Reviews

This was not the best cast

The show opening music talks about a girl, whyyyy??? Is a gay show, why the hell a song about a girl?
I loved the season one, but season two is kind of boring.
The first half the producers were obsessed by Willian and Izaya and were both so annoying. The second half of the show gets better, bus not so much Jobu is too needy and Bomi is too immature and this made me not to cheer for any couple.
I hope they make a new season with a better casting, a gay romance reality is such a good ideia, the van and coffee is a nice way to create proximity. Is the casting what made this one not so good. Kuzuyki were the most enjoyable character to watch, too bad he was still in love with his ex.
At the and is not a very impactful show, I will probably forget I ever saw by next week.

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Abracadabra he's in college - there writers fixed it for you

Review  

My rating 9/10

I much prefer this longer, more fleshed-out format over those super-short Japanese adaptations that feel like they're just rushing through a WEBTOON or manga plot without breathing room. Promise Cinderella takes its time to develop the story and characters, which makes it feel more substantial and engaging—I wish more Japanese series adopted this approach. It's a genuinely cute and heartfelt love story with real complications that add depth rather than just being fluffy. The chemistry between the leads is there but in a more sweet subtle way. Despite some flaws, it hooked me completely. I'd happily rewatch it and recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with emotional layers.  
Spoilers  

My main issue is the age gap—but not just the age gap per se but the nature of the age gap. Issei being a high school minor (17) while Hayame is an adult divorcee just wasn't necessary and made things uncomfortable for me. They could've aged him up to college level without changing much of the dynamic, and a lot of the "weird" vibes (like his mommy issues tied to his mother's abandonment, or the way he responds to her slapping/disciplining him) would've landed better and felt less off-putting. I had to mentally age him up to enjoy the romance fully. Mostly divorces in all the other Asian romance I have seen have been a bit taboo and it is a bit of stretch that a super popular with the ladies young man is going to fall that hard for a, at first married, woman a decade older.

Culturally, her being married when they first met, then divorced, and pursuing someone who's never been in a serious relationship adds layers that feel like big social taboos in many cultures. Still, Hayame and Issei have a reluctant (on her part) chemistry and look adorable together; they make way more sense as a couple than she ever did with Seigo. Seigo would've been the "safer," more comfortable match on paper—similar to her ex-husband in stability—but their personalities did not have the electric element for there to be a real spark. It would've been a boring, predictable return to her old life.  And Seigo had questionable morals he had a "thing" going on with crazy. Anyone willing to entertain any kind of connection with that chick - I would question their own discernment in life.

The grandmother (Etsuko) and the butler were highlights—fun, warm, and added so much charm to the household.

Seigo's "romance" with Hayame never truly ignited, even in flashbacks, so his late regret confession and her shoe-related reflections felt like acknowledging what was obvious: they never had the deep connection worth fighting for.  

In contrast, Hayame and Issei seem destined for a lively, joyful life together. It reminded me of real-life couples I've known with big age gaps who are just perfect for each other—the commitment feels instant and unbreakable, making the "missed opportunities" angle with Seigo ring hollow. Issei flips between mature and typical high-school energy around friends, to a playful yet refined energy around Hayame which was a bit jarring but added realism.  

The antagonist girl was cartoonishly unhinged—her "logic" for pushing Hayame down a hill, abandoning her, kidnapping Issei (risking him dying from heat exhaustion), pulling a knife, etc., never made sense even after explanations. The point was her craziness, I guess. But even in crazy person logic I didn't get it. Breaking up a marriage, pushing two people together because you like one of them and hate the other - doesn't make a lot of sense. but the resolution felt too tidy: no real consequences, no police, no genuine apology, and suddenly she's "better" with the ex-husband? It was a weak handling of serious actions.  Criminally serious. When she pushed Hayame down the hill she could have been seriously injured or even hit something and died. Kidnapping Issei and leaving him where he could have been seriously ill from the heat or even died - another time when her craziness was a serious threat to someone's life. She needed to go to jail and reflect on her actions. But they were like, never mind, ex hubby is going to take care of it. But there was a very gentle handling of bad behavior in general, Issie bullied that poor kid relentlessly and yeah, later, he was nice to him but he never apologized or anything. He was a reformed bully.

Overall, these flaws (especially the age thing) kept it from perfection, but I wasn't disappointed—I really enjoyed it and am glad I watched. Without the high-school age making everything feel a tad too weird alongside the divorce and gap, it'd easily be a 10/10 for me. The title "Cinderella" and play on that wasn't really there. I mean she is a much poorer economically person but that did not totally play in because he didn't rescue her to lift her out of poverty. Originally he rescued her because she seemed like an interesting person to toy with. He wasn't treating her like Cinderella he was treating her like a living toy.

