Serendipity, Coincidence, and Chaos — It All Worked
I guessed the whodunnit the first time the person was introduced and I ended up being right. But it didn't spoil the fun for me. For this watch, it was about the dry, deadpan humor. Though I have to say I wish it only ran 14-16 episodes. The absurdism was awesome, but it started to feel a bit dragged out or repetitive for me once I hit episodes 15-16. And once that happened, the comedy started to lose some of its punch.But overall, I enjoyed this watch. The villains couldn't villain, everything was based on serendipity and coincidence, and the offbeat plot choices and characters made me laugh.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute and comfortable romance....but not enough time to go deep on other issues
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75 (coz I want something simple)Objective Rating: 7.0-7.5
“Dream to You” suffers from trying to do too much with only 12 episodes. However, if you are looking for something fast-paced, easy and cute, then this could be a very enjoyable watch. Even if you run to the kitchen to get a snack, you can come back and not miss anything important.
Having said that, I was looking for something light and easy in between my other dramas. The leads have decent chemistry and I like the two actors. I think they did a respectable job. I did laugh out loud at a few scenes and grinned like a silly girl when I saw Hwang In Youp’s smile. Their dynamic is fun and the romance is pretty fun for the most part. As characters, I like Ju I Jae (FL) and Woo Su Bin (ML). It did take a few episodes to get into I Jae’s personality but I have grown to really like her. She shines brightly despite all that she went through. When you are used to eating carrots despite not liking them, life has taken a toll on you, even when you have the choice to not eat carrots anymore. I like her strength, her tenacity and continued persistence to achieve her dream. Woo Su Bin has his ups and downs as a love interest. He comes on so strong that at times feels selfish (but not in a mean way). He’s grown throughout this relationship. One thing I really like is that both of them can act silly and childish with each other, but remain very professional at work.
However, as I mentioned, this drama is trying to do too much. It touches on a few important issues, such as family relations/dynamics, birth secrets, industry manipulation, abuse and assault, illness. Each of these really deserves more attention and development. There’s just not enough time for all of that. Additionally, you try to cram 3 romantic pairs in this drama, and something has got to give.
The secondary couple is cute but I wanted more. At least their professions allow them to explore romance a little further, but still not enough. The third couple could have potential in a more adult relationship. But then end up being an afterthought with bare minimal screen time. The dating reality show could be a great tool to develop the romance, but, of course we have no time for that.
I would only recommend it if you are looking for a drama to pass time and a quick watch. If you are a romance lover and only focus on the main romance, it might satisfy you. Fans of the leads should watch this as they are both lovable and cute and good-looking, while acting and chemistry aren’t bad. But if you are looking for a well-written and well-developed storyline, you might be disappointed. Based on my enjoyment level and that it satisfies what I am looking for, it deserves a 7.75. But judging objectively on the drama itself, probably a 7.0-7.5
Drama Completed: 8/22/2026 Review #716
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm mad at myself for watching 9 episodes
Tharn puts up with so much crap from Type and for what? Type is an asshole. He never stops being an asshole. He's a homophobe who ends up in a gay relationship with his gay roommate and still hates gays. I stopped watching in the middle of Episode 9 because I lost hope this show could redeem itself. Type hasn't learned anything at this point. He hasn't become a better boyfriend or, for that matter, a better human. Why do people put up with his shitty behavior? I mean, maybe, in the next episodes, he suddenly has an AH-HA moment where he realizes he's selfish, toxic, mean jerkface, but I doubt it. At this point, I don't care. I can't with these people.Was this review helpful to you?
Thank you boy’s planet for yet another bl actor ?
Bl in bl is genius. And each one of them is written perfectly. The chemistry, acting, visuals all are there.And our baby Ollie wonka, never would have thought he could pull something like that. Honestly, I’m glad he did make it as an idol, he is great in acting, hope he is happy too. He really became a beautiful young man.
Was this review helpful to you?
