Reviews

a drama that refused to explain itself

A well written and even nicely executed drama.

If I had to give you one word to describe the goodness of this drama, it would be storytelling. The use of music to describe feelings, the use of seasons, and the use of the surroundings as well as the NPCs to dictate motivation and intent is beyond telling of great storytelling.

Some dramas, though very well made, still piss you off. This drama passed that test with flying colours.
I won’t get too much into the details, but i do want to mark off everything that pissed me off and everything that didn’t.

I had already read the spoilers for the story, so i definitely wasn’t going to act like every other offended viewer. Because yes, it’s annoying. It’s deeply offensive and unlikable. But at the same time, there are only so many dramas where the leads are genuinely evil people.

The main leads are not morally grey. They are horrible people. But don’t take the historical timeline as a means to justify their actions, because if anything, what they did would have been even more “scandalous” and problematic at the time.
Thank goodness I read the spoilers and knew the female lead was a wicked witch. So i wasn’t emotionally attached to any character development on that front. Same with the male lead and his unseemly virtues.

I would never like nudity in media, so without question, some of the scenes were skipped.
Pardon me, did i say some?

MANY scenes.

But it’s still not beating GOT in that department.

This drama has been an ambiguous watch throughout. i genuinely can’t figure out whether i like it or hate it. The techniques and cinematography were immaculate, and I doubt filmmaking is going to be one of the major points of criticism.
But there is another thing that is just as ambiguous, if not more: the dialogues.
There can be two reasons why dialogues can be a big issue in a drama.

One, you are simply too dumb to understand them.
Or two, you’re dumb and so is the screenwriter.

I’ll take the latter.

There were moments where I could appreciate the “show, don’t tell” strategy. If it wasn’t the entire show filled with it.
If you’re going to serve me a dish on a platter, at least explain the ingredients first. i might be allergic to peanuts.
But no. You expect me to understand everything they are saying with their eyes.
Eyes don’t lie, chico.
But here they did.

How am I supposed to sleep peacefully without knowing what he meant in the last episode?
Ambiguity to a certain extent is cinema.
But to this extent, it is blasphemy.

There were just too many indirect conversations. And i get it, you guys are literature majors, and on top of that, this is a historical drama. But for once, tell me what you mean in one fucking sentence.
This drama, though great in execution, fails to achieve the one thing i expected it to have: clarity.

So i lie somewhere in the middle.
I like it for its cinematography, its storytelling, and the acting.
I hate it more for the plot and the ambiguity of the whole thing.

I appreciate a complex plot with uncertain directions and events, and i can absolutely appreciate unlikable leads.
But never did I say I’d like them regardless. I didn’t like the leads. And that’s my problem.

If I can’t root for a character, i can’t possibly be happy seeing them happy. But the ending, ironically, wasn’t satisfying at all.
How dare the fl still survive and go completely unscathed?
I don’t care if you yearn for him for the rest of your life. If you can’t face some tangible consequences, I’m not satisfied.

Though the biggest question for me was: Did the ml like the widow at all?
I think he did. I also think the director deliberately made sure not to make it too obvious the change in his expressions whenever she wasn’t there said a lot more than his actual dialogue ever did. But honestly, i’d blame that on their lack of guts. I presume the source material had instances where it was much more obvious he liked the widow.
But i digress.

He definitely ended up liking her in the end. But he was just too entangled with the fl that he couldn’t possibly imagine his life without her.

And somewhere in the back of my mind, i was still shipping the two leads together. i knew it was probably better that they didn’t end up together, but there was still a part of me that wanted them to. We had two antagonists, after all, and I loved seeing a female character doing all the manipulation for once.
To my surprise, though, I couldn’t feel nearly as much chemistry between the widow and the ml as I did with the leads. Only in the last episode did I see some of that supposed chemistry.
It’s a shame, really.

