This review may contain spoilers
Will miss phantom lawyer so muchh!!
I hate you so much yang byeong he just destroyed two happy living wholesome families and why all that for SUCCESS? the scene where gi jung went to jail to ask yang BI why he did all that being all hurt,disappointed there he was sitting with blank face with no regrets and said the only thing he regret is HE FAILED THAT TOO BY A GHOST?đ¤Źđđđđ gi jung have regreted trusting him this scene was so heartbreaking cried like hell and we didn't even get to see do hyeongs family reaction that would have been more heartbreaking as his son lost both his dad and his son. Overall a 9.5/10 drama will miss you so much yi rang han na hyeon!!đŤ â¤ď¸Was this review helpful to you?
Random Note:
There was a very funny nod to some of Yoo Yeon Seokâs previous series (Dr. Romantic/Hospital Playlist) in episode 2.
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A raw masterpiece
This drama is not as polished as a lot of drama's out there, but that rawness is what makes this drama so great!I watched every episode of this drama as soon as it aired and was so looking foreward to every episode every week! And now before watching the last one i rewatched them all in one go. I love this series so much and i really hope that there will be a second season. The story ended too unresolved and i need to see more of them actually in a relationship.
I loved the story and even though it was a rough setting with gangs and hardship, they did a good job including some funny moments to make it a little "lighter".
The subtle romantic moments and glances were perfect!
The visuals and music were great too.
The acting was amazing and the mains had such good dynamics and so much chemistry with great kisses!
My only complaint is, that it was too short!
This is a must watch and i will definatly watch it more in the future.
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It's a great show about women.
Itâs a very interesting story, mainly because it blends drama with a strong political backdrop set in a specific historical period. In some ways, it reminds me of Who Rules the World, but at its core, itâs really a story about women â especially mothers â and how deeply they sacrifice themselves to protect their children.Throughout the plot, we see several families, and one striking aspect is how few female characters remain alive at a certain point. Because of that, the ones who do stand out even more: they are resilient, determined, and incredibly strong. They do everything for their families and assert themselves in a world dominated by men, where decisions are made by men and women are, in theory, just ornamental.
Even so, female protagonism is very significant. This is reflected through several key figures, such as the Empress Dowager, the main female lead, and the mothers of the main characters. At its heart, the story is about these women.
The main couple is also a highlight. I fell in love with the female lead in the first episode, and with the male lead around episode four. Together, they have a very compelling dynamic â they are strong as a couple, but also very human. They argue, hurt each other at times (sometimes intentionally), and make mistakes, but it never feels forced or overly dramatic. Itâs not based on ridiculous misunderstandings; you can clearly see they care about each other, even as they struggle and try to protect one another.
The villain is another standout: incredibly well-written. At times, you even feel sympathy for him, but he remains a terrible person. This duality is portrayed very effectively.
The children are adorable, and the story also emphasizes the importance of community. From the beginning, we are introduced to this collective environment, where people are not purely good or bad. Of course, there are clearly good and clearly bad characters, but most exist in shades of gray, which makes the story more realistic and engaging.
Itâs a story I consumed very quickly â in about three days â which says a lot about how gripping it is. It has 40 episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long, so itâs quite extensive, but very well constructed.
The cinematography is beautiful, and the storytelling is tightly woven: there are no loose ends or forgotten characters. Even minor characters have their outcomes addressed.
Overall, itâs a story that moved me a lot. I laughed quite a bit â there are genuinely funny scenes. It didnât make me particularly tense, probably because Iâm already familiar with this type of narrative and could anticipate some developments, but it still brings a fresh and well-executed perspective.
Itâs definitely a great story.
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Could have been so much more, but ends in disappointment and frustration.
Wow. So much lost potential here. A story that started out as a heartwarming story about two strong female characters from different backgrounds and their friendship, them navigating different aspects of life and dealing with their respective issues and a mature love triange ultimately devolves into a stupid, petty fight over a man and a story that completely assassinates it's characters.The first half is absolutely brilliant, with both female characters compellingly written with their own personalities, flaws, and strengths. Personally I enjoyed Jong-hee's character more (which adds to my later frustration) because of her implied tragic backstory and her strong, badass personality, but Young-rye also emerges as a well written character who is bubbly, cheerful and strong in her own way. The chemistry between Kim Da-mi and Shin Ye-eun is amazing in their scenes together, their interactions on the roof and seeing them laugh and be happy together will definitely leave a smile on your face. The more serious aspects of the show, such as Young-rye's financial struggles, the burden she carries being the elder daughter, Jong-hee's troubled past and the trauma she carries because of it are handled quite well. The love triangle in this part is also well done.I could understand and feel for Young-rye for having a one-sided love. Jae-pil falling for Jong-hee and her eventual attraction towards him were also portrayed well and I liked them together. While her decision to sacrifice her love annoyed me, I still understood where she came from. However, then, in the end of the first half, a key event happens, a time jump, and then everything goes downhill from there.
