Reviews

moonlight reunion

Moonlight Reunion — C-Drama Review 🌙✨

Overall Rating: 9.0/10
Story: 9.0/10 | Acting: 9.5/10 | Music: 9.5/10 | Re-watch Value: 9.0/10

Moonlight Reunion is the kind of C-drama that slowly captures your attention and then refuses to let go. From its emotional storytelling to its beautiful chemistry between the characters, the drama creates a warm yet dramatic experience that stays in your mind even after the final episode. It is a series that successfully combines romance, emotions, family relationships, mystery, and moments of light-hearted humor.

🌙 Story — 9.0/10

The story is one of the strongest aspects of Moonlight Reunion. Rather than depending entirely on romance, the drama gives its characters meaningful backgrounds, personal struggles, and emotional journeys. The plot gradually unfolds, allowing viewers to understand why the characters behave the way they do.

What makes the story particularly enjoyable is the balance between emotional moments and entertaining scenes. The relationship between the main characters develops naturally, and their journey feels more satisfying because it is built through shared experiences rather than instant attraction.

There are moments when the pacing could have been slightly tighter, but overall, the storytelling remains engaging. The emotional payoffs are worth the journey, and the drama manages to create several memorable scenes that stay with the viewer.

🎭 Acting — 9.5/10

The acting deserves a 9.5/10. The cast brings a convincing emotional depth to their characters, especially during the more intense and vulnerable scenes.

The chemistry between the leads is one of the biggest reasons the romance works so well. Their expressions, small gestures, and emotional interactions make their relationship feel believable. Even quiet scenes can communicate a lot without requiring unnecessary dialogue.

The supporting cast also contributes significantly to the drama. Their performances add depth to the family and interpersonal relationships, making the world of the drama feel more complete.

🎵 Music — 9.5/10

The music is another standout feature. 9.5/10 is an easy rating here.

The soundtrack complements the drama beautifully, particularly during romantic and emotional scenes. The songs help amplify the feelings of longing, happiness, sadness, and reunion that run throughout the story.

Some tracks are the kind that you may find yourself listening to even after finishing the drama. The combination of emotional melodies and well-placed background music adds another layer to the overall viewing experience.

🔁 Re-watch Value — 9.0/10

Moonlight Reunion has excellent re-watch value — 9.0/10. After completing the drama, there are plenty of scenes that feel worth experiencing again, especially the romantic moments, emotional conversations, and chemistry between the leads.

Knowing how the story develops can actually make a second viewing more enjoyable because you can notice small details, expressions, and moments that may have seemed insignificant the first time.

⭐ Final Thoughts

Overall, Moonlight Reunion is a beautiful and emotionally satisfying C-drama that succeeds because of its combination of story, performances, music, and character chemistry.

It may not be completely flawless, but its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The 9.0/10 overall rating reflects how enjoyable and memorable the drama is. The 9.5/10 acting and music especially elevate the viewing experience, while the 9.0/10 re-watch value shows how easily this is a drama that can be revisited.

If you enjoy C-dramas with romance, emotional depth, strong chemistry, beautiful music, and memorable characters, Moonlight Reunion is definitely worth adding to your watchlist.

Final Score: 🌙 9.0/10 — A beautiful reunion worth experiencing.

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Not enough cats

So, I really like cats. I came across this show by accident and just had to watch it for the cats, no matter how bad it is.

And it is pretty bad. The plot and script are terrible, and the delivery doesn’t help either (the ML sounds like a robot, for example). The leads are solving murders but the cases are weirdly twisted to fit the cat theme. The cat stuff is sort of shoved in there in ways that don’t totally make sense, but none of the show makes that much sense to begin with, so you can only vaguely follow what’s going on. I was so confused about which caricature villain is stealing what cat for what.

The relationship between the leads is also weird. They are pretty inimical, then suddenly in an instant they are a couple; like somebody else said, I thought I missed a few episodes. The FL’s relationship with her brother is weird too.

