Reviews

Almost Great — Until Everything Becomes a Little Too Perfect

I really enjoyed **Against the Current**, especially in the beginning. The story is exciting but also has a certain calmness to it, and the pacing felt just right. It doesn’t rush through the story, but it also never felt too slow.

The production is beautiful. I especially loved the costumes — they look high quality and have so many lovely details. The fight scenes are also really well done.

Another thing I liked is that the drama doesn’t sugarcoat everything. There are some harder and more brutal scenes, but it never becomes excessively violent. For me, that gave the story a sense of realism without relying on brutality for impact.

My main issue is that some of the emotional complexity gradually fades as the story progresses.Xu Lan Xiang is compelling at first, but over time she becomes increasingly composed and almost unfailingly capable. She rarely makes serious mistakes, loses control, or seems genuinely overwhelmed by events. At the same time, I can see that this emotional restraint fits both her personality and the overall tone of the drama. I wouldn't have wanted artificial conflict just for the sake of drama, but I think the characters could still have been pushed a little further emotionally.

I felt something similar about the romance. I actually liked that their relationship wasn't perfect from the beginning and developed gradually. But after the marriage, it becomes very harmonious and increasingly centered on them as a couple. This is something I often miss in dramas once the leads get together: I still want them to have distinct lives, relationships, conflicts, and goals outside of the romance. Here, I would have liked to see more of them as two individual people rather than primarily as a couple. A little more emotional friction would also have made the relationship more interesting to me, although their calmer dynamic does make sense for who these characters are.

This also affects the suspense toward the end. The protagonists increasingly seem to anticipate what will happen and already have a plan in place. They're so competent and controlled that I rarely felt they were truly in danger of losing. The story was still enjoyable, but it became less unpredictable.

I also wasn't sure about the male lead at first, but he really surprised me. I ended up liking his performance a lot.

Overall, **Against the Current** is a beautifully made drama with strong pacing, detailed costumes, good action scenes, and a story that takes its world seriously. I enjoyed it, but I think it would have been stronger if the characters had retained more individuality, emotional vulnerability, and unpredictability toward the end.

I still preferred **Pursuit of Jade**. I found it more suspenseful, and I connected more with its female lead. **Against the Current is definitely worth watching, but for me, its increasing emotional restraint kept a very good drama from becoming a great one.**

Read More

GLORY TO WHOEVER CONTRIBUTED TO BRINGING THIS DRAMA TO LIFE.

I'm writing this review with tears streaming down my face, watching the last episode of this absolute masterpiece of a drama. I haven’t felt this overwhelmingly emotional about a story in a very long time.
This drama deserves an award in every category imaginable. The storytelling, the deeper meanings and wisdom woven into every scene and every line... To experience a person’s life so intimately through a screen is something I never thought was possible.
The writing, directing, acting, editing, and production were all top-notch. I wanted to keep my reviews spoiler-free and talk about the bigger picture, about what makes a serie worth watching. But with this one, all I want to do is pour out the sorrow I feel now that it has come to an end.
For me, at least, there won’t be a competitor to this one for a long while.
Against the Current.
A story about a woman who went against the currents of her time, and a lamp that illuminated the lives of those around her. A story of her first steps beyond the boundaries of her family after a great catastrophe, of her navigating the ravines of life with courage, intelligence, and perseverance.
A story of resilience and strength, and a story that will resonate with women everywhere.
The story of Shen Jialan and Xu Lanxiang.

Read More

Interesting premise, but Li Si is so annoying

Is it just me, or does Luo Yun Xi always play the same character in every show? It’s always that same holier-than-thou, untouchable, arrogant attitude, and I find it so boring to watch. At this point, almost every time he opens his mouth, I just skip ahead five seconds.

And how annoying is it to watch him teaching the guys from the freaking Divine Detective Bureau how to conduct an investigation? Aren’t they supposed to be the detectives here? Are they only there so Li Si can show off how incredibly smart he is? And is he somehow doing all of this to impress Bai Zhen Zhu? Please.

I really hope his attitude improves soon, for the sake of the story, because the plot itself actually seems quite interesting. I just don’t know how much more of Li Si’s smug superiority I can take.

Read More

Strong female cast one best historical dramas this year

Haung ying xiang did her with this drama it did at good job highlighting the struggles of women of all different backgrounds had in ancient times the first episode had me shocked and in tears when the shen women took their own lives. Every actor did their thing its this drama. But deaths def got to me. Tang song yun and liu xue yi chemistry was everything and apart their actoring strong. This shortest review ive written i didnt wanna give away too much the death that hurt me the most was lin jin qi. Highly recommend this drama get tissues no boring episodes will rewatch again idk i dnt watch dramas with sad ending hurts too much but storyline is chef kiss so maybe.