Firstly, about the event, Jong-hee stabbing the manager. The way the show treats it is as if she killed him when all she did was stab him in the shoulder with a pen, which is not even enough to paralyze someone's arm in most cases. But still, fair, it's a crime and she could get into trouble. And the solution provided by Young-rye is to run and disappear? Why so drastic? Like you could either plead self defence, and it's later revealed that Young-rye collected evidence and blackmailed the manager to drop charges against her. Then WHY COULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT JONG-HEE RUNNING AWAY? She could have asked her to lay low for some time, hide while the matter is resolved, instead of making her vanish.
Secondly, the post time jump show and the second half. The timeskip is just evidence of lazy writing. Can't figure out how to write a reasonable story about Jaepil falling in love with Young-rye after showing him being in love with Jong-hee? Simple, shunt Jong-hee out of the story and boom, they fell in love!
Young-rye, whose dream was to become a professor, is now working as a hairdresser in a salon. Why and how? Plot purposes. She lives with her former conductor friends and her now expanded family. Relationships and characters have completely changed, and now, she and Jaepil are suddenly the potential couple, which will be reminded to us again and again as almost every side character beats us over the head telling us that they will be a couple. They behave like a couple too, going out to eat, carrying her on his back, getting jealous and drinking, etc. but still aren't a couple. How exactly did this development happen? I know seven years is a long time but still, from the perspective of the audience how are we supposed to work this out? Also, among Young-rye's family and conductor friends, who also knew Jong-hee as a friend, she is not mentioned at all. The one time she is, it is treated like a shameful, taboo subject, like something that shouldn't be mentioned. It's not clear why exactly this is so. And Jong-hee returns, now the adopted daughter of a rich woman. From here, it turns into intolerable, stinking trash.
There are several issues but my main problem is with how the two female leads are made out to be after the timeskip.
Young-rye is made to be this perfect, innocent, pure as snow character who can do no wrong at all, who is loved by all, and to achieve this development, the other female lead, Jong-hee, is put down. She is made out to be a bad person, but funnily enough despite the butchering by the writers, even in the second half I still found her a more interesting character. If you are a Jong-hee/Shin Ye-eun fan the latter half of the show is a painful watch. It's as if nothing she does can ever result in good for her. She protects her friend? Now she's pretty much lost everything and no one ever cares, or acknowledges the sacrifice that she made while doing so, not even Young-rye. She saves a woman from committing suicide? Now she's stuck in a make believe dollhouse where she doesn't have the freedom to be herself. It is genuinely so hard to watch, especially since we even know that her childhood was rough and she comes from an abusive household, and suffers from PTSD, which basically makes her entire existence one long story of suffering, and yet we have to think she is a bad person because Young-rye has to be good. Even the act of protection in the end by Young-rye becomes just another reason for Jong-hee to suffer more and fall in everyone's eyes, and to take away from Jong-hee's final achievement of the Miss Korea title - can't she just have one moment, one moment of success and happiness?? The way Young-rye's mother and friends look at her after that, especially the two conductor friends shutting the door away and ignoring her, made me furious - like why are you acting as if she was the one who killed her, or as if she was responsible for any part of what happened? She didn't ask to be attacked. If it's fair to blame her for that, then who is to blame for the seven years of life she lost while saving Young-rye? Oh, wait. Only Young-rye's sacrifices matter, because Jong-hee is just destined for suffering and nothing else.
