Reviews

Great kissing scenes but bland acting by supporting cast

My friend thehepburn notified me of this vertical drama and the different versions back in December. I got bored on Chinese New Year so I looked up iQIYI and found this drama. I liked it but I love version 1 with Wang Chen Peng & Lin Zi Xuan.

What I liked:
1. Romance - There were plenty of intimate scenes in this drama. FL often got pushed to the bed but my favourite scene is when she took charge. I loved it when they were at ease with each other. Hand holding was adorable.
2. Acting - Xia Ning Jun & Yu Yu Tong gave a good performance. They were a gorgeous couple & had sizzling chemistry. I also liked He Lian Fei's performance - his aura was as strong as the main leads
3. FL characterisation - This version of FL teased ML a lot, great to see her flirt with hubby. She was also cool & collected.
4. ML characterisation - I liked his protectiveness over ML. He was smart & observant - his reactions towards FL's quips were adorable.
5. Styling - Both of them were elegant. Their outfits really elevated them to look like a power couple.
6. Supporting characters - It was great to see Wen ge ge given airtime. That scene when he met FL after the debacle was touching. I also liked Lu Jing Huai in this version. He seemed level-headed.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Yan Zhao was pathetic for playing victim.
2. Acting - The supporting cast gave rather bland performances. In the first version, I felt strong emotions when FL's biological mother and Yan Zhao appeared on screen. In this drama, they felt insignificant.

Favourite scene
Bathtub scene

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How should one define justice?

Justice sounds simple when people say it out loud. Follow the law. Punish the guilty. Protect the innocent.

But what happens when the people deciding justice are already dirty? When the very law allows people with power to bend it at will? When the justice system itself protects the guilty and punishes the innocent?

That question kept sitting in my head while watching this drama, well, every time I watch political-legal dramas, actually lol. But this time, because the drama was honest about how messy justice becomes once power, politics, and personal agendas get involved. It does not pretend the system is fixable with one heroic move. It shows how deep the rot goes.

So, how far can one man with future knowledge really clean up this rotten system?



⁂ Hanyeong before and after time rewind

This drama starts off surprisingly dark. Hanyeong is not written as a pure idealist protagonist. He starts off compromised, yet very aware that he is helping the wrong people win. The early noir-like mood sells how dirty the system already is, and that he is part of setting that very system up. He was a judge who follows orders instead of truth, and we see his conscience eating him alive. When it did, he tries to undo his mistakes, but his single act of conscience ends up costing him his life.

When he wakes up in the past, the energy changes, and he changes with it. His chaotic judge era was easily one of my favorite stretches, and I missed it when it faded later on. His confidence, the way he plays all sides, and how he walks into danger smiling while quoting the law made the scenes very entertaining, leaving the others very confused by his change. But his change also made him very unpredictable in the eyes of others onto him, and it becomes his shield.

Because he remembers the future, many of his victories come from timing and setup. His plans come from future knowledge and careful manipulation, and it feels like a game for us just as it was for him. He knows where to push and when to wait. It also made me feel a bit complicit as a viewer because I was enjoying how he was outplaying people.

He is also not clean in how he fights back. He runs scams, threats, staged situations, and intimidation with help from the team he builds along the way: Nayeon the journalist, Cheolwu and Jinah the prosecutors, Jeongho the thug-like angel and his best friend (also aka Hanyeong's personal Doraemon), and even makes use of Sehee, his past-life wife. Were their actions morally clean? Not really. Morally justifiable? I guess. Entertaining to watch? Very.

Then the bigger corruption layer shows up, and things stop being so easy. As Hanyeong discovers newer things he didn't know in the past, his mission also becomes dangerous.

