Reviews

A charming and much-needed program

This is already the second season of a Japanese dating show, but it is something much more than just a dating program or a reality show. I rooted for every couple from the second season as if they were my own friends — whether they ended up with the person they chose on the show or not, I truly wish them all the best.

Beyond the romantic aspect, the participants grow by sharing their experiences with one another. Even if they don’t find their other half on the show, they take so much away from this experience. It is a truly beautiful and touching program!

Of course, the producers aim to create a show, and at times I wished the cameras could be pushed aside and the participants allowed to experience these moments in private. Everyone seems so authentic and lovable that you just want to give them a hug. I admire how beautifully the participants are able to express their feelings and how maturely they communicate with one another.

Of course, it makes me sad that in today’s world coming out is still, for many people, a difficult moment because of fear of their loved ones’ reactions. I wish coming out could be a neutral statement — something no one would have to be afraid of.

This program, just as I wrote in the title of this review, is charming and very much needed.

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I can't stress it enough, watch this!

It's been a while (sadly) that I've been able to watch something and totally enjoy it. I was starting to think I'd never get out of my drama slump. I watched this, mainly for Jung Kyung Ho, who is always a treat. He was exceptional, as always, but I loved the rest of the cast as well. This drama was well-written, and I loved that each story line, for the most part, just had an episode or so. I felt invested in most of the stories. There were funny parts, which weren't forced, and heartfelt moments that had me tearing up. The ML was a complete jerk at the beginning, and his transition from that to a caring lawyer was a joy to watch - especially since you never quite knew where he stood. It had a great ending, and, I never say this, but I wouldn't complain about a second season.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool romantic, but I was so glad they didn't try to force that on us. This drama, for me at least, felt "clean" for lack of a better word. It didn't have any extraneous stuff that just wastes time and has you reaching for the remote to fast forward. It's been a long time since I felt, "Okay, I can do with less sleep, I'll just watch one more episode."

I did have a couple of issues, things that probably wouldn't bother the masses.
1) It's rated MA, and that's got to be for the language. I hate cursing and find it completely unnecessary and jarring. Plus, when you hear it, and see it written out as well, just not a fan. Has anyone, in the history of tv/movies, ever said, "I loved that show, I just wish it had more cursing in it."? It's become so commonplace that the masses are de-sensitized to it.
2) I loved ALL the actors, but after you watch enough shows, you see the same actors, and you know immediately who the bad guys are.
3) This is not a problem with the show, but with the subbing. It's kept moving from the top to the bottom of the screen and it was white wording, which was often on a light background and hard to read. If I could just get a handle on the Korean language, this wouldn't be an issue for me.

So, at the end of the day, I have sincere thanks for everyone involved in this drama for getting me out of my slump.

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Animals

I went into this drama knowing almost nothing, and I emerged from it with a surprising boost in self-confidence. I really didn’t expect that. What started as a casual watch slowly turned into something that made me stop and reflect on work, self-worth, and how much we allow ourselves to endure.

Plot*
The story follows Umi, an assistant director working for a major Japanese Talk show. Her entire life revolves around work. She is overworked to the point where she can’t even remember how many days she has gone without proper sleep. Her work environment is brutal; she’s the one who does everything, the one everyone relies on, and the one people dump their tasks on without a second thought.
After pushing herself for too long, Umi falls asleep during a live TV broadcast. It’s revealed on air that she has been working without sleep for three days straight. This sparks controversy and public backlash toward the TV station, forcing the company to give her time off. During this break, and with encouragement from Kazuo, a freelance photographer working for a company called Animal, Umi makes a life-changing decision: she quits her job as an AD and embarks on a completely new journey.
She joins Animal, a makeup company run by a CEO with a modern approach to work culture, a bit like Google, one that prioritises employee well-being, mental health, and balance. For the first time in her life, Umi is encouraged to speak up, share her ideas, and take care of herself. Slowly, she begins to rediscover not only her voice, but also her self-worth and her ability to love herself.

