Reviews

Pretty but Hollow. Overexplained Dialogue, Weak Acting, and Formulaic Story

The drama begins quite charmingly, with humorous moments, a light tone, and attractive winter scenery. Although the landscapes are visually appealing, some scenes look artificial due to strong filters. The early village setting feels refreshing compared with the usual palace focused dramas. One of the strongest aspects in the beginning is the female lead. She is portrayed as smart, practical, and capable, often solving problems through action rather than emotional reactions. Her performance is convincing, and among the first 14 episodes, she was the only character whose acting I consistently enjoyed.
However, many of the other performances feel weaker. Some of the younger supporting actors appear too inexperienced or simply too young for the roles they are meant to portray, which makes certain characters less believable.

Visually, the production looks polished and clearly well funded. The cinematography, costumes, and sets are attractive, but this drama seems to prioritize visual beauty over storytelling.

The music is another mixed element. There are too many background soundtracks throughout the drama, often played too loudly or used in scenes where silence or minimal scoring would have been more effective. I am not referring to the songs themselves, but to the constant background music, which many times feels intrusive.

In terms of storytelling, the script relies heavily on dialogue to explain the plot. Instead of allowing events and character behavior to reveal the story naturally, the characters frequently state motivations and past events directly. This type of exposition removes much of the suspense and makes certain scenes feel dull and overly explanatory.

Another issue is the repetition of familiar tropes. The drama includes several very common plot devices and predictable court politics. These elements have appeared in so many historical dramas, and their repeated use makes the story feel unoriginal and formulaic.

The romance also failed to create emotional engagement for me. Although the interactions between the main leads are pleasant and they look visually appealing together, I never felt a strong emotional connection to their relationship. Even though the story follows a slow-burn romantic structure, many other dramas manage to create emotional tension and chemistry from the beginning, which was largely absent here.

As the story progresses, the narrative begins to lose its initial charm. The relaxed pacing of the early village episodes gradually disappears, and the plot starts to feel compressed and uneven. Around episode 9, the introduction of new characters and past conflicts becomes rushed and poorly developed, making the story harder to follow. Later developments feel inconsistent, with certain scenes lacking clear logic or proper buildup.This weakens the overall narrative cohesion.

Despite a few original details, such as the female lead’s unusual profession as a pig butcher, which adds an unexpected and slightly gritty element, the overall storyline remains superficial, familiar and predictable.
As the story progresses, the pacing becomes uneven, the plot less coherent, the soundtrack overly heavy, and the other actors fail to impress. The drama eventually became boring for me, leading me to drop it after episode 14.

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So bad it’s actually almost good ?

This must have been the lowest of low budget lol. The sounds work is horrendous, there’s some plot holes and the story is presented in a convoluted manner that is unintentionally not in chronological order at times.

But I couldn’t stop watching, like we sometimes can’t stop ourselves from watching a car crash or bar brawl. The drama is short enough that it was fun to just hate watch it til the end.
Like, WTF are they doing in the classroom in broad daylight?
What’s with some of the chopped cuts and slow movements? And the the mediocre acting from the whole cast? 💀
Is the sub even enjoying himself? He’s always grunting in pain instead of moaning (or is that what the noises he makes supposed to be ?). And why does the Dom smiles like he’s stopping himself from bursting into laughter during the smut scenes ? And why do they kiss as if they’re trying to fight? 😂
Also don’t get me started on the non-accurate & non-consensual portrayal of a BDSM dynamic. No safe words, no soft and hard limits, no explicit consent, no aftercare… That’s an abusive relationship, not a BDSM one.

The leads have cute moments together tho, and the base concept of the plot is interesting and had potential. I also liked all the plants in the house this was filmed at. That’s about it.

I mainly watched this season 1 because I want to watch season 2 for the 3rd male lead, as I just watched another drama with that actor and found his acting pretty good. Plus S2 has a better rating than S1, which intrigued me, as it doesn’t happen often with sequels.

If you just let go of expectations and watch this drama as if it’s a spoof comedy of the “50 shades of gray” bdsm genre, then it’s actually a fun watch. I laughed the whole way trough at how bad and ridiculous it all was lol.

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Super cute romance and growing-up story of two high school students

PLOT: Tinn, the School Director's son and top rating student, has been in love with Gun, a more unruly and musical student, since sophomore year. In their senior year, Gun's music club is threatened with disbandment. Tinn becomes student council president to (secretly) help him save the club. Despite the initial animosity, the two grow closer, save the club, mature, and face everyday challenges together.

