Reviews

Fancy a Toblerone?

Theoretically, any film that opens by decapitating Anthony Wong should be a winner; unfortunately, Visible Secret gets stuck with what it wants to be. It wants to be a slick and sexy horror-comedy, but instead it completely squanders all its promise shortly after the opening credits have finished rolling. It's a film that never quite clarifies what it aims to be; the horror elements feel perfunctory and passed over in favour of the romantic and character-based elements. It's more suggestive than genuinely frightening, but in a way that reflects the region's modern, millennium-era scene in its portrayal of young people caught in history, trying to understand both the world around them and each other as they navigate life, love, identity, and family. Ann Hui's direction is exceptionally muted and melancholic, creating an eerie, almost dreamlike tone that feels distinctly early-2000s Hong Kong cinema, succeeding more as a thoughtful meditation on loneliness, memory, and the inability to let go. Yet it all feels off, almost unfinished, bogged down by its narrative loose ends and especially the editing. The performances from the cast are fine; no one really stood out to me, outside of the terrific Kara Hui and Shu Qi, although the latter was mainly down to her fashion choices, while Tommy Wai's soundtrack is perfectly servicable in complementing the tone and visuals. Unfortunately, Visible Secret simply does not gel together; although there is certainly some quality stuff buried in its middle, it is the sort of character-based drama done better elsewhere. It doesn't go for scares or laughs. It falls into this weird valley where nothing is quite right, offering more of a more a gentle, ghostly romance with occasional dark humour than anything sharper or gnarlier. Still, maybe that's on me for expecting more from what its opening promised.

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on crime, capitalism, gender oppression, and what it all means for women loving women

duet of shadows is an excellent show written by intelligent, competent creators who demonstrated through their work just how much they value human life and want an end to women's oppression and, more broadly, to human suffering. at every turn, the show surprised me and deftly refused simple explanations; it was full of meaning and complexity and love.

throughout the show, there were three overarching themes through which they explored gender (as performance and oppression) in relation to one's material conditions. these were: 1) crime as a socially-produced phenomenon, 2) capitalism's primary and secondary victims, and 3) how we all strive to preserve our dignity as humans (and how that is our right).

1. crime as a socially-produced phenomenon (with society held responsible)

this show was not a simple mystery thriller with the lead detectives solving the crimes as they come up and sending the perpetrators to jail. all throughout, the show was less interested in who was responsible for the said crimes but more involved in exposing the context in which these crimes took place while humanizing the perpetrators, as they are, after all, just human. a story written through this framework of crime as not an individual moral failing but as socially produced, emerging from gender oppression, humiliation, commodification, victimization, and the absence of institutional protections, helps us, as the viewer, reframe our understanding of criminal activity and forces us to look at the structures causing and maintaining this behaviour. the show understands and instills in us the same understanding of crime as the predictable outcome when systems we have in place withhold protection and lack responsibility, when dignity is only available to those who can afford it, and when our bodies are commodified.

2. capitalism's primary and secondary victims

in portraying how crime is socially produced, another thing the show consistently returned to was portraying the women involved in these crimes as pushed to the edge. it wasn't that these serious crimes of murder, kidnapping, medical malpractice, etc. were being portrayed as inconsequential and neither was there an attempt in the writing to absolve these women of the crimes they, in fact, did commit. what the show does is to expose these web of interactions in an effort to make us aware not only of how this is happening but whom it is hurting the most and how that harm trickles down onto others, possibly leading to more crime.

most of the crime in these cases was a result of profit-seeking and class hierarchy, suggesting capitalism is the root condition that intensifies gender oppression. then, the show's focus was on how gendered and sexual hierarchies shape lived experiences of oppression and how these are intensified and maintained through economic structures. across the show's arcs, we see how these systems of oppression, capitalism and patriarchy, generate, even outside of the actual victims, both primary victims (perpetrators directly engaging in harm) and secondary victims (their families, children, communities).

i appreciated this framework because it rejects the understanding of crime as something that is committed by people who are evil, lazy, or simply antisocial and pushes for one where we can recognize people's humanity in order to acknowledge their shortcomings and faults as it stands true that if we do not understand people's material conditions, we also cannot help them and the point has to be to help them. injustice and tragedy lead people to dissociate from the social order and there were examples of this in every arc. for example, the mother in the human trafficking arc ended up kidnapping the child of the kidnapper to use him as leverage because she had been pushed to the edge in years due to the harm she was suffering from not being addressed and amended. this arc in particular, as well as the ending of the show, were great examples of how the show does not intend to depress the viewers or leave us with these tragedies. in the end, they left us on a hopeful note by showing it's possible to choose care and empathy even after being hurt. because, if injustice and tragedy lead people to dissociate from the social order, "justice" needs to involve rebuilding social relations.

