Reviews

A Binge-Worthy Body Swap Plot with That Stumbles at the Finish but Remains Enjoyable

The Basics

The plot isn’t groundbreaking. You’ve got your classic romance, a little of comedic relief, and that ever-fun prince-meets-commoner trope, all set against the oh-so-familiar backdrop of palace intrigue and class struggles. The writing doesn’t break new ground; it checks the boxes like every other historical K-drama, and you know what? That’s fine by me!

- What I Liked -

Positive Vibes

Unlike sooo many sageuks where beloved supporting characters drop like flies for the emotional impact, this one keeps things relatively light. There are plenty of uplifting messages, and I genuinely appreciated that most characters managed to survive the chaos.

Body Swap

Here’s something I didn’t expect! Because we actually don’t have any indication that this is fantasy, and there are no other fantasy elements here except for the body swap trope. It’s typically used for cheesy romantic escapades and humor, but here it’s utilized for true character development. This was pretty meaningful use of the trope. Enjoyed it in this drama.

Supporting Characters

Usually, I'm not too keen on a bunch of side characters, but I found myself loving every quirky personality they threw at us. Especially Sin Hae Rim. Plus, it’s a relief to see everyone get a nice wrap-up. Those who need punishment get it—without any of our beloveds biting the dust!

Pacing and Engagement

The drama keeps you coming back for more! Yes, I spotted a few episodes somewhere in the middle, where the pacing kind of wobbles a little, but overall, the pacing was pretty good—until, *sigh*, the last two episodes.

The Romance

You’re going to have to wait until almost last episode for that kiss. But it’s worth it. Romance isn’t slow-burning; it feels more like “we get it, you like each other!” The characters spend plenty of time together, but they just can’t close the deal due to various factors. It’s more of a yearning romance than a sizzling slow burn. The characters like each other early on, they just don’t really reveal their feelings to each other until later into the show. Well, one of them reveals them earlier, but we need to wait longer for the actual closure.

The Not-So-Great Stuff

Before diving into critiques, let’s give a shout-out to the fact that despite being 16 episodes long, the drama doesn't waste our time on unnecessary side stories. It primarily focuses on the leads and their romance—thank you very much! None of those palace discussions from all those unnecessary antagonists. Thank you, but we can understand everything without you guys.

But here comes the bummer: the last two episodes hit a brick wall. Despite building intriguing overall backstory, once the throne situation is wrapped up, the show loses its steam. The pacing stumbles. I found myself rolling my eyes at some unnecessarily drawn-out scenes. And seriously, after all that buildup, we get a rush job on the main couple’s reunion? Just a couple of seconds of a hug? I wanted more than that! Their long journey deserved a grand finale, not an abrupt cut-off. It’s just the entire thing is a little bit anti-climatic.

Let’s talk characters!

Im Jae I was the shining star for me. He is a complex and twisted character who grows immensely during the drama. I rooted for him and sometimes shipped him with Eun Jo. It’s that damn bad boy charm. Unfortunately, she already had someone else she liked. But I wish he would have gotten a love interest too.

On the flip side, Nam Ji Hyun, while talented, doesn’t quite hit the mark in historical settings for me. She was phenomenal in Suspicious Partner, but her looks always dull when she is dressed in historical gowns, and get the matching hairstyle.

Moon Sang Min, on the contrary, was born for historical dramas! He’s got the look and the screen presence. He is still very young, so I’m sure he’s going to get a lot more historical dramas after this role.

Final Thoughts

Despite my nitpicking, the acting was top-notch. The leads delivered strong performances that I couldn’t truly fault—even if I had my personal preferences for different pairings. Overall, To My Beloved Thief might not break new ground, but it offers enough charm to keep you entertained if you are into historical romantic K-dramas and are not looking for anything elaborate.

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Your favourite band reformed after years . . . but as a cover band?!

If you read comments about this show you will see the following reframe again and again. "I loved the first season, but . . "

Yeah, I am one of them. If you read my original review from 2021, you will see how I raved about it and gave it a 9. It was well deserved as it was like a breath of fresh air. It was low budget, a bit rough around the edges, but it was visionary and the show delivered.

I was excited when I found out there will be a S2 and the same actors are reprising their roles! Hallelujah! While the beginning of the second season looks promising, the longer I watched, the more despondent I became.

