Reviews

Good. Only some Islamists from SEA or other places are losing their head over a genuine fact.

Till now, great story.

Idaf to those Islamists who are saying Why Palestine and Pakistan !!! Dumbos so Hamas didn't carry terrorism over Israel in October ?? Israel didn't feel itchy to attack and wipe out Palestine all of a sudden.

And fvckin Pakistan !! It IS the land, the home of Islamic terrorism. The Army continues to breed terrorism there. Where was Osama Bin Laden found again ?? Where are the leaders of LeT and JeM (Lashkar e Taiba and Jaish e Mohammad) Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar are freely living again ??? In Pakistan only.

Why are Muslims from SEA and other nations so deluded to accept this fact ? The fact being 99% of terrorist groups are Islamic and they breed in such countries ??

Ig ore those haters. Add the drama to your watchlist.

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The hate seems forced. Probably cz they're not a popular pair

I had to add a review mid watch cz of all the hate I saw towards this series in the comments and reviews. I am not a MarkOhm fan infact I didn't exactly like their pairing either. I have seem Mark in OF so I was like "this is probably horrible. It won't work" and put this series on not interested for a whole year. But then I kinda felt i should watch atleast 1 episode before I judge and... I'm trapped😅 i binge watched 4 episodes already and wanna watch the 5th too. The drama is light push pull romcom❤️. The chemistry, the acting, the tension, everything is just🤌🤌🤌.

I personally liked the plot. The summary is definitely deceiving. The story is about Sant who ends up going to his friend's date to break up inplace of his friend but instead ends up going on a date. But then escapes cz the date was really weird. Years later he has some dental issues and ends up meeting that weird guy again. The story is about them falling in love in the cutest and quirkiest manner possible🤭🤭

What I really liked about the characters were that they were a breath of fresh air. Like juay for example usually doctor characters are either too cold, too nice or too weird but he was like a perfect balance. He is smart, likes sweets, is kind, also naughty etc. Juay on the other hand was similar.. he had his traumas but they potrayed him as someone who has a life out of it kinda, it's hardworking, studious, yet stupid. They really don't fit in any stereotypical character frame.

Edit: I literally cried when they showed jway's backstory😭 wth why was soo sad. I know the mom was sad but i feel she should hv cared about the living person...

As someone who loses interest once the leads are together. I am loving the push and pull. It doesn't feel overdone either🤭🤭. It's just a perfect romcom you can watch on a hard stressful day after work. Seeing the comments and hate I kinda don't feel MarkOhm would last more than 4 or 5 years but I hope they do. I really really liked them a lot.

I really liked the ending with the narration method where they narrated different incidents of their later years. One thing I am sad about would be Kak not ending up with Yada. Especially when Yada broke up I was like okay so we're gonna get a couple but then she went back😑. I am guessing this is cz Poon is a bl actor😔 but yeah it's fine. He got a successful career for once. Bro is a loser is all other universes.

Overall it's not perfect but it's good.

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Masterpiece

I don't have much to say except what a beautiful way of explaining life.
I started watching this thinking it was one of those japanese indie movies that seem like the writer has smoked something to create it (kinda like the taste of tea) , it had some weird cuts that made no sense, the friend from school and Nanami's personality... it was just so confusing, but it still caught me, and then the story starts making sense, you begin to understand everything, where is it all coming from, you follow Nanami and her family's journey through life and hardships, and then you find yourself embraced in a beautiful story of growth, acceptance and finding meaning in life.
The actors do an amazing job to make you feel part of the story.
You might think that some things are a tragedy, or something pitiful, however the characters will make you understand life is worth living. Yes, at times you will cry, but you will also laugh, and such is life.
PD: no life is pitiful, try and see other's point of view before you pity them.

