Reviews

A Pleasant Surprise

A Pleasant Surprise I Finished in Two Days

What I liked:
Light and easy to watch
Funny but still emotional at times
Great performances from the cast

I’ll admit that I started this drama without knowing anything about it. I only knew who the main actors were, but I had no idea what the story would be about.

I ended up finishing the whole drama in just two days. I went in with zero expectations, but it turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. The cast did a great job, and the drama had plenty of moments that made me laugh, as well as a few that even brought a tear to my eye.

It’s a light and enjoyable watch, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a drama that doesn’t feel too heavy or emotionally draining.

Once again, I was reminded how much I like Seo In Guk. He’s such a great actor.

Ji Soo also pleasantly surprised me.



Final rating: 8.5/10

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great cast with improvement in acting...but horrendous plot/story

i was kinda nervous to watch this because i saw so many mixed reviews, but i did...and there are my thoughts (and some rants).

this is going to be a lil long so grab something to snack on and a drink lol

tw: stalking, obsession

first, i usually dont write reviews, so bear with me here. might be a little all over the place cause i put down what i think while im thinking it

second... lets address the elephant... stalking is not love, its obssesion.

this would have been SO much better if it was actually about parallel worlds and not... stalking... such a missed opportunity to create something so awesome with boss and noeul, especially with their improvements since lita...we instead got this mess.

something like this could have been played off so much better if they just stuck to the original "story", and didnt change it into some creepy shitshow in the last few episodes. if they stuck to having different worlds, especially after whatever happened to cir after he got hit the second time, this wouldnt be that much of a yuck-fest. what even happened there? he got hit, changed into a whole different person in his headspace or whatever you want to call it, even having his scar poof into the void of matter, and then randomly came back in the middle of a cross-walk after phu said goodbye??? what in the world(s... lol). i just dont understand. what was the point of it if it was never brought back up again? the show jumped from different worlds and internal-mindset-visions or wtv to full on stalking with no transition. everything from the beginning of the show wasnt mentioned in the last couple eps--except for ONCE in the last episode of phu mentioning the scar--and everything at the end of the show, wasnt mentioned or even connected from the first section...i dont know if that made any sense at all but hopefully yall understand what im trying to say T_T

anyways

stalking and/or anything equivalent SHOULD NOT BE ROMANTICIZED??? i do not like that a silly little guilt-trip-giving video that cir put on an ipad and put on phu's table along with flowers (woo hoo, the bare minimum :|) just magically made phu forgive the five years of close stalking and intenseee watching...

thats absolutely insane to me. A VIDEO???--one that lasted a lot of the episode at that--made him just...accept the fact that hes been being stalked for that long? CALL THE POLICE, DAWG. WHAT ARE YOU DOING T-T...if someone confessed to me that they have been stalking me for a crazy amount of time like that, id be callin someone: my mom, the popo, the fbi, ANYONE.

another thing... that mother...deserves to be put in jail. im honestly so happy cir's dad and zone escaped from that hellish "mother," but it also sucked that cir had to deal with her for so long...until the random section of zone and his dad coming into the house offering to switch out "properties" so cir can be with the one he loves...okay buddy...it was eh but also really dumb. literally went:

"im switching out with you"

"NO YOU CANT...NOOOO"

"its my choice man"

"oh ight gotchu...go ahead, thanxx! aggressively runs away with phu"

LIKE WHAT T-T

anyways, pt. 2 (final one)

i wouldnt really recommend this to anyone unless theyre bored out of their mind and want something with pretty good chemistry between actors, a bad plot, and something to laugh at in some sections (either from it being funny, second-hand embarrassment, or jus flat out horribly done scenes with no use).

if i can think of anything else ill add it, but jeez, this was an interesting watch. love bossnoeul to death, but this wasn't it, man. WE NEED REDEMTIONNN

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It felt like two separate writers each wrote half of the drama

This one started out really fun, and I hoped that I would be in for some light comedy, which is so hard for Koreans to do, apparently. Suspending disbelief had to be suspended early on, and opportunities were missed. When the FL goes into the comic, there were SO many opportunities for laughs, except that she adapted to Joseon life without any apparent problems. It was cute though.

