Reviews

Under rated thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat

I was really impressed with this drama and am completely baffled how this has not got more attention.

The story is very simple but executed in such a "keeping you on the edge of your seat" drama.

Two individuals switch souls, one of who might be innocent, and she takes this opportunity to try to find out the truth. The lawyer whose soul gets transported into the prisoner also undergoes a life changing experience in the process.

I am not going to say much that despite some loopholes and areas that might require better explanation, the story and the performances of all individuals involved was excellent.

Top notch show and will always be in my Top 10 list of best dramas I have watched.

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Don't Be Too Excited

Unfortunately I am one of those people that fell for the initial trailer for this series and had such HIGH hopes for it, only to be disappointed by the official trailer that kind of had it back pedaling a little bit from some of the imagery and the tone that was initially provided.

BUT nevertheless, I was still willing to give this a shot and I will say it started off on the right foot but it definitely lost its footing somewhere and started to lose me and my interest. As a whole, this series has all the elements that should make it an immediate contender for the top place for 2026. Good CP, great cast, amazing OST, and a promising budget. So, I'm not sure if it was the writing or the directing, or maybe a bit of both that dropped the ball.

Dan was a flimsy bad guy and the fact that a good chunk of the finale was soaked up with more of his BS really annoyed me actually. And aside from that, Big Jane's dad walking in to the wedding at the end of the finale kinda made the ending feel open ended and I didn't like that either. So it just kind of left me with meh feeling at the end.

TDLR-
Pros:
- Great cast and a solid first effort from the new CP
- Love the OST
- The first few NC scenes were amazing. I still think about our Lil Jane in class remembering the night before with Big Jane.
- Interesting plot overall
- Loved the friend group also (except Put (I mean RIP Put, but you were annoying))

Cons:
- Some NC scenes were just not choregraphed well and literally had me laughing while watching because it was just unrealistic positioning. This is not a diss to Tee and Heng, but really it falls back to the direction and the intimacy coordinator.
- Heng's acting in emotional scenes sometimes felt a little flat, while other times they were great. Could be just because he has a lack of experience, but I feel like he could definitely grow as an actor.
- Dan's whole character. Like are you a good guy or a bad guy? I'm tired of guessing at his point and that last episode had me mad annoyed with him. JUST GO AWAY.
- Finale was lackluster over all, but it's not a shocking surprised since the latter half of the series wasn't solid.

Overall:
- It was good, just not GREAT and that is a shame because it had all the ingredients it needed to be great.
- Fun for a one time watch, but I think a rewatch is basically out of the question.
- I hope Tee & Heng get another series because I want to see them again.

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MY CHOSEN FAMILY -- TOP SHELF MASTERPIECE

(For people who have just completed this series and are still buzzing over how much you loved it, try this song -- https://youtu.be/GTDRg5G77x4)

I have completed 39 C-Dramas. Mostly dramas and very few Idol pretty boy/pretty girl stuff. BORN TO BE ALIVE is easily in the very top of the very best. BORN stands beside the legends RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE, TO THE WONDER, BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI, SHE AND HER GIRLS and THE TALE OF ROSE.

BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI introduced me to Hu Ge. Usually when I follow an actor to a new project they're just not as good as, in this case, his Mr. Bao. Turns out his Captain Duo Jie is just as compelling. I've only seen Zhou Xun pull this off, where series after series the lead actor is always at their finest. Hu Ge now stands beside Wallace Huo in my book.

Lead actress and lead star Yang Zi is also new to me. She is twelve different flavors of terrific all rolled up into one. There's a scene where the climate got rather cold which has some of the best Chinese actress acting I've ever seen -- which is saying something considering I've witnessed remarkable performances by Zhou Xun, Crystal Lui, Ma Yi Li, and Song Jia.

The rest of this cast is wall to wall wonderful. It would take way too long to celebrate each and every choice because they're all remarkable. And since this show features an ensemble cast -- we get to spend a lot of time with them. You'll feel like you're on the patrol team by the midpoint of the series, where the story takes a big time leap.

My only real story complaint is meaningless but I can see others maybe voicing complaint -- around the midpoint the series changes genres. It's starts as an action oriented rural patrol fighting poaching and criminals -- lots of speeding cars and gunplay -- where the second part of the series is more police investigation and mysterious business dealings.