3. we all strive to preserve our dignity as humans (and that is our right)

in line with the previous themes, loss of dignity and humiliation were very much front and center in these criminal cases to the point that /dignity/ is practically the moral axis of the entire show. poor people are structurally denied dignity, protection, and fairness and gender only intensifies this experience of humiliation and the resulting resentment because women’s labour is already undervalued and their bodies are commodified. in fact, we all seek power, especially when disenfranchised. then, the show makes this point over and over again: when one's survival depends on money, their dignity is compromised and this is what pushes people to the edge, creating primary and secondary victims through socially-produced crime.

the final arc of the show brings everything together in a culmination of the kinds of violence they’ve explored: finally, they say, capital (power) corrupts, loss of dignity victimizes people and can push them into violence, and without structural protections in place, as well as reeducation, we have no way of preventing any of it. in line with this, an important note the writing often ended on was the importance of community and care. they have treated equality as something produced and achieved through shared struggle. similarly, the struggle for people to preserve their dignity is a shared one as this is what capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy, and other forms of systemic oppression steal from us through reducing one's personhood to function, profit, or shame. what we lose is the opportunity to live as respected, fully realized human beings.

4. in conclusion

many chinese dramas, like this one, have the republican era as their setting because it provides a lot of contrast to today and a lot of opportunity to communicate political messaging as this is an era of incomplete capitalist modernization and colonial intrusions (see: the shanghai concessions). the republican era setting allows writers to depict and address exploitation and gender-based oppression (as we are seeing in this show) before people's republic of china made gender equality a state policy. this matters because the show is largely about how women survived before institutional protections existed and how they relied on each other when these structures failed them and denied them agency.

the point is learning from and reiterating history and making women’s pain and material conditions visible while granting them their full humanity through mutual recognition and a competent, empathetic treatment by the lead detectives who are similarly fighting gendered stigma in their profession. on that note, through the aforementioned themes, the show showcases an excellent understanding and analysis of masculinity as a powerful social positioning not just in how it shapes women's gender expression and understanding of womanhood but also in how the performance related to it restricts men and their personhood as well. this show was full of women in men’s spaces who have taken on more masculine appearances and mannerisms in a defensive, intelligent, and historically relevant manner, pushing us to think about how a lot of gender expression is a reaction to the oppressive construction of femininity.

i probably can't even begin to cover just all of the issues they touched on in these short 31 episodes but one last thing that deserves mentioning is opium addiction as woven into the context. there is a reason opium came up often in these cases as in this context, it is a moral issue tied to imperialism, social collapse, and national humiliation (see: chinese century of humiliation), which is why it was treated as both a public health issue and as imperialist exploitation by the communist part of china when they took power.

all in all, duet of shadows was incredibly fulfulling and a joy to experience in how direct it was with its progressive messaging and in just how much they clearly care about the issues they platformed through these cases. they took a strong, courageous stand at a time everyone else is abandoning the necessary work required of screenwriting in pursuit of quick profits and an easily consumable and profitable image. i loved the developing relationship between qin xin and lin lan, who was more avoidant and detached in the beginning but found peace and joy in forgiving, understanding, retaining familial bonds, and being in a community where she loves and is loved and where she can make contributions. apart from the other queer storylines in the show, there was a slowly building intimacy between the leading women. it may not have been the central focus of the show, but it was the underlying background to this story. their queerness was not depicted as something that exists outside of their work; it was embedded in their daily life and it showed in their worry and care and emotional intimacy. it was the show saying, the problem is not queerness, whether in sexuality or gender, but exploitation.

thank you to director li yutong and the screenwriters, actors, and the whole production team involved. this is indeed what art is all about.

