Reviews

As usual, I went in not reading the synopsis only to realise this depicts domestic abuse (nothing gorey or sexual). Initially it was a bit stressful to watch but later it became surprisingly intriguing. For a short drama, it was quite captivating.

The story involves people with trauma who try to find comfort in each other.

The drama is quite short with some episodes barely being a minute long, but it was enjoyable. I appreciate how directors are able to squeeze the maximum into the story without it feeling overly rushed. The actors all performed well. There was also another angle that I was happy I was right about.

The age gap might not sit well with some viewers but the male lead is presented as a 20 year old, if that helps.

For such a short drama, it's worth a watch.

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Watch if you are interested history of law and urban life in China.

I watched this because I was interested in the topic.
I FFed through most of the romance, and there was little chemistry anyway.
The cases are exciting or thrilling, but they gave enough basis for you to understand the logic behind each plaintiff's and the defendant's side.

This indeed describes how Chinese Law is prone to "prove your innocence/presumed guilty until proven innocent" - so the burden of proof of innocence is on the defendant. Whereas British Law is "innocent until proven guilty" - therefore, the burden lies with the prosecutor.

It may sound boring to some, but I learned quite a lot, and it made me want to research more.

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Not for me...

I know I'm going to get pounded for this, but I try to tell the truth (at least my truth).

The camera work and the quality of the photography are good. The details really help make it come alive. I especially liked the folk wisdom and the superstitions that the older people repeat.

But the worn plot device of "I'm going to hurt you for your own good because I've decided that you're better off without me..." which is a big part of the first three episodes, has been overdone here. Also, the death of a small child can always pull at the heartstrings. Other sentimental cliches appear throughout.

Everyone in the village comments about this couple in the first several episodes- their children, their relatives, their past, the FL's mother, their prospects, etc. I thought it was a little much.

Even when she's dying, Ae-sun's Mom looks robust and healthy. Watch THE GOOD-BAD MOTHER to see a more relistic death of a parent.

I had trouble figuring out how some of the minor characters were related to each other-and to the two leads-but I just went with it. Also, this is another drama where step-parents are horrible to their stepkids. You can skip episode 12 altogether-absolutely nothing happens to move the plot along in that one.

The continual whining, crying, shrieking of the women didn't seem believable. I come from a family that struggled financially--people who live in poverty just don't carry on to that extent. They mostly bear their troubles in silence.

The ML isn't too interesting. OK, I get that he's always loved the FL dearly. But he's shown as someone who has absolutely no other interests in life than to be with her. I liked him better in the second half of the series.

In fact this series improved considerably in the second half, although it was still too sentimental for my taste. I like the way they showed some of the real burdens of aging, which gets a full treatment here.

IU is a phenomenal actress and she displayed the full range of her abilities in MY MISTER and HOTEL DEL LUNA, but her talent is wasted here due to an imperfect script.

In some ways the best comparison of this series is with OUR BLUES, which has believable stories and believable characters-all of whom live and work on Jeju Island. Every one of those stories seemed heart-stoppingly real.

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When kissing is a medical necessity

When a lot of people are raving about chemistry, I find that usually means the show has lots of spicy scenes. Definitely the spice level is above average here (although it’s still a Cdrama which can only go so far); the first episode is the most explicit, probably as a hook, but there is still tons of making out in the rest of the show. Kissing is, after all, a MEDICAL NECESSITY here- frequent makeout sessions are absolutely required! Well, sometimes they seem to forget this and are just making out for fun.

That aside, for those of us who want more than senseless sensuality, does this show deliver?

I liked the beginning (<10 eps) the best, where there is a bit about the dragon (ML) trying to function in human society. The sense of humor is raunchier than average as he tries to figure out how to romance a girl and get laid with consent. For some reason, I thought of a socially maladjusted teenage boy who just hit puberty but doesn’t understand social constraints. It might be more charitable to say that he imprinted on her (later it’s explicitly said that he craves intimacy with her due to their bond), or that he’s lonely and wants connection. But definitely at the beginning the show is playing up his attempts to get some action for laughs, which I thought was pretty funny if unusual for a Cdrama.