It's perfectly natural to kinda prefer the action packed first half, whereas the second half is 'less' interesting. But this criticism is only valid if you don't find interpersonal relationships interesting. If you're all about guns and action but nothing else.

Personally -- the first half of this series makes you care DEEPLY about these people and the second half features most of them -- which to me -- means it's just as interesting. You're watching one of the best ensemble casts ever and Yang Zi really carries this second half with grace and ease. The transition from patrol show to cop drama worked for me.

The other complaint I can manage is the weak Eng Subs on the YouTube version of this show. I'd gladly pay $$$ to IQiyi it but it's oddly not available in my region. Perhaps Criterion will once again save the 'Hu Ge' day and feature this series on their service, as they did with BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI. (I've been living in fear that this series will get purged just before I finished it, lol!)

These aren't real complaints, though. The on location cinematography is breathtaking. Costumes, set design, lighting, the score, the editing -- this is all Academy Award level. (Is it called Magnolia over there?)

Picky Note -- in the West, BORN TO BE ALIVE is an annoying pop song. THE TREE OF LIFE is the song featured in the end credits and a much better title for this piece. Oh, and the opening credits are a bit too dark for this series -- as well as -- the ending credits a bit too dull. But that's VERY picky.

TINY SPOILER ahead --

Another Picky Note -- Dorje's wife is written out of the second half. In such a carefully crafted series like this it feels like they were saving her for a big finish at the end. But no -- she was written OUT out, which seemed disrespectful to her character.

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The drama with a hostile takeover of side characters

Honestly, I'm annoyed. I was super invested in the main characters in the beginning, the story was really interesting and there was so much to explore. But the writers completely shot themselves in the foot and resolved the main conflict of the drama by episode 5 - the rest is just filler. And to the extent that the side characters, mainly the second couple, are given the treatment of the main lead. Ju Yi Jae and her story becomes a side plot to her own drama, by episode 10 all the conflict either revolves around the cliche kdrama tropes of birth secrets and whatnot surrounding Woo Soo Bin (so at least he has something to do), or the great, epic love story of the side characters that is immensely distracting.

I wanted to see Soo Bin and Yi Jae work out their issues - his guilt, her anger and regret, her struggle to dream again, his efforts to make her dream come true. Wasn't that the main premise in the beginning? He made it big, she lost her spark, and he wants to help her get it back. This simple thing got completely lost in distractions as the drama progressed. After the initial writers' block, we don't see how she is on set, how she learns to become a director again - even though she hasn't worked in the industry, she suddenly knows how everything works on the film set. I was expecting them to make some parallels to how young Yi Jae was as an amateur director, and the kind of director she becomes now. The filming is about everything else except her direction -- Soo Bin keeps ranting that the movie can't be made without her, the writers keep telling us that, but they never show it. It's really frustrating to pick through all the noise and piece together the scraps of the main storyline whenever the writers remember that it exists.

Honestly, the actors saved the drama, both the ML and FL did the best with what they were given, especially the ML. I loved how he portrayed young Soo Bin -- his innocence and his devotion to Yi Jae; his conflicts with his father. I'm looking forward to seeing him in more dramas in the future. Quite frustratingly, the writers completely did this one dirty and I am so annoyed. I will dredge through the last 2 episodes, mayb by some miracle they manage to save it a litte, but I have no hopes.

Edit: On the last episode, and it has only gotten worse - why does their movie become more about another random character than the main actors finally achieving their dream? It's like you have this amazing toy that you are very attached to and excited about, and then your parents tell you that you have to give it to this other kid you don't really know just because his dad has cancer, and you have to be super altruistic about it -- that's how I feel as an audience to this drama.

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Brilliant and intriguing!!!

