sorry, then that is left to you but on an actual note, she is really sorry but no much emotional rollercoaster. You know, having deep conversations without necessarily showing this is deep, I should not cry a river except perharps I want to. I was reading some of the reviews and sb mentioned while not show abortion is an option when you are not ready, this is how it all came about. She was pregnant in high school and then decided to have the baby, and there was a similar case and the high schooler pointed out, that Jin hee's mother also had her in high school... And the mother of the high schooler asked, if they think it was normal to have a baby as a high schooler, there was no answer and the police could not interfere in mother daughter outburst. And to me, I felt that unconcluded conversation is an answer to that, it is like an open discussion, the truth of the matter is, this children do not know what they are getting themselves into. I remember 18 again, the hardships was potrayed that the kids involved wish they had not done that then. Truth is, it is all two way, it may work for you and not work for another. Just like Eun Mi, that just lived her best, and got accolades you did well. If she had not gotten help, if her duaghter did not turn out well, if she was struggling to make end meet or involve in a crime ring, she probably would have gotten the opposite of you did well. To me, the unconluded conversation is to show that narrative, as a teen, keeping a baby or not is no good or wrong decision but just a decision and if it necessary for it to fall somewhere, then the future will determine that, what did you make of the decision you made.

Jin Hee, her daughter, to me, more than loving her mother, she feels indebted to her. We all feel indebted to our parents in some way. However, hers was more than a duty to her, she carries guilt that could be felt straight from inside the TV, when all she ever did was to be a good girl. Not in words, but all her actions, she never once acted out, she can do everything and the ones she cannot, she learns, her life goal was to become who can protect her mother, she ponders always on her mother's actions... the list continues. If this was intentional, I hope it can be addressed in season two, perharps, she feels very grateful that her mother had her, and guilty at the same time that she stoled her youth. I will say she does not deserve to fell that way she felt.

Then there was the comedic in the movie, all other characters are sweetners to the mother daughter story.

Does Life need to have a munual, we just live it. You are right, but still, we need to live a good life.
Not others, an uncommon name with an uncommon story.

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The Lament of Autumn — When Human Emotions Collide with Morality ?

Some dramas make you fall in love with the story. Others make you question the characters, their choices, and even your own judgment. The Lament of Autumn does a bit of both for me.

Set against the turbulent atmosphere of the 1920s, the story brings together Ye Pingjun, a student struggling to pay for her mother's medical treatment, and Yu Changxuan, a young marshal whose life becomes entangled with hers after an assassination attempt. What begins with a dangerous encounter gradually opens the door to a much more complicated story about power, family, duty, love, and the choices people make when their lives are shaped by forces beyond their control.

🍂 Why does the title feel so fitting for YCX?

For me, The Lament of Autumn resonates particularly with Yu Changxuan because of the contradictions within him.

You can see him as a playboy, arrogant and proud, and yet he's also sincere, principled, and capable of genuine affection. He can be playful and provocative, yet serious when it matters. He can appear cold and self-assured, yet reveal a vulnerable side that he doesn't easily show. He's a man who can make questionable choices while still holding on to values he genuinely believes in.

And that's what makes him so interesting to me: his qualities and flaws don't cancel each other out; they coexist. Being a playboy doesn't necessarily mean he can't be sincere about love. Being protective doesn't always mean he's right. Having principles doesn't prevent him from making mistakes, and having a good heart doesn't automatically make every decision acceptable.

What I find fascinating is the tension between who he is, what he feels, what he believes, and how he acts. Sometimes these different sides complement each other; sometimes they clash. And it's precisely in those moments that we get to see his complexity.

The title feels fitting because his story isn't just about romance or suffering. It's also about the inner conflict of a man who can be strong and vulnerable, proud and sincere, principled and flawed — sometimes all at once. The melancholy lies in that tension, in the emotional cost of his choices, and in the fact that understanding himself and others isn't always as simple as he might think.

⚖️ Family vs duty: when neither choice is simple

One of the most interesting moral questions comes through YCX's relationship with his father.

His father has responsibilities as a military commander, and his decisions are shaped by duty, strategy, and the circumstances of war. But he's also a father. Where should one responsibility end and the other begin?

When duty demands a sacrifice from one's own family, does fulfilling that duty automatically make the decision morally right? And when a parent chooses what they believe is necessary for the greater good, what happens to their responsibility toward their children?

I don't think these questions have easy answers. Duty can be necessary, but it can also become a justification for choices that hurt the people closest to us. Family matters, but love for one's family doesn't necessarily erase wider responsibilities.

What interests me is how YCX and his father confront these conflicting values from different positions. Their disagreement isn't just about who is right. It's about what each of them believes must come first and what they are willing to sacrifice for it.

🌿 YPJ: strong principles don't make human emotions simple

YPJ brings another dimension to the story. What interests me about her is her intelligence, independence, courage, and strong sense of right and wrong.

She's not simply a character whose importance comes from her relationship with YCX. She has her own convictions, her own struggles, and her own way of understanding the world. Yet, what makes her interesting is not just how firmly she holds on to her principles, but how we interpret her choices when emotions enter the picture.

We can be intelligent and still struggle to understand our own feelings. We can have strong principles and still find ourselves in situations where following them isn't emotionally easy. And sometimes, what looks like a contradiction from the outside may reflect a conflict that the person herself hasn't fully resolved.

That's why I want to understand YPJ on her own terms rather than judge her only through YCX's perspective. Her inner world matters just as much as his, even when her choices are difficult to read.

🖤 What makes these characters worth discussing?