From the get-go, we know Kang Shinjin as the central villain, or at least Hanyeong's main target. But even with his cheat-code, aka Hanyeong's future knowledge, he knows he cannot just go straight to him. It will just backfire on him just as it did in his past life. So, he plays on all sides, jumping between factions: Baek Yiseok, The Haenal Law Firm (basically Seoncheol), Shinjin, and the Suojae. He keeps inserting himself everywhere just enough to matter but not enough to get cut off early. It's beyond me how none of these sides even noticed right away, but entertaining to watch, anyway.



⁂ Kang Shinjin

Kang Shinjin is not just evil for the sake of it. He is convinced he is right. He believes in his version of justice and thinks he alone has the right to decide who deserves punishment. In his head, he is not corrupt. He is necessary. Thus, he distrusts everyone, even the very people who have been with him since. That kind of self-righteous villain makes it clear that there's no changing his mindset. It's either he goes down or everyone else against him goes. And that's why all the other corrupt politicians and people in power, even the power behind him, the former President Kwangto, was underwhelming when compared to him.

But how was Hanyeong able to "join" his side, knowing how guarded Shinjin is? That's because Hanyeong was able to condition Shinjin to see him as someone who grew up like Shinjin did: poor, failed by justice, and an outsider navigating a corrupt system. Shinjin is paranoid and investigative by nature. And this was something Shinjin himself investigated to be true.

He never blindly trusts nor distrusts Hanyeong. Shinjin sees Hanyeong’s intelligence, strategic thinking, and resilience as proof that he could be an ally in reshaping the justice system the way Shinjin imagines it, but also that he could be the worst enemy. His distrust is why he constantly tests Hanyeong, pushes him, and to do favors for him. When Shinjin leaned in to trust more than distrust, he then tries to recruit Hanyeong. He recognizes Hanyeong's potential to understand and execute his vision.



⁂ The other powers Hanyeong had aside from his future knowledge: Plot armor & Convenient writing

I will admit that I felt that the writing gets very convenient at times.

Exhibit 1 is Jeongho basically being a one-man logistics department. Need money fast? He has it. Need a car, a hideout, a random building, a group of people willing to act in a staged scenario, or someone to scare a target? He can arrange it right away. Everything is possible, and available on demand. It almost turns into a running gag where I stopped asking "how did they pull that off" and just accepted that if Hanyeong needs it, Jeongho will spawn it. It is ridiculous if you think about it logically even if he got the money, but their tandem is so fun and loyal that I did not mind it much while watching.

Exhibit 2 is the lack of real leverage against Hanyeong. The villains in this drama are shown to be ruthless. They blackmail witnesses, threaten families, kidnap people, dig up dirt, and weaponize personal connections. We see this happen to multiple side characters, even those that were present just for 1-2 episodes. Even Jinah gets blackmailed and even her already in coma father gets dragged into danger.

But when it comes to Hanyeong, that pattern is gone. Yes, they investigate him. Yes, they look into his background and family. But nothing serious ever comes out of it. No direct threats, no kidnapping attempts, no real pressure placed on his loved ones, especially considering that he is the one actively dismantling their power. I did not need extreme suffering for shock value, but the imbalance was noticeable. It makes Hanyeong feel unusually protected compared to everyone else on the board.



⁂ Mini ramble on the other main side characters

One of the things I enjoyed most episode to episode was Han Young’s chemistry with the people around him.

His dynamic with Prosecutor Cheolwu was consistently funny. He keeps saying he does not want to get dragged into Han Young’s dangerous and questionable tactics, then still shows up and helps anyway. Nayeon and Jeongho also felt essential to the team’s energy. Nayeon brings momentum through information and media pressure, while Jeongho is the operational backbone. These are characters who were barely present or not present at all in Han Young’s first timeline, so seeing them become central in the new one made the rewind was a nice addition. It is like his second life gave him better allies, not just better timing.

Jinah is where my mixed feelings sit. She was introduced strongly in the past life, and the drama framed her like a major pillar next to Hanyeong and Shinjin. Because of that, I expected her to drive more of the plot after the rewind. Instead, she often felt like she was reacting and just somehow got dragged, instead of being actively involved. There are good moments, but overall, her presence feels lighter than what was originally advertised. Other supporting characters felt more influential in moving events forward.

