Reviews

A fun time travel/reborn over & over again drama!

Pretty good for a short drama! Unique storyline and decent acting made this for a fun watch.
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{SPOILERS}
The drama starts out with a short time travel/reborn into the near past after the FL dies. ML keeps traveling back further and further in time frantic to try and put a stop to the FL's tragic demise. All of this was fun and fast paced but the problems I had with the drama were two-fold.

1. The villain was very 2d. He wasn't treated bad or neglected or anything. He was just jealous of being 2nd best.
2. The ending would have been ok, but it felt anticlimactic since we all knew who the villain was and their motive from very early on and that the FL & ML didn't really stop him, he kinda stopped himself and held no real remorse for his actions. It was all very unconvincing. Not only that but the VERY END kind of made all that the ML went through... useless.

Anyway, watch if you're super bored and want to see something fun and fast paced but you'll need to switch your thinker off quite a bit at the same time ;-)

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Story:
After thorough deliberation, I loved the progression of the characters. Contrary to others' comments, which I also acknowledge, I believe it is not a lazy writing. The notion that no one is purely evil and good is decently encapsulated.

Pi-o and JY are for me symbolize the white and black swan, or yin-yang in other context. They may vary in terms of specialty—Pi-o leaning on the technicalities while JY as emotion-inducing artist—however they complement each other. And this applies to their personalities as well.

As for the other characters, time changes a person. I understand that it may seem inconsistent when they suddenly transition from being bad to good, vice-versa, but there are external interferences that influence one's character. I even can not hate Pi-o's mother. Not that I tolerate her actions; her father's upbringing also shaped herself. Nor I hate her father too... Rather than hate, the word "holistic judgement" better frames what I feel.

And yes, I agree that there are themes opened but failed to be supplemented with satisfactory informations. It's like touching it without any closure. Yet, I think these are just minor inconvenience.

Once you put your heart and mind in the series, you will be beautifully immersed. I myself knows nothing in music (much more in the classical aspect), but I learned to appreciate all of it. There are discourses that spark perspectives and opinions.

+ I LOVE THE ENDING!!! No boring episodes too <3

Acting:

This might be the drama's strongest suit. Song Kang is really good when it comes to classical-themed stories (if you watch Navillera — I forgot but I suppose he's a ballerina). His eyes speaks everytime. You understand what he's trying to convey without verbal implications.
And of course, Lee junyeong! He is fully booked! I watched majority of his series and he always serves new experience, showing no redundancy in acting.

This is DOOMED BL! The chemistry is oozing. Some might argue that "can't friendships be like that?" But you can totally feel and see the distinction.

Additionally, symbolic in a way that this is Song Kang's first project after his service, while LJY's last before entering the military.

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Romancing Statutory Rape: A Masterclass in Toxic Narcissism

Seriously, this show is nothing but a total brainwashing tool. It uses a catchy theme song and trendy young actors to blind the audience into thinking that actual statutory rape is somehow "beautiful."

The male screenwriter is genuinely delusional—he turns normal, rational people who have actual common sense into the villains, painting this grotesque picture that throws basic human decency out the window, all to push his shallow theme: "Live your truth, no matter who gets hurt."

Utter Disgust Towards the Protagonist
She sleeps with a minor under her care and feels zero remorse, shame, or self-reflection from start to finish. The way she stands there acting completely blameless with that smug, self-righteous attitude is just repulsive.

Reckless, Self-Absorbed Destruction
She rips an only son away from his mother, driving her to total despair, ruins her fiancé’s life, and throws the whole school into chaos—yet she just dismisses everyone as a mere "obstacle" to her so-called pure love. The way the show frames this to make her look justified is infuriating, and the staging of that library scene is downright abhorrent.

The Flabbergasting Depravity of the Teacher's Mother
The protagonist's mother is just as appalling. She plays the part of the "understanding, gentle parent," but she couldn't care less about the suffering of the boy's mother—the ultimate victim in all of this. Instead of correcting her daughter, she aggressively encourages her unhinged behavior. Her absolute lack of basic parental morality is jaw-droppingly unacceptable.

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Interesting premise that accumulated to disappointment

Against the Current is a drama that took everyone by surprise. After all, nobody expected it to be a hit, but does it being a hit mean it's perfection?

Anyways, I only watched this drama after seeing everyone loving it, and I have nothing to watch lol. It had a hard time keeping me interested after 3 episodes, but I still gave it a chance. I gotta say, the first episode was so impactful that it left an impression on me, and I would say that was a good episode to start.