For me, the heart of this drama isn't simply whether the characters are good or bad, right or wrong. It's the uncomfortable space between those judgments.

A person can have good intentions and still cause harm. Someone can act out of love and still cross a moral boundary. We can understand why a character makes a choice without agreeing with it and we can acknowledge their humanity without excusing everything they do.

That's why I don't like reducing complex characters to labels. Calling someone a red flag, a victim, a hero, or a villain might describe one part of them, but it doesn't necessarily explain the person as a whole.

I want to look at their motivations, their circumstances, their actions, and the consequences of those actions. I want to understand what drives them without allowing their emotions to become an excuse for everything.

Because sincerity doesn't automatically make a choice right, just as a questionable choice doesn't necessarily mean that every feeling behind it is false.

And perhaps that's one of the most human things about this story: we can know what we believe is right and still struggle when our emotions pull us in another direction.

🎭 And the acting?

YCX is particularly fascinating to watch because the performance gives so much room for interpretation. His facial expressions, his gaze, and even the changes in his voice convey different layers of the character : pride, tenderness, frustration, vulnerability, and the emotions he doesn't always express openly.

It's not just about portraying a complicated man. It's about making those contradictions believable, allowing us to see several sides of him without making any one of them disappear.

For me, that's what makes the performance so compelling: the character feels human, not because he's always right or easy to sympathize with, but because his different qualities and flaws exist together.

🍂 My takeaway

The Lament of Autumn makes me think about how difficult it is to separate feelings from morality when we're dealing with real human complexity.

We can sympathize with someone without defending their choices. We can criticize their actions without denying their feelings. We can recognize the pressure of circumstances without pretending that circumstances remove responsibility.

And sometimes, the most interesting question isn't “Who's right?” but “How did this person arrive at this choice, and what does that choice reveal about them?”

That's what keeps me interested in these characters. I don't need them to be perfect, and I don't need to agree with everything they do. I want to understand them — including the parts that frustrate me, confuse me, or make me question my own judgment.

Because human beings are rarely just one thing. And understanding that complexity doesn't mean abandoning our moral principles. It means learning to look at people honestly, without confusing understanding with justification.

That's the kind of story I want to discuss: one that doesn't just ask us to feel, but also challenges us to think. 🍂

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WHEN AN ICE-COLD CEO MELTS COMPLETELY

OVERALL 🌟
From the word go, I enjoyed this sweet workplace romance. Although the storyline has several adaptations, Li Yin and Cui Xiao Xuan gave this version plenty of charm through their comfortable chemistry and beautifully matched performances.

LIKED 💖
• The FL was kind and soft-natured but also intelligent, observant and ambitious. I admired her determination to earn professional recognition through her own abilities rather than her husband’s influence.
• The ML respected her independence and never interfered with her career. He admired her talent, quietly exposed the SFL for stealing her work and expressed his devotion through attentiveness and tender care rather than control.
• Their natural chemistry made the familiar hidden-marriage storyline charming. I also appreciated that most colleagues recognised the FL’s abilities instead of bullying her, leaving the jealous SFL as the primary source of workplace trouble.

DISLIKED ⚠️
• The SFL continually clung to the ML despite being brushed aside and clearly told that he was not interested in her romantically. Her refusal to respect his boundaries became tiresome.
• The conclusion was far too rushed. Several emotional developments and family reunions occurred almost simultaneously, leaving little time to appreciate their significance.
• I particularly wanted more time with the reunited family members and the proposal instead of watching everybody arrive, exchange a few words and immediately reach the ending.

PRODUCTION 🎭
• Li Yin convincingly balanced the ML’s cold authority with the awkward tenderness of a man unexpectedly falling in love.
• Cui Xiao Xuan gave the FL sweetness, intelligence and quiet determination.
• Their natural chemistry was this adaptation’s greatest strength and made the familiar hidden-marriage formula feel appealing.
• The drama was well paced for most of its runtime, but the final scenes needed more room to breathe.

FINAL 💭
This was a charming romance featuring an attentive, respectful ML and a kind but capable FL who wanted her achievements to belong to her. Despite the familiar premise, clingy SFL and rushed conclusion, the leads made this version thoroughly enjoyable and easy to recommend.

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Felt like punishment

I knew within the first few seconds that this show was going to test my patience.

The storyline is annoying, the relationship is irritating, and the characters are somehow even worse. Not a single soul I want to root for. The leads are pathetic, the romance is frustrating, and the entire thing feels like a punishment disguised as a love story.

You know a drama is a disaster when I start thinking the ML deserves better. ME. Thinking the ML deserves better. I never do that. That's how you know things have gone terribly, terribly wrong.

This show is an absolute waste of time, a waste of effort, a waste of potential. This isn't a realistic portrayal of adult relationships; it's a parade of pathetic, ridiculous individuals making one infuriating decision after another, with the audacity to call it a love story. And honestly, the longer I watched, the less I cared whether they ended up together.

Seo Kang-joon is one fine shyt. This man is somehow even finer now than he was in his twenties, and yet his script selection hasn't improved one bit. ‘When the Weather Is Fine’ cannot be the only good thing in this man's filmography.

Ahn Eun-jin, GIRL. GET UP. DO SOMETHING! How did the woman who led the masterpiece that was My Dearest end up here? Dynamite Kiss, Goodbye Earth, and now this?

I'm dropping this. No guilt, no regrets, no looking back. There are better dramas out there, and I refuse to spend another minute watching a romance that makes me root for absolutely nobody. Why waste hours of my life forcing myself through something I clearly hate when I can just drop it and go on living my life in peace?

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