Reviews

The concept was good, but not enough to save the storyline this time.

Yep.
There was nothing awful about it, but it definitely isn’t memorable.

The idea, the atmosphere, the humor (even though I didn’t always understand everything), and the dynamics between Great and Dech are awesome-tier.
The yearning of Dech? OMG (heart emoji)

What kept this show from being a home run for me is the direction the plot took. What kept it from being a ten-star show is the direction the plot went. Actually, I don’t know whether to give it a 6.5 or be nice and round it up to a 7.

I can’t really explain in detail all the ways it didn’t meet my expectations without spoiling it, so I’ll just say that the last 50% of this left me disappointed. I just wanted more interaction between the main characters and less of everything else. At a certain point in the story, I realized things were just… happening. Events occurred because the plot required them to, and there wasn’t a strong motivation tying the moments together. Characters made decisions because the story needed them to, not because it particularly made sense for them. And I really hoped for more interaction between the characters in the “present.”

This wasn’t innovative, super emotional, or particularly dynamic, but it was fun and (sometimes) sweet. Even though it wasn’t for me, I think it would be a great introduction to the transmigration genre.

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too much bullying (archery vertical series)

Overall: I wish we had more sweet moments in the past and the present, as I did not enjoy the duration and amount of bullying. 51 episodes about 2 minutes each, first 8 episodes free to watch. Aired on Shortime (my referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus) & iQIYI app

Content Warnings: bullying, abuse, non con kissing, manhandling, non con kissing turned consensual, manipulation, drugging, held against will, torture

What I Liked
- archery integration
- visuals
- finally stood up to his dad
- sweet/caring moments
- watch episode 46-51

Room For Improvement
- brief montage did not establish their relationship enough in the past so it wasn't enough for me to root for them in the present
- love rivals
- cliche wannabe wife
- a character was so mad at another character who gave a very valid reason of not wanting to be a secret
- could have easily figured out what happened in the past
- noble idiot trope (twice!)

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Good at the start let down at the end

I really wanted to like this episode because, overall, the storyline of the series was interesting and the acting was good. There were moments throughout the series where things felt a little rushed, but I could overlook that.

Unfortunately, the final episode completely lost me.

I understand that this is a time-travel story and that things aren’t supposed to be simple or straightforward, but the ending felt rushed to the point where it barely made sense. Too many things were left unexplained, and the whole thing felt unfinished. It’s one thing to leave the audience with questions; it’s another to leave them feeling like the story simply wasn’t properly finished.

The actor did a good job with what they were given, but unfortunately, the storyline let them down. After investing time in the series, the ending was probably the worst way they could have wrapped it up. It had potential, but that final episode really ruined the experience for me.

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vertical series, where main character goes into a BL book

Overall: one of the better vertical series. 1-11 free to watch. 53 episodes about 2 minutes each. Aired on Shortime app (my referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus) and iQIYI app

Content Warnings: death (it's complicated/kind of), blood, manipulation, threatened suicide

What I Liked
- a misunderstood character (appeared to be a delinquent but wasn't)
- I laughed a few times

Room For Improvement
- love triangle though it ddn't bother me as much
- stood there staring in the middle of traffic

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"...THAT'S IT?!"

I genuinely cannot get over how badly *The Knot* disappointed me. This was probably my MOST anticipated BL of 2026, and I went into it ridiculously excited because we were FINALLY getting a live-action Omegaverse series. And not only Omegaverse, but with Boat and Oat, two actors I already love. This should have been a freaking goldmine.

Instead, I finished it wanting to sit in a corner, cry, kick my feet, and throw a full-blown tantrum over how much potential they completely wasted. 😂😭

Because HOW do you have the entire Omegaverse at your disposal and somehow manage to do almost nothing interesting with it?

This was their opportunity to actually show viewers what makes an Alpha an ALPHA. The instincts. The possessiveness. The territorial behavior. The protectiveness over their Omega. The social hierarchy, biological differences, and all the complicated ways those instincts can clash with actual human emotions and love.