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Soft Hearts, Iron Fists

Sometimes there are series I don’t even try to analyze or break down. I immediately immerse myself in them, and that’s usually a good sign. Fifties Professionals instantly hooked me—not because of its story, which is fairly classic in essence, but because of its atmosphere. A well-balanced mix of genres: action, crime, comedy, romance, and above all this almost theatrical troupe feeling, carried by an ensemble cast that works like a solid collective. In this kind of setup, everything depends on balance. And here, the series generally avoids excess, which is never easy when you need to maintain constant emotional tension. Yes, the usual genre tropes are there, but they pass smoothly, almost naturally. For viewers not very familiar with K-dramas, the cast may not mean much. For others, these faces speak for themselves: seasoned actors who have nothing left to prove and who are here to showcase their craft, almost in a controlled playground.

2016. To recover a USB drive containing compromising files involving North and South Korean agents, including a high-ranking NIS official, three of the best in their field end up in direct confrontation. A bag containing dozens of cut diamonds worth a fortune is also part of the loot. On one side, ghost agent Jung Ho-Myung (Shin Ha-Kyun), on the other, North Korea’s “weapon” Bulgae (Oh Jung-Se), and finally the right-hand man of a powerful gang, Kang Beom-Ryong (Heo Sung-Tae), nicknamed “Doksa” (the viper). But during a confrontation, the trio ends up stranded on the small island of Yeongseon. Bulgae, who has taken the loot, becomes amnesiac and forgets everything about his past. The other two lose his trail. 2026. Ho-Myung, now a wanted man, continues his mission in secret, despite being married and a father. Beom-Ryong watches him from a distance, while his boss is in prison. Expelled from the gang, he has become a convenience store manager. As for Bulgae (fire dog), renamed Bong Je-Soon, he now lives an ordinary life.

The most interesting part of the drama is therefore not the plot, but the evolution of these three heroes ten years later. If Je-Soon is not aware of his change due to his amnesia, the other two have evolved in surprising ways. This is where the psychological aspect becomes interesting and surprising: Ho-Myung must deal with family responsibilities, while Beom-Ryong, who brought Gong-Bok (Lee Hak-Joo), his right-hand man, along with him, has by chance become a convenience store manager and a fundamentally good man. Now, I’m not trying to sell this as a psychological drama, but what I want to highlight is that alongside their original mission, we have three men in reconstruction whose common point is not their past, but their attempt to live differently, in a form of unconscious redemption. Because behind the spy storyline, the series raises a simple but effective question: can one truly start over after a life of violence and secrets? These characters are not manichean and do not follow binary logic. They are not war machines, but human beings with strengths and weaknesses. Even love, directly or indirectly, gets involved. The three women around them are not decorative props either.

Indeed, these are strong, grounded and humane women who embody the present, stability, but also a moral and institutional gaze on these men returning from their former lives. Don’t expect a rom-com style romance here—it is more a stylistic device used to express the idea of existing or emerging romantic partnerships. One of the series’ greatest strengths is its ability to shift registers: it smoothly moves from action to comedy, from drama to “romance.” There are intense moments, but also lighter ones. The director, who can rely on works such as Squad 38 and Bad Guys: Vile City, handles this with fluid transitions, never abrupt. The famous “switch” in tone is well mastered, thanks to acting, editing, and music. Even the dialogues may seem simple or even absurd, but they often work through situational contrast, reinforcing the slightly surreal tone of the whole. What caught my attention is this very diverse gallery of characters, which creates an immediate and almost fusion-like chemistry. There is above all no downtime, which does not mean there are no calmer moments allowing us to connect with their lives.

The series subtly alternates between fights and conviviality, against a backdrop of political conspiracy, influence trafficking, and drugs. The action is clear and spectacular when needed. But as you already understood, the main strength of the drama lies in its cast, and in the way they are highlighted through solid and effective directing. I mentioned the trio of actors, but it would be unfair not to mention Kim Shin-Rok, Shin Dong-Mi, and Han Ji-Eun, who all bring something complementary. They also have long careers behind them. The atmosphere of the series is truly excellent; there is a strong feel-good spirit behind very serious stakes. The plot is simple and easy to follow, but the most important thing lies elsewhere, in relationships, group dynamics, and the reconstruction of broken lives. There are few notable twists, and the heroes are rarely in real danger, but honestly, that is not a problem. The director Han Dong-Hwa’s approach is to remain sober: action scenes have scale when needed, but there is no overuse of gratuitous violence or gore. Violence exists, but it is contained. I would never have expected such a drama to deliver so much emotion, because it is deeply human.

