Reviews

Agenda ruined a great drama

In short. I thought this was such a great drama, a 9.0 drama - until episode 7 finished.
I am so annoyed by political agenda being forced into every story, even when it doesn't fit AT ALL, like here.

Anything would have made sense about the dead brother - that he wasn't allowed to study photography which obviously meant the world to him, that his rich parents really didn't approve of his girldfriend and he wouldn't have wanted to live without her, that he had been forced into the military by his father and decided to die instead, I would have even bought it if they had said he was secretely gay, as his character was played like I could have imagined that.

But to force a trans story into this, reasoning it with something like 'he always played with dolls when he was little' (which means NOTHING concering your later sexuality by the way) it's just unbearable. Netflix puts this into everything these days and I won't watch anything anymore if they do it as badly as here and ruin a good drama like that for them to get the agenda box checked on their papers.

And don't get me wrong, I am old enough to have seen 'boys don't cry' in the theater in the 1990s, and it was a true story about a real trans person and it was very touching. But what they do these days from tv production giants like nextflix, pushing this into every other story forced and kind of randomly? No.
I'm dropping this after episode 7 and I give it an 'unfair' 1.0 just for this reason, ignoring the many good aspects this drama had before.

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It could have, should have, but didn't..

For starters, we are not talking about a BL, but a drama, that bares some of the exaggerated soap opera characteristics and features queer elements for a major part of it. Of course, being a series of 2018, do expect a lot of outdated notions and false terminology included --regarding someone's sexuality-- that affect the narrative to a certain degree. However, given that there are still people who think that way, you could say that this show, despite being old, it's representative of that part of society and can still work as a realistic aspect.

The series as a whole, surely is entertaining. It has an interesting premise and the episodes will keep your attention, but after a point it felt a bit repetitive and draggy, it became kinda tiresome. The character development was neglected for the sake of more "glamorous" scenes. I would love if the initial focus, which was the big brother and his journey to reconnect with his family, remained and the story delved more into the emotional aspect, exploring the family bonds, instead of being brushed off and underdeveloped. It lost a lot of its substance after a point, for me, hence my mediocre score.

The acting I'd say was really good. It was probably the best part of these series and all the actors did justice to their roles.

Overall, I recommend this show, to anyone who doesn't mind watching unhealthy relationship dynamics. Mind you that there are a lot of toxic and abusive behaviours throughout its course, that could be triggering. The writing is a bit messed up, but it's still a fine drama with even some comedic elements to enjoy your time.

P.S. You won't find this series with eng subs by the official "GMM25Thailand" channel. Search for the YouTube user " Roop Thong BL Universe" instead.

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Good BL in a bad series

I fell asleep while watching ... Twice, mind you ... I also dozed off a few times and yawned my way through the whole thing.

That's how slow and boring this drama was.

Now I don't want to be unfair, because judging this as a BL, the love story is so good and well excuted also the chemistry was great.
Another thing that influences my judgement is I'm not a huge fan of Wuxia genre, whenever they hug and fly I roll on my couch and laugh like the joker.
I always find them very slow and full of unnecessary twists, I couldn't even finish one of the most loved Chinese bromance/censored BL ever made because of that.
So I knew I wouldn't give this a full mark, yet!! It's only 12 episodes so I was slightly optimistic, that's about the time I usually start to drop them so I thought it'll be safe, and judging by the recent Chinese BLs that are made without censorship, I was too excited ~~

Little did I know...

I won't go into the details because I don't want to get attacked by fans, but I'm giving my two cents here, the drama isn't really as great as edits made it looks, but it's a nice love story if you are a fan of Wuxia genre.

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Actors did a wonderful job portraying their characters

The best part about this drama are the actors. I added this to my watchlist because of Ryu Soo Young and I don't regret watching this. He was great in this and so were the other actors.

I hesitated to watch the drama because when it come to twins stories always portray them as being polar opposites, with the doormat twin being the lead. That was exactly what's wrong with this drama. (Let's not even talk about the story, it went as you would expect.)

Although I rooted for the leads to get together, I wanted Sun Hee to do better! She is such a mess. In front of her daughter she lets people treat her like shit, she always apologizes for things she hasn't done wrong. I felt so damn bad for the daughter who had to grow up with such parents. I felt bad for her as well, I just wanted her to stop making such poor decisions.