I have to admit that I don't find Ok Taec Yeon very attractive (maybe it's the ears), but I have to give him props for being very charismatic. He's intense, but not emotionless, if that makes any sense. I enjoyed watching him.

I felt that the 2ML and the villain looked too much alike, and the 2nd and 3rd FL looked too much alike, so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was who.

About halfway through the show, the tone changed 180 degrees. It became dark, serious, tons of flashbacks, lots of fighting.
I felt that the ending was pretty anticlimactic.

I thought the chemistry between the leads was cute. Some good kisses. It was a nice change to have the ML be the virgin and the FL to be forward. I just wish it didn't always have to be because she was drunk.

I think if you go into this with very little expectation, you might enjoy it.

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From “Our Universe” to a Messy Love Triangle

For a long time I was debating whether to write a review or not. In the end, I decided it was worth explaining why my rating is so low.

First of all, I have to say that the teaser really impressed me. From it, it truly seemed like this would be a warm, cozy family drama, and the beginning was honestly very good.

However, after that the story turned completely upside down, and instead of watching “Our Universe”, it started to feel more like “I Can’t Choose Just One.” At first I tried to be patient and assumed the situation with the SML would be resolved quickly and clearly. But unfortunately my expectations were not met, and instead we got an unnecessary love triangle. The fact that there were more sweet moments between the SML and the FL than between the actual main leads definitely did not add any charm to the story.

I’ll admit that the last few episodes were a struggle to watch. I simply skipped most of the scenes with the SML because, in my opinion, they were completely unnecessary for the story.

Then there was the father storyline. While it at least had some purpose—since already in the first episode we saw the ML’s older brother worrying about their father being released from prison—it still didn’t feel properly developed. And then the child protection services appeared. This storyline should have been part of the plot from the very beginning, but instead it only showed up in the last two episodes. Everything about it felt forced and unrealistic. They had been taking good care of the child throughout the entire drama, and then suddenly—boom—the moment the child services appear, everything turns into unnecessary drama, and not in a good way.

It feels like the writers tried to include too many different storylines, but they never truly connected with each other, even though it would have been quite easy to do so.

I also don’t want to say too much about the acting, but I honestly wasn’t impressed. By the end, there was no chemistry between the main leads at all. To be honest, watching them together felt uncomfortable and even a bit cringe.

It was really difficult to finish this drama. If I had started watching it after all the episodes were already released, I’m pretty sure I would have dropped it. This time I did finish it, but I have to admit I skipped through quite a lot.

I have never rated a Korean drama a 1 before in my life, but this time I will.

Final rating: 1/10.

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Anime and Jdrama-coded

The Male Lead is overpowered, and the characters are one-dimensional. But it never takes away from the fun of it. Quite the contrary, these work in favour of the drama.

The story is nothing unique. It's quite conventional and can be found in plenty of J-dramas. But it is how the drama is executed, the chemistry between characters and the actors managed to pull their character off. For example, how Jioo stands in front of Hee Won whenever a fight breaks off. All the characters are charming and quirky in their own sort of way. Just as Yun Ga Min puts to his mother, even his mother's an interesting character, and I wouldn't mind watching a spin-off about her. They have each other's backs, and their bond is heartwarming. Even the side characters with their bond made me coo. Every character is just so colourful and vivid.

The only reason I took a point off 'acting' is because I felt Minhyun was a tad bit stiff. I am not someone who knows much about acting, and he could've easily passed for a badass goofball. The problem arose in close-ups before any fight broke out. Otherwise, I don't think his acting was bad. That said, he was excellent in action scenes. His movements were smooth like a dancer's. The same goes for all the actors here. Their action scenes were chef's kiss.

I also like how the fights are shot. It was also SOOO well choreographed. They look so anime-esque (Dragon Ball Z, anyone?). The OST just adds to the vibe of the whole show. I twerk whenever the OST is on. Makes me want to jump through the screen and fight alongside (but ofc I'm gonna wipe the floor).

