Reviews

A MESS

If I'll have to summarize this drama in one word, that would be MESS.

When I saw people posting about Twelve, I was initially very intrigued. The concept of the zodiac angels living like humans while trying to regain their powers was very interesting and unique. I love fantasy and mythology so I decided to watch the drama from the day it started airing.

Looking back at it, I almost want to laugh at my excitement and curiosity.

The first two episodes were lukewarm to say the least. The plot didn't seem as interesting as I had expected and the characterisation wasn't engaging enough for me to care about the characters. Still, I decided to remain optimistic. It was only the beginning and the story needed more time to unfold properly. Although Twelve didn't have the strongest beginning, I still had hopes because the story had some interesting traits and I believed that as the series would go by, it would improve.

Alas, the show just went downhill and crashed harder than the Titanic.

The first red flag which indicated that this would be an unpleasant journey was the fighting scenes. Let me tell you that when I watched Tae San fighting these thugs for the first time, I was baffled. Messy choreography. Weird angles. Tacky editing. I felt like I was watching a project made by amateurs and let me tell you that I've seen fanmade videos on YouTube about different franchises that put Twelve to shame.

When you describe your drama as action heavy, one would expect something better than these chops of fighting scenes. There were times when it was so painfully obvious that the actors did not hit each other, it was honestly so laughable how unconvincing it was. And don't get me started on the bad guys getting beaten one by one, waiting for their turn patiently instead of attacking together.

The direction and production added more salt to the wound. There were times when I almost wondered if the showrunners were mocking us and if I was part of a social experiment. At least that would made a more interesting plot than the one we had. I am confident that all the budget went to the actors and the rest received dust. There's no other way to explain what I saw on my screen.

First and foremost, the costumes they showed in the flashbacks were absolutely tragic. For a fantasy series, they didn't even bother try out more effort and creativity in the clothes. I've seen cosplayers with much better attires and with clothes that do not look like cheap Shein products. The armors were so bad, the clothes were so mismatched and the wigs were so comical to look at. During some more serious scenes I just couldn't take the characters seriously because of the way they looked. The most prominent example is the scene where the 8 angels mourn the death of the other four. Aside from the bad editing, I couldn't bring myself to care and instead of focusing on the heaviness of this moment, I had to surpass my laughter every time the camera would focus on one of the Angels in these ridiculous costumes. The CGI, albeit not horrible in some parts, left some things to be desired. O Gwi's wings could have definitely be better, they looked bizarre sometimes, especially when he used them to fight.

The lack of a powerful and epic OST was another element that failed to elevate the emotional impact of Twelve. You need a good soundtrack in order to create emotions and Twelve failed to provide us with anything memorable. I'm currently watching The Untamed so I feel spoiled because every episode cause euphoria in my ears so the discrepancy between this and Twelve is very funny. There is a scene where Tae San opens Hellmouth and the background music is a hip hop track. What are we even trying to do?

When we're talking about fantasy, the visuals play a fundamental role in order to establish your setting and magic system. But I was willing to cut them some slack. Some fantasy series might not have the best effects but at least they offer an interesting script.

In Twelve's case, the story was even worse.

When you're making a drama with 8 episodes, one would expect more straightforward storytelling. With short dramas, you cannot afford to waste time. But it's clear that the budget was cut short because neither the story nor the characters delivered what was promised.

It's a serious crime to create a fantasy universe and put barely any effort to expand it. We are thrusted into this world as if we have any prior knowledge about it. Aside from the small intro from Episode 1 and some information via poor dialogues and awkward flashbacks, we never really get to learn many significant things regarding the Angels and God. And what about the Angel's identities? I had to read the description of the actors from my drama list in order to understand which Angel represented each animal. Aside from the most obvious ones (Tiger, Pig, Monkey, Snake, Dragon) the rest weren't that clear. Had I not read the information, I would be stuck trying to figure out the animals Mal Sook and Jwi Dol were supposed to be.

Aside from the poor world-building, I'm still trying to understand the reason why the series was called Twelve when four angels remained dead for the most part. If you wanted to create a series about the twelve zodiac signs, you should at least give information about all the angels and integrate them into the story. Had we seen more of the four angels and how they contributed to humanity's safety, it would have made more sense and it would have added more depth in the dynamic among the Angels. Such thing never happened and instead we basically got deceived.

