This review may contain spoilers
I will never recover—neither will you
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of Revenged Love and I have finally decided to collect the pieces of myself it left broken and give the review it has long since deserved. Yes I have denied that Revenged Love has ended for a year and yes it is just that good. I don’t understand why you aren’t racing toward Youtube right now to watch it. I don’t understand why I am not racing to watch it right now again because in the year I have postponed writing a review, I have rewatched Revenged Love 13 times. I don’t want to admit to myself that it’s over, but I guess it’s now or never, the one year anniversary seems the perfect timeIt is the only show I will ever rate a 10/10, it has forever changed me.
It brought me back into BL, back into asian dramas in general, it brought me back to k,c,and t-pop. It has made me so many new friends and, in no way exaggerating, has changed by life.
This is less of a review, more of a short reconciliation with my own emotions, and a plea for you to WATCH THIS DRAMA
Even if you think you don’t like BL, or you can’t watch shows in a language you don’t speak because you find subtitles annoying, Revenged Love will change everything
A hilarious plot line as two couples find themselves and love. All plot twists were exactly perfect and kept the drama exciting, deepening our interest and love for the show and all of its characters (except for some, Yue know who you are)
The chemistry is top-tier, watch the BTS after (even if just for the director). The ending was perfectly sweet, exactly what both parties deserved, each other. The characters were so well done, acted perfectly. For those of you who say Chi Cheng is a red flag, grow up, characters need to have flaws for us to empathize with them, his arc is exactly what makes him perfect and there are a lot worse out there for you to be worrying about a man in a genre that in no way makes perfect male leads.
THE MUSIC
Do yourself a favor and first, watch the show, second, never ever skip the intro. I have this song on my playlist and I cry everytime it comes on, in a good way.
It is sung by Ziyu, who plays WeiWei in the drama and the song deserves your full attention every time.
I would be more offended with you not watching this drama than cutting off both my arms.
Thanks for reading! Watch! Please!
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This review may contain spoilers
Mulan Type Shit
If you love Mulan, you'll definitely enjoy this one. I was surprised when I dived deep into this, because the title was very intriguing.The story is very epic and badass. I hope you don't mind the over the top action scenes, as i was taken aback at first, because I thought it would be a well-grounded action. Nevertheless, it was good. The scale of the story is very big, there's a lot to explore, even after i finished it i feel like there was a lot to cover still. Like barely scratching the surface, because they've dropped a lot of info, but those are mostly some side plots that I'm curious about. e.g., FL's 8 generals, because we are only introduced to one, and the others were never explored/introduced. I'm not sure how long the source for this is, but you can tell they're definitely trying to cram it all in this adaptation, because there are some parts of the story where it's really fast paced, but then some parts where it slows, but overall story-wise, I fairly enjoyed what i saw.
As for the characters, it's refreshing to see Zhou Ye (He Yan) take on this kind of role. I'm pretty sure a lot of other actresses could've taken on the role and done better, but for me, she still nailed it. I kept saying "Mulan type shit" whenever she's in an action scene, because it is!!!
I can't really say i was totally invested in the romance because i was paying attention more to the Female General aspect of the story, like i'm very much enjoying it. Well, i guess for the romance it was cute, but it felt frustrating in the later parts. In contrast, the 2nd couple was funny at first, but as the story unfolded, they became cuter.
The king here i like, i was pleasantly surprised to see a king that's finally making sense, not too cruel, not blind, and also very generous because that helped establish a fairly enjoyable politics for me, but later near the end, for some reason, he started getting dumber like a quick 180.
Last thing i wanna say is that why did they have to ruin Chu Zhao?! From character to story, he was packaged beautifully, but they had to do him dirty like that. When he was introduced, I didn't pay much attention to him, but the way he was developed, the journey to get him to such heights made me appreciate his character so much. I hate it when cdramas ruin 2nd leads just to drag the show for a few more episodes.
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Will teach you to avoid drugs / clubs. Artistically, zero, American movie with Korean actors.
The movie itself is just an american-style movie with Korean actors, lots of "action" and gory violence without much if any character development. The movie is useful AS A DOCUMENTARY, and SOCIAL COMMENTARY of what we created as a society... what happens with the poor, what it means to use drugs or go to clubs. It was filmed in 2010, so the situation is WORSE today.**** THE MOVIE SHOULD SCARE EVERY CHILD TEENAGER ADULT AND PARENT TO STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS, CLUBS, BAD NEIGHBORHOODS, AND/OR POVERTY ***
bc if you dont , then you get sucked into this kind of world, which exists bc of the rotten and selfish nature of our societies.