While certainly I do mind the redemption of certain characters, i.e., how their deeds are conveniently forgotten, but I still rooted for them. It does feel as if Study Group 2 they are going to redeem Hanul's character (let me guess, he did all of it because daddy issues). Apart from the convenient plot lines, I do mind this specific thing.

The key to watching this drama is to turn off your brain and just immerse yourself in it. Just go with it.

If you are a pedantic person, you won't like it. If you are in a bad mood, you won't like it.

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First impression: a exploration of desire and the consequences of following it blindly

The opening episodes of Only Friends: Dream On reveal a series that is very aware of its own appeal. Rather than softening the emotional chaos that made the franchise popular, the new season dives even deeper into it. The result is an intense start, filled with tension, provocation, and questionable decisions that always seem on the verge of setting the characters’ relationships on fire. There is a clear enjoyment in watching this game of messy emotions and poorly calculated impulses unfold, and the direction knows exactly how to make the most of that unstable atmosphere.

Much of this strength comes from the cast. The chemistry between the actors is the true engine of the narrative, and the camera often relies more on glances, pauses, and teasing than on long stretches of dialogue. The interactions carry a constant energy of attraction and conflict, creating a sense of unpredictability that keeps the viewer engaged. Some pairings thrive on the almost provocative friction between strong personalities, while others build a softer, slower tension. This variety helps prevent the drama from feeling repetitive, even when the story fully embraces its more exaggerated side.

Another strong point lies in how the series treats its characters as flawed people. No one appears entirely right or wrong, and much of the dramatic interest comes precisely from that moral ambiguity. Jealousy, insecurity, and desire are presented with very little filtering, giving the conflicts a raw and spontaneous tone. At the same time, the production maintains an engaging rhythm, balancing moments of intensity with pauses that allow emotions to build before eventually erupting.

On the other hand, the series occasionally stumbles over stylistic habits that attempt to add a level of sophistication that is not always necessary. The cuts to testimonial-style interviews, while intended to provide depth, sometimes interrupt the natural flow of scenes that would stand perfectly well on silence and subtle expressions alone. By over-explaining the characters' internal worlds, the script risks insulting the audience's intelligence, trading organic tension for a structured commentary that feels more like a safety net than a narrative leap.

There is also a slightly risky sense of comfort in the casting. By relying on pairings whose dynamics are already well known to fans, the narrative loses some of the “who will end up with whom” mystery, making the script feel a bit too dependent on the actors’ charisma rather than the unpredictability of the plot. Some musical transitions also feel somewhat dated, with a soundtrack that occasionally tries to dictate the emotional tone more loudly than the performances themselves.

Even so, these details rarely undermine the overall experience. Technical issues in mixing and pacing are easily forgiven thanks to the series’ willingness to present characters who are flawed, possessive, and delightfully human. Only Friends: Dream On does not try to be a philosophical treatise on love, but rather a vibrant exploration of desire and the disastrous consequences of following it blindly.

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PEAK!

*Genre** : Transmigration, Romance, Fantasy, Comedy
**Enjoyment** : 9/10
**Cinematography** : 10/10
**Visuals** : 9/10
ok so this might be my first cdrama EVER and oh my gof I WAS HOOOKEEED!! It’s such a good and interesting drama i feel like it wasn’t dragged at all!! It’s about a woman working in a webtoon station. Her boss tells her that she has to adopt **this novel** till tomorrow. She wishes that she could be inside the novel so she could understand better of what the main lead would do. Later that night she transmigrates into this amazing fantasy historical world meeting with another transmigrator.. And from then on the plot goes crazy 🔥 It’s seriously such a must watch !! It’s soo good watch it! Also it keeps u on ur toes it’s also exciting and lowkey suspenseful!

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First impression: unafraid of heavy themes, yet filled with warmth and tenderness

The long-awaited return of PerthSanta in Love You Teacher really couldn’t have come in a more vibrant way. GMMTV finally seems to be having fun with its visuals, leaning into a color palette that actually matches the energy between the leads. The premiere mixes that familiar light, school-life humor with a surprising emotional weight, and it works better than you’d expect.

