Reviews

A Fast Food-like Drama

As usual, I am sharing what someone my age and experience would want to know before watching a rom-com with a happy ending as a dopamine source. Using food as a metaphor, I'd say, “This is a fast-food drama.”

Explaining myself: with fast food, after a repetitive process, anyone with the proper training and sourcing the right ingredients gets food very fast with known quality, an expected, not complex flavor, and immediate satisfaction. The joy is brief; it doesn't do much for your health, and the aftertaste doesn’t last long.

This drama follows the same principle: a safe rom-com that relies on a mechanical, well-performed process, uses proven formulas, and offers little to project onto; you know what you will consume, what you'll receive, it is fast with no complex development, and, in the end, only temporary satisfaction, bringing little to your mental health beyond immediate distraction.

We found the usual self-improvement rom-com, featuring two almost 30-year-old virgins: the dominant CEO with personal traumas, and the nice, innocent, and kind FL, trying to improve herself after living through tons of unfair situations where people took advantage of her kindness, improving thanks to the CEO’s support and transformation.

As expected in the fast food process, here the production selected from the typical scenes to receive good reviews in the make-it-fast rom-com: the “accidental kiss”, the CEO with traumas to be rescued by the FL's kindness, the hardworking FL that overpasses all her coworkers with her smartness, the coworkers insanely supporting the FL, confessions while drunk, the ML appearing out of nowhere to save the FL, the first kiss and first time intimacy for both leads, bad guys being punished, people with wrong behaviors turning friend due to the good dees of the main leads, frequent repetition as memories, the unnecessary breakup and the reconciliation after the life risk of some of the main leads, the temporary split in search of self-improvement of one of the leads, (in this case with difficult-to-understand trip to France after stabilizing their relationship, without thinking about the message to your partner when you want to leave for few months?), the transformations and self-reflection of the other lead to support the dreams, and of course, the last episode’s proposal. I expected the rom-com scenes, but when they are too superficial, it made me feel like something was missing.

Even with the predictable plot, the leads' acting met expectations: the leads had good chemistry, the FL's expressions conveyed the irresistible charm that made the CEO fall in love with her instead of more beautiful and successful women, and the ML showed convincing expressions in his evolution and in how he managed his troubles and setbacks, and in how he slowly fell in love with the FL. Like many Korean dramas, the production was polished with few noticeable flaws. As for the antagonists-turned-friends, they were too stereotyped; at least they weren't portrayed as villains, but as “nice people understanding they had no chance.” The leads’ overly exaggerated friends came across as a cheap attempt at humor rather than genuinely funny. Nothing good to say about the FL’s mother, whose character could be deleted without any impact. The lighting, photography, and direction were good, and the OST supported the scenes as an integral part of them, with a good rhythm and no boring episodes.

In summary, the drama was enjoyable to watch and worked well as light entertainment, as long as you aren't looking for deeper emotions or dramatic situations, you can live with the plot holes, or you need something to connect with personally. It is a standard Korean product from the light rom-com drama factory: a happy ending, proven scenes, little artistry, nothing new to expect, and designed to deliver exactly what viewers want to satisfy the domestic market and foreign fans of Asian dramas. Like fast food, it offers immediate satisfaction through a known flavor and convenience, where you can’t expect a dopamine-lasting sensation that you would get at a good restaurant.

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Worth rewatching.

This is not my first time watching this show, and it probably won’t be the last (I am a sucker for Jang Uk). The number of bad reviews for this season was a shock to me, actually; I, too, find the first season better, but not for the reasons many stated here.

The common feedback seems to be: “the first actress was better!” and “there is no romantic chemistry!”. As those are subjective interpretations, I will just say that, to me, Lee Jae Wook can even develop chemistry with a wall. And for the second actress, I think her acting is good. Not better or worse than the first one, just good overall (I also like Jung So Min, but I wouldn’t call her acting in part one “peak” as many reviews here do. I mean, her “I-know-something-you-don’t” face was basically the 😏 emoji)

No, the real problem with this season is the writing. First, let me address the strong points before I start to break down the failed details: Throughout every Hong Sisters’ show, I always find the strong character development to be a fixed constant – which is also true in part 2 of AoS. As much as people might not like Naksu and Jang Uk’s new personalities, they are perfectly fitting as a follow-up to part 1’s finale. Jang Uk is a depressed mess, having been stabbed by his one true love, and Naksu now has a more “gleeful” aspect, having forgotten all the tragedies of her past.