The structure of the story killed every remaining possibilities of development. Everything felt so hectic and not in a good way. The pacing was painfully slow, sometimes it was as if time had stopped. I have no problem with slow-paced dramas, some of my most favourite series are actually slow-paced (Beyond Evil, Through The Darkness, Black Out). However, in these shows the pacing was necessary in order to explore the characters and the story and prepare for the built-up. In Twelve, that simply never happened. There was no deeper exploration regarding the characters, the story remained monotonous and the payoff was definitely not worth it.

The editing contributed to the amateur image of the show. Was there even an editor in the first place? I seriously doubt that. They left so many unnecessary moments uncut. Some scenes dragged so much, they felt like they lasted for hours and hours. Give me one reason why it was necessary, according to the director, to show every single Angel's reaction when something significant happened.

The four angels die? Zoom into every Angel's face and show their reactions. One by one.

Tae San arrives during a dangerous situation? Make each Angel exclaim "Tae San". One.by.one.

The Angels are fighting enemies or getting beaten? Show them fighting. ONE.BY.ONE.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!? At one point I started taking guesses about the order of the Angels' appearances! Moments like these are the reason why the pacing was so off. We wasted too much time in insignificant scenes instead of using it for more meaningful storytelling.

The usage of flashbacks killed even the few hyped moments in the series. They were so random and the majority of them did not even contribute anything to the plot. Instead of using them meticulously in order to give further information without ruining the pacing, the writers put them in the most bizarre moments. For example, Episode 3 ends with a flashback which came after.a.supposedly.dramatic.moment. They could have chosen to end the episode then but nope, they had to ruin the mood with this good-for-nothing throwback.

I cringed so hard when the series tried to become comedic. It was so painful to witness all of these attempts to add some funny elements. As if it wasn't enough to sit through this wannabe epic fantasy tale, they tortured me with poorly written humor too. Let me tell you that I laughed harder at the scenes the writers did not intend to make funny. I wasn't like with them, I was laughing AT them.

And now the characters. Oh boy, where to begin? To put it frankly: I gave zero f*cks about them. It appears that the writers would take it for granted that the viewers would sympathize with the Angels simply because they were the good guys who had been wronged by humans. Surprise surprise, this is not enough. When the writers do not bother to put any effort in the characterisation, I am not obligated to side with the heroes. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything about these people. They didn't even have proper personalities. Some of them had interesting traits but they were never utilized. A pity if you ask me, especially since they are supposed to represent the zodiac signs so there were many opportunities to incorporate that in their personalities.

Among the Angels, the one who was highlighted a lot was Tae San, portrayed by Ma Song Seok. Which makes sense considering he was involved in the writing process too. Too bad he couldn't invest in his character. Tae San was supposed to be this sympathetic leader who has fallen into depression after the tragedies he has experienced and yet I couldn't bring myself to care. Not in the slightest. The writing of his character was so messy, instead of coming across as badass and yet vulnerable, he became comedic. Instead of having so many scenes about him or his interactions with the grandma, the screen time should have been shared among the rest of the Angels in order to flesh out their characters just a little bit.

The story tried very hard to convince me that the Angels are a family. I'm sorry but I was never sold. Whether it was the acting or writing, the chemistry among the Angels was bland and barely existant. They never gave me the vibe of a family that tried to stick together and help each other. It was like watching a bunch of coworkers. Instead of showcasing their bond more through actions, the writers tried to sell it via poorly written scenes. The worst part was the scenes with the characters having discussions while eating. They failed so much to capture the domestic feeling.

The only characters which managed to capture my interest even a little were Won Seung, Mirr and O Gwi. Won Seung was fun to look at and I was curious to see if his character would have been explored more considering he was marketed as one of the main ones (spoiler alert: he didn't receive any development). Mirr and O Gwi seemed to have interesting backstories and I wanted to learn more about them. But of course the poor writing had to ruin everything.

Can someone give me one good explanation about why Mirr was written as such a weak Angel? She was supposed to be the only one to retain her powers and yet she struggled more against the bad guys. I swear to God, for the majority of the series she was either sleeping or she was a damsel in distress. Shebarelt had any personality. I feel sad for sounding so harsh but unfortunately this is the plain truth.

