Reviews

underwhelmed

Having waited expectantly for this drama for a fair while as soon as it was mentioned on Netflix, especially given the cast with two of the best actors around as the leads, I have to say that the creeping dissatisfaction I felt as the drama went on was a great disappointment to me.
I know the original book very well, and given the range and capabilities of the two lead actors, I had hoped we were in for an adaptation that would maintain some of the radical amorality of the book. Are SYJ and JCW just fundamentally too nice as people to be able to portray the depths of depravity that the book exploits, and which the script tried to emulate? I don't think the fault lies there ... but it was no good, I just didn't feel any of the perverse push-and-pull relationship the main characters were supposed to have. The widow figure also was annoying with her constant hunched up shoulders. The most fun were the two servants who just got on with life. But I suppose they had an easier job. The sex scenes felt overly manicured, flagrantly aestheticized. Intimacy coaching gone a bit too far?
On the good side however, I have to say that a lot of effort went in to the set, and even the choice of music at times was ironic, eg. the sleazy trumpet (Shostakovitch?) when Cho Won puts on his seductive act. The pansori story-telling was a good idea for a sideways take on the action. The silk worm farm was an excellent metaphor for the ugly hearts under the silks worn by all . The sound of thousands of silkworms chewing the leaves was spot on.
Choderlos de Laclos was exposing the heartless machinations of two libertines at the time (just before the Revolution), but what was this drama saying about today? Blessed if I know.

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I saw the another Face of Kim Young-kwang

Actually, I started watching this drama because of Shin Ha-kyun, but as I kept watching, I found myself noticing Kim Young-kwang more and more.

​I had watched KYK before in The Secret Life of My Secretary and noticed him then, but in this drama, I was like, "Wow... he can pull off a role like this too?" He suited the character of Seo Do-yeong so perfectly that it feels like no one else could have played it.

​As for SHK, he naturally acted as brilliantly as ever, but I didn't feel like his acting was much different from his previous works. What I disliked the most was how they distinctly used completely different hairstyles to differentiate his two characters.

​One thing is for sure—after watching this drama, I became a fan of KYK.

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It Broke My Heart in the Softest Way

I honestly don't even know how to review this properly because When Life Gives You Tangerines is just a masterpiece. I finished it and just sat there for a while because I didn't know what to do with all the emotions it left me with.

This drama feels so real. It isn't just about romance or some big dramatic storyline. It's about life. Growing up, family, love, dreams, sacrifices, losing people, getting older, and all those little moments that you don't realize are important until they're already gone.

I got so attached to the characters. It genuinely felt like I was watching actual people live their lives rather than watching fictional characters in a drama. I laughed with them, cried with them, got frustrated with them, and somehow ended up caring about every little thing that happened to them.

And the acting??? Insane. There were so many scenes where I didn't even need dialogue to understand what someone was feeling. Just their expressions were enough. Some scenes hurt so much because everything felt so natural and real.

I also loved how the drama showed love. Not just romantic love, but the love between parents and children, friends, family, and the kind of love where you quietly sacrifice things for someone without expecting anything back. There were so many moments that made me think about my own life and the people around me.

And honestly, this drama reminded me that life isn't always some huge beautiful story. Sometimes it's just ordinary days, small happiness, disappointments, people coming and going, and somehow continuing anyway. And maybe that's what makes life beautiful in the first place.

I cried SO much. Like genuinely. Some episodes emotionally destroyed me and then somehow the next scene would make me smile again.

The cinematography, music, writing, acting, characters — everything just works so well together. Nothing felt unnecessary. It was slow in places, yes, but I never felt like I was watching something meaningless. It felt like watching a whole lifetime unfold.

There are dramas you watch and move on from.
There are dramas you really like.
And then there are dramas that stay somewhere in your heart.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is definitely the third one.
A true masterpiece. 🤍

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its so good

This was so worth the watch, I'd watch it even without the romance story line. TBH I wish there was a season 2 to see them go through the world championship. I don't want to say goodbye to this series , it was so so goooood, from the storyline to the casting. you can feel the tension and the competitiveness. Loved when they would draw us in to the game and we could see he characters fight, I'm not a gamer but this one made me so curious and fascinated about gaming. The casting was amazing they portrayed their characters beautifully. My only wish is for a part 2 to follow their journey into the world championships.