The drama deals with the 3/12 case that happened 8 years ago, but still has'nt been brought to justice.
Li Cheng along with Zhao Qianzhe and Xin Jiran form a trio to reopen the old case, which later on gets the support from the whole criminal bureau.
The story was solid.
The pacing was good.
The twists and turns were perfect. For almost the episodes between 6-14, it managed to keep me on my edge as to what would happen next.
The actors gave fabulous performances. 💯👏
Especially Ren Jialun as the righteous, justice seeking newly graduated police officer and Qin Junjie, as an arrogant, well prepared, mysterious, Han Pinmu were perfect for their roles. 👍
I liked the relationship of the master-disciple, Zhao Qianzhe and Li Cheng.
What I liked the most was the process of investigation rather than the last episodes, where the truth is confessed. I felt the last 3 episodes fell a bit flat compared to the middle episodes.
Anyways, its just my opinion.
On a final note, with only 16 episodes, for case investigation, emotions of various families and people, and excellent acting from the actors, Abyss is A WORTH WATCHING DRAMA👌
It will not disappoint you.
Definitely A MUST WATCH who like edge on the seat thrillers with intriguing twists and fast pace!!
And finally Truth always comes to light and Justice triumphs!

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“You’re a red flag, but I’m colorblind...”

I totally loved this series. Everything in it was perfect. The story was a true emotional rollercoaster and I was totally ready for the ride. The great cast, great acting, and great story kept me hooked, wanting to see how it was all going to play out. Tee and Heng had amazing chemistry together. I usually don’t comment on the NC scenes, but they were really sexy and sensual. Really well done! Both actors completely nailed their roles. Tee brought a mysterious, cold, obsessive Big Jane to life, and Heng was perfect at showing all of Lil Jane’s vulnerability. His eyes speak more than words ever could.

That said, I don’t want to be too emotional, but... most of the time, I just wished Big Jane had a better partner. I mean, he was always sincere with Lil Jane, but Lil Jane never actually trusted him. It makes me wonder if a relationship like that is ever going to work. Lil Jane’s eyes always had that spark of doubt: Is he telling the truth? Is he lying to me? every single time Big Jane opened his mouth. To be honest, Lil Jane really annoyed me most of the time! P’Dan’s plot twist was pretty interesting, though, and I definitely wasn’t sad about what happened to him.
The ending scene was so beautiful! But now I need a season two yesterday!!!!!

I also have to mention the young actor who played Jamie. He’s such a great actor and has the most beautiful, sincere smile. I really hope to see him in another project soon!

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Most suprising drama for this summer.

The reason I clicked on Drama is because of the line "falling in love with sister's boyfriend." Out of curiosity and shock, I decided to watch this drama. But now, I feel like I'm really into this.

I love the view in this drama and the filter, which make me feel like it is actually summer now.

To many people, the misunderstanding that happened in the drama could be a bit cliché, but to me, I do like this setting, as I think it makes me really engaged and nervous about how things are going to happen. And in Japanese, they actually didn't use the right word for boyfriend at all. I believe they always stated Sota as a boy friend in their post.

The ending wasn't surprising to me, as I just felt this was what was going to happen in this Drama. Even though they both already admitted they like each other, I totally understand their choice of not putting a label on this relationship.

Another thing I really like about this BL is the lines in it. Many of the Lines are very meaningful and make people think. Whether it is about love, relationships, or anything.

One of my favourite scenes is how Natsuki is willing to speak to his dad and express his true feelings about Sota, and Sota is also willing to speak to Natsuki's dad about how he feels. I'm so touched by the lines that Natsuki said he likes Sota not because he is a man; he doesn't like the girl he dated before not because they are girl. He likes Sota only because he is Sota.

While watching this drama, I think it is very wholesome because everyone is really warm and friendly here. Even though the story plot of falling in love with a sister's boyfriend is a bit dramatic, the way they filmed it and how they wrote the script make it less dramatic.

Btw, the doggy Rock is so cute :)

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The plot could've been more serious if the characters were

I was really expecting a lot more from Lovely Runner. I actually had this on my want to watch list since it first aired, but due to the bad reviews I didn't have the motivation to actually start. I'm actually really surprised how such a 'complicated' plot can be done sooooo simple. I liked it, however, It's nothing new or special. Although the story is unique, the moments are very common in other Kdrama's. The staring, sleeping and watching each other and more. It isn't necessarily wrong to add them, but it doesn't make it unique either. Due to this, the whole plot felt extremely simple.