Sehee, though, was more interesting this time around. Her personality shift in the new timeline made her feel fresher. She is still flawed and sometimes frustrating, but more emotionally readable. Her guilt, hesitation, and attempt to finally do the right thing gave her scenes more weight. I found her easier to understand here than in the past timeline.



⁂ Justice is ...served?

Yes, the target corrupt figures fall. Yes, Han Young protects the people he cares about and wins the battles he set out to win. But the bigger structure behind the corruption never truly disappears.

Suojae is still standing by the end. It gets exposed and shaken up, but not erased. It just changes hands. New leadership steps in, and the show does not give a clear answer on whether this new version is cleaner or just a reshuffle of the past. Seeing Baek Yiseok end up inside that circle raised a big question mark for me. I couldn’t tell if that was meant to be reassuring or worrying. Did he turn into another power player chasing influence? Was this his goal all along? Or is he trying to reform it from the inside? Unfortunately, the drama leaves that deliberately unclear.

Another detail that stuck with me is the prison connection. Even after everything, Shinjin is still able to maintain lines of contact with the outside world. That suggests the network is still alive enough to reach in and out of the system.

So yes, the main villains are taken down. The headline crimes are punished. But the ecosystem that allowed them to grow is still breathing.

Hanyeong and his team won the cases they were chasing, sure. And that was Hanyeong's happy ending. But did they really win the war, or was that just to reset the board again, giving the others a chance to power?

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Life at the foot of the Altai Mountains

It was a beautiful series. I watched it with pleasure and curiosity. It affected me. Because I am Turkish. I live in Türkiye. This series takes place in the foothills of the Altai Mountains, I think in the autonomous Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It's adapted from, or inspired by, the lifestyle of the Uyghur Turks. It depicts snippets from the life of a girl whose mother runs a shop in this rural area. This girl, Wen Xiu, wants to be a writer. She keeps a diary of her days there. She falls in love with Batay, a Kazakh Turk living in the region. That's the story told. The narrative is simple and straightforward. The rural landscape of the region is depicted with poster-like beauty; the cinematography was extraordinary. The lifestyle of the region is also portrayed; I found it similar to our own customs and traditions. We still have some of these customs. I think the families living there are Muslim and they celebrate Eid al-Adha. They go up to the highlands. They have horse races. They have fair-like celebrations. It's considered an old Turkish custom, but the tradition of a brother marrying his sister-in-law when his older brother dies is reflected here. Such customs no longer exist. There are no coercions, but they did until about 80 years ago. I don't know if anyone still practices it, but there's no obligation. The laws don't allow it. It's not a widely accepted practice.

Besides depicting environmental factors and the lifestyle there, the scene shows a lonely woman needing a man and perceiving this need as love, resisting her daughter's objections and pointing out her flaws, but siding with her daughter when she's in a difficult situation. Also, the scene of a man forced to shoot his horse because it dragged and injured his beloved daughter was impactful. These were dramatic scenes. However, because they weren't explored in depth or sensationalized, they were handled simply and plainly. I think that was a good thing. Otherwise, the series wouldn't have ended in 8 episodes; it would have been much longer. I understood the aim to show the life and customs there from an outsider's perspective. And that was well done.

A thief, a scoundrel, was portrayed, perhaps even a traitor, because bad things happen there sometimes. It was a good example of how they exploit the good intentions of innocent people by deceiving them, and also their emotions. The actor was portrayed as repulsive because of this. I really saw the repulsiveness, but I didn't understand how a woman could be so desperate to love this man. That's the kind of role Jing Qing Mi played. She did the role well. She was very repulsive. The acting was also simple and understated. No one was overly dramatic; everyone acted comfortably. They didn't struggle with their acting. Ma Yi Li stood out in this simplicity. I liked her unpretentious but heartfelt performance. I think she was the best.

