Reviews

Subterfuge and Strategies

A couple of assassins are sent, undercover, to complete a mission. The trials and tribulations of undercover women in a martial arts environment follows. There's an element of magic, an element of romance, some jealousy, lots of suspicion, revenge, investigation and of course, some fabulous martial arts on display.

I watched the show primarily for Zhang Linghe, but Cheng Lei and Tian Jiarui blew me away. Linghe's character is portrayed as almost bipolar - he's irresponsible, but also very thorough in his quests, he's least interested in the family saga, and then again he fights fiercely to protect and earn his sword wielder title. Compared to that, his 2 cousins have clearly defined personas and along with the superb acting, the roles are really memorable.

I'm sorry the female actors, Esther Yu and Lu Yu Xiao, were extremely annoying and I believe the director and his vision of the assassins speaking in a whispery, breathless way is the main reason why. Their voices were so distracting I wanted to mute my screen half the time.

The comedic relief, Jin Jolin, was well placed, if a trifle distracting at times. In a show all about assassins and subterfuge, laughing at silly antics seems a little superfluous at times. The actor is truly awesome, I question the need for the character's extensive role in the show.

Without giving away spoilers, I'd say the show ends on a vague and ambiguous note, you're left wanting answers to quit a few questions. I hope the Director's intent is to add a sequel, if not for anything else, then to finish telling the whole story.

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So underrated, please give this a chance!!

I've never been this obsessed with a live-action drama before. It completely reeled me in and now I can never leave again and I’m not even mad about it!

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♥ What I liked ♥

➡ The leads' dynamic! So intriguing, so entertaining, so sweet! It leaves you wanting more and more and MORE! MLs just looking at each other for the first time oozes more chemistry than some romance dramas could ever dream about. To me, this is a BL that's barely hidden behind censorship ahahaha!

➡ The side characters. Actual depth and this show really made me feel for them all!! I love that even the characters outside the main duo have something meaningful to offer.

➡ The cases. Genuinely interesting and diverse stories. No completely nonsensical or ridiculous explanations thrown around, which is something that occasionally happens in shows like this. I was actually invested in the cases themselves!

➡ The comedy. The humour in this show really works for me personally, and it doesn't take away from serious moments. Zhao Shao Shang especially can be SO hilarious; he’s such an annoying diva, I love him to pieces! It’s not easy to pull off a character like him and make him this lovable, but they definitely did just that!

➡ The balance. This show manages to balance all of these elements in a very satisfying way – There was not a moment that bored me or where I felt the need to fast forward through a scene.

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Overall: 10/10 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

I genuinely only have positive things to say about this show. I tried hard to think of something that bothers me, but even after giving it a lot of thought, I couldn't think of anything except that I NEED more of this show!

I never expected to end up liking this so much, but I regret absolutely nothing. I’m really invested and not leaving anytime soon!

I really hope we'll get a season 2 someday!! 🙏

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An electrifying rom com

Overall, this was a fun and entertaining watch, even more than I expected, to be honest!

The plot is based on a webtoon, so naturally, it includes quite a few clichés. But honestly, which K-drama doesn’t have its fair share of clichés? It’s a fantasy rom-com, so they’re pretty much expected! And, of course, since it’s a fantasy, it’s not supposed to be realistic. That’s perfectly understandable, I’d say! So, if you’re someone who only enjoys realistic stories, this probably isn’t the drama for you!

Personally, I found it lighthearted and incredibly enjoyable! I had so much fun watching it, and I laughed so much throughout the show!

Actually, I’ve heard some people say that they could predict everything that happened, but that wasn’t the case for me! Naturally, I expected a happy ending, and I had a feeling that Bo-bae would somehow lose her powers, but that was about it! I definitely couldn’t predict everything that happened in the middle of the series!

Now, about the characters!

Na Bo-bae is such a cutie and a genuinely warmhearted person! She has her own struggles, both personally and professionally, and her powers have made it difficult for her to have normal physical contact with other people, which adds another layer to her character.

Baek Ho-rang might seem cold at first glance, but he’s actually such a pookie and an absolute sweetheart!

The second male lead was also such a good person! I really liked his character, and honestly, he would have been a great choice for Bo-bae if Ho-rang had turned out to be a red flag! I almost developed second-lead syndrome!

As for the second female lead and the cousin, they were both extremely narcissistic and selfish characters who were willing to commit crimes just to get their way! My main problem with them was that I couldn’t really see any character development or even the slightest hint of remorse. Their complete lack of empathy made them seem almost sociopathic! I would have liked to see them face some consequences for their actions, to be honest!

