Reviews

High-flying athleticism and extraordinary beauty

A wonderfully energetic showcase of high-flying athleticism and extraordinary beauty, Martial Arts of Shaolin is a spectacular, fast-paced and frequently sensational celebration of Lau Kar-leung's love for less fantastical martial arts, constantly pushing for the tenets of discipline, pacifism and tolerance. It's far less traditional than most of the typical Shaw Brothers output. There's no set or soundstage to be found here, with beautiful mountains, ancient cities and temples, and rolling green pastures hosting hundreds of extras in a lavish, large-scale epic. It does boast some fairly interesting meditations on Buddhism and the limits of pacifism in the face of injustice. However, this is about as straight-laced a revenge story as you could ask for, although the motivation for said revenge isn't even revealed until the very end; thus, it looks like the characters are just being arseholes to everyone they meet, it's a story that only exists to provide a framework for increasingly elaborate displays of physical skill and in that department, it's no slouch. Lau's direction is sublime; every bout feels like a natural one-upmanship of each other. Fights are fast without becoming incomprehensible, with a wonderful amount of variety, from traditional weapons combat to hand-to-hand duels and large-scale confrontations; the sheer physicality is exceptional. As one of Jet Li's earliest performances, there's a ripe youthful vigour about it, effortlessly switching between comedy and commanding when required; he has a tremendous screen presence, even when he is doing very little beyond demonstrating how impossibly fast he can move. He is astonishing. His speed, balance and precision are almost unreal, whether he is fighting with his bare hands, staff, sword or other weapons. The climax is where everything comes together, and after the slower character and training material, the film unleashes a succession of increasingly elaborate fights, culminating in a spectacular final confrontation. By this point, Martial Arts of Shaolin's relatively thin and increasingly uneven story hardly matters: the sheer skill of the performers and Lau's choreography provide all the momentum necessary, although far from one of his deepest or most sophisticated films, judging it purely as a showcase for classical kung fu, it is enormously entertaining.

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Beautiful and confounding

I love this drama. It's cinematography is one of the best in the business. You can tell a lot of love went into making this.

However, I absolutely detest when I watch something and then have to go do homework to understand what I just watched because of writing or directorial decisions. It feels manipulative at best, and incompetent at worst. There were so many gaps in the story that I let go of because I love this drama. I gave it thee benefit of the doubt so often, that by the end I just shrugged and said maybe I'm too stupid to get it so why bother. An unfortunate conclusion to quite the thrilling watching experience.

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Schizophrenic Double Dragon

Schizophrenic Double Dragon. Taking Jackie Chan's doctrine of building action-comedy around a simple idea pushed to ridiculous extremes, it's a shame that Twin Dragons amounts to a somewhat chaotic collection of comedy, romance, car chases and martial arts only barely held together by the sheer charisma of its leading man. The annoying thing is that there's a lot of genuinely funny shtick throughout, but it's hampered by erratic pacing and a disjointed structure. The separated siblings' story is hardly new, but the film is more interested in how much comic mileage can be extracted from having two Jackie Chans running around; once it cuts loose, however, it's a strong reminder of why Chan's early-1990s work remains so enjoyable. The fights are fast, inventive and packed with the kind of physical ingenuity that distinguishes him from his contemporaries. The climax, in particular, delivers some spectacular choreography, combining hand-to-hand combat, vehicles and elaborate physical gags with Chan's stunt work up to its usual impressive quality; it gives the film's action sequences considerably more energy than its rather thin story deserves. Despite being co-directed by Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, two directors at the top of their game at the time, it's a film that doesn't feel like either of their respective styles; Hark's anarchic sensibilities and Lam's harder-edged action do not gel cohesively together, especially given all the glaringly cheesy camera trickery employed in some shots that greatly undercut the illusion of twin brothers in the same frame. Thankfully, Chan throws himself into both characters with enthusiasm; the contrast between the two brothers allows him to showcase different sides of his screen persona. Equally, Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi make for some wonderful supporting ladies, Kirk Wong makes for a great villain, and there's the sheer abundance of cameos from Hong Kong directors, maybe the most in the history of Hong Kong cinema, that prove to be the funniest additions, with Lau Kar-leung and Wong Jing as major highlights. Unfortunately, once the novelty of watching Chan interact with himself wears off, there isn't always enough underneath Twin Dragons to sustain the momentum. When it's funny, it's really funny, yet it could have all been so much better.

