Reviews

It would have been a 10 if...

It would be a ten if not for the ending. Yes, I do get why they chose that ending, it doesn't mean I like it. Artistically it makes sense, but when I watch that kind of drama I don't want realism, I want you to sell me the dream. You give me great acting, heartwarming scenes, fluffy even, and then you leave me hanging. Nope.

I know all about open endings, and I can say with certainty that if I were 20, I would have rated this a 10. But not now. Now, I want my happy ending. Without any room for interpretation. So an 8 is what it gets.

That said, I want to reiterate that the actors did a great job, the whole vibe was great, and in my mind there is a happy ending.

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THE CASTING IS NOT fair, faulty scenario, but still great

THE CASTING IS NOT fair to Inn because his partner is too chiselled (it is not even about the huge age difference, even though they should have been of the same age).

Inn himself is still good but if he was paired to a comparable lad it would better for them as a couple.

But I see that the production team was trying to show that the prince is more refined than a pleb, so I understand their choice.

Also, the story NEEDS some years of the lads being apart before it starts because otherwise it is not believable in sense that they would have started their relationship many years earlier as soon as they matured. Males do not work the way it is shown in the story as is, it just can not happen that they would only progress to fun all of the sudden only many years after their hormones would already make them crazy about this.

OR, they should have casted way younger actors.

Additionally, the royal sibling character is made to be a psychotic caricature. This is not how people were taught to behave themselves in those circumstances. NOBODY from the mobility class would be even raising the voice and yet this series shows endless scandals in the family like never happened in Thai high society.

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There is a difference between just someone’s random expectations and the historical knowledge about how things have worked at a certain time and period.

Additionally, for a production there is so-called believability test (as per the Stanislavsky system, the Method), where actors are supposed to believe and to be believable in what and how they do and react in the suggested circumstances.

But when the role is written in a way that completely contradicts to the setting it means that you either should rewrite the role or the setting.

If left as is, it fails the believability test, distracts viewers, removes them from being submerged into the story.

It still could be fun, but would have been even way better if the script would undergone amendments to mitigate the issues that the production being a fiction does not excuse at all.

To be honest, it is always surprising to see just how many series that are very watchable have scenarists that do not practice the very basic craft that they are taught in college. They dissect many scenarios with faults like this and are made to offer fixes.

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THE GREAT parts of the project:

1. attention to detail in historic setting and props is very good, super impressive, actually.

2. The music and the song are very strong, match very well, performed impeccably.

3. The actors are all great, and the main couple is acted a 100% believable. The GL couple, too. Even the two roles that did not match the setting, the father prince and the evil sibling are actually perfectly capable actors that had fully believable performance when they were not instructed by the director to turn on a hysterical fit.

4. The dialogues are written very well, it was a pleasure to follow them. This is where the scenarists held a high bar in their craft impressively.

5. The script is flawed in many ways, but the pacing is great, there is no filler, it is never boring. This is not a BL series, but rather a drama series with a BL aspect.

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The details about the faults in the script are in a comment with a spoilers tag below.

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Waste of a good plot with an awful FL

This will be one of my short reviews. I realize that it's a waste of time to try to give all the reasons I didn't like something, so I prefer to focus on what I like and write long reviews for the dramas I loved. So from now on anything that gets less than a 7 gets a short review.

I started this drama four or five times before I moved past episode 3. I'm not sure why I bothered. The acting is atrocious, the FL is overacting everything and when she cried I laughed. That says it all. As for the ML: much better than her, but still not great. The problem is that the script wasn't terrible in the end and I bet he didn't know how to play his character. I'll try to watch something else with him.

The plot seemed interesting at first but then is started be repetitive and nonsensical. Not to add the horrible second lead character and the acting, equally atrocious.

The ending wasn't any better and so many questions went unanswered. Why? Why screenwriters and directors have so much trouble to follow a story and spot the holes and the issues. I can forgive holes if the rest works, but here nothing worked. 2 only for the premise.

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When the Laundry Finally Dries

Until the T-Shirt Dries proves relationships are far more intricate than any simple affair story could ever capture. What begins with Sonoda Itsuki spotting his wife Azusa meeting another man, Seo Mitsuru, at a local coin laundry every third Friday of the month quickly expands into something much deeper. When a tragic bus crash claims Azusa’s life and leaves Mitsuru missing, Itsuki and Mitsuru’s unassuming wife, Sakiko, are thrust together into a joint investigation. They soon realize that their marriages were built on fragile assumptions, silent resentments, and hidden layers of loneliness that neither of them fully understood.