The story is so simple - a broken, silent, isolated, lone, poker faced man changes enough to somewhat befriend a child, and changes just enough to step outside of his pawnshop to go on a killing rampage to save the child. ML has just a few seconds of real acting at the very end scene, the rest is a fake poker face. The little girl has some meaningful lines. So artistically as a story, this movie is near ZERO.
Although it is true that the child had to be saved asap and there was not too many options since the police is ... ineffective at best.... still.... the killing rampage was a gory bloody violence for almost the entire movie. It promotes using violence to solve violence. A very corny idea.
Well ... this movie is supposedly a super good movie but ... it is ... trashy FLASHY shocking. It is just shocking the audience instead of teaching anything.
The main actor is behind all that hair and basically does NOT act... for second half, he cuts his hair but always - he is more or less poker faced... and his acting is fake so many times while poker faced... it is clear he knows he is faking it.... The only real acting scene was the very last one when he says bye to the little girl - he can SMILE for real, and that is natural to him... and then the emotion and crying - that was real acting ..... and the rest of the movie was almost all fake.
And we never see him work out stuff emotionally inside him, it is about revenge and finding his friend... ok but ... that's not it. That is what american movies do.
But he looks like a skinny fashion model... And ... plastic surgery lips? Is this the start of that ugly trend....??? at least back then he was not pale. Now actors look like white ghosts.
In this drama, the star actor is the little girl.
Well - the movie does teach something - avoid clubs, drugs, etc :)
The message is good, that a man would do anything to save someone
but the plot etc is just ... all "special effects" without real content. Like an american movie, lots of fights and gangs and low life, shocking the audience with what really happens in the crime world.
But in terms of PLOT as CONTENT as character growth etc
and in terms of what kdramas are really for - good instructions for daily life for ordinary ppl -
well... this fails.
It is just a SHOCKER
an american movie made in Korea, with a super skinny actor, everything a copy of american style, really . Even the music was in English and western style.
so why is this actor so famous and why is this movie one of the best... is still unknown. Is it bc he kinda popularized western style... ?
I wasted 2 hrs to watch this, plus 2 hrs to come back from puking after watching all the violence, bc I wanted to see WHY it is so popular and really .... I wasted the time watching scenes from hell. The movie has no content, only fights and blood baths, and yeah a tiny bit of love between ppl. But 98% of this movie is just GORY VIOLENCE.
It was grueling to watch this drama bc it is just a blood bath and torture. And I already knew what all that stuff happens and I did not really want to SEE HOW EXACTLY IT HAPPENS,
however, the time is not entirely wasted, at least the movie deepened my knowledge, like the grandma who sets ppl up to be kidnapped, using kids for eyes, using kids to deliver drugs, make drugs, cash credit cards, etc So now I am armed with more knowledge to WARN PPL to stay away from what is shown in this movie. And a lot more protective of children. It is terrifying what happens if a child goes missing. Also, if their parent is incapable and/or missing.
Via this drama we people from the brighter side of the life got to see what happens in bad neighborhoods, in poverty, and in night life, and the message is clear - STAY AWAY FROM THAT.
But the message is even deeper - this is a SOCIAL COMMENTARY OF WHAT WE CREATED AS A SOCIETY.
The value of this movie is a social commentary of what happens with the poor, and what it means to use drugs and to go to clubs.... .
THE MOVIE SHOULD SCARE EVERY CHILD TEENAGER ADULT AND PARENT TO STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS AND CLUBS AND POVERTY AND BAD NEIGHBORHOODS
bc if you dont , then you get sucked into this kind of world, which exists bc of the rotten and selfish nature of our societies.
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This review may contain spoilers
It Gets Better after the 2nd Episode
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.This is one of those series that starts off a little rocky but slowly improves over time. The general story concept was good, but the script was a little messy with the execution. The first few stories were touching but was just missing something that I can’t put my finger on. I almost dropped this, but then the script finally started to pull through. It started to explain some things that seemed odd in the beginning and also introduced a storyline that got me hooked in. For me, the ending was absolutely better than the beginning. This is another good example why casting is very important. The entire cast was great at making me care about their characters. This also had beautiful cinematography.
