Reviews

Unbelievable

This movie is unbelievable—and I don’t mean that in a good way, but rather as unrealistic and absurd. It is best described as a parody of gangster films, and the entire plot feels more like an introduction to a story than a fully developed feature. But despite its flaws, the movie has many good elements. First of all, it is short, so it can serve as decent entertainment during a boring evening. It took me a while to get used to the nature of the comedy, but once I accepted that it is silly, I started to enjoy it more and more. By the end, I even laughed out loud at a few gags.

The actors are very solid. They handled the action scenes very well and truly committed to their characters. It was great seeing them during the post-credits scene as a small behind-the-scenes preview—especially since they are almost all legends of Korean cinema, each with over 50 roles in different movies. For me personally, that was the most enjoyable part of the film: seeing so many familiar faces together.

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better then average but i have complaints

If they could just fix their writing issues this would be a rewatchable show for me as I like these actors and their characters. I mean if your going to make an Interesting story about the second leads that I'm almost enjoying it more, then you might as well follow through with giving it purpose.

At first I hated that horrible gross emperor in Jinxiu. I didn't think his little bit of character growth would grow on me, but by the time he dies I'm just so annoyed because I wanted to see the full change where he would end up redeeming himself . but no he just exists so the male lead can have some epic revenge ..meh!

And I really enjoyed the princess as well. She started off with that ironically unchangeable prince who used her, thinking she could change him (how naive). Then winds up changing that evil emperor which wasnt her intention, she was just desperate to save her brother but ends up realizing he could actually learn to care about her. I honestly would have just given them that basic life and death scenario but have the brother arrive just in time. Maybe take out some of the unnecessary dragged out scenes to make the story more fulfilling, you can still have the epic battle and finish growing the characters. Ah well.

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Where Fantasy and Love Meet

I’m a sucker for shows that hook you from the very first moment, and even though I didn’t expect this one to do that, it absolutely did. I went in nervous because of the hype, especially with the sci-fi/fantasy + romance mix, but wow—this show was so worth it.

I wouldn’t fully call it sci-fi. The VR aspect at the start was honestly genius and a huge reason the show worked. Those VR episodes were stunning—the aesthetics, architecture, and vibes felt like a Republican-era fantasy blended into a modern drama. You really got two worlds at once. The VR outfits were gorgeous, the game concept was fun and well written, and the idea of escaping real life into another world was delivered perfectly. Every VR scene felt cinematic, like watching a movie.

Now the male lead—I’m so glad CXX is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He truly shined here. The small smiles, serious expressions, quirkiness, and shamelessness all worked perfectly. His broken character was portrayed beautifully, and honestly, he could pull off a psychopath role because of how well he conveys deep emotions. And the wardrobe? Insane. Runway-level looks, designer vibes, full model energy. Easily one of the best-styled male leads in a modern C-drama. Character-wise, he was a green flag with a revenge arc—passionate, layered, and very well written.

The female lead was one of my favorite LYX characters. She was mature but still had a youthful spirit, had a backbone, and went after what she wanted. I loved that she wasn’t the typical shy FL—she was confident, outgoing, and never backed away from him. Her cute moments never felt childish, and her emotional scenes, especially her crying, felt raw and real. Her character was genuinely well done.

The romance was one of the strongest parts of the show. Their chemistry was insane—natural, effortless, and believable. Their kissing and intimate scenes didn’t feel scripted at all, and I loved how the show fully invested in the couple. They didn’t shy away from closeness, and it made everything feel real. If you’re watching for romance, this absolutely delivers.

The second male lead surprised me a lot. I had such a love-hate relationship with him, but by the end I was really happy with how his story was redeemed. His character was clearly messed up, but the abuse and constant comparison from his father made it easy to understand why he turned out the way he did. He wasn’t a good guy, but he felt real regret, knew when to let go, and that made him feel human. A lot of this worked because of DX’s acting—if it weren’t for him, I don’t think I would’ve connected to the character as much. Plus the suits, the glasses, the charisma—he stole the spotlight more than once.

My favorite scenes were definitely the VR ones—they felt magical. The cinematography was dreamy, the production quality was high, and the OST fit perfectly. Everything looked beautiful.

As for complaints: I wish we had more VR scenes later on, the reveal could’ve been written better, and the FL’s outfits were hit or miss—especially compared to the ML’s flawless styling. And my biggest complaint: why only 28 episodes? I wanted more. I never got bored, even after they started dating.

