Reviews

This show deserves more hyped even tho it has flaws.

I was gonna give this a 10 but then I remembered how the story is written poorly for Choi jeongyo in later part. If they both are truly main characters of the show, they shouldn't rush like that on Jeongyo part. We should have seen more of what he went through whole decade instead of only showing Pio part when Jeongyo is haunting the narrative and everything started because of him.
Another wasted potential is Kang Pio. Little to no character development from teen to adult whatsoever. His character would have been more likable if he shows a little bit of character development and stand up for himself instead of self-destruction and self sacrifice whenever something wasn't going his way. I might be a bit harsh on him but no matter how many time I think about it, the decisions he made are all just not it. If that is the case in teenage, there should be a room for character development in adult but he keeps making all the wrong decision which hurts all of them including himself.
Aside from that, everything was phenomenal! Would have been 100/10 if they are bold enough to make this queer from the start instead of hearing the canon part from the creator after the show ended.

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The Rom-Com Chemistry So Electric, It Pulled Me Out of My K-Drama Slump

This drama is proof that a story doesn’t need a complicated plot to be entertaining. The whole concept of the FL having electric powers sounds ridiculous on paper, but somehow, it works! The storyline is straightforward, the pacing is good, and the characters are quirky in the best way possible.

But let’s be real, THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE LEADS IS WHAT MADE THIS DRAMA SO GOOD. Chae Soobin and Kim Young-kwang absolutely delivered! I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity, and this drama gave me exactly what I wanted. These tropes may be cliché, but the execution made them so enjoyable. Their interactions were so fun to watch, and there were countless moments that had me kicking my feet and giggling like an idiot. Even the scenes that could have easily been cringey somehow worked without making me cringe. 😭

I also loved the supporting characters, especially Mr. Yoon and Na Bobae’s siblings, actually Na Bobae’s family. I just hoped we had more episodes with her family because they are so fun to watch

I honestly couldn’t stop watching this drama, and here I am rewatching it because apparently, I’m not ready to move on yet. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a romcom this much. There’s something so refreshing about a drama that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still manages to make you genuinely invested in the characters and their relationships.

Sometimes, I just want a fun, slightly ridiculous love story with quirky characters, great chemistry, and enough romantic moments to make me swoon without unnecessary complications or over-the-top drama. And this drama delivered exactly that.

Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soobin, I NEED MORE ROMCOMS FROM YOU TWO. Their chemistry was everything, and I hope we get more dramas like this that remind us how enjoyable a simple, well-executed romcom can be.

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finally, a republican mini drama i can boldly recommend

this drama is a unicorn.
y'all know how hard it is for short republican dramas to be good, or even watchable. this one was both
the story isn't unique, but everything was so well done:
intelligent, strong and kind main leads - she was smarter while he was more hapless. he had schemes too but he was too much of a bleeding heart at certain points, and he couldn't control his pawns.
solid villain - strong and disgusting, just how i like em
fast paced story - secrets were getting spilled left and right from the very first ep, and yet the pace didn't lag for the most part
long and satisfying ending for everyone - the leads get a classic story book ending, the villain gets exactly what he deserves, no one sacrificed themselves for the republic
the supporting characters - the ml's two officers, the concubines, everyone served a purpose
and a romance that comes in at the last arc and nicely clinches everything together - yes they had chemistry 😊. also poor 2ml 🤣💀


i really liked that:
ml falls for her early, but he never lets that get in the way of his objectives
fl never even considers him at all,. she actually waits and makes sure he's a good person before deciding to address her feelings for him.
huang ri ying is clearly the stronger performer, but wang rui chang was in his element playing a morally ambiguous ml

there are some regular mini drama lapses in the story, but you will find those forgivable
i didn't really note any music, and i wouldn't necessarily rewatch but yes i'm giving this a hearty mini drama 7.5

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Irritatingly Cute or Cutely irritating

I’ll let you decide.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

This was one of those rare scripts that gave enough to make me want to continue, but then constantly pissed me off. Overall, it was a decent series with a generally cute story concept. Although it has weak points, it has some heartwarming moments too. For the most part, the main leads were cute together. However, there relationship development ranged from cute to irritating in each episode. A main factor that help was that many of the characters were very likeable. The cast did a great job making this entertain enough to keep me watching. They also did a great job making their characters interesting, likable, and unique. This also had cool cinematography.

