Reviews

I was aware of what I was watching but woooow the incestous mom got me so angry and how everyone was acting like she was just annoying. Neen got some patience because I could never. And by Incestous I mean she act so jealous and take her daughter responsible for her feelings and treat her daughter's wife as a threat, which is an incestous climate (+ she litteraly tried to listen to her daughter and wife in their bed???). Her husband also got on my nerves, like you see how your wife ruine your daughter life but you're not doing anything???

Neen was here to serve cunt and she did, the best character of this serie. I loved her so much.

All the cast did an amazing job. It wasn't enjoyable but only because of the mom and because it was only that. I did expect a little more of their own issues.

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Comedy Fever Dream

This movie was one of the weirdest experiences I've had in recent years, and the weirdest part of all was that the movie worked. It was funny and touching, despite being absolutely bonkers and way over the top in a way that usually would just annoy me. I guess if you are going to go over the top at all, it's best to commit and go all in.

Without spoiling, I have to give the actors credit. They all nailed the assignment and were fully committed to their insane roles. One hundred percent sincerity. The direction was great too. It all worked together amazingly well. I can tell I'm going to rewatch this whenever I need a laugh. What a great comedy for the week before Halloween, though!

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I definitely know why opinions were so divided

Both characters are complicated, particularly ML. It's dismissive to simply say "he is toxic, she is a pushover", as he does show self-reflection and strives to improve, and she does not always give in. It frustrates me that people online paint this with such broad strokes, half of them didn't get past the first few episodes before giving their opinion on the drama as a whole (you can certainly have an opinion, but limit it to just what you've seen and make that clear). Also, sometimes I wasn't sure if we were watching the same show because people said "He never once apologized" when he absolutely did reflect and apologize directly (through explicit words "I'm sorry" as well as through actions). Yes of course he still slipped into jealousy and I'm not trying to say he was an angel, but straight up lying that he never apologized is weird. You can say "it wasn't enough based on his subsequent actions" or something, but that's different from just lazy lying (half the time my reviews are arguing with other people, sorry).

For the FL, Sun Qian did well in this role, but the role itself was simply not written to show as much growth as the ML and so it was inevitable for her to be overshadowed. Her timidity towards him does get a little better over time but she still seemed too awkward around him even after supposedly being together for years, which made the passage of time not seem realistic. Since they were making changes from the novel anyway, if they were going to keep the FL as wide-eyed and trying to keep the ML at arms length the whole time, they should have amended the timeline to make their relationship more like 2-3 years.

Speaking of changes, the biggest head scratcher for me was the fact that they consistently showed the ML as the one who called her his girlfriend repeatedly and treated her as such; she was the one who wanted to keep the relationship on the downlow for the first 4+ years so as to not look like she was "sleeping her way to the top" with her boss, she was the one who didn't treat him as a boyfriend and withholding things that happened to her from him. Then suddenly in episode 18, she suddenly is like "I want to go public with our relationship, get married someday, maybe have kids" and then suddenly the ML is like "No I'm not that kind of guy and can't give you what you want." Apparentlly that came from the novel, but keeping that the same when the drama set up their dynamic to be the opposite felt like whiplash. Then episode 19 they make up, and they both lean into the fact that they were mistaken as a married couple during their Tibet photos. Is he stringing her along but hasn't changed his mind on marriage or is he now more-open to the idea after breaking up the first time and losing her for a while?

Then again, maybe this was intentional? The only reason why I'm willing to consider it intentional is that unfortunately I have seen couples together for years with one partner stringing along the other with promises they never intend to fulfill, even if there is genuine love there. I myself have also had relationships where the man came on strong for the longest time and then suddenly turned tail and ran away when I assumed this meant he was serious about a future. Their dynamic overall can be seen in real-life relationships, which is what people find triggering and why this created so much buzz.

Overall a decent watch, better than other modern romance Cdramas I've watched. Because opinions were so divided I was unsure whether to watch it, but I think it is worth it for everyone to watch and decide for themselves how they feel.

