Reviews

Twenty episodes deserved a better ending

This drama started SO well, and I genuinely thought I was going to love it much more than I eventually did. I really enjoyed the workplace setting, the competition, the office politics and especially the mentor-mentee dynamic between Xu Chi and Xinzhi. I loved how their relationship developed through mutual respect, ambition and that constant push and pull between their professional and personal lives. Xu Chi was such an interesting character, especially the way she tried to appear confident while dealing with all the insecurities of someone finding her place in a competitive environment. And Xinzhi? I loved his calculating personality and how different he became whenever he was around her. Their chemistry and the little moments between them were definitely some of my favorite parts. BUT THAT ENDING??? WHY??? After spending almost 20 episodes building these characters and their complicated relationships, everything suddenly became about business, with conflicts resolved in minutes and barely any time left for the emotional payoff. I genuinely don't understand why they rushed so much into the final 20 minutes instead of giving the story a proper conclusion.

Read More

Diary

It's been a while since I watched Luo Yunxi, so I was a littile bit excited. First of all great first episodes. It was concise and interesting enough to lure me in. The story itself isn't that special but the characters were endearing, it felt like they were a real person. Which is also thanks to the acting of the cast. Regarding to that everyone acted well in the drama, though Shen Yu Jie fell a little bit flat especially in emotional scenes, it felt like she was trying, which i never felt with others. Now back to the story. I was actually sad with the death of the characters especially "Yan Cheng", this character was really nice, while everyone had heavy backstories or felt somewhat too serious, he was always positive and bright, tried his best in everything. So when he resorted to fighting until death, that's where it really shows how his character is. Sadly it also ended up being his death. These tragedies did enhance the experience of watching the drama, it made feel the stakes and it made it feel more realistic. in a sense that not everything is going to be perfect and that war itself causes a lot of pain. I also wouldn't mind if the show had a few more episodes, just to maybe flesh out some character dynamics, and the ending of the show, it felt a little rushed to me still it was alright. Overall it is well done, and something I would recommend.

Read More

A gem far from artifice!

This is my second traditional drama after Pursuit of Jade, which I loved. I have tried to watch more traditional dramas, but I always leave them because I never connect with the history. Sometimes they're too fantastic and exaggerated; other times, the scripts are too violent or predictable.

Against the Current is a deliberate, measured drama. I read some comments complaining that it's too slow. But for me, no. Every chapter is a succession of events, plots, conspiracies, and action scenes. However, It’s filmed in a very measured way to make the spectator think and consider the different points of view behind the action.

The script is a gem! You're always surprised by how it all comes together, and one wrong move can trigger disaster, especially in a time with so many realms, marquis, ministers, and eunuchs.

I love the sisterhood and the feminist point of view—the fight for women's rights, and the defense of knowledge as an instrument of freedom. I sincerely love it. I feel the director didn’t try to sweeten all the problems women faced at the time, and even reflected the setbacks and obstacles other women faced in the fight for more rights.

Maybe 39-41, in this sense, were too much for me. But later, there is a recognition of the FL's exceptionality when the Old Master remembers what she was like as a kid.

Visually, it's so beautiful!! For me, much more than the artifice of some dramas like POJ. POJ is for platforms like Netflix and for Western audiences, more used to Hollywood artifice. I liked it, but for me, it was too focused on reaching other countries and making viral social media videos (which is good but maybe too much). On the other hand, Against the Current is an old-fashioned Chinese movie. The film is exquisitely shot, with every detail beautifully captured. The palace scenes, the images of the Capital, the vestments, the jewelry… everything is so beautiful.

As for the love story, I heard some comments saying it is not a love story. If what you are looking for are kiss scenes, then there is no love. But if you are looking for true love, a love beyond everything, this is the drama. A couple built on admiration and respect, who sacrifice their own lives for the other, who break conventional norms and risk their titles, possessions, and even their family reputation for each other.

Both characters are different; FL is restrained and discreet. But she is always the same; since she was a kid, she has made her discretion her most powerful asset. Risking her life to save him, burning proofs that may condemn him… are obvious tokens of love. ML, on the other hand, is passionate, tempestuous, and ambitious, as he should be in that time. But it's beautiful to see how, over the years together, they take some of the other's features. Something that happens in reality.

Apart from them, there is the love in capitals: the filial love, the love for the family, the love for the friends.

And the music??? Amazing!!! I can’t stop listening. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a drama that is already at the top of my list.

An ode to love and knowledge.

Read More

A very comfortable drama to watch. My impression is that for most of the time it's a calm drama: not much happens, there are no twists or edge-of-your-seat tension. A relaxed, pleasant drama.