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the story, acting, plot

at first i was doubtful about woogyeom, but after knowing the real story i felt sorry for him, he became chaeum's experimental material for the healing medicine, his mother searched for him until she finally died, he was also a good son to his mother. and in the ending it turned out he was still alive

ryeoun's acting is amazing 🔥 his chemistry with dongil is also good. 8 episodes but the plot is slow.. 🥲

i hope there will be a season 2, yiyeon's character has changed from being annoying to not being anymore. lastly, i want to see hanjun's daughter wake up from her illness

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Big expectation, but...

Baby is so cute, and he has very sad story. I had a very big expectation. The story should be good, baby is cute. His uncle and aunte will grow up together and they will be a family. But.....
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Please don't think I don't like FL actor.When I watched 18 again, Our Beloved Summer, I thought she has a potential to be good actress. But in this drama, I don't feel any feeling about her niece's love. Actually she doesn't have screen time with baby like ML. In the beginning she just wave to baby just in front of the door. We didn't see anything about she take care of the baby. Mayde director made mistakes, or writer didn't write this kind of scenes. But we need this. Also, she says niece is very important but she always stays very late at work. I don't know but when a baby waits for you, your first place will be baby. In the beginnig she knows uncle will just stay one month. How she thinks to continue work when uncle left the home. Baby will stay kindergarden more than 10 hours ?? She has to say to her boss, I have to take care of my niece. No plan for baby. Just live a day. Because of that I didn't feel emotion.
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She just uses the ML badly. She didn't reject him but not accept also. I know I watched 6 episodes but until this part she didn't talk about the ML’s feeling. Maybe she said about things after 6 episodes my bad sorry . But when I watched I didn't she. If she said, just said I need to focus on baby and job, it will be okay. But no she didn't and gives order to ML about the baby. she knows his feeling but she is very happy to SML came to house. She should know seeing this will be hurt him (ML) but nooo ''Sunbae uuu you are here'' -_-. emotional locked
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And also the story feels like just a few of people live in Seoul. His sunbae is her boss now. Okay coincidence, it is be okay because it’s a Korean drama but also landlord. give her space bro. Seoul is your backyard seoul is a village? How they live in his house and because of that he thinks he can came the house when he wants. They have work a big Company, food company and decided to work with a famous photographer. Amy Lee? (i don’t remember the name) doesn’t look like a photographer who take the ramens or other foods. She is cool she has very high standards but takes biscuits photos -_-
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I know she is little bit skinny, this is her choice. I don't want to talk about her body. But look like she can't carry baby because she doesn't have strength. YEs in the beginning they wants to show us, a someone counldn't take care baby, because she wasn't parent. This is story and normal. But when she carried baby anf his bags or other thing I thought she will collaps anytime. After the uncle came she didn't carry anything because production team also realized that I think.
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Bae In Hyuk will be good uncle. In the beginning he was also very childish and annoying. But he grow up. Also I saw real moment him with baby on the social media. I smiled. They are cute. Screen time is also good. He takes care of baby, we saw his problem and emotion with baby .... It's little bit unfair for FL.
Soo... the biggest problem for me in this drama FL's . I dropped and will watch uncle and niece moments on social media.

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WAITED LIKE CRAZY BUTT....

First of all a big praise for the ml and fl they were the couple who are really compatible with each others visual both fresh and young with good acting skills.. So firstly the plot is veryy good or atleast can say was supposed to be a good one, if anyone has read the novel with the very starting of the first chapter you would know how the drama is lagging behind, apart from the editing and weird cgi, the story consistency is not there, like the plot is very good, strong leads, strong troupe, forbidden love story but the storytelling is not good. No body is at fault but the directing team. Some parts will leave you confused like at the beginning of the first episode i was confused of the fl 's family history. I had to read the novel to understand the context by the time of the 5th episode. Secondly at the show mountain part where the face shifter guy suddenly died and alive again, might be only for me but still it was kind of confusing. Anyways till now love it soo far, Fine as hell ml, fl, sml, the healer ,uncle, and the side characters too like everyone is so good. Talking about ml and fl's relationship both look very good together... Good troupe most important thing is their chemistry which was so good. Also the sml is so handsome like his chemistry with fl too but ml is to die for, if anyone had watched 'till the end of the moon' you may find it similar, like forbidden love, something like that but that was xinxia and this is wuxia. So thats the major difference also the storyline is veryyy different. Till now everything is well and in a good pace but if it has the same ending as tteotm then I AM GONNA CRASH THE HELL OUT, THEY BETTER NOT DO IT LIKE THAT!!!!!!!


