Reviews

The best xianxia of all time

In my eyes, NOTHING can top this xianxia. It is an absolute classic in every way, and as someone who began watching dramas a bit after AoL's time (think it came out in 2018), I can see how it paved the road for modern day faves of the genre. Xufeng and Jinmi's relationship is the most beautiful, pure love -- and the whole 60 episodes is dedicated to depicting the trials and tribulations the two overcome despite literally everyone else in the world determined to rip them apart.

Every arc of the show made sense, and had me deeply immersed every step of the way. Unlike some xianxias today, the mortal realm arc was just as interesting if not even more so than the heavenly and demon realm ones -- and was absolutely mission critical to the plot. Xufeng jumping into the Heavenly Wheel of Karma to follow Jinmi without a second thought is still one of the most attractive things I've ever seen a ML do. The first third of the show had me giggling and laughing -- boy were those light-hearted times, and so necessary to show the contrast in character development by the time we reach the angst-ridden third arc of the show. I literally sat gripping my seat, heart pounding loudly the entire last 10 episodes or so.

Epic romance, gripping plot line, exquisite costumes (those outfits in the Heavenly Wedding -- oh my god), and of course the iconic OST aside -- perhaps what makes this drama so amazing in my eyes is how well-written every character is, and how well-casted the major characters are.

Jinmi is our Frost Flower -- and the show is dedicated to showcasing her growth through the toughest emotional trials and tribulations. In many ways, I find her to be the most pitiable character, because she doesn't really have agency (until she finally does) and is physically incapable of understanding what she wants, or acting in her own interests. From the beginning, she is a (quite literally) closed-off, naive flower bud, unable to understand love and the ways of the world-- but carefree and pure. It is her bubbly, spring-like personality that attract the two heavenly brothers to her in the first place. By the end, after facing pain, loss, and torment, she finally understands her emotions, blooming into her true self and capable of making her own decisions-- and the ultimate sacrifice. She is never the same again, and her maturity feels bittersweet despite the happy ending. Though at first I struggled with this and felt she deserved more (or at least, selfishly, the audience deserved to see her carefree and filled with joy again), watching the show again made me understand that this was a happy ending for Jinmi, because this is what her heart wanted all along. In the mortal realm (and again at the end of the show) she says her name comes from this quote: "繁花似锦觅安宁，淡云流水度此生。“ Translated, this means "in a world of opulence and beautiful flowers, I seek peace, passing my days like light clouds and flowing streams." The breathtakingly beautiful symbolism of this quote not only conjures up images of a heavenly flower world and flowing water (perfectly apt for the daughter of the Flower God and Water God), but also suggests that what Jinmi truly wants after experiencing the chaos, beauty, and torment of the Heavenly and Flower Realms is simply a life of peace and simplicity with her love and family. And so she did.

Xufeng is our Fire God -- blazing like the sun, unwavering in his devotion -- and yes, a little cocky and spoiled, but with a pure heart and unending sincerity. Though he grew up as the golden child, by the end he has gone through just as much, if not more, torment as the rest of the characters, lost everything, and betrayed by everyone -- yet he maintains his pure heart and sincerity, and shows the whole world how he is reborn from the ashes as the proud Fire Phoenix he is. He is unafraid to love loudly and move mountains and oceans for his loved ones. Deng Lun did such an incredible job, and I'm so glad they casted a more traditionally masculine actor for the role. Xufeng in Chinese means rising sun/phoenix -- and he was the sun that shone on Jinmi's flower, causing her to open up and grow toward him.