And that’s about it for the main characters!

Now, let’s talk about the actors!

They were all great! Even the actors playing the villains were incredibly convincing! I genuinely couldn’t stand their characters, which is a good sign because it means they did their jobs really well!

Cha Woo-min was such a pleasant surprise, and I really liked him! I’ve officially become a fan, and I hope to see him as a male lead soon! He definitely deserves it!

And now… Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin!

Their chemistry wasn’t overbearing or forced. It felt natural, effortless, and excellent! It was just so, so good! I APPROVE!

Kim Young-kwang… how we’ve missed seeing his romantic side! His charm was very much appreciated in this drama! His microexpressions are genuinely impressive, and he delivered such a lovely performance!

Chae Soo-bin was amazing as well! She’s the queen of rom-coms, and she portrayed Bo-bae beautifully! She was absolutely hilarious at certain points!

Although, I can confidently say that her characters clearly haven’t watched Vincenzo, because both Hee-joo and Bo-bae seem perfectly willing to drink from whatever bottle they find in a car! 😅

Choi Min-ho was another pleasant surprise! I really liked the parallel between the bodyguard and CEO dynamic, and it actually made me want to see Chae Soo-bin in a drama with a similar concept! I’d love to see her playing a cold CEO or even an evil character for a change! I genuinely think she could nail either role!

Final thoughts!

All in all, I think this is a lighthearted, warm, and funny drama! It’s entertaining, charming, and simply a good time! It’s not the kind of show you should overanalyze or take too seriously, especially considering that it’s a fantasy rom-com!

Sometimes, a drama doesn’t need to be groundbreaking or completely unpredictable to be enjoyable. Sometimes, all it needs to do is make you smile, laugh, and have a good time!

And for me, this drama did exactly that! 💗

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Made for old fans. It does not welcome the new ones.

I'm unfamiliar with The BU, going as far as just today after finishing the drama I read the webtoon.
It's decent enough as a drama although it does not explain a few important facts of the BU in any sort of way that is easy for any new fan like me.

Episodes 1-11 were great and same with the pace as it is what it was told to be, a slice of life idol drama.
The fantasy elements came too late and were not explored well enough.
As a stand alone drama, It's good but as part of a story, If someone needs to do homework just to watch and understand something it's not worth it.

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The Worst Drama of 2026

I have to fast forward every episodes. There are too much dialogue than story. I am not even sure about the plot, irony, etc. It is rather confusing. The support actors / actresses are terrible the Crown Prince is rather stupid and fake without any acting skills.

This role does not suit Luo Yan Xi as he was in Tang Tai Chi in the "Till the End of the Moon," which was his best acting skills. OMG! My parents were Chinese opera actor/actress. This drama they painted all lead performer's face White as a Ghost. I am not the only one who feels that Luo seems to act the same because he doesn't have acting training. He is a ballet dancer who got lucky to be casted into the entertainment.

I watched the preview ep 20-21 that the story begins to develop and make more interesting that he was the 4th Prince Yan.

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Understand Before Judging

It’s okay if some people don’t understand this drama, because I believe you need to watch it continuously to truly understand the depth of its story and the pain behind it. Overdo is more than just a Chinese drama; it’s a psychological and emotional journey that leaves you with a heavy heart.

The heartbreaking story of women who were sold many years ago makes you realize how cruel life can be, especially for women who were deprived of their freedom and the right to choose their own destiny. Imagine being forced into a life you never wanted, losing your freedom, and enduring suffering that no woman should ever have to experience.

Sometimes, we watch dramas for entertainment, but some stories go much deeper. They make us reflect on humanity, question the cruelty of society, and feel the suffering of people whose voices were never heard. You cannot fully understand the emotional weight of this drama if you watch it casually without paying attention to the details and the connections between the characters.

For me, Overdo is not just about heartbreak; it’s about the painful reality of women, the cruelty of the past, and the strength it takes to survive. Their suffering is not something we should simply watch and forget. It reminds us that behind every tragic story is a human being who deserved freedom, dignity, and the right to choose her own life.

Some stories don't just make you cry; they leave a scar on your heart and stay in your mind long after you've finished watching.

Not everyone will understand this drama the same way, and that's okay. But if you truly pay attention to its story, you'll realize that it's not just fiction meant to entertain us it's a painful reminder of the darkness of human nature and the strength of those who survive it.