UPDATE:
the drama may have flaws but in the same time its nothing more than just editing issues and some scenes which were poorly executed. The drama in sense of wuxia sticks to its roots, proper action scenes, clever characters and unique weijin styled dresses. Every aspect of the drama was 10/10 characters, story but for some they stubbornly stick to its editing issues and directing issues. May be it sounds biased but this was one of the best dramas i saw. Yea there are some parts i feel like could be written again, the cai pingshu part. And qi yunke's shits but apart from it i feel love story was little bit lagging like cai zhao and mu qingyan must get more time to themselves apart from fighting it was overwhelming for some, me too. But overall chemistry was very good and nice plot. I like the actor of yuzhi. He seems a very good potential for a new face in cdrama industry, so directors you should
start analysing/ recruiting him. Apart from this. MY GUY MU QINGYAN, YOU MAD MAN, OH GOD YOU OBSESSED FREAK😍🤚. Fuckinggg made me giggle like crazyyy. ALSO YUZHI THE MAN YOU ARE 😔🛐. Bao shang en and zhou yiran so good,they should do moree dramas together like them together soo much.

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Pure romance; Retro style

This drama is honestly such a cozy, addictive watch. I started it expecting a heavy revolutionary drama, but it’s actually really warm, romantic, and surprisingly funny in the best way.
The setting feels lived-in and real—factory life, neighbors, gossip, family pressure—yet the drama doesn’t drown you in sadness. It keeps things light enough that you can enjoy the romance and the small everyday moments.

Fei Ni is such a lively girl to follow. She’s determined, stubborn, and sometimes a little chaotic, but it makes her feel real. And Fang Mu Yang has that calm, steady “green flag” energy that makes you feel safe watching him. Their dynamic is the kind where you keep smiling because the feelings grow naturally—little by little—through shared space, awkward moments, and quiet support.

The side characters definitely add drama (Specially the second leads-their story is beautiful and deserves attention), but it also makes the world feel busy and alive. And when the main couple finally gets their sweet moments, it feels earned.

Overall, if you want a nostalgic romance with heart, soft humor, and a couple you can genuinely root for, Love Story in the 1970s is really worth it so far. I’m definitely staying seated for the rest of the episodes.

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Loving Without Being Remembered

I think it’s definitely a film worth watching.

After finishing it, a sadness lingered inside me for a long time. At first, it seems like a classic high school love story, but as it progresses, you realize it’s something much deeper and far more fragile. The relationship between Kim Jae Won and Han Seo Yun isn’t just a romantic bond; it’s a love story walking the thin line between remembering and being forgotten.

Han Seo Yun forgetting the previous day every morning turns love into something incredibly delicate. When the memories you share with someone mean everything to you but, for them, feel as if they never existed it’s heartbreaking even to imagine. Despite this, what moved me the most was Kim Jae Won’s refusal to give up. His love isn’t expressed through grand declarations, but through small, quiet sacrifices. Being willing to meet her again every single day, to rebuild the same feelings over and over… It made me think that love is not just an emotion, but also a conscious choice.

Han Seo Yun’s fragility is portrayed very realistically. Her attempt to make sense of her life by keeping a diary, her effort to hold on to her own memories, feels both innocent and deeply tragic. While watching her, I constantly felt this: sometimes life takes away the most fundamental thing from a person their memories. And yet, being able to love despite that takes immense courage.

Kim Jae Won’s character development also becomes clear throughout the film. At first, he seems more passive, a young man being carried along by circumstances, but over time he transforms into someone who truly loves, takes responsibility, and matures emotionally. In his gaze, there was always this unspoken message: “Even if you don’t remember, I’m still here.” That feeling resonates strongly throughout the film.

The visual atmosphere is soft and calm. The pastel tones, long moments of silence, and understated use of music suit the story beautifully. The film doesn’t move quickly, but I think that slow pace is intentional; it allows you to fully absorb every emotion. In some scenes, there is almost no dialogue, yet the emotional intensity is conveyed purely through glances.

