Reviews

Kdrama’s Greatest Masterpiece!

To be honest I have never been a fan of kdrama until a few months ago when cdrama releases paced out a little and left me with nothing interesting to watch. And even then there wasnt many that earned more than 8.5rating from me, most that had were modern dramas and almost none of the period dramas. Until Six Flying Dragons. I started this one with huge scepticism due to its lengthy episodes and the fact that it was about conspiracy and politicking which is my least favorite genre even for cdrama. Turned out this title even smoked the best court politics cdrama I’ve watched even!

Basically this is a story of how Joseon came into existence, of the struggles before during and after its creation, toppling the previous dynasty of Goryeo. Key figures of this show that existed in real history are Lee Songgye; the first king of Joseon, Jeong Dojeon; the designer of Joseon, and Lee Bangwon, the third king of Joseon and the catalyst that sparked the chain reaction of Joseon’s making. This was their story from being allies to enemies. Most of historical events are brought alive in the series, despite many of romanticing and fiction addition to make the story exciting and remarkable.

It’s really heartbreaking that back then, the dream that the common people could only dare to keep in their mind and not speak out in case of jinxing it is returning to their hometown to farm their own land. This was Boonee’s dream, it sounded so simple and trivial in today’s standards, but it was a huge and almost unreachable dream for them back then. The fight that Boonee and the people was in looked too distant and impossible for the common ideals of that era. It was the injustices and the noble’s powerful grasps that made Goryeo rotting from the core that sparked the Joseon ideals in Jeong Dojeon’s head.

This gotta be the best power struggle drama I’ve ever watched, it actually surpassed Nirvana in Fire by miles smoking it into dust. The plot twists and conspiracies were so unpredictable and intriguing, with an enemy now can be an ally in future. I could hate one character now and actually be impressed of it in the future, and i could love one of the protagonist character now and despise it as antagonist in later plot. It’s truly mindblowing but that is always what politics is all about, there is almost no forever ally or enemy. Which is why I don’t really like power struggle of court politics drama. Too conniving and dark for my liking. But this one just keep edging me on when I thought I would lose interest, especially when I read up the history and figured how Lee Bangwon became the king.

Known throughout history as the tyrant king of Joseon, I was actually curious to see how they would make Lee Bangwon all about. And when I thought I would drop this once ML turned ruthless, they actually managed to keep my interest and actually root for ML even when he turned more ruthless and resolute, merciless even, as his struggles were very acceptable and made sense in my mind.

The character Jeong Dojeon that I root for in the first two quarter of the show became somebody I’m excited about to get snuffed out halfway through. ML was fighting for his place in this world that his father and the teacher he revered determined to have without him because he was too talented, too intelligent and too determined, which made him a threat to their cause. What’s even funnier, the very reason why both important people of ML’s life remained standing and living with all the power in their hands were all thanks to his extreme resolve to save their lives in the first place, that ironically became the exact reason why they discarded him in the end. The struggle between powerful men is indeed unfathomable, completely out of the common people’s imagination. ML was not a common man who lives on day to day basis, he is a revolutionary with exact dreams and life mission so how could he resign to fate so far from his dreams? For some people, their dreams are the only things that kept them alive, taking those dreams away is a death sentence.

It is truly a pity ML and his teacher could not find a common ground, Jeong Dojeon was just to vigorous to exact change instead of making gradual reform, while ML would not surrender his dreams only to become utterly powerless and at other’s mercy. Why does Jeong hold ML in contempt accusing the ML wanting to own the world when he was no different? I honestly don’t think Jeong Dojeon was any different than ML, just as he claimed ML wants to own this world, Jeong also literally want the world in his hands, after all he held all the power in the new world after making Lee Songgye the puppet king. And the fact that the new world theyre fighting for is exactly the same, which is to create a better world for the people, made it even ironic and laughable. It’s just two powerful people fighting for power to control, nothing more. And fact remains that Jeong did his allies dirty first by trying to use the power of the king to strip away all the king’s power. I could understand how betrayed ML felt when he realized Jeong had been using his father and himself to reach the goal where Jeong would discard them afterwards, so i understood his retaliation. This series really took court politics to the next level. I generally hate this theme but i can’t help myself from fawning over this drama. 50episodes flew by as i kept pressing next episode for more.

