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Surprisingly enjoyable
I skipped on this when it came out because I was watching the Early Spring. But for lack of any interesting Kdramas recently, I decided to give it a go.If you just want to watch something entertaining without overthinking, this one's for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I wouldn't know if this qualifies a dark comedy, but some scenes had me laughing.
I would recommend this if the genre is your type....
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Loving it.
I’m absolutely loving the drama so far. I really loved The Early Spring, but I feel like this drama, even after the first three episodes, hasn’t wasted a single second. I think it’s really well constructed and has a very good story.The plot basically carries itself, It stands on its own and doesn’t need to rely on unnecessary things to keep you interested. The actress is really good, and honestly, the cast in general is great.
The story makes sense. It feels human and realistic, like something that could actually happen in real life. And the reason why the female lead wants to get to where the male lead is makes so much sense to me, and I love that. I feel like their relationship is going to develop very organically.
So far, I’m absolutely loving it. I think it’s like The Early Spring on steroids, maybe even more mature. I really hope it keeps going like this because I have a lot of faith in this drama.
I also think that having such a strong, independent female lead, with a clear goal in mind, gives us some much-needed variety among all the C-dramas that have been coming out lately. Because, unfortunately, we also fall into — and enjoy — this idea that the female lead has to be rescued by the prince, the male lead. But I’d also love to see more stories that reflect real life, where there are women who are incredible, independent, confident, and clearly value and prioritize themselves.
And I think this drama touches on a really important topic: what it’s like to grow professionally in an industry that can be very male-dominated and difficult to navigate, especially when you don’t come from a wealthy family and didn’t graduate from a prestigious university. I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to.
So I’m really, really hoping this drama continues to grow and develop. I have a lot of faith in it. I’m really looking forward to episode four because I think it’s already very good and has so much potential.
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An Emotional Historical K-Drama That I Loved From Start to Finish ❤️
I absolutely loved The Murky Stream and enjoyed every single episode. From the very beginning, the drama pulled me into its world and kept me invested until the end. The storyline was fascinating, emotional, and filled with enough twists, tension, and character development to make every episode feel meaningful. There were so many moments that genuinely made me feel for the characters, and the drama took me through a complete emotional rollercoaster. I loved how the story balanced its darker moments with the emotional relationships between the characters, making the whole experience even more memorable.Ro-woon was fantastic in his role, and I really loved watching his character develop throughout the story. His acting brought a lot of emotion and depth to the character, especially during the more intense and heartbreaking moments. Shin Ye-eun was equally amazing, and I absolutely loved her character and her performance. The two of them brought so much life to the story, and their performances were a huge part of what made me enjoy the drama so much. The entire cast did a great job, but Ro-woon and Shin Ye-eun especially stood out to me.
What surprised me even more is that The Murky Stream is only my fourth historical K-drama, and I ended up loving it so much. I normally haven't watched many dramas in this genre, but the story, characters, emotions, action, and overall atmosphere made this one such an enjoyable experience for me. It never felt like I was watching it simply because it was a historical drama. I became genuinely invested in what was happening and cared about where the characters and story would go. The emotional moments hit hard, and there were plenty of scenes that stayed with me even after finishing the episodes.
Overall, The Murky Stream was a fantastic watch for me, and I genuinely loved all the episodes. The storyline, cast, acting, emotions, and historical setting all came together beautifully, and it left me wanting more. After finishing it, I honestly found myself wishing for Season 2 because I would love to see more of this world and these characters. This was only my fourth historical K-drama, but it has definitely made me want to explore more dramas from the genre. A beautiful, emotional, intense, and memorable watch that I really loved. ❤️
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A Sweet and Surprisingly Enjoyable Watch
I didn’t have particularly high expectations before watching this, and at first, I thought the premise felt a lot like Bad Buddy: two neighboring families who hate each other and raise their kids to hate the neighbors’ kids as well, only for them to eventually fall in love.However, the show turned out to be really enjoyable and pleasant to watch. I have to highlight Teshow, who was such a pleasant surprise here. I really enjoyed his performance, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
It was also nice to see Ping playing a fresh and different kind of character, and I think he did a really good job with it. Overall, this was a surprisingly charming show that I ended up enjoying much more than I expected.
P.S.: When did Chimon become so sexy?
