Reviews

Bad Guy My Boss — When a Strong Novel Becomes a Weak Adaptation

Bad Guy My Boss is one of those dramas where the concept sounds much better than the final result. The story itself isn’t terrible. A powerful CEO and his loyal secretary, secret feelings hidden behind workplace hierarchy, jealousy, and emotional tension — all the ingredients for a compelling BL are there. But in the drama, those ingredients never come together in a convincing way.

The biggest problem is the chemistry between the leads. James Hayward Prescott and Kad Ploysupa relationship rarely feels believable. Instead of watching two men slowly realize their feelings for each other, many scenes feel like two actors trying to imagine what that attraction should look like. The romantic moments are present, but the emotional connection behind them is weak. I appreciate the physical intimacy, but the steamy scenes couldn’t compensate the lack of a strong narrative, and it becomes more noticeable as the story progresses. What begins as an interesting workplace dynamic eventually turns repetitive and monotonous, with very little real character growth. The relationship development often feels pushed forward by external plot events rather than by genuine emotional change between the characters. The supporting cast adds some visual interest, especially Zax Nattapat, who easily attracts attention whenever he appears. He has a natural screen presence and the kind of charisma that could easily carry a BL drama as a main lead. Seeing him in a more mature or emotionally complex role in the future would honestly be interesting.

The adaptation also struggles because the original novel handles the relationship much better. In the source material, the emotional tension and connection between the characters are stronger and more believable. The drama simplifies many of those elements, which makes the romance feel rushed and less impactful.

Final thought

Bad Guy My Boss isn’t completely unwatchable, but it feels like a missed opportunity. The premise had potential, the novel proves that the story works, and the cast certainly looks the part. Unfortunately, the emotional connection that should carry the entire drama never truly appears. And in a BL story, when the audience doesn’t believe the love, everything else starts to fall apart.

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Flawed, but a heartfelt story

Characters:

Characters were overall very good and well balanced. We had complex male and female leads with Seong-A and Gyeon-U. Yeomhwa as the villain was very interesting, but I felt like her character arc didn’t have enough time to unfold properly. I also didn’t fully understand her backstory because it was never explicitly explained what happened between her and her spiritual mother.
I really liked our second lead Ji-Ho, who was selfless all the time and basically a loyal puppy. I also really liked the chemistry between all the characters. Not just the leads, but also the mother-daughter bond was really nice. The classmates had great dynamics as well, especially Do Yeon and Seong-A, which surprised me in a good way. I would say the characters themselves are the strongest part of this drama.
But let’s move on to the parts where it could have been better.

Story:

The concept and idea behind the drama were nice, but what I didn’t like was that they didn’t really follow the main thread of the story. At first, everything was about saving Gyeon-U from his death, but they kind of resolved that halfway through. Keeping that conflict until the end would have made the drama much stronger and kept the tension alive. Instead, the focus shifted and things became messy.
There were a lot of plot holes, and characters like Ji-Ho suddenly didn’t act like themselves anymore. This was especially apparent when he went to Yeomhwa to find a solution for his friend. Why didn’t he just communicate with his friends instead, especially when he already thought Yeomhwa was sketchy? A lot of things suddenly stopped making sense, which was unfortunate.
I also felt like the main leads didn’t really develop as characters. They weren’t flawed enough to gain or learn something significant along the way. After the halfway point, some plot points also started repeating themselves, like Bong-Su first inhabiting Gyeon-U’s body and then later Seong-A’s.
It also didn’t feel like much was truly at stake. The first time Bong-Su appeared, I thought that would be the end for our group, but he ended up being a little child. The same thing happened when he later possessed Seong-A. I thought, “Okay, now our group is really in trouble,” but again nothing serious happened. Because of that, it always felt like there wouldn’t be real consequences, which made the tension weaker.
Other than that, I liked the ending. It was a happy ending, even though our spiritual mother died in the end, which made me really sad.

Production:

Production-wise, it was good. I liked some of the OSTs, and the cinematography was nice.

Final Words:

Overall, it’s a cute drama to watch if you enjoy bonding with the characters. Even though it has quite a few flaws, it still grew on me and ended up being a nice heartfelt watch.

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Love Alert — When the Cast Tries to Carry a Story That Doesn’t Understand Them

Love Alert had the potential to be a decent BL, at least on paper. The concept itself isn’t terrible: a playboy named Jimmy ends up discovering unexpected feelings for Toh, the older brother of the boy he originally tried to approach to get closer to his crush. It’s a simple setup that could have created a slow emotional shift from confusion to genuine love. But the execution never reaches that potential, and the biggest reason is how uneven the characters and cast feel.