I'll start with the main couple: Zheng Shu Yi & Shi Yan. Feelings develop between them fairly quickly, and the whole relationship (apart from the crisis) is built in a pleasant, unhurried way. They had great chemistry and tension, which made up for the fact that their kisses were heavily censored, although the kisses themselves were great too (they could have been even better without the censorship :D). I liked that Shi Yan was a cold CEO on paper, but in reality he could provoke and flirt quite boldly. They also both had great jealousy scenes. I liked how they supported each other in their careers and wanted to shine together.

For most of the drama I also really liked Zheng Shu Yi. Female leads often suffer from a lack of personality, and I liked her feisty character; she was practically my favorite character. The first crisis between us came when the crisis between them came up. I understand that she was the one who "ran after" him from the start and was the one who tried harder at the beginning, but I wasn't a fan of the narrative that in that crisis, he was the one who should have fought for them and was in the wrong for shutting her out. To me, his behavior was human. What struck me as odd, though, was that for a long time she practically didn't fight to explain the truth to him and to be forgiven. No messages, no visits to him. She only did it after a while, and even then not fully and not well. Instead of apologizing first and explaining the past, she opened with saying she hopes this won't affect their business cooperation. No wonder he had the right to be angry :D. The second aspect in which she annoyed me was her relationship with Yi Yang. She supposedly rejected him from the start, but at the same time kept meeting him outside of work, giving him some hope and fueling his desire to compete. You just don't do that.

I also didn't necessarily like the blind dates storyline. Maybe I don't understand this motif, because in my country there's no such circus, but I didn't like that she was seeing/dating Shi Yan while still going on dates with Yu You. And the whole blind date topic itself also vanished out of nowhere at some point and never appeared again. I also thought her mother would be happier and more enthusiastic when she found out that Shu Yi was seeing Shi Yan, but it came out somewhat unemotional, which didn't quite match her character as established from the start.

Small nitpicks from me that don't matter much for the rating, but stuck with me:
- Shi Yan never revealed to Shu Yi the truth about their real first meeting
- As a payback, Shi Yan never found out the truth about what her "coded" (accidental) message meant, the one he spent several hours on, asking everyone about it
- I still don't know whether they've already had the proposal or not. I interpreted a scene in the last episode as a proposal (she also said she was a wife), and then at the wedding, in everyone's conversation, it came out as if the proposal hadn't happened yet, and now I don't know what's going on

I'll also stop at the professional storyline (mainly Shi Yan and Zheng Shu Yi). Let me start with: am I interested in investments? No. Am I interested in them after this drama? Also no. It wasn't an ultra-interesting storyline for me, but at the same time it wasn't extremely boring or skip-worthy either. The dark horse storyline and Le'an especially caught my interest. Though I'm probably not fully a fan of their collaboration. I secretly hoped Shi Yan would beat the brat. Journalism is personally more interesting to me, but here, apart from the storyline of her interview with Shi Yan, it didn't grab me that much either, though it wasn't extremely boring. I was more interested only in the introduction of her online edition. I hoped this motif would be developed a bit more at the end. Purely professionally, I liked Qin Shi Yue's storyline, which was the most interesting in my opinion: her initial laziness and reluctance to work, developing into a desire to become a journalist.

Now I'll move on to the second couple: Bi Ruo Shan & Guan Ji. Personally, the outline of their relationship was the most interesting for me. I'm a fan of people who don't want to commit to a relationship but fall in love with each other. At the beginning, for most of the time I liked how their relationship progressed. I liked the chemistry between the actors, the tension in the air, the games and the budding jealousy. Sometimes I was even waiting for the scenes with them the most. But ultimately, I consider the moment they got into a relationship wasted potential. It didn't hook me the way I thought it would. I also missed their scenes after they got together; I had the impression that they completely vanished from the screen. A pity.

Next, the third couple: Qin Shi Yue & Yu You. At the beginning I had the impression that Shi Yue would be a lifeline for him (which I wouldn't have stood, because I really liked her character), but fortunately the writers handled it well, and I didn't even get that feeling. Overall, they excited me the least of the three, but at the same time they had a friendly vibe that you rooted for. On the plus side were the scenes where she tried to flirt with him, and the scenes of his budding jealousy/irritation. Maybe I hoped for some bigger, short-lived fireworks from Shi Yan's reaction to their relationship, but actually there wasn't even much of a reaction. I also hoped Yu You would suffer a bit more from her distancing herself after he rejected her so many times, but he got lucky and karma never came back to him.