Overall, this show is 100% worth the hype. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves romance with a fantasy twist. Beautiful characters, amazing chemistry, stunning cinematography, a great OST, and no dragging. Easily one of the best C-dramas of 2026 and such a strong start to the year—a show that really stays with you.

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Once I Finally Found You

I watched Douluo Continent when it came out and fell in love with the storyline, the actors, and the special effects. I was waiting and waiting for season 2 to come out. I searched Douluo Continent season 2 multiple times. I even went to actors pages to see when a follow up would be announced, and nothing. It's more my fault for not knowing the background of this story because with a different title and different cast it took me far too long to find it. But here I am, and even though there is a new cast and the special effects are more AI generated this time, I'm still loving the series. I love Rayli in just about any role she plays and Zhou Yi Ran was so cute in Falling into your Smile that I couldn't be upset with the cast change. The music really gets me pumped during each dueling scene. My only real complaint is that the new graphics and special effects make it feel less fantasy world and more video game. It hard to truly get emersed in the story like I did the first season. Still, it's definitely worth the watch.

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That last episode ...

Story and Themes
The story is really great. Not only the plot is interesting, but is also well managed and it's not the classic CEO and girl trope. I couldn’t guess the complete enigma, but trying to find it with the characters was fun for me and well planned by the authors.

The relationship of the main couple is focused on building trust and being each other’s solid ground (the only thing that doesn’t make sense is the amusement park scene – I believe he was following her but why expose her like this?). The slow burn is pleasant, the communication slowly improves and so does the confidence of the female lead, who starts to show her real self to other people. The correct balance of cute couple’s moments and serious things is crucial to grant the viewer an enjoyable watch. I consider this series is a big path to ‘coming out and clean’ of her, the marriage and all the family’s secrets.
The whole blackmailing plot is challenging, but in a good way. It makes sense. One of the feelings I have towards this is disgust for the parents and the grandfather. They made tons of wrong choices, starting with not relying on therapy regarding the child’s matter. And why? I suppose it would be seen as a dishonour or similar. All they cared about was their own image, not the well-being of the boy, in particular the grandfather who had no shame. One key theme here is the influence the environment you are in has on your own actions and thoughts, one example is Paek Sa-Eon’s mother, who loved her son but couldn’t save him, who ended up committing a crime.

Unfortunately, the last episode is a big no. This is a first: the main plot ends and there is a whole episode left. Wasted. Completely wasted. What happen doesn’t make sense at all, nothing that couldn’t be solved with e ten-minutes talk and a catharsis crying together. That time could have been used to say more about the side couple (they don’t kiss even once but they announce a wedding - the propose isn’t shown. I get they are support characters but, on mydramalist, they’re in the main cast), Park Do-Jae’s relationship with the male lead, simply the main couple rebuilding their lives together, in a better way. I briefly read that this is the novel’s ending; the episode could have been structured differently at least.

Acting and characters
Amazing casting choices and fabulous acting. Everyone does a great job, but I particularly appreciate Park Jae-Yun’s performance: terrific! His character is, in my opinion, the most emotionally and physically demanding; best actor of the show (he should have been listed as main character, not support). Chae Soo-Bin and Yoo Yeon-Seok’s portrayal is also awesome. They are true to their feelings, the chemistry is there: the kisses are great, their tears feel natural. Furthermore, their appearances fit aesthetically: I love seeing them together (also, Yoo Yeon-Seok’s back in the last episode is really something, it’s so big I just want to be held by him).
My favourite character is Park Do-Jae. I loved him since the beginning and I cried for him. He’s cool, even cooler in the second half, sentimental and hot. He totally got me. His relationship with the main lead is another one that follows the trust path I mentioned before (or maybe I’m just into bromance). As I said above, I believe there’s a missing conversation between them.

Music and production
Tear-jerking music that matches the atmosphere, good job. Attention to details: nice blood, two-coloured eyes appreciated. The direction isn’t bad, just not my favourite. Few scenes and takes caught my interest. Good lighting and tones; my favourite locations are the orphanage and the fishing house near the lake (or was it the sea?).

Rewatch
I don’t think I’m going to watch this series again but I definitely recommend it. One hundred percent worth watching. I've been thinking about giving 8.5 and not 9 (due to the last episode) but I can't. The actual final rating is 8.8 according to my calculations.

