Reviews

First half is so-so, latter half is VERY good! Overall a good watch

To be honest, the first half of the drama I found a bit draggy and the plot was mediocre, but I'm so glad I continued watching because the second half just keeps getting better and better, with the last few episodes being EXTREMELY good. I give the first half 6/10, second half 10/10, overall 8/10. (I think it took me over a week to get through the first half, then I binge-watched the second half over two days.)

First of all: this drama did an AMAZING job of creating a large cast of complex and likeable characters. I actually cannot think of a character I didn't like by the end! I was rooting for literally everyone to get a happy ending. (Even the villains of the story had good backstories, had understandable motives, and made me sympathize with them.) Plus each character had their own distinct personalities and were well-developed, side characters had interactions with other side characters as well (they didn't just revolve around the main characters). All the interactions between characters felt so natural and relationships (be it romantic relationships, friendships, or reluctant camaraderie) developed gradually, nothing felt forced.

Before I go on about how amazing the second half was, I will have to reiterate that the first half was fairly mediocre. The main character is given tasks to save characters in the story, but IMO there was too many of this and it got a bit repetitive/draggy. In addition, in episode 2 the main character starts pretending to be "dumb" and while there is a logical reason for this (and some of the other characters do start to see through her act fairly quickly), I personally am not a fan of this trope and find it a bit annoying (nothing against the actress though, she did a good job).

Fortunately, once this part is done, the story starts getting REALLY really good. Especially after the 4 main characters embark on their quest to Tianyin City (end of episode 15), the plot gets progressively more and more engaging, and just keeps ramping up until the end. Basically, without mentioning any spoilers, it revolves around finding the secret to a map that everyone covets, a political scheme to overthrow the throne, with lots of romance and touching moments. The female lead is not overpowered or Mary Sue (doesn't know martial arts), but she absolutely holds her own and is capable and intelligent. The male lead is also smart and has good martial arts skills. The second male & female leads (Yuwen Xiu and A Zi) also had an engaging storyline, and I really appreciated that there was no love triangle shenanigans between the four main characters.

I will agree with the other reviewer that there was one death that felt too cruel and unnecessary (although a side character). And I also felt heartbroken for Yuwen Xiu and A Zi (but I will consider theirs an open ending...will add more in spoiler tags in the comments).

Overall: highly recommend, the last 10 episodes are absolutely worth it!

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In classic indie road movie fashion, childhood friends reunite and undertake a journey to their hometown, Circumstances and chance bring them briefly into and back out of the lives of a variety of individuals. One of the friends is a middle-aged man having a moment of crisis.

The other is an elephant - a large, expressive presence with his own mind and inclinations. Bong isn't in the MDL database and I'm not sure how Adrien would feel about adding him in, but the film itself appropriately recognises him as 2nd lead in the credits.

The movie is set entirely in Thailand, with Thai cast, crew and dialogue, but Singaporean screenwriter/director Kirsten Tan brings a different tone to it. She's also lived, worked and studied in several countries so perhaps this film doesn't truly belong to any one country. The film-making itself is quite capable (it's her debut feature-length). Aside from the elephant, the story is solid but unremarkable - it's a road film. The people they meet along the way are a mix of generic and more realised individuals, though the individuals are also types.

The more realised individuals are treated with respect. As characters, they're both unconventional and obvious, in that indie road movie fashion. I'm of two minds on this - Tan could have done more, but the familiarity of the types also brings a sort of calm normalcy to it, like the mundaneness of a job-induced moment of mid-life crisis and the way life is full of individuals if we bother to take the time to notice them.

At times there's a gentle, dry, slightly absurdist (because elephant) humour. The overall indie vibe tone is familiar - in many ways, I wanted something less generic and a distinctly Thai feel, especially the freedom and spark we see from many Isaan directors. But this is solid indie fare.

With an elephant.

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The story ended too early

I really enjoyed the opening of the series, especially the warm camaraderie among the girls in the dormitory. Rong Rong’s jealousy and possessiveness, along with her constant bickering with Shanbao over Zhuang Xu, added a lively dynamic, though I personally didn’t find Zhuang Xu particularly handsome or dashing. The other dormitory characters also revealed their vulnerabilities and insecurities, which made the relationships feel more authentic.

