Reviews

Understated Drama with Fantastic Acting

The plot of this drama is very thin. But that serves it perfectly fine. It gives the actors plenty of room to, well, act.

We meet a couple who appear to be happily married, but are in effect in an open marriage partly due to the wife's (Ichiko) intimacy issues. The side characters we meet are also involved in the main couple's dynamic which doesn't distract from the main plot line of the drama at all. It gives the drama focus and time to build up this couple's marriage.

Despite what appears to be a simple premise, this drama is carried on the backs of its actors. Takahata Mitsuki (Ichiko) in particular delivers a wonderfully grounded performance of a woman unpacking her own issues with intimacy, romance and femininity. Meanwhile, Nishino Nanase (Mizuki) steals every scene by infecting it with her character's silent brewing misery.

The ending may be a little unsatisfying, seeing as it leaves things in a bit of a muddled state, but its realistic and feels very in-character for the main couple. I do wish we got a bit more time with Mizuki and her husband but overall a very enjoyable watch.

I have rewatched this drama maybe four? five? times because I can't get enough of the performances delivered by the two female leads.

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The Best version of "Itazura Na Kiss"

I have seen this "They Kiss Again", as well as the first part "It Started With A Kiss" and I really believe it is the best version of the "Itazura Na Kiss" story (I've watched all versions).

The ML, Jiang Zhi Shu (exceptionally played by Joe Cheng), starts out as the aloof genius who looks down on the FL, Yuan Xiang Qin (played by the beautiful Ariel Lin) as he feels so superior to her. What's different about this version is Joe Cheng plays Zhi Shu as someone who just hasn't had to deal with others, especially in Class F, so he just dismisses them. After rejecting Xiang Qin's attempt to confess to him, he has to deal with her every day as her father and she start to live with Zhi Shu's family, friends of Xiang Qin's father, when their own house is destroyed in an earthquake.

As Zhi Shu very reluctantly, gets to know Xiang Qin (especially through his mother who LOVES and dotes her "new daughter"), he slowly comes to understand that, though not as intelligent as he is, there is something about her that draws him. NOTHING romantic at first! But through dealing with Xiang Qin and her friends (especially the hilarious Ah Jin (perfectly played by Jiro Wang), he begins to see parts of himself that he never thought he had in him.

For me this is totally realized in "They Kiss Again", after they are married. He truly begins to care about Xian Qin and she matures, as well. They each grow together and see things in each other that has them realizing who THEY themselves are. Again, Xiang Qin's friends, play a crucial role in helping Zhi Shu understand the changes he's feeling, and they are so helpful to Xiang Qin as she matures and learns to handle Zhi Shu's changing emotions.

This is such a mature version, with each character more well defined and deeper than other versions. I love how Joe Cheng plays the confused & vulnerable Zhi Shu as he begins to see Xiang Qin in an entirely new light. I also love how Xiang Qin begins to accept who she is, as well as her own potential. While I truly like ALL the versions if "Itazura Na Kiss" THIS version is the one I go to over and over again and I highly recommend it.

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My dark horse thriller of 2025

In the last days of 2025, three different thrillers aired, and after a rough personal year in the genre, I wasn’t craving anything extraordinary - just good dramas. And, as with many things in life, the positive surprise came from the least expected. That’s how **The Truth Within** turned out to be my dark horse thriller of 2025 - *The Hunt* remains my favourite.

Without diving too much to avoid spoilers, this is a five-case thriller with an underlying mystery (the sixth case), where case-solving and criminal procedures, with a strong emphasis on the forensic aspect, take center stage, very much in the vein of the best era of CSI: Las Vegas. Here, there’s no room for cops’ family affairs, personal life matters, the old master-apprentice trope, or the social commentary we usually see in the genre.

It’s a stylized suspense drama, far away from a gritty vibe but also from the overly artistic aesthetic that’s becoming the opposite trend in the Chinese entertainment landscape since last year.

The two Taiwanese directors - there’s also a third, Chinese one who collaborates with them - have a renowned portfolio in thrillers, and you can tell. I love the storytelling here and how they enhance a solid script. The lighting, the overall cinematography, where the framing and the use of the camera help create the atmosphere, together with neat and efficient dialogue, give this project a distinctive and fresh personality that I deeply appreciate. Silence and unsaid words are also protagonists, but again, used with precision.

The straight, clean, and plain focus on the case-solving process feels refreshing. Although short cases aren’t my preferred jam in any genre or format - and that was one of my two main gripes about it - they have the right amount of length and flow, are interesting, and even tackle a theme I never expected to see in C-dramaland. The underlying mystery is well interconnected too, and the viewer accompanies the investigation team as the clues unfold. Overall, the pace feels right: neither slow nor rushed.