It was addictive with ok pacing and a good candidate for rewatches. The business parts did feel more consequential than some other offic dramas I've seen. Minus 2 points for inconsistency in characterization (esp ep 18) and that it did not feel like 6 years passed, the progression of their relationship felt closer to that of 2-3 years as mentioned above. Also, music got a low score because despite "Her" by Liu Yuning being an absolute banger, the other songs were very meh.

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Just my personal opinion

I really disliked this drama, on so many levels.
- The acting was bad, especially the two leads. It felt like they were just reciting the lines. I didn't believe in them or in their relationship. It even came down to the walking - it didn't seem natural at all. The FL actually demonstrated scary fan behavior, unable to separate fantasy from reality. And she had this weird smiling/laughing thing that she did that was irritating. The ML tried to look cool, but it was all too forced. I felt like I was watching a high school drama production.
-Bad kisses. There is no excuse for this.
-No chemistry.
-Her best friends were strange and played in an over-the-top way.
-Time skip - I am so tired of this trope.

It had a happy ending, but for me, I was just happy it was over.

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EXCEPTIONAL DRAMA

This is a Chinese drama that takes place in a fictional country and era that resembles the Ming dynasty. It focuses on the harsh, difficult lives of women in general. Palace maids in particular, have no power, no prestige, and aren’t much better off than slaves.

But even upper class women have a hard time in this culture. Any woman who makes one mistake might be asked to kill herself to preserve the honor of her family.

If she doesn’t have money she might be sold to a brothel.
The maids have no rights at all. They’re subject to brutal punishment and can be beaten to death at any time.

The story centers on one maid, the quick-witted, kind FL, originally a nobleman's granddaughter, who manages to find solace, friends and to eventually flourish in this treacherous society.

To be clear, this series isn’t a downer. There are plenty of lighthearted and tender moments, and the plot moves along at a nice pace. Some viewers will disagree because a lot of the action is taking place in the gestures, the facial expressions, and the subtext, so it can seem slower. You have to be able to see what’s going on under the surface to get the full impact.

It’s a very good drama. But it would have been better if the writers (and I presume the director) had not felt the need to drive the theme home every chance they got.

And what exactly is the theme? The horrible abuses women have had to suffer at the hands of men throughout history.

The writers are so insistent that you get this message that Li Meng (more on her later) appears in episode 36 to preach it to us one more time. And she brings all this up while she’s mortally wounded.

Believe me, the FL doesn’t need a reminder of this sorry fact. Her whole life embodies it. Forgive me for harping on this–but the script writers should be sent to a re-education camp for this crime against good writing.

Li Meng reminds the FL that all men are rotten to the core. She even imagines a time in the future when women will be able to control their own lives.

The FL assures her that, yes, “that day will surely come.”

Dear movie makers, It’s an insult to your audience to inundate them with this level of didacticism.

But back to the story...the female lead in this story is fiendishly clever. And she knows how to level the playing the field when she needs to.

It takes awhile to get there, though, so be patient.

At times the plot is melodramatic. Someone is kidnapped; an innocent person is put in prison. Twice it turns into a police procederal with one of the two leads following the clues and saving the day. In many places, the story-telling, acting, directing, and grown-up themes are truly impressive.

The main negatives for me were the sections where the plot was confusing--and I had difficulty figuring out what was happening. I’m not sure if this was a problem with the editing, the subtitles, or the script.

One example–in episode 39 the FL is trying to explain something important to the ML. She creates a dramatic production to make her case, and they watch this production together. Judging by his reaction, the ML gets it.

He gets it–but what about the audience?

What exactly is the FL trying to say? I played this scene over several times–and it was still vague, incoherent and obscure.

But for every scene like that–there are others that are magnificent.