There was SO MUCH they could have done with this world, and instead the story felt like it had almost no real plot or development. I kept waiting for it to finally dig deeper into the Omegaverse elements and give us the story I thought they were building toward, and it just... never happened.

And don't even get me started on the pregnancy.

One of the biggest things people were excited and curious about was finally seeing an Omega pregnancy portrayed in a live-action Omegaverse BL. They had an opportunity to explore something we've basically never gotten to see properly on screen: a male Omega actually going through pregnancy.

His changing body. A growing belly. The Alpha becoming even more protective and territorial. Nesting. Preparing for the baby. The emotional and physical experience of carrying their child. Hell, even just seeing what pregnancy and childbirth LOOK like within the rules of this universe.

Instead, they wait until practically the LAST FIVE MINUTES to reveal that he's pregnant.

And then... THAT'S IT?!

No growing belly. No pregnancy journey. No birth. No baby. No payoff for something the story and the entire concept had made viewers excited to see.

You cannot hand me OMEGAVERSE, tease me with an Omega pregnancy, finally make him pregnant when the series is basically over, and then roll the damn credits. 😭😂 WHERE IS MY OMEGAVERSE BABY?!

I honestly cannot wrap my mind around how a series with this much potential managed to flop this badly. That's what makes me so angry. If the premise had sucked from the beginning, fine. I'd shrug, give it a bad rating, and move on.

But the premise DIDN'T suck.

The potential was enormous.

The actors were there.

The Omegaverse world was there.

The possibilities were practically endless.

There was an incredible series buried somewhere inside *The Knot*, and THAT is the series I desperately wanted to watch.

Instead, I got one of the biggest disappointments I've had watching a BL. This wasn't just a bad series to me; it was a massive waste of an opportunity to finally give us a genuinely good live-action Omegaverse adaptation.

I wanted to love this SO badly.

Now I just want to wipe it from my freaking memory and pretend the Omegaverse gods haven't betrayed me this severely. 😭🤦‍♀️

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Nothing about this drama sticks it is like a bunch of almosts

My Rating is 7/10

My daughter liked this less than I did and gave it a 6/10 at best. While I liked it slightly more, I can understand exactly why she felt it was not very good.

I think Our Sticky Love is one of those dramas where your expectations going in will make a huge difference. If you have been perfectly happy with the increasingly polished, somewhat cookie-cutter style of Asian dramas being produced specifically for streaming platforms, you may enjoy this more than I did. It has many of the familiar ingredients that made viewers fall in love with Asian dramas in the first place: romance, a quirky village, found family, mystery, danger, a handsome devoted male lead, amnesia, first love and a strong female lead.

But for me, it was like a home cook trying to copy a great chef. They have all the right ingredients, but they overcook the potatoes, leave the skin on the onions and, in general, destroy the flavor profile. It was all the little things that kept this from becoming the kind of drama I love.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Our Sticky Love. There was enough here that I enjoyed portions of it, which is why I landed at a 7 rather than lower. But it often felt like a drama that assembled many of the right pieces without developing them with the richness that makes Asian dramas so compelling.

That is also why I understand the mixed reactions. Some people seem to really enjoy the familiar romantic-comedy formula and village setting, while others have problems with the writing, heroine, pacing and lack of depth. I think it really depends on what you want from a drama.

For me, Jang Tae-ha was the most interesting part of the show. Jung Hae-in gave him warmth and quiet devotion, and despite his gangster past, he seemed like such a genuinely nice person that I kept watching because I wanted to understand how someone like him could have done those things. I also liked the village setting. The taffy-making community gave the drama personality, and I enjoyed the villagers much more than some of the other storylines.

I did not, however, love the primary romance. There were some sweet moments, but I never became emotionally attached to Tae-ha and Go Eun-sae as a couple the way I had hoped. So much of the story felt like it was checking off familiar drama boxes rather than deeply exploring the characters.

The 12-episode length was interesting to me for that reason. I went in thinking I would miss the traditional 16-episode Korean-drama format. Instead, by the end I thought 12 episodes almost felt like too much. I did not need more episodes. I needed more depth in the episodes we had.