Beyond that, it’s quite sweet how he loves her unconditionally and never blames her, and will still protect her even when she breaks his heart. I don’t normally like overdevoted MLs like this (too one-dimensional), but things somehow feel different when he’s not human. Dragon emotions are less complicated and selfish- it makes instinctual sense to me, maybe like a puppy’s unconditional love. As for the FL, she’s not bad (smart, strong, reasonable, makes some mistakes), though I wouldn’t necessarily say she “deserves” such divine devotion. I don’t know that anyone would. But that’s not really an issue here because it’s just their bond that made him imprint on her like this, so I was fine with this setup too.

Besides the dynamics of their relationship, the show also follows some political intrigue as the FL and her sister try to take down enemies and get justice for themselves and others. The villains are cartoonishly bad and easy to hate. I wasn’t fully captivated by these plotlines, but they aren’t bad and help focus the story. The show is not long and things happen at a decent pace, balancing action with sweetness, without dragging too much. The FL’s sister, btw, is spunky with pluck and no verbal filter, and the second relationship is quite cute. So there are at least a couple of likable side characters there, and some girl power overtones of women wanting to stand on their own worth.

I’d say that I cared more about the leads’ relationship than about the external plotlines, but I also wasn’t too into the generic romance stuff that takes over in the second half of the show. I would have preferred to see more relationship-building and meaningful interactions rather than just hugs, kisses, grand declarations, and tears. I also feel like the FL doesn’t do that much for the dragon (besides sleep with him), whereas he does a lot for her. And also, there are some world-building inconsistencies and plot expediencies. So I did have these problems with the show, but the show itself is so quick that I still overall stayed interested to the end. Plus it maintains some comedic elements all the way through which I always appreciate.

The acting is decent, though it didn’t really stand out to me. The two leads are pretty good kissers. I can just imagine the casting crew reviewing tons of footage of different actors kissing to decide who to cast, maybe the most important factor for this show!

The production is also pretty good. Styling is not bad, and I thought the sets look nice. There are a lot of extras for a show of this length. I also rather like the music; the OST has a number of nice songs and the background music also stood out a few times. I saw a lot of comments about the apparently liberal use of AI in this show, with some people thinking it’s the right way to integrate AI while others dislike any AI at all. To me it seemed like just frequent use of decent-quality CGI; it neither wowed nor offended me.

Overall this is a cute little show with lots of kisses and some fun fantastical elements. It’s mostly a romance but has enough beyond that that I enjoyed watching it, though if it were any longer I might have enjoyed it less. By the way, interesting choice to use the word “loong” in the title (and the subtitles I saw). Long2 (龍 / 龙) is just a dragon. A flood dragon (jiao or jiaolong 蛟龍) is a different kind of dragon, maybe like a different species.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





The ending is happy, if not fully thought through. To begin with, this whole thing about a god giving it all up for a human is typical but honestly wrong choice imho... she will die in the blink of an eye, and where does that leave him? But to be fair, the terms of that spirit-scattering process are unclear (does he lose his magic etc) and in the end it doesn’t matter, because it all falls apart only to be saved by *magic*. So I am glad it’s a happy ending, though I am quite unclear about what kind of state that leaves the dragon in at the end, and also vaguely wonder what happened to Grandpa Dragon.

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In a sea of superficial CGI’d movies with beautiful leads this movie is real

I wasn’t even expecting to watch a movie tonight but came across the trailer and from there found the movie and was hooked until the credits had finished.

The whole experience and yes this movie is a beautiful experience was mesmerising. ZYL captivates you from the first scene and pulls you into this morbid world that you never thought you had any interest in exploring. The chemistry between him and the little girl develops right from the beginning and she delivers such a mature performances for a child actress.