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Watch City Hunter instead

A far less goofy but equally far inferior Die Hard on a Ship than that of Wong Jing's City Hunter, The Red Wolf, by Yuen Woo-Ping standards, is a very below-par effort. It essentially amounts to watching a rather boring, stripped-down version of Daddy Seagal's Under Siege; despite occasionally delivering flashes of exciting action, it's weighed down by a weak script, forgettable characters and inconsistent pacing, suffering from its own inability to create any form of engrossing narrative. Sadly, this concoction never really seems to gel, and the total lack of tension makes the scenario feel a lot less enticing. Yuen keeps things buttoned down for the first half hour but eventually unleashes the full force of the Hong Kong stunt community and the Die Hard trope generator, although it does all feel too little too late at that point. Once up to speed, the only reason the film ever slows down again is so people can torment Cecilia Ng Sin-Si. I don't know why Yuen picks her out for special treatment; she loses her dad straight away, her mother is then gunned down trying to protect her, and she spends the rest of the film being kidnapped, threatened, chased, strapped to a bomb and hung from a rope. Despite the contrary, this film is about action, not child abuse and in that regard, it's alright; there are some good bouts of combat that are decently inventive and make good use of the setting, but it's not all that memorable. Fresh-faced Kenny Ho brings little to the leading role; he doesn’t do anything specifically wrong, he just seems so incredibly bland, and it’s easy to see why he never really made it as a star. Christy Chung, on the other hand, is totally wasted as she has nothing to do other than scream a lot and get in the way during the action scenes. Outside of maybe the snazzy musical score, it's difficult to really recommend The Red Wolf; the lack of any real stand-out moments just leaves me constantly wanting something more. Watch City Hunter instead.

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Makjang/Family drama

Before we start definition of makjang is basically over the top nonsense where you have to suspend all disbelief and just sit back and enjoy the absolute chaos and madness. (From redditor Burke_Dennings)

About trailer/teaser
Started watching without too much expectations… trailer/teasers gives an idea of the characters, but story wise it is still unclear.

Pacing of story, it goes rather fast first few episodes the characters /main couple/family got set up. Some drama happens and then moves further closer to the present…
From experience watching other makjang dramas “Young lady and gentleman”, “Beauty and Mr. Romantic”, “Iron Family”, “What’s happens to my Family”, usually around episode 25-30 the pacing slows down or shifts more to the side characters, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the Main couple also needs a break and we might be curious what happens with the side characters and how they will influence the story.

Characters in the story are clearly set up that you either love of dislike. Although some characters are super mean but sometimes can’t help but feel they are cute in their own way… without spoiling too much… have you ever felt like someone sending you photos of their favourite daily actor/actress that it felt like violence to you xD
Either way you will know if you want to watch all episodes if you like the characters, else it is better to watch a different series.

SEVENTEEN FANS…..
Also …. I thought the eldest son of FL family “Bae Youn-Kyu” looks a a bit like Dino (from SEVENTEEN)

To conclude for now….
This is my primary/favourite series this season.
On second priority I’m watching Spooky Love, Our Sticky Love
And on third priority…. “See you at work tomorrow”, “My beloved thief”

To give an idea of my taste….. recently finished “Love in Sync”: enjoyed for the cuteness and fluff (ML acting improved a lot and FL was for me amazing, although I saw opinions saying she was bad)
“Reborn Rookie”: enjoyed. Interesting story and it kept me wanting to know how the story would unfold. Definitely recommended if you like character growth and how they will take on the big bad villain(s)
“Sold Out on You”: mediocre though it has its cute and fun moments.
“Filling for Love”: same, mediocre though it has its cute and fun moments.

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?? A Roller Coaster of Butterflies, Tears, and Pure Magic?✨

A drama that doesn’t just tell a story — it sweeps you into a storm of feeling and refuses to let you go.

A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills’ Dream threw me into an emotional whirlwind 🌪️🔥. It gave me butterflies 🦋, made me grin like an idiot 😆, and then absolutely destroyed me — I was full-on wailing at my screen 😭💥. Few dramas hit this hard, but this one does it with ease 🎇.