The ml and fl’s relationship was nothing but toxic, and they proved me time and time again with the games they were playing. What started with love turned into obsession and desire for something unreachable.

and things that are forbidden are hard to let go of.
And ironically, he let himself get trapped in the same forbidden love with the widow.
It’s a shame because the widow got caught in the fire.

It’s quite obvious this isn’t for the masses but definitely a refreshing drama from all the supposed fluff going these days. i should feel conflicted about whether i like something or not and here i did.

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Decent and enjoyable (except for the AI parts)

Not a bad series to be honest. I liked how the two leads meet and the set up. The action sequences were good especially with the sister. All the actors did a good job.

The only thing that really ruined it for me is the AI use. I don't think it was needed at all. They could have done those flashback scenes very easily but the AI made it look so cheap.

Other than that the story is kind of predictable. There isn't much of a mystery but that's okay because you can still enjoy it. The couple's moments/situations were all engineered so they can be together. It's not bad as such but you know where it is going. I liked all fhe BTS moments with every episode. Seemed like the actors were playing their real personalities on the show as well.

SPOILER HERE: The only thing that was weird was the ending because you have to wonder why the guy was crying so much if his lover was not dead and if he thought his lover was dead, they didn't explain how he came back? Spoiler done.

The OST is decent. I ended up deducting points for the AI use, the ending and some moments that confused me as to what happened. Overall a good watch.

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nothing special...

I would have hoped to have just a story about the two and some lovely-dovey fluffy things... While they are cute, it was not enough. I don't need a nc-scene but at least a proper kiss should have been the last scene.

But no, not even a proper kiss was granted to us. So for me, this was underwhelming. It was not bad but it does feel ordinary and there was nothing special about this episode. If you watched the series, you will watch this too, but it will not add anything new or important to the story. Especially that Chia Kai did not have any growth and he is still as insecure as before is a bummer. I guess, we can't have it all.

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Yuan Bingyan saves the show

I was looking for a series where the female lead has a higher status than the male lead. A lot of websites recommended this one, so I decided to check it out. The female lead is Yuan Bingyan. I previously watched her in Ever Night, where she played Mo Shanshan I really loved her in that role. This is the second series of hers that I’ve watched, and to be honest, she completely carries this show.

The early part was really fun. Some people don’t like the part where the female lead keeps chasing and pestering the male lead, but I loved it — it was cute and funny. However, from the middle to the end, I found it quite boring. Especially after the incident with the female lead’s pig being killed, and when the male lead goes on a mission while the female lead is left alone in the capital. The secondary couple’s storyline was boring and uninteresting to me. The pairing between the female lead’s maid and the male lead’s subordinate was actually more interesting and better. The editing felt rushed and jumped around too much, especially toward the end. Yuan Bingyan as Liu Ling is the one who carries this entire series for me. She acted really well — cute, lively, and her chasing scenes with the male lead were hilarious. She also handled the sad scenes well. It’s a pity that we don’t know when she’ll be allowed to return to acting after the ban. Zheng Yecheng was okay — neither particularly good nor bad. The chemistry between her and the male lead felt average to me. The music was nice and pleasant to listen to.

Overall, the first half was very enjoyable, but the middle to the end became boring. Still, Yuan Bingyan is the absolute highlight of this series — she really stood out. If you have nothing else to watch, it’s watchable, but you won’t miss much if you skip it.

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Wonderful chemistry, it was just wonderful

I really enjoyed this show. I couldnt wait until I got new episodes, like the plot is just great, its amazing actually; its not necessarily new or anything like that but it did feel new in another way. And, the actionscenes are impressive, the fights look well coordinated and thought out, the chemistry is intense I love it. The show definitely lived up to the title Kiss or Kill. And if you watch it you will see what I mean.

Can I talk more about that chemistry??? Absolutely overflowing. I need more of these two already and I just finished it.They’re such good actors, and you can genuinely feel the chemistry between them in every scene. This had me invested in the show throughout the entire show. I didn't feel bored or like I needed a break it was just so good. They did amazing through all of that show.