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Cliche after cliche, short vertical drama that lasts 10 hrs

I went in all hopeful I am gonna see yet another out-of-box breaktru role of my fav actor .... and found out fast that this drama is just a short vertical ... that lasts 10 hrs. THIS IS TRASH. 100% My fav actor is not even acting here. Boooo!!!!!

---- This is me going into the drama, all hopeful -----
my fav kactor kim young kwang S o far I loved everything I saw him in, and I made a point to go down the list of his filmography and watch,

Yeah sometimes he does cliches like The YEar End Medley but even then his characters are always quirky and very complex. So every piece I watched was unique and special. And.... I didnt think it was cliche :) Every piece I saw was unique and had a really interesting, out of box story
I dont trust netflix though. I hope this one is good. I am starting to watch this now.

AND I HATE THE DROP-ALL NETFLIX FORMAT!!!!! it is awful. It is like eating 1 gallon of icecream at once. It causes indigestion. I want to savor my drama properly

------- This is me in shock, this is written half ep 1===== wow there is always a first... I cannot stand this drama. How it is filmed all hodge podge american way, such TRASH. FIrst piece of my fav actor that I really think is TRASH. Majorly commercial mainstream western TRASH. Consisting 100% of cliches, bad acting, and meaningless chaotic script. It looks and feels like a teenager's nightmare. Like ... Hwood :) Like a video game animation. That kind of feel. FL looks completely cold and idiotic, the same old stupid immature dud woman like in ancient sexist kdramas, and ML is the cold type just like in old sexist dramas. YUCK to this sh.t
So... this actor is off from the pedestal lmao I guess he needed some quick easy cash but this is ... below par in every way

You know what this looks like? LIKE A SHORT VERTICAL. that kind of vibe, filming style, acting, and dialogue. Totally like a short vertical. Just 10 hrs long.

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Xu Kai’s Best work yet - gripping and intense the kind that makes history

Despite the veteran powerhouse actors crowing this delightful offering, it’s Xu Kai that stands out in this brilliant production. The story is gripping the treatment is perfect and the casting is a dream. It’s hard. It’s gritty and it’s painful. He is not the heartthrob hero this time. He is so wrong and yet so right. You empathise with him despite everything he is doing because his eyes tell a story of love, suffering and desperation. It’s perfect. His villainousness is perfectly balanced with his fragility and determination. It’s a treat to watch this wonderful work where the actor known for his smooth looks and model appearance has willingly forgone the polish of glamour for a hard hitting role. It could have gone either way. But this is one villain we will all love because somehow his story means more than morality itself. His father’s stark high moral character in the drama is a perfect foil for his flawed broken person. His weakness and actions seem superfluous despite how wrong they are. Because the audience is still cheering him on. For once, waiting for the good guys to fail. What a treat! And definitely not to be missed. I’m hooked and I know I’ll watch it again. Every episode was a gift. You start with trepidation- anxious whether the 2 leads will miraculously come out the other end as winners. But this is so real that all that hope is dashed in the wake of facts and real life. It feels wrong to support the ambiguity of Xu Kai's Chen Hui. But you support him anyways.

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shouldn't the quality of the work improve as it progresses?

content warning: mentions of suicide.

i had almost no critiques for nour up until the halfway point. if you read my reviews, that is a goddamn miracle. the first episode was damn near perfect for a BL. the overall start was basically irrefutable. there was no cringe, no noticeable production blips, no nonsense in the script, no overall garbage, and the acting was compelling. then, it decrescendoed ??????

once prae was revealed to be one of the nour, the story got sort of convoluted. it was still easy to follow but something about her being a nour made all of the characters act badly, off, and or without intellect. nour are essentially vampires who have no known susceptibility except to chita's ability. immortals vs humans meant that police officers, detectives, the headquarters, and anyone else should have been conducting themselves in a manner that would protect human life. rather than what they all were doing which was subjecting their lives and civilian lives to potential spontaneous combustion or a blood leeching. there was not near enough caution or discernment on basically everyone's part which is absolute foolishness.

i deduct anywhere from three to five points from a rating as soon as AI use is made clear. there is an advisory before the start of the opening credits luckily. the AI use in this was "tasteful" and truly used to enhance the material but i will NEVER advocate for AI use in any capacity as long as it destroys the communities of black and indigenous people + depletes our water usage. so this was sitting at a seven rating until the midway point when the story picked up. everyone should be against AI use in creative spaces, at the very bare minimum.