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Episode 9 – Trust is not just words, it’s a choice

Everything finally explodes in this episode.

Even though Raffy tried to get ahead of the situation, the video of Dean and Arnold still surfaced—and not just any clip, but something clearly intimate enough to destroy trust instantly.

For Thua, this is devastating.
He waited, he believed, and he finally became Arnold’s boyfriend… only to have everything collapse in front of him—and with his own best friend involved. His anger and heartbreak feel completely justified.

But Jack’s situation hits even harder.

Because this isn’t the first time.
Dean promised change, showed effort, and even deepened his love—but repeating the same mistake breaks something fundamental. No matter how much Dean begs, some wounds simply can’t be healed with apologies.

Meanwhile, Raffy undergoes the most unexpected growth.

Instead of continuing to chase Jack, he finally begins to understand what real love looks like—someone who truly sees him. His connection with Rome becomes a turning point, marking the birth of a “new Raffy.” Walking away from both the stage role and his mother’s control shows real courage.

At this point, the story shifts from chaos to something deeper:

Who do you trust—and why?

This episode doesn’t just show broken relationships.
It asks whether trust can be rebuilt… or if some cracks are permanent.

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cute, no dumb misunderstandings, recommended for rom-com lovers

This rom-com was really good for what the genre has to offer. I liked that this drama started the romance soon and didn't make stup¡d, cliche struggles and unnecesary misunderstandings. It also had a lot of hugs and kisses, something that many lack. While I agree there wasn't a built chemistry, a lot of their moments were very tender.
Idk how Korean society takes it but tbh I don't think what she did was wrong. She was left alone with debts, with her heart broken because of being cheated, and with no home to go.
The ex was an idiot ofc and he crossed the line, but at least his character being pathetic and going through missery, plus his moments with ML were funny. And loved the closure with the FL, much better than stories that antagonize until the end.
The drama about the uncle was fine, pretty catching by the moment and good that it was finished before last eps
While some stuff was pretty convenient (FL's sister being the villain's son babysitter, etc), most got closure without beating around the bush.
Only thing I disliked was the childhood storyline. I know it is meant to be the "destiny" trope or whatever but, when it showed how ML started treating FL better and falling in love because of it, I felt it diminished ML's feelings for FL. Like if she wasn't the one of his past, he wouldn't have taken interest in her.
OST pretty average but some songs were good.
For this cute drama, 12 episodes were great!

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I have watched Our Universe up to episode 9, and I have many complaints. Why is the story focusing more on the second lead than on the female lead? Now only four episodes remain, and the female lead and the second lead go on a date in almost every episode.

There is another problem as well. Why is the male lead shown focusing more on raising the child, while the female lead sometimes comes home late at night and spends time with the second lead? I feel the story is becoming unbalanced and not giving enough importance to the main male character.it is getting frustrating with every episode still they are focusing on love triangle and only 3 episode remains 🤬. ep10 is little bit satisfying thank god.

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none

this bl is just not Where it's at storyline is okay but when you cut nc scenes it takes away from the story. this is the third episode that I've done seen this kind of scene cut what's going to show on the kissing or even the hugging at this point if you cut the NC scenes to the story. common sense Don't cut part of the store in any way shape our form. that makes people less interested in the series. that's just my honest opinion about this series and the writing. BLs are more interesting when they do not cut scenes. that are important the part of the story line . every peace of the story matter to the show. Nc scene cut was a big loss the the series

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I started watching the series as soon as it came out, but I only finished it today (shame on me). I have to say, though, that I don't understand why I didn't watch it right away, because the cast is legendary, the OSTs are great, and the whole drama left me with several memories, both good and bad. I'm really excited about the series. I haven't seen many historical cdramas (probably not a single ig and most of the ones I came across weren't fun), but this one is a banger. It's really well-made and has an amazing atmosphere. Overall, it looks terribly aesthetic, because there are colors everywhere (especially Ester's clothes, which are always absolutely great) as is the case in "color games" we know. Anyways, I think the series deserves a lot more attention, it has 32 episodes, so you have 32 episodes unforgettable experiences. The actors played it amazingly, so much so that I even cried a few times (of course that wouldn't be me haha) and for lovers of romance, historical cdramas and the supernatural, it's the right thing to do, I can only recommend it

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Hooked at first but didn't deliver to the end

I downloaded this drama for a flight and was hooked after two episodes (unfortunately, my third episode didn't download so I had to wait until I was at my destination before continuing on with the series). The premise was captivating, but as the plot went on, it seemed to lose itself in its intricacies. At a certain point, I couldn't tell if I was just thinking too simply and missing the hidden elements of the plot or if things just fell flat. I'm glad the series was short so I wouldn't say that I wasted a ton of time but am actually quite surprised at how high the ratings are given it was somewhat lackluster.

