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Look forward to each episode.
Storyline is fresh and main characters are unfolding in unexpected ways. I like that I cannot read them from beginning with lots of twist along the way. Chemistry is there. It is just coming from very damaged people. So not traditional swooning plot.I am glad to get rid of crappy people quickly like this. It is annoying to see a villain last and last. So that is nice. Loving the slow show of beauty in scenery and clothing and acting. I want to savor and it gives me time.
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boo AI !!
I was very invested because of the premise and the first few minutes of the first episode but I can't ignore the AI. I do not care in the slightest what the reason is, it's incredibly gross to use it no matter what. Also it looks terrible, and it replaced artists who could've done a great job actually making the scenesWas this review helpful to you?
GREAT STORY
disclaimer.. I am not supporting cheating behavior but I’m just trying to understand what the writer want to tell us through this drama..Also the title of this drama really tell us the ending actually..
Finally,
Love is not always be together..
Break up could be peacefully when we can understand why we met at the first place..
Good job for all of the team!!! Thank you so much for this beautiful drama.
P.s.
I’m team ml & fl LOL!!!
Also huge fans of SKJ!
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A Captivating Start That Loses Its Way
I was totally drawn into this drama and loved it at first. Tian Xiwei is fantastic in the dual roles of Wei Rao and A Chou—she completely disappears into both characters, and after loving her in Pursuit of Jade, it was great to see her range here. The storyline is compelling, and her relationship with Lu Zhuo, played by Yan An, is genuinely fun to watch.I absolutely loved the first half of the drama. I was so hooked that I couldn't stop watching. Watching A Chou and Lu Zhuo slowly fall for each other, and the way they always save each other, was the highlight for me. Their chemistry is what makes the show work.
But I think it started losing its momentum, and the story became repetitive. How many times can she plot and scheme before it starts to feel like the same cycle over and over? In that sense, the second half was a letdown.
The ending is open-ended, clearly leaving the door open for a potential next season. It's hard to judge it fully because it doesn't feel like a complete story. But if there is another season, I worry it would just be more of the same—her having to fight the royals who are left in the court all over again.
Final Verdict: A good watch overall, elevated by Tian Xiwei's standout dual performance and a strong first half, but ultimately let down by a repetitive second half and an inconclusive ending. Recommended if you're a fan of the leads, but go in knowing the story doesn't wrap up neatly.
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CRIMINAL characters but criminally excellent
Well, obviously the main cast — including the “good” character — are all criminals that need to spend many years in jail, which is typical for novels like this.However, it is written so intelligently and with attention to detail that my list of unbelievable aspects of the show is very short, what almost never happens. So this is excellent work, indeed.
Of course, the ending is too good to be true, but is not impossible.
On a technical issue: the dubbing always make Chinese productions sound off because everywhere else production teams use on set microphones so the sound is way more natural rather than people speaking right to your ear as in this case. Let alone the issue of lip syncing which will be fixed only now with the wider use of artificial neural networks.
A bit more details in a spoiler tagged comment below.
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Heartwarming & Healing story to lift your spirits
Truly an amazing, cozy drama. I loved every aspect of it, and it's been a while since I've loved a drama as much as this one.The way this drama explored personal growth, careers, romance, friendship, and found family was beautifully done.
This drama had one of the most mature, beautiful, and heartwarming romantic developments I've ever watched!!! The chemistry, story, character development, everything was a solid 10/10.
It's such a comforting, heartwarming show that will definitely lift your spirits. And one of the best things about it? The little quotes and bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout the drama are pure gold. Some of them really stay with you and touch your heart.
Bottom line, an absolutely heartwarming, cozy drama that offers so much more than just romance and will completely steal your heart.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is I think the 13th tGL I watched & this is the first one that tackled not one but two obvious issues that I feel were always strangely omitted in the other GLs I've seen. Firstly in this show one of the main characters is actually wondering if her love interest is into girls & is thinking about how to find that out and I liked that. Honestly I think the assumption that in these dramas every lesbian character not only has a 100% perfect gaydar, but is also always fully confident is highly unrealistic.
