Reviews

Mediocre

And yet again a sequel with completely different actors for the old characters...i really hate that!
The story was nothing special, and somtimes i don't mind that, but this time it was kind of boring..

The acting was mediocore, especially Mark and he was the main! His acting looked so rehearsed.
Luckily Danny acted quite good. I was sad to see this is the only drama he played in.

Visuals were great and the music was good.

But then the kisses! It is such shame when you have one good kisser and the partner doesn't kiss at all. This was for the main couple and also with Phana and Wayu. The bed scene's with the mains were good.
The kiss scense of the other 2 couples were good.

Do i recommend watching this? Neh....not really..

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Jabbing the competition

A political and social drama disguised as a crime/cop series or whatever label is usually slapped onto police and gangster shows.

The initial plot seems, at first glance, quite simple: the young and honest police officer An Xin, and Gao Qiqiang, a man battered by life and seemingly destined to become a crime boss. One chases, the other escapes in countless ways while doing terrible things. It looks like that’s all there is, but it isn’t. The true strength of the story lies in the fact that it is not, in essence or exclusively, about gathering clues and unmasking a shadowy big bad.
Rather, it is about how society as a whole shapes, and is shaped by, the crucial roles played by those in power, both in the micro and macro environments they orbit. A simple and noble gesture, like reaching out a hand to someone at rock bottom, can end up triggering the downfall of one’s own life, while for someone else, a single “yes” at the wrong moment turns into countless “no’s” in the future.

It is remarkable to watch the almost unhinged, barely restrained An Xin transform from an honest and optimistic police officer (and person) into a melancholic and lonely man, forged by guilt and hopelessness hammered into his mind by the rise of Gao Qiqiang as an underworld kingpin. Gao, once a victim rescued by An Xin, with whom he shared an initial bond of friendship and complicity, inevitably becomes the source of bitterness and rivalry between what we are tempted to call the good guys and the bad guys.
If only it were that simple.
The journey is far more complex, with multiple themes introduced in such a natural and believable way that we are easily transported into the small world of Jinghai City, populated by its many players, politicians, the corrupt, the wealthy, and good old bureaucracy acting in ways that consistently benefit those pursuing their own self-interest.

Roughly divided into three acts (almost like three seasons, and the ending of season 1 and 2 are peak), each stage of the series covers a different period of time without ever underestimating the viewer’s intelligence. The information is all there; the characters and their relationships evolve over time, and there is no wasted effort on hand-holding or self-explanation. The characters’ actions and constant forward momentum are more than enough to keep us glued to the screen.

This is the kind of series that is hard to talk about, because it feels more like a long, well-written novel: countless characters enter our lives, and the overarching plot gradually becomes secondary. What truly matters is witnessing the characters’ development and the organic way they interact with, and are affected by, the prevailing social order of their time.

A proper drama, something increasingly rare in today’s fast-food entertainment.

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The Thai version of "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Hypnotic is one of the latest shows on Netflix and it very much appears to be a Thai version of the critically-acclaimed novel "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Central to the show is the glam and appeal of the Thai upper-class—they are generally regarded as an untouchable caste in Thai society due to their wealth, power, and influence. They have, after all, contributed greatly to Thailand's economy and success.

Sara/Kamon (the main protagonist) comes across as this charming, well-respected, and down-to earth psychologist, but little do people know that she's on a revenge mission: to tear apart the Lerthanakul family, a wealthy, powerful, and well-connected family respected and admired by many. Prior to the start of the show, they murdered Sara/Kamon's family, left Sara/Kamon for dead, and the main character will stop at nothing to break them apart.

Things are remarkably tense in the Lerthanakul household. The moment Sydney, Naree's youngest and mentally unstable daughter, gets suspended from school for bullying, the Lerthanakuls are forced to take her to therapy sessions with Sara/Kamon—the perfect infiltration opportunity for her to bring the Lerthanakul house down.

Naree (the main antagonist) is an explosive, vitriolic narcissist who takes pride in harming and hurting others. Her equally erratic husband, the son of a high-ranking police officer, despises her and her family and exhibits no social grace or manners. The feeling of hate towards the family is mutual—they know he's an irritating character with a disgusting personality, but they tolerate him because the matriarch of the family won't allow him and Naree to get divorced.

Naree is in constant denial and it can be clearly seen that she's someone who reasons with emotion, rather than reason—she refuses to admit she's a failed parent or that her daughter is unstable; instead she throws vivid, if not completely comedic, temper tantrums whenever she can't accept that she's in the wrong.

