nice and nothing more
I watched it a whole ago and to be honest I don't really remember what happened, I just remember it was pretty boring.It offers a nice mix of a more mature romance alongside a look into South Korea's intensely competitive academic world. As the plot progresses, it tries to blend too many genres—like a mystery thriller subplot that doesn't quite fit the light romantic tone, which slightly disrupts the story's flow.
it is a pleasant drama with some sweet moments, but it doesn't leave a lasting impression and tends to fade from memory pretty quickly. I would mainly recommend watching it if you've already cleared your primary watchlist and are simply looking for a light show to pass the time.
Was this review helpful to you?
i am not satisfaction?
Last 2 episode not good.Episode 1-10 good.Cast very good but story not satisfaction.best of luck.Ghost story is very interseting,but love story not satisfaction.I am very disappoint😢.The acting is definitely the strongest part, and the cast did a really good job. The story had some interesting moments, but the pacing felt slow in places and I didn’t feel fully invested throughout. The music was okay, but nothing really stood out to me. Overall, it’s worth watching once, but I expected a little more.Was this review helpful to you?
however, koji and win are such phenomenal actors, i am so in love with how far koji has come as an actor, and his performance in love song was incredible. i enjoyed him in dating game and i enjoyed him even more here, it’s just such a shame that the writing did neither actor justice. i really do hope we can see them back together in a film or show, because they really do compliment each other well.
Was this review helpful to you?
Potential wasted
It's odd to read other reviews and realize how differently people of all ages and backgrounds see the same story.....I loved things others hated, for example, in this story. First, the costumes and sets were stunning. Second, the most intriguing part of the story (to me) was the court intrigue and plotting between the 3 main Bad Guys - watching them trying to maneuver around each other and jockey for position through sheer cold-blooded sociopathic tactics was fascinating, and watching our heroes responses was equally enjoyable. I liked the slow reveal of certain back-story plot elements. The FL was, in my opinion, at her best when ruthless. She was otherwise annoyingly bland (I blame the writing, not the actress). The ML was stunningly gorgeous and I could watch him anywhere, any time -- but I felt the script did not do the actor justice in the slightest. He was not much more than an ornament and their 'love scenes' of tender regard were overly drawn out and boring. His potential, his role was truly wasted here, regardless of how handsome he was. He only really came alive in the very final scene, which was refreshing. I wanted to really love this, and it had a complexity to it that could've been compelling had it not been so garbled in the telling. Great sets, great costumes, great time period, great court intrigue but lost amid the poor pacing, one-dimensional characterization of some roles and a very rushed final ploy in the end (redeemed by a satisfyingly happy ending),Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
From Promising to Disappointing
It started off with such good chemistry and a really interesting storyline. The drama had so much potential to explore a range of themes—from solving crime cases together and dealing with ghosts to the progress of their romance. Instead, the last four episodes focused way too much on the hotel and JiHwan storyline, which honestly felt like a missed opportunity.It was so intriguing to watch Yeo Ri solve ghost mysteries and I wanted to see more mysteries solved by Yeo Ri and Gang Uk together. I really wish we had gotten more episodes like that, because the whole ghost-mystery-solving aspect was so much more engaging. There was so much potential to explore different cases while naturally building their relationship and romance.
And a special mention to the defibrillator scene, the unnecessary breakup which added nothing to the plot—and the truck scene, which honestly made the story even more frustrating and unlikable for me. The drama started with so much promise, but the further it went, the more potential it seemed to waste. It genuinely had enough potential to carry a full 16 episodes, but unfortunately, it felt like that potential was never fully explored even in 12 eps
Was this review helpful to you?
Exquisite!
The script is good though some of the preoccupations seem overdone. Yes, salt was important in its days but some of the details seem rather incredulous. Salt as snow ......then salt into brine ...salt from the cliffs to salt in the capital....The FL is a statement in grace. There is no need for grand standing. Her glances are enough to shoot arrows into hearts. Minimal motions required. just a roll of her eyes does more than the usual fluttering antics of lesser beings. Ancy Deng truly impresses with her exquisite grace.
Wen ZR as Mdm Yu brings her repertoire as the consummate mother another level up from "Love's Ambition", where she was brilliant as the domineering mother. Every mannerism and every nuance in her speech carries forth another twist.