Do Hee is a piece of shit and that's what her character was meant to be. Since she was just a prop anyways, should have let her stay in that bed and not recover. She didnt' deserve her mother or sister, Tae Ri was more suited for her.

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Went Beyond my Expectation

During a battle between Yao Kingdom and Taijin, General Li Shuang was separated from her troops and pursued by Yao forces. Injured and bloodied by the battle, FL was encircled and left with no way to run, when suddenly a sudden force from her feet surged outward, pushing back her pursuers. A kid plopped in front of her, and went to fight off Yao troops and helped her escape. Having no memories, riddled with injuries and no clue on his background, Li Shuang took him into her camp and gave him a name, Jin An. Little did she know the kid was actually a product of a botched witchcraft placed on Prince Annan, Duan Aodeng, the commander of Yao army, which transformed him into a fighter with supernatural strength and abilities with side effect of memory loss and his adult body turned into a child. And because Li Shuang’s blood had dripped into his mouth when he laid on the ground after escaping the wizard’s cave, a blood oath had been forged between them, which tied their fates together for a lifetime.

Ryan Cheng has proven himself yet again as Duan Aodeng/Jin An. I have seen 3 of Ryan Cheng’s dramas so far, and one thing i noticed is that, he stripped and goes off bare chested in all of them 😆 But this is definitely the first drama that i saw him acting cheeky and carefree. In other dramas that I’ve seen, he had always taken the cold and aloof kind of roles, where it’s always the girl who chases after him. This is a new look on him, where he’s the one fawning over the girl, indulging her to ridiculous extent while being coy and sulky. This definitely casts a different light on him and he acted out the role immaculately perfect. That being said, his character as Prince Annan is of course much more interesting and injects more depth compared to the lovesick puppy Jin An. Although I didnt like how badly he treated FL during their first meeting, it is unavoidable as they were ultimately two generals of opposing kingdoms.

Although generally Song Yi is fine as Li Shuang, personally i felt she was too physically scrawny for the role. In reality, it is literally impossible for somebody who trains daily and fight battles for years not to develop somekind of muscle. I had served in the Navy before and even though i am small in stature even for a woman, even the skinniest of us would still develop some muscle. Muscle is literally a side effect of those heavy workout, and yet I just saw skin and bones on Song Yi, much like those noble young ladies who does nothing all day long but play music, recite poems or embroider. It’s just not convincing enough. And her shrieking voice when she commands the troops makes it worse. The way she wields weapons is also not really convincing, maybe due to fact that she was just too skinny to look formidable in the battlefield. But other than this physical shortcoming, her depiction of Li Shuang is somewhat acceptable. Song Yi’s Li Shuang might not have been among the best female generals out there, but she is borderly acceptable. She exudes the air of resolution and bravery, and that is what the novel’s Li Shuang is all about. I like that the show manage to add more personality to Li Shuang compared to the novel, being short as it is. Although, I still cringe when she acted cheesy around Jin An, like she turned to be a whole different person than that general who leads troops on the battlefield.

The SML Crown Prince turned out to be quite a surprise. They actually decided to turn him into a shady character from the upright and honest novel’s Crown Prince. I guess it is necessary for the sake of the plot. The actor basically played the very same character he took up on Kill Me Love Me, so he’s definitely done this rodeo hence it is quite hard to be bad at it.

And by the way, i am totally loving FL’s sidekick Liu Xin played by Shi Ce. This character used to be a common physician before she was called to treat FL’s battle wounds and later became the army physician. She kinda became best friends with FL ever since. I really like that she was the kind of girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, confess when she likes someone and take a step back when she is rejected. It’s like a modern, sensible girl in an ancient body. Her cheeky, innocent demeanor is the comic relief in this show.

The fighting sequence here is very good. Duan Aodeng’s sequences are formidable and fierce, while Jin An exudes mystery and darkness with excellent seamless CGI. Only one thing doesnt sit right by me - a general using bow and arrows as her main weapon is honestly extremely unrealistic. Bow and arrows are naturally not feasible for close combat, especially when the arrows are very limited. i literally laugh when i saw FL flipping left and right shooting out those arrows in most of her hands-on fights. Like seriously? 🙄 Dear screenwriters, please get real. There’s a reason why generals use swords or spears or any other inexhaustible short range tools as their main weapon on the battlefield, and it’s definitely not just for show.

