Reviews

Deceive The Eye.

Every episode of this drama felt like a painting created by our female lead, Sarah Kim. Just as a masterpiece speaks differently to each viewer, every person who encountered Sarah walked away with a completely different impression of who she was.

The acting is generally decent, but Shin Haesun is the undeniable star. She delivers an impressive performance as the ever-shifting Sarah. She seamlessly slips into multiple personas, masterfully blending into the high society. You truly believe she is whoever she needs to be.

The story itself is gripping, a cleverly constructed puzzle box. The writers clearly put thought into tying the complex narrative together, and the interrogation scenes are a particular highlight. The sharp wordplay crackles with tension, especially when Sarah taunts Detective Park with the unforgettable question: “Is it a con if there were no victims?” It’s a moment that cuts to the very heart of the drama’s theme.

At its core, The Art of Sarah is a sophisticated exploration of greed. It masterfully shows how anyone, even the elite and knowledgeable, can become a victim when driven by desire. Often, the ones being deceived are just as desperate and grasping as the con artist herself. The drama also cleverly critiques how society equates material possessions with class and worth, providing the perfect playground for Sarah’s schemes.

However, like a painting viewed up close, a few brushstrokes feel unfinished. There were a few loose ends, most notably the mystery of the male remains found in the reservoir. While the central story felt complete, such unresolved questions prevent it from being a flawless masterpiece.

In the end, I truly appreciated Sarah’s carefully curated “work of art.” It was layered, deliberate, and full of surprises. It may not have been perfect, but its ambition and its unforgettable central performance made it a memorable portrait.

Read More

Totally Bad And Crazy!

Honestly, my rating is more on how this show made me feel because the physical aspects of this show could be better, and little details. But basically, I loved this; it had everything I wanted in a K-drama because I love humor, with a dark side and some violence and action, which made me love this K-drama so much that I grew attached to it over the span of the 7 days I’ve watched it. This K-drama was so funny to me, I really deeply loved the aspect of the split personality with K. It was so fun to watch Su-yeol slowly get attached to K because at first he was taking pills to get rid of K, which every time K appeared again made it very funny, watching Su-yeol get mad. I really loved the chemistry of the characters and I am so entirely happy that Lee Dong-wook played Su-yeol. I absolutely loved his acting in Strangers From Hell, and watching him in Bad and Crazy was a whole entire experience. He did the role so well, I couldn’t see any other actor taking that role. And I loved the Bad and Crazy duo, Bad being Su-yeol and Crazy being K, of course. Their personalities were so different and clashed, it made it very interesting to watch, and there were so many humor moments that I cherish. I loved how they did things together and solved things even though he looked alone, he really wasn’t alone, and I found it so funny when he would be yelling at K and other people were near, just seeing him scream at no one that was truly funny. And what this show did well was balance the dark topics, of the split personalities, gaslighting, etc. Honestly, I would definitely rewatch this because it just made me feel so happy and it holds an invisible weight to me. I’m so sad that I finished it, but now I can remind myself of it. I loved all the moments in this. I really needed to watch a humorous K-drama (with a bit of dark) because I’ve watched so many dark shows with no humor. I needed a balance, and this was the perfect show to watch. I’ve enjoyed it so much.

Read More

Quite fresh youth drama.

I watched this since i am on journey to search Li You Lin drama. I remember i saved this drama for Zhang Jin Yi since it was campus drama and i have a mood to watch this after found mediocre dramas recently.

This drama is original script and has a clear message. The plot is normal and probably reflects things we've all encountered. The characters are people we know or friends around us. It's righteous yet wicked, completely unlike a typical short drama. Four people from four different families—one from a single-parent family, one divorced, one orphaned—each with their own difficulties and problems. Two couples experience their own stirrings and interactions, and two pairs of best friends face various trials. There is no kiss which is understandable since it is campus drama.