One user commented here in the discussion that Young-rye is like someone who trips on the pavement and scrapes their knee, and is helped up by others, asking if she's okay, while Jong-hee is someone who is punched in the face with full force, hits her head badly on the pavement, is asked why she allowed herself to punched, and is left alone lying in the street. There couldn't be a more accurate description than this. Young-rye is surrounded by people who love her and support her at every step, while Jong-hee is only surrounded by people who either are controlling or abusive like her mother, or actively want to hurt her. She has no one in the show who takes her side or supports her, and is left completely alone. The only person who is there for her is Young-sik, Young-rye's brother, and even he wouldn't support her if it came to choosing between her and Young-rye. Still, the presence of Young-sik is actually a relief, and he provides some respite to Jong-hee which is pleasant to see. He is the only one who looks out for her in the entire show and cares about her wellbeing. The scene in which he hugs her and tells her not to blame herself for Young-rye's stabbing is a satisfying scene, I was just happy to see someone finally hug Jong-hee and comfort her after all she's been through.
Also, why doesn't anyone know why Jong-hee had to run? Forget about anyone, why didn't Young-rye even tell Jae-pil about it? One of the most frustrating moments in the show is when Jaepil comments about Jong-hee along the lines that she just runs away all the time, and Young-rye AGREES WITH HIM!!! Like, girl, I get he does not know, but you knew why your friend had to run, didn't you? You know that she sacrificed her job, her life, the relationships and stability she had built here and went on the run - AGAIN - because she was protecting you. It wasn't a choice she made out of her free will. She even insisted on staying, but you insisted that she run. So how can you agree with him portraying her as a coward when you know that's not true? Young-rye came off as a terrible friend to me because of this. It would have been one thing if she had just stayed silent, but she even agrees with him which made me furious.
People may disagree, and I'm open to that too, but for me, pursuing your best friend's ex, especially when said friend disappeared because she had to protect you, isn't a great move.
Overall, it's bad. Watch the first half, and end it there. Not worth the time at all.
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Breathless tension...
This was intense!!! I literally stopped breathing at certain points when the intense tension was so thick and then that one kiss in particular...you know which of them I'm referring too had me hold my breath and put a hand over my heart...the tension and passion was off the charts! The ending kept me guessing or double guessing...was it still the play or reality? Actors were amazing in their roles, they got me hook line and sinker! P.S. I am not a fan of any bit of dark stuff in my dramas, I prefer butterflies, rainbows and a necessary few conflicts that get neatly tied up at the end. I like to escape reality watching dramas not suffer more in the fantasy world too, so most of this pushed the envelope for me because of my preference, I would even have prefered a different ending...but here I am signing up for mydramalist just so I can leave this review because this little drama had me in its grip all the way through to the end...phew, I can breathe now! đ¤ŞWas this review helpful to you?
Dont get fooled by the negative reviews
This is definitely a show that you have to let marinate. At first it starts as a clichĂŠ fake marriage trope, thats why the acting feels off and exaggerated but as the story develops and the characters get attached to each other you can feel the chemistry building and the bond getting stronger, the interactions feel a lot more genuine and the acting natural - episode 8 is a good example of this. It might not win best kdrama award, it doesnt bring anything really new to the table but does every piece of media have to be innovative to be enjoyable.Also, if you need one good reason to watch it just know that the producer is the same as Alchemy of Soulsâ, so the cinematography is just stunning.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great acting with an extremely bad ending.
Overall, the movie started a little bit slow and boring. I think the directors could have focused on building the characters slightly differently.Park Ji-yeon's acting is amazing as always. Having seen her in different movies, there is no doubt about her performance as the main character. I loved it. But I think he could have been given a little bit more screen time; otherwise, in general, it is okay.
The acting of each of the characters is really good (there is no doubt in that); however, the overall story is a little bit empty. Like at the end of the movieâafter watching it completelyâyou will feel empty. You don't feel joyful or moved by different emotions; it is just bad.
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Cute Japanese BL with an amnesia plot
PLOT: Fumiya and Ritsu were in love and lived together, but without any real communication. This led to arguments and a breakup. That day, Ritsu has an accident and suffers from (partial) amnesia. Fumiya tells him they were roommates and takes him back home. He figures that since they still love each other, it's a chance to start over. Together, they explore Ritsu's memories.+++ The two actors, Kyoya Honda and Kosuke Suzuki, are handsome, talented, subtle, and have great chemistry.
+++ Good overall cast
+++ Skillful direction, no technical issues despite a limited budget.
+++ For once in japanese dramas, well-suited OSTs
=> A realistic and cute story.