+++ I'm now a Gemini-Fourth fan. They're both so cute, adorable, incredibly expressive... in short, bursting with talent.
♡o｡(๑๏‿ฺ๏๑)｡o♡
+++The other actors are excellent: Winny, Sathang, Ford, Prom, Mark, etc. The cast is fantastic. (´ ▽｀).。ｏ♡
+++ The story is solid, intelligent, and we have PERFECT parents here, which is rare in dramas.
+++ The direction is lively, with no dull moments, beautiful lighting, framing, etc., and lots and lots of musical scenes.
+++ The OSTs are superb (now in my playlists) sung by the actors/singers. It must be said that this cast is overflowing with talent!

### It's about high school students, so the series is very chaste. I would have liked more kisses between Tinn and Gun :(

=> Very cute, heartwarming, and feel-good BL, which I will definitely watch again (after seeing the other BLs with Gemini & Fourth :)
************************************************************
Romance trop cute et growing-up de 2 lycéens

PLOT: Tinn, fils de la directrice et "1e de la classe" est amoureux de Gun, lycéen plus dissipé et musicien, depuis la 2nde. En terminale, le club de musique de Gun doit être supprimé. Tinn devient donc président du Conseil des élèves pr l'aider (secrètement) à sauver le club. Malgré l'animosité initiale, les 2 vont se rapprocher, sauver le club, grandir et affronter ensemble les pbs du quotidien.

+++ Je fais maintenant partie des fans de Gemini-Fourth. Ils sont tous les 2 craquants, adorables, hyper expressifs, ... bref, bourrés de talent. ♡o｡(๑๏‿ฺ๏๑)｡o♡
+++Les autres acteurs sont excellents : Winny, Sathang, Ford, Prom, Mark, etc. Le cast est génial. (´ ▽｀).。ｏ♡
+++ La story est solide, intelligente, et on a ici des parents PARFAITS ce qui est rare dans les dramas.
+++ La réalis° est vive, sans temps mort, avec de belles lumières, cadrages, etc. et bcp bcp de scènes musicales.
+++ Les OSTs sont superbes (désormais dans mes playlists) chantées par les acteurs/chanteurs. Il faut dire que ce cast regorge de talents !

### Il s'agit de lycéens, donc la série est très chaste. J'aurai tt de mm aimé davantage de kisses entre Tinn et Gun :(

=> Très cute, heartwarming et feel-good BL, que je regarderai certainement à nouveau (après avoir vu les autres BL avec Gemini & Fourth :)

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Came for the fantasy, stayed for Jang Uk and naksu.

I went into Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow expecting the same magic as Alchemy of Souls… but emotionally, this season felt completely different.
Season 1 was chaotic, fun, and adventurous, while Season 2 felt like living in the aftermath of heartbreak. Jang Uk’s pain, the mystery around Bu-yeon, and the quiet tension between them carried the entire season. Every scene felt heavy but beautiful.
The biggest problem? Only 10 episodes. The story felt rushed, some characters deserved better, and a few conflicts ended way too quickly.
Still… the ending gave the closure I desperately needed. Not perfect, but definitely emotional.

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From Bunk Beds to Heartbeats: Love Story in the 1970s

Love Story in the 1970s takes us back to an era where life was simple on the surface but complicated underneath. The story follows Fei Ni, a hardworking young woman at a textile factory who dreams of changing her fate through education. In a time when university opportunities are rare and often depend on recommendations, Fei Ni keeps striving for a chance to study despite repeated rejections. Her path crosses again with her junior high school classmate Fang Mu Yang, who becomes known as a local hero after getting injured while saving people. Feeling responsible and hopeful that good deeds might help her earn a university recommendation, Fei Ni takes the initiative to care for him. Life, however, is not that simple. Pressures keep piling up, especially when Fei Ni’s family faces housing problems and her brother needs a place for his marriage. In a moment that feels both practical and a little absurd, Fei Ni proposes a fake marriage to Fang Mu Yang so they can secure a house. What begins as a convenient arrangement slowly turns into a life together. Sleeping in bunk beds in a tiny home, facing hardships, encouraging each other’s dreams, and stumbling through everyday struggles, the two gradually discover that love can quietly grow even in the most ordinary moments.