The strength of this drama lies in how it handles its complex themes without ever feeling heavy-handed. Every character is beautifully flawed yet deeply sympathetic. Sakiko initially appears to be the picture of a cheerful, secure, and positive homemaker, but beneath her curated facade of the perfect wife, she is a lonely soul desperately performing a role to maintain domestic stability. Her journey of unravelling is mirrored by the washing machine filter. Throughout the drama, the filter represents the psychological boundaries and capacity of what a person can bear within a high-stakes relationship, catching all the invisible dirt and lint of daily life until it finally tears under pressure.

The literal breakdown and tearing of that filter at the end of the series deepens the narrative commentary on marital endurance. When the physical lint filter actually tears apart alongside Sakiko's internal emotional filter, it signals the end of her capacity for submissive compliance and role-playing. For Mitsuru, his cryptic note telling her the filter is dirty acts as a physical tipping point. When his internal filter fills up with the pressure of trying to be the perfect, loving husband, he breaks. Rather than doing the heavy emotional lifting of communicating, he chooses to purge his life entirely, running away when the machinery of his domestic life gets too heavy to process.

Mitsuru is an equally fascinating study in human vulnerability. Operating as a gentle coffee shop owner, his outward charm masks a deep inferiority complex and a lifelong impulse to flee when emotional pressure mounts. Abandoning his wife via that note in the laundry filter is cowardly, yet his raw honesty with Azusa at the laundromat reveals a man simply searching for a place to breathe. Later on, his sudden resistance and childish, emotional meltdown upon realizing Sakiko wants a divorce contrasts sharply with his usual elusive demeanor, proving just how fragile his composure truly is.

Azusa herself acts as a haunting, tragic catalyst. Her meetings with Mitsuru were never a conventional betrayal, but rather a platonic sanctuary where two isolated souls could speak their absolute truths without fearing judgment or dislike. Meanwhile, Itsuki’s rigid adherence to corporate order and structured expectations crumbles as he learns that human hearts cannot be managed like a tidy schedule.

Visually, the drama feels like fresh laundry hanging in the sun, offering a stunning yet comforting aesthetic that makes its intricate narrative entirely digestible. The muted, clinical palettes of the domestic homes contrast sharply with the warm, neon-lit liminal space of the coin laundry, perfectly capturing the emotional states of the characters. Even the recurring presence of almond cakes serves as a poignant visual motif for performative affection masking a hollow interior. Accompanied by a memorable soundtrack that lingers long after the credits roll, every stylistic choice works in harmony to ground the story.

The ambiguous open ending has divided viewers, but I find it to be the most realistic and satisfying closure. As a romance lover, watching every ship sail neatly into port is always tempting, but realism has a much deeper charm here. Sakiko ultimately rejects Itsuki's structured ultimatums and chooses to live on her own terms, transforming from a submissive partner into a fully autonomous individual. Whether the mysterious figure stepping through her door at the finale is Mitsuru or someone else matters far less than her newfound freedom. The final lingering image of the white T-shirt hanging on the line captures the heart of the entire series. Emotional healing takes time, and much like a damp shirt, you cannot rush a relationship to dry before it is ready. This is a wonderfully layered, deeply recommended watch for anyone who appreciates the quiet complexities of human connection.

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BL but Not a BL

It was okay overall, but the pacing felt strangely fast and slow at the same time. The story moved through 50 episodes, yet when it came to the actual BL progression, it still felt like we were only at the very beginning.

I would honestly describe this more as a BL in progress rather than a fully developed BL, because the series ends right when the romantic relationship feels like it is finally starting to take shape. If the episodes had been longer, or if more time had been devoted to developing the relationship between the leads, I think the romance could have felt much more satisfying.

To put it into perspective, the romantic development across all 50 episodes felt like what would normally happen within the first two or three episodes of a longer BL series. It has that familiar setup of a one-sided love story where one character already has feelings, while the other is still slowly realizing or developing theirs. The problem is that the story ends before we really get to experience that emotional shift.

