Reviews

Your Third (2026)

work in process, last edit 23.8.2026: Jam is the right-hand man to Sib, a high-powered executive at a top-tier corporation..........

+ I like the premise, it has more layers then I initially expected, and you get introduced to them immediatelly (- the transition between new job offer to enemies is so fast it might get ppl confused - not me, but ppl :D)
+ comfy series
+ simple series (in the best way possible)
+ def. improvement from their previous two-three series
- ...
... still ongoing editing process, but here we go:
# MaxNat — A Review

I honestly don't think there is any way you can give this series a 10 out of 10. And yet, the more I think about it, the more I realize that there might actually be a way to get it there — at least under very specific circumstances.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the actors, this is simply another case of comparing their previous work with what they are doing now. Out of their more recent projects, this one stands out, but it is still nowhere near where I would like them to be.

I have read some negative reviews of this series, and I think they have a point. In many ways, I would probably agree with them. However, I would like to elaborate a little on what has been said about the story and the overall viewing experience.

When discussing this project, I think we also need to consider a broader issue with Mandee Channel and the projects it has been giving its actors, particularly those from the older generations. Some of these projects might have been acceptable two to five years ago. Whether we are talking about *The Next Prince* or this series, things might look different if we didn't have so many top-notch BL series to go back to or look forward to. Our expectations have changed, and these projects don't hold up as well against the current competition.

I am not a fan of slapstick comedy. You might be wondering why I am following MaxNat if I dislike the genre, and the answer is simple: the first time I saw them, they weren't in a slapstick comedy. In fact, I still think that their first project together is their best one.

I don't know who thought it was a clever idea to keep pushing them into comedies. I can somewhat understand why it might be easier for the actors to work in this genre, but I believe it is doing serious damage to their careers. They have had several big projects, or projects that were supposed to be big, and yet the company seems determined to undermine whatever they have managed to build.

The problem is not simply that these projects have lower budgets. It is the combination of uninspired ideas, poor execution, characters that are flat or barely exist at all, and stories that have absolutely nothing meaningful to say to the audience. And even within the genre they have chosen, these projects often fail to deliver.

Please, just give them a serious drama.

I will only forgive you if all these supposedly lighthearted projects were actually a long, elaborate setup for a genuinely dark and heavy drama.

Because then we would finally find out whether their first project succeeded primarily because of good directing, or whether I was right all along and these two actors could really shine in the right circumstances. There is no room for their potential to develop if you keep putting them into the same category of projects over and over again, especially when those projects consistently fail to deliver.

I don't know whether the people making these decisions have some higher purpose in mind, but please, change what is happening behind the camera and give these actors a proper project.

What you are doing to them — or what they are doing to themselves by choosing these projects — is painful to watch. It feels like a slow decline into irrelevance. And no matter how many tears are shed on Instagram by either of the actors, none of that is going to help unless the people responsible learn from their previous mistakes and actually do something better.

I don't think this is the worst thing that could have been shown to us, nor is it the worst series I have ever watched. But I keep wondering what the company is doing with MaxNat, ZeeNunew, and the other actors from the first, second, and third generations.

If newer actors are being given very good projects while the original actors — the ones who helped build the company's careers, reputation, and revenue in the first place — still aren't being given proper opportunities, something is clearly wrong.

If I were one of these actors, I would be terribly offended.

I would be looking at the projects my colleagues were getting and asking myself why my own projects weren't anywhere near that level. And I wouldn't even have to look at other companies to feel jealous or envious. Seeing what other companies are capable of offering their actors would make the situation even worse.

I would want out. I would want to do something different. I would want to be given a chance to prove myself.

And this is not a good position for actors who should be bringing the company more money and more recognition than they already do.

I cannot keep making excuses for the company indefinitely. It has already shown that it is capable of producing projects that are at least reasonably good, even if I have my own reservations about some of them. The company should be able to produce something that can hold its own in an industry facing this much competition.

And now that Chinese BL series are also being released and taking up a significant portion of the viewing schedule, the competition is even stronger. How can the company still fail to reflect on the quality of its own projects? It makes me feel as though it never learns, never listens, and never does anything to address the problems.