HOWEVER… The plot. Where is it? If you asked me what the protagonist's main goal was at the start of this season, I would have a hard time responding. Jang Uk wanted to die, and Bu Yeon wanted to escape her prison. Okay, she achieves her objective in episode two, and Jang Uk never really does anything about getting her to develop her powers so that she could remove the Ice Stone from inside him. That’s why we, the audience, keep anxiously expecting the moment when they’re going to realize that Bu Yeon is actually Naksu. But when they do, nothing changes. This information does nothing to enhance or move the story in another direction. All we are watching is Jang Uk and Naksu falling in love again, which, don’t get me wrong, I love and find super cute, but I can understand that it may feel like a gigantic filler, especially when the ending of part 1 was so impactful.

And what even is Jin Mu’s objective? Why would ANYONE volunteer to be a soul shifter when, day in and day out, we see them running wild and getting petrified? They SAY that is because the rich can be rich forever, young forever, powerful forever, blah blah blah… But we never really see this taking place. None of Jin Mu’s followers has ever seen a successful case of someone who’s been through the alchemy of souls and whose life became better afterwards. You could argue that Master Lee is an example, but it only worked nicely because he shifted into a dead body. None of Jin Mu’s soul-shiftings did that.

Seo Yul’s storyline was the one that made the least sense. He finds out Bu Yeon is Naksu, and his first thought is to die together? Why, my good guy? Why would you not say a single thing to anyone about the pain you were suffering FOR THREE WHOLE YEARS? Was So-i sending you medicine from the capital to the North Fortress all this time? Is mail a thing in Daeho? When she figured out that there was a cure, why would you still not do anything about it? (Speaking of So-i, we can all agree she was the most plot-devicey character ever made in this entire show, yes? Okay then.)

About the two-ish final episodes: I have different opinions from my first and second viewing. The first time I watched it, I was too deep into the story to wonder why all that was even happening. This time, however, it hit differently. Once I reached the part where Jang Uk and Naksu recognized each other again, I lost any interest I had left in the story. The whole Fire Bird plot is meaningless and is only there to add impactful visuals. The OG Jin Bu Yeon/Seol Ran says that they must wake the Fire Bird even after the main threat (Jin Mu and the other mages) had been defeated, because… reasons.

My final thoughts are that I like this world and these characters a lot, so I will probably watch it again in a few more years. Part 1 definitely feels richer and more developed, but despite its simpler plot, Part 2 has its moments. I’m overall grateful for the number of episodes we were given to enjoy Jang Uk and Naksu’s story.

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They can kiss

Is this the longest title of a BL I have ever witnessed? LOL. Well, it is the plot! Yes, it’s as simple as that. 😂 But honestly, I didn’t expect to love this one so much.
This might be my favorite JBL, along with the other ongoing JBL I’m watching right now. Yes, the plot is as simple as the title, but I swear, this is SO cute. 🥹🥹
There’s no overacting or exaggerated reactions. It’s just a calm confession with very calm flirting, and somehow, that makes everything even cuter. The whole series has this soft and natural vibe that I really enjoyed.
The conflicts presented are mostly hidden traumas that might not seem like a big deal to most people, but can actually be a big deal to someone who experienced them. It really shows how one person’s actions, even if they seem small or harmless, can affect someone else’s life.
I also love how the conversations, confessions, and misunderstandings were handled. They weren’t resolved in an easy way, but at the same time, they weren’t dragged out unnecessarily either. As a viewer, you can actually see that they are capable of working through their own problems themselves, and I really appreciate that.
Both characters also had their own character development. Asamiya learned to slow down and not overwhelm Mayama, while Mayama learned to express his feelings more and tried to keep up with Asamiya’s pace. They both adjusted for each other, and because of that, they were able to meet halfway. And that’s probably what I love most about their relationship. It’s not just one person constantly adjusting for the other. They both learned, changed, and made an effort to understand each other.
The chemistry between the actors is so cute too, especially with the height difference and everything. I love them both so much, I swear! 🥹
And the kiss???!! THEY CAN KISS!!! HARD!!! HAHAHAHA. 😂🔥
Overall, this is such a simple story, but sometimes that’s exactly what makes a series work. It doesn’t need unnecessary drama or complicated conflicts to make the relationship interesting. It’s just two people slowly learning how to understand, love, and adjust to each other.