Production is excellent despite it not being a super-budget drama, and my other gripe with this type of series luckily didn’t become a nightmare: procedures don’t have major flaws that make you roll your eyes, and they managed to introduce the main role of the forensic doctor quite logically within the team dynamics and stories, resulting in balanced and fair screen time among the main team, as it should be.

I liked how they presented the dynamics between the characters. I appreciate that every team member has a distinct personality, and that they didn’t go over the top or force comic relief with any of them. Despite the precise approach to cases, you find yourself getting attached to all of them when danger arises - proof of a good script, solid execution, and good acting from the entire cast, not only the main leads (by the way, not the usual suspects in these dramas either).

If I have to remark on the things that bothered me, the one that sticks out the most is the three or four images that were unnecessarily censored around the middle of the drama, once it gained more views.

There were other minor issues that didn’t ruin the overall tone of the show: a subtle (edit: perhaps more than subtle for the trained eye) drop in quality in episodes 14 and 15 - I guess they left the direction to a director’s assistant/apprentice? - and a few inconsistencies toward the last two episodes, where the story changes the vibe a little due to the logical progression of it. Luckily, the uniqueness returns in the last 15 minutes in all its glory, and the show ends on a high note.

**The Truth Within** is not a gritty drama, nor one that delves deeply into social topics and leaves you ruminating after it ends, but rather one that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eager to press play on the next episode.

For those who like this type of thriller and want a project with personality, it’s a very tight drama.

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Had potential to be more, it's nice as it is

I was sure this was going to be my favorite cdrama of the year, but it lost power in the middle and slowly sank until the end.

It had great topics to talk about that unfortunately went nowhere: how her college friends and 2nd ml put up walls between them and Xi Guang just because she has money, how Zhuang Xu really resented her for being privileged and it ruined them before it even began, the whole arc between Xi Guang's father, his first love and her daughter.
The main couple is great and i adore the slow romance build up, but they are not interesting enough to carry 36 episodes on their own. It got so boring in the last 10-12 episodes that i genuinely started to miss Zhuang Xu and his misty eyes.
The story also drags way too much, you can skips entire episodes towards the end and not miss much plotwise.
It will work for a lot of people and even become one of their favorites, but ended up not being much to me.

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So Bad its almost good

As a huge Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) fan, I’ve loved or at least really liked almost everything he’s done. The synopsis for Twelve—12 zodiac angels fighting demons, epic battles, supernatural action—sounded like a total slam dunk. I went in with high hopes for something fun, action-packed, and heroic.
Through the first 6 episodes, this was one of the biggest disappointments I’ve ever watched. It takes until halfway through episode 6 for anything remotely interesting or action-oriented to happen—in an 8-episode season! The protagonists don’t even get their full powers until then, so for the first 5.5 episodes, they’re just getting beaten down by demons with zero real pushback. The pacing is glacial—scenes linger forever on nothing, world-building meanders without momentum, and by episode 4 I was checking out mentally. I slogged through 5 and the start of 6 just hoping for payoff.
The flashbacks are the worst part—they’re overused, thrown in mid-scene, and grind everything to a halt. They add almost nothing meaningful and kill the flow. Backstory dumps that should’ve been front-loaded (especially the big reveals in episode 7) feel like writing malpractice. Why wait so long?
The cast tries their best with the weak material, and most do okay (the ensemble has chemistry in spots), but Don Lee… this hurts to say as a fan, but he looks way out of shape for the role (Tae-san, the tiger leader) and seems completely checked out. His performance feels flat and uninspired. There’s even an embarrassing wig worn by Marok in the flashbacks—long white hair that looks ridiculously silly and takes you right out of it.
The last two episodes are better—decent action, some payoff, and at least stuff happens. If the whole show had that energy, it could’ve been mediocre. But it’s too little, too late. It ends on a cliffhanger, but honestly, after this slog, I doubt many will care about a season 2.
This had massive potential with the cast and premise, but poor writing, editing, pacing, and execution turned it into a huge mess. Recommend skippinhg unless you want to watch it for how bad it is and get some unintended laughs.

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Great story and chemistry. Highly recommended :)

I really liked this drama! The story is very interesting and the chemistry between the main leads is great. I especially loved Hyeri's performance; she is amazing at playing that cold and 'mean girl' vibe. The plot twists were incredible, like the vitamins that weren't actually pills, proving Sul-gi could succeed on her own. I was moved by how Jae-yi protected Sul-gi by pretending to be the villain just to keep her safe. The ending was so refreshing; I loved that Sul-gi didn't just pass the national exam immediately but had to work hard and try again, showing a very realistic growth.
The scene where Jae-yi and Jena jumped was completely unexpected and made me cry so much, especially when Sul-gi was desperately searching for Jae-yi. The final reference to the shoes was a beautiful touch that gave me hope. The acting of the entire cast is top-tier. I’ve already watched it a few times on Netflix and I think it's worth it. I would love to see a second season to see more of them together. Definitely a must-watch!