Woranan, the eldest sister, is the exact opposite of her younger sister and her husband, or so it seems, appears to be just as calm and collected as her—she just wants the family to be together and co-exist peacefully with one another. Her sweet, naïve, and simple nature allows people to manipulate her easily, but even the nicest and sweetest of people have their limits—Woranan doesn't hesitate to stand up for herself at times.

The matriarch of the family is just as bad as Naree—she is violent and regularly intimidates other members of the family, including the children. But unlike Naree, she uses her cold expressions to state exactly what she thinks and knows how to put people in their place.

A wonderfully crafted cat-and-mouse plot is the backbone of the show—right from the start Naree suspects that something about Sara/Kamon is not entirely right and her suspicions correctly grow and grow as the show progresses. With just 12 episodes, the plot sometimes feels fast-paced and rushed and it fools you into thinking that the plot is entirely predictable. Expect major twists and turns along the way, and expect major surprises.

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I kept hoping that something would happen from this series and convinced myself of it. However, so much unprofessionalism and illogicality that I give up. Anyone go see the weapons and equipment exhibition and read a book??? Does that make any sense to anyone??? They could have collided in passing with nowhere to go. The acting is terribly bad and pretentious, I can't take it anymore, unfortunately.
It's too stretched from extreme to extreme, a good 6 episodes could have been recorded and everything was shown under tension so stretched that it was forgotten since the last episode, not to mention the first episode.
And yes, for you who rate everything as fans out of 10...why didn't any series get any awards? Be a little realistic, if something is bad, then it is bad, and you still love your actors, no one is stopping you!

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Um ciclo fechadinho

Assistir cdramas de 30+ episódios sempre foi um desafio para mim, principalmente quando é cdrama moderno e de romance. Sempre chega um momento em que a história fica morna, as coisas não andam ou tudo fica emperrado em dramas desnecessários clichês.
Mas definitivamente esse não foi o caso de "Shine on me". Aqui acompanhamos, antes de qualquer coisa, a construção inteira de dois personagens: uma herdeira desapegada do dinheiro que tem começando debaixo e um ex-cirurgião que tem traumas relacionados ao seu trabalho. Xi Guan, pra mim, é uma personagem fantástica porque o aparente desapego dela com o seu papel de herdeira na verdade seu medo de encarar o mundo corporativo, sua "leveza" é disfarce para fuga e isso faz sentido a partir do momento que conhecemos sua complexa família.
Eu achei muito interessante terem focado nessa personagem nos 5 primeiros capítulos porque só assim nós entendemos, do seu ponto de vista, o que significou se apaixonar pelo Zhuang Xu, qual a base de suas amizades na universidade, seu jeitinho doce, desapegado e alegre de viver sendo apenas uma jovem sem muitas perspectivas de futuro.
Yu Sen, por outro lado, só aparece no 5° episódio e de uma maneira que parece ser alguém que assiste à vida de Xi Guan. No começo pensamos que ele é apenas um estereótipo de chefe em drama asiático: frio, impassível, workaholic, mas aos poucos vamos percebendo sua vulnerabilidade, sua doçura, seu jeito de ver o mundo, sua dor...
A relação dos dois é, obviamente, o ponto alto da história. O amor paciente de Yu Sen, a sinceridade e honestidade da Xi Guan aos poucos ir abandonando uma parte sua apaixonada pelo primeiro amor da faculdade, os altos e baixos de acompanharmos a vida de todas essas pessoas da faculdade até o mais alto grau de sucesso em família e em amor é definitivamente um motivo especial para ver este drama.

Os personagens secundários não ficam para trás, mesmo com foco no casal, o drama fez questão de abrir núcleos e fechá-los coerentemente. Entendemos a psicologia do pai da Xi Guan, sua redenção, entendemos a figura da mãe como um ponto importantíssimo para discutir papéis de gênero na China Moderna quanto a mulheres no mundo corporativo, entendemos o personagem Zhuang Xu, afundado em complexo de inferioridade, lutando pela sua mãe doente e não se sentindo digno do amor de uma herdeira... São histórias que vão fazendo sentido, personagens que não foram colocados ali para cumprirem um papel de suporte para a história do casal, mas que tiveram suas próprias histórias.
Acredito que existam apenas dois pontos que me incomodaram: a motivação do ódio do Yu Sen (a pessoa que o convidou para o encontro não ter visitado ele no hospital) é extremamente fraca. Como a pessoa é culpada pelo acidente só porque foi o motivo da outra sair de casa? não faz sentido, ninguém tinha culpa. Acho que faltou na história a percepção do Yu Sen de que ele simplesmente passou por uma tragédia aleatória como qualquer pessoa do mundo e acredito que chegar a essa percepção enriqueceria o personagem.
Um outro ponto foi a atuação e também construção da personagem da "madrasta"/amante do Nie Chen (pai da prota). Achei ela muito plana, sem profundidade, como se propositadamente estivesse ali só para ser a vilã, mas enfim, pelo menos não conseguiu atrapalhar a vida de ninguém.