Even Runyu was phenomenal, and the perfect foil to Xufeng. Where the Fire God is an open flame, burning hot and true, the Night God is refined, elegant, calculating and cold, and three steps ahead of everyone at all times. His backstory is tragic, and his arc to becoming the villain is written and acted in a nuanced, compelling way. No one does pain and suffering better than Luo Yunxi, and his acting is 100% what made Runyu a sympathetic character despite his cruelty later on. Runyu's love for Jinmi was born in the shadows -- a manipulative, obsessive love twisted from insecurity and jealousy. His feelings toward Jinmi were the antithesis of Xufeng's, who jumped in head first without a second thought to follow his heart, openly and confidently declaring his love to the whole Six Realms, even when doing so came at his detriment. Although the show makes it very clear which love is superior (and the fact that Jinmi actually only ever had Xufeng in her heart, despite Runyu's manipulations), the fact that fans still go to bat for Runyu show just how nuanced the characters are in the show.

Ultimately, Ashes of Love is an epic love story and a cautionary tale against the dangers of generational grudges and trauma. It is Romeo and Juliet, but somehow infinitely better and more nuanced. This story is etched in my heart for good.

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If you're here for JD flirting, congratulations. You win.

If you're here for some semblance of plot..., just turn back now. For your sanity, go find something else.

As a person who genuinely enjoys thrillers, I have several questions

1. Where's the urgency? Can someone explain to me why they were strolling everywhere? People were dying, falling like flies, and they never rushed to anything. They just be casually strolling everywhere

2. Why did they always speak in front of the suspects' door? Every. Single. Fucking. Time!!!

3. Did the person behind the camera know that this was supposed to be a crime thriller show? Why did we spend 97% of the time watching them flirt and be hot n' cold with each other as people were quite literally dying?

4. Seriously, what even was this????

OK, I'm done yelling. I came into this largely because

a. This is the 1st Thai bl to ever air on Netflix in my region. I wanted to support. You know, show Netflix that yes, license more Thai shows, Thai BLs, and air them in my part of the world

b. Joong was hilarious with his marketing. I'd have supported because of that alone

c. Joong & Dunk had impressed me in The Heart Killers. I'd previously dropped 'Hidden Agenda,' but the acting in THK gave me hope.

But now, after all those hours and episodes, my hopes were crushed, and I'm left disappointed. As I said in the title, anyone who came here to support JoongDunk simply because they are JoongDunk will have a fun time watching them flirt and banter. However, anyone like me who's here hoping for an actual plot with the mystery aspect... *sigh* don't do it. I'm so fucking let down

PS. I'm back to complaining again

i. Why does this feel like a 'Here, Damn!' type release?

ii. I lowkey think they (GMMTV) licensed this on Netflix as a way to promote JASP.ER, not really to promote Thai BL, Thai actors, or even Thai storytelling. This is not worldwide Netflix release quality. Maybe they also did that to follow in Dumondi's footsteps with Zomvivor. They didn't want to be left behind and just slapped some shit together real quick.

iii. This release made me think, 'Kpop companies🫱🏾‍🫲🏾Thai BL companies'. They both take their fans fi eediat. They give us the bare fucking minimum—sometimes even less than that— because, unfortunately, most people in the fandom will eat it up and praise it. Why would they need to do better?

iv. I'm giving this CP 1 more chance before giving up. I genuinely want to like them, but it's so hard to watch one of them try to act. The people said he'd gotten better, but I somehow think that he got worse from their last installment together.
I am on my knees praying to the Lord that the acting in the upcoming 'How to Survive my CEO' be better. Otherwise, I'll be throwing in the towel

v. I DESPERATELY need the pple in GMMTV's makeup department to do better with their tattoo work. When I saw First's tattoo in THK, I literally laughed outloud. It was so glaringly obvious that it was some cheap temporary tattoo. Something that bad on a tattoo artist was just...*sigh*. Like Khaotung has a tattoo. Use that as fucking reference on how tattoos should look like!