I would not watch this again. I would not recommend it to most drama fans, and if it happened to be on somewhere, I would probably change the channel or leave the room. Once was more than enough. It was not terrible; it simply was not memorable enough for me to want a second viewing.

Spoilers

My biggest problem was Go Eun-sae.

I found her completely unlikeable through a large portion of the drama. Yes, she lost her memory, and I understand how frightening and distressing that would be. I also understand why she was suspicious of Tae-ha when he appeared claiming to be her boyfriend.

What I struggled with was her complete lack of gratitude for what he was doing for her. She was essentially an unidentified person under government care when Tae-ha came along. He took her to a private home and went out of his way to make her safe and comfortable. Even if she did not believe him, I kept thinking, could you at least acknowledge that this man is taking exceptionally good care of you?

Instead, she was frequently rude, suspicious, snobbish and narcissistic. She seemed so in love with herself that it was hard to imagine there being much room for anyone else.

I was especially bothered by how she treated the villagers. I could have accepted some of that if Eun-sae had grown up in an affluent environment, but she had humble country beginnings herself. These were, in a sense, her people. Even without her memories, I wanted some deeper connection to them at her core. Instead, she spent so much of the story looking down on them.

That made it very difficult for me to understand Tae-ha's continued love for her. He had fallen in love with this innocent, exciting girl, but she had clearly grown into someone else. I kept wondering how he could be so completely in love with the current version of her.

That is romantic on one level, but for me it raised the question of whether he was really in love with who she was now or with the memory of the girl she had once been.

Eun-sae became a little more likable as the story progressed, but it felt like a little too little and a little too late.

I was also baffled by her wanting to share a bedroom with Tae-ha when she suspected he was lying about being her boyfriend and did not even remember him. Why would she expect him to be comfortable with that? Even if they really had been together before, she did not remember him, and he knew she was vulnerable. His refusal was exactly right.

The amnesia trope is not one I generally like, and this version did not win me over. Given the severity and duration of her memory loss, the eventual return of her memories felt more like the plot deciding it was time than something naturally earned. I actually think suppressed memories connected to trauma would have made much more sense.

Then came the getting-her-out-by-boat-to-Japan situation, which really frustrated me. Tae-ha was clearly trying to save her and was risking his life doing it. Yet Eun-sae ran off, hurt Tae-ha's brother using a move he had taught her, stole her "little brother's" motorcycle and left. I found that incredibly selfish.

And who exactly was this brother? We had barely heard anything about him, and suddenly he was important enough to be trusted with Eun-sae. Their exact relationship was never developed enough for his sudden appearance to feel natural.

The gangster storyline also lost credibility for me. Both Tae-ha and Eun-sae showed themselves repeatedly, people knew where Eun-sae was, and she even returned to her Seoul apartment after it had been broken into. Yet somehow the gangsters repeatedly failed to find them or simply left them alone at the most convenient moments.

It felt less like Tae-ha and Eun-sae were successfully outsmarting a dangerous organization and more like the criminals were temporarily blinded by the needs of the plot. That made the supposedly high-stakes sections much less suspenseful.

Tae-ha's gangster past needed more accountability too. His reason for getting involved—to make money for his grandmother—was understandable, but that does not erase the horrible things he apparently did. I kept waiting for the story to really confront his past. Was he involved in murders? How much violence had he participated in? What did he actually have to repent for? And why was he not more deeply investigated during the corruption storyline?

The drama essentially said, yes, he was a gangster, but he had a good reason, and then moved on. I wanted more than that. His redemption needed more weight.

The twists were also very predictable. I knew Baek Sang-gil was going to be Tae-ha's father almost as soon as we learned Tae-ha's mother had left his father and raised him alone. I also knew Eun-sae was Tae-ha's first love almost immediately.

I know the "first love that was never forgotten" idea is a common drama trope, but it has never been particularly logical to me. People change so much over the years that the idea of staying emotionally attached to someone you knew at one particular point in your life for all that time is difficult for me to believe. Sometimes first love really is just a moment in time.