Except for Song Yi who shouldve spent more effort developing some muscles and strength and screenwriter’s unrealistic choice of having FL use bow and arrow as main weapon, everything else is picture perfect, though i do feel that the romance had been too cheesy. In the novel, there had not been many romantic moment between the main leads cuz it was always only the ML obsessed over FL due to the blood oath, while the FL had always been suspicious of him even though she did feel indebted to him for his many rescues of her and her troops. Guess they changed this so the show wouldnt be too bland and short.

And i like the fact that they made ML’s transformation sound ‘sci-fi’ish, when the original idea had been more to sorcery. At least it’s more bearable with the futuristic sounding than sombre eerie music.

The songs are really nice, some slow and endearing while some catchy and groovy. The set and costume are convincing and nice to look at.

I like how they expanded the plot from a 49ch novel. Some can be boring, but most are enjoyable, the pairings of side couples are real cute and heartwarming. It’s definitely one of the good adaptations put there, following the novel’s main plot closely without planting much holes on its sideplots. Very brilliantly executed with such limited source from a short novel.

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Hope will find its way as long as you live

A very touching story of hardship and hoping to have apeaceful life.

A Tang and a Xun life was never easy. Even the people surrounding them have difficult lives. They have different struggles in life, but at the same time, they have dreams of what the future holds.

I applauded all the characters, especially the leads. Ahhhh... A Tang's acting was wonderful and stunning; I got goosebumps. Such a wonderful actress.

I love all the characters in the past and future. One of my favorites is Zhang Guan, the guard. I love that they added focus on other characters like him that contribute to the outcome of the story. Love when I see Cha Dong in a boat and Xhang Hao with his lovely wife... Even the manager of the bookstore had a moment where he stood up for the others.

I must admit, I rarely engage with this genre due to its unpredictable nature. And definitely, this is a HIT! will watch this again in the future. It is a comfort drama. Reflecting on our life, we must be grateful to be able to experience a little blissful life compared to others. that almost don't have a chance to experience that.

Wonderful drama. Deserve an applause...

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? “Threads of Destiny… and My Unexpected Addiction” ?✨

Okay, confession time: I usually avoid short C-dramas like I avoid the “skip intro” button on a good OST 🙈.
Why? Because they often feel like:
🎬 Low budget
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Random cast
😬 Acting stiffer than my Monday morning back.

But Threads of Destiny? Oh boy… this one spun me right in its web 🕸️.
The chemistry? 🔥
The plot? Actually made sense (shocking, I know).
The leads? Cute enough to make me forget I was only supposed to “check out 1 episode.” Next thing you know, I’m bingeing like it’s bubble tea on a hot day 🧋.
Even with its short runtime, the drama packed more feels than some 40-ep shows that drag longer than my supermarket checkout line 🛒.

⭐ Final Verdict: “Short but silk-smooth 🧵💖.”
Rating: 8.5/10 – would recommend if you want a quick binge that won’t unravel your sanity.

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Ok let's talk...