But honestly, Yeah its not just the chemistry, the storyline and plot are just as good. Nothing feels rushed or half-baked—the story actually takes its time, everything flows so naturally, and every scene feels like it has a purpose in a way. The show was well paced and nothing there felt overhyped or underwhelming. Just great in that way. The whole show is just SO interesting, and I loved literally every second of it. Their acting, the chemistry, the plot… everything is hitting. This show is seriously amazing.

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It’s scandalous

It does what if is expected to do. It’s scandalous. So far I have never given any particular attention to the FL or ML coz their acting never felt raw. But here it was very very raw.
It was the micro expressions that made their acting amazing. For normal audience it might seem as bland acting but they did an amazing job.
For instance
How son ae Jin - speaks so respectfully in a soft manner but her irritation and anger can be seen in her jaws
The mother in law of nana, the smirk she gives for a second before hiding it with tears. When son ae Jin is paying respects.
Ji chan wook, when he was really confused about his love but forced himself to fall back into the same loop just because without that it wouldn’t be him


The plot it’s scandalous, it’s scandal people that’s the whole title what else did you expect, people blushing and holding hands. They tried to be raw with it. And had a fitting end. It is a great watch but not everyone’s cup of tea.

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The Anti-Fairy Tale : A K-Drama That Isn't Afraid of Raw Real Physical and Emotional Intimacy

I just wrapped up all 8 episodes of The Scandal, and honestly, It went exactly where I worried it would. Having watched the original Untold Scandal 2003 film where this series based on , I knew the tragic direction of the story and how the ending would unfold.

My hunger and thirst for a proper, deep meaningful romance between Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook was left completely unfed. What I was truly hoping for was a meaningful, genuine love story between Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook in this series and was hoping it will not follow some of the narrative of the movie where this drama based on. As much as I was dying to see these two massive powerhouse actors share a sweeping romance, this just wasn't that kind of story that Im hoping for them. Instead, Son Ye-jin’s character functions as the antagonist and master manipulator, acting as the strategic catalyst driving the plot rather than Ji Chang-wook’s true romantic partner.

Sure, Cho-won loved Lady Cho first, but her endless desire for control, pride, and societal power meant she constantly pushed him away and used him like a pawn on a chessboard. By the time she realized what she was losing him as he is falling to 2nd fl , it was far too late.

The actual profound, deeply felt romance in this story ends up belonging to the Male Lead and the 2nd Female Lead (Nana). Watching Cho-won fall genuinely in love with Hui-yeon while Son Ye-jin orchestrates things from the shadows was both fascinating and deeply frustrating as a huge fan of Son Ye - Jin.

The series pulls no punches in showcasing these explicit, highly passionate bed scenes between Ji Chang-wook and Nana. Seeing intimacy portrayed so boldly on the small screen makes you wonder if CGI or AI body doubles were used, or if it was entirely the actors' raw commitment—either way, the acting is phenomenal. This drama which based of Untold Scandal 2003 , really almost copies the movie’s signature sensuality directly ——showing the whole nakedness except the private parts of them and creators of this drama really showcases the bold sexual position. For a kdrama that is not really usual you see , it will probably shock you , but then It also proves once again that when a story truly demands it, Korean creators can easily rival or surpass Hollywood in handling mature, explicit scenes with high artistic intensity, just like their classic cinema hits such as “A Frozen Flower” where played by Zo In sung & the cast which well done.

Watching Cho-won share those deeply intimate moments with the 2nd FL while Son Ye-jin remained locked in a cold game of wits made it even harder to digest as a huge SYJ fan. In many ways, the 2nd female lead seems actually serves as the true female lead of this series because she is portrayed with such a pure spirit and receives the the romantic meaningful love of the ML even he didn’t personally confessed to her .

When it comes to acting, and visual aesthetics, this drama is absolute top-tier. Son Ye-jin commands every single frame with an icy, magnetic, and haunting presence, and Ji Chang-wook delivers one of the most complex performances of his career. The tension between them is electric, but the narrative itself is just so heavy and depressing to digest. It is a masterpiece wrapped in sheer tragedy.