When the story eventually uncovered YuSen’s misunderstanding on Shanbao after his car accident, I felt his bitterness was hard to sympathize with. In the later episodes, the pacing suddenly accelerated, skipping over Nie ChengYuan’s brain surgery entirely. I later discovered that in the novel, YuSen was the one who performed the surgery, which made the omission feel even more disappointing. Overall, I didn’t appreciate the rushed conclusion and wish the series had been extended to 40 episodes instead of ending abruptly at 36.

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𝕄𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝔹𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕁𝕖𝕗𝕗𝔹𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕠 𝕒 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖... 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕔𝕦𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥.

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Lee Jun-ho and the supes are great... but...

I kept watching Cashero waiting for it to tell me what it was actually about. By episode 8, I was still waiting. There’s no clear goal, no real direction, and the plot mostly consists of things happening and then being quietly brushed aside. The power rules are especially baffling: Cashero needs cash and clearly pays a price, while Nathan appears to have unlimited abilities powered by… vibes? determination? sheer narrative convenience? Nathan’s motivation is never convincingly explained, and he often feels more competent and powerful than the supposed protagonist, which makes the central conflict hard to take seriously. Overall, it’s a show with an interesting idea that never commits to its own rules or point, leaving it oddly flat despite all the effort.

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Slow...

The last episode made me think it was the girls who adopted Jin So Baek tbh lmao

This show was intense, the violence graphic, and thus sometimes really hard to watch. !! TW for (domestic) violence, marital rape !!

Although the show only has 8 episodes, I truly believe that it should not have been any longer because the pacing was incredibly slow. The episode length wasn't even anything outrageous (50-60 minutes), but it felt much longer than it actually was at times. To me, the most compelling performances were given by Lee You Mi and Jang Seung Jo; especially Jang acted his dual role convincingly, he played two kinds of abusive assholes so differently and yet so well, he was genuinely scary. Lee You Mi was also really good in her role, her performance felt very immersive. Jeon So Nee wasn't as bad as some people say, but I didn't find her that captivating as Eun Su; likewise, Jin So Baek as a character felt a little unexplored, which is a bummer because Lee Moo Saeng was intriguing enough as the character. I quite liked the ending because the bad guys got what they deserved, and the girls found happiness. The show ends on a positive and hopeful note, which I appreciate, so I won't care about any plot inconsistencies.

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2 episodes that left me with questions

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

It was kind of like reading a book, skipping the middle, and then have the ending make no sense. The FL spent a lot of time screaming, and you didn't really get to see her working through her grief.

The ML was cute, but they didn't know each other? I got the idea of trying to pull her out of her grief, but had he escaped from the hospital, since he wore hospital clothes almost throughout. Brief mention of him being in the hospital for testing and treatment, but no specifics.

Maybe it's because I'm old, but I thought their bucket list items were really stupid. And why all of a sudden does he want to help her.

My biggest question though...the three of them were together at the end of the show. How did that work?!?!?

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Better Than I Expected

Truthfully, I came because of the comments talking about the main leads and yes, their banter and dynamic is wonderful. Their chemistry and interactions with each other is so nice and natural, something I wish I came across more in dramas. Personally, kind of felt like a delinquent couple to me😂but the story holds up pretty well too. It had me quickly attached to a lot of characters who weren't even on screen for a long time. This was a great drama to start the new year with.
I hope to see the starring leads in more dramas, they did a really great job. Also, the actor that played Gan. One of my favourites

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Game Therapy

This is an emotionally draining series that is so exacerbating in the way it was presented. It had such deeply poignant undertones to its characters – all of them. Yet, proceeded to present them so superficially and without any serious profundity to them. If you are going to present distressingly flawed individuals, you need to present them in such a way that we can feel their pain with more solemnity and intensely. Not just seeing it in snippets or revealed in discourses. That was not the only flaw in the story which began so enticingly but ended up being just another trite-filled half-empty pseudo-psychological case study filled with people who, I do not think, honestly, exist. At least not in real life. What is so bothersome about Japanese BLs as of late is that they play everything too safe. The story, the screenplay, the acting, the plot, and worst of all the lovemaking. This is a story full of intrinsic pain treated with superficiality and in glossy terms. They present individuals in highly idealized fashion that simply do not exist or as adolescent caricatures. Introducing change in an entrenched culture is difficult and the subtle hints about gay marriage in this series were not lost and are deeply appreciated. Art in all its forms, including BLs, is the perfect vehicle to introduce change to an audience that would be more receptive to it. Be bolder and take bolder steps to be more real in presenting gay life. Reflect the real world for a change.