I'm gonna apologize in advance because I don't know if this is gonna make sense and it's gonna be all over the place but most of my favorite reviews that I've read are long rants anyway😭
Before I start writing everything that comes out of my brain while writing this review let me just say that EVERY SINGLE character in this series should've been dead because of the injuries they all get throughout the show but it's ok nobody has to know I guess🤣.
Let's start of with the fact that this is the most BL coded (b)romance I've ever watched. Like they literally stare at eachother with most longing eyes ever and you can't convince me that it's in a friendship kind of way. Like they literally say "I love you" to eachother at the end of the last episode and before you come after me I KNOW friends can say I love you to eachother too but it's not just the words it's the way they said it and AGAIN THOSE DAMN LONGING LOVE FILLED EYES THEY GIVE EACHOTHER THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DAMN SERIES. The chemistry between the two main leads was quite literally better than most actual BL's I've watched(PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU PUT SKYNANI IN AN ACTUAL BL🙏 I will actually sell my soul for it). Anyways now that we got the fact that this is basically just a censored BL out of the way, let's talk about the side characters. One thing I absolutely ADORED about this series that a lot of series don't do is that pretty much all of the main side characters had their own stories going on in the background and it really gave not only the characters themselves but also the story as a whole a lot more depth. Especially because Class 2 is supposed to be like the "troubled kids", it just makes the whole series so much better. Another thing that I really liked is usually I hate or am extremely annoyed by at least one character in shows but I liked all of the characters in this. The only character that kinda annoyed me a few times was Ms. Jan and I know thats probably a hot take but I just feel like sometimes she was SO pick me like for example almost anytime the students weren't happy with something she did whether it was her choice or the higher-ups, she would do the whole "I'm a horrible teacher and I don't deserve to teach and you all hate me" type of stuff and it was just annoying but I didn't dislike her. Mr. Sung though, can we talk about how he came in clutch and saved everybody SO MANY times, especially in the last episode where he storms in to Jengs wearhouse that his gang is based and literally beats the crap out of everyone and saves the day, he had to pull out his high school days(I'm sorry). I really like all the character development too, a major example being Ken and the twins obviously. I liked Airy's character development too and the development of her and Eve's friendship(in another universe they're dating, trust). I saw a lot of people say they thought the story was dragged out but I disagree. I'm glad(even if it was painful) that Shin didn't forgive Saint right away even though it was clear that he wanted too. So even though it took like 9 episodes for them to half make up and then another like 2 for them to ACTUALLY make up, I think it was well written and again I'm glad Shin didn't forgive him right away. Even though within a few episodes I guessed it, I really like the fact that Shin wasn't upset about his leg but the fact that Saint left, I think it was really wholesome(again contributed to the fact that this was in fact a BL and not bromance but you know I digress). I'm glad we got to see the two campus' finally all be friends at the end, it was funny when it first happened and the only one who was kept out of the loop was First because he was a little late to class and he was kinda dumbfounded seeing everyone together and then when the twins came and dragged him over and he was kinda like 'what the-'. I can't explain my happiness seeing Shin and Saint act like they did in the flashback scenes, I was definitely giggling and kicking my feet. I don't even know what to say about Chatjen because I just ADORED him to no end since he first showed up on screen and if I start talking about him it's never gonna end. One thing that was kind of disappointing was that I was hoping to hear more about what happened to Cable's brother because he kind of mentions it while arguing with his mom and then it doesn't really come back up. On that note, I really liked Cable too, his mom(the principle) kinda pissed me off sometimes but it wasn't crazy annoying. Cable was so sweet like I wish the other characters in the show hadn't slept on him so much, he was so sweet. I LOVED CHINGCHING! That's my child. I loved that she was a Saint supporter to the very end like that girl was gonna support the fact that that's her brother and she loves him just like she loves Shin to the death, she was taking her love for Saint to the grave. When she sided with Saint and Shin at the end of episode 15 and gave her mom no choice but to accept Saint again, I was "YES WE LOVE CHINGCHING!!!". Anyway I'm gonna stop this is getting a little long, I hope you can see how much I absolutley adore this series and recommend everyone to watch it. 10/10 for me. LOVED THIS!(none of you can convince me that this wasn't a BL). If you made it to the end of this I applaud you because I don't know how helpful this is and if you read this all and haven't watched this yet, I think I just spoiled at least half the story and I apologize. Oh and my rewatch rating is only because I can't rewatch anything because I get bored because I already know what's gonna happen but I tried to think about if I were to rewatch it how willing would I be and I just feel like some of the absence of suspense since you already watched it would ruin the experience the second time around but other than that I feel like it could be a good rewatch.

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The best drama of 2025 or another Cheng Yi 's masterpiece? : )

I was anticipating this drama since they started filming it... mostly because of faith in Cheng Yi's incredible talent and acting and i can say it didn't disappoint me. Cheng Yi is always good in making you feel all kind of emotions and thrill all in 1 drama. 1 second you smile about funny scene, another you cry hard because you feel heartbroken for the tragedy of his character... Costumes are very gorgeous. Same goes for fighting/ martial arts scenes, where Cheng Yi is unrivaled. Plot and effects, the whole production is top notch. If it wasnt restricted abroad for so many regions, noone would stop it from getting same rating in MDL abd IMDb as Lotus Casebook, or even to surpass it. This drama met lots of hate from start from other fandoms... but because of Love its still here... and its loved. It leads all charts in China since it started to air. Which is a proof of its value.

Don't look at ratings, enjoy your watch, make your own fair opinion instead.