Read More

He’s Handsome. She’s Angry. Plot Is Missing

I really wanted to like Spring of Blade, but unfortunately this was another disappointment in another 2026 edition of disappointing C drama’s.

And honestly, I don’t understand why this drama has such high reviews. Maybe I watched a completely different drama from everyone else. 😂

First of all, yes the male lead is handsome. Very handsome. Unfortunately, being handsome is not a substitute for having an actual character arc. He felt like he was there to look good while the story happened around him.

And then there’s Zhou Ye as the FL. I keep wanting to find a drama of hers that finally works for me, but once again, I found myself frustrated.

The revenge story was weak on both sides.

This drama had all the ingredients for something intense: betrayal, revenge, family conflict, secrets and plenty of reasons for these characters to hate each other. But somehow the revenge never had the impact it should have.

Instead, we got plot holes. Lots of plot holes.

All that revenge, and nobody thought to check the plot holes. 😂

The wedding, for example, was ridiculous. The way she came into that family was crazy, and I was sitting there thinking, Are we seriously doing this?

And the father? I don’t even know where to start. His whole part of the story had me questioning what the writers were thinking.

Then there was the sister drama, which just kept adding to the chaos without giving me the emotional payoff I was expecting.

And let’s talk about the grandmother explaining everything at the end.

Lazy. Lazy writing.

Instead of properly developing the characters, motivations and family history throughout the drama, we’re basically handed explanations at the end and expected to accept them.

That isn’t satisfying storytelling. That’s the writers trying to clean up the mess they created.

And then there was the tone.

This drama was supposed to be serious. Dark. Emotional. Revenge-driven.

But honestly? I found it comical. 😂

Not because it was trying to be funny, but because so many of the situations and writing choices became ridiculous that I couldn’t take the drama as seriously as it wanted me to. The frustrating thing is that I could see the potential. There was a good revenge story buried somewhere in here. The characters had enough history and motivation to make it compelling. But the execution just wasn’t there.

He’s handsome. She’s angry. Everyone wants revenge. All that revenge, and nobody thought to check the plot holes.

And honestly, I still don’t understand the high reviews.

Disappointing.

Read More

Apparently ‘I Love You’ Means ‘I’ll Get the Emperor to Sort It Out.

Against the Current — my thoughts

I really wanted to like Against the Current. I’m a fan of Tan Songyun and have generally enjoyed her dramas, so I went into this one with high expectations. Unfortunately, despite giving it my best effort, I eventually had to drop it.

My biggest problem was the pacing. I don’t dislike slow dramas quite the opposite. I can really enjoy a deliberate historical drama when the slower pace is building character, atmosphere and emotional tension. But here I eventually felt that the story was moving slowly without giving me enough emotional payoff.

The biggest problem for me, however, was the romance, particularly when I considered everything that happened between the two leads.

This wasn’t simply a case of two lovers being separated and finding their way back to one another. She was engaged to him, her family came under suspicion, and his family abandoned the engagement. Her family was subsequently slaughtered, she lost her entire former life and was forced to survive under a new identity.

And what really bothered me about his role in all of this is that he didn’t even appear to try to warn her.

I’m not saying he could necessarily have stopped what happened. The political situation was far bigger than him. But surely, if this was the woman he loved and intended to marry, there should have been some attempt to reach her, warn her or protect her.

Instead, he listened to his grandfather, accepted the situation and did nothing that, from her perspective, could demonstrate that he had fought for her.

Then he married someone else.

That makes his later pursuit of her much harder for me to accept.

Because from her point of view, this man wasn’t simply someone she lost. He was someone who stood by while her entire world disappeared, and then carried on with his own life.

That is a huge emotional wound.

And this is why I found the imperial edict particularly frustrating. Instead of him having to genuinely earn her trust again, the story uses an imperial decree to force the two of them back into a relationship.

I understand the political reasoning behind it, but dramatically it felt like a shortcut.

In fact, there is something almost ironic about it: a woman whose life was devastated by political power is then denied the freedom to choose her own future because of another exercise of political power.

I wanted to see him earn her back.

I wanted him to acknowledge what his family did. I wanted him to understand why she couldn’t simply forgive him. I wanted him to regret that he hadn’t tried to warn her. I wanted to see him patiently rebuild her trust rather than simply finding a way to make the marriage happen.

That would have given the romance so much more emotional weight.