But the laugh that I laughed back then was nothing compared to the laughter I experienced in EP 9. What do you mean Joong's tattoo started running and fading coz of the water, and YOU PUT THAT IN THE FINAL CUT?!?!?!?!? They didn't even bother to try fixing it in post-production or nothing😭😭😭

I beg the pple in this company's make up departement to go to Dumondi and find the person/people who did Keng's tattoos for KhemJira. Get that person and have them train your people on how to do better work. You cannot keep insulting your viewers, tattoo artists, and tattooed people like this

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Lovely and weird

I was deeply impressed by this movie even though it’s very possibly the weirdest film I have ever seen and that includes Eraserhead. The plot about dreaming is more of a framework for several short films whose meaning is difficult to determine. The first one, about two men and a mysterious suitcase, was my favorite. I also liked the last one, about two lovers attempting an escape on New Years Eve 2000. The acting was excellent and the imagery very striking, but at some point I stopped tryin to process it as a linear experience and just let it wash over me. If you like something different and mysterious I highly recommend it.

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Woohoo!!!!!

IMO, this is definitely a 10+ best version of the storyline. Everything was well done. Casting meshed. Even wardrobe and set design. There were times when I thought the music might actually qualify as a supporting character ~ so timely and "appropriate".

But one other thing: I'm a sucker for an actor/actress that really owns the craft, especially when they get an opportunity to show so many facets and nuances. ⭐⭐⭐ Wang Nan can REALLY Act! ⭐⭐⭐ Played the bejeebers out of this role & character! I'm going to have to pay more attention to his work! For instance, catch the look in his eyes on their first 'serious' foray into the bedroom?

Yeah, this is a little long for a short drama. But the extra time doesn't suffer for content. Nothing superfluous or repetitive, just a couple settling their foundation. And it's proof that a kidnapping or torture isn't needed to fill in space?

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An Underrated Fantasy Worth the Epic Journey

From what’s been recommended to new viewers over the years, I’m genuinely surprised this one rarely gets mentioned. Although the first 4–6 episodes were a bit difficult for me due to misunderstandings between the leads, this is such a solid staple for fantasy watchers. It has everything: dragons, gods, phoenixes, an evil deity, and cultivators. There are heroes, deep betrayals, redemption arcs, and several meaningful sacrifices along the way.

I had so much fun watching this. The settings were beautiful, and the action scenes were thrilling and powerful. The story unfolds as an epic journey, with strong character and plot development that gives the narrative real growth and helps connect the audience to both the story and its characters. This was a drama that was hard to put down because it was so engaging, with themes that really landed for me. I do think the last few episodes could have been edited down a bit, as the narrative felt slightly stretched. That said, I loved how everything wrapped up, and overall, I truly loved this drama.

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"Be Yourself, That's the Coolest Thing"

Be Yourself follows the story of four girls from room 5438 across their four years of college. The series consist 24 eps, each 6 eps covers the story from one year on college.

Be Yourself actually feels quite personal and nostalgic for me because of how accurately they captured dorm life, the way I experienced it myself. One thing I notice is the dorm/room setting arrangement doesn’t feel too artificial like in some other Cdramas, but it’s still comfortable and pleasant to watch.

The plot feels so real, from dorm life to college struggles, like adapting & dealing with friendships, love, family, and figuring out who they really are. It’s simple, not overly dramatic but the emotions and vibes are really there.

The thing I want to complain about is how they solve problems. They often try to wrap up one plotline in a single episode, so some conclusions feel rushed. It makes me think, “It’s just like that?” and it doesn’t always feel realistic. That also makes the series ending feel a bit bland because I was hoping for more character development from the girls. The best character development belongs to Zhang Ruonan’s character.

The four girls’ chemistry as roommates is the highlight of the show. They have very different personalities and backgrounds, which makes it fun to watch. They bicker but also help each other grow. One day they might hurt each other, but the next day everything feels fine again. The love lines also feel realistic to me, not every couple ends up together, but that’s reality, sometimes you have to choose your future over romance.

Overall, it’s not perfect, but it’s absolutely enjoyable.