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Bravely Pursue Your Dream against All Costs

Truth to be told, I've been tuning on and off "Ray of Light" while juggling on "Mystic Nine" simultaneously back in August, then "Pull Strings", and "See You Later... Maybe" for a while. Aside from my shift of focus to other dramas, my clashing schedule also contributes to my inability to binge-watch as swift as before. Currently, I'm in the 12th grade and I admit it's the most crucial point of my life which will determine my entire blueprint of future. By the way, "Ray of Light" also has the similar themes as what I'm experiencing now, making it easier for me to relate to its characters. Let's see my take on "Ray of Light".
Disclaimer: I'll also include a little bit of my high school life in this review 'cause I've been bottling it up for a long time.

On the surface, "Ray of Light" may seem like a typical high school drama, but it strips off the idol image completely by showcasing the cruel yet realistic life of the characters, which helps the watchers emotionally bond with them even though it's just a mere fiction. The story revolves around the "garbage class" Class 14 (as per public's stereotype, the last number represents trashy students and delinquents alike despite their talents and dreams - I myself am put in Class 4 of the five science classes - well, most teachers always compare us with Class 1 or Class 2, considering most of my classmates are underachievers and love causing ruckus in the hope of playing the whole day). Recently, their homeroom teacher just resigns and enters Hao Nan as their new teaching staff. Hao Nan was once a brilliant teacher before he withdrew due to an incident three years ago. After resigning, Hao Nan transformed into a gangster and opened a billiard hall with his gangster brothers with Hong Mao as his close confidant. However, an unexpected accident happens when Hao Nan's billiard hall is vandalized by someone unknown and he must look for other jobs to survive. Hong Mao, feeling sorry for his sworn brother, secretly sends Hao Nan's CV to Qingyun High School, hoping that Hao Nan can return to his old grounds. At first, Hao Nan has a difficulty in adapting to the school life and overcoming his students' constant pranks, but he still perseveres all the way until they graduate with flying colors. To be honest, it's very hard to find a teacher like Hao Nan in the real life, because most teachers only support students who can benefit them or help them ascend to a higher position through winning competitions or Olympics (in this way, the teachers are considered having contribution points). Until today, I haven't found any teachers who will support his/her students through ups and downs without asking something in return (even my homeroom teacher has her own targets as well - if we keep rebelling, she'll reprimand us harder than ever before). Hao Nan even proposes the extra tuition for Class 14, which helps them considerably in grasping the materials. My school also has mandatory extra classes after school for twelfth-grader. Instead of studying hard and attending classes, my class deliberately plays truant and skips classes, leading my homeroom teacher to yap at us through online messages (including me 'cause I feel the extra classes isn't that effective). The more I think, the more I catch the ironic vibe between the fiction and reality. After discussing about Hao Nan Laoshi, let's go to the students:

1. Ren Zhen (Ren Min) is the main protagonist of the story, as a major portion of the plot is told through her point of view. Ren Zhen is a headstrong yet resilient girl who will do anything to achieve her goal. She grows up in a half-broken family consisting of a supportive mother and a doting but irresponsible father. Ren Zhen is currently redoing the 12th grade after her NCEE (National College Entrance Examination) score didn't satisfy the minimum required to enter a medical university. Ren Zhen is initially hostile towards Hao Nan, whom she thinks is a hoodlum. However, after Hao Nan repeatedly helps her solve crises, she begins to respect Hao Nan as a good teacher and even recommends him to other classmates who may need counseling or consultation. It is also Hao Nan who tells Ren Zhen to pick Huaqing Medical University as her next target. Ren Zhen wants to be a doctor to cure other people's diseases alongside her mother's asthma. Ren Zhen develops a slight romance for Gao Yuan. In the next NCEE, Ren Zhen aces the exam and enters Huaqing Medical University and works as a doctor later on, in the respiratory medicine department to be precise.
2. Gao Yuan (Roy Wang) is the second protagonist of the story. He first met Ren Zhen when she went to the beach with her former friends after NCEE. After a brief exchange of words, Gao Yuan never thought he could meet her again at school. Gao Yuan, despite his polite and distant facade, hides a deep self-inflicted guilt over his brother's death, which has haunted him for nearly a year before he starts going to school again. After Ren Zhen discovers his bleak past through Sister Ming (Gao Yuan's brother's girlfriend), she becomes Gao Yuan's emotional anchor and listens to every of his story and how his brother's death affects his parents deeply. Through painstaking efforts, Hao Nan and Ren Zhen manage to help Gao Yuan get out of his hollow shell, and even his parents decide to move on too. Nevertheless, fate plays a cruel joke again when Gao Yuan's mother insists he be a doctor to replace his brother. In fact, Gao Yuan never wants to stay in the sterile disinfectant room and chooses to be a pilot (he loves collecting plane models and even learns each plane's specifications). Thanks to Ren Zhen's relentless and unwavering support, Gao Yuan decides to walk out of the "so-called doctor path" and boldly pursues his lifelong dreams for good. Gao Yuan also scores well in the NCEE and goes to a civil aviation college, later serving as a pilot for a commercial airline.
3) Zhao Xiaoxiao (Xu Shiyue) is the class president of Class 14. She is an assiduous and hardworking girl who juggles through studying continuously and taking care of her frail sickly grandmother. Xiaoxiao is used to hiding her fatigue beneath the layer of carefully-constructed calmness. Xiaoxiao and Wang Fang are a pair of childhood sweethearts. Due to her grandma's deteriorating health, Xiaoxiao chooses to stay behind at Hong'an Normal University and works as a teacher at their former school.
4) Wang Fang (Liu Xiaobei) is the class clown and troublemaker who just wants to outdo his father (basically, he's got the role of rebellious chaebol boy). Previously, Wang Fang always neglected his studies and preferred to looking for odd jobs outside school. Wang Fang himself admits that he has no particular talents aside from eating, sleeping, playing basketball, and gaming. Wang Fang has a soft spot for Xiaoxiao, his childhood sweetheart. Wang Fang scores moderately at NCEE, thus placing himself in the cut-off of second-tier universities. As an adult, he starts his own business and currently works as pet food supplier.
5) Jia Kun (He Liao Lu Yun) is Wang Fang's best buddy. His father is a worker at a construction site and inevitably has to leave Jia Kun alone in a run-down resident. He longs to be recognized by his parents and wishes to stay together with them too. Jia Kun's emotional anchor is Sister Irene, his sworn sister from the same hometown who goes to Shanghai and works as a nail art designer. Jia Kun then decides to go a university in Shanghai so that he can accompany Sister Irene. Due to his slightly lower score, Jia Kun opts to vocational college at Shanghai and later opens a hairdresser salon with Sister Irene.
6) Xia Fan (Zhao Yunzhuo) is a beauty-obsessed girl who is engaging in an unknowingly toxic relationship with her senior brother, Song Xiaohui. Unfortunately, Xiaohui constantly uses manipulation, guilt-tripping, and body shaming to destroy Xia Fan's self-esteem and transform her into an insecure person. For the sake of Xiaohui, Xia Fan tries every single attempt to get his attention (Xiaohui dislikes fat girls, so she needs to be as slim as possible) from dieting, throwing up her food, minimizing her waist's size, and more. At Xiaohui's student council celebration party, Xia Fan accidentally learns that he has been two-timing her and that he has another girlfriend called Xiao Ya. Hao Nan and Hong Mao then rush to the restaurant and they successfully ruins his party. Xiaohui feels humiliated and promises to Hao Nan that he won't disturb Xia Fan any longer. Despite being a toxic person, Xiaohui becomes a key person who helps Xia Fan in choosing her favorite subject (foreign language) and university. Xia Fan always confides to her deskmate, Wu Kai. Xia Fan goes to Chengdu and works as an interpreter there.
7) Wu Kai (Lu Qi) is an emotionally closed-off boy who constantly faces bullying and mistreatment before transferring to Qingyun. Wu Kai's real talent lies in drawing, but his mother forbids him to take the art exam and takes accounting instead. While Wu Kai secretly blames his mother for not listening to his request, she also drowns in self-guilt as she's afraid that the past will come up once again. Wu Kai's mother had long divorced from his father, who's a pure artist himself. Wu Kai is ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of his interest, which is a brave thing to do, Hao Nan remarks. Wu Kai successfully enters Central Academy of Fine Arts and now works as a graphic designer in Beijing. He also has a girlfriend, which isn't introduced in the drama.