Thoughts & Themes

Well, the drama’s principal topic on toxic work culture is very strong and very real. Japan is known for having an extremely strict—and often toxic work environment, but what makes it even more troubling is how normalised it has become. Everyone knows it’s unhealthy, yet no one complains. People just endure it.

Animal, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. The CEO actively encourages employees to take days off, go skiing, rest, and look after their mental health. Most importantly, he actually listens to them. It’s uplifting and refreshing to watch such an environment, but the drama is also smart enough to show that even a comfortable environment can become a trap.

That is exactly what happens to Kazuo, who becomes so comfortable working for the company that he slowly forgets and stops chasing his dreams altogether. It subtly shows how such comfort can become a trap. When everything is supportive and easy, some people forget their ambitions and stop chasing bigger goals. The drama suggests that comfort does not always mean accomplishment, and that sometimes growth only happens in uncomfortable places. It doesn’t romanticise either extreme, and I enjoyed that aspect.

There’s also a rom-com element running alongside the heavier themes, with love triangles woven into the story, which keeps the drama light enough to watch without feeling overwhelmed.

About the Title
The title initially caught my attention, and I assumed it would mean something else. At first, I was surprised to realise it’s simply the name of the company. But the more I thought about it, the more intentional it felt. Maybe it’s also a commentary on how toxic systems treat people like animals, working them endlessly without care, while this company tries to redefine what work should look like.

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Very Realistic BL

This was a really enjoyable series to follow. It's a very realistic BL drama showing the true struggles for two men in today's society on how to deal with their emotions and the obstacles they keep running into along the way. It's a slow moving story, but very entertaining with some meaningful storylines blended together with a touch of comedy, too.
I wasn't familiar with anyone in this cast, but they all do such a great job at keeping it interesting, without all the glamour & fluffiness of a typical BL series. Mitsuhiro Oikawa mixes well with Yuya Tegoshi, showing you sadness and loneliness, but can also put a smile on your face with the comedy wit they both possess.
The supporting cast adds some side stories that all center around these two main protagonists. Just a nice all around series to enjoy!!

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abusive and cringey relationship dynamics

Overall: I don't understand why they didn't focus on a romance between two students...8 episodes about 10 minutes each. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ__edMZliXtEdkx1zhKwx0tL0jSzV1qT&si=gc2JzxCkosSIn7Rp

Content Warnings: intimate partner abuse, punch, minor/non minor relationship, teacher/student relationship, non con recording/sharing/outing, non con touching, manipulation, grooming

What I Liked
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- why would I want to root for multiple abusive characters, there is no relationship development just abuse and the met him as a child added even more yuck to their relationship
- love triangle/3 guys all in love with 1 guy who...is smart academically...
- ghost story at the start of episode 5

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In the end, elitism wins.

And at last, I am free.

With a title as grand as A Dream of Splendor, I couldn't help but expect a compelling drama of great ambitions, evocative beauty, and gratifying success. After completing it, however, I found that while it offered glimpses of brilliance, they never fully evolved into anything more than that. At least, not for me. They were illusions masquerading as dreams — just moments. The romance between our leads, Zhao Pan Er and Gu Qianfan, relied too heavily on secrets, miscommunication, and noble idiocy for my liking. The bond between the women, specifically our heroines Zhao Pan Er, Song Yinzhang, and Sun Sanniang, was often tested and that was sometimes frustrating to witness, though their sisterhood remained the strongest and most interesting aspect of the story. The pacing was so inconsistent and slow that it made forty episodes feel like eighty, putting me into a slump after the first ten episodes only for the momentum to be slightly picked back up again in the last ten episodes. Yet, my biggest criticism of this drama is perhaps its ideological contradictions.