You will laugh and cry and laugh and cry again watching this. There is no other outcome but it will lift you up and enlighten you and make you thank the whole team for producing this movie so you could have the pleasure of watching it. I haven’t watched such an honest good movie in a long time, it really needed no budgets or special effects or gimmicks. They gave us a slice of real life with all the ugliness and struggles and shows us how strong we all are to just get through one day at a time sometimes.

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Stunning

An absolutely compelling drama. I have a few complaints about the plot, but the overall quality made up for any minor weaknesses. The emotional force of this series keeps the unbelievable elements in check.

The acting chops of the MLs carried the series. None of them are teenagers, but who cares? All of them gave amazing, heartbreaking performances.

Very little of what's going on with the three main dudes is revealed through dialog. Viewers have to get most of it through their actions, facial expressions, and body language.

It's a disturbing series. Because of its strong anti-bullying theme, viewers get to indulge in a whole lot of gratuitous violence guilt free.

Some of the scenes strain credulity. One of the boys gets beaten with an iron rod. The blows are delivered with a viciousness that would smash most people to a pulp. Yet a week or two later he's doing just fine. And this happens more than once.

The effects of the constant brutalization of the weak are shown through the unfeeling behavior of the the corrupt, clueless adults in positions of authority that surround them. We can assume these adults had a similar upbringing.

Loved the OST, played during the opening montage and the closing credits.

Nine stars.

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Well-produced but problematical

Beautifully produced, masterfully acted, but psychologically simplistic, and ethically problematical. Children with the kind of deprivation shown by the main character don’t grow up to have the kind of confidence and power that Moon Dong-eun shows. The constant focus on violence was demoralizing. The main character’s god-like ability to enact a convoluted scheme with such precision and success was completely unbelievable. Not a single character questioned her pursuit of revenge as an appropriate goal. Really? Vengeance warps and deadens the perpetrator’s soul as much as it wreaks havoc on the victims.

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Barn Burner

There’s never a dull moment in this barn burner of a drama. Just when you think you know where the story’s going, the writers throw you a curve ball. The budding romance between the two leads takes a backseat to murder, suspense, and revenge–and doesn’t really catch fire until Episode 16. Even then, it’s a bit of a yawner.

Early on the male lead tells the FL that he admires her because she’s “gentle, virtuous, and obedient.” Luckily, he’s lying because this babe is anything but...

The FL has had a horrific, traumatic past, and she’s not easily duped. Despite her vulnerable facade, she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s almost always one step ahead of everyone else. The people around her occasionally mention her beauty, but she’s also praised for her “cleverness.”

Although she’s capable of friendship, honesty, and love, her past has taught her to have modest expectations for her life.

During the Lantern Festival, the ML asks her what she wants and this woman gives a spot-on answer that ought to be engraved on the brain of every young person looking for love in these fraught times: “I want to find somewhere I can live peacefully...without being humiliated and tortured.”

A lot of energy is spent on the relationship between the FL and her mother--who wasn’t my favorite character. Mom is so full of hatred that I found her hard to empathize with. Except for Chen Du Ling (the FL), a truly accomplished actress, the rest of the cast didn’t particularly stand out. The ever-evolving plot is what gives this drama its force and potency.

I, too, have no idea why this drama hasn’t had higher ratings. Eight and a half stars.

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THEME-DIGGING WITH A SMALL BASKET

In my reviews, I normally dig for a variety of topics & elaborate upon the ones that in my opinion deserve special attention. At the end, I add a short list of glitches & flaws detected throughout the series. Unfortunately, this drama is not very innovative as regards the selection of topics, so I can enlist them within one breath: love, friendship, war, sacrifice, impact of family trauma or misplaced ambitions. Neither is its analysis of these topics deep enough to deserve a separate paragraph for each.