P.S.
Hao Nan later leaves Qingyun High School and dedicates himself to teach at a rural primary school and help the children there.

To put it simply, "Ray of Light" mixes all kinds of ingredients needed for a coming-of-age high school show, from self-discovery, supportive friendship bonds, broken family, past trauma, and even body shaming (Xia Fan's arc). At the first episodes, I wasn't that convinced to proceed further - but, I was proven wrong soon after. When it reaches to the middle until the end, the story becomes more and more engaging, hooking the viewers in effortlessly and giving them a sense of deja vu back to the youthful era. For me, I'll cherish my own memories as well as this is the last chance to do crazy things with my friends before our graduation day looms by. The dialogue is cleverly arranged too, sprinkling life lessons here and there in either explicit or implicit way. However, I also want to point out something that may come off as a chimerical fantasy rather than a true case in reality. Take Gao Yuan and Wu Kai for example. Both badly want to chase their own dreams and defy their parents in the process, when the older generation just wants what is good for them. I'm not saying chasing one's dream is wrong - that's definitely not the case - but, reality is crushing down on us every single day and you'll have to face it sooner or later. So, between your dream and survival, which one will you trade for? It's like a double-edged coin or a desperate gamble of future, which you can't afford to lose of course. Supposedly you became a prominent figure or earned a great deal of pay, that would be a different story. What if you were to fail and lose everything? In fact, not many people prepare for this outcome and will regret over their foolish decisions one day. I've seen and listened a lot of these generic plots - honestly, I'll prefer survival to dream if I'm to choose between them.

For the acting, I have to commend the whole assemble of casts. All of them follow the stream of dialogues seamlessly and embody his/her emotional depth in an expressive way. FYI, I'm also swept in because of the wonderful acting, but I also feel cringey over Ren Zhen and Gao Yuan's ridiculous tricks (cosplaying as doctors in the hospital has been the last straw for me before I force myself to continue).

OSTs are surprisingly nice despite some tracks not being uploaded on Spotify or YouTube (which is a pity). Sets, backgrounds, and costumes reflect the 2010s vintage vibe (I can't make a detailed judgement because I was still a toddler back then). Don't get me wrong, but I'm also astonished to see how they effortlessly use the 'ancient' mobile phone so easily. Even if you ask me to switch my android with that phone, I can't even use it, let alone typing Mandarin characters using those keypads TT.

Overall, it's yet another 10 out of 10 and I'm really grateful to finally watch "Ray of Light" (fun fact: I badly wanted to watch it back in 2023, but I never got the chance until I discovered it in Bilibili lately). If you're into high school drama or you want to reminisce your old school life, this drama may be suitable for you. And for those who are still high schoolers, I hope this drama can help you relate to your current life or give a momentary space to make a self-introspection on yourself. Guess it's time to end my review, good luck, and happy watching!!!

P.S.
I do cry several time during my voyage through this drama. I'm going to list some of the most emotional parts that prompt me to weeping...
1. Ren Zhen's realization of how much her parents love and support her in their respective ways
2) Ren Zhen's insistence on inviting her father over for a family reunion dinner
3) Liu Nian's (Hao Nan's former student) struggle and inability to cope with mounting academic pressure with her overbearing parents on top of it

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The Symphony of Silence: Song Kang and Lee Jun-young’s Masterclass