The main characters in Six Flying dragon went through a lengthy transformation and growth. The most notable got to be Moo Hyul from innocent and slow-witted to powerful swordsman of the time although not with conflicting inner battles as he saw how the Young Master he adored became merciless in reaching his goal. I had to say every single character in this show is written to perfection, it’s really hard to find flaws in them. And the character that caught my eyes and left a deep impression the most got to be Gil Taemi despite him being part of the villain team, his eccentric personality and appearance just made me want to watch more of him.

The songs, OMG i just cannot get them out of my head. It’s really hard for me to get smitten with kdrama themesongs, theyre rarely catchy or memorable except for a small few, but this show proved to be exceptional even in that category. The opening themesong and the Muyiya choir basically live rent free in my head throughout the watch.

Just a tiny trivia, you see how they introduce the dragons at the end of the first 5 episodes, it was really unique but i was left confused when they never introduced the 6th even after so many episodes afterwards. Did I miss the intro somehow? But i know i’ve never used the FF button so how did i miss it? Or did they forget? Well turned out the 6th Dragon was only introduced at Episode 49, and damn it was epic.

There are many deaths in this show, but one that made me bawl had been the one closest to ML. Although the character looked too average as supporting role, its death really made me cry my eyes out as the emotional breakdown of ML really came through.

The action is also exceptional, the swordfights leave you on the edge at every bout. They dont use much wire-works too which made them look very realistic. Despite being a court power struggle drama and that both ML and Jeong Dojeon don’t really fight physically because they’re literally just typical scholars, it has generous amount of action to satisfy action lover like me. There are so many swordsman characters here namely Gil Taemi, Gil Seonmi, Lee Bangji, Moo Hyul, Cheok Sagwang to name a few.

The cinematography, colour gradient, the costumes really didnt look too oldschool. This is a really hands-down a masterpiece. Kudos to the screenwriter, cast and production team.

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the story feels like its trying too hard...