The story encompasses friendship, family, and budding romance. Rich in content, with a complete narrative and natural progression, it unfolds with a comfortable, gentle flow. There are no forced or contrived conflicts, making me feel like I was back in high school. Li You Lin and Zhang Jin Yi looks and acting perfectly suit their roles; they're genuinely young, not just pretending to be young.

Recommended to Watch.

Read More

This drama has a lot of good traits, yet there are also some things where it failed to fullfill my expectations.

While the beginning successfully built up atmosphere and suspense, the later tribulations felt a bit rushed and therefore took out some spice. I couldn't fully enjoy the romance the way I wanted to. I'm not a fan of cushy pink clouds or those childish romance gestures/attitudes between the main couple. Playful yes, but not childish. The overall romance wasn't as intense as I had hoped for, at least for me. A huge part caused the FLs acting, that felt quite limited many times. Facial expressions failed to deliver enough emotions.

My favored atmosphere as well as suspense became better again during the end of the last tribulation and when the arc in the demon realm started. And wow, the demon arc was great, but a bit too short. I would have liked to watch that part a bit longer - and with more amnesia.

I found the whole cast very pleasant and the hidden villain was well played. Special applause to the cast who always played the parents. They were great and their appearances were always a delight.
I still don't get why they changed the actress of the SFL though. Whether it was planned from the beginning or had to be done later on for whatever reason, they wrote the change into the script, so it would make sense, but it was not necessary at all, imo. I liked the first version better.

Visuals were great, makeup and costumes beautiful, as well as colorful cinematography/CGI. Yet they actually put some mannequins in armor in the background during one of the last episodes, as well as a few not so well made CGI "power moves". That was a small letdown.

I overall still enjoyed this drama and the cast alot. It was fun, seeing the actors and actresses in different roles over and over again. The few complaints I have about this drama are mostly completely subjective and don't mean others would feel the same. Those were just not my thing.

Read More

Quite like how natural the leads interact.

I was reluctant to watch this but i tried to watch this drama on last week and it turns out it was good.

Plot is about ML died and was reborn, beginning to make up for his past mistakes. He desperately tries to be good to the FL, exposing and distancing himself from the green tea SFL.

Fang Zheng Nan and Xue Zi Qi have chemistry that i can't help but feel happy to see them. They're like brothers and sisters, soulmates Their kissing scenes are very natural. Leads interactions are very everyday, just like a couple's relationship. I quite like how they cried it felt so natural and Xue Zi Qi really embraced herself in FL character. The first episode almost brought me to tears, and after ML rebirth, almost all of episode had me laughing so hard in night until the level i tried to mute my own laugh.

Dubbing is a bit exaggerated, the duration was too long so i fast forward to 1,5x, and the filter is a little heavy, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. of watch this drama.

Recommended to Watch.

Read More

Not Worth It

Melody of Secrets was one of the shows I was really excited for when the original mock trailer dropped because it seemingly had a really unique plot. Unfortunately, the execution of the actual series did not live up to the hype. "Twists" in the story that weren't woven into the plot and were just there for shock value, and a plot that felt all over the place for no reason slapped together for a mediocre show. I don't even think I can give a proper summary, because it felt like the show kept changing directions every episode, and not in a good way.

Overall, I think that Force and Book did a decent job acting in this, but the show was so poorly written that it didn't matter. Every plot point felt unrelated to the next, and the overall story just did not live up to any of the concepts that they seemed to be going with. The murders didn't even seem to be all that important after awhile?? And then it was just tragic backstory and random plot twists. If you like mystery, there are much better shows; and if you like ForceBook, I'd still recommend pretty much any of their other shows over this.

Read More

This is a mixed bag of fruit. most sour and some sweet.