The only reason anyone would watch this show is for the cats. I was pretty happy with the cat situation for awhile. There are quite a few, adults and kittens both, of various colors. They are really cute and even interact, like they are shown playing, cuddling, that sort of thing. I sort of suspected that they’re reusing cats, ie there are more cat characters than cat actors- but it’s kind of hard to tell because the show is nonsensical and I guess it doesn’t really matter anyways.

The first weird thing though, is that sometimes the cats seem in imminent danger of harm or death, and the FL- a professed cat lover- doesn’t seem to care that much or do anything about it. How can a cat lover not save a cat in danger?

And the second thing is, the cats disappear for a long stretch in the middle. Like they are just irrelevant to the story and don’t show up. What now, did the producers think I was watching this for the plot?

The cats do come back in the last few episodes, but sort of out of nowhere, unexplained, and by that point the show doesn’t even bother trying to tie the conflict back to cats. I also never figured out what happened to the potentially endangered kitties.

So is it worth it to sit through this nonsensical, poorly executed, and barely coherent mess of a story just to see cats? Well, no matter what it is nice to see cats featured in a show with an actual (kind of) plot- that's much more fun than random online cat videos. And it’s pretty short with ~7 min episodes, so if it's a waste of time then at least it's not a huge one. The cats are pretty cute so I might have still thought this show is a fine and relaxing way to spend a casual evening... if the cats had not disappeared halfway through. Such bait and switch is just disappointing.

4.0 for this show but +1 because, in the end, it does still have lots of cute cats. I just honestly don’t understand what people are thinking when they make a show like this. You might think, oh just some crazy cat people wanted to play with cats... but honestly, it doesn’t have enough cats or cat love to be the product of crazy cat people. They should have just made a show about a young woman saving cats and it would have been way better.

Oh, and the auto-generated subs are awful. The Mandarin is not very difficult though so if you know some, you could get by with listening.

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Waste of time

I usually read all reviews available before starting to watch a C drama. I am now a seasoned C Drama watcher and fan ( most of the time). having watched hundreds of shows. I learned my lesson in the beginning having watched and wasted numerous hours on shows that ended in tragedy, sadness, ambiguous, everybody got killed and other unsatisfactory endings that made me mad and regretting spending my precious time on. Since then, I wised up and now ONLY watch shows with happy or satisfactory endings. How is it that the screenwriters, directors/producers don't get this? People watch shows to get away from reality. Current life is hard, lots of hardships, sadness, struggling, hence people try to temporarily escape and feel some happiness through art, books, movies. So spending your precious time watching sad, tragic or unsatisfactory ending stories is not what most people want. According to most reviews, this show is also a sad ending mess, hence, I am soo not interested in wasting my time just to get upset. Maybe if the film makers bothered to take their time to listen to the viewer's, they wouldn't waste their budget and energies to make such awful failures. Definitely a no watch.

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A Masterpiece

The Road to Splendor hooked me from the very first episode—and somehow, the finale hooked me just as hard as the beginning did. That is not easy to pull off.

There was no long stretch where I felt the story was dragging just to fill episodes. The plot kept moving, the schemes kept unfolding, and every time I thought I had things figured out, another twist came along and completely changed the game. 😂 This was one of those dramas where I'd tell myself, “Just one more episode,” knowing full well I was lying to myself.

Honestly, this drama is a masterpiece.

The plot twists and schemes were works of art. I loved how intricate everything was and how every character had their own motives, secrets, and development. Nothing felt one-dimensional or thrown in just to create drama.

And the supporting cast? Outstanding. Every actor played their role incredibly well, and I loved how the side characters were able to hold their own alongside the leads. Even the villains deserve respect. I actually found myself admiring them—not because I agreed with them, but because they played the game so brilliantly. You can hate what they're doing while still appreciating how well their characters were written and portrayed.

The ML and FL both deserve a standing ovation.

They each shined brightly on their own and somehow became even better together. But the FL in particular? Her acting was stellar. She completely owned her character and delivered every emotion with so much depth that I felt her pain, determination, fear, and strength right along with her.

And that scene in the nunnery...

