Reviews

Both seasons had a touch of good, but they were not satisfying.

Copied from my S1 review as they are basically the same show.
S1 &S2:
I did enjoy the grit and the action but sadly that did not make up for the unforgivable tropes, unexplainable angst and its inability for me to trust and have expectations and hope for the protagonists.

I loved all the actors, seconds, and sides.
I enjoyed the characters ... to some extent, but they were shallow, and it was hard to feel any long-lasting affection/empathy.
Lee Dong Wook was the ML or just a hook to pull us in? He was absent for most of the show.
The FLs actor was great, and her character was believable, but I didn't connect with her.
CGI and the fight scenes were very nice to watch.
The OST suited both seasons.
Chemistry was OK. The Leads relationship didn't make sense; I am assuming it was because the ML was absent for most of the show, so I was not able to piece together this ‘bond’. The emotions the FL had ... were not enough. Her reactions were not enough.

Instead of organized chaos, it was an experienced mess. I understand it was a ‘real-life’ people and scenarios situation instead of a highly trained, professional, extremely gifted team of fighters, and that things were not as perfectly timed, thought out, prepared and executed, but it was so frustrating. I struggled to complete each of the seasons.

Season 1: Stitching together of scenes ... the ‘back and forth’ made it hard to enjoy. You dive into one scene, become invested and enjoy the momentum to then be pulled out and made to feel and experience something entirely different. I understand there are times when this is needed, and that can lead to a more exciting show, but it was too often. The second season had less of this, so it had more of a flow.

Season 2: The frustration was even more so in the second season. In one scene you expect me to believe the characters were seasoned assassins yet in the next, they would succumb so easily. Prep time and quality of prep was curiously absent and did not make sense. Rookies/citizens seem to be more competent to escape a barrage of bullets and grenades than those who were specialized veterans. I get it ... I really do ... but I just got frustrated and really, really wanted satisfaction, just throw me a bone every now and then. I did a lot of eye rolling.

All in all, I was not satisfied.

On a side note ... How hard is it to double tap? So many situations would have been avoided with a simple double tap. Are trained professionals not aware of this?

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Thought provoking educational and brilliantly acted.

Loved this series, great script great acting and dealt with such a sensitive topic with delicacy. This series dealt with sexual problems from addiction to harrassment. It was interesting to learn about the practise of upskirting and lack of understanding of consent. I'd watched a documentary about the experience of a Japanese journalist Shiori Ito who had been raped and her campaign to improve things in Japan which some of those topics were covered here in slightly different format. In this series Shimotori Ichito is a sex therapist at Shimotori Clinic and some of the issues raised in the documentary I watched were shown in this series in a very human way: explaining consent etc... The series is very short only 7 episodes where we meet some of his patients and how he helps them overcome their sexual problems - even his mentor had to be 're-educated' about his own behaviour towards a junior female colleague. I'd never seen the actor who played the ML nor indeed the actress who played the FL in anything before but loved their nuanced acting and will definitely try and find some of their other works... I found all roles were wonderfully played by the actors even if there were two who were repulsive: the tabloid journalist (which we never found out incidentally how his wife got on after her therapy sessions with Shimotori) and the ML's father (barbaric is the only word I'd use for his behaviour).. The series was thought-provoking, educational, non-judgemental but clearly showing how a lack of education and communication can have serious impacts on people's sex lives.

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They Loved Each Other, But They Desperately Needed Therapy (i love them both and now i need therapy)

two complex and flawed adults fell for each other even before they knew.

the characters go on a journey, journey which is as painful as it is beautiful. there are many stops and turns along the way which eventually lead to miscommunication because of the absence of communication.

at first i was so agitated about how luan nian kept saying things which he didn't mean. i was furious on taotao for not taking a firm stand in front of him. as the story went on, it was quite clear that he was not only arrogant but afraid to be vulnerable, didn't know how to show her that he cared; and she kept things from him whenever something bad happened to her maybe because she was also afraid to ask him for help or involve him more in her own life.

he kept saying those mean words whenever he was jealous or felt like he is losing her. i don't know what his reasoning was for this behaviour but it seemed like he believed he was protecting himself from falling for her, completely ignorant towards the fact that he was already drowned in his love for her.

after all these years, they still tried. the problem was never that there were no feelings between them. if anything, there were too many. the problem was that they hadn't changed much to embark on new journey. they couldn't let go of each other but they were also not ready to truly hold on to each other in the way the other person needed.