Random Note:
This is one of those series that I don’t regret watching but don’t see myself wanting to rewatch it.
The school reminds me of the Montessori concept of learning.
******Potential Spoiler Alert******
At first, the transition of Shizuku becoming adaptable to the alternative school setting seemed too quick. However, it makes sense later on.
I continued to watch this after the introduced Sora’s storyline and wanted to see the outcome.
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Nice
It is one of the best late teen-young adults drama out there. The story line, cinematography, visuals, actors, acting, chemistry all is great. Definitely must watch.I started it for my love for LYX and by the end of the drama fall in love with the whole drama
I really enjoyed their strangers to lovers dynamics,
I ain't gonna write much as i don't want to give spoilers here
Just one thing it’s an underrated gem.
My two fav such dramas would be WIFTY & this one, both are really good and warm.
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it was great
it's was great it was from the storyline to the nc scenes .this BL's is one of the top bls of 2026 so far. it wasn't puppy love that gets shown a lot in bls. it was on the mature side like all the BL's should be. only thing is some of the scene are cut which really annoys me when it comes to bls enough of the cut scenes. censorship is so annoying. scene should be shown fully not cut. get it together. other than that it was a great series. the actors was great in this series. I would rewatch it. 8 Out of 10 for meWas this review helpful to you?
For the feelings
This drama is very strange honestly.There no big plot, almost no politics things, it's not even a big romance. But the chemistry between actors, the beauty of the costumes and images, the OST, if you put all these things together, you have a very great production. This drama is not a revolution but you have a good time watching it!
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A perfect time-travel journey: artistry, chemistry, impeccable pacing, and pure BL heart.
Love upon a Time (ภพเธอ) is an absolute visual and emotional delight that solidifies the incredibly high bar that period dramas are setting for the genre. The series immerses us in a beautiful story about two souls trapped out of their own time, whose eternal love feels so real it transcends the screen.Visually, it’s a masterpiece thanks to Den Panuwat’s direction. The cinematography is gorgeous, every backdrop looks like a painting, and the costume design is meticulously detailed. But beyond its technical beauty, I found the way it addresses its context to be very brave. While I don’t know if homosexuality was well-received in Thailand 400 years ago, I deeply appreciate that the series shines a light on homophobia and the suffering of those who aren't accepted. It’s a necessary reminder that we should all be free to love whoever we want.
To my surprise, the show completely hooked me from the very first episode; there wasn't a single boring moment. It has a bit of everything: romance, tension, and mystery. It’s so well-written that it leaves no loose ends, featuring a perfect pace where every scene feels intentional and drives the story forward. The balance between humor and drama is impressive, with absolutely no unnecessary filler.
The heart of it all is, without a doubt, its cast:
Nett (Phop) is an incredibly talented actor. He fascinates me in every role he plays, and he is spectacular here; he has a brutal ability to convey a whole world of emotions with just a single glance.
JJ (Klao) makes the perfect partner for him and is utterly charming. Although his performance might seem a tad forced at first, he completely wins your heart in the end. His natural charm is captivating and his sense of humor is impeccable. As someone transported to a completely different era, his reactions of confusion and curiosity are both hilarious and endearing.
Latte (Jom) and Kim (Kaew) are the ideal complement. Kim is gorgeous and completely captivated me. Together, they make the perfect second couple, bringing a wonderful and highly enjoyable dynamic to the story.
This is definitely a series I will rewatch. If you haven't seen it yet, it is 100% worth checking out.
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This review may contain spoilers
the judgement begins after the law ends..