At its core, The Scandal serves as a painful reminder of what happens when you treat human emotion and love as a game of power and pride. Lady Cho spent her entire life trying to manipulate everyone around her to escape her own powerlessness, only to end up completely isolated in disgrace—destroying the only man who ever truly understood her. Pride will always destroy real love before it even gets to bloom.

Just a quick note that these are strictly my personal thoughts, views, and feelings as a long fan . Drama experiences are always subjective, so please don't let my review stop you from diving in. Watch it, experience the phenomenal acting for yourself, and form your own judgment!

Breakdown of my rating:

Acting & Performance——— (10/10): Son Ye-jin ,Ji Chang-wook & Nana top-tier acting, magnetic presence, and electric chemistry.

Production & Direction ——-10/10 the visual aesthetic, cinematography were phenomenal.

Story & Romance ————— 7/10The heavy, devastating nature of the tragedy of ML combined with the disappointment over the romance dynamic—where Son Ye-jin acts as the mastermind rather than the main romantic interest—kept it from reaching a perfect score from me

Overall 7.5–8/10 —high-quality production , while clearly Im being also honest that my ratings reflecting of an unfulfilled expectations for a meaningful romance of SYJ and JCW.

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What did they like about each other beyond the sex?

Good chemistry and hot leads often delude people into romanticising and idolising a romantic relationship. Clearly the case here with so many people fawning over the ML / the leads.

I am simply gonna talk about the writing because that's what lets this drama down. Acting, direction, score were all great.

If the writer's intention was for the leads to end up together, then he/she has failed because rather than show me why these two will work, the writer showed me all the reasons why these two wouldn't work only to give them a happily ever after at the end. I would have given this a really high score if they ended it with the leads not ending up together.

In the 6 years of the relationship, other than in anger / break-up, these two never once communicated their feelings. There was zero sharing from both their end about what was going on in their lives. Other than spending the weekends together having sex, what did they even do or bring to each other's lives? They were never shown going on a proper date (other than the Tibet trip towards the end) or even having a normal conversation the way they would have with their friends respectively or like the way they talked when she saved him in the mountain. There was nothing real about their relationship. It was very superficially written, and acted by 2 gorgeous actors who had great chemistry together. There were lots of time jumps here and there but there was little intricacy or detail to their relationship other than the makeout scenes. I can see why he fell for her at the beginning and wanted to pursue her but after they got together - what even made him stay? I can see why she, too, felt attracted at the beginning. But what made her stay?

The unequal power dynamic, the socio-economic difference between both of them and most importantly, the way he constantly belittled her in almost every conversation heavily weighed down their relationship. These were never addressed. The unequal power dynamic with him being her boss and her walking on ice to keep the relationship hidden so that their relationship will never be misinterpreted as him praising her at work due to their relationship behind closed doors stressed her out. Her need to make money and have a stable job while he could splurge easily made her feel inferior in the relationship. The way he constantly belittled her in almost every conversation made her retreat, hide and step back so that she wouldn't be of any problem to him.

Instead of addressing this unequality and having the leads either

(1) be better together - transform this unhealthy relationship into a positive, healing one with both being vulnerable and learning to communicate better

OR

(2) not be better together but be co-dependent / have a home in each other - acknowledging the unhealthiness but leaning back on each other for support, for love. I am not against toxic relationships but you gotta show me how they make it work.

But the show didn't do either, and I was left confused as to why they even dated for so long. Both of them did not change. Neither did they truly have emotional and vulnerable moments together beyond the sex that made the relationship compelling. There was a lack of intricacy / detail beyond the sex that made the relationship feel real.