I came into this drama expecting revenge due to the first episode, but that wasn't the case lol; it could have been a good foundation for one. Anyways, what disappointed me ultimately was how they handled the marriage. Look, with the hole they were digging themselves into when it came to how they would get married? They found a quick way to deal with it. The execution could've been better, because for a story that depicts a woman's story and livelihood during a period in the past, it sure is disappointing that they let their female lead end up like this.

I could not see their marriage as any sort of "romantic" as they were trying to sell us when they got together, and, to people's dismay, I mean the viewers. Even if she chose to let go of past grievances eventually, it still felt disappointing because it didn't feel like she let go; rather, she accepted her situation and chose to live as the madam of his family because she had no other choice.

The writers didn't convince me much that the male lead "learned" how big his actions led to very big, irreversible consequences. I didn't feel like he actually learned at all, but it felt more like a parent cuddling a child, to say the least, but im lowkey so happy the male lead got cursed at by other fellow female characters because he deserved it. And him still getting the girl in the end felt rather undeserved because it felt like he was getting rewarded for his actions. Also, those saying the male lead just became a lovesick puppy by the second half, I would have to disagree because when everyone falls in love, they will act differently, but the way the writers wrote it was badly executed.

Anyways, it feels rather like a shame that for a story that depicts women's lives, it didn't see the opportunity to explore more what it was like for a woman to be trapped in a marriage they didn't want. Tho it did make a great irony and parallel in the story.
Ultimately, for a story that got 47 episodes, the second half sure felt like it didn't have much time, especially the final episodes.
I do gotta say it was interesting to finally see a lead couple grow old together and raise kids.

Well, Against the Current is an interesting premise that just fell flat due to the execution, which is a shame because it did explore an interesting topic and message. Still, I would've preferred to see the female lead get an opportunity to choose for once, whether she wanted to stay in this marriage or not.

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Never Too Mad For That Cookie

Story: 8/10 I was a little bored at some points, but not too the point of skipping. The intense kitchen dialogue was cringe at some points. I love the couples and their chemistry. The progression of the story was classic Thai bl, and I loved it! Not to many forced looking NC scenes like the more modern dramas coming out. I was a little confused how the Chef knew everything, and was crying in the rain after her confronted him (after laying pipe). It was like as soon as the pipe was laid he was like “I know now” and then he leave. You knew the whole time! He just wanted that cookie one more time LMAO!

Acting: 10/10 Everyone acted so well only one stiff/struggling performance. Pansip’s actor was not good at all in the more emotional scenes,next to Auto (Lee) who is such an amazing actor in all of his works. The main characters really showed how they are feilds ahead of their other peers. So many just value NC chemistry, but these actors were able to ACT! It was so great to see.

Music: Nothing/10 music was nothing burger. I don’t think there was a single memorable song.

Overall: A comforting watch. I would actually rewatch this once I forget all details!

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It will forever be impossible for me to understand how people can endure relationships like these

The quote that sealed my rating for this went along the lines of "If I can sleep with only you or my boyfriend, I will choose you, but if I had to save one, I will choose my boyfriend without a second thought"

'without a second thought' WTF lmfao, are they trying to convince people that quote was supposed to be a pointer for the boyfriend?? He's no longer a boyfriend anymore, he's now in the same lane as a sibling.

And yet somehow they will probably still end up together. Never in my life had I ever wanted two characters to go separate ways more than this. The fact that these two will probably end up together even after she cheats in a not-so-secretive manner literally disgusts me.

I know that's the main premise of the show but just dont make them end up together at least, after doing all that...

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spicy series with odd/annoying characters

Overall: I was going to say their dynamic wasn't my cup of tea; however since it seemed to work for them then all was well, but episode 4 brought my rating down. 5 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/9357/twisted-tie-2026-e01; iQYI https://www.iq.com/album/twisted-tie-2026-1wnpher5pkp ; Wavve and TVING

Content Warnings: non con touching, coercion

What I Liked
- good kissing/intimacy
- focused on 2 characters*

Room For Improvement
- the boss was such a jerk and then suddenly all was well at the end
- flash forward start in episode 1
- fast personality shifts
- *love rival appeared (and then suddenly disappeared)
- normally I'd like what happened at the end of episode 4 but I was too angry at a character/the situation

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✨ WHEN LOVE RECOGNISES THE RIGHT SISTER

OVERALL IMPRESSION🌟
This was a refreshing slow-burn romance combining identical sisters, mistaken identities, family conspiracies and an arrogant ML gradually learning how to love. The complicated switches occasionally became confusing, but the leads’ chemistry and emotional growth made the journey extremely rewarding.