I also did not like the contrast in their romantic histories. Tae-ha was presented as almost virginal and completely pure, his heart having remained with his first love all those years, while Eun-sae was the experienced one who had had multiple relationships.

I have no problem with a female lead being romantically experienced while the male lead is not. My problem was that the drama seemed to make that difference part of the power dynamic between them. I would have preferred them to be either both experienced or both relatively inexperienced.

There is also a trend in some streaming dramas toward making female leads extremely forceful, confident and independent. I am completely fine with strong women. But strong does not have to mean mean, and I often found myself wondering why Tae-ha was so completely in love with Eun-sae.

That came back to me at the very end with the whole "Oppa" teasing.

I did not think that was funny or cute. I thought it was mean.

These two had been through so much together, physically and emotionally. Tae-ha had risked his life for her, and they had been frightened, separated and put through things that should have deepened their understanding of each other. So watching Eun-sae deliberately tease him in a way she knew would emotionally torture him did not sit well with me.

It also reminded me that she had not changed as much as I had hoped.

She had become more confident and capable and somewhat less self-involved, but that narcissistic streak was still there. She constantly seemed to want the conversation to come back to how great she was. I actually think some of that came from insecurity, and I could understand where it came from, but it was still irritating. The "Oppa" teasing felt like an unwelcome reminder of what I disliked about her in the beginning.

I also never understood why Tae-ha thought sending Eun-sae to Japan was such a great plan. The gangsters had already shown that they could track her movements, and the story had even established that Tae-ha had connections to Japanese gangsters. Why would sending her there suddenly make her safe? It felt like a plot device to separate the characters rather than a decision that actually made sense.

The second couple, Ahn Gi-jun and Min Su-ji, was probably my least favorite storyline. We did not see enough of their loving relationship before their breakup for me to care about their reunion. Then Su-ji was focused on Tae-ha and trying to undermine Eun-sae, and suddenly near the end she and Gi-jun were apparently in love enough to get married.

I never felt it.

Every time the story switched to them, I wanted to get back to the main story. Their storyline felt like wasted screen time.

I liked the villagers much more. They added warmth and personality, although I never completely believed the sudden "we are family" bond with Eun-sae. She had spent so much of the story looking down on them that having them become family at the very end felt rushed. It was sweet, but it was not really earned.

One of my favorite parts, though, was the village women taking out the gangsters. That made perfect sense to me. You came into OUR town and threatened OUR people? Get the heck out. I loved that.

I also loved the relationship between Hong Do-yeop and Tae-ha. That friendship made sense because they had history and years of connection. As Tae-ha's boxing coach, Do-yeop had also become something like a surrogate father to him. And Do Jeong-hwa was wonderful. Her hug with Tae-ha in the hospital was one of the emotional high points of the entire drama. It was simple, warm and genuinely heartfelt.

There were little pieces of a really good drama scattered throughout Our Sticky Love. I liked Tae-ha. I liked the villagers. I liked the dynamic between Tae-ha and Do-yeop. I liked Do Jeong-hwa. There were funny moments, romantic moments and some genuinely touching scenes.

But I kept wishing the drama would slow down and actually develop the things it introduced.

That is where the streaming-platform comparison really comes in for me. Streaming platforms seem to have figured out many of the surface ingredients that made Asian dramas so addictive: romance, quirky side characters, mystery, comedy, danger, beautiful settings and a devoted male lead.

But Asian dramas at their best are about more than the ingredients.

They let relationships breathe. They let characters change slowly enough that you believe it. They give side characters histories and relationships that make them feel real. They include little moments that may not advance the plot but make you understand why people love each other.

That is the richness I felt was missing here.

I went in thinking twelve episodes would be too short. By the end, I realized the problem was not that there were too few episodes. It was that the story was not deep enough to fill even twelve particularly well.

So I understand the mixed reactions. Some viewers will see a charming, familiar romantic comedy with a warm village atmosphere. I saw a drama with many of the right ingredients that never quite got the flavor right.