As someone who watched the kdrama first and went to watch the jdrama bec I heard great things about it, I was quite disappointed. The cast was pretty decent, the chemistry was really good, and I really loved the cinematography too but cant help but feel that the Japanese version was trying too hard, to the point so many scenes seems forced.
Like lets go from the start…
LACK OF REACTION -
the female lead travels back ten years after getting killed, she was mentally abused for ten years, abandoned by her husband in her toughest time, had cancer and there ought to be psychological impacts on you when you suffer with a disease like that, found out her bestfriend and husband cheated on her and was then murdered by her husband. All of this and she travels back and goes on with her day like nothing. Like yeah she was surprised and shocked to find out she was back in office and that it was 2013 but where is the rage on seeing her bestfriend again? On her seeing her husband again? She climbs in the elevator with him only to be slightly disgusted by his touch? That is NOT the normal reaction you give upon seeing a man who cheated on you, exploited you and killed you. she was having a hard time to adjust and understand, I get that. but I feel her reaction was a little too underwhelming for someone who’s supposed to take revenge.
DUMB MOVE TO RAMBLE ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS -
Girl found out she came from the future and started rambling about everything she knows about the future girl are you dumb?? Like okay I get it, you suddenly remembered this presentation was going to flop but changing everything mid presentation with no clear picture in your head just made her look stupid. this is the female lead you want us to believe was good at her job until her opportunities were taken away from her. Girly mentioned everything up until covid in a board meeting to prove her point and expected that to save the doomed presentation, im sorry but that turned out embarassing SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SMART??
HOW SHE FINDS OUT ABOUT 'FATE' IS SO FORCED -
Not to forget how she finds out about the whole “fate cant be changed, what’s meant to happen will happen thing” is just so ridiculous. She guessed that because the beer spilled? And because she still messed up the meeting?? it just feels so forced to me like if she was always this smart to read between lines why was she deceived for years? You don’t get super smart overnight it made no sense at all. Clearly the meeting flopped bec of her own blunder and if you deduce its because, ‘whats ought to happen will happen’ that sounds more like passing the baton of your clumsiness to fate and less like a genius realisation. No, bec it would've still made sense if there were like a couple of such events where she tried to change but it still happened, but these two esp bec the 'it would still happen' in these cases were bec of her own clumsiness, yeah no, no sense at all. Not to forget when the male lead ckt got hurt from the kettle trying to save her and she noticed his burnt hand and immedietely concluded that ‘unless someone steals your fate’ what was that? I LAUGHED. You cant make it more deliberate, its funny at this point.
WHERE DID THE BOYFRIEND GO -
In the scene where she rashly breaks up with the boyfriend and he decided to throw her off the building but the male lead shows up in time to save her… where did the boyfriend go? Like he threw her off the railing and the male lead catches her before she falls, and in the next scene you see him hugging her crying saying he wont let anything happen to her, what about the boyfriend? Where did he go?
I understand that 10 episodes are different than 16 episodes, you can’t manage to show everything but still storytelling could’ve been MUCH better. I personally think the color palette was really good for the japenese version. The aesthetics, frames and visuals infact some changes they made to the story; like them eating at restaurants and sharing their common interests was a very good move, a good way to show that their bond goes much deeper than just the shared secret of a second life. They had topics to talk about, interests they shared, they walked together on streets and laughed and he understood her on a deeper level. All very good, but the plot on many points felt very deliberate perhaps bec it tried to stick to the webtoon version. If you were making it webtoon should’ve sticked to that only, but since you decided to make changes you should’ve gone with what suited your storyline better.

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A pleasurable distraction

Filing for Love is a well-acted jaunt with just enough character growth to fuel the Enemies-to-Lovers and Chaebol Politics storylines. Shin Hye-sun and Gong Myoung's chemistry and comic timing fuel the tension and relational change, while Kim Jae Wook and Hong Hwa Yeon become more prominent in the melodramatic second half. Regret, Passion, Ambition, Jealousy, Love, Forgiveness—it's all there, all told with a light audit sheen. The auditing provides the setting and the investigative framework, but ultimately serves more as sheen than as the engine connecting the two stories.

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A very sweet and joyous enemies-to-lovers trope!

A very sweet and joyous enemies-to-lovers trope, I was actually smitten over from the start. At first, before starting this adoring series, I was seriously unsure how much I would like it, but episode one alone completely locked me in. Genuinely, Teshow impressed me so much with his acting. There is a goofiness in his eyes that never withered to spark any frame, perfectly contrasted by the aloofness he performs to hide his affection and the whipped mischief he wraps his character in. My god, Teshow brought so much magnetic attraction that he kept me tuned in throughout. This is also my first time watching Ping, and he was remarkably good at playing Sun. His mature nature and soft humbleness provided a joyous contrast to Bay, making them a perfect match.

Although I was gullible enough to think I might not enjoy a series that has a sports element, it was indeed an interesting story that didn't lean too heavily on the entire sports side. Instead, we got cute, platonic bonds that beautifully balanced the heavy hostility of Bay and Sun's fathers. On that note, it is fascinating to observe the art of imposing one's hatred onto souls that it doesn't belong to.

Watching Bee and Chun taught me that sometimes detestation isn't helped. Their intense revulsion, ego, and aversion were a reflection of what could have been a completely different tale. Their parenting didn't just only sabotage their kids' growing friendships but also shaped their spiteful nature and watered down their familial relations until they became distant strangers.

I didn't expect to see Chai (Chun, Sun's father) in this series lol; he was again a hot-headed father. He was so good in The Edge of Horizon that I couldn't unsee his Prince Vasin character. However, it was a relief that he was finally revived from his resentment before the final episodes.