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A Good Cast Cannot Save You From a Bad Everything Else

I love Joong. I love Dunk. I need you to know this. I need you to know I wanted it to be so good and exciting and fun. And I had such high expectations as well. With the teaser and the trailer, which were super cool, and with them being some of my favourite actors, it had everything.
Except, of course, when I was finally able to watch the actual series, it had nothing.
The plot doesn't have a gigantic hole in it. It IS a gigantic hole. The characters are shallow and their motivations are nothing but the fact that the story needs to move forward. Their relationships are underexplored and even Joong and Dunk seem to be lost in the middle of the nothingness that is the supposedly developing relationship between their characters because they seem to be unable to make their chemistry work inside anything.
On top of that, the mystery is bland and you can figure it out most basically by episode 5, at the very least, although my friend and I had the basics of what was going on by episode 3. AND, as if that wasn't bad enough, the police force is incompetent and seems to be entirely unable to run a fucking precinct, let alone solve a serial murder case. Because, no, let us not be fooled, even if all those kids sucked massively, it is entirely Jade and Kamin's fault that they're all dead and yes, that is a bad thing. Cops aren't vigilantes and, although sometimes they seem to be trained to be just that, should not be executioners.
So this means that the core of the series sucks.
But just in case they made everything else suck too.
The sound design is non existent, I think the tech was sleeping the whole time. The places echo, the mix is bad, some people are louder than others and it's just frankly horrific.
And then the special effects suck. My personal beloved is the fake fire, it really adds to the vibe of "I don't care" that the whole last episode has got going on, fantastic. Shout-out.
Finally, even the shooting is bad bc continuity errors keep showing up and the montage just seems to be unsure what the pacing of the story should be so we just have long scenes about nothing and then rushing through major plot points.
In the end, the sum is a pile of rotten things catching fire. The absolute heartbreaking part? The rotting parts used to be premium quality salmon. Someone could've used that to make a delicious meal. And they were robbed of that opportunity so now we're all left starving.

PS: Ohm was great in the series, by far he's the best part of all of this. I don't know how he managed to make the handful of nothing they gave him work but kudos to him, he did really well.

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Sadly, a huge waste

Story 5.5
Acting and direction 6.5
Music and production 6.5
Rewatch Value 5

I heard about this series at the same time as ‘Me and Thee’ and so I thought: wow, two show coming with a GmmTv popular couple. Both trailers seem nice, interesting so I wanted to give both a good rating, higher than their previous series. Furthermore, the projects were going to be out during the same period. I was excited and ‘Me and Thee’ didn’t disappoint me. Sadly, ‘Dare you to Death’ did.
The plot is actually interesting: mystery and police are quite my cup of tea and guessing who’s the culprit is fun. It isn’t that unpredictable, but still enjoyable. There are a lot of characters that confuse the cards with their lies, so, at first, you don’t know where to direct your suspects.
The central theme of this story is, in my opinion, the human soul. This series show the dark side of people: the lowest level of the human beings, their feeling of revenge and violence and desire of power. If you ask me? Fascinating. Planning all of this chaos, meticulously and coldly like that is just so attractive.
Just a few things to appoint. For example, two moments in the last episode which could just be unreal. If someone gets shot in the stomach, she/he can’t be alive if the ambulance comes after one hour, right? Also, someone who is hit with an axe dies, right? Finally, are the main characters real detectives? You will doubt that at some point because the investigations are too slow.
Unfortunately, the romance part isn’t that charming. Firstly, the main relationship’s development is rushed. Definitely, from the middle until the end of the show. Also, the ‘side couple’ didn’t even kiss…so maybe they weren’t a couple this time? Then, I just didn’t like it (the main couple). I don’t know exactly why, but it’s a shame cause I’m usually so much into police couples and I believe Joong and Dunk look so aesthetically good together.
Let’s try to find out more about how the romance didn’t work, for me, here.
The actors’ performance is one part of the problem. Not only Dunk’s acting isn’t that good, but also the chemistry of the couple is almost absent. I don’t know what happened but something feels off. I saw them closer in ‘The Heart Killers’ both in and out of bed. It doesn’t make sense since the age (of the characters) is clearly the same and the environment is similar.
The second reason must be the dialogues. They’re are quite a no for me. The conversations are too silly, childish and embarrassing for adults, maybe good for high schoolers. I love the flirting at work but most of their takes alone are insufferable. Also, I don’t know what the director wanted to do but the ‘sex scene’ in the office seems difficult to shot due to the position, the output is forced and not spontaneous (if you ask me, to do things in that position you move differently).
Moreover, Dunk has the same expression the whole time and when he changes it, seems unnatural. I thought it was the character but it’s impossible to be like that 24/7. I know there is a dispute about his acting and I don’t want to be cruel, okay? I’m just saying that, in my opinion, he is still not good enough and I’m so sorry. Of course he can improve, everyone can. I’m sure he’s working hard, but I’m not seeing great changes.
On the other hand, I find Chimon, Pahn, June and Sing’s acting really great. In particular, I know Cimon’s talent and here his character is amazingly portraited from the beginning to the end. Pahn and June are good in dramatic scenes. In addition, I have to mention Joong’s work that is no less good (except for the couple’s topic from before).
Besides, what’s wrong with the action scenes? Watching other shows like ‘Good Boy’ or ‘History 3: Trapped’ or ‘Manner of Death’ you can realize this one isn’t really verisimilar somehow. Again, I don’t know what the director had in mind, but the result isn’t my taste at all.
Also, can someone explain why they decided to use the same song one hundred times? The Ost is really great, I have it in my playlist, but using the same song over and over again isn’t a good idea. Finally, a new song appears towards the end of the series, but still…
Except for the song, there aren’t much sound effects. Mostly gunshots, obviously. The production isn’t bad; the lightning is aligned with the atmosphere. The locations are good, nothing that caught my eye. The editing is overall nice, but there are one or two cuts that I don’t appreciate.
To sum up, the plot had potential but the romance part isn’t on the same level as the mystery. The acting and direction aren’t that great. The music isn’t well managed. The feeling I’m getting is the lack of cure and attention to details. This is an important matter. Before the series was out, there was an issue with its promotion. The feeling is clear: the company didn’t care much about this project. If the situation is really like that, it’s not only a real shame because the plot is nice, but it’s also unfair to the actors who work hard on their projects.
I don’t think I’m going to watch any episode again: I know who the culprit is and the romance parts aren’t worth it. I’m sorry. I really wanted to give this series a higher rating but I can’t. I’m unsure about recommending the show. Still, if you like mystery and splatter, you could watch it. Following this path, I believe I can suggest you watch ‘Secret Relationships’ a korean bl drama. This one is done a bit better and the themes are similar.