Every character is crafted with precision and heart 🎭💖. No role is wasted, no moment dull. The cast pulses through the story like a single heartbeat ❤️‍🔥, each adding their own weight, warmth, and purpose 🌙.
But the two main leads? They exceeded every expectation I had.
🌬️ Feng Qing Lang as Kuma
🌸 Liu Jing Yu as Xu Chang Yang

This was my first drama seeing both actors, and they did not disappoint. In fact, they blew me away. They made me feel every emotion — the longing 💫, the joy 😊, the heartbreak 💔, the hope ✨. Their chemistry doesn’t just show up on screen; it radiates through it. You can feel the tension in their silences, the tenderness in their glances 👀, the ache in their heartbreak.

They each carried their weight beautifully. Feng Qing Lang brings a quiet intensity to Kuma that pulls you in 🔥, while Liu Jing Yu gives Xu Chang Yang a softness and strength that makes every scene hit harder 🌙. Together, they’re magnetic — the kind of pairing that makes you forget you’re watching actors and instead believe you’re witnessing two souls collide 💞.


This drama is poetic, devastating, healing, and unforgettable 🌿. It’s the kind of story that settles into your bones and stays there. If you want a show that will make you feel everything — from butterflies 🦋 to full-body sobbing 😭 — this is the one.


Worth watching — just be ready for the tears 😭💔

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Female leads confusion takes away the build up to the conclusion

The transition to movie felt lacking. Although acting was solid and the new soundtrack made it feel more like an original interpretation of the original anime.
Mostly felt certain strong feelings were missing , which made the anime memorable imo
Such as the numb feeling the MC got after working many years without any passion and seeking for “something” that makes him feel alive.
The other strong feeling and essence of the story was the unrequited love. The build up was there, but not impactful enough when the most important seen where both adults passing each other…

All in all I would only recommend this movie to Makoto Shinkai fans that are interested to see how the live action turned out.
But for others…. It is a lacklustre movie that is not very interesting for the general audience. My mother was confused at times… even me when we both were unsure who was the surf girl or the girl from primary school….
And the unrequited love part was kinda overshadowed by the confusion who is who….
I think this issue could be solved by focusing only on 1 couple. The surfing girl felt a bit
unnecessary. It didn’t add much to the story, except that MC is missed the mark/timing from small till now and has sort of grown/learned from his first love… it might be important to his character growth, but in the red line of the story it was more of a nuisance to me and source of confusion.

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Incredibly h*rny

I've seen differences in opinion on how good and bad it is, which.. valid.
Some people believe that basically P'Sorn grooms Jun the whole time in a creepy p*d0phi!e way, but I only thought like that after watching it and seeing other people talking about it.
(That being said, I don't really feel like he was gr0oming him, I think he actually loves him, just a few of the earlier intimate scenes seem like sorn comes onto Jun quite forcefully and Jun doesn't want it so much)
Watching it before seeing that, I loved it (I do love some smutty bls but that's besides the point)

I liked jun as a character because they gave him room to grow (he didn't take all the room offered to be frank, but still) and sorn wound up being a not-terrible boyfriend in the end, and also the side characters ate down but in a cute way.

I like the way sorn handled the guy that was talking to jun (the s*x while on the phone actually made me laugh out loud).

AND I loved them actually showing c0nd0ms, l*be, and the gagging while blowing eachother is SO refreshing (wow I sound crazy) but you never see that!! And it was so well done! It really felt a bit like soft 🌽 but in a good way!?
I've watched a lot of bls, and am nearly immune to the spicy tingle at this point, but MS delivered and I still rewatch some of the 🍆 scenes when I need a little oomph! Also Jun as a power bottom is hot asf

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tw: physical and psychological abuse, parental neglect

the actors were great. they were able to convery their emotions to the scenes required.

i think my main issue why i couldn’t fully love the drama is because of the storyline and its progression.

i felt like the real mother and father of the directer didn’t get the karmic ending they deserve.

the real mom just slapped some money into a certain issue and called it a day. even in the presscon scene she didn’t protect her child. like wtf.

until the end, there was no resolution to fix her relationship with him.

the father was a lost cause and honestly he deserves to be in jail. the scenes about him were so bad that just watching it makes me traumatized. to say those scenes are dark is putting it lightly. honestly, a trigger warning should be placed regarding those scenes.

the relationship between the leads were sweet, the last two episode seemed to dragged, and they could’ve written it more maturely, but they chose the very dramatic route, so yeah, not impressed with that too.

the two other supporting couples were okay to watch. but really not gripping to the story.

but still, too much of the important parts seemed glossed on… it’s like a sublte jab to reality that not all evil people get the bad ending in life they deserve.

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