I am bleeding through my eyes
To hell with story .. I can't get over with the first 25 minutes of first episode.. I picked this drama for yy and cause the FL looks a lot like my childhood classmate ... but she and the bob cut girl acted so horrible...my god the cringe ... I was literally sitting in front my screen with this face 👇👇👇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣤⣤⣶⠶⠶⣶⣤⣤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⠾⠛⠉⠀⢠⣾⣴⡾⠛⠻⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⢶⣶⣶⣿⣁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⠏⢀⣤⣶⣌⠻⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣴⡟⠁⢉⣙⣿⣦⡀⠀⢸⡏⣴⠟⢡⣶⣿⣧⡹⣷⡀⠀⠀
⠀⣼⠏⢀⣾⠟⠛⠛⠻⣿⡆⠀⠀⢿⣄⠀⠙⠉⠹⣷⡸⣷⠀⠀
⢠⣿⠀⢸⡿⢿⠇⠀⠀⣾⠇⠀⣀⣈⠻⢷⣤⣤⣤⡾⠃⢹⣇⠀
⢸⣿⠀⢸⣧⣀⣀⣠⣾⢋⣴⢿⣿⡛⠻⣶⣤⣉⠁⠀⠀⠀⣿⠀
⠈⣿⠀⠀⠙⠛⠛⠋⠁⣼⣯⣀⣿⠿⠶⠟⠉⠛⢷⣄⠀⠀⣿⡇
⠀⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡏⠉⠁⠀⠀⢀⣴⢶⣄⢻⡇⠀⢸⡇
⠀⢻⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⡿⢀⣀⢠⣾⠷⣾⣧⡶⠿⠟⠁⠀⣾⡇
⠀⠈⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣷⠟⢻⣿⣷⡾⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣿⠀
⠀⠀⢹⣿⢻⣦⡀⠉⠛⠛⠛⠛⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⠏⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠛⠀⠈⠻⠷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠟⠀⠀
Seriously just watch their conversation in scooter ride scene.. my cat acts better, that too using her rear face ; than those two actresses taken together.
chinese casting directors seem to have no judgement of acting talent they take literally anyone as Lead .. how pathetic.
Was this review helpful to you?
Extremely funny in places but boy was it a long & drawn out slow burn to marriage
In a nutshell, this is the story of two people, love at first sight and the loooooong and drawn out road to their happy ever after admidst a palace with more intrigue than an episode of Traitors with Claudia Winkleman..There’s lots to like about this drama :
*. The production values are excellent, the acting and actors were really believable and had great chemistry and there are an absolute wealth of fabulously funny scenes..
*. The plot twists and turns - at one point there were 3 men vying for the FL’s attention, 4 or was it 5 wedding proposals, sleazy/ shady characters, bad guys that changed allegiance as often as I change my socks and an adorable family who made the FL their personal saviour - made much of this drama eminently watchable.
*. The bad guys got their just rewards, justice was served and not a single good guy was sacrificed to the gods of shock value.
The not so good bits:
*. The story line was so long and drawn out that I was beginning to lose the plot and all based on the ‘will they won’t they’ and ‘this could be the last time we ever see each other’ trope said in various guises AT LEAST 3 times
*. The number of characters that suddenly changed their personalities over night, especially towards the end was ridiculous and frankly unbelievable and the phrase ‘well I never saw that coming’ was something I thought to myself - but not in a good way.
Would I watch it again?
Definitely not, however, if you’re looking for something light hearted with little brain strain then this could be right up your alley.
Was this review helpful to you?
Strongberry outdid themselves with this one
It was surprisingly good. I don't know if it's due to it being from 2017 or why, but I didn't have that high of expectations. Yet I'm so happy that I gave it a chance. Because whatever expectations I did have were definitely exceeded.Things I liked:
1. Really good acting.
2. The ending. That was incredibly satisfying.
3. Entertaining plot. It definitely had me hooked and invested throughout the whole movie.
4. Fighting. I'm not a professional, nor do I watch much action movies/series, so I'm not the one to judge, but from what I've seen, I want to say that the fighting scenes looked pretty good and realistic(?).