I'll single out one more trait of Shi Yue, namely putting obstacles in the way of her uncle and Zheng Shu Yi. She had an outstanding talent for it, and I personally found the moments amusing when she wanted to help but unintentionally did harm.

Now I'll move on to the two less important couples that formed in the background.
1. Guan Xiang Cheng & Tang Yi - a fine couple as background. Even with interesting potential. I was a bit disappointed at the moment of the announcement. Throughout the drama their storyline revolved around that, and at the end it was completely downplayed and made unimportant.
2. Kong Nan & Chen Sheng - they were practically not on screen, but I'm highlighting them for two reasons. First, I liked the apartment rental scene and somewhat hoped we'd get more of them on screen. And second, I missed any announcement of their relationship to others. Nothing like that happened until the end.

Now I'll discuss Shu Yi's ex-cheater: Yue Xing Zhou. I won't write too much here, because he was simply a loser, but I'm incredibly glad that literally everyone couldn't care less about him. He was fired from his job, beaten up by Zheng Su, rejected by Shu Yi. And the cherry on top was that even Yi Yang rejected him. I only wonder what his further fate with Qin Le Zhi looked like. And as for Qin Le Zhi herself, I also wonder what her further fate was, because from what I understood, she was fired too?

Finally, I'll stop at the character of Yi Yang. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the brat. I don't like characters who relentlessly pursue someone who is in a relationship with someone else and try to win them over, when the other party clearly doesn't want it and is happy in the relationship with someone else. But don't worry, I have Never-Ending Summer on my list, so karma for annoying me will come back to him when I see him suffer.

Read More

Don't waste your time

SeaKeen have grown to be one of my favourite GMMTV fixed pairings, but this is apparently solely due to their amazing performance in "Hi By My Luck" and the fact I was willing to overlook a lot of the flaws of "My Boo!" and "Head 2 Head". I was initially really excited for "Weirdo-101", especially after the pilot trailer, but the show did not follow in its footsteps. It felt like I was promised one story and watching something completely different. The plot was probably the emptiest I've seen from GMMTV - the only real conflict that was somewhat engaging to watch were Niran's issues with his family. Everything else - the bullying, the ghost hunting (what the fuck was that), even Niran’s complicated relationship with judo and worries about the future - was so underdeveloped that I am genuinely starting to think this script was written by AI (if someone has read the novel, please tell me how true the series is to the original work).

The characters were offensively underdeveloped too. I cannot tell you any of the names or traits of the boys in Niran’s friend group. Cheewa and his friends were a walking stereotype (seriously, who makes fun of others for wearing glasses in the year of the lord 2026). I also had a difficulty believing they’re as much into astronomy as they claimed, considering the trivia they were bringing up was part of my school curriculum in fourth grade. Cheewa didn’t have much reason to be this devoted to Niran, especially considering how cold the latter was acting towards him until the very last fucking episode. The “they knew each other in their childhood” reveal that happened in episode 9 felt like a poor attempt at explaining his affections. Cheewa being there for Niran when he was upset with his parents was obviously meant to be a turning point for Niran’s own feelings, but Niran then never changed the way he acts around Cheewa. Until the last episode, he was dismissive of him, generous with his physical affection towards his friends but keeping a safe distance from his boyfriend (even denying him kisses!). Their relationship was always stated but never shown, which made it very unbelievable (they would hug the way I hug my siblings, hold hands while being 5 ft away from each other, not even pucker their lips when going in for a kiss. Zero intimacy, and maybe I am biased, but I don’t remember SeaKeen being this stiff in Head 2 Head).

Just save your time and skip this one. I hope their next series compensates for whatever this was, because I am sure SeaKeen could deliver! (I also think Sea’s acting has improved. Maybe because his role was bland and there wasn’t much space to go wrong, but I will still take it).

Read More

I Don't Like Main Female Character

I really don't like the main female character, Bai Shou. She is arrogant and never seems to care about the people around her.

First, she doesn't seem to care about her own father and keeps doing arrogant things in pursuit of her dream of repaying an unknown god.

Second, I honestly don't care who she loves or chooses, but I do think she treats Chong Zhao unfairly.

After reuniting with Chong Zhao when he joined the Evil Gang, she claimed that she was worried about him.

In reality, she never seemed to think about him at all, even though she witnessed him being kidnapped by Flower-Evil.
She pretends to care everyone around her, even ordinary mates like wolf clan's Queen.
But, she neglected people who cares her.
People like her are all talk and two-faced. At least Chong Zhao treated her kindly and cared for her like family, as if she were his own brother.