Going into this drama, I was basically a tourist in the 1970s. Episode one starts with a slow pace and drops us straight into that era without much explanation. I had so many questions in my head. Why does Fei Ni need a recommendation letter for university? Why does she keep getting rejected? What exactly is re education? The show does not really spell it out, so I spent the first episode slightly confused while trying to figure out the rules of that world. At first I even found the characters a little dull. Fang Mu Yang looked especially pitiful with his worn down appearance, though credit where it is due, Chen Fei Yu’s styling and tan complexion really sold the look of a poor and struggling young man. Still, the story slowly picked up momentum after the early episodes and once it did, I found myself surprisingly invested.

Fei Ni’s journey is honestly one long emotional roller coaster. This girl cannot catch a break. She keeps getting rejected from university recommendations, her living situation is unstable, and even her kindness often makes her life harder. Watching her volunteer to care for Fang Mu Yang while already struggling financially gave me secondhand anxiety. She is almost too kind for her own good. At times her naivety made me want to shake her and say girl please think of yourself for once. But the more the story progressed, the more I realized that her persistence and sincerity are exactly what make her character work. She does not suddenly transform into a powerful heroine. Instead she slowly gains courage, learns to stand up for herself, and even outsmarts the people who try to bring her down. Watching that growth felt incredibly satisfying.

Fang Mu Yang also went through a transformation that really changed my perspective on him. I will be honest, the early version of Fang Mu Yang drove me nuts. The clingy behavior, the helpless vibe, the memory loss trope, it was a lot. But once he regained his memory around episode six, everything started to click. Suddenly he became more proactive, more mature, and far more charismatic. He began working hard to secure a stable life for Fei Ni and their relationship started to feel like a true partnership rather than a one sided support system. By the middle of the drama, I found their dynamic genuinely sweet. Their love is innocent in a way that feels refreshing. They read together in the library, quietly support each other’s dreams, and even their romantic moments are shy and pure. Their confession scene in front of Fei Ni’s family and their tiny peck of a first kiss made me grin like an idiot.

That said, the couple who completely stole my attention was Fang Mu Jing and Qu Hua. Their relationship had all the ingredients I love in a drama pairing. Pride, tension, misunderstandings, slow emotional growth, and enough unresolved feelings to power a small city. Fang Mu Jing is one of the most fascinating characters in the drama. She is ambitious, rational, and incredibly guarded. Life forced her to become independent to the point that she rarely shows warmth, yet deep down she still cares deeply for her family. Qu Hua enters her life with his own emotional baggage, including the painful truth that he initially married her because she resembled his lost love. That revelation could have easily destroyed their relationship, and honestly I would not have blamed Fang Mu Jing if she walked away. Instead their story slowly evolves through pride battles, subtle gestures, and emotional breakthroughs. Watching them gradually open their hearts to each other was both frustrating and thrilling. When they finally confessed their love in episode twenty, I was practically cheering at my screen.

Of course, no drama is complete without characters who make your blood pressure rise, and this show delivers that through Feng Lin and Ling Yi. Feng Lin in particular felt like a walking stress generator. Her constant scheming, manipulation, and petty jealousy made me want to reach through the screen and personally escort her into a ditch. Yet I have to admit the character served her purpose well. She was the kind of antagonist who feels frustratingly real. The satisfaction of watching her face the consequences of her actions later in the story was truly chef’s kiss.

One thing I really appreciated about this drama is how it handles conflict. There are many obstacles throughout the story. Career struggles, family tensions, banned books, earthquakes, workplace politics, romantic misunderstandings. Yet none of these conflicts drag endlessly. Most issues are resolved within an episode or two, which keeps the pacing engaging. Instead of milking drama for the sake of it, the story moves forward and focuses on how the characters grow through these challenges.

The production also deserves praise for its attention to detail. The sets, clothing, and even small props help bring the 1970s atmosphere to life. I loved noticing little things like Fei Ni’s simple ponytail tied with a rubber band or the contrast between older and newly maintained buildings. The casting was also excellent. The child actors playing the younger versions of the characters genuinely resembled the adult cast, which made the flashbacks feel believable. Even the opening title sequence had a clever detail. A paint palette slowly fills with color throughout the episodes, and by the finale all twenty nine slots are complete. It is such a small creative touch but it reflects the journey of the story beautifully.

By the time I reached the final episode, I realized how attached I had become to these characters. Episode twenty nine gives everyone a realistic and heartfelt ending. The return of university entrance exams offers a fair chance for the younger generation, Fei Ni finally achieves her long awaited academic dream, and Fang Mu Yang decides to pursue university alongside her. Fang Mu Jing and Qu Hua continue building a future together while supporting each other’s ambitions. The finale feels warm, hopeful, and grounded in the idea that happiness does not arrive all at once but grows through shared struggles.