So rather than feeling like I watched a complete BL romance, it felt more like I watched the prologue to one. The foundation is there, the chemistry and potential are there, but just when the romance seems ready to properly begin, the series is already over.

I wouldn't say it was bad—I actually think the story had potential. I just wish there had been much more progression in the relationship, because by the end, it felt less like the conclusion of a BL and more like the beginning of the BL we were waiting for.

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All them twists and distorted narration - not enough skill to deliver.

This is one of these movies where the plot seems simple, then they reveal the twists and it gets more complicated, and then they deliver more twists and you start to wish they would calm down, because the writing starts to lose focus.

I actually really liked the directing, acting, visual, set design - all the aspects that bring the story alive were solid for what I think was not truly a high budget production. The issue was the story itself. They wanted to shock and surprise me as a viewer too much. Making the narration vague on whenever what is happening is real or not is often used as a method of storytelling that can work wonders. But when you then showcase scenes that explain the vagueness, but they contradict each other, it feels unnecessarily convoluted. Especially for a simple story like this one.

I like the exploration of grief and fear, the denial and the acceptance. The siblings’ bond. That’s where I feel like the story shined the most and should have stayed in that line. Pushing that supernatural element till the end just made it seem a bit more cheap.

While by the end the bizarre decision making skills from the female lead were partially explained, I still found her behavior for most of the movie just ridiculous. Internal aspects explain her behavior, but then external factors contradicted it. And that’s kind of the vibe of the whole movie.

Overall, it was still a nice watch. I’d say the last 20 minutes bring the quality down a lot, because it just feels unnecessarily.

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I Wanted More From This One

Mhm, ok, let's see where I can start with this one. Honestly, I was a bit excited to see this series cause I'm a HUGE fanatic of historical BL's. It doesn't matter if it's Japanese, Korean, Thai, or Chinese, I love them all. They feel more ethereal and special overall. So yeah, I was super hyped for this one, but it didn't meet my expectations. It was a pretty bland story, a lot of conflict in like 99% of the entire series, and barely any happy moments towards the main couple. Even till the very end, we were left at the edge of our seats wondering if it was gonna be a happy ending or not. Well, it is a happy ending, but I did see this review saying how it was very broad, like, how are we supposed to know if them meeting again towards the end wasn't a dream or something? And I can agree, honestly, cause that couple felt very much doomed.

Honestly, I kept thinking that maybe the lesson of this story is that we can't change fate no matter how much we try to. It doesn't matter if we change every choice we make, the outcome will be the same if that's our destiny. But I was left just wondering if I was right or wrong towards thinking that. I mean, yeah, I guess it is a happy ending. Like, I'm not gonna make it sound like it isn't cause realistically, they did meet again. But still, it felt like they were constantly just fighting for that happiness together, and it just felt exhausting to watch.

The villain of the story, god, just wouldn't stop. Literally, from the very first episode till like episode 7 or something, he's just constantly tormenting those 2 and trying to get all the power he could've had if he wasn't so blinded by greed, and ofc, a bad mother by his side.

But anyway, I think the chemistry was decent. I do wish I had seen more intimate moments and like cute, happy moments with them, but I tried to survive off what we got. I also liked how there was a possible or an actual Yuri relationship going on with Yin Qi's sister and the daughter of the aunty who ran that restaurant? I think it was a restaurant. I also wonder if that aunty was in a Yuri type of relationship that was never spoken about out loud with Yin Qi's mother, Concubine Chen, but they could've just been besties.

Anyway, I think a lot of the characters were really solid. I like their personalities, except the bad ones, ofc lol. I do wish the story had been more interesting. I have this issue where whenever I watch mostly historical Chinese BL, I can't understand the story going on for at least half the series, if not the entire series, until the very last few episodes. I just feel like they're speaking so fast and saying historically accurate words or how they would speak back then, and I just get so confused as to what is even going on. But I think I have an idea of what the whole issue was.

But yeah, this is just a pretty simple story, just nothing too crazy. I liked the cinematography, I liked the music a lot, I liked the costumes and hair. I did notice some of the beards and wigs would show the lace on screen, but this isn't an issue or a complaint. I actually found it cute, it felt human, yk. I liked the whole production overall. Acting was decent. I just wish story-wise it was better, more interesting. It lacked some depth into it.