GOOSEBUMPS.

Watching her at her absolute lowest, desperately trying to expel the poison from her body, was one of those scenes that stays with you. The emotion was so raw and powerful that I could feel her desperation through the screen.

I also have to give credit to the ex-best friend. I wasn't sure how I felt about her for much of the drama, which made her eventual redemption even more satisfying. I loved that she was given the chance to redeem herself in the end. Her character arc felt so much more meaningful because of it.

And then we got to the finale.

OH. MY. GOD.

I genuinely don't think I've watched a finale this gripping in a long time. The craziest part? It had me just as hooked as episode one did. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, completely invested in every revelation and confrontation. There was no feeling of, “Okay, let's just wrap this up.” The intensity was there until the very end.

That, to me, is one of the biggest signs of a great drama: it makes you desperate to know what happens in episode one, and it makes you equally desperate to see how everything ends.

The Road to Splendor did exactly that.

Smart characters. Intricate plots. Brilliant villains. Stellar acting. Incredible character development. A gripping romance. And a finale that actually delivered.

It started with a bang and ended even better.

For me, this is exactly what a historical C-drama should be: smart, intense, beautifully acted, unpredictable, and impossible to stop watching.

Absolutely one of my favorites. 10/10 and a standing ovation from me. 👏👏👏

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Salty Yet So Sweet!

An intriguing storyline, interesting characters, and an overall dynamic drama that surprised me in the best way. I know — high praise — but it’s well deserved.

This is one of those “slow pace” dramas people love to complain about, yet that’s exactly what makes it shine. It takes its time introducing each character, letting you settle into their world until you’re fully drawn into the intricacies of how everything connects. The unfolding is deliberate, elegant, and honestly… addictive.

The pairing of Ding Yu Xi (Zhao Ling) and Ancy Deng (Fu Ting Yun) was superb. Their chemistry stayed consistent from their first meeting to the final frame — quiet, magnetic, and deeply felt. Ding Yu Xi’s micro‑expressions alone could carry an episode, especially during the moment involving Mo Yi, where you feel the pain right in your throat. And Ancy Deng matched him beat for beat. She was a powerful, silent force who navigated every storm with intelligence and grace, guiding him while protecting him in ways that felt deeply human.

If I had to sum up this entire 36‑episode journey in one word, it’s salt.
Yes, salt.
The way this drama uses salt — who controls it, who suffers because of it, who manipulates it — becomes the backbone of the entire story. It’s political, emotional, messy, and brilliant. And watching how the women behind the scenes influenced the tides of power was one of the strongest parts of the drama.

Fu Ting Yun’s time in the Northwest was a standout for me. Watching her shed her noble upbringing, roll up her sleeves, and work alongside the other women was beautiful. Their camaraderie — whether in the dust bowl or later in the capital — was profoundly good. Smart, capable, resilient women who held their own and shaped outcomes quietly but decisively.

By the end, every storyline wrapped up in a way that felt earned and satisfying.

The drama starts salty — sharp, biting, intense. But keep chewing.
Because slowly, steadily, it turns sweet.
And by the time you reach the end, you’ll savor every bit of it. Enjoy!

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"Those who seek the truth, hit a wall at least once"

The Defensive Power of Aikido aka The Power of Aikido starred Sonny Chiba’s younger brother, Jiro, as the creator of Aikido-Morihei Ueshiba. A by the numbers fictionalized martial arts biopic, it was easy to watch, but not memorable.

Morihei Ueshiba has moved to a farm in a village in Hokkaido. He practices jujutsu with his workers easily defeating them. When he helps a young boy running from the work camp he meets his match in Natori Shinbei and his karate. Morihei becomes determined to improve his martial arts skills and seeks out new teachers to guide him. After he defeats a karate sensei, the school seeks vengeance and he has to defend himself from vengeful students while learning new skills.