Fifties Professionals does not reinvent the wheel. But what makes the series stand out is its strong ensemble chemistry, its theme of redemption, and the right to happiness in a second life. This is easily accepted, because although the two agents had to kill as part of their institutional roles, the gangster, while he did “break faces,” never actually killed anyone. This is a drama about people trying to rebuild their lives without completely denying their past. The chosen format helps densify the narrative and avoids artificial filler. The only drawback—and truly the only criticism I can make—is that the ending feels rushed. It is a real shame. It is frustrating, because after taking such care in building its characters over twelve episodes, they deserved a proper moment of emotional breathing space before the credits. Five or ten extra minutes would have been enough to give more emotional weight to their farewells. They were truly endearing, and I would really love to see them again in other adventures because I thoroughly enjoyed them.

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Long despite 6 eps but fun

The story starts with a normal prof that seems to be hated by almost everyone, except his wife (at least at the beginning), who is so pessimistic, selfish and has so much hatred in him, and starts being interested by a student who has immaculate writing skills.

The story was a bit slow paced, but i couldn't let it down as the events got even more exciting, and i was curious to know what was going to happen at the end, and whether mr Heo was hallucinating and imagining this whole thing, or if the main motive of Lee kang dragging mr Heo into this whole thing was strong enough.

As for the final plot twist, so many might find it lame, or not convincing enough for Lee kang to ruin mr Heo's whole life, but seeing it from his pov from the flashback, he was someone hard to approach, like a closed shell that mr Heo managed to open, so this made him finally look up to an adult and maybe trust him enough to tell him about his parents that he was forever reluctant to tell anyone about, so for him at the end to realize that mr Heo, was just like the majority of people that he might have met throughout his childhood that were only selfish and not considerate enough of his sad story, that mr Heo called eventually as not exciting enough, which shattered Lee Kang's small heart back then, and made him go back to his shell again.

Overall the whole drama was interesting, the cinematography, the quality of the actors, the music... I loved it although i won't be watching again as i said it was slow paced, but still was an enjoyable one.

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TheFirstJasmine: Worth the Time, the Tears, and Every Emotion?

I went through a full range of emotions while watching Moli from frustration to tears to joy. In the end, it was absolutely worth it. I won’t make this too long😄 for me, Moli remains an almost perfect drama.
I do wish the chemistry between the two talented leads had been explored even more because their chemistry was truly incredible almost something you could feel through the screen.That said am still satisfied, especially because some scenes are left open to interpretation, which i really appreciated. The romance and overall relationship feel mature, except for the “almost divorce” storyline, which fortunately didn’t last long.
Kudos to the entire team this drama features a truly impressive cast of talented actors. Special mention to Cheng Lei and Bai Lu, who portrayed 'Ali and A'yao perfectly. i also appreciated that there wasn’t an unnecessary killing spree of characters, except perhaps for one… the princess (I won’t name her).
I highly recommend Moli, also known as The First Jasmine but if you don’t like slow-burn dramas, this might not be for you. As for me, it was absolutely worth the time and money spent.🔥♥️This is absolutely no doubt, going on my rewatch list

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Loved it except one thing...

I’m a 30‑year‑old woman, and when I first saw the trailer for *The First Jasmin*, I immediately knew I wanted to watch it. It looked intriguing, mysterious, and right up my alley. I also hadn’t watched a full drama with Bai Lu before, even though I really enjoy her personality from the variety shows and interviews I’ve seen. I like Cheng Lei as well—I first saw him in *How Dare You*—so I went into this drama with a lot of excitement.
Overall, I had no issues with the acting, story, or music. The only thing that genuinely disappointed me was the lack of romantic scenes between the two main leads. It felt like there was little to none, which was frustrating. I’m not sure if the original novel is the same way or if the drama was intentionally kept very PG, but as someone in her 30s who doesn’t need heavy censorship, it really took away from the experience.
What made it even more annoying is that both actors have done dramas with skinship and kissing scenes before, so it’s not like they’re against it. I truly hope they work together again in the future—and that next time, we get a lot more romance between them.