"I think people in their 50s still have their own coming-of-age moments." — Sun

It was beautifully portrayed that often not only teenagers need their coming-out sessions, but even adults, regardless of age boundaries, would have one to confront their own secrets, bitter pasts, and the longing of their ripe youthful careers. The pining for truth and accountability and the agonised and constant fight for dignity were delightful themes I enjoyed.

"I'm afraid that if we love each other, someone will take you away from me some day." — Bay

The audacity of a human heart to let go of a loved one out of fear is too vigorous and needs to be studied. Bay was a character who constantly seemed to be flying from his own compulsions, unable to live in the feelings he desired or pursue the interests he sought. Oh, what a pain! At one point, it honestly felt a bit like a mood swing, as seen in Sun's POV—yet it was a lonely tragedy. He had to let go of his only friend at a very young age, when they should have been playing tennis forever, and chose to become an enemy just so that he could at least keep Sun in his life. If not a friend, at least as an enemy. *cries

Boat: "Do you really hate each other, or are you just pretending, huh?"
Bay: "We do hate each other."
Boat: "I think you're just pretending to. If you really hated each other, no one would try to stop you from being with Sun. You chose to act like this because it might be the only way you can have him in your life."

Though how tearful it is in the script, it was a comical banter that I laughed my heart out at—Bay and Sun's moments are crazily chaotic. Their chemistry (in principal's voice) had me hooked. Their teasing curses, the sheepish eye contact, and Bay's 'my tofu' endearments to Sun—everything about this duo is pretty dear. And most importantly, Sun's appalling facial expressions whenever Bay acts cosy or affectionate with him suddenly never failed to make me cackle, lol. Also, ahem, the fact that Bay is redder by each episode and clingy with Sun is too much, haha.

"Why would you want me to hate you so much?" — Sun
"I feel like I would go crazy every time you leave me." — Bay
"Please be my genuine, simple Sun again." — Bay

The one thing I mostly loved in this series is that it didn't force a new massive unnecessary conflict between main leads the way many series do. By episode 9, even though things got a little fudgy in Bay and Sun's relationship, it was such a relief that they didn't drag it out into a big quarrel. Bay was highly empathetic and understanding, and so was Sun. Both of them were excellent at listening to each other, putting their goals first, and remaining selfless and considerate in supporting one another. #healthyrelationshipgoals

Furthermore, Bay's father not accepting him lore felt a bit realistic. The whole thing about how Bay's livelihood changed and that his humorous father didn't instantly accept him was a surprise and close to reality. It reflected how pride, arrogance, and vainglory take over any close, comfortable relationship.

Now for my absolute favorite part of this series that I have gone more than a little berserk, lost my sanity over is seeing CHIMON. He is so freaking good!! I love him as Kong here. That little cutish, sheepish glamour he brings in every damn frame!! Ack, I can't; he's just too adorable. *crying.

Kong's presence provided a huge, refreshing contrast to Bay and Sun's rivalry-turned-romance! He was always there at every turn! And the way he eats—his cheeks are always filled completely!! (I collected plenty of pictures of him eating carelessly, lol.) I thoroughly enjoyed how flexible and more natural Chimon felt while playing Kong. I also loved how deliberately they made his character have a romantic interest that is a more-than-10-years-long discreet secret.

It was interesting how Kong was too witty with Boat. I liked their every simple, genuine, 'I-am-here-for-you-if-you-need-anything' moments. Finally, I adored Chimon's chemistry with Sing. It seemed like the pair, SingChimon is undemanding and more cosy.

Every single actor did an amazing job in this series. Even though it was a first-time experience for some of them, the acting felt incredibly natural. BaySun and BoatKong are just the absolute cutest pairs!

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give it a chance!

I have loved Bromance for years. IMO it is such an underrated drama that not many people I talk to have heard of. It is funny as well as full of suspense. I love the characters and their quirky personalities. While there is one particular character suffering an illness who I shall not name, for the sake of spoilers, who I really can’t stand, I still can’t deduct from the quality of the show as a whole. The only thing I would change about the show is how long it takes for them to admit they like eachother. In all my rewatches getting to the first real kiss is so difficult 🥹

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"Well done. You walked straight into hell."