Chiba Jiro was not nearly as charismatic as Sonny, nor was his fighting style. He gave a satisfactory performance as a farmer who worked his way up, learning new martial arts skills, eventually developing his own style. The movie wasn’t very clear on what those specific moves were that defined his aikido. Sonny’s Natori broke the mold of brainless, revenge-fueled fighter which was a relief given all the other tunnel-visioned students looking for blood. Shihomie Etsuko from Sonny’s Street Fighter franchise made an appearance as a student well able to take on a gang of men.

The fight choreography was adequate with some fights better than others. As with many old martial arts films, the kicks often missed by a mile, thankfully the actors and stuntmen were able to sell the action. And there were a few super human throws. The fights improved as Morihei went from being owned by his opponents to being able to use their power against them.

The Power of Aikido had the requisite training sequences as Morihei sought to improve his fighting skills and reach enlightenment. There were those who lent a hand to and those who betrayed the determined fighter. Very little was shown of Morihei’s personal life and family. Entertaining, but not enthralling. Rated on a pre-1990s kung fu curve or in this case generous karate kurve.

27 August 2026

Trigger warnings: A rather large snake carried about in one scene. An arm lopped off in another.

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this is the best story i have seen for a chinese BL to date.

my chinese BL watchlist is limited but i know quality, decent, and bad work. i think this drama falls in between quality and decent but boy do i have things to say, lol. overall, to my shore was good.

the toxicity in this work was something of new heights for my consumption. i have yet to watch any leads have such a dysfunctional dynamic in anything, in any genre. without saying for sure, since i lack the credentials, fan xiao was a sociopath border-lining psychopathic. i say this because he just did whatever he wanted to anyone without even so much as change of expression. his character made me hold my forehead so many times in cringe, frustration, and disappointment. in the face fo the person he "loved" more than anyone in the world, he was stoic when he cried, despaired, and expressed disgust toward him. xiao was fine being intimate with him as long as he had said man. his behavior was bewildering and frightening as hell. as badly as i wanted fan xiao to have redemption, he kept doing horrifying crap to manipulate you shulang. it was truly horrendous to watch. i cringed so much until he actually showed he experienced development.

i was happy that you shulang was not written to forgive xiao immediately after finding out about all of things he did. xiao deserved everything he got and more than what was expressed in the drama, to be honest. he manipulated lu zhen + shulang and ghosted him in order to ruin their relationship. the former grievance was enough for xiao to be physically beaten, in my opinion. even his toxic display of jealously in the special episode was eye-rolling. he, however, did not stop at the relationship manipulation but commit sexual assault, coercion, blackmail, & overall abused his power as a wealthy person with connections. the man was the biggest red state i have ever seen. shulang should not have been written to forgive him nor go back to that evil.

shulang's character was genuinely a decent person until he cheated on his damn boyfriend, at the end. why was that necessary? is cheating a standard practice in chinese BL or what? what about sexual assault in BL, in general? it is so upsetting to constantly see these themes.
i did not at all care for hao yiran, at first. his face seemed way too unnatural looking. more importantly, his acting started off way too bland and straight-faced. i thought the leads had no chemistry, at first. he ended up being a better actor than i thought. i felt similarly about yunqi and he also proved me wrong. i think with fan xiao's quite clearly psychological problems, the straight-faced acting worked out. the only bad actor, in my opinion, was the actor for shulang's brother.

the intimacy was not amazing but it was good until the special episode. i do not know what happened there but the special episode was excellent until the kissing and proposal [?] the ring showcase, at the very end, was ? for me. it felt like a lazy and boring way to suggest they were going to get married. i am not for these lack of actual proposals that have been happening in BL, as of late. my favorite intimate moments were when the leads were looking at each other, talking, and touching [e.g. in xiao's car, xiao touches shulang's face with a finger and shulang grabs xiao's buddha necklace + sharing the "rouge" cigarettes].
anyway, the addressing of xiao's trauma and the reframe presented to him was a truly emotionally refreshing moment. it was beautiful and unexpected.

since i am an attention to detail kind of person, i naturally noticed lots of goofs like i often do. i noticed a microphone captured in a shot, a camera caught in a reflection, & obvious & unnatural cuts. then there were cringeworthy things like the fake volleyball game, fake kissing noises, and the way the promised fiancee ran out of the room. also, i caught a timestamp at the last frame of the special episode - that is wild AF. these kinds of things will always be unacceptable to me.
the conclusion of this was also not good. i cannot imagine that for those who watched it as it aired seeing the two reconcile through sexual intimacy. then by the next morning, it just ends with them holding hands on their way to breakfast? no.