James Hayward Prescott clearly dominates the screen as Jimmy. He has a strong presence and the confidence of someone who knows how to attract the camera. The problem is that the story starts to revolve around him almost entirely, which makes the emotional balance of the relationship collapse. Jimmy becomes the center of every scene while the rest of the cast struggles to keep up. Kad Ploysupa as Toh suffers the most from that imbalance. The character is written as sensitive and emotional, but the way the script constantly pushes him into crying scenes becomes exhausting. Instead of feeling vulnerable or sympathetic, the repetition makes him look weak. And that’s frustrating, because with a stronger script Toh could have been the emotional counterweight to Jimmy’s personality. Instead, he often feels like he’s reacting rather than existing as his own person. David Matthew Roberts, playing Teh, still feels like a newcomer. You can see moments where he’s trying to find his footing as an actor. He’s not terrible but compared to more experienced BL actors you can sense the difference in confidence and emotional control.

The strange thing is that the cast itself isn’t necessarily the problem. The writing is. The screenplay by Bhumjai seems to misunderstand male-to-male relationships in a way that becomes noticeable across the episodes. Emotional vulnerability is reduced to constant tears instead of emotional complexity. In many scenes, the characters behave as if the drama is trying to remind the audience that they are gay rather than letting the relationship develop naturally. Ironically, the original creator Nottakorn has been involved in several BL projects that fans really appreciate, such as Tonhon Chonlatee and Ai Long Nhai. Knowing that background makes Love Alert feel even more disappointing, because the original concept clearly had potential. The problem lies in how the adaptation reshaped the story.

Another issue is how the series relies on sexual scenes to maintain attention. Those moments appear abruptly, without the emotional build-up that would make them meaningful. Instead of strengthening the connection between the characters, they highlight how shallow the relationship actually feels. In a way, Love Alert feels like a BL that belongs to another era of the genre. A formula that might have worked when BL storytelling was still developing but now feels outdated compared to the emotional complexity audiences expect today.

Final thought

The cast tries. James carries scenes with confidence, Kad shows flashes of potential, and even the newer actors occasionally find emotional moments. But the story never gives them the depth they need. And in the end, what remains is a drama that isn’t terrible… just frustrating, because you can clearly see how much better it could have been.

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Although it started well, charmingly and sympathetically, and even with comedic elements, it didn't work. The reason is very simple: bad examples. First of all, a brutal emperor and a person claiming to be God's Messenger, presumably from outer space, who helps this emperor. An emperor who eats human flesh, throws a tiny child into a cauldron alive and cooks and eats him simply because he is intelligent, agile, and alive. He expects to gain blood, life, or something else from this. I had difficulty understanding how this screenwriter could write a script with such an example. After watching that scene, I stopped watching the series.

Similarly, a woman is executed by being dragged from all sides by horses and torn apart. I know that such a practice is done to traitors. It's something applied in cases of the most serious crimes. Here, an emperor who kills people for not submitting to him, and a tragic scene involving a woman to catch these people. It's unbelievable. It's filled with every bad example imaginable. It's as if the emperor is the most cruel of the cruel, committing all kinds of atrocities for his own benefit. To portray this by doing things that are inhuman and unspeakable. I condemn it. I condemn the screenwriter. Hiding behind a historical drama and writing such sadistic approaches and showing them to the audience is not rational. It's psychopathy. Even suggesting these things is wrong. It's a bad example. Children watch these dramas too. WRONG. It's a shame for the actors. Ou Hao, Hai Ling, and the other actors gave very good performances. Don't watch it. I don't recommend it.

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Rainbow Pallete

Romantics Anonymous follows an anonymous chocolatier and the new director of a chocolate shop who somehow get connected and help each other overcome their anxiety.

It's a really light yet calm romcom. There are no hard feelings, no long misunderstandings, and the characters behave like an adult, no childish attitude at all. The chocolate topic is also really fun to watch, each episode focuses on a chocolate from the "rainbow palette" package, and we follow the story behind it.

The cinematography is really great. The chemistry is on point, and the acting is good. Han Hyo-joo delivered a really great performance, and her Japanese skills are excellent. However, the script felt quite lacking for me. Because it's only an 8-episode series, some plots are left unexplored and don't get proper explanations, like the male lead's anxiety and his relationship with his family. They did explain it, but I think it would have been better if they explored it more. Some parts in the first half were also quite boring for me.