The final part prepares you gradually, yet it still weighs heavily on the heart. When the film ends, you don’t feel like you’ve just watched a love story; you find yourself reflecting on impermanence, the fear of loss, and the desire to be remembered. For me, this film was much more than a youthful romance. It was a quiet yet profound story that leaves behind a melancholic ache. It hurts while you’re watching it, but somehow that hurt feels meaningful.

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the best thing is Best thing I watch

so the drama .. the best thing is such wonderful drama that I watch .. the characters , story plot, cast, emotions delevery all aree so so good .. usually some drama get kind of boring episode but .. in this drama i don't even skip any sense.. to beautiful,
He Suye (played by Zhang Linghe) and Shen Xifan (played by Xu Ruohan) both are play very good role like .. Their acting, delevery the emotions ( for me the emotions delevery is so important because I am that kind of person that if acting or actors are so good at that drama and sence I will happy with them , smile with them and even cry with them ) and these are both make me happy with them , emotional with them , and also cry with them .
personaly we know that Zhang Linghe is very good actor he is acting with his eyes and his emotions also show it (which I love the most ) and about the female lead she is become one of my favourite actress form cdrama because (usually or say sometime i can't get connected with some female or male actors acting) but I love her acting , and she is beautiful also and who knows Zhang Linghe is one of the handsome actor.. love their chemistry, it just like we see Their story with their own cons and fall . with their point of view..
and tulip 🌷 i don't form now by watching this drama , when ever I saw the tulips i always remember them .. 💗
ashh.. know i miss them .. I will watch them again 💗
wish them for their future projects and drama .and i hope they will work together again.. I will definitely watch them .
and also they become one of the favourite actor and actress..

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Light-hearted but morbid

As someone who is at the age where people start entering the workforce but who isn't quite as independent or qualified (yet) as my peers, this has resulted in me relying heavily on my 1-person support system, my mum. It is always at the back of my mind that I don't know what I would do if I suddenly lost her. Therefore, right from episode 1 this show unexpectedly struck a chord with me in a way no other show has.

I tend to avoid sad shows and dislike melodramas; sticking mostly to romcoms and mysteries (genres where grief and misfortune are usually greatly exaggerated) so I rarely have to do any reflection on my own life and circumstances because of a drama. However, throughout watching Our Universe I have had my heart tugged on by the show's gentle handling of death and life after death for those who remain.

I think it is very realistic the way life goes on as normal for the most part until the weight of it all crashes over you on a seemingly random Tuesday. Unlike the way grief is depicted in most media, a lot of people don't have time to grieve dramatically, and humans adapt to their circumstances quite swiftly when forced to.

As far as the love story goes, I think the transition from bickering in laws to roommates, then family and finally a budding romance was quite naturally paced. I appreciate that by the time both of the love interests have confessed, we as the viewers genuinely believe that both of them stand an equal chance because it is all too common that second leads one-sidedly like the FL who at no point in the show liked them romantically OR that the FL initially liked the 2nd ML and still claims to despite obviously having feelings for the ML.

While the ML can be quite immature and petty, he has been impressively mature about everything concerning his nephew and his feelings for FL when he could've so easily been portrayed as a borderline manchild (like the American film with a similar plot, "life as we know it", did). In contrast, he is actually the more competent parent/homemaker without the show harping about gender equality, instead attributing this difference to their personalities and backgrounds.

If I had to criticize one thing about the show, the male lead does talk about not liking "waiting" a bit too heavy handedly, like we get it, but that is basically my only complaint.

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Joongdunk did the best, but director fu***ed up

First of all, acting is great, Joongdunk bring chracters to life and acted perfectly. Jadekamin is almost as I imagined while reading the novel. Overall storyline is not bad, but completely different than the novel and, what is important: they missed a lot of value scenes. There is in my opinion lack of good music in particular scenes as it was in Heart Killers. I also feel that plot trailer is way better than actual series, so it is clear the new director messed up. I'm so proud of Joong and Dunk and their improved acting (especially it made me cry when I saw how Dunk grow up well). I wish DYTD was made by different producer, who know how to use Joongdunk potential and chemistry. As a typical thai bl it is great, but as Netflix thriller series it is kinda dissapointing, and I am convinced that Joongdunk could handle Netflix level.
Overall, the series is interesting and portait beautiful love story, despite tragic stories occured in the background.
Love Joongdunk forever and wish them the best with better director in the future.