Thank you for reading,
kisses <3

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Highly recommended - a slice of life kind of story - at a normal pace in terms of relationships

*Spoilers*

I honestly love the drama too - yes, it's a story where the FL - Lin Huan Er, who's a live streamer ended up in the book that she was debating about with another online live streamer too - after she met the ML - Gao Hai Ming in her timeline of 2025 at the beginning of ep 1. At the beginning - Lin Huan Er didn't really believe in love or felt like that she should be in any relationships at all - so during her livestreaming at the beginning, she was against it. Eventually, when she ended up in the book of 1999 - she was force to learn how to love, care, work hard and change her mindset about love - eventually leading to true love b/w the two leads. At the beginning the ML and his assistant was skeptical of her - but overtime, she worked hard to change his perspective of her and he too fell in love with her hard - both of them went through a lot of trails in their lives - one after another, it wasn't easy, but they both overcome them all. Yes, there was a lot of scenes where I ended up crying a bucket full of tears - especially when the 2nd time he proposed to her and he almost died from the car accident saving her - and at that point she broke the rules of the system, got severely punished by it - and that in terms lead to ML - Gao Hai Ming losing his memories/had short term amnesia of forgetting who she was - including the others around them both too.

I literally cried for them both - when she had to deal with him losing his memories of her - after the car accident/reversal/erase memory thing caused by the annoying manipulative pager - system of hers that she had. It was a tough uphill battle at times when he couldn't exactly recall anything about her - but slowly/surely he did get some burst of memories of her here and there when they both went around to the different places they used to visit/hangout/created memories together.

The biggest part that made me cry aside from the proposal scene - and eventual poof departure scene of hers. - I mean don't get me wrong - I cried a bucket full of tears there - when he was left alone by himself on the merry-go-round without her. It was very raw and emotional for me too.

Where I also cried was when he thought that she drown in the river - when he was talking to her over the phone - after he rushed over with his assistant from his company - during his birthday party there - so he just assumed she fell in and he jumped into the river - despite unable to swim and literally almost drown there, had she not jump in after him to rescue him instead. This part - eventually led to him recovering his memories and also allowed him to gain insight of what's bound to happen b/w the two of them. In his mind - he did have some mental preparedness of her inevitable departure - b/c he too realizes those around him are clueless/seem to not know they were in a relationship before or that she worked in another company before joining Letao -- him stating to his assistant - that he was the one who poached her from the Yunshao (?) advertising company and not what the assistant said - that she joined their department after the new years - from the marketing department in their company.

Honestly the fact that he knew before her inevitable departure - he did his best to make/create wonderful memories together and capture them before she was to leave without any notice to him on the merry-go-round. He was even smart enough to write a special love note to her unbeknownst to her until she returned to her world - of 2025 and stuck it in her jacket pocket - which at that time he said it was the "special wonton" recipe he got from their favorite wonton food stand at that time. Though I do wished that I see Gao Hai Ming actually say "I love you" before she disappears/poof into thin air after his proposal to her and on the merry-go-round - filming her/kissing her until the very last second - and not when she's gone that he said that. It was also nice to see the he was still alive in his world - when she left; had the camera full of their memories that they created together before she left and the pager that from time to time - allow him to see her - in her world of 2025 somehow and of their memories too.

All throughout the last few episodes of the drama - from ep 20-24 I literally cried - not just for the two main leads - but also the 2nd leads too. Especially when we hear/see that the 2ML died suddenly when the 2FL was preparing for their supposedly wedding - trying on the wedding dress - when she got news about her fiancé got seriously injured and which lead to his eventual death - having to see the 2FL (her best friend - Mengmeng - breakdown - crying while painting the picture of him in police uniform - to remember him - to seeing Lin Huan Er being there for her at those times and Gao Hai Ming comforting her - realizing that what she said before - was inevitable - a pre-determined destiny that even though she thought could change - didn't change - he still died the next day - after the big accident - that they eventually help him avoid dying from the previous day (at the hotel planning the wedding venue, etc).