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Great Bond and Fun "Conversations"

Her story follows Wang Tiemei, a hardworking single mother who has just moved to a new flat with her daughter. There, they meets the free-spirited woman Xiao Ye. The three of them form a great bond and learn from one another to better understand themselves.

Honestly, I wasn't really fond of the synopsis, I only started watching this because of the great reviews and the accolades it achieved. But I enjoyed it much more than I expected. The story is simple, most of the plot happens through their conversations while sitting together, with no overdramatic developments. The feminism topics are delivered quite well too. The Shanghai cinematography is captured beautifully.

The acting and chemistry are really the best parts of this show. I especially love their banter and conversations, everything feels so fun to watch. However, as a 2-hour film, it sometimes feels a bit slow, and other times a little rushed. But overall, it's really really an enjoyable watch.

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Average Romcom Elevated by Choi Jin Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo

I was in the mood for something low angst, and this featured Choi Jin Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo, both of whom I enjoy watching. I never read the manhwa, so I didn't go in with preconceived ideas, which was nice because I usually find screen adaptations of a favorite story lacking.

The leads were appealing, and the best parts of the drama happened with their interactions. Romance lovers may be disappointed, as the relationship was held at arms length for a prolonged period, and then it was conducted in a business-like manner. I wanted to see the couple enjoying a honeymoon phase instead of having that lost to the ever popular time skip.

I added a half star because the last episode wrapped things up nicely and left me with a smile on my face.

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Didn’t expect that ending but I did…

I didn’t think I would be able to catch this drama so soon considering… well, you know…

But I am glad I did get a chance to watch it (thank all the souls who made it possible) and I must say it was a good watch though some things weren’t answered. Like the video clip Best took of that animal of a man which I was certain she would use against him, maybe to help Korn’s mother, show her what a bastard he was, or to ask money but nothing came out of that clip. 🤷‍♀️ Another thing is the accident of Pleo (why the hell did he run in like that?) but in this case, I guess Pleo did not know it was him until it happened. The story was kind of predictable but it did not take away the suspense, it was still thrilling to see how everything unfolded. I didn’t expect that ending but I did too, I realized I was just trying to convince myself that I might be wrong. 😅 I didn’t really like that ending because I felt that they could have prevented his accident (if only they let him know it was him, he wouldn’t jump in like that).

The cast and acting were great, they all did justice to their character. Though I have heard of Ken, I have only watched bit and piece of his work but after seeing him in this role, I think I am going to try some other dramas of his. His acting is decent. As for Bright, I have seen a few of his dramas and I think his acting is decent too, I have hoped for him to lands more leading roles and I was very happy and excited when I heard he was one of the leads in this drama. And he did not disappoint and delivered timid but unpredictable (as Pleo said, he could be pretty “f*cked up” when he decided to be one) Makorn. Typhoon as Ter was good but knowing they had Oh Anuchit as one of the cast and did not think about making him Ter was saddening. I believe he would have been phenomenal as Ter, the versatile actor that he is. I was like why did they make up Typhoon to look old when they could have used Oh and made it believable. But I guess they feared viewer might raise questions if they made him the same age as Pleo (Ken) and the character Ter had more screen time in their young age too, sadly. As for Best (Linn), omg, I just want to go into the screen and slap her. She irritated the hell out of me (Linn acted her so well).

As the novel of this drama was adapted from was implied BL, there is a few scene here and there that made you ask if they were finding one another to be more than just brothers, like the scene where Makorn pulled a blanket over Pleo and stood a really long time admiring Pleo’s face. Or how Pleo really look at Makorn, like really looked at him and it happened most of the time they were together.

But because of maybe their cluelessness, along with Pleo’s head mostly on getting justice/revenge and Makorn having that awful trauma, most of the time it felt like they are still not aware of what they are themselves. And personally, because of that animal of a man (Makorn’s stepfather), I don’t want to think this as BL at all. I felt that Makorn won’t be able to have a relationship with a man. Although his fate was changed by Pleo, the fact that it happened (could have happened) and Makorn already experienced it once says that he could still have that trauma. But I guess he would be able to convince himself that it did not really happen because the present life was his life.

Another thing I loved about this drama was the ending song “Good to be bad”. It depicted Pleo’s mindset so well and Maew Jirasat’s voice is phenomenal, he really rocks this kind of music.