Things I disliked:
1. The length. I genuinely wish it would've been a bit longer. They really deserved more screen time.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Ghosts Were Never the Real Story
As Spooky in Love comes to its finale, it stands out as one of the most entertaining supernatural romance dramas of the year. Blending romance, mystery, comedy, horror, and crime investigation, it delivers a compelling story that is equal parts heartfelt and intriguing. While it may not reach the heights of the genre's all-time greats, it succeeds by creating memorable characters, a strong central romance, and an emotionally satisfying journey.At its core, it is a story about loneliness, healing, justice, and the courage to let someone truly see you. The supernatural elements provide the hook, but the emotional relationships are what ultimately make the drama resonate. The series does an admirable job balancing multiple genres. It can be funny, suspenseful, romantic, heartbreaking, and occasionally creepy all within the same episode. While the mystery cases and ghost stories keep the plot moving, the emotional growth of the characters remains the true heart of the drama. More than anything, the series succeeds because of its leads. The connection between Cheon Yeo-ri and Ma Gang-uk feels natural and mature, making it easy for viewers to become invested in their journey.
Cheon Yeo-ri is arguably the most compelling character in the series. Despite her wealth, beauty, and success, she is deeply lonely. Her ability to see ghosts has forced her into years of isolation and emotional self-protection. Park Eun-bin delivers another exceptional performance. She captures Yeo-ri's loneliness, fear, strength, and warmth with remarkable subtlety. Much of the character's emotional journey relies on small moments and expressions, and Park handles them effortlessly. The role once again showcases her versatility as an actress, balancing comedy, romance, sorrow, and supernatural suspense without ever feeling out of place. Her greatest character arc is learning that vulnerability is not weakness and that accepting help from others does not make her a burden. Watching her slowly emerge from loneliness and rediscover trust is one of the drama's most rewarding aspects.
Ma Gang-uk served as the perfect counterpart to Yeo-ri. Intelligent, compassionate, and fiercely dedicated to justice, he never tries to change who she is. Instead, he accepts her circumstances and supports her growth. His emotional maturity sets him apart from many typical romantic drama heroes. He offers stability without being controlling and support without becoming overbearing, making him one of the most likable male leads in recent memory. Yang Se-jong brings sincerity and charm to Gang-uk. His performance gives the character a grounded warmth that makes the romance believable and emotionally satisfying. His chemistry with Park Eun-bin is one of the strongest aspects of the entire drama and carries many of the show's most memorable scenes.
Kang Min-hwan provided much of the drama's conflict and tension. Ambitious, calculating, and eager to prove himself, he serves as a strong foil to Gang-uk's integrity. While not the most complex antagonist ever written, he adds enough pressure to the story to keep the stakes high and the conflicts engaging. Ong Seong-wu effectively portrays a character who is both frustrating and compelling. He gives Min-hwan enough humanity to prevent him from becoming a one-dimensional villain while still making me want to root for him at times.
I am a stickler for finding a message in every drama I watch, and to me the central message of this one is that our deepest wounds do not make us unworthy of love. Throughout the series, Yeo-ri believes her ability and the pain it has caused make genuine connection impossible. Through her relationship with Gang-uk, she learns that acceptance and understanding are possible even in the face of our greatest fears. I particularly admired how this drama emphasized the healing power of love and trust, the importance of confronting trauma instead of hiding from it, standing up for justice regardless of personal risk, finding companionship in moments of darkness, and most importantly, letting go of guilt and embracing hope. To me, the ghosts often symbolized unresolved pain, regret, or injustice, reinforcing the idea that healing can only begin when problems are confronted rather than avoided.