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desejo, conquista e traição

É difícil dizer minha opinião concreta sobre essa série, até meados do episódio nove parece que estou assistindo uma coisa, mas os episódios seguintes se transformam em algo completamente diferente. Não posso dizer que o rumo que essa série tomou era algo que eu esperava.
Tudo começa pra mim como um jogo do Fan Xiao, que vai se tranformando em um desejo intenso em relação ao Shu Lang. A relação deles é péssima devido a identidade manipuladora do Fan Xiao, mas ao passar pra fase do namoro, eu imaginei que o Fan buscaria mudar em relação ao Shu Lang. Porém, aconteceu o completo oposto e foram vários episódios de quebra na relação deles de uma forma tão grande que imaginei que não teria concerto.
Apesar de preços serem pagos e o relacionamento restabelecido, pra mim faltou mostrar mais o pós dessa fase. Também acho o personagem do Fan Xiao muito complexo e nem sempre de uma forma boa, as vezes sinto que faltou deixar mais claro pro expectador o que ele estava realmente pensando.

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My School President: "It's a trap!"

I sat down to watch "My School President" as a light, entertaining palate cleanser between more serious BLs, and as surprisingly high-quality fluff, it worked beautifully. The high school setting, the band, the great music, the broad comedy, the sound effects, the adorbs versus the dorks all worked together to create a surprisingly well-thought out, well-written, well-acted, cohesive series that was light entertainment at its best.

I was fully, happily, unguardedly charmed, but then, it introduced … issues. Sincere, genuine, mature issues that work within the world the series creates: the difficulty of some parents coming to grips with having a Gay child, the ever present threat of homophobic violence, a couple trying to decide how to come out to their friends, how a Gay couple establishes a relationship with each others’ parents, the clash of people coming together from two vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, the importance of friendship, and more, and I am left with a new understanding: fluff can be important.

Conflict is often introduced in BL as an excuse for writers running out of ideas. Instead of furthering character or plot, conflict therefore often serves as filler. This “conflict for conflict’s sake” is so common that BL fans even have a term for it, the “Episode 11 Curse.”

That is almost never the case in "My School President." Tinn's mother (Pim Pympan) hesitates because of genuine concern for a Gay child in a homophobic world (not a cartoonish knee-jerk rejection) and she gradually grows in her understanding and acceptance. And yet, the introduction of a homophobic character proved her concerns were not only valid but unfortunately relevant to the real world -  the world beyond the protective, sheltering BL bubble.

The Episode 11 Curse still occurs, however, in, yes, Episode 11. The conflict is relatively minor, but that’s not the problem. Rather, almost all of Episode 11 is filler. It could have been cut by 3/4 and still made its points. Once again, writers seem to approach a series’ end, run out of ideas, and tread water until Episode 12. To their credit, however, the writers did not introduce shock value and kept the padding within the tone already established by the series. It may have been boring and unnecessary, but it wasn’t a tonal whiplash.

The fact that I remained invested even during a slow section is due largely to an outstanding performance by Fourth, who anchors - no, carries, almost singlehandedly - the entire series. Acting since he was a child and with GMMTV since he was 15, Fourth brought a grounded naturalness, a mature professionalism, energy, and a sense of being fully present in every scene despite the fact that he was only 17 when filming started. His group of close friends (the adorbs) complement the high-energy joy Fourth brings to the series.

In contrast are the student council members (the dorks), led by Gemini, who are more tightly-wound. The dorks include some well-known GMMTV stars, such as Mark Pakin (outstanding in both "Moonlight Chicken" and "Only Friends") and Aun ("Only Boo!," "Perfect 10 Liners"). The high-personality supporting actors are needed to balance Gemini’s woodenness.