when it comes to production, i questioned several things, to name some - the fake ass kissing sounds, for one. i do not know what is going on in the heads of the people who think inputting fake, out-of-place sounds will further immerse a storyline. the unrealistic bite mark placement on ken's friend who passed was a choice. the dialogue became more generic as the episodes progressed which is a first for my experience. boss would randomly start yelling his lines, at times, which was cringe as hell. the fight scenes between chita and james are also not believable. this became a subsequent watch, of mine, where lacerations and abrasions simply were not created after a character had been slashed or stabbed. the scene with the "police" moving in on ken, dr. ji, & chita because of james was probably the second most cringe thing to happen. the former scene james chose to yell for no reason then chita decided to stay in place to get shot. shooting chita might make sense if bullets had an effect on nours, so why were the police shooting him? one could inference that the weaker points of nour's bodies was not communicated to the collective which is a bad oversight. bringing in a human police lieutenant for three or so scenes was so silly and useless. something also tells me there was a crap ton of timeskips in this which bugs the hell out of me.

this section is mixed with the production decision related issues with acting issues that i observed. i am so disappointed with the acting since in the first few episodes it felt so believable. unfortunately, there was no development as it went on. ken stayed almost entirely stone-faced up until episode six or seven. chita's innocent / awkward act went on for too long once he and dr. ji began courting each other. rain and panin were sort of cute but the actors were both directed to act strangely. they were almost entirely unbothered by the events unfolding around them including multiple murders. ken and james had the same one sided conversation about ken choosing death four times, in different words, and ken always ended up crying; this got to be aggravating quick. ken and james relationship progression did not add up. they spent almost no personal time together to have ended up in love with each other. perhaps they did spend enough time together but it was off camera? viewers would not know that though. their first two kissing sessions were cement-solid in execution but the quality of their kissing went down with the story. if they did spend time together for it to make sense that they loved one another, then that is probably the fault of my undocumented archnemesis - timeskips.

boss' acting stayed the same or arguably worsened. tongtong was slightly better than his partner but not by enough. phoom's acting was a miss as was anton's; they should not have been cast in this. toey's acting was the best out of all the main leads. most of the rest of the support character's felt more compelling in their storytelling than the most filmed characters. i wish we got to see more of namnung's acting.

the last episode was a hot mess and i am not going to expend energy on typing all of the whys. ultimately, the last ten minutes was not a climax of satisfaction. a good storyline does not leave viewers questioning the questions that should have been answered in the plot. in all, i would not recommend watching this.

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Weak directing

Main leads are good, Soo Bin is great, but the directing for them, and the show overall, doesn't capcure the RomCom vibe. The shots linger for too long, the sets are a bit empty-looking, and actors are overdoing the comedic bits, which doesn't quite add up to the direction and editing the show overall has.

With faster-paced editing, or more comedic intercuts (like in Business Proposal, or Secretary Kim), it could've been one of the greats. But as it stands, it's a bit too slow, methodical, and boring, for what it tries to be. I blame directing and editing, because the script itself made sense to me, and actors did ok for what they were expected.

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a beautiful, heartwarming watch that exceeding my expectations!

I am not sure entirely what I expected when I went into this show, but I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. I think I felt worried about the topic of age regression and trauma as it can be very difficult to explore, but I think that Santa did such a great job in his role, and I think Solar and Sun's stories were handled with care. This show was an exploration of love, contention, trauma, mental health, life, self acceptance, and learning to adapt to those around you. There were so many beautiful lessons here and take aways that would stick with anyone.

I think if you are going into this expecting a 100% serious depiction of mental health issues, you would probably feel a little disappointed by this show because I think it can be easy to nitpick. While I do think they did a great job at handling the characters mental and emotional struggles, this show is overall meant to be more of an upbeat watch and it's definitely reflected in the characterization. I did feel like up until episode 8, Solar's trauma was a little bit downplayed? But I think the intention with that was them trying to show Pobmek's struggle with teaching and learning to accept and handle both Sun and himself vs the entire show being about Solar's recovery. I honestly loved that both sides of the couple were explored, and you could feel them learn more about each other and the people around them the entire time. I really enjoyed the decision to not focus on Solar entirely because I think it gave the plot a lot more dimension for something that could have easily fallen very flat, very quick. Watching Pobmek go from trying absolutely anything and everything to get rid of Sun to the last episode where he was making Sun's breakfast, completely forgetting that Sun was finally resting and wouldn't be coming back, was such a sweet full circle moment.