Love Story in the 1970s ended up being a drama that surprised me. It started slow and confusing for someone unfamiliar with that historical period, but once the characters found their rhythm, the story became deeply engaging. It is a tale about perseverance, family, and the quiet romance that blooms in ordinary lives. Sometimes love does not arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it grows between bunk beds, shared books, and small acts of support. And honestly, that kind of love story hits differently.

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eye opening but sadly lacking

This was such a cute and wholesome show that also emphasized the work culture of Japan and how even in progressive companies, this kind of mindset is still a struggle to erase.

I appreciate how this series showed a homey and yet hustle based work atmosphere. I also appreciate the realization of the main lead as she works and discovers more about herself.

Some caveats that I have is that since this was such a short series, the growth of the female main lead didn’t actually push through. It seemed like in the end she reverted back to her old self. While the main male and female couple had great interactions and chemistry, it kinda felt lacking how their relationship progressed. It seemed more one sided…

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Disappointed

Disclaimer: I’ve read the Manhwa

I was really excited for this drama because Positively Yours is one of my favorite manhwas. When I heard it was getting a drama adaptation, I had been waiting for it for so long. But after watching the first episode, I was honestly disappointed. They completely changed the female lead’s career because she was supposed to be a teacher. They also made the CEO completely different from the manhwa. In Positively Yours he was confident and straightforward, but in the drama he has low confidence and feels like a totally different character. They also added a second male lead that wasn’t necessary and even added an evil sister in law, when in the manhwa he didn’t have one at all. In the original story he didn’t even have guilt over a brother dying or some reason he didn’t want to marry. They just added so much unnecessary drama when this could have been a cute, fluffy series, but instead they tried to dramatize everything. I just had really high expectations for this drama, and I feel like if they had stuck closer to the original storyline it could’ve been so much better.

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What u shud know before starting this drama!

Starting with my opening statement - the cast is amazing, the storyline so far is good too, and the chemistry is just fire!

Positives:
1. The fake marriage plot: even though that's how it has started, they show natural chemistry from the beginning and I can predict that their love story will be beautiful!

2. Strong, innocent female lead: her character offers something new, and I love how empathetic she is and even though she is struggling herself with her parents' recent death, the villagers' judging nature, her broken engagement (i HATE Song Yan's character!! But we'll acted!), and money, she still helps the male lead.

3. The supporting characters: they are amazing as well, find out the rest by watching lol!

4. How caring and supportive FL is of the ML and it's 美丽的 how the ML admires FL and watches out for her!

Negatives:
1. I found the court things and matters boring initially, maybe because it was still in the early stages. Hope it gets better as the drama progresses.
2. FL's little sister. I mean, she is cute and funny, but she just gets in the middle of the lead couple's romance :(( I believe that even without her character, the story could have progressed well.
3. I don't appreciate how the ML lies to the FL about his true identity..she genuinely cares for him and looks out for him, she even went to find him at the camp..the ML should have told her the truth about his identity at that point!

Concluding statement - this drama is worth your time! But don't binge watch it, keep the suspense !! :)

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Just finished watching this drama and honestly… I don’t know what I just watched.

The drama actually has a good basic storyline, which makes it even more disappointing. The problem is how the story is executed. The plot feels repetitive, with the same situations happening again and again without real progress. Instead of building tension or developing the characters, it just keeps circling around the same ideas.

Another issue is the character behavior. Many scenes feel unrealistic, almost childish. For example, characters are in serious gun situations, but the way they react and the way the scenes play out feels awkward and poorly planned. It ends up looking more like a random sequence of events rather than a well-directed action scene.

Because of that, the drama loses its impact. What could have been an intense or emotional story ends up feeling messy and frustrating to watch.

Overall, the concept had potential, but the storytelling and scene execution really let it down. Sadly, it felt like a waste of time.

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Better than expected but the ending was a bit of a let down

Taste follows the story of group of teens that apparently have too much time on their hands as I never see them study which is funny considering they are in cram school.

Most of them are rich/come from influential families/or whatever. Then we have Bambi, our main main lead.

Bambi chases fame and isn't afraid to be an absolutely shitty person to reach said goal. We never see her character evolving because I'm pretty sure the writers want her to stay a shitty person. The thing is with these kind of people is that you can respect their game, you can respect their drive and ambition. You can hate and admire them. But they are usually not written like Bambi which makes it even more infuriating. These kind of characters usually do not hide they are cut-throat assholes or admit so freely once they get "caught".