In The Enchantress it took the martial clans and celestial warriors to bring down one vengeful ghost. And no one ever bothered to check their notes to see if maybe she had good reason for wanting revenge.

Feng Xi Wu decides to check out the Moonlit Palace where martial artists keep getting the life sucked out of them and thrown in the water after entering the colorful place. Once a samurai stronghold, now it lies empty or so people think. He meets Shui Ling outside and saves her from sword wielding men. She attempts to discourage him from entering the palace but he does so anyway and meets her mother, Shui Tian Jiao. Shui Ling saves his life and infuriates her mother causing nearly 20 years of anger and anguish to explode.

The Enchantress didn’t really have any main leads, except for perhaps Bonnie Ngai as the Japanese princess Shui Tian Jiao. She had the most screen time as the murderous ghost. Ngai spent nearly all of her scenes suspended from wires being swung around and laughing manically. Max Mok and Yung Jing Jing were the star-crossed lovers with serious in-law problems. Lo Lieh played a master of the mystical arts with one of the most annoying apprentices ever. Tony Liu had several hysterically funny scenes when he was possessed and fighting himself. Shaw Brothers regulars Norman Chu, Philip Kwok, and Yueh Hua all made appearances with numerous other familiar faces.

The fighting rarely let up and was often accompanied by Roman candles, smoke/fog, colorful lighting, spinning lanterns, and 1980’s low rent special effects. Wire work and trampolines were used copiously. As I mentioned, Ngai was thrown about routinely as she terrorized she blamed. Most of the fights were standard with some serious undercranking at times. Basically, quantity over quality with plenty of explosions, flying objects and people, and ghostly possessions. My only complaint was that Yung Jing Jing was embarrassingly bad when she attempted fight moves. Her best acting was when her character was unconscious.

The Enchantress wasn’t horrible for this genre of kung fu flick, but it wasn’t very good either. Too many characters made it hard to invest in any of them. I thought it was humorous that it took nearly every martial artist in the area, plus the celestial order to bring down one pissed off female ghost. There was a lesson to be learned in there. They should have handed the offender over to her right off the bat and let him fulfill his oath. Only for fans of the genre or who have a fave in the cast. As always, I rate these old niche films on a generous curve.

“It’s all because of a love turned sour.” I have notes on this below. *


2 October 2026

Dubbing notes: I really wish this had been done in Cantonese. Sometimes the Mandarin dubbing in these SB films could be atrocious with the words and lips not matching up.

Spoilery comment below:
















* “It’s all because of a love turned sour.” Makes it sound like he was unfaithful or they had a falling out. He was responsible for the Japanese princess being brutally murdered—and she was his loving wife no less. She and the samurai had not proved themselves to be a danger and yet the families decided they needed to be eliminated with extreme prejudice and her husband joined them because he didn’t have the cajones to say no.

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Charming with endearing characters-[but awful foreign actors!)

I started this as a "filler" drama-
[for those nights when I didn't want to be tempted to binge watch more of a current favorite drama]!
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really looked forward to watching this. It has alot of charm ! While the theme didn't entice me or excite me, the cast & the main characters made it endearing.
It would be nice to see a 2nd season.
I took off a * because every time ( Every Time!) there was a foreigner -the actors were really bad .Then there was a weird thing where the foreigner spoke in one language & then another & one of the voices was obviously dubbed. It was jarring & brought down the show's quality.
[it does seem like everytime I see characters that are supposed to be foreigners in Japanese, Korean or Chinese dramas, that they use the same ones over & over again .

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The story slipped, everything else delivered!!

Weak Hero Class 2 — ⭐ 9/10

Season 1 set the bar ridiculously high, and honestly, I went into Class 2 wondering if it could give me even half of that same feeling. And somehow, it still managed to pull me in.