O Gwi was one of the biggest letdowns. I tried to remain hopeful and believe that we would see more of him but once again, I was deceived. It's so funny how hard they tried to market him as the main threat for the Angels, only for him to barely have any significant scenes in the first episodes and then be turned into a wannabe misunderstood antihero. There were so many layers that could have been explored but clearly the writers did not care. We learned almost NOTHING regarding his backstory and his motives were presented in such a superficial way.

When the plot is not plotting, what is the best solution in order to make it more interesting? You guessed it: romance. And which characters did the writers decide to pair together? Of course the heroine with the villain, Mirr and O Gwi. The problem is that when you're writing romance, you ought to make it believable. I'm sorry but Mirr and O Gwi gotta be one of the most fraud couples in the history of kdramas. They barely had any meaningful interactions. The one kiss we got cannot even be described as a proper kiss with the way it was filmed. Tell me, why should I care about them and their story when the writers did not bother to explore it? "Oh, but you don't understand, it's a tragic love story and they wanted to be together even though everything was against them and..." AND NOTHING. You cannot write a romance in such a shallow way and expect me to care. You are not writing tropes. You are writing a love story. We never learned how they met each other. We never saw them interacting as a proper couple. We got a shitty montage of some of their happy moments as if it came straight out from a fan made YouTube video from the 2010s. And last but not least regarding this subplot: I apologize, but the actors did not have chemistry. I'm sure that both Park Hyung Sik and Lee Joo Bin are good actors but they were unable to sell the chemistry between them. Their interactions seemed so wooden. I know that this is partially fault of the writing but something was off with the actors too.

I feel so grateful for not being a fan of any of the actors prior watching the series. Had I been a fan, I would have built higher expectations regarding their screen time and characters, whereas I went blindly into the series and spared myself from a bigger disappointment. I am desperate to learn about the actors' paycheck. Did they read the script before signing up for it? Were they happy with the final results? If I were them, I would have stormed out the setting the moment they'd make me wear one of these poor excuses of wigs. It's such a pity that their talent got wasted in this mess of a show.

The acting was not horrible. But it was poor because the writing itself was poor. The actors did not have many opportunities to showcase their range more and their performances came across as awkward. The delivery of some lines was unconvincing, it was as if the actors themselves couldn't feel the characters or the story. The only moment throughout the drama where an actor delivered a performance with some emotional impact was on Episode 6 when Won Seung mourned the death of a particular character. Kudos to Seo In Guk. The rest of the actors were unable to showcase their full potential but that is the fault of the script. Park Hyung Sik carried the character of O Gwi on his shoulders but even he wasn't enough to save this mess of a plot.

At sixth grade, me and two of my friends made a short film for an English project. Our amateur movie, filmed by my dad's phone and edited from a free computer app was more consistent and entertaining than Twelve. Whatever it was supposed to deliver, it simply didn't. I didn't want to drop it because I am the type of person who refuses to give up on series but I am so happy it was 8 episodes only. I am very sad that such an interesting concept got wasted on such a lackluster execution and I hope that none of my favourite actors will get to work with these writers and director.

A message to kdrama producers: good casting does not guarantee good writing and good numbers. Audiences are not as naive as you think. If they realise that what they're watching is poorly made, they will give up. That explains the reason why viewership plummeted after the first two episodes. May this be a lesson to everyone, viewers and creators.

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I LOVE THIS SERIES

I never expected Leap Day to hit me this hard, but it truly did. The story was solid, the production flawless, the OST beautifully haunting, the visual effects polished, and the acting… honestly, beyond words.
The moments that broke me the most were in episodes 11 and 12, when Day (Pond Naravit) sacrificed himself to save his brother Ozone. I cried so much during those scenes.. like I couldn’t even breathe properly. It wasn’t just sad, it was devastating in the most beautiful way. Pond Naravit’s performance as Day was absolutely unforgettable. He didn’t just play the role, he became Day. Every tear, every struggle, every sacrifice felt real, and that’s why it hurt so deeply.
and also the entire cast was incredible. From the leads to the supporting characters, everyone delivered genuine and powerful performances that made the whole story come alive. The chemistry between them felt natural, the emotions raw, and the effort they poured into each scene was undeniable. Together, they made this series shine in a way few shows ever do.
For me, Leap Day isn’t just a series, it’s an emotional experience. It made me laugh, it made me cry endlessly, and it reminded me how powerful storytelling can be when every detail is done right.

Truly, one of the best series I’ve ever watched.