I would be rewatching this drama again for sure and I recommend this drama to anyone who likes thriller/suspense.

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Strong and Independent Heroine, Cold but Sweet CEO

Premonition Paradox (预知悖论 / Yù Zhī Bèi Lùn) is a typical Chinese short drama (mini-series / vertical drama) from 2025, with around 70–74 episodes, each lasting 1–2 minutes. Genre: modern urban + supernatural powers + CEO romance + elements of rescue and mutual redemption. The leads are Lei Yi Hao (雷艺昊) as the cold, domineering CEO/president and Li Yuan Jing (李媛菁) as the female lead with the gift of foresight.
Plot in a nutshell: The heroine Wen Shi Xi suddenly gains the ability to foresee crises 3 days in advance (client fainting, jewelry thefts, accidents, etc.). She uses this power at work (in a jewelry company or business setting) to avert disasters, rack up points, and climb the career ladder. Eventually, she encounters the guy she “saved as a child” — now a wealthy CEO — and the classic story unfolds: double rescue, hidden identities, mutual healing, breaking the “curse of fate,” and a sweet happy ending.
My impressions as a fan of short dramas :
• Pros:
• Insane pacing — every episode ends on a “what happens next?!” cliffhanger, perfect for scrolling on TikTok/YouTube/Douyin. You never get bored.
• The heroine isn’t your typical “white lotus” type; she’s smart, proactive, and uses her superpower practically (saving the business, making money, growing as a character). It’s refreshing.
• Great chemistry between the leads: he’s the classic “icy total control” guy who gradually melts, with cute and emotional rescue/protection scenes. The finale with “double redemption” (they save each other in different lives/memories) hits right in the feels — tears for the fangirls.
• Pleasant visuals: outfits, office settings, jewelry — all stylish, no low-budget trash like in some mini-dramas.
• The foresight theme is played simply but sweetly: not deep sci-fi, just a tool for romance and a happy ending.
• Cons:
• Short format means everything is surface-level. No deep character development, secondary storylines (family, friends) are almost nonexistent.
• Tons of clichés: “I saved you as a kid but you don’t remember,” “secret identity,” “workplace enemies/intrigues,” “final confession in the rain.” If you’re tired of tropes, it’ll feel predictable.
• Some “foresight” moments are too plot-convenient, logic takes a hit (why didn’t she foresee this earlier?).
• Rushed finale — the last 10 episodes speed through to wrap up the happy ending, without extra drama.
Overall — a perfect “snackable” series for an evening or commute: light, sweet, domineering CEO + strong heroine + superpower as a bonus. Ideal if you love short dramas like “相见甚欢恨两难” (where Sun Zi Hang also starred) or others with foresight/reincarnation themes. If you want something more serious, go for full-length dramas, but for pure relaxation — it’s great!

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Bosco steals the show!

Yeah Charmaine Sheh is great as usual in this but man the star who stole show was Bosco Wong. Watching him constantly drinking milk to promote the sponsor was something I got used to because watching Bosco in action was just so much fun. He is this sleazy, ambitious and manipulative bastard who is just a joy to watch in action. The best scenes are him laughing at people’s reactions and commenting on them, such as when he invited Kenneth Ma’s parents to speak to his AI avatar and his parents asked the AI “how are you feeling?” And Bosco immediately laughed saying “How are you feeling? What a stupid question to ask an AI.”

Some of the character are extra annoying this time around like Hera Chan’s weird fixation on trying to cancel Charmaine and Selena Lee being a terrible leader, but the most annoying character is Venus Wong and her relationship with James Ng. Man, I really did not care about their relationship and watching them was just pure cringe.

Luckily, Bosco himself is more than enough to bring me back to watch this. He won TVB Best Actor 2025 for this role for a good reason.

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You simply cannot miss the first great drama of 2026. It is wonderful!

When I come across a production like this, I find myself wondering what to say… how could I possibly encourage others to watch it? But then I stop and think—who am I to recommend anything at all?

And the answer comes to me: I am simply someone who loves everything that is good in the world of entertainment. I adore BLs, I enjoy historical dramas, I love crime stories, I am fascinated by mysteries—anything that makes me think, feel, and truly immerse myself in a story.

So, if you are even a little bit like me, you certainly won’t want to miss this rare gem.

Absolutely loving it.

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Boyfriend on Demand is a great weekend binge

Boyfriend on Demand was a good rom-com. Easy to watch, fun, cute, and perfect for a weekend. Releasing it on a Friday was a great idea. The storyline was nothing new or innovative, but it works well for what it is.