For women who hated how the higher social classes have mistreated them based simply on their positions in society, they sure did gatekeep a lot. They spent half of the drama fighting against social exclusion while trying to start and maintain a business in the capital — while also dealing with their own romantic hardships carrying the stigma of their lowly statuses — only to spend the second half making many of their goods and services inaccessible to the working class by pricing them so high that only the rich and powerful can comfortably afford them without breaking the bank.

I really thought this was going to be one of those dramas that proved we didn't need to cater to the scholars, nobles, and officials in order to be successful in life, but instead it was the opposite. Our trio of businesswomen used the common people when it served their needs, then they shut those very same people out once they'd made it. Aren't they doing the same thing to the average folks as the elites were doing to them? I know they were running a business and profit usually takes priority, even at the cost of our morals and values sometimes, but this actually made their "you are still worthy regardless of your social class" message ring hollow toward the end.

This story might be female-centric, but it was written with the male gaze in mind. All of the female acquaintances outside of the heroines' immediate circle were supportive of them, but they were all still striving for the same male attention as our heroines. While I can respect the hustle of women in a male-dominated industry, our trio's business model still consisted of women serving men — where they were the prized entertainers and hosts. Why were there no female patrons to be seen at any of their establishments? Certain facets of their idea of female empowerment felt a bit too much like individualism, because if this was truly a drama about feminism, shouldn't women of all walks of life also be given a safe haven to exist as customers and community members, without the need to please men? Instead of liberation from the confines of social constructs, they chose to assimilate into the system.

Pan Er continuously preached that women should be able to stand on their own two feet instead of leaning on men, but can we really say she and her sisters have truly attained that independence? Yes, they were incredibly talented and they worked extremely hard — there is no question about that — but in the environment they chose to take part in, they only improved their circumstances with the generosity of men who favored them. They received the riches and splendor that the title promised, so at least the drama managed to deliver that, but at what cost? Their success wasn't satisfying for me, in fact, it even felt a bit ironic. They gained a seat at the table with the backing of powerful male supporters and by seeking validation from the very same patriarchy and elites that once oppressed them. So, are they not still stuck in the same situation as before? After all, a gilded cage is still a cage, is it not?

-

Beautiful cinematography, high production value, complex yet sometimes infuriating characters, a plot built on conveniences and hypocrisy, and painfully slow pacing — it wasn't the absolute worst, but it was far from being the best.

I don't recommend binging all 40 episodes.

Final rating: 6.5/10

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When Fitness Culture Meets Comedy”

Pump Up the Healthy Love is a comedic take on society’s obsession with the perfect body, calorie counting, and fat shaming in Asian culture. Watching it honestly reminded me of those fitness apps that calculate every last calorie you eat and guilt-trip you with reminders about how many grams you still need to burn. That constant pressure to be “perfect” is very much the vibe here.
I won’t lie this drama can be triggering for some people, especially if you’ve dealt with body image issues. At the same time, I think it does a good job showing how deeply body shaming affects everyday life, often in ways we don’t even notice anymore because it’s so normalized. What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t just stop at fat shaming it also highlights how many people hide behind a “perfect” body, using it as armor while carrying insecurities no one ever sees.
It’s not an extremely deep or heavy drama, but that feels intentional. All the heavier topics are softened by comedy, which makes it easier to digest while still getting the point across. You laugh, but you also pause and think and honestly, that balance is what makes it work.

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Wholesome

I loved this dating show so much! It's my favorite dating show. I usually don't like dating shows, but this one was just so wholesome.
This wasn't only about dating but also about personal growth.
The way Dai had patience with the moods of Shun, he was willing to do so much to understand and support him.
But also the personal growth most of them had, just because of the support they all gave each other.
They are probably all friends for life after this show.

The visuals were stunning, the music great!
It was great that they spend a whole month together, that really gave them the time to get to know each other.

And i thought it was so nice that they all cleaned the house together before they left. It's probably a culture thing but i loved seeing that.

And the 5 people discussing what happened in the show, i loved them too!

I already watched it a second time, and i will probably watch it more times in the future.