WHAT I LIKED💖
• Wang Zi Yi gave the ML tremendous confidence and presence. Watching his certainty collapse when the woman who supposedly adored him suddenly wanted nothing to do with him was wonderfully entertaining.
• The FL was hardworking, honest and principled. Although she needed money, she refused to sacrifice her integrity and gradually developed from someone easily mistreated into a confident woman capable of standing independently.
• The ML’s childhood wounds gave depth to his coldness. He had learned not to depend upon anyone, so the FL’s willingness to protect him introduced him to a kind of selfless affection he did not understand.
• Their slow-burn chemistry was beautiful. I loved watching his arrogance soften into devotion while he gave her the space and encouragement to discover her own strength.
• Grandpa brought warmth and humour, and his affection for the FL made the family scenes particularly enjoyable.
• The identity confusion created an entertaining cat-and-mouse dynamic in which appearances caused chaos while genuine affection gradually revealed the truth.

WHAT I DISLIKED⚠️
• The repeated identity switches, memory complications and misunderstandings occasionally became overly tangled.
• Some secondary characters allowed greed and family pressure to overwhelm whatever goodness they might once have possessed.

PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCES🎭
• Wang Zi Yi and Liu Lan Ge shared convincing chemistry and handled the gradual emotional changes beautifully.
• The pacing remained engaging despite the long runtime, and the actors gave the identity confusion enough distinction to keep the story understandable.

FINAL THOUGHTS💭
This was an emotional and entertaining romance about two people deprived of affection as children gradually creating a loving partnership together. The mistaken identities supplied the drama, but the leads’ personal growth gave the story its heart. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would gladly recommend—and rewatch—it.

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Secret Secretary Anyone?

Secret Life Of My Secretary............ppl, feels and watches like a remake of this 2019 drama with differences here and there and that is why dock major pts for creativity~
Cold chaebol heir with life threatening and succession failing secret. Colder matriarchal grandma authoritarian. One cousin relative out for his company with a crazy evil aunt instead of uncle with a likeable cousin. Cousin was overly evil and the incessant yelling and whining of the aunt was unbearable. Mousey little aide needed to stay alive. Sight issues swapped with heart. A perfect but also evil heir SFL vying for MLs heart and company. It goes on and on. Add the cliches needed to call a piece a room com and you've got something you've seen a million times over but done well within in this constraints~
So the reasons that make this a decent watch are the same that keep it from a high rating imo. It is a basic rom com done well but anyone can copy/pasta a script with just enough changes to avoid being called plagiarism~

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Vahn Pascual wrote and directed The Gossips of Cicadidae, a charming and insightful short film. Shot like an old silent movie, the director made good use of the medium for what was likely a small budget effort about a teen’s life being changed forever when he meets a tikbalang* while working with his father.

Agapito is being trained to be a village healer like his father. His bears the marks on his face of his father’s violence and impatience. While in the jungle, Agapito becomes locked in a circular path around a large tree and catches a glimpse of a horse’s tail when he’s freed. After treating a patient and receiving an ominous message in wax, the father sends Agapito with a machete to cut down the tree. Startled by a tikbalang peeking behind the tree, Agapito runs, falling headlong down a hill. He awakens to a curious examination by the mythical creature.

I knew nothing about tikbalangs so they were new to me. This one was portrayed as linked to the tree, possibly a guardian? When a tree was killed so was the tikbalang attached to it. There was a message of forest conservation woven into the story or at least reverence for nature. But the most powerful message was that of acceptance. After both initially being startled, Agapito (“beloved” / “lovingkindness”) and the tikbalang fell in love**. Something the teen’s father and the villagers for that matter were none too keen about.

I found this romantic fairytale delightful and thoroughly enjoyed the silent film style. Who wouldn’t want someone who could show them the happy butterflies within them?

11 October 2026
*Tikbalang: A human-horse hybrid of sorts in Filipino folklore. In this film, the tikbalang had horse ears and shaggy long hair, and sported a horse’s tail in one scene.

**Spoilery comment below:



















* I wondered about the rain falling at the ending. When rain pours out of a sunny sky it means a tikbalang is getting married. ^^

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To be cast leeward on the least stony shore

As a theme digger, I am interested in messages promoted or accidentally touched upon, especially non-obvious.

FUTILITY OF DEDICATION TO POLITICS
Lan Xiang & Han Liang sing Zuo Zhuan’s commentary to “Spring and Autumn Annals”: “The late emperor’s successors rose and shaped the realm / How many emperors were wise, and how many were foolish?” Years later Han, diligent & righteous Minister of Justice, is punished, standing in the snow till he freezes to death.