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Not Bad, Good but Average
Overall, I have no major problems with the whole series. It has those typical exaggerated reactions you see in Japanese shows, but considering it's adapted from a manga, that's to be expected. I think it also aligns with their conservative nature, keeping it true to the manga's vibe.But above everything else, I’d rate it somewhere just below "good." It’s definitely not bad, but it’s not fully good either. The affection between the characters is clearly there, but my main problem is that I just couldn't fully immerse myself in it. Whether it was the story, the characters, or everything put together, it just didn't pull me in.
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Unique but familiar undertones
When I first heard of this plot I was surprised because it felt really different than the other elements. It sounded nice and the series was really different than I expected but it had a few downsides as well. I pretty much liked most of it. It's funny because I do have some very negative points of improvement on this series even if I absolutely loved it. I found it hard to binge watch the water and the earth but this one?? It was very easy to binge watch because it was actually fun and the plot is extremely creative.I'm against the use of ai in any sort of way but I am even more heavy on this when it's used during cultural/traditional moments. I feel like the use of ai is lazy and in this part especially, there was no reason for use of ai. What makes me really mad is during the Lakhon Nai (if I use the right term) performance, on the back, there was an ai generated 'place in the air' with what looks like temples. It seems to me that they tried to portray Trāyastriṃśa. It's an absolute shame they used ai for this. I'm genuinely mad this time, unlike other times where I'm just irritated. Also the outside of the palace was ai generated... Can't believe we're now at the time where they use AI to show off culture...
One of the things I often notice about GL is the way the characters easily fall in love without a proper build up. Especially in North Star entertainment. Although I like couples being fully green flags, there is just something that makes it sort of boring. I'm someone who loves Angst but the only angst happening is outside the couple. No relationship struggles, barely homophobia struggles and more. It just misses something. I'm totally not blaming FreenBecky. I think it might be a bit because of Fuse Kittisak, because this was the same case in the loyal pin. Don't get me wrong, Fuse is an amazing director, it's just all the work I've seen him involved in being this way. It's not super surprising how it gives of the same vibe because both the loyal pin and the four elements have been screenwriter by Tinna Simapaisal.
I feel like Thai production of gl or bl doesn't get praised enough. I am amazed by the shots and editing. Wasupol edited My Sweetheart Joe as well and there's something about this editing style that makes it feel very fluent if you understand what I mean. It's super easy on the eye. Also Salmon is an amazing novelist and I'm happy they chose their stories. And I'm also surprised that Ui Chatchai is the Production Designer. He did amazing stuff but mostly for gmmtv! He's just an amazing Art director and it's nice seeing him as Production Designer for once.
FreenBecky are adorable. I really love their acting skills and they're always so lovely to each other. They both really suit each other's visuals. I feel like FreenBecky were absolutely cut for these roles. They both fit the whole concept sooo well. Even more than in the loyal pin. Seeing Freen as a sort of like princess again is amazing and Becky being her bodyguard ughhh. I feel like Becky has the perfect visuals as a bodyguard and I love how protective she is towards Blew.
The plot is very original and completely different than the other elements so far (I've seen every but fire). I actually made a slight mistake before watching it, thinking it might be about the past but it's about a princess. They did nice on the plot but it could'e been better after like episode 5. It kinda got a bit boring and dramatic. Although I'm being critical I still think it was an easy watch and I loved the story and production. I really hope FreenBecky will get a different type of relationship in another drama though....
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Amazing cast, my heart aches in a good way
This drama will awaken something in you. From the beautiful cast and incredible acting to the emotional storyline, there is so much to love about it.The plot is interesting, layered, and full of moments that will stay with you long after you finish watching. It is one of those stories that shows how deep love can be. Sometimes, the beauty of a drama comes from experiencing the entire story, including the heartbreak, sacrifices, unexpected turns, and bittersweet moments along the way.
The cast was absolutely beautiful, and the acting made the emotions feel so real.
And of course, I have to mention Liu Xueyi! I LOVE Liu Xueyi so much! His presence on screen is always something special, and he brought so much depth and emotion to his role. He has a way of making even the quietest moments feel meaningful, and I could honestly watch him in anything
Overall, this drama is in my top 5 best ever.
Beautiful cast. Great acting. An emotional and interesting plot. A story that stays with you.
My heart aches but feels love.
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Super fun, cute and worth watching
I feel like this is actually super fun and worth watching! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Please note it is not a documentary on airline operations, but it is an addictive high-flying romance with a focus on its female lead's career goals with respect.The series is fast-paced. It's important to remember that while she was initially cold and sharp-tongued, she was right about him. At the start, he was prejudiced against her and disrespected her with harsh words and actions. He deserved it, and she gave him a taste of his own medicine.