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Cute Japanese BL with an amnesia plot
PLOT: Fumiya et Ritsu Êtaient amoureux, vivaient ensemble mais sans rÊelle communication. Cela a finit par des disputes et un break-up. Ce jour-là , Ritsu a 1 accident, et souffre d'amnÊsie (partielle). Fumiya lui dit qu'ils Êtaient colocataires et le ramène at home. Il se dit que puisqu'ils s'aiment tjs, c'est l'occasion de recommencer à 0. Ils vont ensemble explorer les souvenirs de Ritsu.
+++ The two actors, Kyoya Honda and Kosuke Suzuki, are handsome, talented, subtle, and have a good chemistry.
+++ Good overall cast
+++ Skillful direction, no technical issues despite a limited budget.
+++ For once, well-suited OSTs
=> A realistic and cute story.
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Perfect Crown Is Perfectly...Fine
My personal rating system:5.0= Average (aka "Not bad, but not good." IYKYK)
There's a Romcom Problem...and unfortunately, Perfect Crown doesn't escape it.
For a long time now, audiences have been complaining about the lack of squealing, heart-racing, butterfly-inducing content in modern romcoms. I am one of those audience participants.
Many issues have been identified, but if I talk about all of them this review would be longer than "War and Peace". So I'm going to talk about two: realism and the fear of âcringeâ. Realism and the fear of cringe are the reasons why live-action Disney movies look so drab instead of vivid. Realism and the fear of cringe are why so many superhero flicks were dark and gritty until recently. Realism and the fear of cringe are why so many movies and TV shows (and arguably books) are predictable. It's negatively impacted almost every art medium and genre, but none as bad as the romance genreâparticularly romcoms. Thatâs why so many of them, including Perfect Crown feelâŚlukewarm.
I've already mentioned this in a comment, but modern-day romcoms are trying too hard to stay grounded in reality. In doing so, much of the whimsical, epic, SWEEPING moments that became traits of the genre are either non-existent or feel muted. Perfect Crown's issue is the latter. It's a shame because I FEEL the director trying to create those moments for us, but I can also feel the screenwriter and whoever edited it practically chanting, "A realistic modern-day monarchy. A realistic modern-day monarchy. A REALISTIC MODERN-DAY MONARCHY." Why does it have to be so realistic when that's not what the genre's about? People watch romcoms to be swept up in a fantasy, but a lot of screenwriters and networks are forgetting that. They're too busy worrying about audiences finding their drama "cringeâ, whether it's more profitable to make the leads red flags, green flags, or morally gray, and waiting to see what therapy terms people will incorrectly use to describe the relationship dynamics. It's obvious, and why Perfect Crown ultimately fails to stand out. I applaud it for trying to take us back to the romcom basics, but with two HUGE stars like IU and Byeon Woo Seok + an obscenely large budget, they needed to go wayyyyy BIGGER. This is a Cinderella love story (if Cinderella was already rich) at heart. And Cinderellaâs a classic fairytale. We needed more whimsy, more drama, elaborate costumes, and ardent declarations of love! Not uneventful royal soirĂŠes with dresses that look straight off the rack at Nordstrom, baseball games where nothing cute or fun happens, and a Temu Titanic scene. People are calling the Temu Titanic scene cringe, but my problem was it being tame and lacking creativity. Iâve seen audiences forgive âcringeâ in favor of novelty. If Prince I-an wanted to âflyâ, Hui Ju shouldâve taken him on a hot air balloon or something. Realistically, a yacht makes the most sense, but again, thatâs the problem.
Yesterday I watched episode 7, and I literally turned to the person I was watching it with during Prince I-an's confession, and asked, âWas this drama prescribed alprazolam???" That was one of the most lackluster confession scenes I've ever seen in...anything. And it's because the drama's trying to do this whole "realistic, every-day" thing. Again, most people aren't looking for that vibe in a romcom with princes, princesses, and palaces. So stop holding back. Go all the way. Aim to give us a confession weâll be quoting for months.
Now that I've finished talking about Perfect Crown's main issues, I want to get into the nitty gritty. Iâll start with the things I found lukewarm, then end on a positive note with the things that were good.
