Reviews

Incredible cast, pretty good story

I've never heard of this movie, but it popped up on my suggested page so I thought I would check it out. I love and adore Bogummy so I was excited to see something else he was in. Same with Gong Yoo! They both did amazing as always. I liked Ki Heon as a character a lot. I liked that he had layers to him and felt a real sense of guilt and that was one of the reasons he wanted to help Seo Bok and it was more than just for selfish reasons (even though that's what he kept saying). I loved Seo Bok. I feel like with these types of stories they also make the clones/robots/etc. so cold and stiff feeling, but Seo Bok wasn't at all. He felt like a real person or even kind of like a child discovering the world for the first time. He had real emotions and more human like movements which I liked a lot. I liked seeing the two of them get to know each other over the movie as well. I figured either one or both of them weren't making it out of the movie alive, just because that's usually how these stories go. I liked that it kept talking about humans' greed and the way they talked about death as well. I liked this quite a bit and would recommend if you like action sci-fi!

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This series had me WRECKED!!! ?

TTEOTM is heartbreaking...No...Heartwrenching to watch! The ending killed me! I should have just stopped at episode 35 and had my happy ending 😭 I felt so bad for Luo Xunxi (especially spitting up SO much blood in this series! God, he must be sick of whatever that blood liquid is made out of 🤮). The three arcs of each character's lifetimes was enough to sustain my interest but it really got frustrating when you realize how much some of the situations could have been avoided if they just talked to each other 😑

I loved the growth of maturity of Bai Lu's character Li Susu from being naive to a wise immortal in the end. The suffering and happiness of Tantai Jin is a full roller coaster ride that can drive you nuts! I hate to admit this, but he is so convincing and hot 🔥 as the Devil God and sometimes I just preferred him as that character because at least it was straightforward. 🤭 There is no redemption for Tantai Jin and that really made me feel like the story failed and was truly more about the enlightenment of Li Susu than anything. I had to hand it to Chen Lu Ding though! 🥰 I loved to hate her and she did exceptional in her supporting role! (Loved her in Ashes to Crown- The Best!). Great acting for the most part on the supporting roles. Shu Zhen Ni as Pian Ran had me rooting for her and Ye Qing Yu's side story. The costumes and special effects as well as the sets were excellent and really created worlds that transported you to the realms of the underworld Barren Abyss, the Mohe River, the various immortal realms of Heaven and Earth.

I can't help it but Luo and Lu's chemistry is undeniable and they make it very believable but it's still heartwrenching 💔 (I miss their chemistry in Love is Sweet-honestly, I had to rewatch it because it was the only thing that helped me get over the sadness of this series) 😢

Overall, I gave this series an 8 out of 10 not so much for the story but for the acting, costumes and effects. The story could have been better.

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How most young love ends up

I liked this movie and I think it's cool it takes place over a few years and get to see where the characters all end up after high school. I really liked Jin U a lot. He was a lot of fun, really smart, and just overall a cool character. Seon A was pretty good too though I feel like there was a couple times she got annoyed at Jin U without hearing him out at all. I thought the two of them were cute together too, even though I don't think they officially were ever together. Her getting married to someone else felt a little random but based on how the story was going and his narration, I wasn't shocked they didn't end up together. My only complaint was in the last couple minutes when they were showing flashbacks, it showed some scenes differently from what they originally showed up so I thought it was a little confusing what was real and what was what could've been. Other than that, I liked it and thought it was a cute story.

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A Chinese Historical BL worth checking out

Is “Journey with You” as good as its historical C-BL predecessor, “Kill to Love”? I think I like “Journey with You” just a little bit more. It’s still a small budget production but the plot is good. I could see a big budget production using the same plot, but giving it more time to expand certain storylines and execute better.

It’s unfortunate that this drama didn’t get a lot of hype, due to its airing schedule in competition with the likes of “Sammy’s Children Day” and “Double Helix”. Moreover, it’s only available on Gagaoolala and not other more popular platforms.

Acting:
Most of the actors are pretty new to the industry. The most experienced would be Colin Duan, who played the villain. And you know what, it shows his experience especially in his last scenes. That was quite an emotional and teary performance with snot coming out of his nose. LOL But the other newbies aren’t bad either, and better than I expected. There’s definitely room for improvement, and I wasn’t cringing. Wang Jing Han, playing one of the main leads Pei Yan Zhi, has a lot of potential. I quite enjoy his acting. Tang Bi De (5th Prince) and the rest of the supporting cast did fine.