Again, I find it difficult to be too harsh on this particular series because it is three levels above the previous three projects. Technically, that should count as improvement, and it does. But the improvement is so slow, and the company is still failing to keep up with current trends and the quality of the better productions out there.

I don't care whether you give them social drama, psychological drama, an artistic project, a mystery, or a serious character-driven story. Just show me that the trust I have in these two actors is not misplaced.

And if they are struggling with their acting, then assign them proper tutors and teachers. Let them learn. Other people in the industry have clearly figured out how to improve their craft, and that doesn't necessarily require years of formal acting education. Even a few targeted courses could help.

Please don't tell me that you are working with two individuals who are simply incapable of learning. I find that particularly difficult to believe when they have already spent so much time working in this industry.

I am not particularly impressed by the emotional appeals the company makes on social media, either. I am not going to be persuaded by tears on Instagram or emotional streams. Those are not the actions I expect from a company that genuinely wants to improve.

If you want to make things better, perhaps stop ignoring criticism and start listening to people who actually understand what needs to change. And instead of spending so much time trying to emotionally persuade people to keep watching and following these two actors, invest that time in helping them develop their acting skills.

Give them projects that are worthy of the acting potential they have already shown in the past, even if it takes time to get there.

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This could've been an email

The biggest problem I had with Royal Betrothal is that I never really felt like I was watching the story happen. I constantly felt like I was being given the summary of a story that could have been much better. Everything moves so quickly and the scenes barely connect. They can talk about going somewhere together or sharing a ride, and then suddenly the next scene has one of them somewhere completely different. There is no time for anything to settle or for a moment to actually develop before we're already onto the next thing. It made the whole drama feel strangely rushed, like every scene existed only to deliver a piece of information and then disappear.

Because of that, I also never felt like I actually knew either of the leads. We see the FL doing things and going through hardships, and I genuinely liked her childhood story, but I don't feel like I know who she is beyond what the plot requires her to do. I don't know much about her inner thoughts, her fears, her aspirations or even what she really wants for herself. The ML has the same problem. He mostly exists in relation to the FL, and outside of that I don't think we get enough of his personality or his own thoughts to understand what kind of man he actually is. They both feel distant, and sometimes almost like they're just reading lines that were handed to them.

The romance suffers from this more than anything. Their childhood connection was such a good foundation, especially because he saved her life, and later he does so much for her. He changes rules, takes a beating, repeatedly stands up for her and remains determined to be with her even after finding out that she's the last royal blood of the Zhongween people. He clearly has very strong feelings for her, but somehow I never felt those feelings developing between them. There was no real tension or gradual warmth. Their relationship feels more like two people who have become very good partners and then suddenly we're expected to believe they're deeply in love. His confession in episode 24 was the clearest example. After waiting all this time, he confesses and the scene is over almost immediately. There was so little emotion or buildup that it honestly felt like the drama suddenly remembered it needed a confession scene.

The whole Zhongween storyline bothered me for the same reason. We're told that she's the last royal blood of the Zhongween people, but we barely learn anything about the people themselves or what happened to them. Her parents were killed, her people were killed, and the emperor's father was responsible for it, yet I barely felt any emotional connection between the FL and that history. I don't need her to spend the entire drama hating the ML for something his father did, but surely she should remember it and have some complicated feelings about it. The fact that she can apparently fall in love with the son of the man responsible for killing her parents and people should be a huge emotional conflict, and the drama barely touches it.

The bath scene made this even stranger. She sees the black bird tattoo and something is obviously supposed to click for her, but we never really get to understand what happened in her head. Did she remember something? Did she suddenly understand her origins? Did seeing it trigger a memory? I have no idea. She just rushes out of the bath and tells the emperor she wants to marry him. We don't even get a proper conversation between them about her origins or what she has just remembered before this huge decision happens. That should have been such an important moment for her character, but it felt like another plot point the drama needed to get through.