I recommend it to those who like this type of drama.

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Long frost

A beautiful story… but with the wrong ingredients that’s how I would sum up what I think of The First Frost.
I started watching it with high hopes. I was expecting a slow progression, a soft and comforting vibe. But the storyline eventually kept moving in the same direction, over and over again.
The male lead seems to exist solely for the female lead. As for her, she feels trapped in an emotional ice tower, barely capable of feeling and expressing anything at all. Her portrayal was so detached that even when she stood up for herself, there was no real range or depth in her performance. It felt flat.
The flashbacks at the beginning were cute and provided meaningful context for the two leads’ story. But after the fifth flashback, watching the male lead repeatedly prove his devotion started to feel exhausting.
By episode ten, seeing him continuously pit himself out there for her with a falsely nonchalant attitude was no longer heartwarming or heart melting. Instead, it became disheartening.

I eventually stopped watching because the show felt heavy to sit through, despite its beautiful soundtrack and truly stunning cinematography.

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Started as a pretty good fun drama - but no character growth whatsoever for FL

This started as a fun drama, explores some deep issues and questions about The Will of God versus our own will, our karma, our karmic duties, and what happens when we do not cooperate with the Divine ....

The main issue is that FL is 100% immature and coldly selfish, cold closed heart, and she STAYS like that until the very end. A total waste of drama...

It could have been a 10 star drama bc the actors are great and just were not utilized properly.

The ML and FL are not shown liking each other. Either the actors just didnt feel it, and/or the director didnt force them to act it... but .. it is already Feb 18, I think ep 8 finished? and there is only 12 episodes and we havent seen enough of the romance or friendship ....

Sure they start as total strangers, then she tortures him and ruins his life and of course he is not gonna like her, however, that part of that drama DRAGS TOO LONG. She tortured him bc she was intrigued by him and kinda "owned him" and explored him and found reasons to keep appearing to him. But the drama doesnt explore that. It seems like she is just a mean person. But the fact is, she likes him and wants to make sure he noticed her - and she is using wrong methods for that. Sure, she is not aware of her feelings yet - but we the audience arent either!!!! bc the drama showed it, in a few seconds here and there. It was not enough to create tension and to convince the audience there is something romantic going on. We saw her being confused bc her hear flutters but the drama never explored that...

Lomon is really good at acting romantic scenes. ANd FL is also cute when she tries to flirt with him. That should have happened a LOT sooner.

First it should have been accidental blopers - since she liked him first and tortured him to get his attention, there should have been a LOT more "accidental" hitting on him too - WE HAD TO SEE THAT SHE WAS SOMEHOW SATISFIED THAT SHE HAD A REASON TO KEEP HANGING AROUND HIM "TO SHOW HIM" WHAT SHE CAN DO - and then it should have increased to the point where they became cognizant of their attraction, by the middle of the drama (ep 6) they should have been kinda together already

It was just too slow of a burn, and also while they didnt like each other, it was too harsh. She kinda hit on him and suggested dating, but it was so ... scientiically cold... and he just ... didnt feel anything bc she was so harsh, her tinny screaming nagging criticizing voice was irritating even to me... LOL LOL LOL

So perhaps, if they started being more friendly earlier, that would have saved the drama. This way, they are kinda jumping from enemies to lovers kinda overnight. So I think a little less of episodes on how she was misbehaving - we got it!!!!! omg we got it!!!! she was just obnoxious!!!! gnarling fox, so unplesant!!!! and he so cold and hurt.... SO LESS OF THAT - and more episodes about the two of them... I am not a script writer so I cannot say anything official, these are just some ideas.

The ending was terrible as FL just regressed back to how she was at the beginning... Ouch... !!!

So overall, if the plot/acting was a tad bit softer and their FRIENDLY INTERACTION and then naturally evolving into romance started earlier, it would have been a much better drama.
But - each couple is different, some jump from enemies to lovers into romance fast. If the script writer wanted to portray that, then I am not sure what kind of tricks they could use to squish the number of episodes while they are enemies, and/or to show more "cracks" in how they are officially not on the same page but are feeling attraction.