One of the highlights of the episode is the art direction. The details in the sets and costumes are not merely decorative, but help build a sense of warmth that welcomes the audience from the very first minute. It’s nice to see the studio investing in stories that, while keeping the beloved clichés of the genre, dare to explore more refined visual and emotional textures.

The performances are another big win. Perth delivers a beautiful portrayal, proving that his dramatic instincts remain as sharp as ever. His moments of vulnerability and tears are genuinely heartbreaking and convey the exhaustion of someone trying to balance the roles of boyfriend and caretaker. Santa, meanwhile, moves with a magnetic gentleness between the different shades of Solar and his seven-year-old self. The duo’s chemistry carries the rhythm of the episode, allowing the shifts between laugh-out-loud moments and waves of emotional distress to feel organic rather than forced, like fragments of a life shared in all its complexity.

Of course, the premise of age regression (Solar’s mental “reset” after the accident) requires a certain suspension of disbelief from the audience. The show’s neurological logic may feel somewhat creative to more skeptical viewers, but the script makes the smart decision of establishing that the relationship already existed before the trauma. That choice protects the integrity of the narrative, steering clear of uncomfortable questions about consent and instead focusing on what truly matters: the resilience of love in the face of adversity and the emotional toll of caregiving. Some details surrounding Solar’s personality shifts still feel a bit hazy, and in typical GMMTV fashion the editing occasionally flirts with mild confusion. Even so, none of it diminishes the appeal of the story that is beginning to unfold.

In the end, Love You Teacher premieres with the promise of becoming one of the highlights of the 2026 season. It is a series unafraid to touch on sensitive topics such as mental health and the weight of adult responsibility, yet it does so without losing the tenderness and bright warmth its protagonists radiate. If the remaining nine episodes maintain this same level of technical and emotional commitment, we may be looking at a new classic of the genre. For anyone searching for a story with heart and polished visuals, the show’s very first Saturday already proves the wait was more than worth it.

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Lots of potential, Bad Execution

This isn't bad bad drama or anything. It is actually the most easygoing k-drama I have ever watched. It almost felt a little bit TOO easygoing I'm not gonna lie (but I think that's just because I'm used to watching dramas that piss me off 24/7 lolll). The pacing of this drama is really weird. For example, when the ML confesses it was really awful timing and felt very unauthentic because he had shown no direct interest in her previously. Also, I feel like they could have done more with the plot. The potential was there and the whole idea of virtual dating is really new and refreshing to see in a k-drama. but they didn't have much comparison between the two. It just felt like the FL did one thing and then the other instead of going back and forth between the two, which would have added more emotional and psychological depth (something the drama lacks). The first 4 or so episodes don't add any depth between the leads at all. It just showed the FL going from virtual bf to virtual bf and didn't show the FL and ML together as much as it should/could have. I wish there more more emotional conflicts then just "I like you but i'm scared to get with you because I don't want you to change and then we break up." It was mentioned a lot in the show and began to feel repetitive because that was essentially the main conflict within the whole show. I feel like then could've added more of a comparison between virtual dating and dating IRL. They did, but it should've been more because as I said earlier it would've added more depth. I only kept watching just to see how it was going to end, not because I was seriously engaged like how I am with other dramas. Besides, I knew that they were going to end up together in the end anyways. Also.,I feel like the first 2 episodes were good, but then around episode 4, it started to just make me think "okay so it's been 4 episodes and no romantic tension between the leads at all." Another thing, I feel like they could have made them ACTUAL enemies rather then him just pissing her off because he, unbeknownst to her (and the audience) likes her and she just gets easily irritated (low-key real tho). The casting is pretty good too. Although, I'm not gonna lie, the only reason I watched it is to see Lee Soo-Hyuk lolll, And at first, I just thought it was going to be a dump of a lot of famous people and not even be that good and sadly, I was kinda right. I'm not saying it's TERRIBLE, but it's definitely not the BEST drama I have ever watched. Definitely just something you watch to pass time.