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The Agony and Ecstasy of a Lifelong Friendship

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Friendship, in its truest form, can be a shelter against life’s tempests. But in “You and Everything Else,” it IS the tempest: violent, consuming, and relentless. This decades-spanning drama charts the entanglement of Ryu Eun-jung and Cheon Sang-yeon, two women bound together by intimacy and enmity in equal measure. Their friendship, fraught with rivalry, betrayal, and longing, ultimately bends toward reconciliation, painting a portrait of love and destruction intertwined.

From their first encounter as fourth-grade students in 1992, when Eun-jung was poor and sharp-edged and Sang-yeon seemed perfect as the new transfer student, their dynamic is shaped by mutual resentment and envy. What begins as hostility morphs into a fragile bond through middle and high school, only to become more complicated in college when both fall orbit to Kim Sang-hak, complicating their already fragile dynamic. When they collide again in their thirties, their professional lives spiral into betrayal, jealousy, and stolen ideas within the film industry. In the present day, a terminally ill Sang-yeon re-enters Eun-jung’s life, requesting accompaniment to Switzerland for euthanasia.

What makes this drama remarkable is how believably it captures the way friendships shift with age. Childhood friendships break over small things and reconciliation is just as easy then, but as you get older fights become harder to undo and reconciliations rarer. You could just stop seeing each other and move on. The way the show makes the troubles deepen with time is believable, and it quietly shows the subtle shifts between liking and resenting someone. I especially liked that Sang-yeon and Eun-jung weren’t tied up and made to fight over love alone.

At first Sang-yeon had experienced the death of Cheon Sang-hak, and then mid-series her mother dies, but only after being given a terminal diagnosis does she seem to finally face the lifelong triggers she’d carried. She was full of fear: would she follow her brother into suicide, or suffer like her mother until she died? She said she found comfort in knowing that Switzerland exists. I liked that she had the chance to choose while she was still coherent, and with Eun-jung by her side she was no longer lonely. “Nobody will die happier than me.”

The script, direction, acting, and music were all so calm and composed, with muted colors and long takes that mirror the characters’ emotional restraint... almost documentary-like, and that’s why it made me cry.

It showed so well that Sang-yeon exists as she is now because of Eun-jung, and Eun-jung exists as she is now because of Sang-yeon. Even though their friendship wasn’t all happiness and fond memories, in fact, it was filled more with resentment and jealousy, even those memories became the driving force that shaped them. And so, the show convincingly insists that the two could only ever be each other’s one and only.

Eun-jung felt inferior to Sang-yeon, and Sang-yeon felt inferior to Eun-jung, but I think they were really just trying to fill their own lacks. They drifted apart out of mutual blame and envy.

Eun-jung has always been the one to reach out, so Sang-yeon probably asked her to stay with her at the end knowing Eun-jeong wouldn’t be able to refuse. All the awkwardness, annoyance, and hatred faded, and only then did they find peace, but the saddest thing is that there was no time left to be together. Eun-jung’s face, telling Sang-yeon without hesitation “you did well, you held on,” stuck in my chest.

The final episode in particular was so well made. It was undeniably sad, yet also beautiful. I’ve never seen a drama like this before. It just left me with such a strange, indescribable feeling.


INSIGHTS:

Eun Jung:

Ryu Eun-jung is the central protagonist, portrayed as a resilient, empathetic, and multifaceted woman shaped by hardship, complicated relationships, and a lifelong struggle between bitterness and compassion. Born into poverty, she grows up in a semi-basement with her single mother, a milk delivery worker. Early exposure to inequality, such as school surveys exposing her fatherless home, bullying, and constant financial strain, leaves her both envious of privilege and fiercely resilient. Helping her mother and hiding her shame about home life forge a toughness that coexists with deep vulnerability.

At her core, Eun-jung is considerate and sincere, qualities that draw others in. Even as a child, she refuses revenge when wronged, showing empathy that becomes her quiet strength. This warmth attracts Sang-yeon’s mother (a mentor), Sang-yeon’s brother Cheon Sang-hak (her first love), and later Kim Sang-hak (her college boyfriend). Yet this same natural charm sparks Sang-yeon’s envy, as Eun-jung effortlessly wins affection Sang-yeon struggles to gain. She can be pessimistic, shaped by traumas which leaves her with guilt, anxiety, and a fear of loss.