Four Hands, Two Sonatas" is not your typical music drama; it is a profound psychological masterclass that demands absolute focus. By stripping away heavy dialogue, the series relies entirely on the unspoken tension and microscopic shifts in its actors' expressions, making it a true Baeksang-caliber masterpiece.Song Kang delivers the heaviest and most mature performance of his career as Kang Pi-o. Stepping away from his usual commercial safety net, he brilliantly masters the difficult art of "Eyes Acting." The psychological dissociation he displays is breathtaking. While his fingers play the piano with mechanical perfection, his face remains a flat, stoic mask. Yet, his eyes tell the entire story—shifting silently through a devastating spectrum of ego, suffocating guilt from the Prague tragedy, and deep vulnerability. His emotional catharsis through Rachmaninoff and Mozart feels raw because it is so heavily repressed.This quiet, slow-burn acting creates a magnificent synergy with Lee Jun-young’s Choi Jeong-yo. Known for his legendary villain roles, Lee Jun-young brings a brilliant, morally gray duality to the screen. He masterfully balances a toxic, explosive hatred for his own family with a soft, genuine warmth whenever he looks at Pi-o—the only person who truly understands him.While casual viewers might find the minimal dialogue and classical music metaphors difficult, the real magic lies in this unspoken subtext. Song Kang’s ability to hold back a tidal wave of emotion, letting only his eyes speak, is a masterclass in restraint. As we head into the finale, "Nemesis," this boundary-pushing project has proven that both actors have successfully evolved into elite character actors worthy of the highest critical acclaim.

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Powerfull

Actually, it's been more than a year since i finished it and now it still make me floating with their ambience.

The female lead character is successfully brought me into quite, cold, and strangely hurt. The male lead character really gave me the fire, a patience and dream that inspire me a lot.

The cinematography also giving a magical comfort and goosebumps in a good way.

And the last and also the important one. The story start with a strong question that send the curiousity also make me part of the movie. The middle part also played really well and tidy. And for me it ended up good and enough all question that i need to know is answered precisely.

I really love how the writer describe the feel of love that is not just a "climax" in one point but it's steady, sincere, respectly and also valuable. Hope this kind of love can be find in other story.

Thank you for all of the part that have been participated in this story. You guys did really well.

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So I Married the Anti-Fan — 7.5/10

So I Married the Anti-Fan is a light, entertaining romantic comedy that knows exactly what it wants to be. It may not reinvent the genre, but it delivers plenty of charming moments, good chemistry, and an easy-going story that makes it a pleasant watch.

The main strength is the relationship between the leads. Their constant bickering gradually develops into something warmer and more sincere, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic gives the drama most of its energy. The idol-world setting also adds a fun layer, particularly when the characters are forced to spend more time together.

That said, the drama is somewhat uneven. Some plot developments feel predictable, and a few of the conflicts are stretched longer than necessary. The second half could have benefited from tighter pacing and a little more emotional depth.

Overall, So I Married the Anti-Fan is a cute and enjoyable rom-com with enough charm to keep you watching. It is not a must-watch masterpiece, but if you enjoy celebrity romances, enemies-to-lovers stories, and light K-dramas, it is definitely worth giving a try.

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A supernatural Masterpiece of Thai GL which is Bold, Atmospheric, and Unapologetically Unique

*Khom Khlang* is easily one of the coolest and most refreshing Thai GLs to come out this year. It takes a total left turn away from the usual rom-com tropes and jumps straight into mystery, supernatural, and dark Thai sorcery, which had me hooked from episode one.
The chemistry between Pheem and Bulan is just insane. Bint plays Master Bulan with this effortless, magnetic confidence, and the back-and-forth between her and Pheem who is a literal police officer trying to stay rational is so good. The slow-burn tension, the karmic soulmate dynamic, and just the way they look at each other had me stressed every single week in the best way possible.

Beyond that, the vibe of the whole show is incredible. The production value, lighting, and cinematography really sell that eerie, supernatural atmosphere without looking cheap. Plus, having lead actresses who bring real Southeast Asian representation to a story born from authentic queer storytelling makes it mean that much more to watch. Even with all the dark occult stuff they still managed to mix in just enough humor. Filler episodes are also important because we get to focus on the main leads apart from the orginal plot. We need that because the leads chemistry is off the charts ..

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Why make a second season when there just isn’t enough material for one?

Season 1 was so good that it makes this sequel even more disappointing.

First of all, the plot is thin. To compensate, they keep dragging scenes out and the characters overdo all the time. The whole Gelboys concept is good, but it’s already very busy. There’s no need to pile even more on top of it.

The new characters were supposed to bring some freshness and bridge the gap between generations, but their storyline is so bland that you just want to skip ahead whenever they appear. Honestly, there was no need to add them at all. The same goes for the adult Gelboys, who aren’t remotely believable.