There is a Greek proverb: “When they say there will be many cherries, bring a small basket.” For the first time in my drama-binging experience, I have caught myself not taking any notes while watching, because the only components worth remembering were a few detached scenes easy to enlist here: the herb contest, the beginnings of Cui+Dong & Hong+Yu romances, the Pei+Wei cooperation, the flower replanting & the house furnishing. The music was emotional, well-tuned & decent but not exceptionally innovative. I liked the acting but could not imagine why the actors had chosen to cooperate over a clearly violence-promoting script. Now I will like them less than I used to. This is a natural defence response.

That is basically all as regards the fair side. The ‘Glitches & Flaws’ chapter will sadly cover the rest of my review text.

GLITCHES & FLAWS

The greatest flaw of this drama is sheer
GLORIFICATION OF VIOLENCE.
Let it be an extended subchapter of this critique.

Shortly before “Love of Nirvana,” in 2023-2024, some C-dramas were screened that persistently focused on the acquiescence of a heroine to violence executed by a male on her: “Lost You Forever” & “Till the End of the Moon.” Lackadaisically, both series received a lot of fascination from the public. This acknowledgement was, in my opinion, the result of a hasty projection of some viewers’ love & trust towards their idols onto the deficient world-view behind the character building. While these earlier dramas, especially “Lost You Forever,” were morally murky but at least intellectually inviting, “Love of Nirvana” lacks that basis of psychological or cultural research, intricacy, even coherence.

The question arises again: What was the intention behind this proliferation of works insisting that the anticipated response to torture is love? To find niche audience who feels this way already, waiting for someone to address them? Or to promote such an unusual way of feeling among general audience?

I regret to state that, in my opinion, neither Wei Zhao deserves Jiang Ci’s love, nor Jiang Ci deserves Wei Zhao’s love.

Why is Wei Zhao unlovable?

Because the hurt he kept inflicting on the heroine was not merely a reaction to her action. As regards the quality, it was sadistic torture. As regards the quantity, it was administered beyond any justifiable volume. As regards the frequency, it exceeded by far any explicable measure. Because being a hero of a nation does not imply exemption from morality; quite the contrary, Machiavellian attitude is highly corruptogenic. Last but not least, this strategist’s deficiency in wisdom becomes visible at times. He tends to risk other’s lives to no avail. He misses opportunities to settle the accounts with the king face to face. He hastily assumes that Teng Rui must be the person they were looking for, as if only one man in the world had scars on his back. He fears that others may see his own characteristic scar on the hand, but he will not wear gloves – he prefers to eradicate witnesses instead. Behold a grown-up man, a general & spy, wielding double identity, who normally would be burdened with a double set of tasks, obligations & responsibilities, yet who is now sitting on a tree, day & night, pelting pieces of sugar to tease an unsophisticated girl.

Why is Jiang Ci unlovable?

Because she brings disaster after disaster after disaster with her actions. At the beginning we may still try to justify her for being inexperienced, even when she stubbornly provokes an assassin to administer more & more violence to her. But even when the experience arrives, she remains unaltered. As long as Wei Zhao keeps losing allies due to Jiang Ci’s imprudent & impudent actions, we may regard her as a tragic involuntary vehicle of misfortune due to her immaturity. But from the day she witnesses the He couple’s sacrifice & even tries her hand at interpreting this situation, without any attempt at self-reflection, no room is left for moral allowance anymore. Even when she realises that Wei Zhang is secretly trying to liberate the state of Yueluo & when she acknowledges the validity of his effort, as well as the risk & the need for discretion, she keeps imposing her own narrow-minded goals & antiproductive methods. At times she knows where to go & how to help people with her knowledge of natural medicine. At other times she irresponsibly keeps returning from safe hiding places, enters battlefields that ask for more than her rudimentary survival skills, participates in disputes beyond her comprehension, exposes herself & thus becomes a ready-to-take hostage. It does happen in many C-dramas, but those heroines are rarely regarded as mature leads, as long as they indulge in such behaviour. Jiang Ci remains irredeemable in this respect, still we are expected to admire her.

Just as Wei Zhao’s identity as a hero should be assessed independently from his identity as a sadist, so Jiang Ci’s identity as a healer should be assessed independently from her identity as a short-sighted jinx.