Her growth is defined by moving from envy to self-preservation. Academically strong but always second to Sang-yeon, she sacrifices personal wants for her mother’s sake. Inspired by Cheon Sang-hak, she pursues photography, but her college romance with Kim Sang-hak collapses in a love triangle with Sang-yeon. Though jealous and insecure, snooping through mailboxes and drawers, Eun-jung ultimately breaks things off to protect herself, showing her shift toward independence.

As a working adult, she remains principled and uncompromising. She clashes with Sang-yeon over ethics, refuses to let victims apologize to abusers, and calls Sang-yeon a thief after being robbed of her work, rejecting compensation to keep her dignity.

Eun-jung’s photography becomes a metaphor for her perspective. She captures moments of truth but struggles to see her own worth until Sang-yeon’s memoir reveals how deeply she shaped Sang-yeon’s life.

Her guilt over Cheon Sang-hak’s suicide stems from believing she could have saved him, a burden that parallels her later decision to support Sang-yeon’s euthanasia, showing her growth in accepting what she cannot control, even while bitter about the timing.

Alone afterward, she embodies the survivor’s paradox: resentful of betrayals, yet unable to hate fully.


Sang Yeon:

Cheon Sang-yeon is a complex antagonist-protagonist: brilliant, ambitious, and deeply flawed, her life arcs from privilege to isolation, driven by envy, loss, and unfulfilled desires. Introduced as a transfer student in 1992, she comes from wealth and stability: an apartment home, intact family, and prestige through her minister grandfather. As class president, she appears the perfect model student: authoritative, disciplined, excelling in academics. Yet this façade conceals insecurity. Rumors about Eun-jung’s milk deliveries (whether started by her or not) spark conflict, and her strict punishments betray a defensive need for control. To Eun-jung, Sang-yeon embodies utopia, everything she lacks, yet Sang-yeon herself suffers from favoritism, neglect, and longing for love.

Her personality blends confidence with fragility. Exceptionally capable, she is also envious and insecure. Her mother favors Eun-jung, her brother confides in her, and Kim Sang-hak loves her, all of which stoke Sang-yeon’s jealousy. Her provocations stem from this longing for validation. Most often she is secretive, manipulative, and destructive which shows when she sabotages friendships through betrayal and rivalry, steals Eun-jung’s work, among other incidents.

Tragedies accelerate her decline. Her brother Sang-hak’s suicide leads to divorce, poverty, and her mother’s eventual cancer. Overshadowed by her brother’s memory and by Eun-jung’s growing importance in her life, Sang-yeon spirals further. In college, she joins the photography club too late to win Kim Sang-hak, fueling regret and obsession. As a working adult, she is ruthless: sleeping with a director, stealing projects to launch her company, and forcing unethical compromises on staff before quitting under pressure.

Her manipulative streak peaks when she steals Eun-jung’s film project, but later revealed that this act stemmed from desperation to prove herself, not just malice, adding nuance to her character.

Her pancreatic cancer diagnosis mirrors her mother’s illness, deepening her fear of losing control and driving her to seek euthanasia as a way to reclaim agency.

Flawed, selfish, and destructive, yet painfully human, Sang-yeon embodies the tragedy of unhealed wounds and unrequited longing.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

I have to say this drama left me in a reflective haze after finishing. It's one of those stories that doesn't just entertain; it burrows into your soul and makes you question the messy threads of your own relationships.

Philosophically, the show burrows deep. It made me think about how envy and loss can warp us into unrecognizable versions of ourselves, how the people we resent most often reflect the parts of us we lack. It’s Nietzsche’s abyss refracted through friendship: stare too long at your insecurities, and they consume you. Yet the drama insists redemption doesn’t come from erasing the past, but from choosing compassion in the face of it.

What I learned here is that forgiveness isn’t for the offender, but it’s freedom for yourself. Grudges are stones in the chest; only by letting go can you breathe. And lastly, pride is an illusion; chase it too long and you end up alone, begging for connection at the end.

The last episode was undeniably sad, yet achingly beautiful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s melodramatic yet deeply human, heavy yet strangely liberating.

I don’t regret a single scene. If anything, it made me want to text an old friend I’d drifted from, just to say, “Hey.” Because if this drama shows us anything, it’s that love and hate aren’t opposites. They’re entangled threads, woven across decades, impossible to fully untangle. And that’s what makes them endure.

Tysm for reading!

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decent.