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May be a minority

Definitely prefers the novel and audio drama way over live action. I really like the story plot of Hidden Love. Hence, a little disappointed on the live adaptation.

Not sure why, but I feel the drama does not give off the same feelings and emotions as compared to other adaptations. May be a little too kiddish to watch. Definitely not easy on ZLS to act out different stages of life for Sang Zhi in the drama.

IMO, no hates on the actor, but I do not favor as much how Sang Yan's role is being acted out in this drama. Too much of a character change?

Regardless, if you like the plot, please read the novel / listen to audio drama.

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" Some Feelings are bound to disappear and some Feelings are destined to be Long lasting. "

Hello 👋 Everyone. This is my first review, so first of all thank you for reading this. Shine On Me ✨️ was a cute, fluffy and slow burn drama which I liked so much. Song Weilong and Zhao Jinmai did their best in portraying Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang 🎉. Personally I liked Nie Xiguang's positivity and her charmness. I also liked the warmth and gentleness of Lin Yusen.

Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang :

They are the light of this drama which kept the drama engaging throughout. Lin Yusen was a top tier neurosurgeon who was unfortunate to mess up with his hands in a accident which kept him away from medicine for two years. He had that accident on the way to meet Xiguang ( it is a misinformation ). Due to this there was a misunderstanding between them for few eps then resolved later. His love was really pure ❤️ which was shown when he chose Nie Xiguang again eventhough he thought that she left him after his accident ( misunderstanding ). And of course, I have to tell for the viewers that he won't have much screentime at the first few eps due to FL's college story but after that we get to see him throughout the drama ☺️.

Nie Xiguang was a Business school student who had a crush on Zhuang Xu, a top student and was the tutor to her cousin. She eventually confessed and turned down but she didn't wanted to give up on him. Later due to a misunderstanding she moved on from him and met our ML. After graduation, she joined Shuangyuan Photovoltaic where she met Lin Yusen and gradually they fell in love. I have to tell that the period where Lin Yusen pursued Xiguang was especially sweet. I loved it.

Guangyu Photovoltaic Co. Ltd ( formerly known as Shuangyuan ):

This is a firm based on the production and distribution of solar panels. This part was so informative about the solar industry such as BAPV [ Building attached Photovoltaic ] and BIPV [ Building Integrated Photovoltaic ]. I really appreciate that they kept this drama realistic with the timeline when solar industry bloomed in China.
After meeting NXG, LYS realized his dreams of the medical field and moved towards it while NXG directed Guangyu towards development. Their personal growth in their fields was really worth watching.

Lin Yusen's Family :

Lin Yusen's mother was a nice character who was supportive with his decisions and his step father who gave space for him and his mother. I actually felt sad for LYS when I heard his father has passed away.

Nie Xiguang's Family :

First of all, when I hear the word NXG's family the first character comes to my mind is Jiang Rui ( Nie Xiguang's cousin ). I liked him very much. He was really supportive and protective of her as a brother. His mother portrayed a wonderful women entrepreneur in the business world and the ultimate shipper of our couple. Absolutely, I am obliged to tell about NXG's mother Jiang Yun who was a second favourite character in her family. After getting divorce from NXG's father Nie Chengyuan, she spent her life carefree but later her realization on the influence of others comments were wonderful. Especially, she was also supportive to our couple. Her bother and Jiang Rui's father was also a nice character. The only character what I disliked in the whole drama was NXG's father for his foolishness to go to the con artist friend ( Qian Fangping ). And the scene where she spoke heartbroken to her father for doubting her without second thought made me cry 😢.