Is it the best rom-com or series of the year? No, definitely not. But it’s not horrible either. It’s light and enjoyable. It’s also worth watching just for the cameos alone (although, if we’re being honest, with the exception of Seo Kang Jun, they didn’t really live up to the hype). We knew about some of them beforehand, but they left a few surprises here and there, and it was exciting to see them pop up throughout the show.

Now to the controversial part: the acting. I’m not familiar with Ji Soo, neither as an idol nor as an actress. This is the first drama of hers that I’ve watched, but I do know that she’s an idol, and a very popular one at that.
Is she the horrible actress that everyone makes her out to be? No, but she isn’t great either. She falls somewhere in the middle.

What I noticed is that she isn’t very consistent. There were times when she was quite good, usually in exaggerated scenes, mostly comedic, though there were a few emotional ones that she handled well too. However, she fell flat in more subtle, “everyday” expressions and actions (walking, running, standing in a scene and being idle). There were moments where I could almost see her thinking and planning her next move. That said, I did feel that her acting improved in the second half of the drama.

She also needs to learn how to colour and use her voice. In some scenes she sounded dull and monotonous. She has a beautifully natural, raspy voice that she could use to her advantage, which could help set her apart. Given that she gets lead roles right out of the gate due to her popularity as an idol, rather than her acting skills, it means she has to work twice as hard to prove herself. It’s also expected that people will pick apart her every expression, since they feel she didn’t earn those roles or work hard enough for them but simply got them because she is Blackpink’s Ji Soo.. She has the potential to become really good and establish herself as an actress but she really needs to put in the work!

Having said that, she wasn’t the only weak link when it came to acting. In general, I feel that a lot of the acting in this drama was lacking, from both the leads and the supporting cast, as well as some of the cameos. Even Seo In Guk, who has proven himself over and over again, felt a bit flat to me here. I don’t know if it was the “indifferent” nature of his character, but at times he also felt like he was phoning it in. That said, I have to give him credit: he made the two characters feel really different from each other, and at times it almost felt like the female lead was acting opposite two different actors.

Their chemistry was quite good, but it could have been better if the drama had taken the time to build their relationship in the first half. The male lead was practically nonexistent in the first four episodes.

All in all, it’s definitely worth a watch, and it’s great for a weekend binge.

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Good show but not good enough for me to finish

Gong Xi is adorable, but sometimes she can be so annoying. At least she isn’t too much of a pushover (I mean she wouldn’t be after what happened to her before). I love her friendship with the stern aspiring actress Jiang Nan Qin. I love seeing Jiang Nan Qin become soft because of Gong Xi. Sometimes this show dragged, and I wanted it to have more push and excitement and because of this that's why I decided to stop watching. I felt like I've already seen enough.

I don't know maybe I'll go back so I can see more of the friendship between Gong Xi and Jiang Nan Qin.

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The most unique BL I've ever watched.

When i 1st started the drama i was like okay just another childhood sweethearts who broke apart after one fell for another kinda BL. I was wrong. It just nothing close to JUST ANOTHER.

Let's start with the casting. This is probably the best casting I've even seen in a BL especially for the younger version. They look the same and act the same as the older version of them. I literally had to check if they used graphics to reduce the actors age😅

They used literal 15 year olds for highschool version of them. This was totally new although it did make me uncomfortable at times but i like that they've changed the script from the manga and made it a bit more appropriate.

Although i saw the poster and was sure Ren was the uke when i watched the drama i had doubts. I've seen golden retriever semes but here it was different. The uke was smart, successful and protecting his seme which we usually see seme doing and the seme was more on the conservative shy kinda side. Even the way they sat made me doubt myself. The best part was how they didn't show this in a over the top way and made it seem more natural.

The misunderstanding where the entire misunderstanding actually made sense. Usually I'd be like if they talked this wouldn't have happened but here it was like a solid misunderstanding. Kazuma telling Ren he liked girls. Ren being gay and feeling hurt trying to get over it. Kazuma asking him to sleep with him and ren misunderstanding he did that cz he was kind n didnt want his friend to go the wrong way. Ren feeling guilty for what he did to kazuma and nearly causing his love's death. There's no other way the plot could have progressed.

The only flaw i could see was the awkwardness between the actors during hugs and NC scenes they kinda maintained a distance. Overall in the other areas their acting was impeccable and the drama was good.

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