LOVE AND CROWN

This “Love and Crown” had so much potential to be a great drama, but the writing and acting just could not pull off the win. This drama had many positive points and good things about it.
"The drama in the end is disappointing. Its narrative suffers from a contrived and unnecessarily complex plot, undermining any genuine dramatic momentum. The characters lack depth and development, making it difficult for the audience to form a meaningful emotional connection. These shortcomings are further compounded by uninspired direction, which fails to bring coherence or nuance to the overall work." (diade68_778)

Production

The production and costumes were done well. The inner chambers looked authentic and gave you the feel of a grand production. It looked like it was the making of a beautiful drama. One thing about the costumes was the overuse of heavy clothing. I noticed with a lot of dramas lately that the cast has been wearing very heavy and layered clothing and oversized fur coats. While this I am sure, it is because of the cold and lack of heat, which could be avoided if they actually used some heat. Since I am not Asian and do not live in this type of culture, I cannot say as to why they film in such cold conditions. They spend so much money on Asian dramas, why not build sets like in Hollywood?

Acting and Cast:

The cast is absolutely beautiful with plenty of eye candy (my favorite part). How does (Ren Jia Lun) continue to look so good? With the cast, I felt like a great drama was going to come out of every scene, but that did not happen. So, again, so much potential but missing the mark. The acting was so sporadic. It was like walking the runway with the best design and falling flat on your face. Everything is great, and then it is not. The times when the camera paused on a face were too many and too long. With this it caused the actors to be a step behind, so the scene did not come together. It was as if they wanted to showcase certain actors with a side story that never truly developed. Honestly, none of the actors pulled their weight. Both leads, although beautiful in appearance, could not carry poor writing and directing. Not to mention they lacked the most important thing, chemistry.

The Story

The story was not bad, but it was far-fetched at times, the writer could have at least made the story believable. The dramas where the spies know everything are getting old. Seriously, they don’t even have social media. How did they know everything beforehand? The story gets lighthearted in the middle, then goes off the rails with a side story that is a bit much.

The Low Rating:

I was wondering why the rating was so low. Now, I know it was not a good watch. It had too many holes and flaws. Which seemed to be because of poor writing, dialog and directing. Perhaps they were inexperienced and did not know how to pull everything together. In conclusion, the rating was well deserved.

Read More

Decent but not that decent and worth to try!

I think there are already tons of stories about con artists, but what really makes this drama stand out is how the writer adds layers to explain why Sarah became a con artist, while also maintaining a great pace across all 8 episodes. Every episode ends with an intriguing cliffhanger that keeps you constantly guessing. I absolutely loved Shin Haesun as Sarah she really embodies the character without ever making it feel like she’s acting. She’s effortlessly charming. Her chemistry with everyone is fantastic too, whether it’s with Junhyuk or the senior actors connected to Sarah.

From a technical standpoint, I think the drama is very well done, especially in how they use smooth transitions between scenes to strengthen the storytelling. I really like how the director takes advantage of that.

That said, one thing that slightly bothered me is the drama’s timeline, which seems to be around 2018–2023 (cmiiw). I feel like the story would be much more believable if it were set in a time when internet access wasn’t so easy. Because honestly: 1) sure, some rich people might be naive, but with the huge revenue from Budoir, wouldn’t someone question whether the brand is actually legit? And the boutique accepting that much money in CASH wouldn’t the employees be suspicious about where all that money came from? (Even though in the early episode, a staff member did run off to check whether Sarah’s cash was real.)

Kang Jihwon’s role is important in my opinion, but I don’t think the casting was quite right. Kim Jaewon isn’t exactly bad, but while watching, I felt an imbalance between him and Haesun, which made it hard for me to fully enjoy Sarah and Jihwon’s dynamic. Compared to Sarah’s interactions with Yeonjin, Choi Chaeu, or even Hong Seongsin, their relationship just didn’t land the same way. I feel like if Kang Jihwon had been played by someone like Song Geonhee, Nam Yoonsu, or Jung Gunjoo, the character would’ve felt more convincing and better matched alongside Shin Haesun.

Read More

Who are we? Are we who we believe ourselves to be, or who others see us as?