The same thing happens with her saying that she doesn't want to become empress. She says it more than once, but I never really saw her do anything with that conflict. If she genuinely doesn't want that life, especially considering everything that happened to her family, I wanted to see her seriously wrestle with what marrying the emperor would mean. Instead, she says she doesn't want it and the story continues toward exactly that outcome anyway.

I was also surprised by how little actual court intrigue there was. With an emperor, royal succession, political enemies and the last surviving member of a destroyed royal family, I expected the court to be full of schemes, factions and people trying to use the situation to their advantage. Instead, the political world felt strangely empty. There are officials and conflicts, but I never really felt like there was a living political system behind the characters. Even the investigations have this problem. We suddenly get evidence or discover something important without really seeing how they found it. I wanted to watch them investigate, make mistakes, connect clues and slowly figure things out. Instead, we usually just arrive at the answer.

I also struggled with the FL's characterization from the beginning. She's supposed to be an orphan who survived a difficult life, but she is incredibly confident and reckless from the first episode. She kills someone in public, chases another person with a knife and openly challenges the emperor, and I kept wondering why someone with her background wasn't more careful or calculating. I expected her to be quieter and more observant, someone who had learned to survive by thinking before acting. I also don't feel like she changes much throughout the story. Things happen to her, but I don't feel like those things really transform her.

The casting and styling didn't help either. I really liked the actress in The Double, but here I couldn't feel much of the character's inner life through her performance. Sometimes I genuinely couldn't tell what she was thinking, although I think the writing is partly responsible because she isn't given much to work with. Her chemistry with the ML also didn't work for me. The makeup, costumes and camera angles made it worse, and there were times when she honestly looked more like his aunt than his love interest. I don't mean that because of their actual looks, it was mainly the styling that felt rather cheap.

I actually found the second couple more convincing because their dynamic felt warmer and more natural. I was also confused by some of the deaths. Captain Di's death in particular made me wonder what the point was, and the ML's guard as well. If characters are going to die, I want their deaths to actually change something or carry some emotional weight rather than just being another tragic event added to the story.

The ending was probably the final nail in the coffin for me. The last few episodes felt extremely rushed, and then the final episode was packed with flashbacks. There was so much repeated material that it genuinely felt like the drama didn't know what to do with its remaining runtime.

And that's what makes this frustrating, because I can actually see how good this could have been. The childhood connection was good, the FL's background had potential, the ML's devotion could have made for a really compelling romance, and the history of the Zhongween people could have given the whole story a much deeper political and emotional layer. Even the conflict between her past and her relationship with the emperor could have been one of the strongest parts of the drama. Instead, everything is introduced and then immediately rushed past.

I think that's why I kept feeling so detached while watching. The drama keeps giving me the outcome without letting me experience the journey that leads to it. We're told they're in love without really watching them fall in love, we're given evidence without seeing the investigation, we're told three years have passed without ever feeling those three years, and we're told the FL carries this enormous history without really seeing how it affects her.

But After i knew that the director is actually the same from "Rebirth", it clicked for me why it's this bad. Also, stop adapting great novels to cdrama if you're not gonna commit to the same level, like the end was so good in the novel...why change it to something this vague? Nowadays, everyone is afraid of producing an end. I would chose a sad ending the whole day that an open one.

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"Good Spooky But Not Great In Love"

Spooky in Love starts strongly with funny and thrilling episodes, while the investigation parts keep the drama interesting.

The romance becomes the main focus later, but after the leads become a couple, it doesn't feel as engaging as the beginning.

Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong have above-average chemistry, and both deliver good performances throughout the drama.

The romance has some genuinely sweet moments, although a few scenes feel slow and boring.

The final episodes become predictable, but the happy ending still makes the overall experience satisfying.

Overall, it's a good and enjoyable watch with humor, mystery, romance, and some memorable moments.

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Spooky in Love delivers a delightfully charming blend of supernatural mystery, crime, and sweet romance that relies heavily on a beautifully balanced lead dynamic. Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong show undeniable chemistry as Cheon Yeo-ri and Ma Gang-Uk, offering a natural, heartwarming relationship that strikes just the right romantic notes without feeling overdone. The contrast in their personalities drives the show’s best comedic and emotional beats: Yeo-ri’s fierce, independent, and fearless nature balances effortlessly against Gang-Uk's bubbly, devoted charm. Watching Gang-Uk slowly break through Yeo-ri’s deep isolation—a loneliness rooted in her touch-avoidance and cold family dynamics—makes his presence in her life feel genuinely comforting.