Main Romance:
The main leads have great chemistry together. I believe in their brotherhood, their brewing (or already brewed) romance, and how they can’t deny their feelings for each other anymore. There are definitely some frustrating moments when Pei Yan Zhi was doing his noble idiocy act. But I forgive him, as I understood where he’s coming from. The biggest surprise is how bold they went in with the intimate scene and the kisses. That kiss sequence before their NC scene was perfect. Passionate and hungry, and showing all the pent up emotions. The occasional kisses here and there in the latter half of the drama are not fish kisses either.

Secondary Romance:
The secondary toxic romance was interesting. The flashbacks showed us enough of how they met and became close. The NC scenes were suggestive but not quite daring enough to go all out and show us more. I would think their special relationship NC scene should be as daring as the main leads, if not more. But for a short drama, I was happy that they were given just enough screen time.

Plot:
The political plot was not hard to follow though I think the writing for Yin Qi’s way to change the past could have been better. But I have to say, Pei Yan Zhi’s scheme is a little crazy and farfetched. MDL didn’t say this drama is an adaptation of anything, so I guess the original scriptwriter really went all out to create this unrealistic way to save Yin Qi. I think I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the drama, more than the last few episodes. As for the ending, I wish we could have gotten something a little more definite. Is that real, or a dream/imagination? I guess it’s up to the viewer to decide.


Overall, I had a good time watching “Journey with You”. It’s a rare Chinese historical BL, and I hope to see more in the future. We know having a big budget would be difficult, but I wish the creators continue to find ways to make high quality content, whether it’s newbies’ acting, fight scenes, makeup, costumes, sets, or the use of different camera angles.



Drama Completed: 6/20/2026 Review #697

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Dreaming of the first OF

As a BL connisuer, I felt like I had to watch this one so I did. You should too, honestly, but don't expect the same provocative chaotic splendor that made the first one so delicious.

Let me start by thanking Timmy, Boston, and Nick. These are the characters who gave me the most satisfaction during the largely unnecessary drama that ensued throughout OFDO.

Timmy was the voice of reason. I commend you, sir.

Boston was somewhat the old Boston but largely the new Boston. A little predictable but not devastatingly so. That said his chaos agent role in OF (sometimes extreme and heartless, but also believable) was what drove that story. That piece was missing here, and no other character really stepped into the void. (Sorry Raffy.)

Boston and Nick gave me one of the only moments in OFDO where I felt deeply affected by the story. Their brief exchange really got me right in the feels. Despite my luke warm response to this one, I would absolutely tune in to OF3 to see those two work their stuff out, whatever that might look like.

I really wanted to like the rest of this, but the conflicts were a little too dumb for my taste. I mean, come on, real hurtful betrayals went down in OF! There were real issues to sort out. This stuff felt petty and forced in comparison. I was mad at almost every character, and not for bad behavior, but for stupidly extreme responses that were unwarranted by the situation.

The couple that I enjoyed the most was Rome and Raffy. Their drama felt real and their responses were earned reactions to trifling behavior. But even that had moments where one or the other of them was doing dumb stuff that was needlessly cruel to the other person, made them look like a fool (especially Rome), or both. Even still, it felt more relatable.

This is probably gonna be unpopular, but Jack is a jackass. I was over him early on. No amount of warm fuzzies at the end could fix that for me.

And Tua and Arnold had way too many cringe moments. Plus they look like grown men pretending to be boys. Something about their story in particular made that stick out for me even more than the others. Perhaps its because in reality JossGawin are sexy AF, especially Joss and his salted caramel lollipop looking ass.

And are we just gonna forget about Pete and his literal crimes!? Where's the money, man?

At the end of the day, I think it was the writing and directing that left me underwhelmed, although there were some acting fails as well.