they loved each other but love alone couldn't fix what they refused to confront. they needed honesty, vulnerability and courage to actually accept their own feelings for the other and say what they truly felt.
I swear, if i were in taotao's place and he had the guts to say those things to me, i would've blocked him that instant. on his FACE. 😭

eventually there came the time when taotao took her stand so firmly, and just disappeared without a word. however this separation was necessary for luan nian so he could process what he had done and to sit with the consequences of his actions.

it took time for them to come around. (it would have been better if laun nian begged her to take him back, but yeah that VIDEO of him is also okay okay 🐸). and yes it's a happy ending!!!!!

all in all, it’s a frustrating, painful, but ultimately beautiful story about how love isn't enough on its own, you have to be brave enough to grow up for it.

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Both seasons had a touch of good, but they were not satisfying.

S1 &S2:
I did enjoy the grit and the action but sadly that did not make up for the unforgivable tropes, unexplainable angst and its inability for me to trust and have expectations and hope for the protagonists.

I loved all the actors, seconds, and sides.
I enjoyed the characters ... to some extent, but they were shallow, and it was hard to feel any long-lasting affection/empathy.
Lee Dong Wook was the ML or just a hook to pull us in? He was absent for most of the show.
The FLs actor was great, and her character was believable, but I didn't connect with her.
CGI and the fight scenes were very nice to watch.
The OST suited both seasons.
Chemistry was OK. The Leads relationship didn't make sense; I am assuming it was because the ML was absent for most of the show, so I was not able to piece together this ‘bond’. The emotions the FL had ... were not enough. Her reactions were not enough.

Instead of organized chaos, it was an experienced mess. I understand it was a ‘real-life’ people and scenarios situation instead of a highly trained, professional, extremely gifted team of fighters, and that things were not as perfectly timed, thought out, prepared and executed, but it was so frustrating. I struggled to complete each of the seasons.

Season 1: Stitching together of scenes ... the ‘back and forth’ made it hard to enjoy. You dive into one scene, become invested and enjoy the momentum to then be pulled out and made to feel and experience something entirely different. I understand there are times when this is needed, and that can lead to a more exciting show, but it was too often. The second season had less of this, so it had more of a flow.

Season 2: The frustration was even more so in the second season. In one scene you expect me to believe the characters were seasoned assassins yet in the next, they would succumb so easily. Prep time and quality of prep was curiously absent and did not make sense. Rookies/citizens seem to be more competent to escape a barrage of bullets and grenades than those who were specialized veterans. I get it ... I really do ... but I just got frustrated and really, really wanted satisfaction, just throw me a bone every now and then. I did a lot of eye rolling.

All in all, I was not satisfied.

On a side note ... How hard is it to double tap? So many situations would have been avoided with a simple double tap. Are trained professionals not aware of this?

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Another drama with a LAZY ending

Another drama that built up well in the beginning, only for the pacing to completely fall apart toward the end. It became so draggy, then suddenly everything was rushed in the final episodes.

The pacing was a mess. So much potential, so much buildup, and yet we got another rushed ending that didn’t feel nearly as satisfying as it should’ve been. I hate when a drama starts strong enough to make you emotionally invested, only to fumble the execution in the second half.

The adaptation really did Zhitao’s character dirty. One of my biggest frustrations is how much of her complexity, independence, and emotional depth from the novel got lost in the adaptation. She had so much agency as a character—she knew what she wanted, had her own principles, career, friendships, and boundaries. But the drama sometimes reduces her to simply being the person reacting to Luan Nian and their relationship.

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What's Important

I enjoyed the drama "Angels Fall Sometimes" very much, though it was hard for me to watch at times. This drama makes you think about what’s really important in life. The casting for this drama was very extremely good. I would really like to see a similar drama made using the SAME cast, but with the illness being cured at the end. Also, I would like to see more dramas starting (Lin Yi and Landy Li.), they have good working chemistry. I also, felt that Sun Tian You, Li Xin Ran, Lin Lu, Wang Yu Jun, Xia Min Hao, Xiong Wen Wen, Jing Chao, Xu Yu Kun, Liu Jun, Liu Jie, and Ren Luo Min all did a very good job. Hats off to the WHOLE cast of “Angels Fall Sometimes”. Because of this drama, I will be making an end of the year donation for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) research. Thank you for making a drama focusing on ALS, even though it was hard to watch at times.

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You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love. But....