Fora isso e algumas cenas mal gravadas e editadas (o cgi horroroso kkkkk), acho que Shine on Me entra como um dos grandes dramas asiáticos no quesito de romance, diria que a China é mestre em construir um casal apaixonado e maduro e a Coreia tem MUITO a aprender com suas últimas romcoms e romances desastrosos.

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?"As long as we team up, no case is unsolvable."?

This drama really reminded me of Under the Skin. It has a very similar vibe — the cinematography, the atmosphere, and the way it pulls you in from the start.

Qi Sizhe is a brilliant forensic medical examiner, played by Luo Yunxi. After his girlfriend dies in a car accident involving drugs, he joins He Cheng’s major crimes unit to continue his investigation, working alongside Han Feng (Jiang Qilin) and Zhu Qingyue (Liu Cya).

While there’s one main case running through the entire drama — uncovering who is behind a new hallucinogenic drug — each individual case has its own tragic story and reflects real social issues. The focus is very much on investigation, with no romance involved, which I personally found refreshing.

The cases are well written, the pacing is tight, and there are plenty of twists and unexpected turns that really keep you on edge. It was also so nice to see Luo Yunxi in a modern crime drama after so many costume roles — this kind of character suits him incredibly well, and I really hope he takes on more roles like this in the future.

Beyond the cases themselves, the team dynamic is one of the highlights, especially the relationship between Qi Sizhe and Han Feng. Watching it evolve from tension to protection, trust, and genuine friendship was really touching.

If you enjoyed Under the Skin, I honestly think you’ll love this one too.

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I Can’t Believe People Hate This K-Drama

Most reviews say this is the worst K-drama they have watched, but I beg to disagree. This drama is what pulled me out of my K-drama slump. It has a good balance of romance and comedy. The first few episodes were a bit hard to watch, but by episode 3 the story starts to make sense and you slowly grow to love it.

I think the reason I loved it is because it isn’t entirely the kind of K-drama that’s so predictable it becomes boring. While it still has some cliché elements, it doesn’t rely on them too much. The writing, script, and the actors’ delivery was profound. Even so, the chemistry between the leads was enough to keep me invested.

That said, a lot of the time was spent on resolving conflicts and I felt that the main leads’ relationship could have been explored more. It left me wanting more, especially after the reconciliation. I wish they had added more scenes that lingered more on them than the journey that lies ahead.

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A Heart-Warming & Fun Ride You Shouldn’t Miss

As the film begins, Cha Eun Woo's character did warn us that it will be a sad story. But as it concludes, his character agrees, that maybe it was not that sad. And I couldn't agree more. This is one of the movies that will stay with me for a long time, and I couldn't have asked for a better start to my 2026 viewing experience.

I had been wanting to see this movie because of the cast in it. I think anyone who's familiar with Korean entertainment would have seen the cast members in more than one work, and know that individually they are a powerhouse. Together, they were even better. The story is about friendship, how it changes over time and about how friends struggle to find the "next time" to do something together as they grow up. It carefully, cleverly, humorously and tearfully shows us how that "next time" happens for these friends as they plan to go on a trip to Thailand.

I understood the plot twist early on - yet it left me in tears. Yes, it has elements and fun as you'd expect from stories about friendship (think: The Hangover) and at the same time you need to keep tissues handy (think: 20th Century Girl, Way Back Home, Soulmate etc. I don't want to give out spoilers, but a fair warning. Personally, I don't like to watch such movies, cause hits home on a personal level. But then I can't help how beautifully they have addressed heavy topics of loss, with a dash of humour and lots of heart.

Definitely a one-time watch for sure - you'd not be bored, and enjoy the ride. And the message: "next time" it is indeed vague, so value the present and make the most of it. This is definitely my mantra for 2026 - you'll know why when you see the film. I am not giving it a 10 cause its a masterpiece, but then again I found no faults, stories likes these are my weakness.