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Cantonese BL RARE GEM i didn't know i needed??...

OMG I just found out about this series out of nowhere! 😭 Before this, I hadn’t seen ANY ads or trailers, and suddenly,boom,episode 1 drops. I was like… okay, let’s see. Press play… and now I’m HOOKED.

Episode 1 already got me obsessed, and I just know episode 2 and onwards are gonna be super intense and so addictive. The story is fun, pacing is perfect, zero cringe, and the acting? On point. Seriously, they nailed their characters.
Liu Yi tho… I can’t 😂 So funny, so handsome, totally stealing the show. Chu San is perfect too, but poor guy keeps getting smacked by Liu Yi… I can’t even 😭🤣 Their interactions are hilarious.
Honestly, the vibe reminds me a bit of KinnPorsche, which I loved, so you know I’m already dying for the next episode. Can we PLEASE get all episodes at once? Waiting every week is pure torture.

Highly recommend this series to everyone!! Cantonese BL like this is so rare, and it’s already giving me major vibes. If it keeps this up, it’s DEFINITELY going to be my favorite series of the year. 😍

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Gaslighting treated as a comedy - Not for me.

I landed on this series only because I filtered for Comedy, Romance, Drama, Netflix... and ended up with only Regret.
The comedy is hard to watch. They are broken individuals that may perceive things in a warped manner, but it doesn't call for major gaslighting and that does not help the situation at all. So much manipulation and stemming from self-pity... And they should seek professional help for their issues, not take it out on each other and everyone who cares for them. Even as someone who has experienced first-hand abandonment, I cannot agree to the way the story plays out and I would be horrified if every time I shouted or asked for help, I was left stranded, TIED UP, etc by a mentally unstable ex! I found this to become mildly more to thriller/horror already and decided to drop the series. I hardly write reviews but it just did not sit well with me that this was rated so highly and the genre is miscategorized.

I have to say though - the actors played their roles well. No fault in them at all. In fact, probably because of their brilliant acting, that it got me so riled up in the first place!

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Mixed feelings

I like the show His man, but they made a mess out of it this season. I really don't like how they handled things. Bringing in newcomers into the already existing group wasn't a good idea in my opinion and the elimination of 2 members was an even worse idea. That was so unfair!!
I especially feel sorry for Jun Yae and Jae Ha, but Lee Hyeok Jin didn't deserve it either.
And one week is just too short to get to know each other well and give all of them a chance to get to know more people.

The visuals and music were very good.

I don't think i will rewatch this, because a lot that happened left a bitter aftertaste in my mind.

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This drama is setting up to be a top tier kdrama of all time

I went into this show not expecting much, I was intrigued by the teaser and i like most of the main actors/actress so I gave it a watch when it first started..and boy, have I come to absolutely LOVE the show!

most kdramas either have a flaw either in the cinematography, plot, or acting, but for some reason, this kdrama so far is not lacking in anything.

first things first, the world-building and the plot is sooo good...each of the sisters have depth and their own struggles and trauma they're dealing with, it's not like they're just plot devices for the female lead. haran's trauma is obvious, and the male lead chan is there to become her healer, for hayoung, the depth lies in her hesitancy to show her feelings and feels the need to bury her trauma in order to be the glue for their family and mr yeon is there as a reliable constant person that sees her true feelings and acts as a push for her to finally be true to herself. while for hadam, its the insecurity and trust issues she has surrounding her family and yugyeom, whose conflict lies in his belief that he needs to protect her and her family from getting hurt if they find out about nana kim's dementia.

so many shows become lackluster in the middle of the series, where the plot diverges into a nonsensical path of either dragging things out uneccessarily long, or the writing somehow feels like the writers wrote the script high *cough our universe
but in your radiant season is still having a consistent plot up till ep 7 and the respective plots and subplots are unfolding well on time/appropriately to the series' length

if the series ends well if no hiccups, then this drama will be a solid 10/10 for me and deservess so much more hype than it's getting right now..!

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