I like how despite the censorship, we were able to see the FL (Lin Huan Er) - get to see her best friend walking happily with her husband together hand-in-hand and Gao Haiming's assistant as well - before she eventually meets the ML in her world of 2025 too - and that the place they met up again - was the model airport museum that had contained all their memories there - plus the model planes they built together. I'm also glad that they got to meet again - in her world - rushing towards each other/hugging and both of them crying in each other's embrace/greeting each other/smiling/ him wiping away tears and then kissing each other for a long too. What I really wished was that they didn't have to cut out the other episodes that it was supposedly have - to show how he came to his world along with the others characters that she treasured the most together too. Plus how did her best friend Mengmeng's husband didn't die and were together again - and everything else. The way the so-called censorship forced the drama to cut out so much - to be honest wasn't necessary - especially like other said - 40 episodes was originally the max one drama could have - so why cut them out??

It definitely made the ending still somewhat really rushed with a lot of unproper - unanswered questions in the mind of the viewers watching it. I really wished there was more too it. To be able to see them together - live their lives in her world 2025 would have been great - and his turn to adapt to her world/lifestyle too. At least at the end - there was a typed up message about their story of meeting each other - kissing passionately - and then left us with somewhat an idea of how Gao Hai Ming eventually ended up in her world of 2025 - which was related to the pager that he had in his hands when she left - but the writer left it as a mystery - where may be one day they'll explain how he did get to her world of 2025. Plus then we get to hear them both saying - that love transcends all times/space - that they are able to meet again and stated to each other "Grateful to see you again".

Now I wished there was a part 2/season 2 too!!

P.S. Thank you to all the actors/actresses/film crew for bringing this drama to life - well done and well acted! Definitely recommend watching it. A slice of life kind of story - learning to love - not in a rush way - but at a regular - normal pace - and seeing the character grow/evolve/change over time. Was definitely another drama worth my time to watch.

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very promising first half, second half predictable

the first half of the drama was enjoyable and interesting, fresh and charismatic. the plot itself was intriguing and at the beginning it didn’t feel predictable and it felt like there might be an interesting plot twist or a something a bit deeper than what it came to at the end. the drama lost my focus and interest towards the end and I had to force myself to finish it. the heaviness of the tragedy was lost as the drama progressed and the complicated relationship between band members and Do Ra-ik and his mother wasn’t resolved in a heartwarming or serious manner as it should be. the chemistry between Kim Jae-Young and Choi Soo-Jung was enjoyable, but sometimes got lost in the poorly written scenes where they felt more like friends and less as two people in love with each other. I expected more from the plot because the first couple of episodes were really great, but overall it was an good drama. not a must watch, but not a waste of time.

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good story done very messy

*spoilers are very slight, but i do discuss story as a whole*

I want to start with praise first, since most important part of detective with horror elements is a story and it is good. It has foreshadowing when its needed, solid structure and some good emotional beats. Good work from special effects and make up crew creates visual hooks from the start too and if you are a fan of gory-type of horror they do deliver till the end of the series.
Unfortunately, this is not as good if you look and detective side of the story and its execution. Unlike slashers or horrors with high-schoolers, some degree of common sense is expected from cops, even if they do not believe in ghost from the get go... but no, people responsible for the script more often than not choose stupid as a solution. It is not as evident at the start (like arresting Thup, but not removing his belt), but gets progressively worse, culminating in 12th episode. Sometimes main characters acting dumb is not a big deal, but not in this genre. At least i strongly believe so.
Other thing, that i found even more unforgivable - inconsistencies in magical side of things. Any magic, including ghosts and curses, need to follow its rules. Instead, we have Thup, who is in constant danger from all ghosts in the world, until it just stops, and Singha who is a proper ghost repellant, until this stops working too. And at first the killings have to follow strict rules and even slight interference can ruin it, forcing killer to start over... oh, wait, its also not like that. And its all ended this a proper deus ex machina spell. So very disappointing, so easily fixable.
Romance part, unfortunately, also lives much to be desired. Main couple starts awkward and forced and continues to be out of place. I do wonder if fans of Pooh and Pavel loved it, but for someone not invested in them, it was like watching inserts from some other show, once again it was stronger the closer we got to the end. Second couple fit in narrative much better, but with much less screen time or even focus.
Good story bits are still good, some parts are even great and it is entertaining enough. But bad parts ruin it pretty noticeably if you prefer logic in your entertainment.