THE LUKEWARM
⢠PRINCE I-AN: I don't know how it's possible, but Byeon Wook Seok looks even prettier here than Lovely Runner. Seriously, what's his skin care routine??? The man's skin is supple. The man is glowing. He's doing the best he can with I-an, but the character simply is not dynamic or memorable. I love to write, so I've taken writing courses, and done a lot of studying on my own. If you want a character who feels 3-dimensional, you're supposed to be able to answer these 4 questions about them:
1. What does your character want?
2. What does your character need?
3. What drives your character?
4. What secret does your character have?
And why? (For all of them).
I know I-an wants Hui-ju, and the drama's done a good job showing us why. I also know he might want to rule, but why? Just because he's the overlooked second son? Sorry, but the drama hasn't shown I-an being particularly passionate about helping his subjects or wanting to further a certain cause. Does he want to get rid of homelessness? Save the dolphins? We know nothing. The only reason he forced his high school to make the archery field accessible to everyone was because of Hui-ju, not because he's passionate about inequality between the social classes.
I also don't know what he needs. Now I know some people will gleefully take this opportunity to nitpick or get trite with answers like, "He needs family!" or "He needs love!" Yeah...we all need those things as humans. What else? What does he specifically need?
What drives him?? Why does he even want the crown? It can't just be because he's been passed over for it in the past. That's lazy writing. What does he actually want to accomplish if he becomes the emperor?
Lastly, aside from the poorly kept secret of I-an and Hui Juâs fake relationship, we found out another one this episode: I-an has the burnt remains of his brother's letter abdicating the throne, and passing it to him. Predictable, but a good secret nevertheless.
But yeah, at the end of the day, Prince I-an is an extremely forgettable character who feels incomplete. There's nothing engaging or nuanced about him. (And this is coming from someone who loves ânice/kind guysâ, so itâs not because he isnât a âbad boyâ.)
⢠THE ANTAGONISTS: Yoon Yi-rang (aka the Empress Dowager) could've been an amazing antagonist. Instead she's one-note and underutilized. I couldnât answer the 4 character questions above about her with a gun to my temple, much less the whyâs. It would've been nice to see what she was doing in high school. Did she go to an academy like I-an and Hui Ju? Or did she go to a finishing school of sorts where the whole curriculum was being a good royal wife? It would've been so easy to humanize her by giving her this inner conflict of: my whole life was about supporting my husband, and now it's about supporting my son. What...do I want? The screenwriter could've even given her a cute/unique hobby she has to hide because itâs âun-empress-likeâ, but she canât help but enjoy it. Nope. She's basically a cartoon villain who only cares about power via her son.
Yoon Yi-rang's father Yoon Seong Won is the other villain, and he's barely worth mentioning.
⢠THE PLOT: Yoboseyo?? Are you there? I didn't expect this drama to be plot-heavy because most romcoms aren't, but all the characters do is go to work, the palace, and get Subway. We need better palace intrigue (those who know me will laugh at that), political interference the Prime Minister has a hard time stopping, and more imaginative royal events and parties. The need for realism strikes again! Where's the creativity?
⢠THE WARDROBE/COSTUMES!!!!: Uh...for a drama about princes and princesses, and the uber rich, WHERE IS THE FASHION???? Is it hiding with the plot? Perfect Crown has had some of the most basic outfits I've ever seen! Every time the drama tried to do a big outfit reveal with Hui Ju, it was just a boring suit! LOLLLLLL. They expected my jaw to drop for a suit???? They werenât even interesting. They were very regular. I know Hui Ju is a CEO, but she's already a rule-breaker, so let that actually translate to her sense of fashion in a meaningful way. And no, Hui Ju wearing a suit while everyone else is wearing evening gowns or hanboks doesn't count. A suit is still a suit at the end of the day, and an outfit known for being functional and practical doesnât fit Hui Ju's personality even though the costume designer is trying to tell us it does. The whole drama exists because Hui Ju does outlandish, impractical things like enter into a fake marriage with a prince to raise her social standing. Her clothing choices donât reflect that. Even her gowns and hanboks were lackluster. The peachy, tulle gown she wore in episode 6? Revolutionary! Iâve never seen that before. What an interesting choice for a bold character -_- Prince I-anâs black and gold royal uniform ate her up in that scene. In fact, his suits are often more interesting than Hui Juâs when it comes to cut, styling, and color. If I had to give one character best dressed, it would be Yoon Yi-rangâwhich isn't same much, but her outfits are better than everyone else's.