There was enough here to make me enjoy watching it once.

There just was not enough to make me want to experience it twice.

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bro they have seriously put some kind of drugs in this show

so i would like to narrate my review since the beginning, i have been a fan of auausave since your sky, i started watching your sky for thomaskang, but auausave made me fall in love with them, like i loved everything about them, i wanted MORE of them, and then a few months later mr. fanboy pilot trailer dropped, and i was so so so happpyyy, like i had been waiting for so long just for them, and then finally the official date came for the official trailer, i was so excited and happy, and when i watched the first episode istg it was so addicting, so intresting dmd has put a high budget into this masterpiece along with so many actors from the same company, i was so happy to see their cameos- i was screaming when i saw teeteepor, theewave, and thomaskang i was so so happy, and now i have watched till the 3rd episode, the slow burn is killing me, my babies are so freaking cute, along with ryujinpatji, i love them tooo, like the whole series till now is going really nice, and my god i can't wait for 1 episode per week, like the wait is too long for me to handle, i want them to drop all the episodes at once, it's so freaking addicting and just pulls you in, so i will be here to support my auausave and ryujinpatji, many love to them.⭐✨

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Catfish of the year!

It’s rather amusing how this show tried to convince viewers that it was deeper and darker than it actually ended up being.

I struggled with the first few episodes, but the middle stretch managed to pull me in. A lot of that was because P’Jane was such a fascinating character, and it was fun to speculate about his actions and motivations. While I criticized the writing for relying too heavily on exposition to build up its characters and reducing side characters to plot devices whose sole purpose was to move the main relationship forward, I was still entertained during this part of the series.

Unfortunately, the final episodes didn’t deliver on what the show had promised. The story became repetitive, the tropes became increasingly ridiculous, and the plot holes became more obvious. My amusement with the show slowly shifted into frustration and eventually turned into boredom and indifference. Sadly, I also couldn’t emotionally connect with the characters, so I didn’t really care about what happened to them.

Overall, the show had some good ideas and an interesting premise, but the writing ultimately didn’t live up to its potential.

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A masterpiece, an almost flawless crime drama with brilliant & intelligent writing.

First of all, I’m contemplating whether I should rate this drama 10/10 as its almost flawless in term of everything. I almost never rate a drama full 10/10 so this is a huge compliment and a big thing for me. However, after sitting one whole day, sinking in the whole drama and its resolutions, I believe it deserved this score and here’s why:

The most important thing for a crime mystery drama is the mysteries and plot twists so I’m not going to reveal anything in my review. Here, I’m just going to objectively review why this particular crime mystery drama is brilliant in my book with no spoilers at all.

MASTERFULLY WRITTEN WITH COMPELLING AND INTRIGUING PLOT

A compelling mystery drama is defined by perfectly balancing the intellectual puzzle of a mystery with the emotional depth of its characters. Unlike pure question of ‘Who did it?’ which focus entirely on clues and mechanics, an excellent mystery drama prioritizes character psychology, stakes, and atmospheric storytelling which Abyss truly excelled at.

The mystery is solidly written with great pacing. Very intelligently constructed with many details and clues and trail of evidences. Some clues are mind-blowingly subtle but some are as clear as the clear blue sky and can be seen as early as Episode 1. And no false narratives to misled us so what you see on screen are all clues that contributed to the end revelations including all the snippets from the novel, as confusing and random as it might be.

So the fun part is the guessing games and the list of suspects that you come out on your own based on the evidences so during revelations, all your efforts feel earned since all the clues already being there no matter how small it is. It seemed like watching a movie with how tight is the plots and how fast paced is the story with literally no filler scenes at all.

Also, making Li Cheng as a novice police officer is a brilliant decision as it did help to make viewers more immersive as you see the drama from his lens without years of police experience. Here, you will find yourself asking the same questions as him -- its almost like a dejavu how things that comes out from his mouth mirrored mine.