Random Note:

The opening credits were charming. I liked the little changes that were made for each episode. Again, I don’t normally watch credits, but I started to look forward to them.

This is one of those series I don’t regret watching, but don’t ever see myself watching again.


******Potential Spoiler Alert******

Only exception were the kissing scenes. It is often very common that we get the typical dead fish lip kiss once or maybe twice. However, this series has multiple kissing scenes like this. At least Korean BL series only force the leads to kiss once or twice.

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What a banger of a first episode

I was invested in the first 5 minutes. What a delicious pair. I love the arrogance and downright zaniness of the ML. He reminds me of a much prettier Dr. Evil. He is cold, demanding, exacting and loves to play mind games. Evil? That remains to be seen, but somehow I doubt it.

And our heroine launched herself into the episode with all the explosive ferocity of a tiger. I love a woman who can kick ass.

And I'm amazed at what a great-looking and convincing dude she ends up being. It's less the fact that she looks like a man and more that the majority of idols look so pretty. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to say who is prettier, the ML or the FL.

I'm totally looking forward to this one.

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Good marketing concept but is not even in my top 200 dramas

I had a hard time trying to watch the drama and make a real effort not to drop it in the middle. I think the idea is interesting but showing so much artificial stories felt like spam on my email. I definitely had to skip some parts because they where no meaningful for the story neither fun to watch. I didn't wanted to write some negative review because I like some actors and obviously they are so handsombut I feel like I need to be honest. even if they are handsome I didn't get a great chemistry. I fel the acting some times was not enough but I am no sure to decide if is acting or story. the story could have make more romantic moments so it makes sense to great a reason for them to fall in love.

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Classy, refine, elegant, understated

From the presentation, the plot, the script, to the entire cast of major and minor characters, everything in Against the Current is classy, refine, elegant, understated. Nothing is ever in your face. The drama never tries to impress you, and yet, you're thoroughly impressed and completely captivated right from the beginning.

The drama centers on Lanxiang (Tan Song Yun). Born into privilege, deeply loved by her family, she is brought up well educated and with this foundation, along with her natural grace, blossoms into a fine young lady. However, her life unexpectedly and cruelly undergoes a monumental shift and she begins a life of servitude. Using her grace, kindness, wit and self-awareness, she strives for survival and freedom while helping so many along the way.

As we settle into the story, we get the opportunity to see how Lanxiang navigates her new life, sometimes at the same moment she recognizes danger; that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as the realization dawns on her. She comprehends that she and her peers are trapped in a cycle of power struggle among the masters they serve and no matter the outcome, she and those she cares about are meant to be collateral damage, often discarded without a single thought. One wrong look, or word, or your mere presence can mean the difference between life or death, or a life of misery and pain. A combination of great directing, acting, and script makes the character struggles believable. You know Lanxiang is going to eventually kick butt and you look forward to it. But just the same, you look forward to how she tries to solve these seemingly insurmountable matters. And because it's never easy for her and the people she cares about, it is in this challenge that you root for her and many others. It's quite a gratifying watch.

Although this isn't a romance centric drama and it even takes a while for the male lead (Liu Xue Yi) to notice the female lead, the ultra slow burn romance doesn't frustrate you at all. Instead you smile in anticipation knowing that when he finally notices how precious she is, she would be the only creature he sees even if she were miles away. The male lead is by no means flawless. He is a good man with good intentions but he is a man of his times and he misses the fundamental point of what she is fighting for: her sense of agency and autonomy. And this misalignment and conflict between them is interesting to watch as each learn to truly see and love one another.

Though the tragedies unfold disproportionately for the female characters in the story, what I took away is that everyone is a victim in the pursuit of individual happiness and well-being in such an entrenched society. As a viewer with modern sensibilities, your immediate support of these characters striving for individual rights is a given. But you also witness the dire consequences one wrong individual move has on an entire family or clan, so even obvious villains come across multilayered and thought provoking. Who am I to judge? Would I or would I not have made the same choice if I were in their position? It gives you pause to think and understand, rather than pass judgement.

I enjoyed the first half more than the second half, regardless, it's a fantastic watch throughout. I'll close with a message from a scene that unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes: "Ask yourselves 'what do I live for?' Keep your hearts true, follow the right path, and go far with steady steps. Only then can we be worthy of the lives we've been given."

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Mummies, and ghosts, and jiangshi, oh my!