Cinematography is excellent esp the autumn scenery in Ganlin. Amazing colors and details of the leaves much appreciated. The desert scenes were magnificent. Whoever did costumes had strange taste. I wonder what were the soldiers' head gear made of and where the inspiration came from? And it certainly is a little strange when the soldiers' had more make up than the maids. The ML certainly had more heavily slathered on lipstick as a soldier than the FL in Ganlin.
* to be cont *
Was this review helpful to you?
Disappointing
It started out strong but became very convoluted: forced drama, overly complicated subplots, and a rushed ending that should have taken several episodes was squeezed into two. Most of the characters were well written and enjoyable, some even surprised me with their complexity. But the female lead was annoying (don't get me wrong, this actress has been great in other roles. It's not her. It's the writing.)Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overhyped
I really wanted to like this drama since I love both Chen Yi and Liu Xue Yi, but boy did this disappoint.I skimmed through episodes and then finally gave up completely after about episode 23.
What a waste of time.
Spoilers ahead
The female lead is so badly written. She's at times super childish and doesn't understand anything, and then at times behaves as if she does have emotions and understanding of human interactions. She's super dumb, but what does intelligence have to do with lack of emotional understanding? Why is she so dumb? She's supposed to lack empathy, not intelect.
Example: is it so hard to understand you're not supposed to take his mask off the second time, and then AGAIN forget where you've put it, when there was the whole drama the first time you took it off and forgot? Why are you clinging to this man if you have no emotions? Why are you persistent at throwing yourself at danger when you know this only gets others killed? How can a character be so badly written?
I started cheering halfway for her to get killed, she's so annoyingly written.
And the bad guy, with the "evil" laughter? Don't get me started on that, it was so cringe in every scene.
And her sister, arguing with the spirit snake like a five year old child? Why? You're an accomplished cultivator, presumably you learned some self control.
So many examples of just really poor writing.
So many situations happen just to move the plot along, whether they suit the character or not. So many decisions made just to make the story go forward, regardless of the inconsistencies this creates in the drama characters.
The actors gave their best, but the writing was terrible. One of rare Chen Yi dramas I just couldn't watch until the end. Still have no idea why this mess got 8.6 stars. It certainly fooled me into starting it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Rumours of getting only 2-3 episodes of screenplay before signing the contract seems to be true
Like many other recent KDrama, it started off promising and the reason why I started watching this series, was because of the lead actors who seems to be able to move their facial muscles and is free of veneers. And there ends the positive side of this Series, if you want to enjoy good acting despite a very bad screenplay, you can definitely give it a try.There are so many issues with the story, many people would highlight the issues from Episode 5, but even before that, it doesn't make sense for a prosecutor to do all the investigation - where are the detectives or cops? why is the FL going even for digging up the corpse when she already informed the police/ (prosecutor in this case)?
Episode 5 and the miraculous come back of the ML is OK, but why would he appear out of nowhere in front of the FL when he should be lying there in the hospital bed?
Explanation of why she was able to see the ghosts and how they are proving the man behind all these were so badly written.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
More Twisted Than Terrifying
Seriously, there's going to be lots of spoiler. Hopefully, I avoid the major one.I went into *The Stain* expecting a horror movie. The trailer looked promising, and the premise of a mysterious woman, a troubled past, an apartment complex, and a supernatural presence sounded like exactly my kind of thing. I also noticed its relatively low 6.7 rating on kisskh, so I wasn't expecting a masterpiece. What I wasn't prepared for was how much the movie is actually a psychological relationship drama with horror slowly creeping into the background.
About halfway through, I'm still undecided whether this is a good horror movie, but I am definitely interested in the story.
*Childhood*
Pran and Malee actually knew each other when they were young. Pran witnessed Malee being sexually abused by her stepfather. When Pran accidentally distracted the man, Malee took the opportunity to hit him with a bottle. The man eventually drowned.
This childhood incident becomes extremely important because Pran's memory of Malee isn't simply that of a childhood friend. He associates her with trauma, survival and guilt from a very young age which in a way reflected his own physical abusive relationship with his father. Malee later ran away from home. She was taken in and raised by her mother's former employer.
Malee's younger brother was left at a temple by their mother, who went missing since that day, and raised as a monk. This makes the earlier scene where Pran sends Malee's favourite flower to the temple much more meaningful. The young monk wasn't just some random character. He was Malee's brother.