FROM VICTIM TO LOVER
What psychological mechanism could by any chance justify Jiang Ci’s readiness to fall in love with Wei Zhao?

A natural response to unearned violence & torture is either
1) fear/anger, which leads to abhorrence, or
2) disgust, which leads to contempt.
Both are natural, evolutionary defence responses that signal danger and the violation of boundaries.

In both cases, the results postpone any chance of admiration, as long as they prevail. Disgust is stronger than fear/anger in blocking any positive emotions: it excludes a possibility of love altogether.

As a person, I am blessed with a disposition that switches on rapid intense disgust as a reaction to violence & never switches off the resulting contempt. Therefore, it is impossible for me ever to fall in love with an oppressor. I recognise torture as filth & filth is impossible to cherish. However, some psychology research sources state that in most people the process of fading away of a natural response to violence is possible, though it requires time. The fading away can be triggered by the culprit’s manipulative techniques.

Key psychological and biological mechanisms include:
1) Trauma bonding: when the culprit alternates violence & displays of affection, remorse or rewards to induce surges of dopamine, oxytocin & cortisol in the victim’s body.
2) Adaptive survival mechanisms: the victim’s freezing into submissiveness, automatic suppression of disgust or fear/anger to minimise the risk of further attacks. This is the basis for the so-called Stockholm syndrome.
3) Cognitive dissonance & gaslighting: due to the culprit’s manipulation, the victim’s perception of reality gets distorted; blame gets diverted towards oneself & rationalisation of the abuse takes place to wipe away the initial fear/anger or disgust.
4) Desensitisation: due to prolonged exposure, the victim’s body & mind involuntarily reduce their emotional & physiological responses to threat, pain & encroachment on personal boundaries.

Other glitches & flaws of this drama result entirely from inconsistencies in the actions of the remaining characters, which are psychologically difficult to explain, esp. the sudden surge of gullibility in the wise shifu Yan Shuang Qiao, the unnecessary self-sacrifice of prince Xie Chun, the unwise & untimely rebellion of Rong Yu Die, the childish stubbornness & heart-blindness of the experienced Pei Yan, the Second Princess Dong’s withdrawal from the fight for her love (though she had just proven to be courageous enough to help Jiang Ci elope), the unnaturally swift effusion of energy & self-reliance in A Yan, right after her suicidal attempt, etc. The objectification of men (typical of so many C-dramas) is also visible here, because the male (plus some female) characters seem to be revolving around Jiang Ci’s needs & expectations more than around serious national issues or their own affairs.

Because MDL does not provide a separate scale called “Ethical value,” I use the existing “Rewatch value” to subtract points for any anti-ethical potential. After all, (re-)watching should be reserved for works that make us grow into better persons.

I would like to recommend some other authors’ reviews, because many details I intended to enumerate here had already been covered by them, so there was no point in my repeating them here. Please kindly refer to the reviews by:
- TrippleR7
- Khin Maung
- JoaneJ
- Sirenas (I usually do not support reviews when the watching was dropped, but this one has extracted a lot of essence from the first 5 episodes).

Also – if you would like to broaden your research to the source novel, please consider referring to:
- Deirdre19

APPEAL
Apart from the omnipresent & hardly justifiable violence that permeates many C-dramas, often at the cost of the quality of the action, causality, characterisation & other vital components, I would like to repeat – here as well – my permanent appeal to encourage the preservation of actor’s & actresses’ natural countenances, in times when the misleading demand for surgical or chemical interference is still being incited worldwide.

Written by a nationless spirit confined in the decaying Mid-Europe.

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How to diminish an enjoyable drama in the last episode

Rating: 9/10

This was on track to be one of my favorite dramas—a solid 10/10—pretty much up until the last episode. Endings are really important to me. I like polished happy endings. I don’t like open-ended. That’s not my thing at all.