I first saw Gemini in "Moonlight Chicken," where he played a withdrawn hearing-impaired teenager being gently introduced to the larger world by his sensitive and caring new friend, played by Fourth. Being hearing-impaired can impose its own special kind of isolation, leading sometimes to a noticeable decrease in the outward expression of emotion (low affect). When Gemini displayed a limited emotional range, I therefore thought he was in character. After seeing him now in three series playing three different characters, each of whom had contained emotions, I’m no longer so sure.

Whatever the source of Gemini’s controlled performance - character choice or natural register - Fourth more than just compensates for it; he transforms it into something that works. Gemini and Fourth together are truly more than the sum of their parts.

The overwhelming reaction to "My School President" was that it was an exceptional example of BL fluff at its best, and it certainly is, but that, I think missed the point. My School President proved that sheer fun and social meaning do not have to be mutually exclusive. As entertaining as it is, it carries an important, mature message exemplified by Mark’s question to Fourth, "Why can’t people be as kind as the series we watch?” That question lingers with me.

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A nostalgic Jeju love story about first love, growth and quiet resilience

When Life Gives You Tangerines captures such a beautiful Jeju and 90s aesthetic that immediately pulls you into a world of soft nostalgia and first love. There is something warm yet quietly heartbreaking about the way the story unfolds, like you are watching memories being lived rather than just a drama.

The relationship between Ae-sun and Gwan-sik is the heart of everything. Ae-sun is incredibly strong in the way she always stands up for Gwan-sik, even when life keeps testing them, and Gwan-sik truly feels like a green forest of a person, steady, grounding and quietly devoted in a way that doesn’t need many words.

Episode 6, Life Goes On and On, completely broke me. It felt so real and heavy in the way it showed that life continues no matter what, even through pain, loss and change. It stayed with me long after it ended.

Overall, it is a deeply emotional drama about love, endurance and growing up, wrapped in a soft nostalgic atmosphere that feels both comforting and heartbreaking at the same time. It also made me cherish my loved ones even more and appreciate the small moments with them that we often take for granted.

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A Story That Trusted Me

I don’t write reviews immediately after finishing a drama. I need time to process what I watched. But this is one of those rare dramas that I knew I wanted to write about the moment the credits rolled.

This is not a conventional romance. It is not a conventional political drama. It is not even structured in a conventional way.

The story unfolds through layers rather than a straight line. The past and present constantly weave together, asking the audience to pay attention instead of simply waiting for the next exposition dump. I was continually asking myself: Who did this? When did it happen? Is this connected to the current timeline or to the events eight years ago? Instead of frustrating me, it pulled me deeper into the story. The writers trusted the audience to assemble the puzzle, and that trust paid off beautifully.

The romance is one of the most mature I have seen in a historical drama.

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li don’t fall in love because the plot says it’s time. They become each other’s refuge through shared grief, loyalty, respect, and healing. Their marriage begins in Episode 1, yet physical intimacy is almost irrelevant. Watching their relationship grow through quiet moments, unwavering support, and genuine understanding was far more satisfying than grand declarations ever could have been.

The political intrigue is equally impressive.

Every decision has consequences years later. Small details that seem insignificant early on become central pieces of the larger picture. By the final episodes, I realized just how carefully everything had been constructed. Nothing important felt random.

The acting deserves enormous praise.

Bai Lu delivers one of the strongest performances I’ve seen from her. Ye Li is extraordinarily competent, but underneath that competence is unimaginable grief. The gradual revelation of what she endured completely recontextualizes her behavior throughout the series. Watching those pieces fall into place was heartbreaking.

Cheng Lei gives Mo Xiuyao tremendous dignity and restraint. His performance is built on subtle changes rather than dramatic speeches. You watch a man who has spent years believing he no longer deserves happiness slowly return to life. His transformation feels earned every step of the way.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Even characters I disagreed with rarely felt one-dimensional. Prince Li, in particular, became far more tragic than I initially expected. His story is not simply about unrequited love but about a man trying to reclaim an entire life that history stole from him.

One scene near the end will stay with me for a long time. Ye Li returns to Lishan Mountain after we finally learn the truth of what happened there. The emotional weight of that revelation reframes everything that came before it. By the time the mountain opens once again to new scholars, the story has moved beyond revenge into something much deeper: healing, remembrance, and choosing to build a future without forgetting the past.