And getting to know Pobmek as a character was so important and really helped to understand why his development felt so fulfilling to see. Him being able to forgive his mom after what she put him through, and work through those issues to not only be a better version of himself, but also be better for Solar showed how strong he was! Seeing him slowly crack until he could put down his walls to let his friends support him broke my heart. I loved that this didn't feel romanticized at all, and you could see how difficult the entire situation was for Pobmek. Seeing someone you love suffer and wanting to do anything to help them is already tough, but also being able to admit that the situation is paining you is so difficult to admit without feeling guilty. I think I just loved how open everyone in this show was, and no one was ever made to feel bad about their emotions at any point. Even if Pobmek made a lot of mistakes, he was able to overcome them and you can see how hard he worked to change his ways. When Solar broke down because he was trying to hide his distress, I felt so pained for him. He knew he was putting his partner through a lot, so he didn't want to make it worse for him, and unfortunately it led to him breaking down. There were so many points of contention for both characters, but knowing that no matter what they would be there for each other, always made me feel relieved. Sometimes I cannot stand when characters break up or give up on each other over the smallest things, so knowing that that would never be a worry for Solar and Pobmek made watching this show that much better for me.

I really enjoyed how the kids were directly apart of the conflicts, and not just there because it was a show about teachers. Seeing the kids accept Sun and Solar, and how much effort they put into helping him was so heartwarming. You could really feel how eyeopening this situation was for everyone involved, and the openness of the children and their ability to see things from Sun's perspective that Pobmek could not understand, helped to give him courage and insight that I think he would've missed out on otherwise.

And when we finally got to see Solar figure out his past and what actually happened, I really felt for him. I can only imagine how much pain he was dealing with, both with his own and Sun's pain. I was worried when he went to meet his dad at first, but I felt so relieved to know that his dad didn't blame him for anything, and even though he can't be forgiven for running away, every single character in this show made choices that you could understand. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but I felt like the writers wanted to show as many perspectives as they could in so many different people, and there was never actually a true villain here because at the end of the day, everyone is human and makes decisions they regret. Whether it was Solar's parents, Pobmek's mom, Pang, the students, the students' parents, etc. Everyone had a reason to act how they did, but what they did after to change or handle it, was more important part in the end.

I honestly fell in love with this show, everything from the characters to the styling was just so good!!! I can understand anyone who watches this and doesn't love it, but I'm really so happy I decided to watch this show because I ended up with a new favorite. It's not perfect, but it was such a heartwarming story of growth and love, and I felt like I could really understand all the characters deeply.

I can't wait to see Santa and Perth's next project, they have such wonderful chemistry and I love seeing them together!

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So much wasted potential.

They really took an interesting premise and two leads with incredible chemistry, only to squander their potential with all these unnecessary plotlines. It frustrated me so much because, underneath all of that, there was a genuinely great mature romance waiting to happen.

They could’ve easily made this a six-episode drama with 40-minute episodes, which would’ve given them enough room to maintain the slow pacing without padding the story with unnecessary plotlines. The drama could’ve focused entirely on the marriage contract while exploring failed marriages and the business of weddings in the background. The stalker and trunk storylines, in particular, felt completely out of place, and removing them would’ve made the story so much more focused.

I actually loved Jeong-won and his ex-wife’s side of the story. Their relationship explored a lot of complicated and nuanced themes, and I think the drama handled them fairly well without turning either of them into a complete villain. My only complaint is that the ex-wife’s motivations for marrying Jeong-won to In-ji could’ve been explained much more clearly. I still don’t fully understand why she did that.

On the other hand, In-ji’s story felt incredibly messy. They threw so many different problems at her without giving any of them enough time to properly develop. They could’ve focused entirely on the bi ex-fiancé, or, even better, gone in a completely different direction and explored how growing up in a toxic marriage shaped her understanding of relationships, while making her controlling mother an ongoing source of conflict. That could’ve tied her past into her career, her views on marriage, and her relationship with Jeong-won in a much more meaningful way. It would’ve given her character far more emotional depth and made her choices easier to understand. Instead, the bi ex-fiancé and stalker storylines felt disconnected from the rest of her character and never really made much sense to me.

Despite all my complaints, there were still things I really loved. I liked the atmosphere and aesthetic of the drama, and the cinematography was beautiful. And I don’t even need to say this, but Seo Hyun Jin and Gong Yoo were amazing. Their chemistry was what kept me hooked until the very end.

I also really liked the choice they made with the ending. Giving them time to heal separately before leaving their future open-ended felt right for their story. It gave us hope that they could eventually find their way back to each other and have a happy ending without forcing them back together immediately.

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