Luan Nian, you deserve to be loved. Always.
I’m glad you eventually learned to fight for that love, communicate, and say the things that needed to be said. Some of your words cost you someone precious, but you grew, earned her love again, and found your forever. Novel Luke was hard for me to accept at first, but Drama Luke felt warm and protective from the very beginning. You express love through actions, but sometimes we need words too—we need to hear the reassurance, not just feel it. Thank you for learning that and showing us your growth.

Shang Zhitao, you were young, innocent, and carrying a bag full of dreams. You worked hard for every little thing on your bucket list and built a beautiful life for yourself. Your insecurities made you hold back a part of yourself during those six years, and while I wish the drama had portrayed your feelings with more depth, novel readers understand why you made the choices you did. I only wish the drama had given us a better version of you, the way it did with Luke.

Perhaps that’s why I understood you. Sometimes we don’t hold back because we don’t love enough—we hold back because we’re afraid. Afraid of being vulnerable, losing ourselves, or giving someone that much of our heart. But you grew. You built a life of your own, achieved everything you dreamed of, and eventually chose him again—not blindly, but with certainty and the willingness to communicate, compromise, and make it work.

Sun Yu, you were an amazing friend and an even more lovable person.
You showed us a kind of love without expectations. Your pure love for Yuan zhu and your willingness to travel just to see him broke my heart in the gentlest way. Though we lost him, that angel truly appreciated your love and presence through his most difficult days.

Sun Yuan Zhu, you really were an angel.
I loved you in the novel and desperately wished the drama had changed your story. But you still longed for the clouds. Sometimes giving 99% still isn’t enough, and I’m sorry that the missing 1% cost you everything. You were a wonderful friend, roommate, and person. You were truly loved in this lifetime.

Lumi, you are the coolest person ever.
You never hold back and always give your all to the people around you. You never let anyone suffer alone, and your presence itself feels like a blessing. I only wish we could have seen more of your story.

And Luke—the dog.
My baby who suffered so much because of his stubborn parents. You were my favourite in the novel, and although you had much less screen time in the drama, you were still ridiculously adorable. 🥹

Thank you for adapting this novel. The casting was amazing, and Luke’s character truly shined with the changes made for the drama. My only complaint is that Flora deserved the same thoughtful adaptation and growth.

You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love.

But you do have to be willing to grow for the love you want to keep. ❤️

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Bring back messy, flawed characters

In a world obsessed with green flags, it’s kind of refreshing to see two characters that just do so many things wrong. They fight, break-up, and back together countless times, but then they have these really sweet moments that make you understand why people stick around in these types of relationships. It’s messy but so much more interesting than a couple that’s just made up of two perfect people, and I had a fantastic time watching this live and seeing all the discourse on it — to see so many different takes on it is a good thing, and it’s a testament to how all the viewers’ perspectives are shaped by different lived experiences.

I do have my own opinions on the dynamic between the leads, and for me the power dynamic is such a huge cloud over their entire relationship that I mostly find myself on the side of the FL and anxiously waiting for the imbalance to even out. Her character development as she grew into herself at work and started speaking up for herself was really great to see, but her character doesn’t truly break free until the big separation, which is why the pacing made me increasingly nervous as the show went on and it hadn’t happened yet.

Word on the street is that they cut the drama from 32 episodes and I think those episodes were really needed. There are a few scenes between the leads that are fantastic and really highlight how much history there is between them, but I think we still needed slower development: more scenes of both of them growing by themselves as people, and then more time for them to come back together and trust each other again. I’ve made it clear that I thought the power imbalance was a huge issue, and I feel like there was still some pushiness that I was uncomfortable with that could’ve been resolved if there was simply more time to develop them. The last episode in particular moves really fast, and it also feels like some subplots (Lumi’s romance arc, for example) were started and never really expanded on.

Despite that, I think some of the subplots were the most powerful episodes, and the side characters were all wonderful; I really loved the focus on female friendships in certain episodes and when it came to supporting each others’ careers or comforting each other thoughout the show in general. And there was also a really powerful and heart-breaking portrayal of depression in what ended up being one of my favorite episodes.

Overall, despite the rushed pacing at the end, I really enjoyed this one and all the thought pieces that came with it. It’s messier than most cdramas for sure, but that’s what made it memorable, and the chemistry between the leads really sold it. Great OST as well.