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KNOT – When Great Chemistry Isn’t Enough

KNOT unfortunately did not impress me as much as I had hoped, especially after all the promotion and expectations surrounding this new, hot BL. The main couple had chemistry, and above all, Boat once again convinced me that he is a very good actor and a naturally masculine man. However, his character Phatsa really annoyed me at times, especially in the moments when he did not know what to say to Nakhun, just pursed and twisted his lips, and failed to express his emotions convincingly.

The plot itself was not particularly strong for me. Essentially, it was mostly about uncovering the fathers’ past and finding out which of them was responsible for the collapse of the business and who was actually the bad one. I felt that the story had more potential than it ultimately used, and much of the focus therefore remained on the relationship and intimate side of the story.

Sangnuea caught my attention as a hot and seductive omega, and the actor handled this side of the role very well. In the more emotional scenes, however, he did not convince me nearly as much, and his explanation of his motives during the confrontation in the bar felt rather forced. I was also bothered by some visual details, for example Nakhun’s hairstyle with those three prominent curls, which looked somewhat untidy.

My biggest problem, however, was with the action scenes. Thai productions, in my opinion, still often struggle to make armed confrontations feel logical and believable. There is a scene where Nakhun and his companions are confronted by six armed men who do not shoot at all while chasing them. Then Nakhun is left alone against all six, and later Phatsa joins him, and somehow the two of them manage to handle the entire situation. It felt more like a fairy tale than believable action. I have already noticed similar illogical moments in other Thai BL dramas as well.

For me, KNOT was therefore mainly carried by the great chemistry and by Boat. He held the series together very well. Story-wise, however, I was left rather underwhelmed. Considering how high the expectations surrounding it were, I expected more.

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KNOT – When Great Chemistry Isn’t Enough

KNOT unfortunately did not impress me as much as I had hoped, especially after all the promotion and expectations surrounding this new, hot BL. The main couple had chemistry, and above all, Boat once again convinced me that he is a very good actor and a naturally masculine man. However, his character Phatsa really annoyed me at times, especially in the moments when he did not know what to say to Nakhun, just pursed and twisted his lips, and failed to express his emotions convincingly.

The plot itself was not particularly strong for me. Essentially, it was mostly about uncovering the fathers’ past and finding out which of them was responsible for the collapse of the business and who was actually the bad one. I felt that the story had more potential than it ultimately used, and much of the focus therefore remained on the relationship and intimate side of the story.

Sangnuea caught my attention as a hot and seductive omega, and the actor handled this side of the role very well. In the more emotional scenes, however, he did not convince me nearly as much, and his explanation of his motives during the confrontation in the bar felt rather forced. I was also bothered by some visual details, for example Nakhun’s hairstyle with those three prominent curls, which looked somewhat untidy.

My biggest problem, however, was with the action scenes. Thai productions, in my opinion, still often struggle to make armed confrontations feel logical and believable. There is a scene where Nakhun and his companions are confronted by six armed men who do not shoot at all while chasing them. Then Nakhun is left alone against all six, and later Phatsa joins him, and somehow the two of them manage to handle the entire situation. It felt more like a fairy tale than believable action. I have already noticed similar illogical moments in other Thai BL dramas as well.

For me, KNOT was therefore mainly carried by the great chemistry and by Boat. He held the series together very well. Story-wise, however, I was left rather underwhelmed. Considering how high the expectations surrounding it were, I expected more.

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An Enjoyable Aviation Rom-Com with Great Flight & Fluff

A charming romantic comedy centered on the aviation world

The Plot & Themes
The story follows Ruan Sixian (Liu Xiening), a straightforward, outspoken flight attendant who dreams of becoming a pilot. When Hengshi Airlines cancels its pilot training programme- "The Soaring Plan", a massive misunderstanding between her and the company’s vice president, Fu Mingyu (Miles Wei) occurs.