Thank you for reading,
Kisses <3

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Letterboxd review from someone in a much better position to review this than me. https://letterboxd.com/beebom/film/khun-pan/

I'm honestly not sure what to make of this.

Legend writ enormously large around a real person who may not have contributed much, if anything, aside from his name, his job and the location.

A Thai take on westerns - like it belongs in the lineage of Tears of the Black Tiger, though not as far afield. Violent, very violent and very stylised, muted browns and dirt, the use of water. Parts felt almost surreal, which is one way of making supernatural powers real within a film, like this was just normal in their world, rare but known.

It was difficult and I took a few breaks, looking this or that thing up. It's like the opposite of the two hour Thai movies I love, where they wander around exploring their wee world before revealing their poignancy and it's gentle and comforting. Only here it's the hour 38 minutes of a Thai action movie, traveling through the violence of its world. And then it shifts, surreal but grounded within the language of the film, and ends in something else. It gave some sense of meaning and closure, satisfying in the moment, but perhaps not all that deep. Exhausting to get there too. Maybe it felt worth it, in the end.

But there were clearly layers I do not have the knowledge to feel, even if I can think my way through some of them. Sometimes my sense of being an outsider is particularly sharp. This is one.

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Sweetest and most natural romance between two people

If you don't mind the fact that there is no real kissing in this, then I would say this would be one of the best romance drama I have seen.
I was mislead by a lot of reviews here and I thought that this was going to be another series where the ML puts in all the effort while the FL just received his love. Most of the reviews here have been critizing the female lead, but for me she was one of the main reasons I loved this drama, of course along with the ML (Most reviews already talk about how good he is so I'm not delving into that here).
There is such natural progression and genuinly fun bickering between the leads that the romance progression feels soo natural. The FL may seem to be a bit oblivious to feelings and not take things seriously at first, but she naturally starts caring for the male lead and shows this in her own way how much she does. The show itself addresses the character and behavior if the FL and why she is how she is and shows her growth as well. Don't get me wrong it was visibly obvious to me how she started falling and there was no doubt about how much she loved him as well.
I was expecting a series where ML does all these grand gestures for the FL, but in this show it actually goes both ways. Although the ML might have more gestures shown, she trusts him completely and relies on him. That something I rarely see in dramas, where usually the FL only talks about her inner issue with friends or other SML. But in this, for her the ML is the first one she thinks of in times if trouble and fortune.
I hope with his more people can watch this drama inspite of some of the negative reviews. Sure if you don't know that there won't be actually kisses shown it may be frustrating for a drama of this genre, but for me going into it knowing how it's going to be , I really enjoyed each and every episode and could not skip any parts of it .

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