Without a doubt, the drama's strengths lie in the leads' outstanding chemistry and the excellent performances of Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong. Add to that the unique blend of romance, mystery, fantasy, and crime investigation; the strong emotional character development; the memorable, often touching, ghost-centered cases; the satisfying balance of heartwarming and suspenseful moments; and, finally, the mature romantic relationship built on trust, patience, and acceptance.
That said, no drama is perfect, and Spooky in Love does have a few shortcomings that keep it from reaching masterpiece status. For me, the biggest issue is an identity problem. The series begins as a fascinating supernatural romance centered on a woman haunted by ghosts and burdened by an extraordinary ability. The early episodes lean heavily into the paranormal mystery, creating a distinctive atmosphere that sets the drama apart. However, as the story progresses, the focus gradually shifts toward romance, corporate intrigue, and crime investigation. While these elements remain entertaining, the supernatural aspects that initially made the drama feel unique became increasingly sidelined.
Ironically, the drama's greatest strength is also what contributes to this weakness. The chemistry between Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong is so compelling that the romance naturally becomes the centerpiece of the story. While that romance is unquestionably the show's strongest asset, it occasionally comes at the expense of further exploring Yeo-ri's ghostly world and the mythology surrounding her abilities. Their relationship is engaging enough to carry the series through its shortcomings, but by the finale, I still felt there was untapped potential in the supernatural side of the story.
Additionally, some supporting conflicts and antagonists are not as memorable or as fully developed as the central characters. While they serve their narrative purpose, few leave the same lasting impact as Yeo-ri and Gang-uk. The drama's shorter episode count also means that certain subplots and character arcs move rather quickly. The pacing generally worked in the show's favor by avoiding unnecessary filler, but there were moments where additional development would have strengthened the emotional payoff. Ultimately, these issues never derail the series, but rather create the sense that Spooky in Love falls just short of greatness. It remains a very good drama, but one can't help but wonder what it might have achieved had it fully embraced the supernatural foundation it established so effectively in its opening episodes.
That said, I fully understand that this drama is less about ghosts than it is about people. The supernatural mysteries provide the framework, but the real story is about two lonely individuals finding comfort, understanding, and love in each other. What elevates the drama above a standard romance is its emotional sincerity. The relationship between Yeo-ri and Gang-uk feels earned, the performances are consistently strong, and the story delivers a hopeful message about healing and acceptance. While it may not fully realize the potential of its supernatural premise, Spooky in Love succeeds where it matters most: creating characters worth caring about and a love story worth rooting for. As the curtain closes on this entertaining drama, I am left with a heartfelt reminder that even those haunted by their past deserve happiness, understanding, and a chance to be loved.
My final rating is 9/10 because Spooky in Love is a charming, emotionally resonant supernatural romance with excellent performances, a memorable central couple, and just enough mystery and fantasy to keep you invested until the very end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Haven't seen such good chemistry in forever
Off the charts chemistry and the gangster lead is an exceptionally beautiful man. I also liked the historical aspect of 80s HongKong.Plot was great in the first part, when it was focused on the main leads, but the involvement of the second "couple" made it draggy and they are both annoying AF.
And it better have a second season after that ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So far a winner with classic drama vibes
This really gives off classic /retro drama vibes in all the best ways. I Have seen 8 episodes so far & am hoping that the rest of this drama does it justice as so far it's really checking most of the boxes of what I consider a great drama.That said, I'm not into "ghosty/horror" themes, so my rating will fall short of perfect for that reason.
Initially, reminds me a bit of The Master's sun & 2011 drama Spellbound, but it's better than either. (so far)
It's refreshing that they have the leads be more equal, more partners-having each other's back. She saves him he saves her, she fights off bad guys & so does he. Finally a drama where the romantic leads show team work. !
Depending on your personal taste, some might find the male lead to be less attractive/pretty than the second male lead...but that is yet another mark in this drama's favor as the male lead has many charms & doesn't need to rely just on his looks.