If you need one reason to watch this drama, it’s Shin Hae Sun. She is unbelievably good in every role she plays. Even when the script is lacking (which unfortunately happens more and more these days), her characters are always interesting and unique. She takes on challenging roles and delivers them brilliantly. This is no exception.

The story is quite intriguing. It’s not perfect, and at times it may feel confusing. But… it’s entertaining and good enough for binge-watching. You can’t really complain about the concept or the acting. However, the execution isn’t without flaws. Is it worth giving this drama a chance? If you have time, the answer is yes. If your schedule is tight - maybe not.

There are many things that simply don’t make sense. That can definitely be off-putting. I was aware of it the entire time I was watching, but I decided to ignore it. It was entertaining enough for me. If you can do the same, you’ll probably enjoy it too.

The biggest issue lies in the high-fashion world portrayed in the drama. Too many elements lack logic. I think the screenwriter either did it intentionally for the sake of the story and chose to overlook realism, or didn’t do enough research. And if it’s the latter, that’s even more disappointing, especially considering how much information is easily accessible online.

However, the strongest point of this story is its portrayal of people. It paints a picture of society that, in my opinion, is far from optimistic - it may even feel quite sad. But it is necessary and important. This society is hungry and full of ambition. Desire can only grow, never diminish. People want more, but often not for themselves, rather for appearances. In such world, does anyone still live for themselves, or only for how others perceive them?

Moreover, some doors can never be crossed, no matter how hard you work or how much you sacrifice. Some things are simply beyond our reach. When the boy says he does something simply because it’s “fun”, it hits you how much you had to sacrifice, how much you had to risk, while for him it was just an adventure - possible only because of his status.

It certainly isn’t an uplifting story, but it does make you think. It’s not worth living for others , it’s worth living for yourself. And happiness has to be found within. Otherwise, the unfulfilled hunger for ambition will only continue to grow. And happiness will never come.

Read More

This unhinged mess is now my favorite BL of all time

Okay, I have to start by saying that this is very, very silly. The plot is mostly dumb. I mean, it's genius, the whole idea of a straight boy coming up with a plan to get revenge on his ex-gf by seducing her new bf is just about absurd enough to be absolutely hilarious AND dramatic at the same time. And this show pulls off both! Still, it's hard to deny that many plot lines feel rushed or unfinished, many things that actually happen to the characters and all the action moments are really chaotic and weird and not believable… But what I realised right from the start is that not only do I not care about any of that but I also genuinely like that for this drama. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the things that make this show look deeply unserious exactly when it's actually dealing with serious stuff are that way because of how little budget they had for it, and then of course there's the fact that Asian BL dramas are generally known for having cartoonish plots of varying degree because that's not the point. But here it's really all so fitting that it made me appreciate it even more, and the silliness definitely adds to how charming this show is. I think I can put it like this: I adore all main character interactions even if most of the time the reasons for them to be interacting are kind of dumb. Anyway, it's brilliant.

I know, I'm just being extremely subjective and irrational because I'm so in love, but I'll be irrational then. So yeah, it’s my number one favorite BL of all time now because honestly it’s out of this world.

I’ve felt so many emotions it' s hard to describe. I literally haven’t felt this much about anything in my own life for months — maybe even years. The chemistry between the two leads is insane, and I guess it's a consensus at this point that it's what makes this show so great. All the other characters (except maybe Wang Zhen — I don’t mind him, but I don’t particularly care for him) are incredible too, but come on, Ziyu and Tian Xu Ning are the goats.