The narrative weaves clever stakes into the plot, from the serious implications of Gang-Uk's heart condition linked to the "black monkey zodiac" lore to the poignant backstory of Min-hwan and Ji-hwan that reveals why Yeo-ri can see ghosts in the first place. While the middle stretch strays a bit too far from its supernatural roots—feeling slightly underwhelming for a show with "Spooky" in the title—the final arc recovers brilliantly by tying the ghost mystery directly to Ji-hwan's sacrifice. With solid performances and a fun fusion of crime and rom-com elements, it stands as an engaging, highly enjoyable drama.

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Cute office crush but slow

THE GOOD:
I generally liked this drama but it didn't do a whole lot other than cute flirting. I think as long as you manage your expectations then you may enjoy this a lot, if office romance crush is what you are looking for.

There are some nuances to these characters that are a bit richer than many of this kind of web shorts. The crushing FL is cringe of course as she should be, but she also has a bit of backbone and willingness to put herself out there, which is a careful balance that they handle very cutely.

The boss FL is also well controlled, though she doesn't get to do very much due to the unwillingness to move the pacing forward nearly ever.

THE BAD:
What is slower than slow-burn? They spent 2 seasons doing the same cycle of having a crush on your boss and being awkward with her. It is cute but it is just circled over and over, and to a degree that is kind of hard to believe. Like if you always just stare dumbfounded at your boss, once is a little cringe, but it was pretty much 100% of the time. Every single elevator she is going to have to wake you up to get in?

Yeah this is light fluff, so we have to set our suspension of disbelief very high or else her behavior is way over the top. Still as long as you do that, there is cute stuff here.

The big other problem with the "pace" is just there is almost no pay off. The fact that they did an entire season 1 and didn't even have any resolution was already kind of crazy, but even with the ending of season 2, we only get a few hints that the feelings are reciprocated. No confession. No verbalizing our feelings. Were they expecting a THIRD season to flesh that out? I guess we will never know, it has been years now.

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I love every scene specially actions. Love to watch again. Iloveyou Jung Jin man since first I saw you. The series was so good I recommend this Korean series.. The cast and everything so cool and also add cast in other country like Thailand and Japan. Love this series.
......................
THE ACTION: I personally didn’t see any better action in this season. That knife fight between Jianman and Bale alone in season 1 is far better than all the fights in season 2 put together.

THE CGI: It was what it was. But that scene where the two photographs are blown away by the wind was just too much. I did like those terminator bots, though.

Overall, I’m very very disappointed in this season. Yes, it’s very unlikely that season 2 would top season 1, for any show, even though there are exceptions (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul). But the least they could’ve done was not make this show so ordinary, devoid of the sheer force, grit, and heart that season 1 was. Deviating from the source material was a PHENOMENAL MISTAKE on their part.
THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.
THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.
The creators decided to go their own way for this season, which is absolutely fine, and I would applaud them for that, but only if the result wasn’t so… ORDINARY.

In and of itself, this season is a fine one-time watch. But the moment you put season 1 into perspective, this season looks very amateurish and downright silly.

Following are some of the amateurishness / silliness I encountered:

THE VILLAINS: Gone are the dread and absolute horror that Bale induced in the first season. There’s not a single scene that comes even close to his scene of dropping grenades in that room full of women, and his subsequent evil stare of dark delight. His replacements are two entitled ladies, who yap a lot, especially the boss, say cheesy lines, act out, make faces, and just end up being a caricature. Annoying and laughable? Absolutely. Menacing or dread-inducing? Oh, please.