It's unusual to have 2 good likeable lead characters!!!
I'm so happy that they let the male lead be good at things instead of being just a character that stands back & let's the female lead take control & be the hero every single time!
fingers crossed for the rest of the drama!
***************Spoilers*****
That a guy is killed by a very small clay pot, was ridiculous. the female lead's cousin is scary thin
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It had it's flaws but was beautiful
This one was a really sweet and cute watch. Although people kept complaining about the kiss. I really don't think the kiss scenes were bad. The actors had great chemistry and the kiss scenes were fine for a KBL. Let's not be pervs and expect Thai BL kinda kiss everywhere🙄. But yeah for some reason the moment they kiss the camera angles start going all weird and fast making the whole scene look weird compared to the whole drama.This couple kinda reminds me of kristsingto and ohmnanon cz there wasn't any typical seme uke indication here. From the height I Hyeon seemed like the seme but action wise jae on seemed like the seme... i am kinda leaning towards Jae on being the seme ngl. So yeah this is my 1st time seeing this in a KBL. Usually they make it obvious.
They also made sure to add real ost for this series eventhough it's a short drama which I've not seen before in short dramas. Usually they just have random bgm
The reason for a 9 is cz i felt lot of things were kinda left unanswered. Like why was the new actor working with the lawyer? What would happen when I Hyeon knows what the lawyer tried to do? How does the 2nd couple's relationship progress etc.. probably season 2???? Idk
But yeah i liked it
Was this review helpful to you?
Li Lianhua Has My Heart
It has been a while since I have watched a drama without the urge to fast-forward. I was completely invested from beginning to end.I fell in love with Li Xiangyi, the fallen hero and I wished I could have his life as Li Lianhua, roaming around the jianghu freely in that Lotus tower and getting into all sorts of adventures.
I thought Fang Xiaobao was such a loyal cutie pie! His scenes and dialogues with Li Lianhua were my favourites.
And I don’t know why I was giggling like a little girl every time Di Feisheng appeared on screen, insisting on fighting Li Xiangyi 😉 Their dynamic was just so entertaining.
Oh, it was wonderful. I’m genuinely sad that I have finished watching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Decent but Slow and Repetitive Story.
I went into *Agent Kim* thinking it was going to be a great revenge story about an ex spy (basically Korean John Wick). And honestly, the essence of that story is there. His daughter gets kidnapped, and he goes on a rampage trying to find her.But that's where the story starts to feel really repetitive.
First, his daughter is dead... then she's not dead... then she's dead again... and then she's not. I understand that in reality you wouldn't necessarily know whether someone was alive or dead, but after a while it starts feeling like the story is just going in circles.
Which brings me to another thing: why don't they kill any of these people?
I mean, if your kid had been kidnapped by MULTIPLE gangs, you'd think Kim, Park Jin Cheol, and Seong Han Su would eventually start permanently taking these people out. But no — they keep leaving them alive, only for the same people to come back and cause more problems. The biggest example is Kang Guk Cheol, the SMD Director. Seong Han Su literally pulls him out of the water so he doesn't drown... and then just ONE HOUR later, he's kidnapping the girl again. Like, come on! That entire situation could have been avoided if he had just left him in the water.
I can somewhat understand not killing the SMD officials though because they're government officials, but when it comes to the gangs — people who have already committed some seriously terrible acts — it always comes down to a quick fistfight, they beat them up, and then just leave them alive. Maye that's just how the story is written, but it made the whole thing feel unnecessarily repetitive. The revenge aspect had a lot of potential, and the "Korean John Wick" vibe is definitely there, but I kept finding myself thinking, "Why are you letting this guy live when he's obviously going to come back and do the exact same thing again?" Overall, I think the story had a really good premise, but the constant back-and-forth of people being "dead," coming back, getting captured again, escaping again, etc. really started to wear me down.
Next, the casting. I honestly think they were perfect for their roles.