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Campy satire of the mafia trope

The serie made me rediscover PondPhuwin (and grow completely obsessed with them). I knew them from We Are (which I dropped after a few episodes, eventually finished when I was in a ppw drought). I was seeing scenes from Me and Thee on soc while it aired & I was already very curious about it. Seeing Peach taking off Thee’s tie without context got me hooked on them (more than I was on their We Are scenes) and I think it’s because Nuttapong is very good at capturing what Pond and Phuwin are best at conveying: meaningful gestures that carry depth. Me and Thee got me crazy over eye contacts, brief shoulder touches, words of affirmation, because it’s not the relationship that carries the characters, but the characters that carry it making its slow development feel earned and believable. Phuwin embodies Peach (to me, it’s actually the character in which I can recognize Phuwin the least). It’s tiny things that make Peach seem real and multi dimensional. His body language, the hair flips, his little sighs to remain calm despite Thee’s antics, his confused frowns, his wardrobe… It’s also edits of Peach that got me so excited about Me and Thee. He’s so charming in his simplicity making all of his actions somewhat endearing (ex: him clumsily carrying his heavy chair to sit next to Thee). He has values, habits, both qualities and flaws. He also grows through the show. I absolutely love how he always meets Thee halfway: while having clear boundaries, he never shames Thee for his extra personality or feelings, doesn’t make him repress them. Their good communication enables them to tame each other and I think it’s one of Me and Thee’s greatest strength: it’s comedy, somewhat satiric at times, yet it’s also very realistic and mature when it comes to showing two adults building a genuine bond together.
I have to say, Me and Thee also made me fall in love with Pond. Thee’s body language (especially the way he talks with his hands, gets frantic when stressed (ep5 stairs scene lives in my head rent free)) is absolutely gold and I believe no one can portray him the way Pond did. To be honest, and here it’s a MY personal reading of the character, Thee is very neurodivergent coded: he’s not just out of touch with reality because of money. He doesn’t mean bad, and it’s not that he’s self-centred, he genuinely struggles with social cues and lives in his own world that’s actually very lonely. He should be annoying but he’s not, Thee is incredibly endearing in his strange ways. We get Peach, why instead of stepping back, he gets attached. It’s Pond (as well as the dialogue) who makes the nuance works. I thought I would struggle liking a character that steps over people’s boundaries but Thee ended up being such a comfort character to me because he wants to learn, he’s willing to adjust and he’s actually pretty harmless. He states when he’s hurt, why he’s hurt, and each of his actions (even the most ridiculous ones) somehow make sense (ex: his name on what belongs to him to ensure safety). It’s not just for the laughs, the way he expresses himself reveals not only his personality but also his trauma, his coping mechanisms as well as what he actually longs for (a real bond).
I’ve seen people complain about the lack of "plot" but to me Me and Thee was supposed to be a satire of the mafia trope. A story about two very different people taming each other & it never needed to be more than that. The time spent on the characters, them discovering each other through carefully written dialogue is what made the relationship well paced despite the show being only 10 eps (although I do feel like the last episode was a bit rushed, I’m glad there’s a spinoff). Action and heavy angst weren’t needed, it would have disrupted this slow and comfortable rhythm that makes it so enjoyable to watch. Again, it’s just me, but when it comes to romance (or more broadly, relationships) centered stories I prefer a non plot serie with believable characters and a well developed relationship. I need to be engaged with the characters to be engaged with the story, so to me a serie can be good without a plot but it can never be good without characters to carry it. Why would I feel invested in something if I’m not attached to? Me and Thee delivered iconic characters that were palpable and that’s why it worked.
Also, I’ve seen people being like: why did Thee propose ep10 when Peach told him not to ep9, but to me it was obvious than it wasn’t like, the next day? I could see a shift in ep10, TheePeach being more domestic indicating that some time had passed? Also Thee mentioning that him and Peach had being together for a while? I thought it was well done, showing instead of directly telling, that their relationship had grown into something quite stable (ex: Peach immediately noticing Thee sulking after the house thing and comforting him initiating physical contact/ Peach accompanying him to work/ them basically living together/ the way it was more natural for Thee to be in Peach’s house (his space generally) and his proximity with Plub)).
Anyway, I might be biased but sometimes I feel like people overlooked what was actually meant to be conveyed just to nitpick. Same with the comedic scenes. Not a lot of people pointed out how campy Me and Thee actually was, its beautiful aesthetic and shots that were always well thought and intentional. The cinematography was amazing. It was clever too. Just ep1, Plub telling Peach about the "blood" on Thee’s sleeve and boom, direct shift to Thee getting sauce on his sleeve while watching lakorns in a silk robe on his couch really set the tone. Same with the musical part ep4 (my fav ep) it was hilarious because it doesn’t take itself too seriously but it’s still somewhat beautiful and touching. The post credits scenes were also all amazing and knowing it was mostly impro is quite impressive.
Of course, it has flaws. I would have liked to know Plub more, could have been a great female character and her dynamic with Thee and Mok was promising. Peach and Thee being very well developed sadly meant the side characters were quite underdeveloped. Mok suffers less from this than the others, but his relationship with Rome was still a little confusing (although we’re getting the spinoff). The pacing ep 1 to 7 was great, it was bit more rushed post that but again we’ll be getting more of TheePeach’s domestic life. The parents’ intentions could have been clearer, same with what’s considered safe and unsafe for their family, what were the actual threats, love being a liability (I hope we’ll see them navigate through this as parents in Peach and Me). But as I said, it was a character/romance driven story, a comedy meant to make you laugh so it didn’t bug me that much. You don’t watch Me and Thee for accurate mafia world, gun fights or to shed tears. You watch because it’s quirky, because it serves iconic characters (and scenes) that’ll stay with you for a while, because the romance is well written, believable and heartwarming, because its aesthetic is carefully crafted. Like Peach, you need to let go a little to enter Thee’s world.
Anyway. Thee you’ll always be an icon. Gay delulu mafia boss on the spectrum. Pond really deserves the praises he got (same for the rest of the cast and Nuttapong, thank you for this campy show and for making me realize the actual gems that are Pond and Phuwin).