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Definitely still a BL but definitely coulda made it gayer ahah

I think the other reviews are a little harsh but I definitely do understand the disappointment. It is objectively still definitely a BL because the show is about two guys liking each other. and it was such a sweet story. but so slowly paced it’s like they we’re avoiding putting anything actually gay into the show. A bit off putting and slightly dull for that. The ending in particular was so sweet and fulfilling, I was happy seeing the ending we got eventually. But I understand and am with everyone’s disappointment at how the show was laid out, I get it. Still an overall lovely show and BRILLIANT casting. I think ahn ji ho is a cracker of an actor having seen him in other shows like move to heaven. I hope he had a wildly successful career to match his acting talents.

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Daily Life Before Armageddon

If you're looking for an exciting "action/disaster" drama, this isn't it. It's not about a cast of characters attempting to save Earth from an imminent asteroid strike that is certain to occur within 200 days nor is it about surviving the aftermath of that strike. The asteroid cannot be diverted from its path and Armageddon is certain. Rather, this drama is about how a group of people live their lives knowing that their time is limited. The first three episodes have many flashbacks and flashforwards from "real time," that are confusing. But if you can get past that, the series can be lovely, violent, disheartening, hopeful, sad, funny, and filled with joy. Just don't expect any superheroes to soar in and save the day! This story of how ordinary people face extraordinary challenges is most satisfying and the acting is marvelous.

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Prmoising story but not executed well

character development was unnatural, hge shifts, rushed story lines. very promising plot but was disappointing. there's something lacking in their chemistry at times too. if you're coming to watch this after Somewhere somehow then don't expect something good. it was good early on but the story progression wasn't done well. not written ell, maybe not directed well. idk it just wasn't good as it progressed.

it was a gl where i wasn't even rooting for the main couple.

i had to play last 2 eps on times 2 speed cuz i just wanted it to end. wasn't enjoyable anymore

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Childish behavior, red flag ml, puppy clingy princess

I could barely finish the drama, started it 3 times and could finish it only on 3rd try with skips at the last 10 episodes. The female lead is just a clingy like puppy to a guy who is always hurting her, lack of proper communication and emotional intelligence:) She is always sacrificing something for him and supporting, while he at the beginning especially was so selfish, the way how he acted with his “friends “/teammates, like yeah, you are smart, but you also think about others’ feelings.
Overhyped c-drama for sure. The only good thing - the main leads’ facecards

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“I Planned to Watch 2 Episodes… I Finished Moon River in 2 Days” ?

At first, I didn’t want to watch Moon River because it’s a historical drama—it wasn’t really my preference. But when I found out that it won Best Actress and Best Actor, I started questioning why I hadn’t watched it sooner.

I decided to give it a try and planned to watch just two episodes, but I ended up finishing the entire series in just two days.

Every episode has funny moments that balance the story, and when drama is needed, it helps you understand the plot and the characters more deeply. The emotional scenes feel natural and not forced. The first episode really requires your full attention—once you understand it, you’ll definitely love the episodes that follow.

The only reason it’s not a perfect 10 is because there’s a lot of drama involving soul swapping, which may feel overwhelming at times. That’s why the remaining 0.5 was deducted.

Overall, Moon River is an excellent drama that deserves a 9.5/10, and it’s highly recommended—even for those who usually avoid historical dramas. 🌙✨

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Love keeps ringing

Overall, it's an enjoyable rom-com.

I like Dylan & Bai Lu, but the main couple’s storyline drags a lot 😮‍💨, especially in the middle. Luckily, their pacing does start to pick up again towards the end.

One great thing about this drama is that it has multiple couples and honestly, the third couple (Qin Shi Yue & Yu You) saved the slow middle part for me - they were my favorites!
Qin Shi Yue is funny, honest, decisive, and easily the most emotionally mature character... I honestly wished we had more scenes of her and Yu You.

Now, the most annoying issue (and I never thought I’d write this😅): did the writer ban every other way of interrupting a couple except phone calls?? They might have a thing for ringing phones… Seriously, the phone rings constantly from start to finish, always to interrupt the couple, and it becomes absurd. Add to that an excessive number of misunderstandings, and it gets a bit frustrating.

Despite its flaws, it still entertaining and offers a good amount of romance.

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