WHY THE FL NEVER FELT SAFE TO OPEN UP WITH HER "BOYFRIEND" He did not empathize and used cutting words all the time to belittle her.
The tone of the relationship was set the day he accused her of leaving the bag at his house on purpose and she was made to realise that he doesn't like clingy women. He brought her a bag the next day and she made it very clear that she did not want it and that she would stay silent in return for the bag. He did not correct her. The way he proposed being in a relationship - he made it clear he doesn't do romantic relationships and that they'll inform the other if they are sleeping around to which she proposed exclusivity. What is she to take from the proposal? Clearly she was once again made to feel that this isn't a relationship where they'll be on an equal footing and where they'll be like a normal boyfriend/girlfriend. The mistake at work - how difficult was it to simply type a 'how are you' message to her? She needed his support. He said Dony is likely to sexually assault her because she is the most naive. She is enticed to leave with Alex because she is cheap and obedient. 6 years of a relationship and he belittled it saying that she was with him just to climb the ladder. How can she truly be open when all he does belittle her at each point?

She was problematic too - I mean if she can't see him with another woman, why did she think he would be ok with her meeting her ex? Or why would she talk about marriage right when they're having so many problems.. was she really expecting an exciting answer from him LOL

WHY DID HE BELITTLE HER ALL THE TIME?
He never felt secure in being honest about his feelings because of his past with his family / dad (which was barely addressed in the show). He grew, and did learn to give her some appreciation over the course of the relationship but where was the empathy whenever she was struggling? How difficult was it for him to type a 'how are you doing' whenever she made a mistake or ran into difficulty? He had his freedom to go on overseas trips with his friends or handle his work issues by himself but couldn't take it that she had her own friends, and did not share about her work decisions. Much of their conflict revolved around work-related issues - why did he never try to understand how work and earning money was important for her?

WHERE WAS THEIR EMPATHY FOR EACH OTHER? WHAT DID THEY EVEN LIKE ABOUT EACH OTHER?
Whenever they took breaks or had long periods of not talking, there was never a 'how did you cope' or an emotional sharing session after that. They never admitted their issues, and neither did they ever really try to address them.. the only way they coped was having sex. Did they ever try to know what the other was feeling or even up to?

His praises for her was always about doing well at work. But what did he like about her as a girlfriend.. what value did she bring for him? She respected him as a boss who knew what he was doing. But what did she like about him as a boyfriend? What value did he bring to her life that her friends didn't bring?

Had the show ended with both of them giving each other closure and walking separate paths, I would have applauded it. But the writing never rose above the superficiality of their hot sex to give a thoughtful, meaningful dialogue about the way their miscommunication, his treatment of her, the difference in balance of power, the socio-economic difference, their psychology made them suffer and impacted the way they dealt with each other. Him creating a museum of her at the end to propose was absolutely cringe and till the end, there was no heartfelt conversation between these two. I can't believe that people are romanticising this dynamic and people are calling it 'real'. Other than the sex, these two didn't even feel like a couple. I mean which young couple doesn't talk at all?

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**The Ordinary Jackpot**

The first two episodes were so good and exciting, mainly because of the expectation that our male lead would completely transform after winning the lottery. I was really hoping we would see a flip in his usual boring personality, and I genuinely enjoyed seeing him scold his team for the first time. It felt like the lottery win was finally going to change him and his life.

But after waiting a whole week, I watched episodes 3 and 4, and honestly, they were disappointing. Nothing significant really happened in those two episodes, and that's when I started realizing that maybe nothing *is* going to happen.

It feels like the drama is actually trying to say: **even if you win the lottery, stay the same, keep working like a machine, and let the rich company continue grinding you for money.** 😂

At this point, it has gone back to feeling like a regular, boring office drama. There is also very little scope for romance, which is another disappointment.

The mystery surrounding the FL, who is only properly introduced around episode 4, also feels like something that is being dragged out for too long. And with only 10 episodes, I don't see how there is enough time left to develop anything meaningful — whether that's the romance, the lottery storyline, or any major change in the characters.

The first two episodes made me expect a completely different kind of drama. After episodes 3 and 4, it just feels like the lottery win was used as a setup, but the story is still determined to remain the same boring office drama.

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