So Ji Sub fits the quiet assassin role perfectly, and bro is JACKED in this movie. His voice is genuinely chilling in some scenes, and he gives off the perfect "father turned professional assassin" vibe. He really sells that character. Yoon Kyung Ho is always one of my favorite comedic relief actors, and I never really find his scenes to be too over-the-top. I think they match his personality and acting style perfectly, and honestly, every scene with him is GOLD in anything! Joo Sang Wook, for one, easily did the most fighting in this movie. Bro kept getting left behind to fight entire mobs of guys in basically every fight scene. But besides that, he's both serious and comedic, which makes the trio work really well. It's almost like So Ji Sub is the serious one, Yoon Kyung Ho is the comedy, and Joo Sang Wook is perfectly balanced between the two. I honestly think the casting was one of the strongest parts of the movie easily.
Now, quickly, the soundtrack and music. I really liked the music in this show, honestly. The intro and outro were instantly added to my YouTube playlist after I heard them in the second episode! They fit the show really well and are definitely some of the more memorable parts of it for me.
Overall, *Agent Kim* was somewhere between decent and okay for me. It had a really solid premise, and there were definitely parts I enjoyed, especially the casting, soundtrack. So Ji Sub absolutely fits the role, along side the other main cast, the supporting cast works really well together, and the intro/outro songs are probably going to stick with me longer than some parts of the actual story My biggest issue was the repetitive story. The constant back-and-forth with Kim's daughter being dead, then alive, then dead again, along with the villains repeatedly being left alive just to come back and cause more problems, really started to drag the experience down for me I don't regret watching it, but I also don't think it's something I'd rush to watch again. The rewatch value is pretty low for me because once you know how everything plays out, I don't think there is enough there to make me want to go through the same cycle again.
I'd say *Agent Kim* is worth a watch if you like action, revenge stories, or So Ji Sub, but for me, it's probably a one-and-done. Decent enough to enjoy, but not quite good enough to make me want to come back for another round.
Was this review helpful to you?
Finally some grown ups!
It was great watching actors my age telling a story that wasn't just teen romance, young love, or old flames reconnecting. It felt mature, funny, and real. The chemistry is brilliant, the story is interesting, and the daily stresses are relatable, i really recommend watching this series for a lighthearted break from reality.Was this review helpful to you?
A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills' Dream
1 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
beautifully made but only worthy of watching once.
content warning: mentions of several deaths and suicide.this drama has me heavily conflicted. i have been anticipating this so strongly and for weeks. i was giddy and overwhelmed with excitement to watch this piece of work [even more than with payback, prosecutor's proposal, & deep in]. i watched the first twelve episodes as soon as i possibly could yesterday and stopped in the dead of the morning to sleep.
i loved almost all of the scenes with changyang & qinglang. their chemistry was solid. i loved when they would play around with each other. i loved the way they whispered to each other. their intimacy was fairly solid too. their early scenes felt so genuine, natural, and fluid. unfortunately for me, i had spoiled myself and watched all of their kisses before i watched the piece of work itself [unknowingly]. the former is a testament to how committed i was to this BL before i saw it. i will talk about some of the issues i observed in the following paragraphs. i wanted to end this one with saying my critiques mostly start with the story as soon as changyang departs for hunter school.
you can tell that the creator and staff that made this story come alive truly care about the delivery and execution of this work. however, the story started to fall apart when changyang left. changyang's ambition can make sense to most but it felt random. he was in the mountains for eight years then all of sudden he falls in love then needs to leave right then? we never even got to witness his time in school which felt like a bad decision. his absence was felt and it was void-feeling without him being on screen for a majority of the work. one could surmise that the homophobia and societal / familial expectations exacerbated his leave but it was wack and traumatizing to watch. if china is actually still this antiquated then i feel strongly for the victims of these prejudices alive today. it was actually sickening to see how much homophobia was made a pillar in this story.