Don't get me wrong. It is not a bad show. Quite to the contrary. All the actors have matured, and the production has been given a decent budget which is put to good use. These are all good things. Any first-time viewer will have little to complain about. What triggered me goes deeper than that.

I hate to say this; the show is now just another historical melodrama. What happened to the fresh ideas and chemistry between the couples? It is like watching power couples going through their daily grind. High power, high stress, but not very relatable.

The FL is now the imperial coroner, huzzah! She is good at her job too. The ML is the respected head of the justice department. Their good friends are still there and doing important job. Both couples have been married for 3 years. It would be great if this is a quick recap before another grand adventure.

What we got instead is what I would call "a storm in a giant teacup". There is so much happening, yet it is centred on just one main plot involving a key set of “actors”. There is a lot of scheming and plotting but the antagonists are known and their motives are cliché. We watch their ghastly shenanigans unfold and then watch our leads try to solve the puzzles methodically. It sounds good on paper, right?

While our leads act well, their characters are no longer fresh. Firstly, their roles are now set in stone. Secondly, there is none of the original "will they, won't they" dynamics. They are married couples now. There is a distinct lack of skinship as well. Sure, they are loved up, but there is not a lot of intimacy. See my reference to power couples.

Thirdly, we have the crime solving. It is well crafted and mapped out with great care. I can't help but feel they went a bit overboard though. It is like a Bermuda Triangle of tropey subplots.

Never in the field of Chinese costume drama has so much happened to so few. This could have been their finest hours. (Sigh)

I'm not saying it doesn't work. We do see glimpses of its former glory in the last few eps. As a whole, it is . . predictable. It is as if your favourite band reformed after years . . . but as a cover band! :(

In the end, I don't dislike this show. It is a solid outing. I'm glad that I get to see the next phase of their lives. The bigger budget certainly gives the show a more polished look. I'm thankful that there are no break-ups nor Big White Chariot of Doom™. I just can't help but feel let down by the safe route they took.

Maybe it does mirror reality. The excitement of a new romance fades and is replaced by married life weighed down by mortgage stress and school runs. Peace.

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Stellar concept with average chemistry

I watched this last week since i want to find non romance focused drama and i am already make the recap of this drama. I quite like this non-conventional drama that focused on action and superpower on Female-oriented drama. (This type of drama mostly found on Male-oriented drama).

FL is possessing superpowers, transmigrates from a post-apocalyptic world to a new one. She has maxed-out skills and powerful abilities, making everyone except the minor villains a pushover. ML is a powerful but powerless figure who is curious about the FL early on and actively protects her. He adheres to the principle that one's status is determined by oneself, acting first and informing later, and manipulating FL to advance his career. The ending sees them getting married, but their romance doesn't progress much from the entire time.

The chemistry between Ma Lejie and Xiao Wenyu is average. FL's dim-witted family and fiancé are also quite annoying, appearing frequently. The main issue is that even after FL demonstrates her powerful abilities, they still constantly provoke her, which is illogical and generic formula from usual short drama. Personally for this genre, male-oriented drama stills win since I saw bullets and shells flying around, I knew the director had never handled guns before. And other details. The big boss appears but then disappears without a trace.

There is much things that unresolved on this drama and i still waiting for the season 2.

It's watchable, but not really recommended if you look for pure romance.

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PERFECTION

This is amazing! The depth of the characters and the many layers to the story is so good. This had me laughing, crying, gasping, rolling on my bed, shrieking over what was happening. It was exciting; the plot literally thickens along the way. Each twist and turn had me clutching my blanket, not knowing what was going to happen next. The pace and the ending was utterly satisfying (though if I’m being honest, I skipped or snoozed on a lot of Situ Ling scenes just because he was so unbearable, but no offense to the actor). Overall, it was so well-written, beautifully directed and executed. Chinese fantasy dramas are totally top tier.

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One thing I can say for sure: this is a good drama.