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everything. everything's done well about MRN

okay, so this is gonna take a while since i wanna talk about a pair of things. first of all, ngl i dont think i wasnt expecting much from this (was clearly wrong) when i started it, i dont think the first episode really got me ? i mightve watched it just because i was bored so i wasnt thinking exactly idk, im not saying it was boring (it isnt ofc) but idk, it was just there. but maybe one of the reasons couldve been the fact that it was reincarnation. i think is a very used trope in the kdrama industry that i wasnt happy about it but i gave it a chance. while watching the second episode i did end up more intrigued in everything and after episode four i kept thinking about them, my entire scomed got filled about it, something i do but not entirely PLUS ive seen the four episodes like 5 times, its also something im not used to doing.

and, speaking of which, i dont think something will top watching MRN while airing because seeing people talking about the details on twt was an amazing experience. im gonna miss it, it doesnt matter how many times i watch it, seeing it live (?) is something else.

^ i wanna praise the team's work, too. the script writers, directors etc etc, they did such a good job, the first half had this parallel with the other half, seori being dressed with a red sweater when she got hit with the doom truck just like when she got poisoned in the first episode with the hanbok and i could keep giving examples. they took care of all of these details i know no other drama had done it.

segye had his problems with his family, with being accused of things he didnt do but after meeting seori he tried to be better and it was okay if he just let out those emotions, like yelling at seori I MEAN, he was wrong when he told her he would defend her and yelled at her but he realized that and thats okay, no one's perfect, even if theyre fictional. perfect is boring. segye was realistic and i loved him for that.

seori also had these struggles and ended up learning she kind of needed to go through pain to be happier, to feel joy even tho she went through a lot in both of her lives.

its funny how MRN used a lot of clichés that are so common in kdramas (the doom truck, reincarnation and the chaebol x "poor girl") but they gave it a new pov its amazing.

something i need to complain its the amount of episodes. not only because i loved shinsegye dynamic, but because of the plot. i kept wondering what happened to segye's father. like, his mom was dead, but, what about him? no one mentioned him, i think only his grandpa at the last episode, im not sure if it was him, but it was weird idk it didnt matter obviously but they couldve explored segye's background. and, seori's coworker i dont even rememeber her name😭 but i didn't get the point of showing she was bad/mean to seori if they didnt show why was she being bad, like, what was actually the reason ? ALSO, when did jihyo become good to her, i think she just started doing it just because ? or maybe i dont remember

but yeah, anyways, this is just something tiny so i can let it pass because it kinda became one of my fav dramas lmaao

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Good, zany fun

This was a really entertaining watch! I think JBL is best at these ridiculous premises, in this case rivals-to-lovers on steroids, and this was elevated by perfectly cast leads and a fun OST. Sato Yusuke is quickly becoming one of my favorite BL actors, and I love how he played a completely different role from his character in Mr Unlucky. Admittedly my excitement waned a bit in the later episodes as the story loses steam, but there was still solid chemistry throughout. The intimacy was also very well-done. Overall Fake Fact Lips is just a good old time, and I hope to see more JBL series like it.

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Veil of Confusions

I went into this series with little to no expectations, and while it's a good watch, it feels a lot longer than 29 episodes. Between a lot happening and not enough happening, the series’ pacing is hard to comment on. And because I took many breaks between episodes, I felt like I’d been watching the show for half a year.

I have no complaints about the cast. I love Tian Jia Rui in just about everything he’s in. He’s truly a gem. I’ve loved Ju Jing Yi since “Legend of Yun Xi” and have listened to some of her music as both a soloist and a member of SNH48. I’m so glad Yan An decided to become an actor, especially in Chinese historical fantasies, because although I’ve known and listened to PENTAGON’s debut song and even had a couple of biases in the boy group, for some reason I never noticed Yan An (he and Wooseok confuse me lol). If he hadn’t left CUBE and become an actor, I wouldn’t have discovered his talent. Chen Du Ling is without a doubt gorgeous, but I could never get behind her acting; however, she really fit Wu Wang Yan. This is my first time watching Joseph Zeng, and he didn’t disappoint at all. He’s the perfect Wu Shi Guang and even came across as older than Chen Du Ling and Ju Jing Yi.

The acting was a bit clumsy at times, especially by Wu Han (You Chi). I understand this is his series debut, but sometimes he takes me out of the moment. And although he's the comic relief character, I still don't know how I feel about him.