Overall, this drama was… just okay for me. The beginning was fine, nothing too special, but around episode 6 it suddenly got really fun and strong. I enjoyed that part a lot! But sadly, at the end, I felt kind of bored… I started skipping ahead just to finish faster T_T

My feelings are really mixed. First couple was cute, the pacing was good, and I liked how Seheon was not only passive but actually stood up for himself sometimes. That was nice to see. But honestly… the second couple was the one who caught my heart. I always find stories about internalized homophobia interesting, especially when it comes out as anger or violence toward the person you actually care about. It feels very real and painful. Their relationship had so much potential, but drama didn’t give enough time for them. I really wish they got their own focus instead of just being side story. Also… too many dead-fish kisses. Please, at least look like you want to kiss!

If the second couple was not here, my rating would be much lower. I had fun overall, but the side couple completely stole the whole show for me. Bonus point: I also liked the A Shoulder to Cry On cameo in the beginning! I didn’t expect it, so it was nice surprise.

Last thoughts, it could have been good! I say this about many lackluster series, but I did really enjoy watching the show. If only it gave us more time....

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The female lead doesn’t deserve the criticism she’s been getting.

My favorite drama this summer. The acting is solid, the production is polished, and while some may find the costumes a bit flashy, they actually fit the setting. The show delivers a clear message throughout. Some of the fight scenes are super cool, and the soundtrack is absolutely on point.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about people dropping the drama because of the female lead, but I personally find her setup reasonable. She’s actually the most clear-headed female lead I’ve seen in a book-transmigration storyline. For an ordinary person suddenly thrown into a fictional world, you can’t really expect them to treat the characters as if they were real people.

That said, the male lead’s character is perhaps too well written — he’s often the one suffering, his inner struggles are well portrayed, and his tragic backstory is fleshed out, while the female lead’s past and inner world remain underdeveloped. This imbalance makes many viewers feel more sympathy for him and resent her.

One strong point of the drama is its supporting cast, especially the female lead’s father, whose character is well crafted.

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One of my favourites

After watching so many BLs with zero chemistry and actors who look like they want to run away from the set, finally We Best Love came and saved me. It really broke the streak and honestly went straight onto my list of all-time favorites.

Even before I passed the first 10 minutes, I already knew I would like it. Rivals to lovers is my absolute weakness. Every time I eat it up like crazy. And wow, the chemistry between Shou Yi and Shi De… maybe the best I’ve ever seen. Their acting made me forget this was even a drama. Usually when actors are stiff, I start thinking things like, “Ah, how embarrassing must it have been to film this scene?” But here I was just fully inside the story, like I was watching real life. And thank god, no dead-fish kisses! They kissed like people who were really in love, which is unfortunately so rare in bls. That alone made me so happy I wanted to clap.

I loved both of them so much, but honestly, Sam Lin stole my heart. He was shining the whole time. Please, someone cast him again as a BL main lead. He is too handsome, it actually hurts. T_T

I can’t even nitpick.. I tried to think of something negative to balance my review, but nothing comes. My mind is empty. We Best Love is just amazing, that’s it!

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Good soundtracks

Those who once enjoyed Love Between Fairy and Devil will likely find this drama appealing, as the storyline is quite similar. Both feature a charismatic, all-powerful male lead and a lazy, somewhat silly female lead.

It’s also understandable why the drama didn’t gain much popularity, even though the original novel was said to rank among the top in China. This type of storyline feels outdated. Viewers who prefer something simple, romance-focused, and not too deep will probably enjoy When Destiny Brings the Demon.

However, the weakness lies in the supporting cast. Just like in Love Between Fairy and Devil, the side characters are rather underwhelming. In fact, this drama handles them even worse — they lack depth and almost feel like NPCs whose sole purpose is to push the plot forward. At times, their actions come across as foolish and lacking any sense of humanity.

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Disappointing

Adaptations always involve changes, but this one cut away everything that made He Yan deserving of the title Female General—her resilience after devastating loss, her grit, and her brilliance on the battlefield. What’s left are speeches about “women can do it all,” without the actions to prove it.
The book Xiao Jue is so cold at the beginning, but there are obvious reasons. We get a hero worth swooning over eventually when he gets to know the FL. Here the writers seems to think just him staring at her with his good looks should have been enough for us.
This was the author’s best novel. Unlike some of his other works, where most women besides the heroine are cast as venomous, here it was much less so, which I appreciated. The strategic scenes were also written with logic, and He Yan’s victories felt earned and exhilarating. By comparison, the drama’s battles and schemes come across as shallow, which feels unfair to both the author and fans of the original work.