I knew beforehand that the story wouldn’t have a happy ending, so it was actually quite difficult to finish. Still, I pushed myself to watch it until the end. In reality, I only fully watched up to episode 60, and I skipped quite a lot of the plot in the last 10 epsd
Even though I skipped many parts near the end, I would still give the plot a high score. For the overall story, I’d probably rate it around an 8/9. The story is good, but for some reason I didn’t always feel excited while watching it. It took me a long time to finish this drama, especially the early episodes. Even around episode 50, it was still a bit difficult for me to keep watching, which shows that the story is quite heavy. There were also some conflicts that I didn’t fully understand. But again, it’s still a very good drama.

I really like the main characters and their dynamic and chemistry. At the beginning, I actually thought I wouldn’t like them, and I didn’t understand why people said their chemistry was good. But around episodes 30–50+, I finally understood why this couple works so well. I mean, I really like their character dynamics, the way they treat each other, and their love language.

However, toward the end of the story, I found myself liking Prince Helian more than Ning Yi. His love felt more sincere and honest, and I preferred his personality. It’s very unfortunate that his story ended tragically.
The acting and the way the characters are written are also very strong. Even from the beginning, I could see that the Emperor of Tiansheng wasn’t truly a wise man. All the prophecies and what eventually happened to him felt like karma. Personally, there wasn’t any character that disappointed me.
But if you’re looking for a romantic drama, I wouldn’t recommend watching The Rise of Phoenixes with that expectation.

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I was so disappointed

I am not writing this review to vent but to express my utter disappointment with this show. One of my all-time favourite dramas is Love to Hate You, also directed by Kim Jung Kwon. So I had been looking forward to this series for quite a while.

But what is this? A story for kids? Fantasy? Sports? Romance? Serious tragedy? Horror? Light comedy? Bits and pieces of all this put together to create twelve episodes for Netflix?

The acting was not convincing either. I am sorry to say this because I really liked Kim Hye Yoon in Extraordinary You, and Lomon is very good-looking. The FL's voice was hard to bear and I kept telling myself the actress must think foxes would talk like this if they were human.

Plus: In nature foxes do not howl like wolves. They sort of bark which is spooky enough.

Why am I still watching this (on FFWD mostly)? Because I want to know how in the end this mess is sorted out. I wonder. While I am writing this there is only one episode left to bring it all to a (good?) ending. I will be glad when it is over.

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MAJOR SPOILERS - Complaints about each couple's storyline