One of the first things I noticed was how surprisingly fast romance happened in this series. Normally it takes ages for a kiss or confession but the first kiss is already in episode 8 here. I really like that but I also prefer proper romance build ups. I think everyone feels the same way but it was so obvious from the beginning who she was gonna end up with and the poster was also giving it away. I have to admit that Im Sol also showed barely any interest in Tae Seong. I don't think it was the shows intention to make us question whether Im Sol was gonna pick Tae Seong or Seon Jae.

One of the very weak points for me has to be the chemistry, or maybe it's just the writing. I think Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon look amazing together, don't get me wrong. But the problem here is the personality of their characters. They are both soooo alike. I kind of have preference towards the 'opposite attracts' trope so for me this was not it. Another problem I'm seeing is the unclear motivation of Ryu Seon Jae likings to Im Sol. Genuinely, where did he even get interested in? Now this might sound like I despise Im Sol but it's more like I wanna know why he liked her back? I saw someone else with the same question and people reacted saying it's her personality but his interest wasn't superrrr clear to me. I did really like how Ryu Seon Jae showed his affection towards Im Sol and it was overall just adorable. I like how he just kinda freezes and holds back around her but when he's alone he giggles like a teenage girl. I can't get over how adorable he is. I really love the side characters!! The father and family seems sooo fun. Lee Hyeon Ju kinda pissed me off at first but later she ended up being quite nice. I did not expect her to end up with who she ended up with though!!

I always like to write a small part on production. I used to be very updated on Kdramas but for the once after 2021 I'm really not updated so I have not much to say. I'm not familiar with the directors Yoon Jong Ho or Kim Tae Yub. What I really like about lovely runner is the design. It kinda gives of these like 'nostalgic' colours and I love how they really thought about details when Im Sol goes back in time, like phones looking different etc. Yes, even big series sometimes forget these things. I also wasn't familiar with the actors aside from Lee Seung Hyub because of N.FLYING. Also funny to see Yang Hyuk playing as bassist. Kdrama's are really about to give me reasons to stan Omega X.

The episodes were kinda all over the place, even if the plot was clear. Some episodes felt like fillers meanwhile there was crazy stuff happening in other episodes. The romance was extremely fast comparing to other Kdrama's, BUT, it got slower and slowed around the last few episodes and I almost dropped it due to it. Especially episode 12-13 were in my opinion slow. Obviously they meant to bring out a message but ehh. Also the ending of the last episode wasn't really special to me.

I haven't read the web novel yet which is surprising because I usually read those before watching a drama. I criticised this series a lot but the fun and nostalgic feeling is amazing. Not exactly my type of series but definitely good. I think you have to be the type to like this and if you're not, you're not. A small point I didn't mention is Korea loves making series about disabilities when in reality they OFTEN (not always) treat disabled people like shit. It would've been nice if they added more weight to the fact Im Sol was disabled. Especially towards the ending, I almost completely forgot. Anyways, not sure whether I would recommend it or not.

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A Masterclass in Storytelling So Far

FINALLY a drama that respects the viewer and their intelligence!

It is a mature, masterfully executed historical drama that treats its audience with respect. My brain cells did not decay while watching this; instead, the narrative holds you in a vise from the very first episode and layers it slowly and tightly.

This is a compelling tale of survival, family, hierarchy, and sisterhood. It focuses heavily on the morally grey choices characters make when dealt a terrible hand by fate. The production thoroughly did its homework. The world-building feels authentic, grounded, and logical. Actions have real, tangible consequences without having to suspend your disbelief to the point that your brain shuts down.

The female lead possesses incredible courage and intelligence, but she isn't brash, loud, or flashy. It is deeply refreshing to see a heroine who doesn't do outlandish things that would realistically get her killed in ancient times especially as a slave. Even though she loses almost everything early on in a heartbreaking twist of fate, her resilience is inspiring.

The narrative sets up a beautifully paced slow-burn dynamic. The story takes its time to have the main characters to truly cross paths, allowing the writing to build their bond with a rare degree of realism, depth, and emotional weight. The way the male lead becomes intrigued—shifting from subtle, recognizing glances to later praises that carries a hint of seduction with her, it stirs up a smoldering tension that is far more powerful than heavy skinship.

I hope the quality of the story and the execution of it will continue till the end and not disappoint! Hope you will enjoy it as much as I have so far.