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Jeon Do-yeon’s Power, Precision, and Presence

Kill Bok-soon completely blew me away. Stylish, brutal, emotional, and unapologetically sharp, this film delivers on every level — action, character, and atmosphere. It’s intense without being mindless, violent without being empty, and surprisingly emotional beneath all the bloodshed. I was hooked from start to finish.

Jeon Do-yeon is the heart and soul of this film. After loving her so much in Crash Course in Romance, seeing her transform so effortlessly into this role was incredible. The contrast alone is stunning — from warmth and everyday vulnerability to icy control and lethal precision. She doesn’t just play an assassin; she becomes her. Every movement, every look, every moment feels deliberate and commanding.

What makes her performance so special is the emotional depth she brings beneath the action. There’s restraint, conflict, and quiet humanity layered into her character, making her feel real rather than exaggerated. She dominates the screen without ever needing to overact, proving once again why she’s one of the finest actresses in Korean cinema.

The supporting cast is excellent as well, adding tension, complexity, and weight to the story. The film’s world feels polished and intentional, and the action choreography is clean, stylish, and impactful rather than chaotic. Every fight feels purposeful, every confrontation charged.

Kill Bok-soon is a thrilling, unforgettable experience, but above all, it’s a showcase of Jeon Do-yeon’s brilliance. Loving her in CCIR and then witnessing this performance only deepened my admiration. She’s phenomenal — and this film is proof of her incredible range.

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More than average

I'm a fan of Ding Yuxi, so that's the only reason why I watched it until the end, otherwise I would have dropped it halfway. This drama is quite average. They could have done a better job.

- The cast is good, the fight choreographies are good, and the costumes are good.
- The storyline is below average (plot twist, character arcs, etc)
- The music is quite bland and forgettable.
- The director did a crapy job at directing: some scenes that are supposed to be emotional are dragging way too much, the pacing is wrong, and they are being filmed/edited in an awkward way.

I'll give one example that stuck me as STUPID:
A scene on a battlefield. The battle is over. 2nd male lead is standing alive. His friends come back (horseback riding). Once they see him, they get down from their horse 30 meters away from him and start running toward him...
I mean, are you serious? Why don't you ride your horse until you reach your destination? Why get down and run for 30 meters? Because it looks cool on camera? Screw this.


From now on, I'm only going to watch dramas Rated above 8.

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Two shows in one... and a big spoiler in the beginning...

This is qute hard to explain, but I feel like we have seen two completely different shows... The William and Izaya arc was forced on to us with endless screentime and nobody can tell me, that there were not other important scenes in the first month. The only redeeming quality in this arc was Kazuyuki with his struggle which made me feel quite sad for the most time.

After William and Izaya were gone - thank you very much - we get a new show, a more dynamic show and a show with deep conversations, talk about gay life in Japan, talk about coming out and all the fears and uncertainties which will come with it. Especially Ryuki and Tomoaki grew with this show. That was the highlight of the show for me.

Point deductions go to Netflix for spoiling all the couples in the first scenes of the first episode - WTF? Why do you do this? The charm of such shows is, we don't know who will end up together. So they took away an important part of it. While the people on the panel are sure all nice and well - I don't need a panel to explain to me what happened or to explain to me how the person in the scene felt - I do know myself. They did cut it down a bit compared to Season 1, but it's still an annoyance for me - and I skipped them most of the time.

When you see Huwais and Bomis social media, it seems they are still together, but Netflix: Why did you let the people wait for SEVEN fucking months till they can reveal anything about the show? We know it was filmed from February to April 2025. It took so long to edit all the stuff? I don't believe so. I think it's cruel to let the couples hanging in the air for such a long time. Many did struggle with coming out and if they do come out and are happy, they can't even tell the world that they have a partner which makes them happy? Of course this is also a rating deduction for me!

Overall I will not be too harsh with my rating because the people in it moved me - a lot. It was a good experience but I'm still more a fan of how "His Man" is doing it. If you have the time, it's still worth a watch!

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