And some should already stop these silly fan wars finally, you only set up your idol this way. Coz what these haters don't understand is  that some people are already associated in my mind with despicable methods of their fans... Fandom is always a mirror of an idol in some way.. is he such too? if he's not they set him up. coz because of this bad association  i'll skip some productions most likely and wait for someone with good character, Virtues and good associations to air new drama. Its not like we are in desert without water... there're plenty of drama nowadays  and lots of choice. : ) 🩵🪽✨️

So, if you truly believe in their talents and worth, Let them, their masterpieces and their talents to compete free and fair. )

Coz the only true rival which 1 person may ever have is himself. ✨️

I hope you all  find watch you enjoy,
As for me,
I m truly enjoying this one. /hug 😚 🩵🪽✨️

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Unfunny and Uninteresting

A plot that has been used on a lot of K-Dramas recently, I watched Love Untangled with minimum expectations, and still got disappointed.

The Plot - A Girl with curly hair wants to get it untangled so that she can propose her crush. A concept that is not unknown in dramas. What I expected to be honest that maybe the movie will preach about loving yourself irrespective of appearance, but it didn't.

Talking about the chemistry, I felt both the ML were miscast and the screentime for Cha Woo Min was insanely low. There was no emotional gravity, no bond built-up and lack of spark that made me lose interest in the characters.

The second half felt like watching something with a 2x speed, no development, rushed story, weak screenplay and an unsatisfactory ending. Honestly, the movie did try something, but felt nothing more than a pale imitation of other rom-com themes that I have seen in the past.

Overall, Love Untangled is a messy and a weakly written rom-com that neither romanticizes it's character fairly nor leaves a strong message of loving yourself with the flaws. A total disappointment.

My Rating : 2/5

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Beyond the Bar: Guilty of Great Acting, Charged with Predictability

Overall, Beyond the Bar offers a compelling drama. It's fun to watch as new cases unfold in each episode that are engaging to watch. But more importantly, it makes the viewer think about moral and social issues that everyone hears and sees in their everyday lives. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the judgements and decisions, the point of the series is that law, ethics and morality are surrounded by grey areas that extend beyond a simplistic division of good and evil.

What is probably the strongest element of the series are the actors. Charming, thoughtful, intelligent, but also serious and occasionally fuelled by anger and intensity. They give the main characters authenticity and a fresh perspective on their humanity as opposed to robotic lawyers playing by strict playbooks.

While the episodes are interesting in their own right, the second half of the series suffers from overlapping subplots that aren't as interesting , diverting attention to diverse plots happening at the same time. As a result, the drama plays catch-up towards the end, wrapping up plot points very quickly , just not as compelling as it could have been.

That raises an important issue. The good guys win, but at what cost? Beyond the Bar positions itself clearly on the question of how the cases are to be processed. Even though the stakes are high, the main characters ultimately have the upper hand and seem to overcome every obstacle. The main lead is portrayed from the outset as an adept who can immediately take on the more experienced lawyers. Although her character develops as a lawyer, her side seems too good and uncontested, which makes the cases predictable. Therefore, the drama suffers from a formulaic approach that missed the opportunity to raise the bar in the trials

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The road of life seasons and lessons

When Life Gives You Tangerines is truly special and will be very hard to surpass. It carries the same warmth as Reply 1988, but tells its story in a completely different way. Depending on your age, it reminds you what you lived through as a kid, makes you concious about where you are now and how your life might develop in the future. True hardships of life over SEVEN decades shown here are not only telling a story - it makes you reflect not only on yourself, but people around you and how people and the culture have grown through the years.

This show doesn’t simply entertain; it teaches, provokes, comforts, and challenges. It will make you smile, laugh, cry, and above all, feel. Each episode unfolds with the care and depth of a short film, with not a minute wasted. Each decade detail is very authentic, the acting is breathtaking, and together they create a piece of art.

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

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More exciting parts yet to reveal

As a modern and sentimental person, Xiao Ming Ming (Cheng Yi) is teleported to the troubled martial arts world, and it’s challenging for him to fully adapt as Xiao Qiu Shui. He struggles to be pragmatic enough to save the chaotic world, as he hasn’t yet unlocked his full potential in fighting skills. This is understandable for someone crossing dimensions, so it takes time for him to adjust to his new role, which Cheng Yi portrays brilliantly. Nevertheless, I’m excited for more thrilling moments, mind-blowing stunts, and the introduction of new characters in the unfolding story. And of course, the hottest highlight has to be the captivating villain, "Li Chen Zhou"! Let’s journey through this legendary tale until the end.

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