THE TWISTS: None of the twists, and I mean none of the twists, were unpredictable. The writing was so pedestrian at times that the twists became an obvious course of action. The one place they could’ve inserted a fine twist was when Pasin was made into a traitor. Right there, was a fine opportunity to make him into a double agent, but they missed it and messed up the whole thing. Him becoming a traitor felt so forced and out of character. I was once surprised, though, when Jianman announces to Pasin that he’s now the kidnapper of his son, but that went absolutely nowhere, as Pasin is killed off five minutes later, making the “twist” irrelevant.

THE HUMOUR: What humour?

THE EMOTIONAL HEFT: Again, what emotional heft? There’s not a single scene that would parallel that moment when our little Jian was left locked in that room in the school and her relief and outburst at the sight of her rescuer, her uncle. I choked up, even after watching it three times.

Or that quiet gut punch when, while trying to escape, she ends up in the same morgue cooler where her mom’s dead body is stored. That fraction of a moment where she learns her mother is no more, and she embraces her dead body, hoping to be saved…or to die, but in the arms of her mother. Or that dramatic scene where our grown up Jian steps out of her hiding with a severed head, no less, negotiating with her almost-killers. There is NOT A SINGLE scene in this season that would come close to these.

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Messy and real

Overall I loved this movie.

Set against early nineties Taiwan and university students trying to change a system that has been rife with uncontested top-down power structures.

Following characters that have nuance and depth. This is only a movie, so there isn't the same amount of time to flesh things out as you might get in a drama series. But they use subtlety and care to craft characters that are vibrant and distinct, and each have their own complexities that may not necessarily make them bad people, but certainly could be considered messy people. Flawed people. Struggling to balance protecting themselves and being true to themselves. Real.

There are some serious themes here. Nothing too crazy, but this is not just romance fluff. It is more about figuring out your place in the world and what you actually want from it.

All in all I was very glad to have stumbled across this movie.

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I was promised good Horror and BL-Romance and got neither...

at least the plot and production was good, otherwise I would have dropped this (almost did).

Things I liked:
- Production/Directing/Visual Effects/Costumes: Great, didn't expect the ghosts to be so well made. One of the strongest things about the show for sure.
- Plot: It kept me interested for most of the show (there was a slow middle part though). The first couple of episodes were definitely the strongest.
- Backstories: I liked all of the other backstories/former lives that were shown, I honestly wished they would have given those plots more onscreen time.
- The second couple romance: They were super cute. No comparison to the main couple "shudder". Even though it felt rushed, especially liked the GL plotline.
- The end: Really liked the way it was resolved. Made so much sense and was quite surprising to me.
- The magic: The way they portrayed the magic and shamanism was simply great.

Things I didn't like:
- The "Horror": Aside from episode 1 I wasn't scared a single time. That disappointed me so much, because the show was able to do it in the beginning eps, but then just watered it down. Even the end was a total letdown. That was one of the main reasons I was exited to watch this. Oh well.
- Khem(jira): Oh boy, they did something I have only seen prior in female characters: Useless, passive, crying "damsel in distress" character, feels misogynistic without a single woman involved, wow. The woman were written better.... He was a happy-go-lucky guy without much personality (or backbone), who spends the better time of the show crying and sacrificing himself. I was so angry about this, almost dropped it just because of him. Didn't help that the actor is terrible, sorry.
- The Acting: Besides the main character, the other characters were mid-to-bad usually. The only person I liked was the female ghost actress. Honestly raised the bar all by herself.
- The main couple: Whatever the opposite to good chemistry is, they had it. I'm sorry but I cringed anytime they had a romantic scene. It just didn't work. They had zero build up. It seemed like the only reason they fell in love with each other was because of their former life. Personally felt Peem was a better actor and he was trying to create chemistry with him but the other guy just...didn't.