Their attraction happens just too fast and sudden and unnatural, and TOO LATE in the drama
That is a sad loss of talent, bc both actors CAN act very well.

And the drama would be worthwhile if FL changed and opened her heart by the end. SHE NEVER DID.

We the audience really do not care to spend the entire drama watching two people quarreling and bickering and learning all there is to know about their character faults and personal issues... That can be shown quite well with a few selected scenes... . We want to see THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION and we want to see THE RESULTS of that process.

So the old kdrama format - 1/4 for context and issues, 1/4 for starting romance, 1/4 for overcoming challenges to being together, 1/4 about putting it all together - did I get this right? I think this is usually the recipe. Sometimes it is pushed bc Part 1 is too long so putting it all together is too rushed at the end, but.. This recipe generally is a pretty good recipe that leaves the audience satisfied.

DON'T DRAG THE PAIN
SPEND A LOT OF TIME SHOWING TRANSFORMATION
is my advice here

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A series to watch on Lunar New Year lol

This is a light-hearted series which is really suitable for those who look for one to binge during Lunar New Year like me. The only complaint I have, like other fans, is that it has only 10 episodes instead of 12. PondPhuwin’s acting are improve a lot, especially Pond. Maybe because Thee is an interesting character. Phuwin is also excellent at portraying Peach. However some viewers might think his acting is stiff or he has been repeating himself. BUT, it’s how Peach is, and to be honest, character like Peach is kind of common in series in general. Anyway, the score of this series is 9 so you know it’s worth to watch this, no need to read any review lol.

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Huge Thank you for How dare you! this drama

First of all i would like to say i started to like Cheng lei’s acting skills so much, he is really cute when he is acting little bit playful and also he is good for playing role of Emperor and shouting etc. This is my first impression seeing Wang churan acting, i love her too, her beauty, acting skills too. Second of all i haven’t watching Hu yixuan acting in dramas for quiet long time which i saw her playing in “unforgettable love” and “river runs through it” and this time i felt like she become skinnier than i remember and became prettier. I just love seeing her cute smiles. Xie yong’er this role fits her so well, her makeup style was stunning too. Also i want to say Tang xiaotian acting skills making me surprised because i only saw him playing kind support roles before, this time i can feel that he literally proved that he can act really well. Applause for acting the villian Xiahou Bo. Finally my main point is that this drama healed me from “my page in 90s” because even tho its ending was relieving but still left a huge trauma of transmigrating dramas, but then right after watching MPI90s, HWDY! drama was released and today i finished it, i am fully satisfied by the ending, i want to thank the screenwriter, director👍👍👍

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Sweet romance for both leads.

I watched this on November 2025 and tried to rewatch again. A rare good script from Zheng Chen Yu since most of her drama were unbearable to watch, Wang Zi Lin on his non toxic character was quite rare to see too.

The overall story structure is simple, though it follows a few familiar tropes: a long-planned unrequited love, a younger nephew's lack of appreciation, and finally, after repeated displays of affection, FL reciprocates ML and age gap romance. After the FL confesses to the SML 99 times and is rejected, she decides to give up and tried to cling to ML.

There are two minor misunderstandings, but they quickly resolve them. ML is terrified of FL and manages to soothe himself when angry. SML is a typical example of someone who regrets his actions and then tries to cling to her.

There are no unnecessary clichés, and ML is proactive and assertive, making for a very enjoyable watch overall. The kissing scenes are mostly concentrated in the latter half. Although it's a story of a younger man/older woman romance with a teacher-student dynamic, it avoids the forced attempts to create a sense of intimacy and excitement using clichéd plot points

Overall warm and sweet atmosphere, it's a worth to watch.