What I loved most was the acting. Everyone felt completely committed to their characters. The expressions, the body language, the anger, the silence — even the smallest reactions felt convincing. The cast really carried the drama, and there were so many moments where you could feel what a character was going through without them even saying anything.

And the dialogues? Absolutely loved them. They felt raw, natural and unapologetic. The abusive language actually suited the atmosphere instead of feeling randomly added just to make the drama “edgy.” It made the world feel rougher and more realistic.

The direction and action sequences were another huge highlight. The fights weren't just there for spectacle — they had weight. The choreography, camera work, editing and sound design made the confrontations feel brutal and intense. There’s a certain tension in the way this drama builds up to violence that I really enjoyed.

Visually, it also continues to have that dark, gritty, almost claustrophobic atmosphere that made the first season so memorable. The cinematography, lighting and overall production design fit the story perfectly. Even when nothing huge was happening, the drama still had a distinct mood.

That being said, the story itself didn't hit me as hard as Season 1. Season 1 had a very tight and emotionally powerful narrative, while Class 2 sometimes felt a little less focused to me. Some parts of the story didn't have the same impact, and that's probably the biggest reason I'm not giving it a full 10.

But despite that, I still had a great time watching it.

There’s something about Weak Hero that I genuinely love — the combination of friendship, loneliness, violence, trauma, loyalty and characters who don't always know how to express what they're feeling. It doesn't try to make everything pretty, and that's exactly what makes it work.

The acting. The direction. The cinematography. The fights. The dialogues. The sound design. The atmosphere.

Everything comes together to make it a drama that's incredibly easy to get invested in.

Maybe Class 2 isn't as perfect as Season 1, but it still feels like Weak Hero, and that's enough for me to have absolutely loved watching it.

9/10.

And yes bye byee

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Started with a Sizzling Couple, ended with a bunch of Pitiful Parents."

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I wouldn’t say “Spring of the Blade” is my most anticipated drama, because I don’t anticipate much. LOL But Xu Kai and Zhou Ye are two of my favorite Chinese actors and I believe in their acting (probably more than most). Although I am somewhat unexcited about yet ANOTHER revenge story, I am happy to check this out as it’s only 30 episodes. This episode count might end up being a curse afterall.


What I Like:

1. Xu Kai/Yan Rui/Shen Rui - As I said, he’s one of my favorites since his “Arsenal Military Academy” days and playing the role of Yan Rui shows how much Xu Kai has matured as an actor. His big eyes show so much emotion even without saying a word. And if he is saying something, his eyes add volume and weight to what he’s about to say. Yan Rui could be cold and ruthless, pettily jealous but sweet, calm and imposing, and a little controlling and possessive. Xu Kai portrays this so well.

2. Zhou Ye/Xie Qing Yuen/Chen Yun Ya - A change of scenery for her as this is probably one of her more mature and quieter roles. She’s always deep in her thoughts, controlled without reacting to unkind words, but always has a smart comeback when needed. I don’t think Zhou Ye has quite mastered those subtle facial expressions yet, as compared to Xu Kai, but I do like her portrayal as this stubborn, revengeful daughter.

3. Chemistry - The leads chemistry is sizzling, especially in the first half of the drama. Their back-and-forth comebacks and trying to outsmart each other is another way of flirting. Who knew Xu Kai could flirt with such a serious face, without actually flirting? There isn’t a lot of skinship (except for one somewhat long makeout scene) but it still shows how electric their interactions are. Unfortunately, they didn’t really have much to show towards the end of the drama.

4. Acting + Supporting Cast - The acting in general is solid. The younger generation of siblings performed well. But the veterans are the ones who truly shine. The older generation really makes you hate, pity, or want to root for them. Oh, and I get to see Bai Shu play an angry commoner instead of yet another Prince or Emperor. It’s always lovely to see him.