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Ultimate love story

I love everything about this. Them meeting, their voiceovers, the push and pull, the angst....so perfect
Gil-Chae was kind of a pick me in the beginning but it makes sense for the time period they are in. She has great survival skills and for women needed to be picked by a safe man in order to survive. She stepped up when there was no man to help them and went a long way on her own, I liked those parts so much. Gil-Chae and Jang Hyeon finding each other in these gaps, missing and yearning for each other while not admitting anything to each other...so entertaining to watch. I'm very happy with the 1st part. Let's see how the story goes

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Death Note - But Make It A Gripping, Suspenseful Political Crime Thriller

This is by far one of the best recent k-dramas I've watched. in fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's one of the best k-dramas I've watched, PERIOD! It's definitely going into my favorite k-dramas list. I don't even usually watch dramas like this, but I wanted to step out my comfort zone, and BOY am I happy that I did! I love good villain protagonists, and Baek Ki-Tae was a VERY compelling one. I couldn't help but root for him, especially with the backstory he had. And he was sympathetic to some extent. Not to mention Hyun-Bin did an incredible job playing Ki-Tae- I'm officially a fan of his now if I wasn't before! Jang Gun-Young was a great foil/antagonist to him, too. I like how he was still flawed, but very determined. Jung Woo-Sung did a wonderful job with his portrayal of Gun-Young as an anti-hero, but I feel like he overacted a little bit at times. BUT this was clearly a directing choice: the fiery, reckless (and sometimes maniacal) prosecutor compared to the suave, calculating, and ruthless drug smuggler & KCIA director. It definitely made sense to me.

Onto the female characters, and this is one of the very, very, VERY few problems I have with this drama, it's male-centered as hell. But I know that this was intentional, since Korea was and is still very patriarchal, especially in the 1970s under President Park Chung-Hee. Most of the female characters were either plot devices or dead weight, I'd say the only exception was probably Ikeda/Choi Yu-Ji, who matched Ki-Tae's cold nature. But she had her own reasons for being so stoic- proving herself to her (adopted) father, Chairman Ikeda Osamu. Also understandable. You don't often see cold-hearted female protagonists in k-dramas, so this was a welcome change. As for Oh Ye-Jin, I liked her being so feisty. I did not, though, like her being comic relief. I feel like it definitely threw off the tone of the show. Not completely, but it was jarring and felt unnecessary. But she's still a good character, although she feels more like a side character rather than a main one. Regarding the other female characters, I'm interested in seeing how Baek So-Young's story unfolds in Season 2 especially with her being the new drug facility manager considering what happened to Kang Dae-Il (another guy I actually ended up feeling a little bad for, somehow?) I also LOVED Bae Geum-Ji, but the writer did her so dirty!