Instead, I never really felt the romantic connection develop.

The family drama also didn’t work for me. There are so many potentially fascinating themes here betrayal, political survival, family loyalty, trauma, class and the consequences of choosing your family over doing what is right but I found the treatment surprisingly shallow.

And some of the relationships and character behaviour didn’t always feel convincing to me within the historical setting.

Which is particularly disappointing because Tan Songyun is one of the reasons I kept trying.

I could see what the drama was attempting to do, and I completely understand why some viewers enjoy its extremely slow-burn approach. But slow burn only works for me when the emotional tension continues to build.

Here, I eventually felt like I was waiting for the romance to begin rather than enjoying watching it develop.

So, unfortunately:

Dropped.

A real disappointment because I genuinely wanted to love this one.

Read More

Most poetic show ever.

First I would like to say that this is my first Song Kang drama, and I’m quite impressed. He delivered such a beautiful and touching performance, and I really felt the emotional weight behind his character.
The storyline of this drama was truly beautiful and, honestly, quite unique. There is something about the way the story is told that really stayed with me.
Is it romantic love between two men? Or is it an incredibly deep connection between two people who became completely immersed in the art they created together?
Could it also be a form of trauma bonding? They met when they were just little boys and connected through the piano. They created music together, grew up without a father figure and without much maternal love/presence, and in many ways, the piano became the only constant source of warmth, connection, and comfort in their lives.
I actually think leaving their relationship somewhat undefined makes their bond even more fascinating. Not every profound connection needs to be given a label.
The only reason this isn’t a 10/10 for me is that there are still some questions I feel were left unanswered.
Who exactly is Pio and Jeong-Yo’s father? And why did the grandfather’s wife leave the house during the ten years when Jeong-Yo was missing? These are things I really wanted more clarity on.
Overall, this drama was emotional, beautifully written, and unlike anything I’ve watched before. The storytelling, the music, the complicated relationships, and the ambiguity all worked really well for me.
For me, this is so far the best K-drama of 2026. 🎹❤️

Read More

Amnesiac FL. Gangster ML. Found family. Fated love. A full circle of life.

I won't say it was something special but it was a good watch. I didn't get bored. Every episode elft me satisfied. They had chemistry!!! They guy was shown to be a wmotionless machine he wasn't able to express his emotions properly while the FL got redemption from her materialistic ways once she lost her memory
The way he ran time & again to safe her & even almost gave up his life for her. And then she eventually did what has to be done to safe the ML from the path he was forced to take. Id some aprts where she realised her mistake & cried & how the grandma comforted her even when FL was in the wrong made me tearup. The scene where Teaha hot his ciache's wife unknowingly and then he went to get revenge on the gagster the way his coach came & comforted him worried that something has happened to him. Truly found famioy. Also the ML and FL lil' precious moments of care, the shoes the rain, the umbrella, the mps, the cold feet, the socks, the comfort food, the care. Everything was so on point i loved this love story.

Read More

A Rare Masterclass in Pacing and Progression

I have a lot of drama experience, and this one has created a new ceiling for C-dramas for me. The story build-up is so perfect that I can't remember when I last saw that level of story progression in a drama. This could've gone for 50+ episodes, but I like that they skipped a few because modern viewers aren't built for that. Let's talk in detail.

The Hook (Beginning): It starts with a tragedy and the pursuit of clearing one's reputation. A creative and realistic approach towards the plot armor of the main character.

The Goal: This is where the writer truly shines. No direct approach towards the goal. Making sure to keep things close to reality and ensuring that the progress isn't exponential, but incremental.

The Romance: It's not the typical romance story. The drama justified the 47 episodes by including a love triangle. It showed how powerless humans are and how powerful they become with the right person.

The Middle: Many viewers get lost in the middle stretch of modern shows. This is the point where most dramas fumble—either rushing the pace or stalling out with no sense of progress. Against The Current dealt with it very well. It didn't rush the main characters straight toward the finish line; instead, it focused on character growth, relationships, and depth.

The Calm: We all need that sweet sunshine upon us once in a while, and we all want a cozy weekend. We got that calm period in this drama. It showed that after a harsh decade, the fruit of joy eventually ripens.

The Antagonists: All the antagonists were well written. No one felt out of place in the narrative. There are so many solid characters that you can't predict who might betray the protagonists. Morally grey characters are always the best choice to keep viewers hooked.

The Ending: This is usually where I decide what rating I give to a drama. Did they do it well? Of course. It's not the average ending you get. It didn't end on a cliffhanger or an open note—it truly concluded the story of Xu Lanxiang. The very last scene was enough for me to decide where to put this drama on my list.