THE ‘FAIR GAME’ ELEMENT

The best part of the drama is that its playing the ‘fair game’ of a good written mystery story as what the police know is what we know too so no surprises that only they know. So here, we are actively solving the case together with them. This establishes an honest social contract between the story and the viewers as hiding critical clues until the final scene feels like cheating rather than a clever twist which Abyss clearly avoid.

While viewing this drama, it transforms our passive viewing into an active intellectual puzzle where the audience has a genuine shot at solving the crime alongside the police. Some writers sacrifice this element by concealing some information in order to make the main character as a genius and know it all or the smartest in the room. While this elevates the character, it also eliminates excitement for the audiences as we always know the said character going to pull some unknown information which made the story less intriguing and impactful.

SHOW INSTEAD OF TELL

Another favorite of mine is how this drama depends on showing instead of telling since it trusts the audiences’ ability to grasp the complex story and narrative. It is a very smart and intelligent crime story that didn’t take the audiences for granted — either our understanding of the story and our the ability to grasp the complex web of crime. What made it so well written as the story has staged for everything since early on so when it happened, it clicked to you right away.

And the acting truly made the show as the drama rely heavily on the acting of all the characters since some clues are reflected straight from their reactions and actions. For an example, we know right away that Li Cheng has a relationship with Bi Dehua with the way he lashed out in one of the earliest episodes. We don’t know anything about their relationship at that time but we knew they are somehow close. Also, some revelations are only shown instead of the characters spelling it for us. For a drama to trust the audiences to collect all this little clues one by one is such a breath of fresh air. Every single thing that happened in the drama -- they already provide us the answers we just have to read the story to get all the connections. They might not explicitly tell us some things but focus on the expressions of the actors that basically tell us the real truth. You just have to be extra attentive to catch all of this nuances in the story.

PERFECT PACING AND ‘BREADCRUMB’ TRAIL

This is what the writer truly excelled at which is the ‘breadcrumb’ trail -- a meticulous distribution of information scattered throughout the story. Clues are dropped consistently, logically, slowly and subtlety so the audience can actively participate in solving the puzzle. And despite the abundance of information and clues, it still always feel that they are bigger and greater truth that we still haven’t figure out yet -- constantly looming in the background.

EFFECTIVE USE OF RED HERRINGS

Red herrings are used so marvelously in this drama. The red herrings that are scattered all over the drama are used to smoke screen the real truth. But instead of making these red herring as something that totally deflected from the real truth, it also contains some truths or clues to the big revelations at the end. This what makes it very compelling when you realize everything shown on the screen are the truth, but how all of it comes together flawlessly at the end without any inconsistencies is what makes it very compelling.

UNEXPECTED PLOT TWISTS

Another excellent part of the writing is that halfway through the drama, you basically can figure out what happened already. However, the fact that the plot twists are still very surprising and unexpected and still making sense — ALL at the same time made the writing truly memorable and excellent.

NO PLOT HOLES OR INCONSISTENCIES IN THE WRITING

Some crime dramas have this problem when writer wrote their stories into a corner and start leaking some plot holes in the storyline just for the ‘shock’ factor which Abyss clearly avoid. If you see any inconsistencies in the story, characters’ narrative, props -- its all are clues instead of mistakes made by the production team. As someone who pay attention to details and very familiar with crime dramas, I found many inconsistencies in the story and thought it is a mistake but no, its actually clues for us which made me respect the writing even more. For an example the tore picture between Bi Dehua and Han Pinmu -- it is a solo picture of Bi Dehua in his room (Episode 1) but it was a trio picture in Han Pinmu’s room (Episode 3). At first, I thought it’s a mistake but it wasn’t. This picture is one of the biggest clues that connect the whole mystery together. You will also find yourself asking why this and why that. Why the novel only surfaced now? Why the murder stops for 8 years? Why rape and murders are inconsistent in the 5 cases? Why they let the last person to survive? All this MO didn’t match the normal serial killers and YES, all these inconsistencies are clues to the mystery.