As for Bua and Babin’s storyline, it makes no sense and is constantly confusing. Things are better with 4Mod and Chian, but unfortunately, their story also has its fair share of inconsistencies.

The only real positive is the acting, which is still excellent. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to save this season!

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Clairebell meets Shades. A masterclass in action,chemistry,tension and grittyness.

Honestly, Juliet & Juliet might be one of the best GLs to drop this year. I was already pumped up at first because its a forbidden love/rival families series and that it can get super clichéd, but they handled it so well without making the drama feel exhausting.
Blue and Tokyo killed it. For newcomers, their acting and chemistry are actually insane...like the subtle kitten and puppy sound details for them, made their scenes together so cute. What I loved most is that they aren't written as passive or indecisive. They’re both pretty badass, they actually communicate instead of letting dumb misunderstandings drag out. and as for the mafia storyline...who would not like it in a GL lol

The production quality is too rich. Every week ended on a total hook. If you haven't watched it yet, definitely give it a shot, it's so worth it.

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Good acting, but the show is just way too slow and repetitive

I really love the cast and the acting is good, but this show is getting hard to watch. The first episode was also very slow...only the last 10-15 minutes was meaningful, now every episode feels like the same exact storyline over and over again.

The main couple barely has any real conversations, always flirting...so it is hard to feel any real depth or chemistry between them. Instead, we keep getting stuck with the same old tired drama, like the overbearing parents interfering, without anything actually moving forward. On top of that, the whole show feels very depressing with almost zero lighter moments or fun to balance it out.

Honestly, the side character like Jay and their backstories feel way more interesting than the main romance at this point. When Namtan appeared i cheered so much. Unless you are just a massive fan of the lead actors, it is really tough to sit through. A huge disappointment given how much talent is in this show.

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Stagnant

"Summertime" leans into the classic childhood-friends-to-lovers trope. While the "outstanding but cold seme" archetype feels quite cliché at this point, the series earns major points for its dynamic between the leads. It is refreshing to see a pairing where both characters are masculine, breaking away from the usual cutesy uke stereotype.
​Unfortunately, the series falters in its character development as it progresses. The early episodes set up a lot of depth—particularly with a lead who is initially self-assured, comfortable with homosexuality, and proud. However, that strong foundation crumbles later on when he inexplicably regresses into deep insecurity. This inconsistency makes the character arc feel poorly executed and robs the story of the depth it promised at the start.
​Despite these frustrating flaws in character progression, it is still an enjoyable and decent watch overall.

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loved the workplace - romance balance

I loved this drama, how it addressed modern career women and the challenges to stay relevant . I loved their relationship. they didn’t hide it since day one, the FL was very confident and didn’t care if anyone branded her as the CEO GF, she knew she can do it and she was happy that she fails. she was rude at the beginning but it is perfectly justified because of her family situation. she created a perfect balance between understanding his role as the boss and as a BF. the ML was a green flag. he loved her so much and understood her career and her love to fly and put her’s before him. I loved it I loved the aviation focus it was refreshing. I came to this drama after the early spring, in the early spring I couldn’t understand their need to hide their relationship for 6 years, she could have easily had another boss , she was simply insecure enough to stand tall and say yes he is my boss but I am competent enough to succeed, he blamed him all the time that he didn’t approve of her first, yet she is the one who is weak. also the lack of trust , in blossom through the cloud the FL trusted him and listened to him even though there was a major scandal, in TES one flower bouquet made her lose her trust. the only thing BTTC lacked maybe is some swooning and intimate moments between the leads

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A TCM drama that soothes your heart and mind

I finally decided to leave a review, because I am re-watching the series for the third time. Yes, THIRD TIME. I realized that whatever drama makes me re-watch it this much deserves a review.

It was not explosive. It started out innocent, slow, and eventually budded into a friendship. They are both very mature and calm people. Even the acting and scenes in general were not explosive. It was all in the small things, the 2 seconds too long eye contact, the hidden glances, the fist clenching from unsaid things.

TCM was a central role in the plot, and it added a wonderful layer to the tranquility of the whole thing. It's like waking up in a cottage on a Sunday morning, when you feel cozy and at peace.

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