i can finally understand why so many people recommended it .. had been planning to watch it for a long time and after finishing it ill say it was definitely worth the watchfirst of all.. if youre looking for action then bro... this drama DELIVERS!!! pure action pure thrill... from the very beginning it keeps moving and rarely gives you time to breathe. .. the fight scenes tension chase between different sides .. all of it keeps you engaged
what i appreciated most.. however wasnt the action.. it was the message
it does a great job showing how justice and law are not always the same thing... showcasing how power influence n status affect the system .. how sometimes people who deserve punishment are the ones most protected by it
lken the drama doesnt paint everyone as corrupt... also reminds us that there are still people trying to do the right thing and maybe thats the reason the system hasnt collapsed completely
this balance.. i really loved
talking about the flaws.. yea there are some.. certain parts of the plot feel a little convenient n some situations could have been explored more deeply... but overall they werent enough to ruin the experience for me
only thing I struggled with was the ending... not bcz it was badly written.. bcz it felt painfully realistic
without spoiling anything ...ending leaves you with the uncomfortable feeling that truth and recognition dont always go to people who deserve them...sometimes the wrong people walk away with their image intact,while others pay the price
and honestly.. that felt like a direct slap to the face of how systems sometimes work in real life
that one finla moment when kim ji young didnt took the oath.. gave me some what of a strange satisfaction.. it wasnt a happy ending but it felt true to the character and to overall plot of the drama
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It was really enjoyable
It was really enjoyable, and I never felt bored while watching it. At first, I thought it would be cringe because of how the main character was introduced as the cold, mysterious, cool guy, but it turned out to be genuinely entertaining.I especially loved Wu Suo Wei's character. I'm not a fan of making the bottom overly cute, small, or extremely weak, so I really liked his cunning and strategic personality. The chemistry between the secondary couple was also very beautiful.
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horrific writing and no understanding of characters
beyond the extremely bad writing,i hope no one leaves this series thinking this is love, even calling it toxic love is too generous. i see people saying things like “you cant be that in love youd do all this”… this is depicting mostly obsession not love.
love is best defined by acting in another’s best interest, that is love at its core, famillial, romantic, platonic it doesnt matter if its not functional under that core idea its not love.
people can feel love and it can become something ugly… but id say that was a weak love that lacked integrity to begin with.
if this show convinced us from lu feng’s pov yichen royally fucked him over utterly, then maybe. but even through lu feng’s pov the issue is sinply that he never tried to understand why yi chen would make the choices he did in the fallout of everything, all he could think of was his own suffering.
that said all characters behave like morons in this so im not at all defending yi chen here.
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A bold take on a classic!
"That woman must die. This isn't revenge. This is destiny."The drama was somehow faithful to the original story (even references it visually with the apple at some points of the story) with its own modern makjang twist inside the setting of the entertainment industry and drama writing within the drama, Seol Ah being a screenwriter. Of course, the characters are more complex. Clever storytelling (the beginning's narration really pulled me in), intertwined fates, emotional and crazy entertaining characters, insane twists and turns, great comic relief (I heard people found it annoying, but I liked it? lol) and a beautiful ending.
Seol Ah (literally means Snow White, born on a snowy day with a dramatic reinterpretation of her birth which is said to be the original in the drama's universe) was the perfect vengeful Snow White (soft on the outside, burning inside), Jeong In the perfect evil queen, and Jin Ho the perfect corrupted prince (instead of Snow White falling asleep, something happens to him instead, and he kinda becomes a villain). Ju Yeon was an amazing character too as the semi-villain. And great side characters overall.
Tae Chang was disgusting, but he's part of the entertainment. It's interesting the role he plays in the villain's story, and he brings out a rather sad topic. In a way, Jin Ho was at the center of this revenge as he was treated like a puppet and went through a lot.
At the end, everyone got their own version of karma - not Seol Ah of course, because she remains a saint. The characters' endings weren't random, they were fitting. It's a makjang, so without the absurdity there would be no drama, and the outrageous storylines are what makes it fun.
Even if you could judge the acting a bit at first, especially with the male lead's acting at times (and the villain's actress seemed to have a problem with her lips), I figured it was that kind of theatrical melodrama and I grew to enjoy it more and more as it got better. My opinion at the end was that everyone was actually really good. And I must mention the sets, because I really liked the colorful aesthetic. This drama felt fresh and fitting for a younger audience, especially considering the cast.
Other than that, I was surprised to see how high-budget the beginning looked (many artistic shots! even when Seol Ah enters her low-budget house lol), because my first daily didn't have this. About the story, at worst it dragged at places but you could easily forget it as long as you're hooked, so it's all about personal preference, and it shows as people who are into revenge dramas didn't necessarily like this one because the drama is full of romance (plus, it's not revenge in the conventional sense, since it's the villain's story, but I found it really symbolic overall).
I don't agree with Seol Ah being "weak", but I guess we have different perspectives. Personally, she was my favorite. Anyway, I'd rather praise the screenwriter because writing over 100 episodes (30 minutes each, still very long) is obviously insane and I really loved her story. For those who need it, I'll add a comment to help you watching it in a good quality if you don't have Kocowa.