But other than that, it wasn't a horrible watch, just not a historical Chinese BL I would recommend in a room where other Historical Chinese BL are present.


Overall: 7.5/10

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What the heck is wrong with the FL and the way she dresses?

This will be one of my short reviews. I realize that it's a waste of time to try to give all the reasons I didn't like something, so I prefer to focus on what I like and write long reviews for the dramas I loved. So from now on anything that gets less than a 7 gets a short review.

At first I thought he'd be the issue. I didn't find him handsome, and yes, I'm superficial and want to watch handsome couples.

Then he started acting and he was handsome, because you see talent makes you handsome in my eyes.

The concept? Fun and interesting, it could make for a great series. So many opportunities to make it a unique and funny series with lots of romantic moments.

The first episodes were exactly what I was expecting, but then that stupid FL made me wanting to slap her every time she appeared. She ruined such a relatable and funny character with her outfits and the whole nun appearance. Seriously, what is wrong with her? Why is she wearing that kind of awful outfits on every drama she's in? Has she taken a vow to with Worst Dressed Korean Actress of the Century? It's not the outfits only. I love well dressed people, but sometimes the role asks for a certain type of outfits and I get that, but she wears these atrocious things in every effing drama and she ruins every drama because guess what? She looks older, much older than she is and her partners much more handsome than her.

So yes, 4 for the concept and the ML. Minus 4 for the FL.

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Gloves and Boots Were Uncredited Cast Members

#Halloween Watches

I previously had Spooky in Love in my "Not Interested" list because reviewers I respect didn't enjoy it. Then, October came, and I wanted some scary watches. I chose this one to ease my way; I knew it wouldn't be too frightening. After watching, I can understand some of my friends' critiques, but I rate more leniently on romcoms—I don't have high expectations to begin with; I just want to be entertained, and SIL did that.

The Good:
• I admire Park Eun Bin's acting and respect how she's willing to take on diverse roles. She isn't afraid to play less than gorgeous girls or to be weird (hello, Wonderfools). In this, I was struck by how beautiful she was. Kudos to her stylist for all the touches that made her stunning: hair, jewelry, clothes, boots, and gloves. Those outfits were to die for!
• The leads had a sweet and easy chemistry with one another.
• Thank goodness, at the end, the villains weren't given a pat on the head and told to do better. There were consequences.
• They say there are no small parts—only small actors. Kim Min Chul had few lines and scenes, but he made the most of them. I laughed to read a review that I wholeheartedly agreed with: "Just saw him spooky in love he is too handsome to be playing just a dead guy."

The Bad:
• Once again, inconsistency over episodes reared its ugly head. We were inundated with scary ghosts early in the drama; non-scary sympathetic ghosts in the middle; and it tapered off to nearly no ghosts toward the end. The initial solve-a-ghost-story each episode in the beginning morphed into corporate/political battles which weren't as entertaining.
• The show had too many moving targets: sibling rivalry; family infighting; corporate succession and hostile takeovers; ghost stories; and romance.
• I wish the writer had subverted expectations with the brothers. It was cliche and lazy to choose the adopted one.

I added a half star for the wardrobe.

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THIS SERIES WITH TIME OF FEVER WILL STAY THE BEST ONES FOR ME...FOREVER

Okay...So this is the best KBl I have ever seen. The plot is realistic, grounding and...simply alive. The emotions character felt were so beautifully presented! The maturity of characters, trauma adding depth and not just treated as an accessory... we get why yoon is the way he is, without dwelling much into his past. And that's amazing, how they conveyed it. Every character had their own flaws. And the way they handled it is very realistic. The fear ji won faces every time he was with yoon, the fact that he lied... was perfectly overwhelming. The art aspect of it was covered well too. The fact that in any relationship you are bound to hurt and get hurt.... and that a relationship based on lies will always have issues are some real things we need in today's world.
The pacing was good, neither too fast nor too slow. The actors did a really good job portraying depths and emotions, the cinematography was on point, dreamy yet realistic, complimenting to the plot itself. The dialogues and story writing were top notch. The background music was complimenting the plot as well! IT WAS PERFECT FOR ME! It's not just an easy watch, but also a series with serious lessons if watched seriously.
And I will miss them!

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