*Pran and Malee reunite*
As adults, Pran and Malee meet again. Pran is clearly the one who becomes emotionally invested first. He blends tea specifically for Malee and gradually becomes more interested in her. Malee, meanwhile, remains much more detached. Eventually, they become intimate and decide to enter a relationship. The difference in their feelings is noticeable. Pran seems to view their relationship as the continuation of something that began in childhood. Malee seems much less emotionally dependent on him.
Asanai, Pran's close friend, isn't particularly happy about the relationship. He warns Pran not to keep seeing Malee as the little girl from his first love because she is no longer that child. Pran tells him to leave them alone.
*Namsai enters the picture*
Asanai eventually invites Namsai, his younger junior, to a party, held at Pran's place. Namsai is almost the complete opposite of Malee. Malee feels mysterious, guarded and deeply affected by her past. Namsai is vibrant, cheerful and seemingly untouched by the ugliness of life. Pran notices her immediately. The contrast is obvious in the way Pran looks at them. His gaze toward Malee carries emotional attachment, while his first reaction to Namsai feels much more openly physical.
*Kim and Malee's other life*
Another part of Malee's life begins to surface when Kim comes looking for her. Kim initially sounded like someone much older and more powerful in my head, so I was surprised to discover that he's actually a relatively young man. Pran confronts him and ends up beating him until Asanai intervenes. This is one of the first moments where Pran's anger becomes impossible to ignore.
There is also an earlier scene involving Malee's cat. When the cat scratches Asanai, Pran immediately wants to get rid of it. His reaction is far more extreme than the situation warrants. The movie connects this behavior to Pran's childhood, when he killed rats because he feared his father would beat him if he didn't.
Pran seems to have learned a very unhealthy lesson: If something becomes a problem, eliminate it. Asanai repeatedly becomes the person capable of stopping him.
*The relationship starts falling apart*
Malee's missing cat becomes the trigger for the first major argument between her and Pran. Pran becomes so angry that he nearly hits Malee. Instead, he repeatedly hits himself, which frightens her. They eventually hug and reconcile, but the scene reveals something important: Pran himself is aware that he might be capable of hurting her.
Later, during a spiritual retreat with Namsai, Pran admits that he is afraid of hurting Malee. He also tells Namsai that he cannot lose Malee. Namsai responds that feelings can change depending on circumstances. This is where their relationship begins to shift. Namsai gives Pran a book intended to help him deal with his anger, and Pran thanks her for helping him understand his feelings.
*The husband reveal (I had the same reaction when Pran told this to Namsai. Excuse me, what do you mean by husband?)*
Then comes one of the movie's biggest early surprises. Malee already has a “husband.” Except “husband” doesn't mean a legal spouse. It's essentially the man she's currently attached to in her line of work. That man is Kim.
Malee goes to Kim's place and begins packing her belongings. She tells him that she is ending their relationship. At the same time, Pran becomes increasingly unstable. Asanai makes things worse by suggesting that if Malee was able to leave Kim for Pran, she could eventually leave Pran for someone else. He's basically feeding Pran's insecurity.
*Kim's death*
Before going to Kim's place, Pran is shown putting something into Malee's favourite tea. The tea contains a seed from the Lady of the Night plant. Pran then goes to Kim's place. From Pran's perspective, he discovers Kim's body on the floor, with Kim's maid also present. Later, it is revealed that Kim died because of the poisonous seed from the Lady of the Night.
The police and medical team conclude that Kim died from a heart attack. This makes Pran extremely suspicious. Asanai suspects him. Namsai, however, believes in him. The movie deliberately places those two interpretations against each other.
*Asanai and Malee*
Asanai then confronts Malee. He tells her that Kim wasn't the first man Pran had beaten and warns that eventually she could become the next person Pran hurts. Malee refuses to believe Pran is capable of seriously hurting her. Asanai then asks whether she really wants to spend the rest of her life wondering whether Pran is capable of it. He even tells her that he could give her more than Pran.
Malee responds simply: She loves Pran.
This scene makes Asanai's intentions increasingly questionable. He's no longer simply protecting his friend. He's actively trying to break Pran and Malee apart. Then Asanai reveals something even more disturbing. He tells Malee that Pran was actually the one who pushed her stepfather from the bridge into the river.