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Speechless

Respectfully, what was that? The stupidity is overwhelming, Jay's friend group there is just no reasonable excuse for the level of absolute stupidity shown by every single person. Jay being the absolute worst. His brother is a dang police detective (I'll be it not a good one) Jay was present at minimum 3 crime scenes, witnessed no less than 3 (maybe more) of his friends being wheeled out in body bags and still he left the hospital to meet a killer, alone? How do that make sense? In the final ep Jade left the police station to meet Kamin at a murder in progress and he brought zero back up? Why did Kamin leave an injured Jay alone in front of the house, why didn't he at least put him in his car. Why didn't Kamin cuff Puifia? He disarmed a drug lord with ease but the female college student who didn't even have a gun was to difficult? In the end the Puifia and Phut wanted to play with the detectives so they allowed themselves to be found, Jade and Kamin solved nothing. I really wanted to like this show but I cannot get past the stupidity. There was no reason everyone had to be that dumb, the plot didn't require that level of idiocy.

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Dared to Death but not quite Daring

Right off the bat, it was quite smooth both in terms of pacing/cuts and the leads' wit/mouths. I liked how cocky Jade was and how particular Inspector Kamin was, and the natural, friendly competitiveness that sprang up almost immediately between them. They had fun banter and gave pushback for bad behavior.

This duo made for a good buddy-cop type of dynamic, which is my jam.

However, fight scenes could be awkward, and I do think it took a little too long for the stakes to be amped up. Not to mention, they spelled some clues/events out more than they needed to, in my opinion. An air of mystery is more attractive, you know? I think if they had thrown in some fake-outs and leaned into heavy deception toward the audience, that would have improved things massively.

Now, the finale didn't make or save this drama for me, but it did kind of earn it some brownie points for how crazy-chaotic/fun it got.

Overall, a good effort on the part of the production. It was just lacking in some areas.

In other words, it has issues, but I still liked it. Whether you will as well, depends . . .

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Liked season 1 better

I did get some clarity here like on the 2nd couple's story and why shu yi speaks Japanese cz he's dad is Japanese ig? But i was kinda expecting some growth in Shi De's character cz he's always doing things behind Shu yi's back and that didnt happen. Also leaving him for 5 years for the father's approval doesn't sound like him😅 knowing the him from season 1 he's too much of a schemer to do that. There was nothing very interesing going on with the 1st couple.

I do like how Shu Yi became friends with Bing wei and Zhe Yu never expected that. I kinda felt all the characters personality changed from season 1 except Shu Yi.

Bing Wei was a little too affectionate towards Zhe Yu. Zhe Yu was a lot more calmer, kinda a tease and friends with Shu Yi. Doc lost his wicked vibe and had become more rude kinda. Shi De was kinda like a depressed psycho i guess he lost his cunning wicked charm.

As for the 2nd couple i did read a lot of comments saying doc didnt love Xuan but i don't think so. He did love him in his way but was hesitant to acknowledge it cz xuan was like a stray cat and got attached to the 1st thing that gave him some warmth. Overall i feel both of them loved each other in their own ways although imperfect.

Overall watch it. It's good. Its just that the season 1 was wayyy too good i kinda expected more.

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Promising start, but loses its impact

5.5/10. I think this series had a strong and promising beginning, but it eventually fell flat for me. My main issues were the editing and the way the show tried to balance the police investigation with the romance. Unfortunately, these two elements didn’t blend well, and it weakened the overall impact of the story.

The main premise was interesting, and the acting was decent at best, with some stronger moments here and there. I do wish we had seen more depth and background for the friend group, because I never felt fully invested in most of them—except maybe Jay, who stood out a bit more.

The biggest highlight of the series was definitely JoongDunk’s chemistry, along with the OST, which helped carry some emotional moments. Those elements made the show more enjoyable despite its flaws.

I’m glad it was available on Netflix, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have discovered it. Hopefully, this is a step toward making more BL series accessible on major international streaming platforms, giving them the wider audience they deserve.

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started great and lost it totally

The first few Episodes were so good but then it deteriorated totally. It’s really sad because of the actors and specially the baby are so good. But it’s just not interesting anymore and has no real heart. I will probably watch the last episode but drop it for now. it is not a spoiler that it has a left triangle, which is totally unnecessary. I was hoping for a healing Romans or a slice of life and the Journey becoming parents and overcoming the death of their loved ones together. instead, it is a wishy-washy female lead, and the second male lead who is a good actor, but a useless character in my opinion.