Those who watched the show already know how deep and touching their story is, how it's toxic at first, and then dramatic, and of course very sexy and romantic all through, so I won't talk more on that. But let me be a little shallow here for a moment because I just have to share. It's typical to appreciate how beautiful the leads in dramas are, even to thirst over their looks, we're all lovers of beautiful boys here so it's super normal. But I don't remember myself this crazy about the characters' looks in a long time... Like, I literally couldn't shut up looking at their cute little faces, I just had to scream about how cute they are in every frame. I had to voice how much I couldn't handle seeing Ziyu's adorable face and wanting to boop his nose and not being able to... And I just had to whine about Tian Xu Ning's fffffffing freckles... But yeah, it's about the characters, so I'll talk about the characters, like how Wu Suo Wei is the most precious foxy baby angel and Chi Cheng is a stunning drama king and the cutest tall-bean bad boy I remember seeing which is kind of crazy because he's a walking cliche but at the same time he really, astonishingly isn't. Anyway, the two of them are the prettiest, handsomest couple I’ve seen, quite possibly ever. They are just extremely cute and pretty. I’m honestly amazed at how gorgeous they both are — incredible-looking guys. Phew okay I'm done. For now...

And then the humour in this show… I wheezed with laughter more times than I can count. I suspect the translations available to us are far from perfect, not to say that it’s generally harder to translate Chinese and make it clear and funny - and I still was so, so entertained, even when I sometimes got confused by what was said or how it was phrased. I'm now feeling a desire to study Chinese that I can barely keep at bay, I really don't have the mental capacity for something like this right now but it's becoming a sort of obsession.

I also have to say that I hate the voice over aspect of Chinese dramas, but I want to express my appreciation for the voice actors and how perfect their voices suited the characters here, that can be said for everyone but especially the guy who voiced Guo Cheng Yu. I don't know how it would have been had it been possible for them to film like they do (almost) everywhere else in the world, of course it would have been better overall, but as it is I think the voice over (being obviously a voice over including all the fake ass sounds of footsteps, objects, environment, children's voices, etc) was done well - I mean, again, the actors who voiced the main characters. And yes, Ziyu who voiced himself is an especially bright little star and I love his voice with all my heart.

I love almost all the music. There are two English songs that appear only once around episodes 20-21-22 that weren't really necessary, but all the others, like the theme songs for the couples and the op and ed and MOST OF ALL the theme song for Suo Wei's mom and house - gorgeous.

The speed at which disturbing moments (though there weren’t that many of them here, and I’m grateful for that) switch to unhinged hilarity is genuinely insane but then again, it's the world of Asian TV for you (I love it). Korean dramas got me kind of used to simply having absurd comedy and heart-wrenching tragedy in one show, Thai dramas radically closed the gap between how quickly one can replace the other, and here, in this beautiful mess of a Chinese drama, it all gets just kind of mushed together — and I don’t even care at this point. I just watch with my mouth open. I don’t even register whether I’m laughing or gawking or screaming or crying, or why exactly I'm doing any of those things. I’m just enjoyin seein ma boys.

I realise now that the most content heavy parts of this review are the one where I shit on the plot and that other shallowly thirst over the actors' looks............... but you gotta believe me, my love for this show is DEEP. So will be yours, go watch it, or rewatch it, because I'm going to do just that anyway, so see you on Y**tube I guess

Read More

Brought something new and intriguing to the table. A horror BL, say no more

While I am very much aware of the loopholes / drawbacks etc. with everything aside I personally enjoyed the show very much. A show is good when you randomly start thinking about it while being engaged in something else. That is what this BL did to me.

The plot was intriguing, scary, it made me hold my breadth for a long time. The way the writer had put horror, mystery, black magic and romance in one series made me astonished. The pace was amazing. The ending could have been a lot more better as they did leave a lot of point unresolved. It was rushed but taking that into consideration the rest of the series and plot was really well made. The way the case slowly unresolved itself was much better than I expected. I loved how the romance is not the main focus of the series however the actors delivered solid chemistry and it is definitely makes a big part of the plot and integrated well with the whole horror theme. It is definitely on the scarier side but at the same time the plot managed to keep a suspense in it that didn't make the 13 episodes feel boring.