5. Action scenes - There aren’t many, but the ones we do have are well choreographed and hard-hitting. Xu Kai was great in these scenes. We got blood splatter on the faces, dirty faces and messy hair, while trying to slash with a sword. It’s refreshing to see blood splattering instead of blood spitting. LOL

6. Family plot twist - I was surprised about the real reason for the murder of FL’s mother. I definitely didn’t see it coming. So, in a way, it was a pleasant surprise how all the secrets unfolded in the last 5 episodes. But the execution of these episodes go into the category of “What I don’t Like”.

7. Pacing (first two-thirds of drama) - I was engaged for most of the drama. There’s enough going on between the leads and each of the Xie family members. I was not bored and had high hopes that I would end up giving this drama a higher score than 8.0. Then, the last 5 episodes happened.

8. Production - The production quality seems high. The costumes, hair accessories and sets look glamorous and well-made. I am especially pleased that the actors are using their own voices even if there’s no live recording (more about this below).


What I have Mixed Feelings and Dislike;

1. Last 5 episodes - This is the big elephant in the room and the reason why my rating got dragged down. The leads disappear during the 5 episodes. The parents were just spitting out all the secrets and letting us know what really happened 9 years ago. But the execution is not good. There are monologues and monologues for each of them. Xu Kai was barely there. Zhou Ye was there, but rarely had anything to say. I wonder if this is due to the editing and cutting down the drama to 30 episodes only. The pacing is totally off. Maybe if there are a few more episodes to the drama, they can do a better job mixing in the secrets revelation with other events to not feel like they dumped every single plot twist on us in slowly spewed out words by the parent generation. It became a pity party and we are supposed to feel bad for them? And the big bad villain became a cartoonish character. Some of these deaths don’t make sense, or they cut out scenes that’s why they don’t make sense. It’s disappointing that the drama couldn’t stick its landing.

2. ML’s real plan - That was a disappointing and uninteresting revelation of his real plan. The revenge plot might be better. But politics and reforms without an interesting setup becomes disjointed and boring. I’d rather see Xu Kai kill more people and be covered in blood.

3. Love Square - The 2ML is a boring character. He was introduced as this charismatic man on a horse with archery skills to be the love of all women’s lives. He then resorted to being a love sick puppy who won’t take No for an answer. Luckily, he’s not annoying and is quite harmless. But the 2nd Sister really needs someone to knock some sense into her. She’s the annoying one.

4. Sound editing - As much as I love the actors using their own voice, the sound editing and mixing are off. Xu Kai’s voice seems so much quieter than the veterans. It could be because he’s not experienced enough to dub himself and to enunciate better. Sometimes music is played so loud that I can’t hear the lines. Luckily, they don’t plan the same song over and over again.



Despite a disappointing end, I did have a great time for most of the drama. I get to see my favorite actors performing well wearing fancy costumes and looking dashing. The pacing was good for the most part and the acting is solid. Even though I don’t like the execution of the last 5 episodes, I do like the surprising revelation of all the secrets. I do think it’s worth checking out “Spring of the Blade”.


Drama Completed: 10/2/2026 Review #726

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"It feels most lonely to be without enemies."

Ghosts Galore was a kung fu comedy that pitted a Chinese kung fu mystical master against a Japanese ninja mystical master. Going along for the ride were two buddies who made their living scamming people, two Japanese siblings on the run from their murderous ninja clan, and a female ghost looking for a husband.

Lu Xing and Fat Chicken travel from town to town pretending to exorcise demons and expel ghosts. When Lu accepts a case to rid a house of a ghost, he and FC end up with more than they bargained for. A friend of Lu’s father secretly helps the boys out when the ghost gets the upper hand. Later, when the ghost attaches herself to them, they realize they need Lin Ching Yan’s tutelage and he takes them on as apprentices. At the same time, two siblings arrive in China running from the ninja clan they abandoned. The ninjas are led by a powerful purveyor of the dark arts. A no holds barred, mystical, magical showdown is on the horizon.