Read More

Truly A Journey

This show is a masterpiece beyond words, the level of depth is beautifal beyond measure. I came in thinking it was a totally differient series, but came to love this hundred percent more then the original idea.... I NEED A SEASON 2. THIS SHOW WAS SO INTERESTING TO WATCH AND ENJOY, I also feel i've figured out the character. because there is hints, but very up to you to notice. Please give this a try and find out if you enjoy it the same as me.

The music is phenomenal beyond measure and keeps you on your toes, with nice relaxing music, then chilling music.

acting was phenomenal and everyone plays there character incredibly, especially "Him"

all in all, loved this series and had a habit of one episode a day, to truly let the episode sink in... i'm very happy I did this as it let you sink into the world of the character even more and the new "Him" even more. (PS I'm just calling "him" for preference. not a spoiler.
give a watch and make your own decisions. thanks for reading.

Read More

✨ DANGER: OPEN SUIT AHEAD

OVERALL IMPRESSION🌟
This was my favourite interpretation of a familiar age-gap romance. Cao Tian Kai and Peng Yao brought natural chemistry, emotional tension and enough tenderness to make their complicated relationship compelling. The storyline was not without uncomfortable moments, but I found more emotional conflict beneath the ML’s harsh exterior than simple cruelty.

WHAT I LIKED💖
• Cao Tian Kai was dangerously attractive in those open black suits, but his restrained performance offered more than impressive abs. He gave the ML arrogance, vulnerability and unexpected tenderness.
• Peng Yao made the FL sweet and youthful without making her helpless. Her difficult circumstances had forced her to become stronger and more practical than people expected.
• The leads’ chemistry was scorching, yet their relationship developed gradually through guarded conversations, protection and increasing emotional dependence.
• I preferred this ML’s more affectionate approach to the greater aggression I had seen in another adaptation.
• The assistant’s bewildered expressions provided some delightful humour whenever his employer’s behaviour became impossible to understand.
• The awkward but heartfelt marriage proposal was beautiful and completely melted my heart.

WHAT I DISLIKED⚠️
• The unequal power dynamic made several early interactions uncomfortable, and some of the ML’s controlling behaviour was difficult to overlook.
• Although I understood that his coldness came partly from emotional conflict and a desire to keep the FL away from his complicated life, his intentions were not always communicated clearly.
• The FL remained doubtful for so long that her eventual romantic acceptance felt rushed and needed more development.
• Viewers sensitive to coercive behaviour may interpret parts of the relationship far more negatively.

PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCES🎭
The picture quality was excellent, the leads looked beautiful together and their performances carried the familiar plot. Cao Tian Kai and Peng Yao were natural and well matched, creating convincing tension without excessive melodrama. The lighter tone also made this version easier for me to enjoy than some other adaptations.

FINAL THOUGHTS💭
This was visually stunning, emotionally engaging and powered by exceptionally strong chemistry. It balanced attraction, conflict and tenderness more effectively than the other version I watched. Despite the rushed final transition and questionable early dynamics, I thoroughly enjoyed it, would gladly watch these leads together again and can easily recommend it—with an additional warning that Cao Tian Kai in an open suit may be hazardous to fragile hearts!

Read More

A story that hits different post-pandemic.

I can completely understand why people loved this show during the pandemic, but I also have to say, it loses some of that charm if you watch it when everything calmed down and went back to normal. Things that would be comforting back then, now led to some frustration.

On the positive side - I loved the development of the romance between the leads. I liked how it started with just friendship, how they were unsure if there are or even can be any romantic feelings between each other. How they had to actually have proper conversation about the difference between the online personas they had, and the real people they were. Communication! Yes, they had their own fair share of misunderstandings, but at the end of the day, they always went back to talk it through and understand each other better.

Because of the pandemic and social distancing, the storytelling focused so much more on the emotional connection than the physical attraction, and that itself was so refreshing to watch. Most dramas do love to give the “instant connection” type of lovestory, so Remolove taking the completely opposite approach was great.

I also really liked the second male lead - he did like to stir the pot from time to time, but all with good intentions. What this drama did especially well was make me warm up to characters that initially frustrated me, like Gomoji Juntaro or Abiko Saori.

What’s more, I think I like how the narration was done in a form of dialogue with the viewer. Honestly, with the constant isolation during covid, even these scenes of one sided communication must have felt heartwarming for many people. Usually I don’t like when productions break the 4th wall, but here it was just extremely fitting based on the context of the drama. It made me feel like I was part of that office and was just getting some hot tea from my coworkers.

That said, the first 3-4 episodes were extremely frustrating and it was not really the drama's fault. The masks… I truly struggled with figuring out which of the male characters was when on the screen - they all looked similar, wore similar clothes and had similar hairstyles. With little to no distinctive features and 70% of their faces covered - it was cognitive pain and whole ass exercise.