NO INTROUDCTION OF NEW CHARACTERS AT THE END

People might said that there is one character that suddenly made an appearance near the end, and no, it isn't really a ‘new’ character as his presence has always been there and serve as a ‘ghost’ entity that being discussed and brought up subtlety since the beginning. You thought its just some other random character but its not. He is always there hiding behind all the other red herrings.

BRILLIANT CLIMAX & EMOTIONAL RESOLUTION

Abyss has a payoff that feels both surprising and inevitable. Everything that happened in the end are carefully constructed and planned since the beginning so you can see the connection since early on. As a good mystery drama, the story answers the core question while providing emotional closure for the characters and gives you the ‘gotcha’ moments. The drama also explored thematic subtext in its storytelling on family dysfunction, friendship gone wrong and how one wrong moves led one crime to another.

NO UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

By the time the drama ended, literally all your questions will be answered no matter how small it is. Why the crime stopped? Why now? How Song Laifu knew Xiaofei home? Is Li Cheng meant to be part of the games since the beginning? Why despite working so close with the murderers, Chen Chunli never in danger? Why there is inconsistencies in the crime? Why the victim survived? Literally everything will be answered. Some answers can be traced back in the first episode. You will be surprised on how many clues are there in the first episode alone. Every clues and inconsistency that seemed to be out of ordinary made sense at the end. Everything just flows beautifully. I applauded the writer for closing all these loop holes at the end.

TOP-NOTCH ACTING THAT SUPPORT THE DEPTH OF THE SCRIPT

I love how committed is Ren Jialun for this role since even his teeth has natural color like a normal joe. I’m used to watch his sparkling white teeth so its interesting to notice this. Also, he always has this regal or ethereal aura in his dramas but here all those are gone since he is playing a rookie police officer. Even the awkwardness and out of place attitude he sports on is refreshing to watch. He is known to always embodied his character fully so you can see the only times he overacts is when he is with Han Pinmu at the café since he is indeed ‘acting’ as an unemployed collage graduate. But aside from those scenes, he gave a particularly a nuanced and grounded performance as a rookie police officer. One thing that made Ren Jialun’s acting special is that he always feel authentic and genuine like he meant every words that comes out from his mouth. Like the first time he said ‘Thank you, Shifu’ you can see how he meant it truly – he always look at his Shifu with full of adoration and his Shifu also always look at him with such kindness and warm. This is what quiet chemistry feels like. Ren Jialun and Zhao Qianzhe have this unspoken sparkling chemistry that is so beautiful to witness. Qin Junjae also gave a very compelling performance and Han Pinmu. His conflict and how he lives in a shadow and his double lives can be reflected everytime he strokes his rings – this to give clues and the personal internal struggles and dilemma he faced everytime he has to lie. And these conflicts are portrayed excellently with no words at all.

The real truth, the whole casts’ acting is particularly amazing especially all the veteran actors. You see them as their characters, totally immersive with the kind of conflicts and struggles they face. The whole police force is especially lovely especially Li Cheng’s Shifu and his constant smiles. I literally can feel Chen Chunli’s pain when she testified on her hospital bed. Then the death of Xin Jiran’s son is another excellently directed scene, you basically can feel how he is slowly dying trying to catch up his breath. Then the excellent directed emotional scene in the drama hits different on how they mostly shot in silence which add more heartache and emotional weight to the whole scenes.

HAPPY MAIN CHARACTER

I know this is funny but I felt for the first time, we actually have a main character that is actually have a happy personal life. It is so refreshing and almost non-existence in crime Cdramas to have this type of character. Li Cheng has a happy family and supported by countless of really lovely and friendly police superiors and colleagues. This resulted with this drama having this calm and almost serene effects despite its dark subjects. The chemistry between the casts is effortlessly the glue that made this drama shining brightly. This is what perfect casting feels like – every character served their purpose whether it is small or big regardless of their real life status or popularity.