He too realized quickly that he was wrong about his judgement and made amends. His character grows when he falls for the FL fully knowing about her career oriented ambitions and also her emotions and trauma from growing up alone. I felt ML was soft and indulgent towards her because of this. And of course he had an excellent upbringing.
Although love story in the plot starts out
far-fetched, as the story progresses, the relationship grows into something genuinely meaningful, realistic, and emotionally deep. The FL faced many hardships, setbacks, rejections on her path to success. Despite her flaws, she is a hardworking, determined woman who is passionate about her career, strives to do her best, and refuses to compromise her morals or beliefs to get ahead. She is a deeply traumatised person, abandoned by her mother, afraid of being too attached to other people, of letting dependance on other people make her vulnerable. She is a woman with self-worth who doesn't touch a penny sent by her estranged mother, instead, works extremely hard to realize her dreams step by step. Therefore it will be too unrealistic to show her as someone who makes compromises and sacrifices readily and suddenly to accommodate love. She has only just started her career as a pilot and has a long way to go to. She does realize slowly and gradually how much ML does for her and what he means to her and then she stops running away from her emotions and reciprocates his love. This is more realistic. Sure her words are hurtful but it's more of a defence than a true intent to hurt.
The reason for breaking up with him too was in a way to protect his position and for him to make successful reforms. The board members were already making a huge fuss of their relationship and making things so difficult for ML. Obviously someone with a childhood trauma like her might avoid things and outcomes out of fear and end up with this extreme mindset: "I'll just focus on my career and ditch everything else."
I really liked the directing where they showed FL and ML emotions when they saw the empty apartment she vacated. While she saw an empty place with just furniture, he saw a place filled with their memories. And then when she met her ex college mate as he was talking about what he can do by being in her life she realized what ML did already in her life. That was the turning point. She came back emotionally strong and her love deep for ML. She just needed to confront her own feelings during that time which she did.
And the proposals which followed were so sweet and the wedding was so beautiful and apt!
The visuals, music, and vibes are all on point. Every character feels real and grows throughout the story. If you look past the surface when watching a drama, focus on the core vibes instead, watch without skipping or skimming, it's a thoughtful, quality drama worth watching.
Miles's acting was amazing as always and he just puts my mind at ease every time. He's handsome as always, super steady, and gives off such a reassuring vibe. His expressions convey everything. FL is good too.
That scene where Fu Mingy took a flight just to show the FL the sun rising in the west by piloting a plane westward at a speed faster than the earth's rotation, thereby reversing the timeline of dusk, causing the sun to "rise" back up over the western horizon cracked me up 😂😂 Fu is very clever! There are so many laugh-out-loud moments that I will definitely be coming back to this often for a boost ☺️💖
PS- This is my first ever review for a drama ☺️
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Best C-Drama of the 2026!
Finally, a C-drama that is thoughtfully done with a stellar cast. Kudos to the director and script-writer for providing us with such an amazing female leads, and frankly all the characters are great! What I love about this drama is it's focus on story-telling and having the characters be true to their nature, rather than doing illogical things just to advance the plot. It doesn't pander or insult the intelligence of the audience nor does it give in to tropes that so many lazier productions have done. It portrays the lives of women during these times and the constraints they lived in from the rich and influential to the lowly maid. There is a lot of nuances in scenes which makes me want to turnaround and rewatch. If one is looking for hot romance or fast paced action, this is not the drama. In this drama, you get to smell the roses and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. You get to know the characters and care about them, not just the female and male leads. Highly recommended if you are starved for intelligently made C-dramas lately.Was this review helpful to you?
Modern Office Romance
Before getting into the negatives, I have to say that I really enjoyed this drama overall. The main couple is a great pairing, and their chemistry works really well. Their complicated, undefined relationship was handled surprisingly well from beginning to end. I also really appreciated how the drama addressed the time skips instead of leaving us confused as viewers.That being said, I sometimes wished Luan Nian’s communication skills were better. He can come across as quite harsh and, at times, a little arrogant towards Shang Zitao.
What bothered me the most was that, throughout the show, he never really seemed to see Shang Zitao as his equal. He often gave off the impression that he was somehow above her, which doesn’t sit right with me considering that they’re re in a relationship. Even when Shang Zitao did something wrong, he would often call her words like “dumb” or “cheap” instead of trying to communicate with her and show her a different perspective - Like, you’re her partner act like it and lose the attitude! 😭
I understand that he isn’t the best with words, but I honestly think he falls short there quite a lot.