Encounter of the Spooky Kind 2 starred Sammo Hung and Lam Ching Ying but had nothing to do with the original Encounter of the Spooky Kind. This film dug deeply into the Hong Kong kung fu comedy horror archive and served up hopping vampires (Jiangshi!), ghosts, creepy cockroach filled animated corpses, snake warriors, and mummies! So many trigger warnings!

Abao and his fellow disciple, Little Hoi, study under Master Jiao/Kau. Abao is engaged to Chu Nui though her father is looking for a way to break the engagement. Wealthy jerk, Shi, is determined to win Chu Nui and has hired a black magic priest. Abao and Little Hoi open a congee stall hoping to make enough money to impress Old Chu. Abao’s first and only customer turns out to be a beautiful ghost! When he hunts her down for payment he finds her caring for her blind and very much alive mother. Master and disciples become entangled with the women at the same time Shi and his evil priest begin to attack Abao in earnest.

This film was reminiscent of the Mr. Vampire films with Lam Ching Ying once again playing a kung fu master and Taoist ghost and vampire exterminator/wrangler. This second Spooky film wasn’t filled with as much slapstick as the first one which I much preferred. Abao and Little Hoi were still the ubiquitous inept disciples but not as annoyingly so as many other films. In too many of these films, I’m rooting for the creatures of the night to eat the bothersome disciples, not so here. I also liked Siu Hung, the dutiful ghostly daughter. She ended up being a loyal friend to the human trio and especially Abao.

Magical creatures and spells, oh my! Master Jiao and the evil priest did magical battle on two separate occasions. The special effects were low budget but effective. The evil priest summoned buggy corpses and cockroaches, mummies, giant dogs, and snake men. If you have triggers, beware. There was also ghost possession, jiangshi, and monkey possessed kung fu!

Sammo Hung was in charge of the martial arts choreography and it showed. The fights were hard hitting and falling. He was in his prime, showing off his agility and acrobatics. If an actor was in a Sammo film, they’d better be ready to hit the ground-forcefully. There was wire fu and undercranking on occasion. This wasn’t a primarily kung fu flick so the fights were shorter and took a backseat to the creatures, spells, and talismans.

I enjoyed Encounter of the Spooky Kind 2 more than the original, though I admit to having to close my eyes every now and then. Sammo’s character was likeable and Lam Ching Ying brought the magic to a role he could play in his sleep. If this is a niche genre you enjoy, you liked the original, or you are a Sammo fan, it’s one to try. My cutoff for rating on a curve is 1990 and this one squeaked in under the wire.

Trigger warnings: Snakes, like a lot of them. Cockroaches-a jillion more cockroaches than snakes. Decomposed bodies. Sammo’s nekkid bottom. Attempted sexual assault. Brief bathroom and fellatio humor. Animal deaths. Opium use…by a hopping vampire. You read that right. lol

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Ultimate Comfort Drama.

This left a hole in my heart. No over exagerating acting, cast acting, chemistry was perfect. It made me fall in love with the concept of having a positive relationship with food. Now i am left reeling for more and dont know what to do.
Seeing s2 on prime got me excited and then extremely heartbroken after finishing and realizing it was only a special. I need a s2 focused more on slice of slice. This is just perfect. But have something ready to watch next to cope with withdrawl. The ending was perfect by all means. This has all the hallmarks of a classic.

Really really underrated but it should definitely not be hidden gem. Please give us s2😭

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Shakespeare Tragedy Paired with a Sweet Romance

This show did an excellent job raising the stakes over the course of the series. While the ending felt a bit anticlimactic given all the built-up momentum, it still managed to tie up the loose ends into a satisfying conclusion. I loved how interconnected every character was; as the stakes ramped up, the story carried the weight of a Shakespearean tragedy. Balancing that out were the memorable, entertaining side characters in the village, who brought just the right amount of silliness to what was often a rather dark story.

Where I struggled most was the central romance. I loved large parts of it, especially the swoon-worthy male lead. The actor did an amazing job with what could have been a rigidly taciturn role. His haughty "how dare you" and deadpan "I feel uncomfortable" moments were comedy gold, and we definitely needed more of those toward the end. Next to him, however, the female lead often felt wooden. Given that his character was already so understated, her flat delivery made her performance feel even more lackluster. She had moments where she nailed the scene, and the two did share genuine chemistry (the few kiss scenes we got were fantastic), but overall, I found myself wishing the role had been cast differently.