How I wish story should've or shouldn't have been:
(1) 1st Couple - It seems that Du Yanxi has been planning to take revenge on his dad for a long time. Maybe he didn't have a plan at that point but he could've given reasons to delay any marriage till he figured out a plot. If he happened to marry someone else instead and didn't fall in love with the wife, would he have allowed her to go through the same?
I don't dislike his character; he's flawed, but still a decent husband. He doesn't need to be the perfect ML. It's his whole plan I'm not a fan of. And why keep Shou Hua in the dark? Why not just tell her about your childhood trauma and plans so she can be better prepared? She might have actually helped you plot a better revenge plan that this coz she's so smart and cunning.
Also, a small point - they could've shown his reaction when he found out about the initial bride-switch that took place. That could've set a better context to his initial reaction to Shou Hua on their wedding night and not shown his character like an outright demon.
(2) 2nd Couple - Would've been nice to see some kind of quick backstory to how these 2 got married in the first place. It obviously seems to be arranged but how did the poor Li family from far away manage to even connect with the richer Fan family and arrange this? How come the Fan family even agreed to this marriage?
(3) 3rd Couple - I think the only thing I wasn't particularly happy about was the pretend-kidnapping stunt he pulled-off. It was cute but I felt like Kangning wasn't angry enough or scared enough about it coz imagining to be in her position of being picked up and sold off to traffickers is pretty frightening. Her sister Fuhui had a proper reaction of crying and relief. Any person would have this reaction even if it's your crush in front of you.
(4) 4th Couple - They're definitely my 2nd favourite couple in this show. But why go with the Amnesia trope? 😑 It felt lazy to me. Very Lazy. And it felt so odd to see a cold-hearted Hui Shao to be force-smiling. I thoroughly enjoyed the cases they solved together. But if they wanted a reason for the both to hang out and solve cases, they could've done so even without forcing Amnesia. Just a normal fracture or injury would do. And I definitely feel he should've told her at one point about his trauma with his sister (this was the most tragic plot in the show IMO).
This is what should've happened - Give him a fracture instead of Amnesia, make her take care of him. She starts noticing and reading through his cases and gives unsolicited opinions which he would start to appreciate gradually. Later he starts asking for her opinions upfront. Show the other 4 sister's involvement also when required. Definitely show the BIL Alliance. If she's not around, he would start to miss her in a friendly way. Along the way, he informs her about his past which makes her understand his behaviour. Now that he's opened up to her and feels vulnerable around her, slowly and steadily, make his heart melt for her.
(5) 5th Couple - I'm sure a lot of people agreed that this plot started well and ended in the garbage bin. Firstly, the violence was funny in the beginning, but it was starting to get a bit too unrealistic. It took me a while to understand that the dad had a concubine so I kept confusing her to be one of the sisters. I think her character should've been presented gradually or atleast make the audience aware that she's one of the evil ones. I get that they wanted character development for Yang Xian but it could've been done while they were rich too. The explanation of why the King Majesty decided to make his consorts poor was very weird. If they wanted to go with this plot, they could've atleast established a romantic relationship between Leshan and Yang Xian. We never got to see this till the very end. They had a chance to show affectionate scenes when he would visit her at her window but that didn't happen either. No hug, no kiss, only a stick to beat him with. (Even the 6th couple got a long hug)! It feels like they only wanted to show this as a funny couple but there was definitely chemistry brewing between the 2 that the writers SHOULD have exploited that but they never did and we all truly missed something good.
Oh, and that whole adopted sister of Yang Xian - completely UNNECESSARY. They didn't even use her for a Jealousy Trope.
(6) 6th Couple - Before getting into the plot, in my personal opinion, I find Qiongnu to be one of the most beautiful of the sisters. She has a combination of a pretty face, cuteness, sweetness, and elegance. Therefore, I feel the casting of She Cong was not the best. Their looks did not match at all. Forget everyone else for a moment, his looks did not even remotely match his own twin sister Kangning! Infact! The side actor who was casted as She Cong's right-hand man or his guard actually looked much better suited AND his sharp features could even match with Kangning's while complimenting Qiongnu's beauty.
Now getting to the plot, like someone rightly mentioned, we were truly robbed of a decent love story here. Only 1 singular uno scene. Realistically, if you knew each other before adolescence roughly 10-15 years ago, it's odd to suddenly have romantic feelings for each other. Even a single episode that was dedicated to this couple to establish some affection or atleast some respect would've worked.
They could've even showed a scene where he gets along with all his sisters and BILs but they only showed him hanging around Leshan for Yang Xian to feel jealous which also felt incomplete.
And why was it never mentioned that Qiongnu was promised to Madam Li's son when they were children? I just assumed she was an orphan who was rescued by him and so she was adopted by Madam Li due to pity and to honour her son's "death". This whole time, she was her to-be in-law. That changes the dynamic completely.
Now, aside from this, that whole plot about the case of 200 children and some priestess getting kidnapped, the whole scene with the King, She Cong and Shen Huishao (and what I'm assuming was the 4th consort who is now a priestess)...... I don't know why was this included nor did I understand how it impacted the story at all or for whom they had written it. It feels like this was part of a larger plotline that was cut out but because it was linked to Yang Xian and Leshan's scene, they left it I guess.
(7) There's no 7th couple and I know I'm asking too much now but I feel they could've done something small for Chun Lai. She was also quite pretty and cute.

I enjoyed this show alot, which is why I have so many complaints 😂

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"It was a mad flood of frustration storming toward an outlet"

Watching “A Legend or Was It?” aka “Legend of a Duel to the Death” was the emotional equivalent of being dragged over railroad ties by a runaway train. Only eighty-three minutes long, every second rumbled with the pain of injustice, corruption, and mindless mob mentality. A thinly veiled criticism of Japan’s wartime atrocities and the mindset that led to it, this film was not for the faint of heart.

The Sonobe family from Tokyo has been evacuated to a small northern village during the summer of 1945. The father and one son are MIA. The eldest, Hideyuki, has been medically released from military service. His sister Kieko is engaged to the mayor’s son, Goichi. When Hideyuki sees Goichi he recognizes him as the soldier he saw killing and raping Chinese women. No way was he going to let his sister marry the monster. Offended at the rejection, Goichi and his father begin framing the Sonobes for stealing and vandalism. The villagers already resent the outsiders and find it easy to blame them for any crime, indeed the failure of the military to succeed as well! When Goichi determines to re-enact his military crimes, the resulting actions cause the simmering village to explode.