What impresses me most is the world-building of this series. It’s overly complex yet unique and fascinating. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up because there's so much to remember, but we still get explanations. I liked that the characters experienced a different time, so we got to see what it was like 1000, 150, and 50 years ago. The character design was also spot on. Although Ji Ling is the focus of the show, the other main characters each make a unique contribution to the series.

Tian Jia Rui’s “Suffering” song saved this series’ music. Towards the end, they use the instrumental and crossover from Tian Jia Rui and Ju Jing Yi, but it’s worth it because this song fits everything happening at the end.

The chemistry and romance in here were killer! Each couple really went all out for each other, and it was both heartwarming and nice to see!

I have some complaints, but my biggest issue is the delivery of the action and story development towards the latter half of the show. As with other series like “Fangs of Fortune” and “My Journey to You,” the action gets absurdly uncreative and relies heavily on flying, choppy edits, and CGI. The setup for the final battle was creative, but the delivery was soooo boring. At many points, we just have our powerful characters standing all cool. I don’t know if it’s budget or why Edward Guo refuses to have multiple powerful characters take on the enemy all at once and wipe them out quickly. Given Lu Wu Yi being Jiu Ying and Ji Ling being the former Dragon Deity who’s built a reputation and relationships for a hundred years, it’s no surprise they have more screen time towards the end. My problem was it wasn’t used effectively, so it just looks like favoritism (I personally don’t mind it, but would have loved to see Wu Shi Guang do more as our new Dragon Deity). Another issue I have is how Shi Guang sent You Chi up against a fox demon and expects him to flee. Then, instead of realizing that You Chi and Wang Yan would be fine once Li Jing reverts the past and stops Wu Yi from being created, we get some flat moments of Shi Guang crying over You Chi and Wang Yan. The romance in here was good; the friendship not so much. I think we get one scene of Li Jing and Shi Guang acting as “brothers,” and then for a while we’re just told that Shi Guang sides with Li Jing, without that trust and bond.

Can I just say Bai Ze is ridiculously powerful and absolutely my favorite???

For the rewatch value, I gave it a 5 because I may rewatch some episodes or scenes but probably never the whole series again.

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Another masterpiece incoming

Starting off the series with good premise and perfect set up. The chemistry amongst the cast is there, meaning that we can see how each character flows in every scenes.
I like Prince Thin is not your usual prince, he's got character, playful and not afraid to speak his minds.
Phob character is also interesting how he carry himself around Thin, we get to see his softer side which is very rare in a BL series when a "top/seme" shows that sides.
Also Pond's acting as a spoiled prince is so good.

Overall this series will makes you hold your pearls when you watching, especially the tense between Thin and Phob, we can see they are trying so hard not to cross the line.

Go watch it!

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Ruler of My Heart is one of those Chinese short dramas that stays with you long after the final episode. What begins as a story filled with misunderstandings, heartbreak, and regret slowly transforms into a powerful lesson about love, communication, and the consequences of taking someone's devotion for granted.

The Female Lead is the emotional center of the drama. Throughout her marriage, she loves her husband wholeheartedly and remains loyal despite the pain he causes her. She is not weak; rather, she is someone who continues to love even when she receives little understanding or affection in return. Her quiet sacrifices, patience, and unwavering devotion make her a deeply tragic character. As the story unfolds, viewers witness how much suffering she carries alone, making her eventual fate heartbreaking to watch.

The Male Lead, portrayed by Liu Xiaoxu, delivers one of the more emotionally complex performances in a short drama. At first, he appears cold, stubborn, and blinded by his own assumptions. He constantly misunderstands his wife and allows his pride and prejudices to dictate his actions. What makes his character compelling, however, is not who he is at the beginning but who he becomes after tragedy strikes. Once he finally learns the truth about her love and sacrifices, the weight of his mistakes crashes down upon him. His grief, regret, and self-blame feel genuine and devastating. Watching him realize that he destroyed the very person who loved him most is both painful and unforgettable. Viewers may find themselves angry at him for much of the drama, yet unable to ignore the depth of his remorse by the end.

What truly elevates *Ruler of My Heart* above many other short dramas is its message about relationships. Too often people believe they will have time later to apologize, to listen, to understand, or to show love. This drama reminds us that "later" is never guaranteed. Words left unsaid and feelings left unexplained can create wounds that become impossible to heal.