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" Two Jerks make a perfect match"~~ best dialogue from ep 23

Except for the fact that there is only one "jerk" here and that is LUAN NIAN himself.
The classic example of not following the novel(that was the original inspiration for the drama's story line and characters) is Early Spring. This is half review half rant coz why not.

First of All:

About Luke( the samoyed):
The most adorable pup I've seen, there were episodes i watched just to see this cute budding actor. Loved this furry friend.

About the drama:
First of all, their love was never deep right from the start. EP 1-15 Flora, a girl who just graduated began to work in a global company and wanted to prove herself that she was fit for the job and deserved to be at Lime but then she fell head over heels for her hot boss! Then we see her seven stages of grief and her constant attempts to protect herself from being gaslighted and manipulated by the male lead in a 100 different ways. From what I see, Flora loves her work, she is serious about her career , does all the tasks and projects given to her well and has a good learning attitude considering that she doesn't give in to luan nian's mean comments about her being unsuitable for the job on her VERY FIRST DAY or demeaning her constantly and never being honest to her or praising her for her good work, but still FLORA always seeks his advice as a mentee and tries to do well.
So, from ep 1-15 we just see Luan Nian's passive aggressive nature and the push and pull dynamics untill he becomes a total jerk and FLORA is so tired that she has to leave by ep 19 . If anyones read the source material for this they will know that the drama did not do justice to the charcaters as it made Luan Nian's bad traits subtle by feeding the audience scenes where it looks like he is a good boss and cares for her. And this in turn ripped of Luan Nian the actual chance at character growth and personality development.
We can see these two have attraction and chemistry but that is not LOVE folks, not at all. Everytime in almost every scene they are having sex , after an argument how do they make up- Sex, there is no conversation what so ever .Ep-16-20 so much sh*t happens-- Flora was constantly questioned(ML questioned her character btw), demeaned, manipulated by the male lead and she kept forgiving him, but then she reached her breaking point and she leaves.
Ep-21-24 It is unrealistic that the got back together as this dynamic did not deserve a second chance!

About Flora:
The only realistic part in this drama was her leaving him. Because if such emotional trauma of a push puller relationship happened to you, you'd wan to leave too for the sake of mental peace and tbh she allowed it for too long. FLORA's problem which I'd say cost her a lottttt was that she didn't speak up, we can understand he was her boss, older than her in age and experience but still, she should have said things as she did in later episodes and made things clear. And it was irritating to watch her not speaking up and being dishonest about her feelings and sucking it up every time!!! Her character was annoyingly submissive!
Late on Flora has boundaries and personality contrary to what people say and try to bring her character down if someone points out the Male Leads horrible problem of being verbally abusive. She had a life outside the relationship which is very healthy, she had hobbies, a cool bucket list , amazing friends , loving parents . The problem with her was the fact that she did not let the guy know her thoughts and the dating app episode.

About Luan Nian:
I'll cut him some slack, already said alot about him.

Overall, go watch it. It has all the relationship advice and "what not to do and tolerate" in a relationship scenarios. The actors did a gread job, I like Jing Boran since Road Home and he did well here specially the scene where he has to show grief over losing Flora(probably the one true love of his life whome he treated like a doormat often), and Sun Qian she did a great job .

Lastly, idc idk idwgaf but Luan Nian is a red flag(learn how to not treat your partner from him) Flora if not a green she can be an orange flag, definitely not a red!

Gracias!!

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The worst drama I've seen in a long time.

Luke is the absolute worst ml I've ever watched. Flora obviously has no self respect either. How can 2 ADULTS have miscommunication as a problem between them?? I only got through 1 episode and I could tell this would be a rubbish drama. Luke was always insulting Flora for no damn reason, Flora can't even speak or stand up for herself to save her life, and you're telling me they actually got into a relationship??? Puh-lease.
Luke isn't even a red flag, or a grey flag... he is a black flag. I've never seen anyone so verbally abusive before. There is nothing he could've said or done for me (if I were Flora) for me to date him or take him back. Sorry I'm not sorry.
The best ending would've been for Flora to find someone who actually appreciates and loves her and leave Luke to be all alone since that's what he actually wanted.

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"Simple Office Rom-Com Drama"

My Bias, My Boss is a simple and breezy office rom-com that is easy to watch and enjoy.

The idol-related storyline is handled well and fits naturally into the overall plot.

Kang Hoon as Kang Ha-gi, Kim Ye-jun as Nam Da-reum, and Cha Woo-min as Lee Chan all deliver good performances.

The chemistry between the leads works really well and makes the romantic moments enjoyable.