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For audiences who purely enjoy the detective/crime-solving genre.

The drama The Wanted Detective feels like a less remarkable version of Mysterious Lotus Casebook. The male lead investigates cases, gets poisoned, is skilled in martial arts, and is falsely accused.

Although the production is fairly polished, it’s understandable why the drama didn’t gain much popularity in China. While both shows focus on solving cases and uncovering deeper conspiracies, Mysterious Lotus Casebook stands out because each case is independent, with its own storyline and foreshadowing that eventually tie into the final mystery. In contrast, The Wanted Detective essentially revolves around a single overarching case from beginning to end, with the smaller cases serving only to lead to the ultimate mastermind.

Another drawback lies in the chemistry between the male and female leads. Despite their supposed romantic relationship, their on-screen interaction feels weak.

One strength of the drama, especially for longtime viewers of Chinese series, is the supporting cast. Many of the roles are played by seasoned and familiar veteran actors, which elevates the overall acting quality.

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It was ART: a beautiful story, but Shu He's character development was questionable

I loved it, the cinematography, OST, characters, dialogues, everything was great. A must watch.

BUT for some reason many seem to dismiss the inconsistency in Shu He's character and blame Duan Zi for everything.

If anything Shu He was the red flag, not the other way around. Shu He turned out to be quite "patriotic" for someone who never cared about politics.

First things first, what was up with returning that presented string to the Crown Prince and giving him cold shoulder after he returned from battle? He gave his insecure brother all the wrong signals to be suspicious of him and never even properly talked to him.
I can understand why he would choose to stay behind and not follow Duan Zi during the rebellion, I understand why he felt betrayed upon learning Duan Zi's origin, but if you think deeper, he himself used Duan Zi and whatever Duan Zi's lie was, he actually had all the reasons to harm South Hi's clan for losing his family and being forced into becoming a Red Shadow Guard since childhood. Yet he put Shu He first and didn't kill any of them up untill that scene at the bridge. Keep in mind, that a person who was devoid of a normal household and was trained to kill, held back.
Yet Shu He still holds Duan Zi accountable for his brother's and even father's death for 5 years - Duan Zu literally killed the Crown Prince after he lunged forward swinging his sword to put Shu He out of his "misery." And the Prince himself killed his own father. So Shu He wanting to "atone" for his unstable brother that wanted to disable him and in the end hurt his hand, framed him and wanted to kill him makes little sense. I understand their bond, and I'm not simplifying Crown Prince's character or their dynamics, but hating Duan Zi all those years and refusing his letters doesn't make. Why doesnt he also hate his brother for killing his father? More importantly revenging a DYING person also doesn't make sense - I can see why Shu He wanted to die, but there're many ways to queitly die without traumatizing "the love of his life". He once mentioned failing he protect his mother, himself and Duan Zi, but turned out to be the only person who actually hurt Duan Zi. He harbored ill will towards no one for any wrongdoings, except for Duan Zi. As if it's easy to confess that you were trained to become an assasin.

I loved all 5 main characters and their stories, almost all of them made many mistakes and were complicated, and all of them carry the reaponsibility for their choices. But Shu He shifted all the blame on Duan Zi up untill the very end. Shu He was the one that lacked coherence and purpose the most - he was like a poison both to the Crown Prince and Duan Zi.

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Best drama of 2025

After a cdrama slump for a year i stumbled upon this drama on Viki. Usually i get bored during thefirst 10 minutes but this drama is the only one in years where i didnt have to fast forward anything at all for all 30 episodes. I especially love the feminist themes throughout the drama and the underlying message that you dont need no man to save you. I find it refreshing in this drama that the FL saves the ML many times throughout instead of the usual damsel in distress dramas.

The pacing is great except for the last few episodes where i did ffwd. The ost is wonderful.

Now i have to say i was truly mesmorized by Xiao Jue and its because of the wonderful acting performed by an actor I have not seen before Cheng Lei!!! Omg this actor had me hooked in episode 1 the moment he appeared on screen. He just played Xiao Jues character to the T. His micro expressions are just wow. Because his character starts of as a very cold intimidating general he does this perfectly but also we get to see the cracks im his demeanour as he falls in love with He Yan, the fl and it was just so nice to watch. I definitely was gigling throughout those scenes of him trying to suppress his jealousy lol.