Bambi, on the other hand, does something really shitty, lies about it, then cries about how sorry she is, makes herself look sooo miserable and then just keeps being shitty. There is a certain edge missing to her. It feels less calculated and more like impulsive teen does thing because she can - which to be fair - is what teens probably do in real life.

Considering this was Mabelz first role, she did really well. I was skeptical at first, but she was quite natural.

The story also follows the other people of the group. So we see Diesel, an influential politician's son who, in my opinion, has the most intriguing story line and characterization. He's some asshole with a complex background story that fucks with his brain in ways he can't comprehend. He finds comfort in this one girl who also stands politically for everything against his dad. Funsies!
Well, they develop a sweep whatevership that sorta ends with Diesel's demons making him do questionable shit.
You don't really root for him, but you also end up pitying him. IMO, the most interesting character. Phuwin did great, but yeah the kssing scenes with women were so awkward, it made me cringe.

We also get to witness the stories of some of the others, but at this point I have talked about the biggest story plots in Taste.
The other's aren't as maddening.

Overall, the story is intriguing enough to fill 8 episodes. More would have been way too much. The ending fell kinda flat, tho. Bambi is upsetting at some point. You really don't wanna root for her. The cast did well, though. Even though sometimes their random English lines would be delivered weirdly, it didn't really flow naturally.

In conclusion, still enjoyable enough. Especially if you wanna see Phuwin play a completely different chracter from Peach (Mee and Thee) which he played in the same year.

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In love

Definitely one of my favorite dramas I've watched in the past couple years. The negative reviews truly don't make sense to me, and I'm highly convinced that those that didn't like it were either of low intelligence and had a hard time with the plot, or they are fans of the ML's previous drama and are review and rate bombing. Ignore the negative reviews and for sure try it. Mu Qingyuan is definitely going on my favorites list.

My only criticisms of the show are
- It does get repetitive at times
-While I love the toxic vibes of their relationship, it was kind of just going in circles until the very end. She shouldve given something up to be with him.
- I wish we had the hero at full power. He was weak most of the drama and weaker towards the end. And heroine was weaker. Really wish the poison thing was resolved earlier.
- The end was probably the most disappointing. It made some things confusing, and I wish they stayed in the Demon Sect. And I wish we got to see kids or martial bliss or something since instead of the random side character scenes and that singing part towards the end.

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GL can be more than just 2 beautiful women kissing

Petrichor is forever in my heart just like GAP The Series and here's why.

Once upon a time GAP The Series have changed my life. It introduced me to Thai GL Universe that I am currently live in 🦄 I accepted that sometimes GLs are cringe and awkward, doesn't have a decent plot BUT I can watch WLW content with beautiful charming ladies.

Petrichor, however, raised standards much higher.

Let's start with obvious - Englot. Absolutely sure that they had (or have) some kind of romantic relationship. And you can tell. Their chemistry is on the next level. I didn't like their first project - Show me love. Club Friday Hot Love Issue is also not that good. Both series are lacking plot, you watch it just because of the beautiful women. Acting was also not that good. I was sincerely shocked (in a good way) with how much better they were acting in Petrichor. Not too much, no cringe, no awkwardness 🔝
The plot. I am not that smart so I was genuinely surprised with it. Yes, subsequent events felt a little too rushed but otherwise it'd be another 30 episodes 😅
Production, music, light and cinematography are also great.

Ultimately, Petrichor is certainly not a masterpiece of the film industry in general, but for GL industry it is clearly a high-quality product that stands out.

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The Drama Everyone’s Complaining About — But Shouldn’t

I honestly don’t get the hate this drama is getting.

The acting alone deserves way more appreciation. Zhou Yiran literally *acts with his eyes* — half the time he doesn’t even need dialogue to show what his character is feeling, and that’s rare to see. Bao Shangen is also perfectly cast; she balances cuteness and fierceness so naturally that her character never feels one-dimensional.

Sure, maybe the editing skills aren’t perfect, but the concept is really nice. There are so many scenes executed beautifully — from the cinematography to the aesthetics, a lot of effort is clearly put in. I do think some slack could be cut where the execution isn’t flawless, but overall it doesn’t take away from the experience.

Is the plot flawless? No. There are a few confusing parts here and there, but nothing that makes the story impossible to follow. It’s still engaging and enjoyable if you’re actually watching the drama instead of nitpicking every little detail.

It feels like people just decided to complain before even giving it a fair chance. For me, the performances and the overall concept alone make it worth watching, and the drama definitely doesn’t deserve the amount of hate it’s getting.

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