The opening prologue was filmed in color displaying a beautiful mountainous area with friendly people laughing and helping each other out. In minutes, the color drained away and the narrator foretold, “Not a single person talks about what happened…these mountains still glow red under sunset clouds…Their souls feel quiet over the nightmares of bygone days.” Tragedy was creeping toward the Sonome family for no other reason than they were outsiders. That and the Takamori family ruled over the village like dictatorial medieval samurai lords. One did not tell them “no.” As events spiraled out of control, a gun wielding mob was enflamed by Takamori who burned down the rule of law and all reason.

The villagers had not had access to true war news and were fed what the government decided so when they heard how close Japan was to losing the war they were devastated. All the sacrifices in money, food, and sons, had been for nothing. Frustration, fear, and deep-rooted anger needed an outlet and more importantly…someone to blame. The alien Sonobe family was the perfect scapegoat for their hopelessness. “…the Japanese people woke up from the nightmare…They swore silence to their souls and would not speak of it.” Rather than justice or introspection, the villagers’ peace had been built on the blood of the innocent. All they had to do was shove the harsh truths down and pretend nothing happened. “One day, it will be told as a legend of a mountain demon.” After all, they were incapable of rape and murder and senseless actions. I’d say the film overexaggerated the mob mentality, but I’ve lived too long and know how it can crop up anywhere when sacrificial offerings are needed to calm the demons of fear and greed. Don’t think, don’t ask questions, just grab your weapon and kill the other. “A Legend or Was It?” was 83 tension filled minutes that were about as comfortable as a hair shirt, but also an important lesson. The loss of justice, reason, and compassion can cause people to carry out heinous actions against not only ‘the other’ but their own neighbors as well.

26 February 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, though nothing too graphic was shown.

Musical note: The film made use of a mouth harp during especially tense moments and it was quite effective.

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acting masterpiece about trauma and healing through love

While many Western viewers might get lost in
the surface-level "scandal" of its NC-17 rating,
Lust, Caution is a profound, soul-crushing
exploration of the human condition under the
weight of history.
As noted by prominent Chinese critics, Ang Lee
doesn't just adapt Eileen Chang's text; he
reconstructs it as a recurring trauma. This is a
film about the brutality of performance-where
acting isn't an art, but a desperate, animalistic
survival tactic.
Tony Leung delivers the performance of a
lifetime. He portrays a man who has suffered, a
collaborator whose cruelty is merely a thin veil
over a visceral, internal torment. You don't need
subtitles to understand him; his silence speaks
of a "killer's light" and a profound loneliness.
Opposite him, Tang Wei is mesmerizing as the
manipulated woman. She is a pawn who, in
trying to deceive her predator, ends up losing her

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The lead is awsm ... I loved it fr

I don't know why everyone is just so negative about this DRAMA . ..... I actually liked the drama ..... N tbh I've never watched any short drama ... This was my first one ... I literally watched all the episodes within a single day !! N i literally enjoyed this yrr !?... Like okay ... Wasn't something so special... But like it had a thrill and fun ofc to watch this personally... Idk what do ppl actually expect n why spreading so hatred for this drama ... Ik the ending could be better n a bit detailed... But can we just appreciate the cast ??.. like in my opinion i enjoyed the storyline fair enough to watch at least ... And like wu jiayi is just my fvrt soo❤️❤️✋and the main actor (yun zhan) .. loved him too 🖤

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First Impression: Only Friends Dream On

Overall: it was an engaging first episode. Based on episode 1, viewers do not need to have watched the first season. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6274/only-friends-dream-on-2026

Content Warning: vomiting around 43 min of episode 1

What I Liked
- so many GMMTV actors in one series
- different dynamics (exes, hookup, secret crush)
- different style from what we normally see in the romance genre

Room For Improvement
- because they've used established ships it takes the mystery out of who will be endgame
- the interviews
- I don't normally take off for production value but GMMTV has money and years of experience, the slower background music clashed with another beat on top of it

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