Lo Lieh was often relegated to bad guy roles, here he played the good guy for a change as the bumbling idiots’ sifu. The first part of the film with Chin Siu Ho and Chiang Kam hamming it up as the comedic duo was trying for me. Even when the bodies started dropping, they were relentlessly clueless. Hwang Jang Lee, another actor often stuck with villain roles, played the Japanese sorcerer. Yeung Ching Ching actually held her own as the ninja on the run, Junko.

The fight choreography encompassed a lot of acrobatics, trampolines, and wire work. Chin Siu Ho was fun to watch, even when the moves made no sense. Low budget 1980’s special effects were used along with smoke and fireworks. The grand finale pulled out all the stops with Chinese Opera heroes and gods versus Japanese Noh/Kabuki characters. I can honestly say, that was something I hadn’t seen before.

Ghosts Galore was not a great movie, but they did try to do something different. I am not a fan of most kung fu comedies and the bad imitations of Jackie Chan wore thin very quickly. This film was a bit of an oddball and misnamed as I don’t think two innocuous ghosts make for “galore.” Only for fans of the genre or actors. I watched it for Lo Lieh. I don’t regret it, but I won’t remember much of it either.

2 October 2026

Trigger warnings: Bare female breasts in a rather long kama sutra scene with ancient, painted porn. Also a long scene with a male full moon.

Dubbing notes: As the film was in Mandarin, some of the Cantonese speaking actors were dubbed badly. Or they hadn’t finished the script and dubbed over dialogue in some scenes.

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A FAST PACED DELIGHT!!!

Set against the high-stakes backdrop of a top-tier consultancy firm, the story follows a woman strives to make her mark in a cutthroat corporate world. Driven by a traumatic past, she is determined to prove her worth and become truly irreplaceable in both her career and her life.

Zhao Jinmai brings Xu Chi to life with a flawless performance; she is a smart, ambitious go-getter who refuses to be a pushover, frequently clapping back at superiors and peers alike. Yet, beneath that hardworking exterior lies a soft, vulnerable side shaped by her history, making her a character you can truly root for as she navigates the complexities of professional life with grace and talent. She isn't a perfect protagonist, but rather a compelling figure who exists in the grey areas of life, making her feel deeply human.

Complementing her is Wei Daxun as the male lead, an "ace" in his field who serves as a mentor and a guardian angel to Xu Chi. He is a mature, calm, and collected professional who carries his own heavy, painful past and a drive to reclaim what he has lost. While some viewers have suggested he might not fit the role, I find his performance to be nothing short of exceptional. His micro-expressions bring a level of depth to what could have been a plain mentor character, perfectly balancing strict professional guidance with a subtle sweetness. The chemistry between the two is palpable; they bounce off each other with an intelligence that makes their dynamic feel earned and organic.

The romance is one of the show's greatest strengths because it is handled with such nuance. It isn't a loud, "in your face" storyline; instead, it is a slow burn interwoven seamlessly into the larger narrative of mentorship. It is built through small, meaningful day-to-day moments that leave you wanting more without even realizing it. The age gap and the mentor-mentee dynamic add a layer of complexity that the writer handles with incredible skill.

Then onto the kiss scenes, people are saying that because these two aren't making out on the amount they wanted them too then there isn't romance in show which shows exactly how dead out generation is sadly, kissing and making out is a form of intimacy really it is but so is emotional intimacy, so is having conversations being vulnerable and trusting your partner, choosing each other even when it's hard, hugs that take the weight of the world off of your shoulders.. confining in one another..that's intimacy and I guess the writer wanted that take on intimacy take it or leave it but I'd rather have this ober anything maybe IAM at age to appreciate romance portrayed like this..so no even without many kiss scenes or whatever this couple managed to prove to be stronger than most.

Finally, I want to address the comparisons being made to *The Early Spring*. While they may share certain themes, they are fundamentally different shows, particularly regarding the office setting and the overall execution. This show stands entirely on its own merits. If you are looking for a balanced, high-quality drama that explores the harsh realities of the corporate journey alongside a subtle, beautiful romance,

Irreplaceable is a must-watch.

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