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A Cliché Rom-Com That Somehow Works

My Bias, My Boss is a typical rom-com with a familiar story, but its charm and cast make it an enjoyable watch. The story follows Nam Da Reum, a longtime fan of Lee Chan, a former member of the disbanded boy group DNX. When she joins Appello hoping to be closer to her bias, she discovers that her actual boss is Kang Ha Gi, the CEO of the company. From there, her fangirling, work life, and unexpected relationship with her boss slowly come together.

The whole "bias vs boss" love triangle never really felt like a proper competition to me, as Da Reum was clearly more comfortable being herself around Ha Gi. Still, I loved Da Reum's growth from someone who kept everything to herself to someone who learned to communicate, follow her own passion, and build a life beyond being a fan.

Ha Gi was probably my favourite character. He felt refreshingly human compared to the usual drama CEO, as he actually works, interacts with his employees, and has a life outside of being the male lead. I also liked how mature the leads were in their relationship. They could be shy and awkward, but they usually communicated instead of turning every problem into unnecessary arguments. I just wish we had gotten more of their dating era.

The story has some plot holes and underdeveloped ideas, especially the explanation behind DNX's disbandment and the decade-long friendship between the two male leads, which I wish had been explored more deeply. But the casting was excellent and made the generic story much more charming. All three leads were new to me, and they did a great job making even some of the more cliché moments work.

I also really liked how the drama portrayed fangirling. Even though I am not a fangirl myself, I enjoyed seeing the softer side of fandom: supporting your bias from afar, finding inspiration in them, and having friends who share the same interest without unnecessary competition. The friendship between the fangirls was especially sweet.

And I have to mention the editing! The cute hearts, texts, graphics, and little visual effects added so much charm and comedy to the drama. Overall, it is not groundbreaking, but it is cute, funny, light, and easy to watch. Sometimes that is more than enough.

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A lowkey and very cute gender-bender

Adorable, funny, and easy to understand once you realize that it follows kdrama rules: very sentimental, quietly ironic, lighthearted, with a heavy reliance on the twisted use of predictable tropes.

Some high points:
The performances of the actors playing the Princes, headed up by Jeremy Xu as the Fifth Prince, are really great.
Cinematography and sound are nicely professional.
Fun bedroom scenes.
A crazy cute kitten.

However at first the show seems predictable and over-explained. Then its fundamental originality creeps up on you, and suddenly you realize that you may have to rewatch the first 5 episodes again.

Let me help with the basics.

The FL is undergoing a soul-merge ala Alchemy of Souls. The ML, dying from an incurable poison, is hiding his capabilities under a mask of frivolity and false identities. He falls for her at first sight. She really, really does not love him, but neither does she dislike him.

The ML, the Crown Prince, is on his way back to the capital city after many years away. His plan, carefully nurtured during that time and secretly supported by his private faction at court, is to expose who poisoned him as a child, and then to spend his remaining time cheerfully, until the poison inevitably kills him.

And this is the hidden structure of the plot. HE CHANGES HIS PLAN. The trick is to figure out when he decides to, and what the new plan is.

Enter a County Princess, daughter of the General of the Northwest, coming to the court to be granted marriage to one of the royal Princes. She is murdered, drowned en route by a member of her fathers' city household. As she drifts down through the water/into the underworld, her body is captured by another soul lurking on the bridge at the entrance on the off-chance of rebirth.

This new inhabitant of the County Princess' body is a heartless Royal Princess, a cold patrician suicide, who disguised her own death as a murder in order to implicate the clan which exterminated her own clan. The twist is, she doesnt want to be reborn to seek revenge. She got her revenge in the life she has already lived. She had had no feelings at all for her now ex-husband, the Fifth Prince. She has no grudges.

What the new County Princess wants is the power to control others. Thus the title, Blossoms of POWER. She wants a different life than the one she had, at the mercy of her family's needs.

Back on the road to the capital, then. The Crown Prince falls in love with the County Princess from afar. He is smitten with
1. her beauty
2. her bloodthirsty ruthlessness
3. her capacity for...well, manipulating others to gain power.
But also
He can somehow see the County Princess is in there too. Love has eyes that see...
1. a girl who likes kittens and kids,
2. who was brought up surrounded by love.