THE GOOD
⢠SEONG HUI JU: She's a polarizing figure. People either love her or hate herâwhich means she's well-written. (Just because a character is universally liked, it doesn't mean they're well-written. People can wrap their head around that when it comes to male characters, but theyâre still working on it with female characters). I happen to love Hui Ju. She's ambitious, intelligent, assertive, arrogant, resilient, and kind (she's kind, NOT nice. Kind and nice aren't the same thing. I will not be debating this. The only thing I'll say is kind people actually tend to rock the boat and piss people off in society, and nice people can often be people pleasers. Look up the difference). I can easily answer all 4 characters questions about her (thatâs why Iâm not going into themâbecause theyâre easy and in your face). She's an engaging character, and IU's comedic chops are definitely not lost on me. Just wish Hui Ju had better fashion sense.
⢠THE CHEMISTRY: I didn't know if IU and Byeon Woo Seok were going to have any chemistry. This is something a lot of people were wondering about before the drama came out, and now that it has I think itâs safe to say they do. It's not the tense or explosive kind of chemistry, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't there. I'm not surprised because IU tends to have pretty good chemistry with most of her co-stars. She comes across as someone whoâs chill and easy to get along with, and it's not hard for that kind of person to connect with others. I've only seen Byeon Woo Seok in Lovely Runner, but judging by peopleâs reactions to 20th Century Girl, he might have that same charm.
⢠THE ACTING: In addition to IU and Byeon Woo Seok's cute chemistry, the acting is what's keeping me watching. I love IU's little facial expressions, and comedic timing. And Byeon Woo Seok is doing a great job at acting smitten with her. Prince I-anâs eyes are full of fondness whenever he stares at Hui Ju. Their love story is sweet, and I want to see what happens with it. It's just a shame these two solid actors are wasted on such a mediocre script (I still can't believe it won MBC's Screenwriting Contest. This was really the most creative, impressive thing in the bunch???).
⢠TRYING TO GO BACK TO THE ROMCOM BASICS: There are a lot of things about Perfect Crown that could be better, but I do want to applaud it for TRYING to give us a whimsical fairytale romance. Itâs trying to make us swoon and give us butterflies like the romcoms of old. There's no magic, time travel, serial killers, robots...etc. The focus is on I-an and Hui Juâs relationship. A romcom in its purest form. But to be a solid one, Perfect Crown needed to let go of its fear of being cringe and unrealistic. Screenwriters nowadays seem to be scared of the words "romanticâ (the irony), âsappyâ, "outlandish" when they actually need to be leaning into those words to get the genre back on track. I mean, some viewers are already calling it cringe, so they might as well take it all the way and give us something unique and MEMORABLE.
We're more than halfway through the drama, so I don't expect much to change, but if it does I'd be happy to amend my comment. Perfect Crown had the opportunity to dust off the romcom crown and place it on its own head, but a failure to commit to the fairytale, and trying to make the story feel realistic and "accessible" only make it âfineâ instead of great or amazing.
With that said, this is MDL so I know I have to leave a little disclaimer:
⢠I am allowed to have my own opinions. You don't have to agree with me and I don't have to agree with you.
⢠Constructive criticism is something that exists. Not liking every single thing about a drama is NOT hate.
⢠I'm open to respectful discussions, but not arguing. I have a job and other responsibilities. I will simply block you and you'll be talking to yourself in the comments (perhaps thatâs what some of you want?).
⢠If things get too crazy, I'll nip everything in the bud and just disable the comments.
This is the longest review I've ever posted, and it's for an extremely popular drama. Iâve seen what some of you have done to others, so letâs keep it cute >.> Iâll be watching episode 8 later today.
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heartwarming , extremely funny but nothing special ....
although this drama's plot is quite cliche yet it keeps you watching , almost all of the cases were heartwarming especially when he helped those wronged souls who couldn't get the justice they deserve after their death , the drama was great on so many levels yet nothing was special about it even when they tried to give it some depth it was rushed multiple times.the case with the will where the wife forged her husband's will to give some shares of the company to her friend's son it really annoyed me although that friend helped in building their company , the wife had to right to forge her husband's will as she could have discussed it with her son and when we get to know it was out of guilt because she caused her friend's arrest back then as a north korean spy it even became more annoying although that friend turned out to be alive and the government were keeping an eye on her as they suspected her to spy it didn't make it better for me .