My other major frustration with the romance came down to the final episode. The male lead spends so much effort demonstrating how deeply he loves her, yet she barely reciprocates. Part of that is the acting, but most of the blame falls on the writing. She is written as so weighed down by trauma that she completely shuts down any connection with him until the final two minutes of the show. Compared to his vulnerability, she came across as neither brave nor particularly invested in the relationship. The writing really matters here, and the finale dropped the ball on her character arc.

Overall, I enjoyed the drama. It delivered some truly swoon-worthy scenes that I will likely revisit for years to come. It easily could have earned an even higher rating had the female lead’s performance been stronger, or had the writers handled her emotional payoff differently in the final stretch.

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I'm glad I don't know these annoying fuckers irl.

I was super excited to watch this but I sadly had to wait until everything was aired because I barely had time to keep up. If I'm honest my only reason for watching this was Kim Pongsaton.... I really loved this show but genuinely I would be so pissed of at SamJam if they were real. They were really cute but they were kissing and flirting everywhere and it made me, as a watcher, feel like a third wheel. Also I got heavy second hand embarrassment from this show. I think it was quite funny but the production and acting was a bit ehhh.

I feel like the biggest problem is the amount of Thai wordplay used in the show. Luckily I can understand Thai on certain levels bu tI feel like you won't really be able to understand this all if you're not able to speak Thai. For example at first Jam calls Sam 'Khun Sam" aka Mr.Sam but Sam begs him to just use "Sam / P'Sam". But the subtitles do not explain that quite well. Also there is no explanation of the Thai wordplay sentences. There's a scene where they keep using it and it might just confuse non Thai speakers who watch it.

Sooo the show it called Your Third because Jam is supposed to be like the third option (again something within the wordplay). But in the show, they really failed to share that message. So the thing is, Sam has 3 options and his first pick was Pimai, then Wasin and Jam was sort of the third option. I mean there was barely any chemistry between Sam and Pimai, same goes for Sam and Wasin. Wasin doesn't even feel like a second option because it's kinda unrequited love from Wasin's side.

I feel like there was a big information dump the first 2 episodes and after that, most of the information wasn't even necessary. Due to that I really only remembered Jam being able to speak those languages, being Japanese(?) and working under Sib. I honestly didn't even realise who Sib was because I wasn't able to tie a face to him only to realise he was the one who married Pimai at the fucking LAST episode. I find Song and Jam's friendship so adorable and I love how he was kinda 'close' to both of Sam's brothers.

As for the production, everything looks amazing but there's some slight problems and some were quite funny. I think the acting wasn't amazing but I feel like that was the whole point. MaxNat are amazing actors but the whole point was for it to be funny so I'll excuse that. If I'm very honest, I'm not a big fan of Cheewin Thanamin. I think he made amazing things but there's a lot between it that I'm a bit debated about. But over to the mistake, IN ONE SCENE U CAN SEE A MISTAKE OF A LIGHT (episode 11 at 22:35). It's honestly funny rather than irritating but I have to say, it's crazy they didn't notice this during the editing. It might've been a too important scene to like randomly cut idk but it looks so funny.

One of the small things that I was also kinda irritated about is how often they married in that show. I think we got at least like 4 marriages? I mean I don't mind but it was quite much. Also especially for SamJam, it feels like they married quite short after they dated. The series didn't exactly show amazing time skips which just got me confused a lot of the time. I was for real rooting for the side characters but there wasn't a huge drama so it was just hoping they would get their own partners.

I actually preferred SamJam when they were alone together and didn't exactly 'like' each other. It was such a sweet time and they seemed to be really different than when they were with family and everything. Also I was really mad at Jam for acting like nothing happened and randomly walking away after a hookup? Like whatttt. I couln't help but feel even worse for Sam.

This definitely is a feel good but I wouldn't suggest it on it's acting. Again, if you don't speak Thai you might not understand certain scene's. Kim actually had more scene's than expected and he was sooo cute as a ghost. Makes me think, would he be the like fourth option?? Anyways, I personally really liked it but I think it just really depends on why you watch certain things. If it's on production this would be a huge no.

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Jeong Yo isnt a character. He is two.