Most of the actors seem well-suited for their roles–and a few stand out. One is the actor Li Meng, mentioned above, who did an amazing job playing the husband-stealer in THE EPOCH OF MIYU. She’s the heavy in this drama as well, but she lets the audience know in a well-written and brilliantly delivered speech in Episode 8 that she (an upper class woman forced into a loveless marriage) is also a victim.

While the FL’s mother was very sweet and lovable, I was a little disappointed that the FL cried harder when her mom died than when the ML died. The ML was trying to console himself with the thought that they could be husband and wife in the next life. Her comment? “Once is enough.” I suppose you can read this several ways, but I admit it was kind of a let-down.

In spite of a few flaws, this is one of the better dramas of 2026.

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I didn't hate this series, but I can't say I liked it, either.

Yes, the friend group was cute and one of the main leads was intriguing. The portrayal of high school life in Japan was interesting. Yet, from episode 6 through episode 10, I was intensely frustrated with it. By episode 11, I'd merely decided to complete the series because I can, periodically, get it into my head that I have to, because..., well, simply because. One of the character's persistent awkwardness began to turn me all the way off and it put a nail in the coffin for me. Then there were the cold fish kisses-- give me a break, nobody who wants to kiss another would ever kiss like that. If the actors aren't interested in those scenes, then leave them out and stop with this type of rubbish, as it completely deflates the energy of the series.

Actually, now that I wrote all that, I realize that this series wasn't my cup of tea, at all. Emotionally, it didn't reach me, except to frustrate me and I certainly can't see myself rewatching it. Yes, I stuck it out, but I was annoyed for most of its runtime. Final rating down from a 7.5 to a 5.

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So meta it kind of works for its advantage.

They said: we want to lean into seme and uke and we will find a way to make it make sense even though we are in the holy year of 2026. And they did. If it was not for that “writing BLs” set up, I would most likely roll my eyes about the cliche dynamic a lot. With it, I just accepted it’s part of the storytelling and what connected Suzuki and Serizawa.

I honestly adored Serizawa. He was such a fun character to watch. Sure, he had this confident aura about him, but I also liked the vulnerability he showed with how cautiously he approached Suzuki. Straightforward enough, but a huge dose of patience.

Suzuki Hajime kept saying to himself not to overthink, but here I was sitting and saying: you don’t even think, don’t even dream of overthinking. Honestly, I am surprised how much his cluelessness actually worked. Usually it’s just beyond frustrating if it’s pushed to almost the end of the drama, but here, maybe thanks to Koizumi Kosaku’s performance, it kind of fitted.

Suzuki was testing Serizawa’s patience, and Serizawa was testing Suzuki’s denial skills. They both are pros in their respective fields.

Loved the whole friend group, found all their side barely existing love lines completely unnecessary. Loved the overall theme of accepting yourself for who you are and being brave at pursuing what you enjoy.

The performances were good too, for sure preferred Shisaka Ryoto - he slayed that restrained worry and jealousy. Koizumi Kosaku achieved a miracle by making his character adorable and not annoying - that’s the usual response my brain gives when I watch characters like the one he was playing.

I don’t have much to say about the production and directing. I wish the kissing scenes were better, and I know that’s the lamest thing to complain about. But with how confident and later teasing they made Serizawa, he just did not deliver when it counted… :)

Overall, extremely sweet, really fun, no stress, just chill and butterflies.

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Awful and I'm being kind

How on earth does this have a 8.3? The plot was awful, nonsensical and you can't take seriously someone who doesn't know what they want or if they do they still act like they don't. I hated the FL. Well, the actress is already the worst, I've never seen her act well in any of her dramas and she rivals with the Oh, My Venus in the antipathetic actresses department, but here she had some good company.

The parents were idiots no one ever in any country in the world should accept as normal. Please don't give the excuse we don't get it because this is Korea. BS. I grew up without TV, without electricity, and in a small mountain village where i had to walk 3km to go to school every day. Guess what? I knew from the age of five that my parents had to be kind to me and love me and respect me and I retuned their love a thousand times. Because they deserved it.