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I know a masterpiece when I see one

I have one piece of advice for you: GO FOR IT. Just go for it.

Starting this drama was an absolute blessing. I felt so many emotions. I lost my breath, my mind, I giggled an unreasonable amount of times. After months of bingeing slow burns (don’t get me wrong, I love a good slow burn), The Heart Killers came into my life and chose violence, in the best possible way.

The first few episodes were SOOO GOOD. The tension. The atmosphere absolutely dripping with desire. The looks. AAAHHH THE EYE CONTACT. LORD HAVE MERCY.

I physically cannot write this review without talking about JoongDunk and FirstKhao’s acting. This BL is very clearly carried by performances powerful enough to take out an asthmatic.

FirstKhao are absolutely majestic, and their dynamic is ridiculously addictive. Yes, they’re into each other from the very first glance (don’t be upset, my enemies-to-lovers enjoyers, I see you), but that doesn’t stop the tension from being absolutely unbearable. The attraction is there. Constantly. And the eye contact??? I could genuinely talk about it for the rest of my life.

The way First raises his eyebrows. The way Khao’s lips slowly curl into a smile. There is something so uniquely magnetic about this pairing, and when you put that chemistry into characters like Bison and Kant? MAMA MIA.

And then we have JoongDunk. Listen. Their performances completely exceeded every expectation I had. This whole dynamic of: “I don’t have room for love in my life.” “Move over then. I’m sitting here anyway.” ARGH. I ATE IT UP.

Style’s persistence is basically everything I want in a drama character. He’s funny, lovable, passionate and let’s not forget the crop tops. Honestly, he is everything Fadel needs. It just takes Fadel a few episodes to realize it, and we get the absolute privilege of watching that entire journey unfold in HD 4K.

And once again, the chemistry between JoongDunk... Actually, I think you can measure the chemistry of a pairing by what you can feel beyond the words. And with these two?

I promise you, you could feel EVERYTHING. Everything about them feels so sincere. So natural. How do you put two human beings in the same room and accidentally discover chemistry this devastating?

Now, I know a lot of people think Fadel and Style stole the show. And honestly? Yes.

Their relationship had a different kind of intensity. The tension, the emotional depth, the way Fadel gradually allows himself to open up... There’s something about their performances that I genuinely cannot describe properly because, at some point, adjectives simply stop doing their job.

BUT. I refuse to let Bison and Kant get overshadowed. Both couples brought something completely different to the table, and for me, they were equally addictive. Choosing between them is not something I am emotionally equipped to do.

Now. THE MUSIC. LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. THE OPENING THEME. I’m sorry, but masterpieces like that don't just casually happen. Khao’s voice over a rock track? Ridiculously addictive. But also... WHO HIRED THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER??? Because whoever they are, they deserve a raise.

The opening is PERFECT. I genuinely go back and rewatch it from time to time just to sit there and contemplate the beauty of the world. And the OST in general was just right. I rarely talk about the music in my reviews, but this time I physically cannot stay silent.

Even visually, this drama is incredibly interesting. The retro aesthetic. The rock vibe. YES. And the colors are absolutely gorgeous. The art direction of The Heart Killers feels so unique, and it fits the characters and the overall atmosphere of the BL ridiculously well.

Now, I’ve seen the criticism about the plot sometimes taking a step back. So let me drop my hot take right here. Yes, there were moments where the plot felt like it got a little lost in the background. However, I honestly think the relationships and the intimacy between the couples brought something much more interesting to the screen.

Because let’s be honest: the second a BL decides to become an action drama (meaning the moment one of the protagonists picks up a gun) there’s often this tendency to forget that there is, in fact, supposed to be a couple somewhere in the story.