I have major issues with the characterization of Jeong Yo im the second half of the story. You cannot see even glimpses of who he used to be. And its not justified by the text, because it would be hard to. It feels like they had a specific idea where the plot had to go, and didnt build the correct character to do it so they had to change him fundamentally. Obviously they try to have the original him back somewhat at the end but because of that disconnect in characterization it only highlights how for most of the second half it wasnt the same personality.

I dont think the writers considered what sort of mental state and person youd have to be to physically (indirectly sure but still) and mentally torture someone for months, someone you once cared for deeply even if now those feelings are complicated by hate. It would take someone REALLY fucked up. Its the SUSTAINED part. I think people lash out and hurt eachother all the time even when they care but this was so prolonged, he noticed this person falling apart in front of his eyes over the course of months, he pushed and pushed without the slightest hesitation. Its just not what the character we met at the start would ever bring himself to do even to those he hated. Sure he would punch and fight and lash out and even take revenge. You have to be fucked in the head to do it in the intimate personal torturous way he did. Or at least you’d have to have much better reasons.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT GETS ME? A lot of the plan was HINGING on Pi O being remorseful or wanting to genuinely gain forgiveness. It relies entirely on him GENUINELY wanting that. So Jeong Yo made this plan knowing Pi O well, he was right after all. He knew his so well as to entirely trap and control him but not well enough to ever ever EVER doubt that Pi O did it?


It would have been enough if i had seen him show even just a bit of who he used to be. If he showed some hesitation even if he still chose revenge in the end. Some of that complicated old love coming through as he sees Pi O break in front of him, even a tiny bit that he puts away as he continues to hurt him. But there was nothing complicated about Jeong Yo as he tortured Pi O. It was simple and straightforward. An insult to their history, that should caused a more messy tangle of emotions in him that it did.


I found this compelling but ultimately very flawed and unsatisfying.

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The White Olive Tree — A Beautiful Ending, A Hidden Heartbreak

Some stories are simply watched, while others find a place so deep in your heart that they never truly leave, even long after they end. ❤️‍🩹🥀

The White Olive Tree is one of the best romantic series I have ever watched. Li Zan and Song Ran’s love, the moments they share, their sacrifices, their waiting, and their pain—all of it becomes etched deep into your heart. But the ending! 💔 It hits you with a shock you were never truly prepared for. An ending that may seem perfectly normal at first, but the more deeply you think about it, the more you begin to realize that there may be so much more hidden beneath the surface of the story.

What makes this series truly extraordinary is its ending. An ordinary viewer might happily accept it as a beautiful romantic conclusion. But those who carefully analyze every scene, every hint, every silence, and the hidden meaning behind the final moments may come to realize a completely different reality—one that forces them to look at the entire story in a new light.

Nothing here is explicitly explained or forced upon the audience. The answers are left in the hands of the viewers, as if the deeper you look, the more different an ending you begin to see. And that is the beauty of this series; that is its silent agony.

The story ends on screen, the credits begin to roll, but a thousand questions start forming in your mind. The ending keeps coming back to you, old scenes begin to carry new meanings, and slowly, you start to realize that perhaps the story was never quite what you thought it was when you first watched it.

Some endings look beautiful to the eyes but are devastating to the heart. Everyone sees the fulfillment of love, yet if you look deeper, that very same ending may conceal the quietest and most heartbreaking tragedy of all. 🥀🤍🫒

Some stories end on screen, but live forever in your heart. And some endings don't break you when you watch them—they break you when you finally understand them. ❤️‍🩹

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A rare gem!

This drama is incredibly well done, with surprisingly complex and layered characters. I’ll be honest — the male lead starts off so obnoxious that I questioned why I should even care about this story. But once the show settles in, you begin to see the multi‑layered people underneath the surface, each carrying their own issues, insecurities, and quiet battles.

As the episodes unfold, the characters become deeply relatable, unexpectedly humorous, and emotionally grounded. The show explores real issues with sincerity, and while the romance isn’t the typical kissy, fluffy, cheesy kind, the emotional connection and care between the leads is exceptional.

This isn’t a drama where everyone is impossibly beautiful or where a damsel waits to be rescued. It’s about real people dealing with real struggles, doing the best they can with the hand they’ve been dealt. That honesty — that rawness — is what makes it shine.

I loved the realism and the persistent spirit of trying, failing, and trying again. The entire cast delivers strong performances, and I enjoyed it all the way through.

9.5 stars — a quietly powerful gem.

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