Overall this is really good. The main girl (Yoo Ji-an) gives off strong It’s Okay to Not Be Okay vibes and I really liked that. She also reminded me a bit of the rough-on-the-outside but super-soft-inside type from My Love from the Star. Loved it. The lead guy (Cha Eun-hwan) is of course the opposite—a deep empath. The dynamic between those two character types is always fun to watch.

I would recommend this to someone who loves romance, likes the type of not-so-perfect female character who has a sharp edge to her, and wants something unique like “I can somehow magically feel and hear your emotions.” I loved all of that. I also liked getting a glimpse into both of their careers. His whole “let’s envision revenge” angle to therapy was interesting and unique. I wasn’t totally shocked when it backfired on him—easy to see how that would be misunderstood.

I might even watch it again, because really, what I didn’t like about it had to do with the very ending portion.

Definitely worth the watch. It was fun and enjoyable most of the way through. Just some disappointment with the last episode but not enough that I regret watching it or wouldn't recommend it.

Spoilers

The majority of the short series was a highly enjoyable watch. But, in the last episodes I was disappointed in the male lead (Cha Eun-hwan). He seemed to have finally fully realized his feelings for her. Claimed he would never make her cry again. Then she says we can’t be together (assuming because the sister said they couldn’t) and he didn’t argue with her about it at all. Just like “yeah you’re right.” So how was that not making her cry? He also didn’t protect her from her mom like he said he would. He did bolster her up a bit so she could take out her mom, but he never really did anything but stand behind her and encourage her. Though seeing the mom put in her place was extremely fulfilling. And he did at least give Ji-an the confidence to evict her mom from her life.

More disappointment toward the ending in the way Ji-an dealt with her rival. Not sure why the Ji-an) apologized to Han Yi-jin. Yeah there might have been some opportunities she "took" from her in the past but I think all the past stuff was her mom’s doing. And the rival actress, Yi-jin was the one doing all the mean and unfair things in the present. So I didn’t like the apology. Everyone let’s own up to what we did and move on. Rival actress chick, I was there when you had the assistant girl misconstrue that scene where she was practicing acting to look like she was bullying her. You lined that up. We heard you. So don’t act all innocent now. You did your stuff too. You were part of ruining her and bringing her down. Even if Ji-an was wrong in the past, it doesn't sound like she ever set out to completely ruin you. So, I don't think the apology was necessary. And I didn't like it.

Then the ending. What the heck. For some reason we have a one-year break after you agree for whatever reason you can’t be together. Then the sister (Cha Song-hwan) decides to quit being an absolute selfish and awful person and sort of sets you up to meet at the dad’s memorial. So she “blessed” it I guess and you both sit there smiling at each other. What? Where is the confession of undying love? Let’s date? I mean come on, throw us more of a bone than sitting there smiling at each other. Are you just going to do what you did last time and say I missed you but we really can’t be together? I don’t know. I didn’t get it the first time. I don’t need a wedding dress but I at least need some words. I loved you. I missed you. I want to be with you. Let's be together. He already said, before the year break, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. So there shouldn't have been anything standing in the way even before the one year break.

I am not sure why it never come out to the siblings that she was a victim too? She wasn’t the one that set it up so she was in danger and the dad died. I mean I get male lead said it wasn't anyone's fault but still let's clear up that misunderstanding. Her mom did all that. I was so angry with the sister. I thought her behavior was abhorrent. I needed someone to blame. That’s your reason. Ma’am, you were emotionally abusive to your daughter, your brother, and the main girl. You were throwing a fit drinking and in your room when what happened was a horrible accident. You walked yourself to that location. You chased after your brother. No one threw a collapsed building at you. But she says “I needed someone to blame” and everyone is just okay with that? I mean the main guy is supposed to be a therapist and yet he never tells his sister to quit wallowing in self-pity and being a toxic mess to everyone around her. He is just going to do whatever she says including giving up someone he is deeply in love with? Sir, do you have any backbone? Did you study psychology? Do you love the main girl really?