Do gyeong's is the most characterless person I have ever seen , like what was he doing he admired na hyeon and he let the gang attack her and ML all for the recorder his father wanted , I mean she could have been killed , and when he got the recorder he didn't tell his father , why exactly ? he didn't trust his father or wanted to held it as a leverage ? not a smart character and a very indecisive one .
usually any drama would have a main antagonist , so who was the main antagonist here was Do gyeong or his father ? from the events I guess it was the father , he even didn't get that much screen time , for me either Do gyeong or his father were both weak antagonist .
although the romance was barely there , i glad they didn't force it.
the last case with shin gi jung , was quite rushed , at first I was frustrated like how ML didn't trust his father and wanted to let him go without trying to know the truth I mean he should know the man who raised him better than anyone , and when he didn't remember how he died and that byeong il injected him with drugs before his death didn't make sense as he clearly saw him before he died , I mean this was supposed to be the biggest case in all of this , the great finale yet it ended up being rushed and unsatisfying.
overall a quite funny and heartwarming drama with a lot of wasted potential .
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Not Just Another Highschool BL
We all know the premise, highschool, two boys, falling in love. But this show genuinely subverted every single expectation.From giving both characters well nuanced personal problems they had to work through, to having their relationship build up be genuinely so natural and authentic. This show took what I thought was a genre I had seen every possible take of (see: highschool jbls) and gave me a concoction I never even knew was possible until I had already been served it.
I loved how none of the problems either character was going through was all that easily solvable. How the hurdles were ones they kept tripping over time and time again, even with the help of each other and their friends. (Shout-out to Kanata's friend group, specially mizuki âwe love emotionally intelligent female characters in bls!â and Akira's brother's best friend, such a breath of fresh air to have nunaced supporting characters.) It did feel slightly frustrating to watch in the moment, having the cast of characters confront the same issue for episodes at a time, but it felt incredibly realistic to the nature of things in real life? And I fear that frustration is in parts because of how accustomed we've grown to conflicts being so easily solved or sweeped under a rug in shows for convenience. So it was nice to take a moment to sit with that discomfort and watch the characters constantly show up for each other even when zero problems were actually getting solved.
Also loved how the teenage characters in the show were treated with so much maturity?? (Except for when Akira, a minor, was alluded to have constantly hooked up with his former tutor who without a doubt was well into his twenties đ I'm glad his character was genuinely remorseful for it and did admit to having used Akira, and letting Akira use him, for them both to get over their gay heartbreaks but bro, why a minor of all people orz) Their problems and emotions in the moment were treated with so much sincerity within both the narrative and by the fellow characters, which I feel isn't something we see often.
The two main leads were incredibly well cast, cos not once did I ever get broken out of the illusion of the show during my watch. And while this is pretty much the norm for Japanese bls with how well they deliver 9 out of 10 chances, I still feel it deserves acknowledgement.
Overall, genuinely a beyond amazing watch. I'm so glad I stuck around for it.
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Started Strong, Fell into Formulaic (Dropped)
This is a drop reviewâcommentary on more than half the season.I thought this started strong but then gradually settled into okay. Iâm not sure if it became sleepy or too predictable for me.
What initially drew me in was the themeâa powerful demon controls dreams. But Iâve probably watched too many dramas that follow the same formula: betrayal, revenge, and a misunderstanding. Then a brief reconciliation, a second separation, and the rest of the story focuses on reuniting. So, I decided to stop watching once it felt like the story was looping back into the same pipeline.
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A Quick and Entertaining Legal Watch
Phantom Lawyer begins on a strong note, blending humor and emotion before gradually introducing a deeper layer of mystery around episode five. Its short, fast-paced format keeps the story engaging without unnecessary drag, making it an easy and enjoyable watch. The male lead stands out with a particularly impressive performance, bringing both charisma and emotional depth to the role.The drama maintains a good balance between lighthearted moments and suspense, keeping viewers invested throughout. While there are moments where the writing leans into typical dramatic choices(especially in episode 15) they donât take away much from the overall experience. For the most part, the story remains entertaining and holds attention well.
The final episode delivers a satisfying conclusion, wrapping things up with an emotional and heartfelt touch. The ending feels fitting and leaves a positive impression.
Overall, Phantom Lawyer is a fun, engaging drama that doesnât overstay its welcome. With solid performances and a compelling pace, itâs definitely worth the watch
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