Another thing I still don’t understand is how their parents never met over the course of six years. I understand that their relationship wasn’t official, but after six years, you would think the people closest to them would know about each other. What also bothered me was how they decided they to keep their relationship private for so long, eventually deciding to only meet on weekends — and most of the time only in the evenings. For six years?! That is crazy to me. 😭
I also wish the drama had explored their future together more. They never really had a deeper conversation about what they wanted their future to look like or what they expected from each other. Shang Zitao mentioned that she had a bucket list of things she wanted to accomplish, but that part was never really explored further. I would have loved to see more of that side of their relationship throughout the show but we got that closure in the end so it’s fine.
Overall, I’d give it an 8/10. It has a great storyline, actual plot, likeable characters, and a beautiful OST. I also really loved how they showed us previously unseen clips of conversations near the end of the drama. Those little details made the storytelling even more enjoyable.
Despite the things that bothered me, I enjoyed watching this one. 💗
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I love this concept
I really loved the whole concept of having a doctor who is a CIPA patient. It was different and I wish there was a second season. I enjoyed seeing the people Dr. Cha helped come back around to help him when he needed it too. Showing that patient's don't care about him having CIPA they care that he is competent. It almost makes you sad that there aren't a lot of doctors like that in reality.I always find the conversations surrounding euthanasia interesting too. I know that in the show the lawyer goes on about it being considered murder, but no one ever considers it murder when
: a doctor takes too long to diagnose a patient and they die or misdiagnose a patient causing death. Take for example the MMA fighter incident if he had died due to being giving the wrong medication no one would consider that murder even though technically speaking it is. Dr. Cha explains the concept of euthanasia really well and how doctors need to strive to find the root cause to give the right treatment.
If I had any complaints about the show there would be only one. I wish that it had been reported on the news what that nurse had done. I think she should have been punished by the law for forging the signature. I also don't understand how she was allowed to even get a job there considering she was the parent of the victim and only wanted to see the person responsible for her child's death suffer. The reality is Dr. Cha only got punished because she forged a signature and made a fuss over the euthanasia just because she want that guy to suffer. The fact she didn't get punished for her crimes was really the only thing that didn't sit well with me.
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Great Start Becomes Cliché and Boring
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.I watched this for the cast. Unfortunately, this drama reminded me of how I felt when watching My Dearest Nemesis or maybe even Destined With You...it’s cliché and boring.
Acting/Cast: The cast is great and I have no issue with the acting itself. However, the male lead’s personality was a little all over the place. He’s a badass fighter, a scaredy-cat (when it comes to ghosts), super sweet and childlike...it’s almost as if his personality is whatever the female lead needs at the time. His acting feels really forced at times, but this is probably more of a writing/directing issue. This is the first time I didn’t like a role played by Yang Se Jong (양세종). Also, I’ve come to the conclusion that Park Eun Bin (박은빈), who plays the female lead, doesn’t pick the best dramas to star in. She’s a good actress...but not good enough to save some of these dramas she’s in. 7/10
Writing: I’m so disappointed...it could be worse though. The ending could have been bad, too. This drama started off very interesting and entertaining. I really liked the premise: the female lead is cursed with seeing ghosts and whoever she touches will see them, too (for a month). There was an emphasis on her loneliness because of the curse and people misunderstanding her, which they did a good job in portraying. She had a fiancé that left her because he couldn’t handle the curse. The male lead is terrified of the supernatural (even though he’s a crime fighter, basically) and I thought the drama was going to be about him wanting to be with her despite the consequences. It starts that way, but it doesn’t end that way. What I wanted to happen was for them to be a crime fighting duo that solves murder mysteries together (since the female lead is also good at fighting for some reason). That doesn’t happen. Actually, the leads being good at fighting only comes into play at the beginning of the drama. Instead, the drama is all about the female lead and the problems with her family and business (she's a CEO) and the male lead helps her. It’s not terrible...it’s just…what about the ghosts? The ghost thing only lasts for about the first half of the drama and then disappears with no explanation. They’re gone because they don’t need them to push the story along I guess. I hated this so much. I wanted to drop the drama. They exchanged the supernatural plot point of the drama for some really boring dating montages. Probably the worst I’ve seen (aside from The Third Charm). Also, a ton of PPL. I was bored to tears. I thought that a reason for this drastic change in the second half could be that the writers were overly focused on making the male lead as much of a green flag as possible for the female lead (maybe trying to recapture the perfect green flag male lead in Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo, which stars the same female lead). It came across as a bit cringey and forced and may be why it backfired for some viewers who felt a lack of chemistry between the leads. Fortunately, there is a somewhat interesting twist towards the end (although it really doesn’t even matter) and the ghosts show up again. Also, the ending was actually decent despite how badly written this drama was in the second half, so I wasn’t as upset as I could have been about not dropping this drama. 2.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The production value is good. The special effects for the supernatural stuff is well done. I saw a drop in quality in the second half with the stupid dating scenes, but that’s about it. The OST is pretty good. I particularly liked the film scores. I remember thinking that multiple times while watching. It reminded me of something I would hear in a well-produced Hollywood movie. 7/10
Entertainment Value: The first half was fun, but I became depressed watching this because of how disappointed I was with the change up in the second half. The ending lessened my pain a bit. I should have just dropped this drama. I kept telling myself ‘It’s only 12 episodes’… 2/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 3.5/10. Technically it should be a 4.5, but the disappointment I felt while watching this and the desire to drop it made me want to rank it lower. I like the initial premise, but there’s so much going on in this drama and I think they just couldn’t juggle it all very well. And why don’t they ever plan the PPL quota better? Spread it out during the entire drama...don’t put it all in 1 or 2 episodes.