I also feel like how they dealt with covid and were still able to make these deep connections was hopeful during pandemic, potentially making the viewers think it’s not all lost and we can still make things work no matter what. Now after it, it just brought back the feeling of frustration I felt during these 2 years and reminded me how limiting that period of our lives was.

For the acting and production - I liked how quirky it was. The 4th wall breaking, witty hashtags, and how unique the leads felt. Especially Ozakura Mimi. At first she seems extremely cold and rigid, but by the end of the show we understand where it comes from and how it’s not all she has to present. Being hyper professional at work makes sense when you are responsible for the health and lives of so many people in an unfamiliar medical situation that the pandemic was.

Overall, it was a pleasant watch and I wish I had watched it during covid. I am sure I would rate it higher then.

Read More

OG Kdrama plot is back!!

Its been a while since I have watched kdrama that have this kind of plot. I really miss it and it is really refreshing to watch this type of kdrama. These days, kdrama plots have been either truly gruesome, very heavy, and intense. If the kdrama is light, the script, the flow, and the story isn't interesting, even if the acting of the casts is really good.

However, I really love this kdrama. First of all, the main leads are really good at acting. They are one of the actors and actresses who I really like in kdrama industry. Young kwang is really good at acting. He can capture subtle emotions through his expressions. I have also liked Chae Soobin's works. She is really good at picking kdramas. She is really good at acting and she is very pretty T-T. When I heard that they have drama together, I was really excited and they did not disappoint!!!

For the plot, it was interesting. Well, it is really cliche but that is what makes it interesting. It is cliche yet refreshing. Most stories always involve a chaebol, but in here, the male lead's character is a very different chaebol. You can tell that he is a chaebol who deserves to be a chaebol. He works hard and he thinks smartly. He is not some spoiled chaebol who gets everything easily. That is what makes him interesting. The female lead too is cute. I really like her personality. She is not easy and she is not too kind. She knows herself well even though she is hurt by her power. It was a good thing that she has people by her side. Both the male and female lead's character really fit for each other. Both of them are really cute!!!

The cinematography and the way the flow is done are good too. The styling too especially the male lead is so good. Overall, I really love it. I really love fluffy, light, and interesting kdramas like this. If you like this type of romance, then you would definitely like it. Just one thing that I was disappointed ( a little) was I really loved it when chae soobin's hair is straight!!! I would love to see the male lead's expression when he will see her with that chaebol girl fit (same as her fits in When The Phone Rings). She is very pretty!!!

Read More

✨ ONE LITTLE GIRL, A HOUSE FULL OF LOVE

OVERALL IMPRESSION🌟
This was a warm, funny and comforting family romance that remained enjoyable even on my second watch. The familiar hidden-child premise was elevated by a strong FL, an adorable little girl and an unusually affectionate wealthy family who welcomed them both without hesitation.

WHAT I LIKED💖
• The little girl was absolutely precious. Her expressions felt natural, her dialogue delivery was confident and several of her unexpectedly mature responses made me laugh aloud.
• Liu Xiao Xu was delightful in a lighter role. His effortless humour, expressive reactions and captivating smile revealed a completely different side of him.
• I loved the ML’s family. Instead of scheming against one another for wealth or power, the grandfathers, fathers and uncles shared genuine affection and became hilariously excited about welcoming a girl into their male-dominated household.
• The family recognised the FL’s strength, respected everything she had endured and made both mother and daughter feel cherished.
• The FL was independent, hardworking and capable of defending herself. She never appeared greedy or interested in the ML solely because of his status.
• The leads had warm, believable chemistry, while their family interactions gave the romance additional emotional depth.

WHAT I DISLIKED⚠️
• Some of the bullying involving the child became unnecessarily cruel and difficult to believe.
• The jealous antagonist appeared everywhere and retained far too much access after repeatedly causing trouble.
• Several near-misses and avoidable misunderstandings delayed conversations that should have happened much sooner.

PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCES🎭
The story moved smoothly and balanced romance, family warmth and comedy effectively. Liu Xiao Xu and Zheng Chen Yu worked beautifully together, but the child actress and the enthusiastic older relatives frequently stole the spotlight. The humour felt natural rather than forced, making the familiar plot feel livelier.

FINAL THOUGHTS💭
This was a heartwarming drama about a mother and daughter finally finding a family that treasured them both. The loving relatives, capable FL, charming ML and wonderfully expressive little girl made it easy to overlook the familiar clichés. I thoroughly enjoyed it, happily recommend it and would gladly watch it for a third time!

Read More