At first, he happened to overhear a few flight attendants chatting in the break room and wrongly assumed that the FL was part of that conversation, in which they discussed trying to marry either one of the airline captains or the airline's owner, the ML, so they wouldn't have to work and could enjoy a comfortable life.
That was never the FL's intention; she never said anything of the sort—it was her coworkers who were in the break room. It simply happened that she was standing beside them while they talked about it. Her sole goal was to become an airline captain. That was her only focus at the time, and the sole reason she joined Hengshi Airlines was the Soaring Plan.
The ML wanted nothing to do with the FL. He was extremely handsome and rich, and many women desired him, yet he had no interest.

After the misunderstanding and the humiliation, she courageously hands in her resignation. Three years on, she comes back as a top-tier pilot, compelling the executive who "doubted" her to view her in an entirely different light!

A goosebump moment comes when three generations of female pilots gather for the inauguration of Hengshi Airlines' new domestic carrier, Z101.
Another goosebump moment occurs when Captain Fan carries out a safe emergency landing after one of the passengers suffers a heart attack.

Returning to the story, Fu Mingyu is the first to fall, after witnessing her dedication and work ethic and learning of the hardships she endured to enter the flight academy and then complete her training. He admires women with strength and ambition. He soon recognizes and accepts his feelings for her and begins to pursue her. At first, Ruan Sixian doesn't respond well to his love, care, and concern, since as a rookie pilot she wants to concentrate on her career and growth and has not yet entirely forgotten his insulting remarks from years before. He offers a sincere apology, explaining why the Soaring Plan was cancelled and how he has changed from the arrogant person he once was. She finds she cannot stop thinking about him. After working together for a considerable time, she gradually lets down her emotional guard as she comes to understand Fu Mingyu's reforms and vision for Hengshi and his support for his employees, and she begins to trust him as a partner who can stand by her and support her career without overstepping her professional boundaries. They clear up all of their misunderstandings and begin dating.
Meanwhile, Fu Mingyu also learns about her family background and plays a vital role in helping Ruan Sixian heal the deep-seated emotional wounds connected to her mother.
Naturally, her career doesn't take a back seat. She passes her assessments without a hitch and becomes a co-pilot.
In a later simulator assessment with captain Yue, she fails because he intentionally makes the scenario extremely difficult. The manner in which her mentor, captain Fan, pays captain Yue back is worthy of praise.
Then there's another standout scene in which the FL has to take over one of the flights she's on. The captain in charge, captain Yue, loses consciousness. The FL is the next in line to take command of the flight in an emergency. At this point, it's evening, and their flight has been well along its way to the destination. They've run into a heavy storm, with powerful winds. She remains very much in control, a bit frightened but fully in command of the situation. She succeeds in carrying out an emergency landing. However, the QAR is triggered. So at that point the board wanted her grounded (disciplinary action). Fu Mingyu proposes some new reforms and refuses to ground her. The board made a huge issue of her dating him, the VP of the airlines. They applied a great deal of pressure on the ML to ground her and to refuse to consider his QAR proposal.
Because of the pressure the board was applying, the FL felt it was best for them to break up. The FL told the ML to go ahead with grounding her, so she could get it over with on her own and be able to fly again in the future.
He spends several weeks working on a new reform so that no other airline captain will ever have to face unfair punishment for emergency landing situations.
He managed to successfully pass the new reform. The new reform brings an end to the 20-year practice of managing through punishment; they will now have a healthier and safer reform.
Throughout this period apart, the FL comes to understand that her love for the ML is genuine and that she wants to share the rest of her life with him.
When her university invites her to speak to the students, she openly discusses her love.
Fu Mingyu had been searching for a way to reach her all along, and that small hint was all he needed to locate her; they reunite, with her love and trust now deeper, stronger, and equal to his.
Fu Mingyu is subsequently dispatched to Macau to acquire another WT airline. He becomes ill, and she hurries to be by his side. They enjoy several pleasant outings and warm moments as a couple, and he chooses the perfect time to propose. She gives a partial yes, explaining that she must first pass her captain's exam before taking such an important step in her personal life. Naturally, she passes, and the very next moment brings another proposal from Fu Mingyu (care to guess where 🤣); she accepts with her whole heart, and both are deeply tearful and emotional.