One of Change's best direction and cinematography. It wasn't over the top but it truly brought the scary element in it. There was a lot of hard work that went behind to create all the scenes. The dummies, prosthetic make up, props and everything else that made this drama a sold horror thriller, I want to give my kudos to the crew for arranging them. In behind the scenes I saw the cast going through different trainings like forensic equipment usage to familiarize themselves with everything. That's true dedication.
A big round of applause for the cast. I can see tremendous improvement in everybody. Pavel literally became Singha. I thought I will have a hard time getting used to Babe as Singha but he looked so hot and acted so well as the inspector. Pooh might need some more experience on the voice (Change please give him a voice coach), his expressions were definitely on point. Honestly in Pitbabe for mee PoohPavel's chemistry didn't stand out much but her I fell for them. Topten and Michael came so strong this time. I was so stunned with how much they were into their character throughout. Lee is such an underrated actor, I loved every scene with him. My first time seeing Otto and wow he absolutely killed his role. Rest of the cast also did fantastic job. The actress playing the female ghost was fantastic, deserves more appreciation.

I think this is definotely one of the most well made dramas with a great plot and acting. I wished the ending were better but it's Change so. Even with the rushed ending the world building, plot progressions and acting was so on point I gave it a 10/10.

Read More

A SECOND CHANCE AT GLORY

The narrative centers on He Yan, a woman who assumes her step-brother's place in battle, achieves remarkable victories, and is ultimately betrayed and killed by her own family to conceal her true identity. Due to the condensed episode count, the training camp arc is intense and fast-paced. Rather than spending ten episodes depicting He Yan's struggles with bullying, the series presents a swift and rewarding progression. He Yan leverages her experience to train, participate in battles, and earn merits, aiming to become a female general. This approach makes the 36-episode series feel like a concentrated military campaign rather than a leisurely journey.

Additionally, the reduced number of episodes necessitates a purposeful development of the relationship between He Yan and Xiao Jue. The narrative does not allow for prolonged misunderstandings. Their connection is established through shared strategies and swordplay on the battlefield, which proves more compelling than conventional romantic declarations.

In conclusion, this is my second viewing of this C-drama, and it continues to provide adrenaline, excitement, and emotional resonance, exceeding my expectations once again. The series offers the depth and satisfaction of an expansive historical war drama while remaining accessible within a limited timeframe. It is ideally suited for a weekend viewing, as it can be completed without feeling overly time-consuming.

Read More

High-class soap opera

Bizarrely fluctuating between an exuberant reflection on young adult life in Hong Kong and a gory thriller, Nomad possesses an enchanting quality about it to the point it can be absorbingly disorientating. It manages to capture a brutal honesty of youth, from hairstyles to philosophies, but beneath its exterior lies a moody, elliptical meditation on alienation, desire, and a generation untethered from stable identity as the film's quartet of characters drift aimlessly together, going on dates, having sex, and vaguely contemplating the future. Unfortunately, its story is unfocused, playing more like an episodic series of skits filled with absurdist comedy, and, despite being relatively short, its pacing is exceptionally slow. Granted, the film is at least a looker; the photography and art direction are absolutely stunning, although Patrick Tam's actual direction is relatively messy, the super unsexy sex scenes filmed in choppy slow motion really hammer that home. His tone is one of impish confidence, never allowing his characters to fully succumb to the anxieties that pervade them. The sudden shift from languid romance to random acts of brutality in the final act feels almost like a wake-up call for the viewer, almost like the writers were trying to inject a bit of excitement to cap it all off. It really does just come out of nowhere, especially after wallowing in plenty of self-indulgent pretences for most of the thankfully short runtime. The performances from its cast are mostly solid, but the musical score tips over into pervasive, heavy-handed, if you would, rendering certain scenes ridiculous when they perhaps would have benefited from simple silence. As a cornerstone of the Hong Kong New Wave, it remains provocative, melancholic and stylistically bold, but all comes together as an ultimately disorderly and chaotic experience. Nomad certainly drifts through the motions, losing sight of what it really wants to be. It feels kind of cruel to have watched this after My Heart is that Eternal Rose, but I was expecting more than a high-class soap opera.

Read More