They always accepted our choices and encouraged us and to this day I miss my dad every day and I talk to my mom an hour a day each day. Same fro my brothers and sisters. Respect goes both ways and this family was awful, which wasn't shown as such.

That stupid FL apologized for being in love with someone with a child. What the hell did the writer try to convey? Despicable series and I can't imagine why all these unlikable characters had to exist. No, it's not a profound analysis of human nature, so what's the point?

Last but nit least the ML is one of the worst actors out there as well, so he sank the ship even further. No chemistry whatsoever between the main couple, although I have to reiterate that the FL had never had any chemistry with her male partners.

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It’s a waste of time. The story is terrible. The entire series is just a constant battle between Kim Tan and Young-do—there’s bullying everywhere. And then, from the first episode to the last, you have Kim Tan declaring his love to the female lead, only for her to reject him 10 times in each episode... it’s boring and foolish.

The actors do a good job—I like them—but it’s essentially 20 empty episodes with nothing interesting, exciting, or inspiring. A waste of time.

The actors are good. The cast is full of 2026 talented actors.

I have never seen a society of toxic, narcissistic adolescents like the ones in Korean dramas—and this was back in 2013... now it’s 2026, and things have gotten even worse. It seems that, in their society, bullying is actually glorified. It is absolutely appalling and deeply disturbing—the sheer power, hatred, and narcissism displayed by these adolescents and young people, parents, the fact that they are mentally deranged... and the way this behavior spreads. The story is 1 from me for this drama.

It’s as if they’ve been training in the art of hating. Year after year, generation after generation...

So sad...

The most positive thing in this drama are the girls who also have normal bodies, with a harmonious weight, not anorexic skeletons like in 2026.

In 2013, teenagers looked like teenagers and women like women, not like in 2026 when at 40 they look like 14-year-olds and act like 12-year-olds. Here in this drama , teenagers actually act more maturely... what strange and distorted psychological reversals in Korean culture..

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What a mess!

I binged-watched it in 3-4 sittings, with some intervals between sessions... which was probably why it was too complicated to remember who was who and what everyone's reason and incentive was for acting the way the characters did.

It had a decent plot, which got buried underneath the characters' shenanigans and the messy execution.

At the midpoint of around episode 7, I was so done with this series, and its cringey NC scenes, that I had to drag myself to just finish watching in 2x.

Sometimes, fewer NC scenes but done in a deliberate way have a better overall effect (eg. My Stubborn or Love in the air) and are more memorable than just peppered throughout, just for the sake of having them.

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Chemistry!!!!!!

The chemistry is CHEMISTRYING! 😭 Honestly, the kind of chemistry these characters have is something you rarely come across in BL dramas. And I mean, the characters themselves are so unique. Zhou Sheng Ge is calm, composed, classy, and wise, while Chen Wan is clever, quiet, and observant. There’s something so intriguing about their personalities and the way they interact with each other.

The actor who played Zhao sheng ge has done a wonderful job bringing his character to life. What I found most interesting, though, is the way their romance develops. It’s quiet, subtle, and a slow burn, but somehow, every little interaction between them feels meaningful. I can’t quite explain it, but the way the drama portrays their romance and chemistry feels so different from what we usually see in BLs. It’s not always about grand gestures or obvious displays of affection; sometimes, it’s just the way they look at each other, or exist in the same space. And somehow, that’s enough to keep you hooked.

One thing I will say is that some scenes are AI-generated, and honestly, they can be a little off-putting and take you out of the story. But if you can look past those moments, there’s a genuinely great story waiting for you, along with a slow-burn romance that gradually pulls you in.

Overall, I really enjoying this drama. If you’re into BLs, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try, especially if you’re looking for something different from the usual formula. You might find yourself introduced to a whole new kind of BL romance—one that relies on subtlety, emotional connection, and chemistry that speaks louder than words. ❤️

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