The story also touches on an important real-life issue: heartbreak and failed relationships can create overwhelming emotional pain, but ending one's life is never the answer. Relationships can end, marriages can fail, and people can make terrible mistakes, yet life itself is worth far more than any single relationship. Pain is temporary, even when it feels unbearable. Healing, new beginnings, and happiness remain possible as long as we continue moving forward. The drama shows how tragedy leaves lasting scars not only on the person suffering but also on those left behind. It serves as a reminder that seeking support, talking to trusted friends and family, or reaching out for professional help is always a stronger choice than surrendering to despair.

Overall, *Ruler of My Heart* is a heartbreaking but meaningful drama about love, regret, forgiveness, and the value of cherishing those who care for us while we still have the chance. If you enjoy emotional stories that make you cry, reflect on life, and appreciate the people around you a little more, this drama is well worth watching.

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Don't judge a book by its cover

From the poster, synopsis, and the fact that Masaya is playing the lead, I thought this movie would be just another cheesy, run-of-the-mill teen idol rom-com, and while that does make up part of its DNA, I was shocked that it was much more a story of female friendship than anything. Maybe it's unfair to rate this so highly just based on how severely it managed to subvert my expectations, but it really made me so giddy how unlike this movie is from others in this genre.

I think the key here was the very stripped-back production that gave it an almost indie-movie feel. Usually, these movies are full of poppy visuals, slow-mo glamour shots, and resolution so clear you can see everyone's pores, but here, everything has a slightly grainy filter to it, and while it is colorful, it has a much more natural, moody atmosphere. So while they aren't reinventing the wheel with the plot, thanks to this more restrained directing and cinematography, the story feels a lot more grounded and substantial. And yet, it still manages to be just as funny and charming as a true rom-com - Akoko's confession scene, her chasing around Narita to get him to help her, Mitsuki activating battle mode by adjusting her top to be off-shoulder...good stuff !

And backing up the strong visuals of the movie were the strong performances of the cast! Masaya holds his own despite this being his first lead role and manages to give his character some depth beyond Hot Guy™, even if it wasn't the performance of the century. And I've been very critical of Jyutaro's acting before, but this is EASILY the best role I've seen him in yet. He does so well when he's not trying to be all cool and handsome like he often has to be, and this movie gave me hope for him yet. Watanabe Miho is a sleeper talent for me after seeing her in Yukari-kun wa Gap ga Zurui - she brings a lot of charisma to a character that could very easily veer into annoying territory - and Saito Nagisa showed more well-rounded acting here than in the other roles I've seen her in. Not only did everyone put in work individually, but they also had great chemistry with each other, which was so crucial to making this work as well as it did for me.

It's not a perfect movie by any means - there were some plot contrivances and I can see how people might be put off by two girls fighting over some dude - but it was a true breath of fresh air in a sea of cookie-cutter rom coms, and I would highly recommend for anyone looking for something a bit more unique!

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She's the One (2025) is a nice romance miniseries adapted from the web novel "Zha Nan Pi Tui Gui Mi, Wo Huai Zai Dang Ta Hou Ma" , also known as "Guai, Bie Jiao Shu Shu, Jiao Lao Gong" by Tian Jie Er, with ML: Zhao Ting Yi (as Rong Jun Heng) and FL: Deng Ling Shu (as Ruan Zhi) in the leafing couple's role. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life, and the leading couple had a close and amiable relationship with great communication that turned into steadfast feelings which developed into a sincere and heartfelt sensuous love. The drama spends a bit too much time with the ML's group of people in order to showcase some muscle power and takes away some time from the romance. Still, this drama is quite entertaining; enjoy it!

In the meantime, you can watch the drama on YouTube: "赵廷义＆邓灵枢《非她不可》[MULTI SUB | FULL] #短剧#最新短剧#短剧合集#都市#古装#爱情#玄幻#大陸劇#大结局#爆款短剧 #drama #恋爱 #复仇" [Google Translate: "Zhao Tingyi & Deng Lingshu 'No One But Her' [MULTI SUB | FULL] #ShortDrama #LatestShortDrama #ShortDramaCollection #Urban #Costume #Romance #Fantasy #MainlandDrama #FinalEpisode #HitShortDrama #drama #Love #Revenge"] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Rr5ScGkYE)
Or: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Rr5ScGkYE)

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