Secondly there is a mom who is not all that thrilled about her daughter dating a girl. This was also well done -at least until the finale- since it makes a lot of sense that no matter how open minded, a parent would need time to process that there might be a wrinkle in the ehm having grandchildren plan. In other GL's parents are always fully supportive from the first minute, which is highly unrealistic for plots where the woman in question has not come out.
Normally I dislike parent - child conflicts over the choice of spouse, but in this drama at least the distressed mum was fairly adorable about it.
Anyway I liked both couples and the supporting characters very much & overall this was very chill & soothing entertainment. Sure, as usual there is not much depth here, but the fundamental romantic plots are decently well done & did not really feel bored at any point.
Okay, so why is the score so low?
Well, the finale is quite weak. It's technically a fairly chill & fluffy happy ending, the type I tend to like the most, but none of the character arks were wrapped up in a way that I haven't found mildly outrageous, let alone satisfying. Furthermore the store related happenings were not great in general. There was that stupid moment when our educated and supposedly super smart professor encouraged Wan to drop $$$ on renovating her failing store. Even if I were willing to get past this, but in the final episode she gives it up right away, because "I miss working in an office" like girl WTH.
Also this drama -as most GLs- is full of juvenile plots. At this point I'm kind of wondering what exactly is the demographic they are targeting with these? For real, I don't know what is the expected gender, age and level of education of the audience. Maybe it's for the entire family to watch together???
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JingJing is great in this show, but it's really weird that in this shared universe the actress plays two different characters & will return to the previous one in the next one from this series.
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Zero Chemistry
I initially had fun watching this drama. I loved the friendship dynamics and comedy. It was a chill drama to watch, and in the beginning, I liked both the ML and FL. But as the drama progressed, I felt like there was something missing.One of those things was definitely the lack of character and personality development for both the ML and FL. Because tell me why, after a couple of episodes, the FL has only ONE expression throughout the entire drama, regardless of the situation.
The other was the zero chemistry between the ML and FL. I kept waiting to start liking them as a couple, but after a while, I realised I just couldn't feel any chemistry between them. Moreover, there was a significant disconnect in how the FL's thoughts and emotions were portrayed once they started dating. It felt like we barely got any insight into what she was thinking or feeling anymore. She just became mute after that.
Overall, loved the chaotic character dynamics, but the romance was wildly underwhelming and underdeveloped.
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A romcom set in a beautiful countryside, excellent performances but weak story and plot.
The beginning of this drama completely captivated me; Ji Chang-wook’s range as an actor was truly amazing and breathtaking. I really appreciated how the cast managed to portray simple, everyday life situations with such depth and authenticity. I also loved the versatility shown by the female lead—shifting from a neurotic, workaholic photographer in Seoul to a playful, almost adolescent-like girl when interacting with her childhood friends. These ordinary, simple, yet profound conversations were enjoyable for me up until about the middle of the series, after which the plot began to falter, with nothing of real substance happening. Furthermore, the music and sound design were quite weak and failed to complement the storyline. All in all, I would describe this drama as a sweet, pleasant, and relaxing watch, featuring excellent acting performances, though let down by a weaker plot and soundtrack.Was this review helpful to you?
Recommend it 100% to people who are progressive as well as with a (somewhat) orthodox mindset
Genuinely a gem of drama. The topics on which it is centered, should make the drama raunchy, but it tackled the progressiveness with such maturity. It shows how different people have different mindsets about their relationships and how there is no one correct answer.I could personally relate to Yeon Su a lot. This drama made me more and more comfortable with each episode and brave enough to get to know myself a bit more. It's definitely a feel good drama and the character development of all the characters was really well written. Kudos to the writers! and kudos to the actors who acted so well to the characters! and kudos to the director for executing everything so spendidly.
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A pleasant comedy set in a teenage environment, which didn't particularly impress or excite me.
After reading positive reviews, I was really looking forward to watching it. However, after the first few episodes, I found that the characters got on my nerves; they struck me as rather cringey, and some of the conversations felt absurd. Watching up until the 8th episode was a real struggle. From the 9th episode on, the plot picked up a bit, and as the characters matured, their acting began to feel natural and pleasant. So, the ending was actually quite good. As for the actors Cha Eun-woo and Hwang In-yeop, I found them more physically attractive than particularly skilled as actors. To sum it up, the drama was a bit of a disappointment for me. I would, however, highlight the music—it was truly excellent and really enhanced the series' atmosphere.Was this review helpful to you?