Their wedding takes place after one of her piloting flights to an island. The entire team of airline attendants are her bridesmaids. Fu Mingyu waits for her on the runway, she changes her clothes and wearing her wedding gown walks down the airstairs and he's in his tux waiting on the runway. The drama ends beautifully on their wedding day!

What makes the narrative stand out is the transition from a standard hate-to-love romance into a story deeply rooted in resilience, family dynamics, and breaking barriers for women in aviation. The underlying message—that it is okay to fail as long as you keep moving forward—is beautiful and gives the latter half of the drama unexpected emotional and philosophical depth.

Acting & Chemistry
• Miles Wei as Fu Mingyu: Miles Wei proves once again why he is the reigning king of the CEO archetype. However, Fu Mingyu is not a typical toxic scumbag; he genuinely respects Ruan Sixian’s capabilities and personal growth. Miles balances a stern, no-nonsense corporate exterior with a more gradual, earned emotional depth. The romance builds slowly out of hard-won mutual respect in the cockpit and boardroom, rather than instant, sweeping gestures. He brings a different flavour to Fu Mingyu; his performance relying on stubborn pushback, handling her justified grudges, and engaging in petty, comedic workplace bickering. Plenty of swoon-worthy moments as a lover.

• Liu Xiening as Ruan Sixian: For her main lead acting debut, Liu Xiening does a solid job. Ruan Sixian is refreshing because she is heavily career-driven and realistic. Even though her emotional barriers make her repulsive toward the ML initially, her defensive nature feels deeply justified by her past family issues.

• The Dynamic: The chemistry between the leads is delightfully fluffy and delivers plenty of smiles and laugh-out-loud moments. While the romance is a bit text-book "bickering cuteness" at the start, they develop into a great, supportive team.
• The supporting characters, particularly the friendship between the female lead and her best friends and later with her colleagues, and her mentor add excellent cozy vibes to the narrative. Although I felt too much screentime was given to second couple.
The cinematography is pleasant, melodious and apt ost and bgm.
If you are looking for a breezy, heartwarming romantic comedy to cure your post-drama blues, Blossom through the Cloud is a perfect tonic. It brings a refreshing spin to the typical corporate romance by diving into the aviation industry with a strong focus on female empowerment. While it has its fair share of classic tropes, the overall journey makes it a very satisfying watch.
Overall Rating: 9/ 10

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Enjoying this drama

I’m loving everything about Against the Current so far. I’m currently up to Episode 25, and one of the things I appreciate most is how easy the story is to follow without feeling like the drama is spoon-feeding us information. You actually have to pay attention to each scene and pick up on the little details.

For example, in Episode 25, that scene between Lanxiang and Mr. Lu was so well done. You could literally see the eureka moment in Mr. Lu’s eyes when Lanxiang told him that they were remembering the Shens. Nothing needed to be overexplained—the acting and the way the scene was written allowed you to understand exactly what was happening.

I also love the controlled interactions between the ML and FL in the earlier episodes. There was so much restraint between them that when they finally started speaking to each other more openly—or when the ML simply patted her shoulder—it felt like fireworks were going off everywhere. 😂 The drama really made those small moments feel significant because it took its time building up their relationship.

And what I especially love about the ML is how much he genuinely respects and admires the FL. It doesn't feel like his admiration is based on her beauty. He sees her capability, her kindness, her elegance, and her bravery. He recognizes who she is as a person, and that's what draws him to her.

That makes the title Against the Current feel even more meaningful. He isn't just falling for her—he's choosing to stand beside her, even when doing so means going against the current.

I’m only on Episode 25, so there’s still a lot left to see, but so far, I’m thoroughly invested. ❤️

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Absolute Cinema

The scriptwriting is totally absolute cinema!! Eight episodes seem just right. The pace was on point. The story was straight to the point, no non-sense. I love how the story built. It was intense from the beginning, but suddenly turned hilarious and chaotic after some point. The plot twists were out of nowhere, I really didn't anticipate them! Since misunderstandings were expected, they maximized it a lot. The cinematography is really really eye-pleasing, surely it's the strong point of this show!