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The Boy Who Always Understands and Loves His Genius Girl

🩵 The Boy Who Always Understands and Loves His Genius Girl 🥹🧠❤️

🩷 FL: Lin Zhi Xia
— played by Tian XiWei

🩵 ML: Jiang Yu Bai
— played by Hu YiTian

💕 MY THOUGHTS:
I could have rated this even higher, but honestly… the math jargon and all those genius-level terms didn’t let me! 😂😂😂 There were moments when I was just sitting there like, “What are they talking about?” 🤣 I was literally in a daze, dizzy and completely blank! 😂
And come on… they only officially got together in the last few episodes! 😭 They could have done it much earlier and given us MORE romantic scenes! 😍❤️
Another thing that matters a lot to me in dramas is the OST. Music can really stimulate your feelings and emotions and make certain scenes more memorable. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the main OST, “Dusk Stealer.” 😅 But aside from that, everything was pretty much perfect for me! 😍

🩷 LIN ZHI XIA
As a genius, Lin Zhi Xia is incredibly advanced academically, but she is a little slower when it comes to understanding emotions and social situations. Sometimes, she simply couldn't understand what was happening, why it was happening, or what was wrong.
She isn't emotionally invested or sensitive in the same way other people are. She understands things from a logical point of view, but emotionally, she sometimes struggles to understand them.
Even as a child, she was already living in a different world compared to kids her age. That's why, when she met Jiang Yu Bai, she immediately liked him and asked him to be her best friend. ❤️
They were on the same wavelength, and Jiang Yu Bai could understand her and actually keep up with her intellectually.
Little by little, with Jiang Yu Bai's help, Lin Zhi Xia learned how to understand the feelings of the people around her. 🥹❤️

🩵 JIANG YU BAI
Thankfully, Jiang Yu Bai was always there for her. 🥰
Although he liked Lin Zhi Xia, he initially couldn't let go of the thought that if she hadn't appeared in his life, he would always be No. 1. 😂
He was always at the top, but once he started studying with Lin Zhi Xia, he often found himself in second place. So, naturally, he wanted to compete with her and eventually become No. 1 alongside her.
But eventually, he let go of that obsession. Instead of constantly trying to beat her, he simply went with the flow because, in the end, his biggest principle was making Lin Zhi Xia happy. 💕😍

📚 THE PRESSURE OF BEING A STUDENT
One thing I really liked about this drama was how it showed the struggles and pressure students experience—even those who are high-ranking and academically gifted.
I especially felt bad for Jin Bai Hui. 🥺 I just wish parents could learn to accept their children for who they are, as long as they're not doing anything wrong. Every child has different strengths, dreams and limits.

👨‍👩‍👧 THE LIN FAMILY
The Lin siblings were so much fun to watch! 😂 They were chaotic and constantly argued, but you could really see how much Lin Ze Qiu cared about his sister. ❤️
He supported Lin Zhi Xia all the way, and the same goes for their parents. They may not be wealthy, but they supported her studies and allowed her to focus on school instead of forcing her to work because they knew studying was what made her happy. 🥹❤️

👫 THE CLASS BREAK GROUP
And let's talk about the Class Break group! 👏👏👏
They literally showed what true friendship can look like. They were always together while studying, and eventually, they chose different paths and careers. But even after going their separate ways, they still made an effort to communicate, meet up and stay connected despite their busy schedules.
Well done, guys! 👏❤️

💕 OVERALL
Genius Girlfriend earns a 9/10 from me! ⭐️
It's a light, romantic, fluffy and sweet comedy drama—exactly my cup of tea! 🥰 I don't have to stress over anything except the math! 😂😂😂
And of course, Tian XiWei and Hu YiTian's chemistry was great! 😍 Although, for some reason, their chemistry didn't reach my ZLH-level for me. 😂❤️ Still, they were a lovely pairing!
Tian XiWei always delivers her characters so well, and Hu YiTian is just… freaking handsome! 😍😂

✨ Genre: School • Youth • Romantic Comedy
🎵 Favorite OST: Be My Light ❤️

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An intriguing genre and marvelous acting and well bromance

Starting from the plot, to the acting to the cast lineup to the direction, Wu was the pure showcase of talent, hard work and great storytelling and I think we didn't appreciate it enough for what it was.