i am bewildered by other things as well. sister lan dying was slightly questionable for me but could be more easily accepted comparatively. i was glad that she did not fully disappear from the viewer once she died. she deserved to live. she clearly was an incredible character / person. almost every speech she gave made me cry.
qingtian's death, i still cannot get over. i am beside myself about it because it was nonsensical. i think from a presumptive view one can conclude what the events surrounding and leading up to his death meant but i do not want to guess ! changyang alluded that qingtian intentionally died or commit suicide. i think suicidal ideation is a normal response to loved ones dying but the way it happened was ??? he decides to run off to find the ghost flower, heavy fog randomly appears out of nowhere, then he is lost immediately. the only thing left of him were his shoe and the tool. what??? the sequence of this event was poorly executed, in my opinion. he is then basically never mentioned again especially compared to lan. only his mother and grandmother seem to actually be grieving [i understand grief is different for everyone]. grief is probably why qingtian made the decision he made. however, who can say? did he commit suicide or did he die to the elements?
shi yuhao's death does not make any sense at all to me. not at the time he decided to commit suicide. he did it on the anniversary of lan's accident which is wild. why did he do it? why then? why at all? why did he all of sudden become decent after all the torment, blackmail, coercion, and criminal behavior prior? was it because he managed the comeback so all of a sudden he had a conscious? nonsense. his character pissed me off so his actor did well.
i nearly despise the second main leads. their presences always set me off, internally. i liked them a lot prior to hao yu flipping the script on han lu after they were caught kissing by their show's production team. after that, their relationship was nothing but sloppy, toxic, and dysfunctional garbage. they never spoke about their feelings nor addressed prior obstacles. they never even verbally committed but were somehow boyfriends? they pissed me off every time they came on screen.
wenshu and qingtian were a different story for me. i wanted more of them. i could not understand the pacing of their relationship development. it seemed clear that they were being setup to be together so why did that not happen and instead we got what we got instead? i understand qingtian was still emotionally invested in his formerly actively living partner so i do not get why we got introduced to these two instead, in that way. wenshu then is written to completely disappear from the audience after qingtian's character conclusion. i think there was huge missed opportunity with these two due to bad writing.
there were almost no small production errors like i have noticed in other chinese BL. the cinematography was basically flawless; truly an incredible watch just from this point of view. there were only extremely questionable decisions made like with the punching sound effects, changyang / wenshu deciding to assault that random leech [whom we never see again after wenshu's visit / attack], and others i will mention throughout this review.
i personally do not care for how chinese dramas or BL are filmed. this piece of work was captured a lot more fluidly until changyang left. then it was just timeskips and random events pasted together one after the other just like in bittersweet love. i actually hate this stylistic choice. it makes tracking the story very difficult. at the end, it was said that FIVE YEARS had passed. i presume since the beginning of the show. who would know that prior to it being stated? that is unbelievably amount of time that elapsed. qinglang waited something like two years for changyang? or did he actually wait five years? that is deeply deeply deeply upsetting especially considering leads in BL are always written to be the worst communicators. real relationships cannot survive these kinds of conditions but i get this is fiction.
i have questions. why did the feng brother's mother just decide to leave the family and become a monk? why was changyang's father suddenly and randomly in prison? what happened to that random predator investor? who was the random disabled person who came back into changyang's place? i mean why him? why did changyang take an extended time to return? why did they suddenly "get married" with no proposal shown to viewers? why was their last kiss off? what even is hunter school? what was the point of that endeavor anyway? any good story would not leaving viewers with multiple questions.
in all, because of the second main leads, the storyline without changyang, and the false setup of wenshu + qingtian, i would probably never rewatch this. i find that so unfortunate because this drama was stunning and not lacking intricacies. apart from the cinematography + changyang / qinglang, this BL dropped the ball. however, i still rate it highly despite these gaps and the AI promotion, which was disgusting. objectively, the rating is probably several points lower.
Was this review helpful to you?
1