The funny sequences add a lot of charm and keep the drama light and entertaining.

The story stays engaging without becoming unnecessarily complicated or dragged out.

Overall, everything works nicely, and the happy ending makes it a satisfying rom-com experience. ⭐

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The worst modern cdrama I’ve ever seen!

Most watchers are saying it's realistic but personally all I saw was romanticising toxic relationships. This drama was simultaneously mega boring and rage bait frustrating me, with the only redeeming quality being Jing Boran’s face card and Liu Yuning singing the opening. I don't even know why I made it to the end.

The male lead is the epitome of the reason why the korean 4B movement was created. Since the start, he showed misogynistic behaviour, undervaluing her, literally insulting her every time he was insecure and jealous. But it’s ok we should root for him because hE LoVes hER, because he hasn’t been loved, doesn’t know how to love etc. And after 6 years, 21 episodes, she leaves him and he FINALLY realises all his mistakes and magically will fix his behaviour. Sure buddy. That’s definitely how it works in real life.

The female lead is equally unlikable. Accepting and forgiving every insult and mistreatment from the male lead because sHe LoVes hIm. After 6 years, 21 episodes realises all of her problems would have been fixed if she simply left the damn job or OPENED her mouth and explained her pain.

The biggest issue for me was not even the never ending 20 episode cycle of toxicity, misunderstanding and miscommunication. But the fact that I couldn’t root for them because I never believed in their “love”. How did they fall in love exactly?? Their whole relationship was built on physical attraction and sex. These people had barely any personality, no hobbies, or deep conversations. It was just work - sex - work etc.

The only conclusion of this drama that would have worked for me was if the leads never got together in the end. Then it would have been a good message especially to the younger audience. People might complain about unrealistic green flags in modern cdramas but at least in these we are shown a healthy relationship built on kindness, respect and true love. This drama didn’t even feel chinese, none of the chinese magic was there for me.

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Great show but frustrating writing! The FL storyline is making me crazy

Ok, I know there are a lot of people hating on Luke. But this about the FL and the character that is written for her. She is excellent in the role, but this is hitting so many buttons for me after 25 years working in advertising and production. Maybe it's a cultural difference. I scratched and clawed my way through college working two jobs at a time and thankfully my first job was an advertising agency in Dallas. I made peanuts the first few years and I worked long hours and weekends to move up in the company. I fought like hell to finally become a producer and I loved my job. Even with frustrating clients, non-stop travel, and creatives with Egos too big to handle I still had a blast! I never dated at work though I flirted a lot and I did date vendors. I won an "unsung hero award" which really meant my salary was way too low and I worked too many hours....During this time period I ended a 7-year relationship just six months after my father died and the one and only thing that kept me going was my job and the many close friends I had at work. Don't get me wrong, I had been the subject of gossip (she slept with the CEO to get her job - wrong and laughable) and many other nasty things that women usually spread about other women. And since I was not guilty of any of these, I can only imagine how bad the fallout would be if these rumors had been real. So my point is this show is pushing all my buttons, making me feel all the feels, and bringing up strong memories of a breakup and then burying myself in work. So that's why I wanted to scream when Flora threw her dream job away because of a relationship and work politics. ARRRGGGG! After fighting tooth and nail to get a job she loved the writers had her become a total coward and walk away from the one thing that may have saved her dreams. I'm sure they will say her missing her friend caused a reset, but I am just so frustrated with any person who would give up something they fought so hard for. I'm sure they'll show how great her life is in last few episodes, but I am doubtful of a happy ending. The show is very well done, but maybe the writers need to re-think the choices their FL is making as a supposedly "strong character." Because without a doubt she is running away. I'm still enjoying the show just didn't know I'd be crying over past breakups and wanting to throw something at the TV when Flora didn't push back on the agency she loves to get better treatment. I spent 12 years at my agency and it took a lot not to be treated like a door mat. But the agency launched my successful career as a freelance producer and IF I had run away I would have missed out on so many amazing experiences and people. I admit this hits a little too close to home for me so I can't be objective. And I love the ML, though I find him to be what I consider a typical male in high places. Lashing out when hurt or angry because it's too hard and scary to be open and honest. At least he doesn't drink as much as all the Ad folks I worked with - myself included. And why in the hell did Flora not tell him about losing her best friend??? No wonder these two can't get on the same page. Sorry for the long rant! Overall it's good show just maybe a little tough for me to watch at times.

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