Against The Current truly delivers and gives me hope for the future of C-dramas. I could keep writing until morning, but we all need sleep—even though it's always "just one more episode" and one more reel of the show you just finished. This is my first-ever review on MDL after years of using the platform. I hope you all have a nice day. Thank you.

Read More

meh

unfortunately I couldn't finish it properly because the female lead's character drove me crazy. Her personality was just too weird for me. She lies constantly, does things that make no sense, and I found her more annoying than funny. I know the drama is supposed to be comedic, but honestly, most of the comedy didn't work for me at all. I barely laughed.
And Dong-wook wasn't much better for me. I kept getting annoyed every time he went back to his ex. Like... why are we still doing this?! At some point I just gave up and skipped from episode 6 to the last episode, and surprisingly, I could still understand pretty much everything that happened. That kind of tells you how little I felt I was missing.
support characters also was as weird , also i thought fl looked better with the joongi ..
The only things I genuinely enjoyed were the nostalgia, the fashion, and the aunt, who was honestly adorable. She was one of the few characters I actually liked watching.
the last ep is just meh too , the grandpa himself was a lier too like what is going on
I really wanted to like this because of the nostalgia but honestly meh

Read More

It feels like reading a beautiful novel...

The legend of TANNIANG, THE LIFE AND MEMOIRS OF SHEN JIA LAN.

The Life and Memoirs of Shen Jialan

The way the finale ended may again divide viewers, but for me it was a fitting and grand ending for a woman who lived through a life filled with tragedy, servitude, sacrifice and love.

I’ve watched this entire drama through the eyes of Shen Jialan. It is her life story after all. The writers wanted to tell her story almost as if we were reading her memoir.

The passage of time is one of the most beautiful parts of the writing. Instead of simply telling us that years have passed, we see it through the people around her. Children grow, servants marry, families expand, and even a young lotus root vendor returns years later with a child of her own. The world keeps moving…and so does Shen Jialan.

There are no grand visuals of heroes arriving on magnificent horses, no wire acrobatics, dazzling fight sequences, not even romantic kisses to keep us satisfied. This is a thinking person’s drama, where answers are not always given…they are learned.

The writers rarely explain everything. Water, the eagle, crickets, poetry, ants eating away at the roots…things that initially seem insignificant eventually mean something. I actually found myself rewatching episodes because sometimes there was another story underneath the story.

In many ways, it feels like watching a Jane Austen novel come to life, where our heroine simply keeps living despite everything life throws at her. It is about perseverance, survival…and maybe even outliving everyone.

Tan Song Yun carries that lifetime beautifully. So much of Lanxiang is expressed through her eyes, her posture and the smallest movements rather than grand speeches. Liu Xue Yi matches her with Jin Qi’s quiet restraint. Their romance may have very few kisses, but sometimes one look between them says more than a kiss ever could.

Sometimes the smallest, most subtle movements make the biggest sound.

But this story still belongs to Shen Jialan. The story of Tanniang, told in the middle of the series, became much more meaningful to me by the end. She was the woman who sacrificed herself and eventually became the eagle, forever watching over everyone else. For me, Shen Jialan was Tanniang.

And whether one likes it or not, Jin Qi was only one part of her very long life. An important part, certainly. But like her adoptive parents, he gave her the love she needed to overcome some of her sadness and eventually find happiness again. Together they found strength in each other, but Lanxiang’s journey was always larger than their romance.

After watching over a hundred Chinese dramas and God knows how many Korean, Japanese, English and Spanish shows, I can say this is one of the best written drama series I have watched.

It will not be for everyone. Some will find it painfully slow. Some may dislike the finale. Others may wish there had been more romance.

But I don’t think this was ever simply a romance. It was the life of Shen Jialan.

In the end, we enter and leave this world alone. But life was never really about the destination anyway…it was always about the journey.

And the final words of the drama say it all. Not completely spelled out for us, because just like the entire series, they leave us with something to think about:

“Love given returns as love, blessings bestowed return as blessings.”

Jia Yi, Han Dynasty

Read More

A bittersweet drama

This really highlighted some key realities for women at the time, whilst also a bittersweet romance. I loved how individual and well written the female characters were and the personality of the ml, the couple stayed together through thick and thin and he made a swift character development once they got married.
The ending is lovely too, to see the next generation and how she grew old and continued to do what she loved the most which was writing her plays and inspiring more women.
I would really give this drama a chance if I were you and I hope you enjoy it the way I did.

Read More