All state officials knelt for the new emperor. Jin Qi also abandoned his rival-friend to save his family, just like his ancestors had left the Shens (in Asian mentality, failure to help means treason). Soon, finally at home, he succumbed prematurely to the amassed physical & emotional burden. Only Lan Xiang, who tended to the countless war scars on his exploited body, understood why.

Rampant or recumbent, these deaths show that a wrong rule is a waste of potential, efforts, lives. Survival cannot be achieved by opposing or avoiding vicissitudes, only by letting oneself be seized by the current & cast leeward on the least stony shore.

SIGNIFICANCE OF DEDICATION TO SOCIETY
In contrast: Lan Xiang gave herself to society. She showed concern for others’ needs & limitations, deftly stepped aside not to hurt Ji’er’s pride, alleviated maids’ shared misery, provided support to the family who had wronged her. She acted like a bee in a beehive, in spite of feeling lonely & misplaced.

This brought Lan Xiang double success. Fate placed her back in her lost position, though she abhorred it. The other achievement was crucial: the restitution of her family’s honour. Though she did not live to see it, she felt it coming: it transcended her death. New, unknown generations gratified her effort through a peculiar ‘genetic memory’ of the collective spirit.

Jin Qi also had concern for people. He would stand among soldiers, promising to fight for their provisions, fulfil his duty as their commander. We could expect him to rise above the cowardice of the Lins.

VALUE OF ART
The method Lan Xiang chose for her aim was the art. By writing scripts (regarded as an inferior business) she conveyed the message of her family’s innocence. She improvised on stage, drew identikits, acted as a connoisseur of paintings, sang, wrote, taught, analysed to save herself or others. It brought her close to others, making her even more invincible. Art is also the trail that led Jin Qi to Lan Xiang’s identity. A tragic irony is the fact that the brothel from which she narrowly escaped was called a ‘music house.’

IMPORTANCE OF MARITAL SINCERITY
The recurring scenes of mute suffering are among the strongest: during the mass suicide, the brute violence happening to maids, the decreed wedding, the visit to the Shen mansion, on the burial hill. It takes a superhuman instinct to stifle any moan, suppress desire for unbosoming – just to survive.

Yet Lan Xiang’s lack of sincerity towards her spouse does not derive from a survival instinct but stands in opposition to it. Neither does it appease the tension, nor inspire understanding, nor lay a basis for a new start.

First, she refused Jin Qi feedback regarding his fault when forcing her to marry him. Obviously, he was awkward rather than deliberate. Little indeed would be needed to facilitate his remorse.

Second, she concealed her identity, even long into the marriage. The opportunities for sincerity came in a graded series. On learning that her husband had given her family (including her unfortunate double) a proper burial at the risk of conflict with his relatives & emperor, she still decided to retain a false name. After the exposure she refused to utter a word.

A question arises if this love-hate relationship, with no sincerity at its basis, can be called love. On one hand, Lan Xiang decides to sell an orchid & pawn hairpins – gifts from Jin Qi. When enlisting the most important things in her life, Lan Xiang casually skips the husband. Her wedding slap might be taken for a passing fit of anger, but her farewell utterance “One lifetime is enough” is downright cruelty; it is a slap to Jin Qi’s weary, departing soul.

On the other hand, Lan Xiang consistently protects Jin Qi & his relatives long before any idea of marriage arises. She stands for him, comforts him whenever he suffers. She allows him to wrap an eternal string around their bodies.

IMPORTANCE OF FOSTERING
Fostering is viewed as strong bonding that defies genetics. Lan Xiang’s foster parents start acting as if having forgotten that she is not their flesh & bone.

When Lan Xiang is dying, she is holding a sachet from Gui Hua, instead of the paper with the message “Live” from her biological mother.

There are other heartwarming examples: Xiu Ru treats her stepdaughter on equal terms with her daughters. Zhao Xiang decides for Xiu Lai & her children to receive his family name. Shun Hua bequeaths the title of the First Madam to Lan Xiang instead of her female relatives. Former rival Xing Tang gives the same farewell advice as Lan Xiang’s mother did years ago: “Live well.”

DIGNITY VS SURVIVAL
The heroine’s repeated suppression of words & tears shows how much dignity & ambition went lost the moment her family was sentenced. She cannot expect to live a full, satisfactory life. Thanks to exceptional emotional intelligence & good luck, she manages to stay alive. Yet her level of dignity remains high enough to keep her away from becoming desperate & harmful like Xing Tang.