Very few dramas genuinely surprise me anymore.

This one did.

It surprised me with its structure, with its emotional restraint, with its confidence, and with its willingness to let its audience think.

This is unquestionably one of the finest historical dramas I’ve seen and it unquestionably earns a place among my highest recommendations.

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She Wasn’t Broken. She Was Holding the World Together with Her Bare Hands

Historical dramas love giving their female leads tragic backstories. A dead parent here, a betrayal there maybe a few episodes of crying into a pillow before she “gets over it” and the plot moves on to the romance everyone actually tuned in for. The First Jasmine does not do this. It refuses to do this, and that refusal is the whole reason this drama stayed with me.

What gets me is how the show treats Ye Li’s pain. It doesn’t play her composure as denial. It plays it as discipline, as a woman making an active, conscious choice, again and again to carry her grief privately so it doesn’t get in the way of what she has to do. Standing calm at the funeral of the grandmother who murdered her own mother isn’t a woman who’s “lost it.” It’s a woman who has decided, on her own terms, exactly how much of herself the world is allowed to see. That is not weakness. That’s armour she built alone with no one’s help because no one ever offered.

And here’s the part that really won me over. Even while carrying all of that, even while fractured, even while lonely in a way most of the people around her couldn’t begin to imagine, she still got up and did what needed to be done. She tracked down the men who destroyed Lishan and orchestrated their downfalls one by one, patiently, using their own pride and greed against them until they walked themselves into the trap. She helped heal her husband’s legs when the royal physicians had given up. She rebuilt a household that was falling apart around her. None of it came from anyone holding her hand through it. It came from her own intelligence, her own will, dragging herself forward one task at a time even while unraveling underneath. That’s the part of her character that feels the most real to me. She didn’t need to be whole to be capable.

And then, just when she lets that armour down, just when her husband finally earns enough trust that she’s willing to believe she doesn’t need to carry it alone anymore, he hands her divorce papers. Not out of cruelty exactly but out of his own wounded pride misreading her devotion as obligation. He doesn’t realise that the one promise she actually believed was that she wouldn’t have to go back to being alone. And the moment he breaks that, even unintentionally, she fractures further than before, because now even the version of “alone” she’d survived once already feels unbearable a second time with someone she trusted standing right there.

That’s not a romance plot device. That’s what happens to women, to people, who are taught that being needed is conditional that their pain is only acceptable as long as it doesn’t inconvenience anyone else’s feelings.

Ye Li isn’t a woman who needed fixing. She’s a woman who needed someone to finally stay.


This drama understood the difference and so did I, watching it.

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Started Strong, Lost Its Spark

It was really good... until it wasn't.

The show actually started off so strong. I was hooked from the beginning—the story was fun, the pacing was great, and who doesn't love a yearning male lead? The chemistry was there, and I genuinely thought this was going to be one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, the last 5–6 episodes completely lost me. They weren't necessarily bad, but they became so boring that I genuinely struggled to finish them. The writing feels very inconsistent. One moment it's engaging, and the next it's falling back on the same overused K-drama tropes we've seen a hundred times before. Nothing really felt fresh.

What disappointed me the most was the romance. It had so much spark at the beginning, but somewhere along the way it just fizzled out. It felt like the characters kept going in circles—every time they made progress, they'd have another misunderstanding and end up right back where they started. They never seemed to communicate properly, and after a while it just became repetitive instead of emotional.

The show had so much potential, especially with the reincarnation storyline, but it barely scratched the surface. They could've explored it in a much deeper and more meaningful way, but instead it felt underdeveloped. The characters also had so much potential to be incredibly well written, but the execution just didn't live up to it.

One thing I will give it credit for is the editing and overall production—it looks great, and some scenes are genuinely beautiful. Sadly, good editing can't make up for weak writing.

Overall, it's an easy watch and not overly complicated, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. It starts off incredibly promising, but the second half really drags, and the ending feels rushed. It's one of those dramas that had all the ingredients to be great but ultimately missed the mark.

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