The plot is complex. I had to pause and remember the small details so I don't miss out on anything. It tackles a lot of sub-context like Chinese mythology, fantasy, spirituality, sorcery and politics yet everything molded into each other perfectly creating a perfect craft. The main focus being Niran and Pete's story along with their traumas and struggles and how they overcame it by being with each other. It even has a touch of philosophy to it. The only thing is I wanted more. The potential it had, I think it didn't live up to it fully. This really should have been a 12 episode drama instead of 9. More lore, background stories and more depth. There were few things that left me wondering how it turned out the way it is for every character. I think they focused a lot more on defeating Qi Ran (or whatever the lord of warrior demon's name is) instead of giving us more from the characters.

The direction and cinematography is a great fit for the storyline. Except it was too dark for me that I had to increase the brightness of my screen to it's highest. But it successfully caught the dark theme they were going. The action scenes were directed so well and whoever did the CGI deserves a round of applause. It was very realistic. The OST should be in GMMTV's hall of fame because FILO what was that. It totally elevated the show. The script writing was good especially the chemistry of Pete and Niran. I took the bromance with a grain of salt though.

Oh gosh Nani, he worked so hard for this and executed it so well I repeated his scenes so many times. His micro expressions, vocal tones and small gestures truly stood out. The action scenes were amazing. Krist probably acted one of the greatest villain roles ever played on screen to the point he became unrecognizable to people. Godji, Great, Singha and the rest of the cast each played their part perfectly and brought out their characters to real life.

It was an original script and they did pretty good with it considering they probably didn't have as much time. This was an outstanding performance by the cast and deep lore telling on screen and definitely worth watching. Special mention to the yearnings because you cannot convince me those eyes were saying something else.

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Beautifully packaged show with a weak plot that does not match up

Watched this show because I do enjoy the visuals of the 3 leads, and it was a happy surpise to see familiar faces in the supporting cast who were also visual eye candy. To preface, I don't know anything about the original novel the show was based on, but the introduction was clear enough at the beginning. However, once you got past the first few episodes, the cracks in the plot logic start to show. Yes, the characters are presented, yes, some background context was shown, but somehow they still felt rather flat.

It was really the visuals (in terms of face cards, set design, and costumes that made the viewing more palatable till the end lol). The shots and scenary were actually also really nice, especially the scenes where they went to the mountains to light the fire, and I appreciated how the use of studio lighting was not too obvious so the show does look like a lived in set, and not just a prop/fake set. The OSTs also saved the day especially when you have heavyweights like Zhou Shen and Liu Yuning singing them, you know it will still be enjoyable to a certain extent lol. Especially some scenes with Zheng Shi and Fan Yun and 何故 starts playing and the longing (from Zheng Shi) just HITS you like a truck.

But this still was not enough to hide the glaringly abrupt scene edits/cuts, weird gaps in plot and illogical character development/incoherent character motivations. Certain things also just did not make sense, whereby I cannot reasonably believe that the same character carried out those actions or thought/said certain things, because it just does not align with how you would expect them to behave. The FL also charges towards her goal with little thought about romance along the way, and neither were there moments showing any chemistry of an unknowing sort of budding romance with either of the male leads, so it was hard to root for any romantic pairing there...in fact I thought she had more chemistry with Jiang Shu during one moment they had together in the library RIP LOL. On top of that there were other moments where the FL's actions felt a bit...inconsistent....or unrealistic. Though I would say both MLs did play their part and show their longing towards the FL, but I'm biased towards Deng Wei lol. However even his face card cannot help me understand or accept the actions and decisions that Zheng Shi did. What do you mean he's a big baddie at one moment rolling in the dough, and the next he's a big softie? And then he becomes a super perverse baddie AND softie at the same time at the last moment??? Make it make sense. At this point I am just watching because of all the beautiful cast members and suspending logical thought to be able to continue watching the show.

Notable relationships such as that between Elder Zheng and Zheng Shi, Shi San and Gao Ran, and even that between Yan Jiang and Fan Hui were lovely to watch. It was also enjoyable to watch Tian Xing / Tian Yue.

side note - maybe some of my motivation to finish the show was to see if Jiang Shu finally revealed his face he he. And of course just to see more moments of Deng Wei's acting lol. TLDR watch if you like the cast and if good visuals can make you look past glaring plot holes.