Side characters! Again, I felt bad for Dae-Il. I can't remember all of them right now, but the one I liked the most was definitely the President's Chief of Staff, Cheon Seok-Jung. He's very interesting, and I wanna see what his relationship with Ki-Tae is gonna look like in Season 2! He's so unpredictable! As for Baek Ki-Hyun, I think he's the only traditional hero in this drama. So he seems like he'll play a more antagonistic role in Season 2, especially since he's the more righteous/"good" sibling. Then again, no one in this drama is a good person! You can't trust anyone! 😭 Everyone's flawed, a criminal, greedy, ambitious, and/or selfish somehow. I LOVE IT! Give me more!

Writing-wise, okay, I'm gonna be honest, some scenes felt like they dragged on A LOT. It was endless talking and sometimes I'd definitely skip ahead or lose focus. But this was a minor issue, I think I'm used to it now with k-dramas that have hour-long episodes. Again, I don't typically watch dramas within this genre, but... at some point, by the end, EVERYTHING managed to connect pretty much perfectly. When I reached the last few scenes of the season finale, I was like, "What? Oh... oh. OHHHH!!!! OH SHIT! WHOA!" Excellent. Just excellent. Honestly, each episode could've been its own movie, because I feel there was just... not enough exploration. Depth? It felt too short! In the words of Michael Irvin from that one commercial, "We want MORE! WE NEED MORE!" This show definitely suited its genre though. A political crime thriller mixed with action, mystery, law, political intrigue, suspense, and just the right amount of drama. No romance necessary. It's basically a Korean Death Note with politics, drugs, and morally grey characters everywhere. And the MUSIC was great, too! Very subtle BGM, but it suited the setting and fit the mood incredibly well. A drama like this doesn't need some poppy OST, instrumentals do just fine. And I like the opening theme/sequence too.

I believe that this is one of those dramas you HAVE to rewatch in order to fully understand everything. When I say everything is connected, I mean EVERYTHING (mostly) is connected somehow, in some way, shape, or form. I highly recommend this k-drama, it is SO underrated. Definitely a diamond in the rough. The acting is amazing, the music is awesome, the directing is pretty perfect, the characters are flawed and the writing & pacing have minor issues, but they can mostly be overlooked, and the story itself is very interesting. My score? 10/10.

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Extremely boring for all it's messy format

Can't believe I am saying this for a show starring bailu and WXY but what a third class series this was .. i sticked to the end barely for my support to the leads otherwise I would have dropped it long ago ... Where should I start ???? .. from the 6 hilarious murders within first two episodes or from the flower ing plant growing on dead body or maybe from the eunuch who killed himself for his bestie to find the cure for an epidemic. With each passing episode this plot was becoming more ridiculous and non-entertaining.
I personally love crime detective thriller only when the plot is maneuvered properly around good conspiracies that cater to one' intellect, which can actually push your curiosity but here the only excuse that writer gives to drag and expand this series was'the villains are high and powerful people' i mean there is no convincingly looking chess games between the two parties, just all BS.
As for the other aspects .. I love Bailu and WXY for their acting and their chemistry but here everything fall apart .. their chemistry is flat ..they had more chemistry in their previous projects where they were not even playing couple .. here they looked good as partners but romance is just so dull ... But in the end it was supposed to be only slightly romantic ..but seriously this slight ??? 😮‍💨
Ost is horrible.
I was excited cause I thought this was going to be GOTD women centric version ( with no time travel ) but it didn't deliver even 15 percent of that expectation.
I just wish whoever wrote this crap never writes detective thriller again.

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Plot is nonsense but the leads chemistry are on lit.

I watched this after watching Chen Si and Zhao Jia version and the chemistry between the leads was better in here even the kisses were better in here too. The acting was quite decent for the newcomers (The FL is :Peng Huiying and the ML is Gao Haizhou. But the plot is still doesn't make sense given that the drama started with ML drugged and entering FL's room and they have sex while FL still not processing her divorce. The online dialogue between scenes is really annoying for me. It's a pity the drama is too drawn out and the ending feels rushed.

Worth to watch.

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