*Malee's death*
Eventually, Malee is shown sitting on the balcony ledge. A large spider approaches her. Then she falls. The movie doesn't immediately explain exactly what happened. Afterward, we see Pran, Malee and the cat together as though everything is normal.
Then a monk arrives at the apartment complex to offer blessings to the residents.
*Malee is a ghost (Yup, we're halfway through the movie.)*
And that's when the movie finally reveals the supernatural. And the mystery surrounding Kim and Malee's death.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The strongest part so far is the relationship between the characters. Pran and Malee knew each other since childhood, and their history is much darker and more complicated.
Pran is probably the most interesting character to me so far. He initially comes across as quiet and caring, especially because he falls for Malee first and clearly carries feelings for her from childhood. But there are warning signs everywhere. His childhood relationship with violence, his tendency to immediately want to eliminate problems, his reaction to the cat, his beating of Kim, and the moment he nearly hits Malee all suggest that there is something deeply wrong underneath his calm exterior.
What makes him more interesting is that he seems to know it himself. He openly tells Namsai that he's afraid he might hurt Malee. That self-awareness doesn't necessarily make him less dangerous; if anything, it makes the character more complicated.
Asanai is another character I can't quite figure out. At first, he seems like Pran's loyal friend who can calm him down when his temper gets out of control. But the more he talks to Malee and Pran, the more manipulative he seems. He tells Malee that Pran could eventually hurt her, tells her that he could give her more than Pran, and later encourages Pran to think that Malee could leave him just as easily as she left Kim.
Then there's Namsai. She's probably the biggest contrast to Malee. Malee feels like someone who has already been damaged by life, while Namsai initially feels almost untouched by it. She's cheerful, vibrant, easy-going and brings a completely different atmosphere whenever she appears. I can understand why Pran is drawn to her, even though his attachment to Malee is much deeper.
However, I can understand why people describe this movie as more of a psychological/relationship drama than straight horror. The horror isn't constant. A lot of the runtime is spent on relationships, jealousy, trauma, manipulation and sexual tension. If you're expecting something like *Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum* or *Siccin*, this isn't that kind of horror.
So far, I'd describe *The Stain* as **a psychological relationship drama that slowly mutates into supernatural horror**, rather than a pure horror movie.
Was this review helpful to you?
Misunderstood mess
This could have been such an amazing drama.....And honestly, it *was*... until the first crush crashed.
The moment she appeared, the story suddenly did three backflips and landed directly on its head. I am genuinely convinced the person writing this drama before her arrival and the person writing it afterwards were two completely different people.
Because how else do we explain this?
How can one contestant force another contestant to choose her by threatening to destroy the entire reality show? Forget contracts, legal paper work, confidentiality agreements, production authority and every other piece of reality-show logic. Apparently, all you need is enough audacity and suddenly the contestant has more power than the people running the production.......
"Make it make sense."
But honestly, I'm even more disappointed by how badly the drama wasted the ML's Pinocchio syndrome. That premise had SO much potential.
But Instead of exploring the consequences of a protagonist who literally cannot lie, the story keeps wandering into side plots and characters the audience barely cares about. And then we get ML's bother flirting with the director/captain... Sure, she was great. But ML's brother? .... Really?
While SML is sitting there drowning in his own emotional agony, these people suddenly become the second couple ......No!!! Nobody asked.
The two things that genuinely saved this drama for me were the **acting and the music**.
Almost every actor did a great job, from the leads all the way to FL's African assistant. Everyone brought something to their roles.
ML especially impressed me. It's my first time watching Ko Kyung-pyo step so far outside the comfort zone I've seen from him, and he delivered such a refined performance. His expressions and body language were absolutely hilarious, and a lot of the character's charm came from how naturally he played those moments.
And then there's the music. Definitely one of the highlights of the drama. The background tracks were fun.
Overall, I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid this drama completely. Give the first few episodes a shot. They were genuinely enjoyable, and the premise had enough potential to make you curious about where things were going.Just don't ask me how long you should stay. That depends entirely on how much patience you have left when the writing decides to take a vacation. 😭
Was this review helpful to you?
Good background noise
I feel I was never 100% caught by the plot, too many typical tropes. The cast and the acting was good, though.Everything at the end felt rushed, like the main plot was thrown out of the window. no exaggeration, too many things made no sense. suddenly everything was good, everything was solved, everything was perfect.