An interesting quest for the restoration of dignity can be observed in Jin Qi. After the slap, he first tries to prevent gossip, then to persuade his wife of his good intentions & only later to take her feelings into account.

One character took a unique way from dishonour to dignity. During the flash marriage negotiation, Xu Wan proved able in an instant to redefine her preconceptions, assess her suitor’s intentions, reckon the risk of full honesty & refute her elders’ reservations.

OBJECTIFICATION OF MEN
In many C-dramas men serve as a foreground for the display of women’s features. Here the main victim of this process is Jin Qi, who has to be inferior to enable Lan Xiang to be superior. His attendants also exist partly for the sake of ‘lifting’ two maids. Lan Xiang’s biological father leaves a bitter sensation of his contemptuous view on servants.

The greatest flaw of this drama is the open feminist didacticism, the pretentious slogans involving stereotypes instead of the more discreet actions.

However, this series does justice to men by showing they also fall innocent victims to political disputes or manor intrigues. Male characters also evince positive features that tend to be reserved for women in world literature.

The early superawkward, possessive Jin Qi later learns to be more subtle, open to the complexity of human condition. His fainting at Lan Xiang’s childbirth, apart from serving as a comical element of the plot, reveals his care & sensitivity.

His fragile brother Jin Lan evinces the same level of restraint & caution as Lan Xiang. He is able to defend his family in a motherly way rather than fatherly; by negotiating the circumstances rather than drawing swords.

Wan Quan is likewise a mild protector. Although innocent in his illiteracy, he is able to dodge the life’s blows almost as efficiently as his foster daughter.

Landlord Lu Xie has an exquisite level of vulnerable insight, which he is constantly trying to conceal under the mask of drowsy indifference.

Jiu Gao cherishes his discovered female side, ready to boast of it in public.

Zhao Xiang grows remarkably flexible in his views, setting aside his pride as a senior for the sake of the innocent.

GLITCHES & FLAWS
The settings & staging are so meticulously performed that I cannot name a single glitch. Perhaps only some scenes with wounds, death or explosives which defy biology & physics – but most C-dramas bear that trait.

However, there are major flaws in the character building:

Lan Xiang’s behaviour during & after the wedding towards her husband & his family is unearned, exaggerated, reckless. The reaction of the Lin family is lenient, considering they lack the knowledge of her mind, let alone agency to change the emperor’s decree.

Lan Xiang puts the manor at a risk by concealing the potentially contagious disease of her fellow maid for days. It undermines her image as a mature, prudent, foreseeing person.

Lan Xiang as First Madam rightly treats punishment only as a preventive measure, but her overall attitude starts to fit into the system that has oppressed her.

During the brothel rescue, Jin Qi ignores Ji’er. Lan Xiang forgets her promise to help her, just waiting passively for the news.

There is a false analogy in two acts of burning documents. When Lan Xiang sets fire to a testimony against Jin Qi, she actually puts an end to a morally groundless threat, which would drown her too as Jin Qi’s wife. His act of setting the oppressed prince free was pure act of mercy, even if the emperor would never admit it, since the logic of the state is detached from human reasoning. Some episodes later Jin Qi sets fire to pieces of art & wisdom that might serve as a disputable testimony that Lan Xiang is Jia Lan. Likewise, there is no guilt involved. Nobody would have a motive to harm the survivor: the emperor who persecuted the Shen family is long gone. Similarly, Jin Qi has nothing to fear from his wife: there has been a long history of mutual support & protection, no threat of revenge.

APPEAL
I enjoy the selection of actors for the main roles – predominantly over 30 yet with youthful & natural looks. This corresponds with the atmosphere of wisdom & moderateness. I wish it becomes a trend in C-dramas: instead of exploring the limits (like in Western culture), the novelty can derive from looking deeper (Eastern culture). Wherever extremes are unnecessary, no need arises for plastic surgery, intricate special effects or exaggerated violence.

Written by a nationless spirit confined in the decaying Mid-Europe.

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Tone Set

Never after Dark is a really good movie. While it felt familiar and similiar to other J-horror films it stood on it's own. The cast was excellent as well and Hoshi Moeka was very good as Airi. She's a medium helping ghost get to the other side. Yoshioka Mutsuok was creepy as F!! I can't give anymore details b/c it would spoil the movie.

What Japenese horror films have always done well and done better than anyone else in my opinion is the setting of the tone, suspense building and mood setting. People are comparing this to Insiduous (at least that's what I've seen online). I have never seen Insiduous and may never see it but this movie was very well done. And yes, I know this is directed by American Dave Boyle but it was shot entirely in Japan with and all Japanese cast.

So glad it was playing near me.

10/11/26

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