Let's go to hell!
We're all watching this drama with our eyes and ears open knowing damn well we will end up using the whole worlds tissue supply to wipe off our tears.It was my first time watching a drama with Jin young as the lead, and im very pleased. Hes verrryyyyy handsome and definitely top 10 daddiest idols turned actors out there.
this drama intrigued me a lot because i feel like smart women dont get represented in romance dramas as much as id like them to. For me i bonded the most with our female lead played by none other than queen Kim you jung. Now, kim you jung is arguably one of my most favorite korean actresses, i really enjoy seeing her face and she just never fails to steal my heart.
as for the drama, all of the leads have AMAZING chemistry with eachother, all of their stories are very interesting to me and i love the bond they have with eachother. the story itself is very very touching its insane how much i can relate to ga gyeong with her desire of wanting to leave her home country and having hatred towards the government.. me too girl...me too.
All im gonna say is, you can always tell when the director loves the actors on set!
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Speak good or remain silent
In my opinion, this series is emotionally charged. Some might find it incomprehensible or illogical, and I disagree. It's a series with a written script, a writer, and a team of people who worked on it. I find it emotionally compelling in terms of excitement, sadness, and many twists and turns that can distract you from worshipping God alone, without any partners. If you reflect deeply, you'll realize that life is fleeting. I've strayed from the topic; I apologize. The paint is, my thinking, imagination, and opinions are intelligent. unlike your unproductive, self-serving, and biased perspectives. I've thought carefully and imagined the future with a second season and the continuation of the script, and I believe it will be beautiful if it continues like this. I'm excited about it. I think my words were unclear, but a perceptive and Intelligent person will understand them in just a few words. Thank you. This was your opinion on the series, not an unproductive criticism. May God guide you.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the most complete Chinese films in recent years
Overall, the screenplay is impressive, establishing the central conflict right from the start. However, the middle episodes drag on, to the point where I almost gave up on the series. I decided to stick with it, though, and was pleasantly surprised by how things unfolded in the latter part of the show.As for the acting, the cast delivers decent performances overall. To be honest, while I'm a fan of Tan Songyun, there are moments when she doesn't quite capture the emotional depth of her character. The male lead isn't given many challenging scenes, so his performance feels fairly average. The actress portraying Du Hua Mei, meanwhile, often comes across as overly theatrical. At times, I found it difficult to see her as the character rather than an actress consciously performing for the camera. I also think Guo Ke Yu, who plays the female lead's adoptive mother, does an excellent job in many of the emotionally charged scenes. The rest of the supporting cast deliver competent performances, fulfilling their respective roles without particularly standing out.
Visually, the cinematography is beautiful and polished, with many scenes carrying deeper layers of meaning. Many contemporary Chinese directors seem to favor slow motion and tilted camera angles to heighten emotional intensity, although, in my opinion, these techniques rarely achieve their intended effect. *Against the Current*, however, takes a different approach. The director employs other visual techniques to convey emotions and advance the story more effectively, which is one of the aspects that kept me engaged throughout the series.
As for the music, I genuinely enjoyed the songs featured in the show, particularly its original soundtrack (OST).
All in all, the series delivers a clear and meaningful message. Its visual storytelling and music also stand out compared to those of many other Chinese dramas released over the past five to six years.
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One of the best shows of 2026!!
I really liked how progressive the show was without loosing its values and morals, and actually accepting the morals with the progress. I loved everything about the relationship between the main characters. What I loved best was that there wasn't any miscommunication plot. They were truly honest with each other and they went so well together. Their relationship, I found a kind of purity to it in the sense that they valued it more than anything else trying to interfere with it. It was a first for both these people and it was sacred to them.The supporting characters showed a variety of relationships and that insight into these lives showed how ordinary relationships work. There wasn't anything extraordinary in these relations, and that is what made it so extraordinary because you don't see these in any other kdramas.
The patriarchal mindset of the grandfather would never change in this age, and I love that they did not do a 180 for his character. We all have seen grandparents who are set in their ways and we know that it is very hard for them to change. So that is why I liked that they kept the expectations realistic.
Overall, it was one of the best shows of 2026 so far. There wasn't a single boring episode. It was really good.
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