He explains the change in his plans to his henchman as something that happened in steps.
At first he just wanted to use her as a screen, part of his deception of others. Then he realized he could marry her and that she could protect him from others' plans. Then he began to hope for love. And then he began to hope for the possibility of a fundamental desire -- to be a husband and a father.

As it turns out, HE REALLY WANTS BABIES!

He spends endless time slowly convincing her to agree to a marriage of convenience, and then, as her husband, much more time utterly shamelessly flirting with her. He is screamingly funny. He finally gets her to fall in love with him and he really deserves it after all that!

One of the nicest things about his love is that after it becomes a real issue that the County Princess has some connection with the Fifth's Royal Princess, the ML tells her that she was Shen XiHe when he fell in love with her and that will never change. He knows that she is a dual personality but in his eyes she is whole.

I will leave the mechanics of the plot up to you.

One very weird thing, though, given that He YiQian, the ML, has a background in wuxia action, is that his action sequences are tongue-in-cheek ridiculous-on-purpose. He climbs an icy mountain without gear, falls thousands of feet onto his back in the snow...and so forth.

Oh, and also there are a lot of unhappy princesses who tend to look the same. Someday there will be a cdrama in which both sets will be easily differentiated characters, but lately if the Princes are cool, the Princesses arent and vice versa.

I really love this show, and like many others, have already rewatched it several times. Give it a try!

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so bat shit crazy that it’s actually amazing

LISTEN GUYS THIS DRAMA HAS EVERYTHING OK!
-sci-fi
-vampire-esque plot
-hot male lead
-dragons
-a fish
-depression
-really hot kisses
-guns
-a guy teaching a girl how to shoot with unnecessary physical touch
-a girl shooting a gun
-begging by maneskin
-shooting in a car chase and out a window
-drugs
-a contract marriage
-a duel for marriage
-a murder plot
-a kidnapping plot
-yaoi (I might be lying about this one
-cake
-unnecessary physical touch
-kissing as drugs
-sex also as drugs
-a loser bf
-a literal dog of a bf
-explosions
-a mafia plot
just trust me guys!

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chat what the fuck?

I have never been more confused while watching a show in my entire life. The first episode started and I had to be like “wait what was the plot again?” And read the overview on viki once more and it didn’t help. Things just kept happening and I was like what? And also the characters would be like “this is the most horrible thing ever” then go make out so like what am I supposed to think??? That ending was crazy and was like the only twist in the show I was actually surprised by. Not because of predictability, but because I genuinely did not have a good or bad opinion of most of the characters because they were never given enough time for me to form an opinion about. So when x character said “actually I killed your mom” or “actually YOU ARE a legitimate child” or “I did commit medical malpractice actually” I was just like WOAH then moved on cause it didn’t have any weight. I genuinely do not know what I was watching most of the time during this. Why was the doctor freaky as hell like man wanted Ye Lang so bad actually and I SWEAR ON MY LIFE not just in a dissection way (can’t believe I’m even typing that). Also why was a major theme in this show medical malpractice and literal crimes. Why was there an ORGAN BLACK MARKET??? that was a fucking crazy plot point. Why did xiao di LITERALLY GET HIS HEART STOLEN??? there was too many tranquilizers used in the hospital as well like what? anyways plot was fucking crazy and kept getting worse, everyone in Ye Lang’s family is fucking crazy, why were parts of both Ye Lang and Nian Nian lives the entire driving force to the plot yet I felt no connection to their characters through that at all??, the outro pissed me off like why are dropping a crazy bomb (not actual bomb like in the first episode) like “oh yeah and your mom’s gallery is an organ trafficking site” (also did they just run out of money or something cause where’s the organ trafficking in the gallery?) and then the music just goes la lalala like get out of my face. I guess the romance was good? They were both hot and hot kissers and shit but like when did this actually become a love story especially for both of them? Also the whole start of this is like the ML going “I fucking hate my wife’s guts I will never get with her I plot revenge on her” and then he sees her and ditches that plan immediately. and there’s no struggle either. He’s not resisting in anyway. So like did you actually vow revenge or was that just a fleeting “hmm what if?” Like I wanted a tug of war between you and your feelings and you gave me NOTHING. The fashion was good I guess. There was just too much going on idk and I’m like so glad I’m done with it.

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