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Watch it In-between Psychological Angsty Shows

While I do think the show should've focused on Kahoko's personal growth. The should've-could've is not what I want to talk about. I haven't considered it. Rather, I'll be focusing on what it was.

It was a cute watch with good chemistry between characters. To me, they felt like family. And I could understand where they were coming from. Even the mother and sister. I didn't hate them at all. I understood (which I might not agree with) where they were coming from. Sometimes, I did feel like they were being annoying. But since I understood them, I couldn't hate them.

Sometimes things weren't outright stated. The bubbled in the background. Like how the father projected himself to be a lion but he certainly wasn't. He wanted to be for his family. But whenever he was, it was either his imagination or he was simply shut down (or the mother speaking). He loves his family,, though, with their perfections and imperfections.

I also like Hajime (ML) and Kahoko's relationship. I wanted them to have more scenes together because, quite honestly, I got a complete whiplash from how fast their relationship moved. Yet I wouldn't say it took me away from their dynamic or the plot. Instead, I just hoped the writers would've focused on their relationship a bit more. But I guess that's a con of the quantity of episodes. I just hope Hajime doesn't turn out to be like Grandpa or Picasso (well, the relationship part). It was especially funny when Kahoko used her eyes to get what she wanted from him. He was really weak against her!

Hajime's character could've easily fallen into the territory of naggy mother and led to a power imbalance. It's a kudos to the actor and the writer who perfectly balanced the weights. The man just seemed perfect for Kahoko. Where he was weak, she was strong and vice versa.

Overall, it's a nice, breezy watch. I especially liked how Kahoko doesn't solve all of their problems. You know problems are going to arise in the future (and it's Kahoko's job to keep them together as a family (cue sigh)), but they'll be alright. At a certain point, certain values did feel archaic, but the show was otherwise pretty feel-good.

P.S.: Kahoko's so cute!

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A Mature Defense of a Realistic Heroine

To everyone labeling the female lead as "toxic," I have to ask: are we watching the same show? After seeing numerous comments warning me about her character, I’ve found that with each passing episode, the reality is far more nuanced. Her trauma has hardened her, yes, but she is consistently doing her best to trust again and give people a chance. Despite going through trials most of us can't relate to, she still manages to smile. She is growing and learning at her own pace—which is exactly what real healing looks like.

Who Should Watch This?
If you are looking for a mature, three-dimensional love story, this is a beautiful and thoughtful journey. However, it requires a certain perspective to appreciate:

Avoid if: You have a strictly black-and-white view of the world or believe that love should only be "fluffy" and positive. If you aren't ready for a realistic interpretation of how real people handle real baggage, there are plenty of standard office comedies that might be more your style.

Watch if: You see the world in all its colors—both the ugly and the beautiful. If you prefer flawed, human characters over two-dimensional tropes, you will find this story deeply rewarding.

This is a story for the mature viewer who understands that love isn't always "pink"—sometimes it’s grey, complicated, and all the more beautiful for it.

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A Rare Drama Worth the Wait

"How Dare You" is one of those rare C-dramas that doesn't just pass time; it demands it. From its first few episodes, I was hooked on a weekly countdown, eagerly awaiting each new episode's release. That, in and of itself, is a testament to its gripping narrative.

"How Dare You" is remarkably well-paced. It doesn't meander or drag out its conflicts or take unnecessary side trips. It's a masterful build-up to a dramatic, high-note conclusion. Each character's development is deliberate and calculated, and the narrative honors the viewer's patience.

The ethereal beauty of the female lead is not just physical but also extends to her performance. She's a wonder to behold, and every scene she's in is elevated by her presence. Opposite her, the male lead gives a peak performance. He's got range, subtlety, and power, and he anchors this drama with an authenticity that's impossible to deny.

By its conclusion, everything comes together swimmingly. No rushed conclusions, no dangling threads - just a well-earned, high-note conclusion. "How Dare You" is more than just another C-drama. It's a reminder of just how powerful storytelling, pacing, and performance can be.

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