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can you sew the plot holes with those threads ?
- the main characters are adorable and likeable [✔️]- love story consistent and great chemistry [✔️]
- interesting concept and supernatural elements [✔️]
- interesting side characters that have some depth [✔️]
- the show ends neatly with all questions answered and problems solved [✖️]
honestly why??
it beats me why writers don’t finish up what they started…
obvious question is why he is the only one to see threads?? until the end where we find out that other people can also see thread?? wth? so now why do some people see threads while others don’t? and actually why isn’t the professor paying more attention to this and studying this phenomenon ?? we could’ve gotten the answers that way writers!!!
and why did chiakai suddenly lose his ability to see the threads and then it magically came back again?? don’t tell me it’s because of love, no like what’s the actual reason?? wouldn’t that mean that seeing threads depends on certain factors or environments? wouldn’t that mean that it could be a temporary power that is able to be shut down?
….
it is an artistic expression to let these questions stay unanswered as a way to keep the conversation going but at the same time it makes the show feel more empty ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ than fulfilling….
you started this story and built this universe, but why should i, the watcher, end it?
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WHOEVER COMPOSED THE SOUNDTRACK IS A GENIUS
WHAT I LIKED- The soundtrack alone is enough to creep me out. It’s very eerie and perfectly complements the dark theme of the series.
- The antagonist is a formidable serial killer.
- The villain is great at acting, or perhaps he really does have multiple personalities.
WHAT I DISLIKED
- Aside from the female detective, every other detective is useless. They don’t use their brains and can’t even be bothered to do their jobs. There are clues, no matter how small, that point to the possibility of serial murders. There is a clear pattern, yet they chose to ignore it and call everything a "coincidence".
- The ending is disappointing and very anticlimactic. There’s no real resolution, they basically just left him free to continue his killing spree.
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don’t watch if you want suspense
this is more on the funny and light side of police shows (not that it is something bad, it’s a matter of taste).i enjoy suspense and police action so this show was honestly a miss for me. i enjoyed it and fell in love with takoi and his personality but the lack of suspense was a huge turn off for me. not that there is no action, it is just not the main focus of the show and the action is honestly only there to make the couple get closer..
the beginning of the show was great. the character introduction and first interactions and the falling in love part was well done. but sometimes it felt like something was missing. the characters were there but it felt like there was no depth at all. maybe i was expecting more from a show that isn’t all about depth idk
another huge reason for my disinterest was the plot of omaeda… he is a corrupt cop that works with gangs (that’s what i understood), why would he actually commit a crime in the open and risk his illegal work just because his crush doesn’t like him??
genuine question: why do filmmakers make a whole character’s personality and existence only to the benefit of the main couple?
i could think of many ways of how takoi and shiono could make up without having omaeda turn into a villain and a kidnapping to occur. it honestly pisses me off that shiono’s brother in law plot had more depth than omaeda’s…
they honestly missed me by not giving him a few more lines and a backstory for me to understand his sudden villainous behaviour.
other than that, the other characters were mostly forgettable… especially the friends at the police station… they had no unique character depth or features other than being friends with the main character..
i understand that a short show would have to remove some details to focus on the couple but then again why even mention or show these characters if they change or add nothing to the story..
verdict: the scriptwriter(s) and director(s) need new jobs
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