OSTs :

The OSTs of this drama was beautiful 💕. My favourite ones were :
1. You Are The Sun In My Life - Lu Yuanyi
2. Coming For You - Zhang Hao

Conclusion :

This drama was a great drama for me. The only thing I disliked was the abrupt cuts from one scene to another. Overall this drama is a 10/10 for me 🤗. I want to conclude with one of my favourite lines in the drama :
" No, It’s not about choosing. I would always end up with him. "

I want to describe the drama as :
" The Delightful Journey of Sunlight ( Nie Xiguang ) and Forest ( Lin Yusen ). "

Once again Thank you for reading this review 💖.

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Late to the CLOY party, but in Awe!

Crash Landing on You is only my eighth K-drama, and I was not prepared for how deeply it would affect me. I watched it in one go, cried through most of it, and when it ended, it stayed with me. I am now on my second rewatch and already know a third one is coming. Honestly, it has ruined other dramas for me for now. This is not a series you simply finish and move on from.

Here is my honest review, even though I'm late to the party.

What makes this drama so powerful is not just the premise, but the execution. The writing trusts silence. Again and again, the most important moments between Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri are carried by pauses, by looks, by what is not said. The stillness between them is never empty. It is heavy with feeling, restraint, fear, and love. That choice alone elevates this series far above many others.

What becomes especially clear on a rewatch is how carefully this story is constructed. The creators pay close attention to detail, planting moments early on that quietly gain meaning later. There are visual and emotional echoes throughout the series that only fully land the second or third time you watch. It creates that rare feeling where you suddenly understand why a moment mattered, why a line was delivered a certain way, or why a scene felt heavier than it seemed at first. This is a series that genuinely rewards attention.

At the same time, the show knows exactly when to let you breathe. The humor is smart and well timed. It is never forced, never childish, and never breaks the emotional flow. The comedy grows naturally out of character and situation. You laugh not because something is exaggerated, but because the writing is sharp and the timing is right.

Casting is a major reason why this series works as well as it does. The characters are well written, but they only resonate because the actors clearly understand what the story asks of them. The creators have described Crash Landing on You as a pure romance, and that choice is reflected in the restrained performances. The distance between the leads is physical, not emotional. Their feelings are fully visible, but touch is held back on purpose. Behind-the-scenes footage only reinforces this, showing how strong the chemistry actually was. On screen, the actors rely on silence, timing, and eye contact rather than physical closeness, which gives the romance its depth and emotional weight.

The supporting characters are just as strong and never feel like filler. Seo Dan and her storyline add real emotional weight and contrast to the main couple. Her arc deepens the themes of duty, longing, and loss without pulling focus away. Family members, authority figures, and rivals are written as people, not just plot devices. Sometimes they are frustrating, sometimes unexpectedly kind, but always believable. That makes the world around the main couple feel real, not staged.
Then there is the community around them. The ducklings are genuinely funny and warm, not slapstick or forced. They become a chosen family, adding heart and humor in a very natural way. The village women and everyday moments bring grounding and texture to the story. Love in this series is not only romantic. It shows up in care, protection, shared food, teasing, and loyalty. That sense of community is a big part of why the emotional moments hit as hard as they do.

All of this builds toward moments like the ring scene, for example. That scene works precisely because of everything that comes before it. It is quiet, intimate, and understated, yet emotionally overwhelming. There is no big speech or dramatic declaration. Just thoughtfulness, mutual recognition, and a shared moment that says everything without spelling anything out. It stayed with me long after watching because it captures the heart of their relationship.
The only critical points I have are that I would have liked to see slightly more intimacy, not sex or explicit scenes but more physical closeness through touch, hugs, and presence, and that I missed more acknowledgement of Ri Jeong-hyeok from Se-ri’s world, where he is introduced as a bodyguard despite clearly being far more, and where subtle recognition would have added emotional closure.

Even though the series ended a few years back, the community around Crash Landing on You is still active. People continue to discuss details, scenes, and emotions because the series resonates on a shared level. If you love this drama, you tend to recognize that love in others without much explanation.

Of course, there are small flaws, and you notice them more the more you rewatch. Normally, I am very critical of those things. But with this series, I accepted them without resistance. That alone says everything. I fell completely in love with the cast, the setting, the story, the music, and the emotional world it created.

Crash Landing on You is not just a drama. It is an experience. It shows how powerful love can be, how deeply people can change each other, and why connection matters so much in this world. For me, this is a solid 10 out of 10.

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