I have no problem with 12-episodes dramas as long as they’re well executed, but I think it’s pretty obvious when a drama was shortened to fill this format, and this is what I think, happened with this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fake family....chaotic neighborhood....big money...and a brillian antagonist.
The Apartment Job is a surprisingly fun and entertaining watch that delivers a great mix of crime, comedy, and heart. The unique premise sets it apart from typical K-dramas, taking the concept of an apartment complex scheme and turning it into a chaotic, thrilling ride.The biggest strength of the series lies in its characters and their relationships. What starts as an unusual setup between strangers gradually evolves into a touching found-family dynamic. Watching the group navigate ridiculous situations together gives the show a lot of warmth. The neighborhood setting feels alive, and the supporting residents add plenty of humor and personality to every episode.
The performances are fantastic across the board. Ji Sung once again shows off his immense charisma, balancing funny, lighthearted moments with intense emotional depth effortlessly. Ha Yoon-kyung matches his energy brilliantly, making their on-screen dynamic one of the drama's best highlights. Park Byung-eun also delivers a standout performance, bringing real tension to the story as a compelling antagonist.
While the pacing slows down slightly in the later stretch and the romance takes more of a subtle back seat (I wish they would have focused on that lead romance atleast at the end), the series makes up for it with solid comedy, clever twists, and a satisfying wrap-up. If you want a fresh, easy-to-watch comedy thriller with great chemistry and a big heart, drama is well worth your time.
Was this review helpful to you?
A very cute Esport Drama
Since a long time i'have this drama in my MDL Recs so i tried it yesterday and damn, it's was so good.I'm not a big watcher of modern dramas but i used to be a big games player so i said "why not" and i started Falling into your smile and it's was a very good décision.
Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao are so cute together, i think almost every review can tell you that. There almost no toxicity in this drama, its all about Esport, Romance and cutiness. I really liked how, throughout some of the episodes, they explained the difficulties of being a professional esports player, especially the somewhat lonely side of it and how difficult it can be to have a private life.
I also like that they highlight the possibility for a woman to join an esports team, even though in reality there are hardly any mixed gender teams in games like League of Legends, for example.
The team with them as support roles are very good too, very fast we become a part of their team, i laughed many times with them, The supporting characters deserved to have more developed storylines. Of course, there are quite a few stereotypes and caricatures. The characters are all good looking, the FL’s best friend could easily be a model, and the obsession with beauty is still very much present.
Overall it's a very great drama, you watch it with a cup of hot chocolate and that it.
Disclaimer: For the people who after watching this drama want to play the game, you have to know some details:
-The name of the game is Onmyoji Arena
- Almost everything you see for the game part on the drama is fake, it's a mobile only game even for the Esport part, there no keyboard or things like that, it's here only for the drama.
-The game is way more slow than what you see in the drama
Falling into your smile is a collaboration with NetEase Games for this game.
Was this review helpful to you?
Promised Ghosts and Mystery, delivered generic Rom-com
It's always intriguing to watch Park Eun-bin in a fresh drama. Her acting prowess is unique and hence I decided to give Spooky In Love a chance.The story follows the main FL, who can see ghosts and that alone is enough to make an intriguing story. However, what I witnessed is a story that moves from supernatural to rom-com abruptly.
The first half of the show is well-written, with suspense and drama surrounding the dead. The backstory of each character sounds interesting, even though everything is predictable. The FL and ML does get their chemistry right while solving the mysteries together.
The second half is where the show gets completely off the track. The whole 'seeing ghosts' aspect is totally forgotten and it becomes a generic rom-com. The chemistry between the leads starts to feel forced and poorly developed. The pacing becomes sluggish and few scenes felt way too overstretched. There is even half an episode that plays like a Singapore tourism campaign, with the leads running around famous landmarks for reasons the script itself does not seem especially interested in explaining.
Many of the conflicts feel unnecessary, the climax feels unearned, and the whole thing never gives viewers much reason to care. It keeps insisting things are important without doing the difficult part of making them feel important. The character of Park Eun Bin felt underutilized and underdeveloped, given the actress's catalogue.
Overall, Spooky In Love begins with ghosts and mystery, but turns into recycled, generic rom-com that delivers nothing substantial and becomes forgettable by all means. I hope Park Eun Bin bounces back with another strong drama.
My Rating : 3/5
Was this review helpful to you?