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KIM JAE JOONG !! The man that you are !

First of all I have to stop watching this I'm at episode 13 and I need to address how hot this guy is because what do you mean this is the only big show he's done in like years like a wtf do I do after 😭

I legit had to stop watching and write this because when I read the comments and the reviews while going back to rewatch the fun bits I'm like omg what the hell either no one is commenting on what's happening or you all just want this to be non fiction and desperately in the plot.

1. Can we just talk about the ML because why is he the only one riding this whole show because as soon as he's on screen it's like amazing. Like if there was one person solely carrying the show it's him. And I know it's his character etc but this guy is on another level and it almost CRIMINAL that he has one good show like this in the last few years like CRIMINAAL. Like why aren't networks getting him on shows he's soo good 😭😭

Also theres so many bits that he does well it's crazy like they could just leave the camera on him and it would be fine lol. But from the top that I can remember is when he runs around her in the hospital calling her his first love like DEAADDDD SO CUTE.

Then like that scene when they go to his grandma's house and after they wake up him exercising on the car like DEEEEAAADDDD.

Then the one where she comes in but he's walking around unclothed lmao.

Then when he's ill in bed like hello where is everyone been like are we watching teams show or what 😭😂

Also the reveal in episode 13 like he looks so good when you find out the revealll!!

2. Next id like to address the plot right it's a drama so there's been comments about how it's ethical or not this that etc and I'm just like what are we all medical students because I give ZERO SHITS lmao. Like that's life no where people are doing something for their gain but it's affecting others etc. like I don't say yh go do it but its a drama take a chill pill. And enjoy the beauty in the screen lmao.

3. Is it just me but I've legit heard no one say that the brother looks like Woo Do Hwan like hello why are ppl not seeing that omg. And yes the brother did good acting and finally he understands where the FL heart is at took him bloody long enough I swear 🙄

4. In Episode 13 there were comments people made that how the ML at the same beach meeting the FL was like a misunderstanding and I'm literally SCREAMING NOOOO he's legit sacrificing his relationship with her for his brother like omg I think like only 2 ppl said that but helloo have ppl not been watching Kdramas it's legit Kdrama 101 lol. Especially when he later cries it's proof that he didn't mean it and was purposely forcing her away and that's why he said the mean things he did say etc etc.

5. I will say I thought this would be a full on romance drama but it's also had a lot of mystery and suspense more story etc to it which is good but I didn't expect that. I would have been fine if there wasn't because obviously the ML don't care about anything else 😂.


My last point will be the same as the first that for me Kim Jae Joong carried this show he looks so good in black hoodie vibes etc was just like dead but then the reveal was so good too. I don't normally finish shows because I simply can't (don't want it to end) but I will watch probably like the last 30 mins of the show last episode etc u til I'm satisfied hopefully and will come back in the meantime please get this guy more shows like why be so cruel.

And yes I know he's an Idol etc but this is my first show of his and will eventually listen to his music but I need to see him ok more shows no I demand to see him on more shows. ✌️

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Diversity and authenticity

Overall this drama is such a gem!

THE GOOD:
- Cute romance that doesn't rush
- Funny and cute supporting cast
- The soundtrack is really well used, and gives a cute vibe
- Imperfect characters doing their best
- An honest look at physical disabilities and how they are viewed in society
- Diversity beyond disabilities: I viewed this (at least 2 different character traits) as an exploration of less "visible" neurodiversity and how some things are not exactly a disability, but still make life very hard because society is built for a "typical" person.
- An unflinching look at some personality challenges such as insecurity, without washing it away. Possible BPD representation.

THE BAD:
- Some of the acting and pacing are a little rough, though nothing too bad, just some indie film vibes mostly where things might have been more polished in a bigger production.
- The ending is not bad or technically incomplete, but maybe not as satisfying as it could have been. A few of the conflicts in the story are either not cleared up or we don't get to see the details of how they were cleared up. This is probably mostly due to the short runtime not leaving enough time to tie off everything. And maybe it was intentional, as the ending is still satisfying and being reassured that everything is resolved cleanly is not what this drama is about.

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