That absolutely did NOT happen here. And I think that balance between the action and the relationships is what made the drama work so well for me.

(Spoiler: We don't perceive time the same way because FIVE YEARS IN PRISON??? SERIOUSLY??? I’m sorry, but that was insane. I did find the last episode a little disappointing because... five years? FIVE???)

Anyway. I recommend The Heart Killers 300%.This drama reconciled me with the philosopher Kant. I will never look at him the same way again.

The chemistry between these pairings is not just worth checking out. It deserves ALL. OF. YOUR. ATTENTION.

And finally, I would personally like to thank the director for putting more Heart than Killers into this BL because by the end of it?

Mine was about to give up on me.

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A lot of hiking, Some major whining, and a whole lot of entertainment

Just finished Take A Hike. I don't really have anything new to add. The most difficult hikes were the start and the end. The reality show framed the reason for this production was to answer the question why do people hike. There were some funny responses, but overall they agreed there was an element of challenging oneself.

What I liked the most:
1. The four celebrities they got were a good mix. I think they should add a woman to the mix as well. There certainly were a lot of women hiking these same mountains, and I think it would add an extra push to the group.
2. For the most part, the four celebrities were pretty real and genuine. If they were tired, you saw it, if they were mad, you heard the swearing. Shows can make celebrities look perfect, but this show definitely allowed them to show their human side. Because of that, it was much funnier than I thought it would be.

At the end they talked about what the next show would be. I enjoyed this enough, I would definitely watch another one.
Congrats to the all the production crew. Hiking up a mountain while also filming could not have been easy, but they did it perfectly.

After watching 8 episodes:
Overall, this was good. The star is Korea's beautiful mountainous regions. Each area they hiked has its own personality and flavor, so it keeps things interesting. There were definitely reasons these specific celebrities were selected.

Car the Garden - has to be one of South Korea's most loved celebrities; he had fans where ever they went; continually brought the funny to the series and is great to watch. A bit whiny, but it was also funny and entertaining.

Dowoon - another one of Korea's most popular celebrities as a member of the most popular rock/pop bands in the country; he represented the introvert contingency of the group as he was often quiet, but could explode with something funny that sent everyone into laughter; his expressions are priceless, never hiding anything and wears his heart on his sleeve. One of the best hikers in the group.

Lee Chae Min - definitely one of the hottest actors right now, and probably in great demand, it was nice they got him on board. I think he was especially useful in bringing the female viewship to the show. I would say he was the best hiker as he has athleticism and stamina for days and days. A power house on the trails.

Tarzzan - I was not familiar with him, probably because of his young age, but he brought a lot of entertainment to the show and was also very good at hiking.

All in all, I have enjoyed this more than I thought. One of the best scenes was the game when they were betting and kept losing. The producer just kept changing the rules. It was hilarious!! Chae Min gets caught cheating and then lies, and the producer makes him feel so guilty--like he was 5 years old and gets caught stealing candy. It was funny though.

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Meh

This show is average at best, but it is also the only show I've been able to watch in the past month. The story is simple,not very intresting though. The episodes are short and few. I actually liked the couple, which is the only reason I give the story a higher rating. We see so many ml yearners that it is nice to see a fl be like that for once. I also liked that the ml's coldness was realistic. So many times, character types like him are emotionless until the last couple of episodes. But in real life, even closed off people have a moment where their facade breaks so it was nice to see. Yet, the high school setting was not realistic. The way the school didn't care about him sleeping on class or skipping school? The way her parents just let her go wherever she wanted at any time? I know she said she's a free spirit who doesn't need to listen to her parents but really? They didn't even ask what she does so late at nighf. The actress playing is also the only acting I liked in the show. Even though she's playing a naive, clingy, love struck girl, she never makes it feel fake or over acting. The ml's acting isn't bad per se, however sometimes you can tell it's him trying to act, there is something stiff and too calculated in his facial movements. And the Tae Ha dude is just bad acting all together. If you're looking for a good, intresting show to watch, I would skip this one. But if you want to get over a slump or you need something in the backround, I woukd say go for it.