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Another series I really liked at first~ (｡◕‿◕｡)✨
But after about 20 episodes, I started to feel tired 😅

I’m used to long series, but this one was probably the toughest~ it actually took me around 1.5 years to finally finish it 😮‍💨

This series truly felt like a rollercoaster 🎢🌸

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🌸✨🌈 Hiii~ Welcome to my kawaii corner~ ♡(≧▽≦)ﾉ✨🌸

You can find more of my reviews on Instagram~ 🌟💖

Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷

Some reviews are under 500 words, so I can’t post them here~ (≧ω≦)ﾉ💫

Thank you sooo much~ ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆ 💕🌸

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Fiery chemistry in this jiejie romance drama set in the art world

I was browsing drama catalogue and this drama's pister caught my attention. It had been awhile since I last watched Zhao Xi Xi's work. Glad I watched this drama because it was good.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Damn spicy intimate scenes. I felt like they were going to combust everytime they made out. This is a jiejie romance with ML devoting himself to FL's cause.
2. FL characterisation - She was desperate, she put her mother’s need first. I liked the fact that she's knowledgeable in art.
3. ML characterisation - Hidden identity out to investigate SML. ML was devoted, talented & sneaky.
4. Acting - Great performances by Zhao Xi Xi and Su You Cai. Damn, the chemistry was fiery.
5. Visuals - Stunning leads + beautiful paintings.
6. Editing - Beautifully shot scenes from the paintings to the intimate scenes.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - SML was a jerk for taking advantagr of vulnerable woman. I also disliked SML's sister for her rude beahviour.

Favourite scene
When FL kissed ML at his house

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Black River aka Kuroi Kawa reminded me of one of my least favorite Kurosawa Akira films, The Lower Depths. Like Lower Depths, this film is centered in a decaying tenement filled with unlikeable people. The underlying theme of the society decaying as well after WWII became lost for me in the toxic “love” triangle and reprehensible view of women. Please forgive me if I change up my normal review style for diary writings of the main characters. Warning-A disturbing event that happens early in the film is mentioned.

Dear Diary,
I recently moved into a slum with a cranky landlady. She’s probably that way because only one tenant pays the rent. The local communist tries to talk the tenants into paying their fair share of the electricity bill and poop removal, but no one seems very interested in it. I just want to be left alone with my books while I’m studying civil engineering. Holes in the wall and nosy neighbors make it difficult. The house husband next door constantly bothers me. His wife works at a “salon” and is always coming onto me in her slip. I think she might be a prostitute. In fact, most of the women wander around in their slips and are either hitting on me or watching others have sex through the holes in the walls. Thinking I might be living in a house full of perverts. I have fallen in love with a beautiful waitress who picked up one of my books that had fallen in the street. New entry-she ditched a date we had for her to “borrow” some books to hook up with the local gang leader, Joe the Killer. Heartbroken, will continue to focus on my studies. Believe one of my pervy neighbors is stealing my things.—Nishida Kenzo

Dear Diary,
Work as a waitress is going well. I take the same route every day with my parasol. I picked up a book a fellow dropped and kismet! I think I’m completely in love. I have a date to “borrow” more books. Latest development-last night on my way to see the student, I was roughly kidnapped by a group of men. Another man beat them off and saved me! Then he threw me on the ground, declared his love for me, and brutally raped me. I, of course, went to him the next day and demanded he marry me. Joe the Killer laughed at me. Guess I’m stuck with this loser after losing my virginity to him. What a ridiculous name for a gangster, must get him to change it. Maybe Joe the Delusional Rapist? Will play the part of a tart and dress more seductively. I should leave him but I am strangely attracted to his brand of violent affection…Think I will write a love letter to that book nerd to keep my options open. Love, Shizuko

Dear Diary,
Things are going my way. Have talked the crooked landlady into hiring me to drive out her tenants so that we and my business partner can build a “Love Hotel.” Last night I wooed the good girl in town and convinced her that violence is how I show affection. Women are so stupid. I also take particular delight in tormenting her and that idiot student she loves. Everything is great! Yay me! –Joe the Killer

Black River had some important insights into life after WWII outside an American military base that became uselessly bogged down in the “love” triangle. Rape as foreplay will never sit well with me. Despite strong performances from Nakadai Tatsuya and Arima Ineko and a somewhat satisfying ending, the whole triangle premise left a bad misogynistic taste in my mouth.

1 February 2026
Trigger warnings: Implied rape and sexual situations though nothing shown. Physical abuse of women which was shown.

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