All of that mess dropped it from a 10 to a 9 for me. Still really, really good, but can we talk about the ending. And maybe it is because there were only 8 episodes we didn’t have time for the sister to get her day. For all the people in her life to say we are sick of being your emotional punching bag. We get told, in a rushed manner, that the main girl has finally found success. But it would have been nice to see it. 12 episodes would have been better than 8. But most long-term Asian drama fans are used to and like 16. There would have been time for them to have their whole year break-up, maybe even some angsty time, and actually fully get together. We could have ridden along while she slowly climbed all the way back up and him too. We were invested in these characters and then the show went “never mind, we only have 8 episodes so by the way they both did everything in that year you didn’t see and now they are back around each other smiling.” There you go.

A lot of other reviewers had the same reaction to the rushed finale and the one-year jump. Many felt the sister’s arc was underdeveloped and the resolution too tidy/quick, and that the short episode count left key emotional payoffs feeling incomplete. Some still found the reunion sweet in its own quiet way, but plenty of us wanted clearer words and more time with the characters we had grown to care about. We didn't even get to see them fully together dating or anything. It was a let down.

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I came for the romance , but prefer the friend group!

Honestly, I had a pretty enjoyable time watching Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me. It wasn’t perfect, and there were definitely moments that frustrated me, but I found myself getting attached to the characters and their relationships.

Starting with the main leads, Suzuki was probably the character who tested my patience the most. He’s painfully oblivious, constantly overthinks everything, and has a habit of making assumptions instead of communicating. However, I found him surprisingly relatable in certain moments, especially when it came to his struggles with friendship and writing. Serizawa, on the other hand, was a lot more interesting than I initially expected. His cheerful personality hides a jealous and possessive side that I found intriguing. I especially enjoyed getting to see things from his perspective in episode seven.

One of my favorite aspects of this series was undoubtedly the friend group. Their interactions felt natural, and I genuinely enjoyed watching them spend time together. I also found myself wanting more from the supporting characters, particularly Takeuchi and Iwasaki. Their unexpected dynamic was something I wish the show had explored sooner. And Matsuno finally standing up for Suzuki was another moment I appreciated.

As for the romance, I enjoyed the little things the most: lingering glances, thoughtful gestures, and the way Serizawa would light up whenever Suzuki was around. However, some of the physical affection felt overdone. The feeding and face-wiping scenes, for example, were more embarrassing than heartwarming to me. I also found Suzuki’s constant misunderstandings frustrating, especially when he began pushing Serizawa away instead of simply talking to him.

My biggest production complaints were the soundtrack and camera work. The music often felt unnecessary or out of place, and I never really got used to the repeated face-to-face camera angles. They made certain scenes feel awkward rather than romantic.

I also found the pacing interesting. Although the story was slow, it felt natural for the most part, and I didn’t mind it nearly as much as I thought I would. However, with only one episode left, I couldn’t help wishing we had more time to actually see Suzuki and Serizawa together as a couple.

Overall, this was a cute and entertaining watch with a surprisingly enjoyable supporting cast. It had its frustrating moments, but I grew attached to the characters and found plenty to appreciate. I just wish we had gotten a little more time with them.

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Overhyped unrealistic mess (but kinda good?)

So I bringed this tv series in a few days and I've got a little bit to say. Teach you a Lesson is very unrealistic because corporal punishment is illegal. And no matter what the kid does you can't slap them like Na Hwa-jin did.

Things I liked: The story was episode by episode, making it easier to follow. The characters and cases were...interesting. The acting was pretty good ad the pacing was alright. The music was upbeat and there was some comedy. Im Han-rim was insane and it was funny.

Things I hated: Basically the entire plot and theme. The victims are supposed to fight for theirselves and stand up for whats right. But in Teach you a lesson, a bunch of cringe adults "solve" all the problems with violence?! Episode 2 had way too much violence, there was no heart.

I was soo confused after watching this because everyone seems to love it. Maybe my expectations were too high. I'll recommend it for someone who likes silly adults punching minors.

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