CLUES IN THE OPENING INTRO SONG

As a good mystery drama, even the intro gives you some clues for the mysteries. There is the important date flying through the screen which gives you the clue on who is the real mastermind. The number of falling people, the number of people in the building, etc. etc. Also, there are clues in the intro song all along -- Ayanga's title song is actually from the mastermind’s POV. Also, the intro shows at the end 3 chairs changed forms — from wood chair to gaming chair to police chair. It reminds me like The Bad Kids’ intro where the plot twist is in the intro after all.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it’s a brilliant drama through and through with great writing, directing and acting. Literally no plot holes or inconsistencies in the script at all. A strongly written drama with excellent pacing till the end with clear end resolutions and unexpected plot twists. Watching the drama is like playing an interactive game where your brain actively spinning to connect all the dots.

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Very slow in the beginning, but don't drop the show it get's better and the ending is worthwhile

Super slow paced, but they do seem to be introducing the character's back story and their motivations which could potentially be worth it for the later episodes. We will see. I like characters who are naturally good and think for themselves instead of being told what to do so I will complete this show I just need time to do it.

Update: Finished all 36 episodes. Getting through the first 10 slow episodes in the beginning is tough but once they leave the mountain and travel the world. The pacing of the story becomes quicker and it's less boring. Ji Tanyin is very good female lead, she gives others the benefit of the doubt, doesn't rush to judgement assesses people and environments before deciding on a course of action, helps others. We get into how she taught humans to farm, get water and make furniture and machines. Ji Tanyin can cook and fight. It's also very nice of Yuangzhong to make food for her as well. The love is two ways not just one sided which makes it believable. The two leads don't just say they love each other they do things for each other to show their love to each other. The side characters have their own interesting little stories and interactions with one another and I find them all interesting.

The High Priest becomes a much more interesting in the later episodes. As a character initially I hated him, felt like he was a dick but he had a hard life his parents die, his friends lie to him, he gets scammed, people manipulate him and seal him away for 40 years. Now that I think about it this would make anyone angry and resentful at human beings and the world. I was able to have empathy for him later in the show. Ji Tanyin is a goddess he prayed to when he was a child and later Ji Tanyin comes to earth and she secretly supports him behind the scenes to me this adds an interesting layer to the story. Her wish is for him to have a family and live a long and happy life which is very touching.

So in summary the ending was enough to satisfy everyone I think some people prefer a happy ending some prefer a sad ending but having it lean towards a happy ending but be a little sad is what I prefer so I am satisfied.

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A drama TO LOVE AND CHERISH! ✨️

​Going into this series, I was pleasantly surprised by how deeply engaging and enjoyable the overall story turned out to be! 👌💫 It avoids the exhausting traps of older, overly complicated lakorns, keeping the narrative watchable and fluid! ❤️‍🔥🔥

​One of my absolute favorite parts was the flashback era with the younger versions of the leads together. Their chemistry and performances completely stole the show, feeling far more outstanding and impressive to watch than the older main counterparts! 👌💫

Even though the main male lead starts off toxic, he isn't written as an irredeemable jerk—he eventually owns up to his faults, understands her circumstances, grants forgiveness, and steps up to be a truly great partner. Plus, the redemption arc for the villain adds such a wholesome layer to the conclusion, showing how beautiful things get when characters finally let go of hateful mindsets to see others in a brand new light!

​And can we talk about Sam and Alex? 😭❤️‍🔥🔥 These two absolute green flag characters are brilliant additions to the story! 🤌✨️ Having them around the female lead, spending quality time just to support her and to make her feel safe, secure, and comfortable brought so much warmth, positive energy, and lovely vibes to the entire journey! 😍🤭🙈 These two characters are my favorite in this show, that will stay unforgettable and unmatched, elevating so much the value of story! 🙌

Stories like this are truly one of the best to watch! I can easily say this one retrieves the worthiness of lakorns, and they really should make a lot more like this since they are my absolute favorite type of dramas! 💖 It is so much strongly recommended for me because it won't lead to any frustration—it's so underrated here, but I easily give it a 9.5 for delivering such wholesome conclusion! In fact, this drama is easily one of the top 1 for September to me! 🤭🙈❤️‍🔥🔥

In general, it is a surprisingly rewarding watch that hits all the right emotional notes! 👌💫

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