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A chilling, cautionary tale

Karnkaew (the main protagonist) has it all: fluent English skills, charming looks, the gift of gab, and excellent people skills. Men, especially those in relationships, throw themselves at her and want to be with her, women are envious of her and want to be with her, and it seems as though many people are deeply invested in her well-being.

But the undeniable fact is that Karnkaew is absolutely dissatisfied with her life. She feels that her family's poverty is holding her back from achieving the one thing she desires more than anything else in life: an upper-class lifestyle. So what does she do? Rather than work her way up the ladder like everyone else, she becomes a courtesan, thinking that it'll bring her quickly to her goal.

Throughout the show she seduces and has sex with various men, and even manages to get into a relationship with someone from a rich family. In her obsessive, blind, and dangerous pursuit of becoming a member of the upper-class, she burns bridges with the people around her, uses people to get what she wants, people away willingly, and makes friends with the wrong people. In the end, her blind desire became her tragic undoing and guided her to her untimely death. As depressing as it is to say this, the man who sold her to the German brothel was spot on—if all that Karnkaew wanted was a good life, why did she choose to become a courtesan?

Chala, Karnkaew's best friend, on the other hand is not like her; she does not share Karnkaew's obsession and only wishes to lead an honest, hard-working life. In the end, her commitment to honest living and being true to herself pays off; she ends up escaping a life of poverty.

Many Thai people, especially those in living in urban areas and the younger generation, equate wealth with superior social status. Anything that makes a Thai person look good is taken positively; anything that makes a Thai person look bad is not. Many run into problems trying to become wealthy, and Karnkaew is the perfect representation of that—she went from a top-tier courtesan who was admired by all in Thailand to a low-level sex worker who was beaten and mistreated by all. She completely understood the gravity of what she truly lost by becoming blindly obsessed with wealth and power.

Let this show serve as a brutal, cautionary reminder that a blind obsession with status does more harm than good. It poisons relationships, makes you many enemies along the way, and makes you an outcast. If Karnkaew made better decisions to begin with, she wouldn't have ended up the way she ended up.

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(From a Sejeong stan and sageuk/fantasy lover) By no means a must-watch but some high moments

1. Plot: not for the sageuk/historical drama purists (my dearest, red sleeve, etc) -- the fantasy element of soul swapping, which was largely inconsequential except for key isolated moments, and the subsequent comedic appeal distracts from the plot at hand
2. Acting: not for korean native speakers -- sejeong's acting is top-tier but her character speaks in a comedic dialect that consistently felt more tacky than cute; kang tae oh's character feels more like a jester than royalty
3. Comedy: while it definitely generated some of the funniest moments I've ever seen, the drama's insistence on focusing on comedy detracted from the plot and romance
4. Romance: because of the acting, despite their potential for chemistry, I just couldn't be immersed in it

Summary: drama started off hot until the soul swapping happened at episodes 4-5ish, then all of the ^cons started popping up and I largely had to start skipping through most of episodes 10-14, and the last 2 episodes more or less saved the drama for me

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Tender and intense in correct moments!

This show was clearly done well, the production was amazing! But I mean it was Netflix show after all!

I loved the cinematography, it was very well executed. I was immersed in the movie's world right away, unable to take my eyes off the screen. The lights, colors, movements, camera angles, all of it! All those aspects came together and created a beautiful and emotional story as well as the amazing atmosphere.

We got both tender and intense moments woven together. I could feel the emotions through the actors movements, without anyone saying a word. I was enchanted by the actors movements, those dance skills surely needed a lot of work! I also loved the quiet but strong emotions we could feel in many scenes.

All in all I loved this movie! It was fresh, well executed and beautiful as a whole.

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k lang…

i get that it’s a noona drama and i’m usually rlly a fan but jooyeon is a bit too emotionally immature; like yes, he was forced to grow up early bc of his father’s death, but he’s immature in a way that’s just plain rude. in the early eps (1-4), he’s very asshole-y towards sujeongand then retracts it later—and i understand that it was to gain dominance as a ceo and be taken seriously because he could be looked down upon on as he is quite young—but it gets pretty repetitive and he clearly does not seem to have any character development. i also don’t know if choi hyunwook’s too good at acting like a youngster trying hard to seem mature, or if this role’s just not for him, but i really can’t see past his highschool roles with his character’s styling(?) and personality.

i could have judged this too early so i’m willing to give it another try because i really like moon gayoung!!

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