I also really liked zhou ye. Shes such a loveable actress and really played her role quite well. She had amazing chemistry with cheng lei.
The side characters were great as well. My favourite would be the training at the army.
Overall best drama of the year. I will miss my power couple so much.

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At the end we're all humans ruled by our emotions

I usually don't like watching modern dramas but after When Destiny Brings the Demon I got interested in Arthur Chen and decided to give it a shot. It has become one of my favourite dramas to date.


I admit, I have a type of ML that I like. I'm attracted to capable people who have confidence in themselves and their abilities. But even more so, Li Xun has touched me as someone who is not always perfect, not always considerate of the feelings of others but always strives to do his best, whether to help in his own way or to prevent others from feeling his own pain. He's a bit clumsy with it however, he doesn't realise that people will feel pain for him.

I think a lot of people say he's a red flag. But i think in this society, everyone strives to be seen as perfect. Not just in looks but also public image. But I would like to ask, how do you view yourselves?

Perhaps I relate to this ML because sometimes it's hard to play these people games. Sometimes I know I'm selfish, i can be immature, i can be stubborn and opinionated. We are humans and we have faults. But like what the FL said, it's easy to stand from afar and criticise without understanding it from the person's point of view. If I had undergone what Li Xun experienced in his youth, I'm not sure if I could stand as strong as he, and for that I really admire this character.

Some criticised him for shouting at others, for hurting the FL with his words, for only caring about the bigger picture and not the feelings of others. He's a realist. He is forced to be, because of his situation. Who has not felt overwhelming rage, enough to let you lose all rational thought? Or overwhelming sadness and guilt over decisions that you cannot ever take back that resulted in circumstances beyond your control? If you have never experienced such things, bless your lucky life, please cherish it.

Overall, the couple is cute. I like both of them. They support each other come what may and always try their best for each other. it's rare to ever find people like the both of them in today's society.

I think it always serves as a reminder to not judge a book by its cover. You don't know what the other person has gone through. I hope seeing FL's mother in the show, people would be able to reflect and understand that people have their reasons sometimes. It might not produce a result you agree with, but we are human, not AI. We come into the world with a blank page and fill it with our experiences gained. We don't always make the wisest decisions and we might get emotional but our intentions might not be bad. As someone who has always been misunderstood by friends and family because I'm not good with words... i understand this ML too well.

Anyway, i'm giving this a perfect score. I enjoyed the journey thoroughly and will be rewatching the cute parts definitely for serotonin (:

May Li Xuns and Zhu Yuns of today live great lives that contribute to changing the world for the better.

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How Many Whale Videos Do You Want? Yes!

What a story! The storyline is so ordinary and give us a big awareness on people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as inequality treatment towards people with disability. I personally think the overall storyline is a bit harsh for a "slice of life", but then it's maybe always this harsh for people with special condition like her. This show features different cases on almost every episode, and I like that the outcome is so ordinary and not always favorable for Young U. The strong friendship is a feature in this show, and the loveline is not overecsatic. Does it require the character an ASD to have a calmer love story?

It must be difficult for Park Eun Bin to play such "special" character, but at the end she delivers it fantastically. The other casts add a great combination to the show, especially Kang Ki Young with some silly things he often pulls. Additionally, most of the characters get a good character development.

While this show has a great highlight on the person with ASD story, it somehow takes toll on the story details. They didn't imply what is the actual beef between Han Seon Yeong and Tae Su Mi, that the former has to use Yeong U as her weapon to "attack" the latter. It is also unknown what happens to Min U that causes his change of heart. On the Children Liberation Army's case, there is a big chance to bring up more message, but they decided to skip the verdict. On the Lottery Ticket Case, Yeong U is told that Ms. Sung gets all the lottery prize amount of 1.1 billion as inheritance. This should be incorrect because her husband has spent all the lottery prize on the car which has been written off in the crash so there is nothing to inherit.

I personally think the final episode doesn't give proper closure. Young U gets a proper closure, and although vague but it's a assumable closure for Myeong Seok, Su Yeon and Min U. However it's questionable what is aftermath for Su Mi, what causes her sudden change of heart, and her relationship with Yeong U, Gwang Ho and Seon Yeong.

On the conclusion, this is a good show because it's heartwarming and has a fresh, unique concept idea.

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