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breathtaking series if you put the effort into piecing it together

Now before I start this review I'm gonna say a few things. One, I'm not gonna sugarcoat anything or say "The series was a perfect 10/10 with no flaws wowiee!!" because its not perfect, and everything has its flaws. Two, I'm going to share both perspectives that you could have after watching this throughout the review, one of them is mine and everyone else's who gave a high review, and the other which isn't mine but everyone whose reviews were probably more negative. Its gonna be a long review but I cover most things you might be wondering about that I think a decent bunch other reviewers haven't.

Note: The only reason the rewatch rating isn't that high is because I'm not big on reconsuming media unless its something that's like literally rewired my brain after watching it or something(e.g. Not Me or Payback, mostly political-with-a-side-of-BL shows).

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tl;dr If you're good at playing detective then you'll love piecing this show together. If you're not but want to give it a go for the great acting, crisp cinematography and absolutely beautiful intro, then definitely do so and just watch an explanation on YouTube or something if you didn't understand. If you're not good at playing detective and don't wanna watch an explanation, OR don't wanna pay attention and don't like imperfect shows, then don't watch it.

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Here's my full review, and this is my first MDL review ever so i'll try to keep it as non-story-repeating and honest as possible. I found this series absolutely amazing. The premise was interesting but the storyline and plot itself was absolutely fascinating and exciting while also keeping me on my seat. Before watching 4Minutes I read a few reviews, and all of the more positive ones told me that I should "PAY ATTENTION TO THE DAMN SHOW", and I completely agree with them. 4Minutes isn't a show that you can just play in the background or watch passively if you actually want to understand the story. You DO need to pay attention, and you need to be able to connect the dots and fit the story together on your own because absolutely no part of the show spoon-feeds you the answers as to what the hell is going on. I'm not exactly the brightest or most intelligent person ever but by episodes 6 and 7 I managed to figure out what was happening and why the story was told in such an odd order(because I agree that it is, but not in a way that you wouldn't know what scenes go where if you tried sorting it out), and by halfway through episode 8 everything clicked satisfyingly into place and all I could do at that point was sit back and watch the ending.

I also read a few reviews that said the ending felt a bit open or they felt like the creators ran out of time to film or story to tell, which I frankly disagree with. I won't reveal what the ending is but I can say that it definitely felt like a proper ending that made sense to me AND for the most part it explains the odd story order up until that point. Something else is that, it did feel like there were a few very small loose ends that weren't 100% tucked away but they're not that bothersome if I'm being honest, if things like even the tiniest question marks by the end bother you then maybe the show might not be perfect for you. I also wanted to add that the cinematography and camera work were absolutely PEAK. I loved the visuals and atmospheres during different scenes with different emotions because they just felt so right. And the combination of visuals with the music just added the cherry on top. The songs, background music, AND intro/outro music were all so amazing and felt like they fit the scenes almost perfectly.

Speaking of the intro, the music didn't even have lyrics and the graphics were basically one SFX scene, but the whole thing just gave me a sense of "Yearning, inevitable doom, potential separation and desperation" in the best way for some reason, kind of like saying "The characters want something. but that something might be slipping away and they don't know how much time they have left" and its pretty effective for a show that centers all on the concept of time(if the title didn't give it away lmao). The chemistry between the leads was pretty nice, and at some moments their moments had me hooked in, but if I'm being honest, during most other times their chemistry just felt more normal, and not like the fiery electric tension or passion i was expecting from a dynamic like theirs. Nonetheless I enjoyed Bible and Jes's pairing. I think the second couple had LOTS of chemistry but their romance itself fell off slightly for me personally due to a few things that happen in the story that I thought weren't fully resolved. And my last point, I also personally thought there were a few too many NC scenes during the first half of the show that I had to skip over half of them for my sake, but I can't deny that they were ALL pretty realistic and done well by the actors, so praise to them and everyone else who worked so hard on this amazing series.

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