The casts were outstanding. Apart from the two main couples, Do Yeong Seo and Jeon Si Hyun were impressive!

Although the storyline is mindblowing, it seemed they took it a bit too far at the final episode. It just focused to much on anything else but the main affair problem. After failed so much tracking Gyeong Hui and Su Jeong, Na Sol out of nowhere successfully tracked them.

Will I recommend this? Absolutely yes. Although the story is not something extraordinary, but it's still very very worth to watch!

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Really nice,calm, heartwarming

Story is slow nice
first i dislike sports I'm watching because it's ester and it was my first time watching a football match have to say I enjoyed watching the match the kids were adorable

the boys(support characters), their matches and friendship was really good, their interactions really cute and heartwarming
I was so curious about those 2 boys patchup I was just waiting for it from when they showed the boy who was really mean I still liked him and thought he got well along with his friends sooner but it happens alot later still it did it was nice

ml FML - Thier interaction were really nice in the starting it felt so nice calming soothing type, slice of life kinda, romance felt unnecessary or even if less felt okay, because I like the leads I haved watched their other dramas I wished more ROMANCE was there
I think there's enough according to me it was still satisfying but instead of focus on sports only romance should've been there

sports - only in starting the first half? focuses on contious matches and training later it shifts to personal life or other issues of boys and all characters so if you worried it's all sports only it's not it was quite entertaining for me I prefer not to watch sports genre but this was really good

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Spectacular Cinematography and Lead Brilliance Dragged Down by an Overcrowded Cast

Introduction: Visually Stunning but Overcrowded 👍👎
Dashing Youth suffers heavily from having way too many characters cluttering the narrative. Honestly, I would have dropped this drama entirely if not for the truly awesome, 10/10 cinematography and the deeply emotional arc of Ye Dingzhi. As a first-time watcher of Neo, Hou Minghao gave such a flawless execution of a happy-go-lucky drunk that it actually masked how brilliant of an actor he is; I found myself so enamoured by He Yu's performance instead because the script ultimately failed to deeply explore Baili's immense potential.

🎭 Squandered Character Potential & The Action Slump
The lack of exploration into Baili is incredibly frustrating given his early trajectory. This is a person who boldly went against the norm to save a girl from a forced marriage in the first three episodes, and even stood against his own family to protect his two friends from the Crown Prince—only backing down when his family faced the literal risk of treason. Instead of expanding on this grit, the script dragged out his confinement arc, wasting time that should have been spent exploring the deep brotherhood between Baili and Ye Dingzhi. The Female Lead's character was also denied development, missing the chance to showcase her and Ye Dingzhi as the story's righteous anchors. Additionally, the last battle dragged on; shortening it by 5 minutes for a tighter, back-and-forth physical exchange would have been far better.

👑 The Paradox of the Princes
The royal conflict leaves a bad taste. The Crown Prince commits horrific acts of forced marriage and rape while the 9th Prince remains a passive spectator, hiding behind excuses of "peace" and "brotherly love" to fight for his monstrous brother. Yet, the narrative suddenly expects us to buy his hyper-active stance when he fights to destroys his father's royal decree naming him king. This obsession of keeping peace and brotherly love over right vs wrong and country makes his trajectory highly frustrating.

🪶 The Real Culprit: Author Deficit & Yi Wenjun’s Passive Logic
Yi Wenjun’s late-stage passivity makes zero structural sense. Raised in the dark, bloody underbelly of the Shadow Sect alongside martial artists and assassins, she was no sheltered princess. She previously showed terrifying grit: violently protesting her wedding, attempting suicide, drawing a sword on the groom, weaponising her pregnancy to force palace boundaries, and successfully escaping to live as a fugitive for years. For a woman with that much survival training and willpower to quietly return to the palace after Ye Dingzhi’s death—without even attempting to assassinate the Emperor—is a massive failure of character logic.

Final Verdict 🎬
Watch this for the breathtaking 10/10 cinematography, Hou Minghao’s incredibly natural acting, and the beautiful, tragic brilliance of He Yu’s Ye Dingzhi. Just be prepared to navigate through a bloated cast list and an ending that completely insults the intelligence of its primary female character.

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