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Would've Likely Been Great with Better Pacing

When working with a thriller/mystery drama, you have to keep your pacing really tight; otherwise, you risk losing your audience. If you solve the cases too quickly, you lose the impact and risk plot holes. Too slow and the audience gets bored/frustrated.

Unfortunately, this story falls in the latter half. Cases took too long to conclude (one case literally took 4 and a half episodes to solve). Honestly why? Some cases would keep going around and around themselves (like they were trying to be really smart), and when you finally got to the conclusion..., the payoff wasn't worth it.

The plot does get some points in telling stories, largely about the plight of women, but the message gets swallowed up by the aforementioned bad pacing. Also, I would've appreciated it if our main characters emoted a bit more. It's not fun watching a show where the characters only move between 2, maybe 3 facial expressions, traumatic background be damned.

I did enjoy the subtle romance, though. It wasn't loud, but it was really sweet and caring—especially from his side.

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Flirt you to Death

I came here with high expectations, but it disappointed me. I thought that investigation of the murder is going to be the main plot, but, no, it was flirting. We have a dead body in front of us, yet the main characters are flirting. They flirt at home, they flirt at their workplace, they flirt at their crime scene, they flirt at the hospital,etc. I know they are lead couple, but what about the investigation. At one point,I wanted to skip their scenes just to see where the story is going. I have to appreciate myself for controlling my urge and watching all their scenes without skipping.

This show has a worst police department. It's true though that I have watched much worse police departments in other shows. However, it never went this far, when investigation is the central point of the plot.

Now I am going to tell you about the good points of the show. First the chemistry of joong and dunk.The way their story progressed was smooth like butter🕺🏻. I'm not able to come up with another point.

Let's talk about the bad ones🙃.I think the good cast was wasted. They have a really good cast lineup, but it wasn't used well. The reason because they gave more screen time to joong and dunk to flirt with each other. I know they are main characters, but what about the investigation. The clues appear out of no where, making it hard to follow. I thought it was due to my own lack of intelligence. But believe me I have watched many complicated shows, and I have always grasped what was going on. I just couldn't comprehend it, the investigation is all over the place. None of the characters felt fully developed.The action scenes were lackluster and doesn't leave any impact on the audience.

Random thought :
Dunk’s hair in the earlier episodes is so weird. It was like there was a block of hair in front of his eyes. Every time he appeared on screen, it irritated me, and I just wanted to comb his hair so I could watch the series without any distractions.

In conclusion, I want to say that this drama is going to be overrated. No doubt, it is not Joong Dunk’s best work — in fact, it’s not even good. But still, if you're a fan, you should watch it. And if you're not, I dare you to watch it.

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Impossible to finish.

Vincenzo was a series I was looking forward to when tvN announced that they were producing this series with a few actors I tend to like when they are playing on-screen and I must admit that I was enjoying the very first few episodes when this series was released for public. It wasn't a masterpiece in those episodes either, but the series looked promising and decided to give it a full go.

Now about five or six episodes in, my opinion started to shift to a more negative point of view as I found the episodes becoming somewhat of a copy of the previous with a different story line and to me it felt that the producers were simply doing their best to stretch this series out and cash in.

Remind you that I started to watch this series back in 2021, I finished the last episode of this series right now in 2026 as I barely was able to waste my time to actually finish the series and my opinion even worsened over time.

Story was repetitive, weak and one could already see what was coming well in advance.

The acting was reasonable with some actors like Song Joong Ki, however Jeon Yeo Been been the absolute worst in this series (don't like her style of acting) and for some reason I am completely shocked by the fact that she won an award with it.

Music is reasonable to good

And it is fair to say that the rewatch value gets the lowest of the lowest score given that it took almost five years for me to complete 20 episodes.

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