There are many daily dramas that others might prefer, but I don't think I will ever enjoy a daily drama as much as this one. I disliked Man in a Veil (every KBS2 daily is a revenge drama) which others rated well and felt very disappointed, while this drama was dragged down. And something I love about daily dramas is that it feels like watching a play, which is part of the fun.
Also, just a story time - I went on the tiktok live of the main actor Choi Woong and commented "Seo Jin Ho!" to which he replied "You know me, SunOh?" and we had multiple interactions afterwards 😭 He's awesome!
P.S. They also did titles like Miss Monte Cristo, Cinderella Game and Queen's House.
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A surprisingly balanced watch despite heavy themes
What stood out to me most was how it handled its themes without feeling too overwhelming. It deals with unfair systems, authority issues, and pressure from all sides, but it never becomes too heavy or depressing to sit through.I liked how it doesn’t try to make everything black and white. Different characters feel flawed in their own ways, and that made it more interesting to watch. At times I felt frustrated with certain situations, but that’s probably the point—it reflects how messy things can get when power, status, and pressure are involved.
Even with all that, the tone isn’t constantly serious. The more cartoony and funny moments help break things up, so it doesn’t drag emotionally or feel too intense.
Overall, I found it engaging and easy to watch, especially because it balances heavier ideas with a lighter presentation. It’s not perfect, but it kept me interested and made me think about how these kinds of systems work.
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?
Tal vez la verdadera felicidad está en aceptar lo poco que tenemos y dejar de desear más allá de nuestros límites.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Twelve, was it that bad?
Edit: After all, it seems it didn't do so bad on Disney+. Production and broadcast of Season 2 planned for 2026!Twelve is a tribute to a vintage, nostalgic style reminiscent of traditional series, fighting games, and especially Power Rangers, which originated from tokusatsu. The first season was meant to lay the groundwork for three more, which gives a lot of meaning to its structure. The ending & cliffhanger were amazing! It better get a Season 2...
The angels were meant to look like ordinary humans while still remaining unique. Their activites, the loss of the other angels (explaining why it's not as "colorful" as some expected), the tired “father” figure—Taesan, who has lost faith in humanity—the contrast between the Crow Ogwi (my favorite) and the Tiger Taesan, as well as the presence of the main villain, the priest. And lastly, the Korean "Romeo & Juliet" between Ogwi and Mireu, or Zeref and Mavis (Fairy Tail).
Regarding the twelve zodiac signs, the characters are well thought-out (the symbolic of the healer Snake, the quiet geeky Rat, the solitary Dragon who is key to the story, the slightly goofy Monkey, the loyalty and sense of duty of the Dog and the Horse, the grumpy, epicurean and protective Pig) and the human chosen for the angels highlights the more vicious aspects of humanity. From their first look, I found them perfect. I'll add a comment about their names in the comments too.
To me, the acting, the music and the visuals were all strong points. However, the reception was disastrous, so I’ve almost lost hope. And to be honest, Disney didn't help at all because of the poor release (not available in many countries). As for the TV ratings, Bon Appétit Your Majesty aired at the exact same time, and it's not surprising it quickly took the spot.
It’s a shame, because it would only have improved, and the drama deserved recognition. Critics may say it was slow and weak despite its touching subtext (example the old shopkeeper who acts as Taesan’s emotional support) but this drama isn’t meant to be watched superficially—the style simply didn’t find its audience. We all know KBS isn’t known for massive budgets, yet I personally find this drama beautiful.
In the end, I enjoyed the action and the story. It was a fun time and I got attached to these characters, so if you think this drama might resonate with you, give it a chance. I really wish Disney would release it where I am so I can support it but it's always the same for those dramas.
Quote from Ma Dong Seok:
“In Twelve, besides myself, the angels who appear in the form of the twelve zodiac signs each display actions that reflect their own characteristics. They all have distinct traits. Rather than carrying the burden of the action alone, I tried to harmonize everything and find balance with them, so I ask for your generous support.”
The actor also revealed the effort invested in creating this K-drama:
“Even a simple story is difficult in its own way, but building the universe of a more complex narrative is even harder. I spent months staying up late working on it, to the point that my hair was falling out in clumps. The diverse and interesting character stories, along with the action, are the drama’s strengths.”
A small detail: The drama even had merchandise! You can find the drama's account on Twitter if you type Twelve Drama.
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