Reviews

This drama is significantly underrated. It remains perplexing to me why many viewers reacted unfavorably to the series or the lead couple. For me, this drama served as a breath of fresh air within the romantic comedy genre.
I eagerly anticipated its premiere. Hwang In-yeop and Lee Hye-ri form an exceptionally attractive and compelling duo. The visual of the drama was equally enticing and a narrative centered around two directors offered a novel and refreshing concept.
This is a highly commendable drama, and the inclusion of two secondary couples alongside the primary storyline served as a substantial asset to the drama.
I genuinely enjoyed the plot, the cast's performances, the chosen locations and also chosen music. However, the ending felt overly convoluted. I sympathize with Yi-jae’s decision, as going abroad for her studies was indeed necessary, yet severing ties with Soo-bin appeared remarkably inexplicable. While I understand that she felt overwhelmed by his hyper-fixated care and complete focus on her, I generally dislike such abrupt plot twists in a finale.
Hye-ri delivered a delightfully vibrant and playful performance—an archetype in which she truly thrives. Hwang In-yeop’s portrayal was equally impressive and represented a novel direction for him. The lead pair demonstrated outstanding onscreen chemistry, embodying their respective roles to perfection.

A standout highlight of this production was the relationship between Yoo Gyeom and Oh Ha-na, portrayed by Lee Yeol-eum and Son Chae-ryeong. Their magnetic dynamic and the intensity conveyed through their subtle glances made every scene deeply captivating. I’d have greatly welcomed seeing them on screen more frequently.
As for the pairing of Sa-rang and In-wook, they possessed immense potential; regrettably, the production chose to accord them minimal screen time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the depiction of their school years, filming scenes, grow of their relationships, and every nuance in between. From start to finish, the drama maintained my complete engagement, with every narrative arc receiving thorough resolution. There is simply no reason to overlook this drama!

Read More

Don't write this drama off because of the bad reviews

I watched everything in one day, which allowed me to experience the series in a different way than the watchers who waited every week for new episodes. Many people write that one of the main drawbacks mentioned at the end is the breakup of the main couple. In my opinion, it was a perfect move, making ML feel what the FL felt. If she was abandoned for many years, why couldn't he wait two years? And it allowed her to fulfill a dream she put on hold because of him. I think it allows them both to start over and are equal emotionally and professionally. Plus, after seeing their kisses, I can definitely say they had chemistry! The supporting couples had interesting stories, and I don't think they took up too much of the main characters' time, but there was enough time to develop their stories.

Another point viewers disagreed with was the cancer subplot. It did appear out of nowhere, but the father-son relationship was touching for me. It shows viewers how, in the pursuit of goals, we often forget about our loved ones, only to realize how important they are to us when it's often too late.

In my opinion, the storyline of ML's father and mother should have been more developed; the father should have been punished for his violence against both his son and his wife. The overall story should also included ML's feelings, some form of therapy, etc. The topic of ML's biological mother leaving should also be addressed. In real life, it's impossible to remain as indifferent and stoic as the main character was about this.

I think that not having to wait for episodes each week influenced my reception and interpretation of this drama. I don't think it's as bad as some people think. In some places, something was missing, and in others, there was too much. The drama's pacing was good, without dragging on unnecessary plot threads. I'm glad we didn't spend too much time in the past, but the characters' motives were perfectly presented. The story was original, but it could have been better executed. All in all, a good drama to watch one time- 8,3/10

Read More

There is nothing scary at all in this series

The plot of this series is quite interesting. The visuals are beautiful and grand, and the CGI is excellent. Unfortunately, they added so many extra elements that the plot became disappointing, boring, and lacking in interest, and the overall story turned into a complete mess.

Many of the actors did a good job. Nam Joohyuk looks really cool in this role whenever he’s in the underworld. Roh Yoonseo is very beautiful and cute here, but her acting in this drama confuses me a little. In some scenes she performs very well, while in others she comes across as stiff, emotionless, and as if she’s just reciting lines. The underworld itself is vague and complicated — they don’t really explain much about it. What I really dislike is that almost none of the villains face any consequences for their past actions. It’s like Gu Cheon and Saeng Gang are stopping the evil spirits just to protect characters who are even worse. The only scenes I actually liked were the fight against the shaman’s guardian spirit, the ancient spirit scene, and the protagonist’s little spirit pet — that one was cute.

Overall, this series has an interesting plot, beautiful visuals, and excellent CGI. If you’re a fan of Nam Joohyuk, you can definitely watch it because he looks really cool in the underworld scenes. Roh Yoonseo is also very beautiful and cute. However, the story is messy, boring, and disappointing, with a lack of consequences for the villains. And most importantly, there is nothing scary at all in this series.

Read More

A shop for killers Season 2

Well season 1 for much better (or it is nostalgia) but I still like it a lot and it is still 10/10 of drama (once again either nostalgia or this amazing acting). My main problem was that as far as I was so f...cking hyped for it, I started watching after Love sync which I loved and have not fully moved on - so bad timing. But as I stated before acting for so freaking good - Lee Dong Wook and Kim Hye Jun were amazing,.
LDW actions scenes were top tier. Well all in all we knew he would give amazing performance
KHJ - why she lost so many people close to her?!! poor girl, but she carried. I can totally see her playing Park Bo Young's younger sister.
Jung Yun Ha - she was amazing as a villain, she annoyed me and I was waiting for her ending.
Everybody acted perfectly - and that alone deserves a high rating.
LDW and KHJ relationship reminded me of Joel&Ellie from The last of us (in general it reminded me a little about it, minus zombies) which for sure make me like it more.
All in all, I like season 1 more but this one was also really amazing.

Read More

Slice of Life with a Side of Mystery

The story is very slow. As one reviewer noted, the plot is largely flat, focusing instead on the slow-burn relationship between the main characters. While Ye Li’s revenge and the Lishan Mountain storyline exist, they remain in the background of the romance, their everyday lives, and court politics.

Points to Note
1. The arc with the Cangbei princess, her cross-dressing romance, and the maid felt like drawn-out filler. A long-winded way to bring Mo Jingli back into the picture

2. Ye Li's sister, Ye Ying, I didn't care much for her largely because I am averse to spoiled characters who feel like they are owed something. But if her story teaches us anything, it's never to love anyone more than you love or value yourself and your safety. I am glad she didn't lose her life at the hands of or because of that man and his enemies.

3. The story loses its momentum once the divorce happens. It is already a slow drama to begin with, but once this arc hits, everything feels like it's moving at a snail's pace. I will say, I watched episodes 37–40 at 1.5x speed to finish it.
PS. I did enjoy the Lishan arc that happened in the midst of all this. While she is basically miraculously cured after being forced to confront the trauma, I enjoyed seeing Ye Li's mental health issues brought to the forefront.

Final Thoughts:
I was able to finish this because I wanted something slower. Something to help me fall asleep at night (slice of life dramas/movies/anime do that to me). Had I had different expectations, I'd have dropped it

Read More

Messy but good messiness

So, at first, I didn’t really want to watch this series, but I eventually decided to give it a try, and honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. A revenge storyline in a GL is definitely something different, and you can tell that a lot of work went into the story, the production, and the acting. And Arisa and Lalin’s relationship… absolutely insane, but also really interesting to watch.

The plot twist was pretty predictable, but I didn’t really mind it. However, I definitely think the series should have ended at episode 6.

My main issue is the way Arisa’s past was handled. I feel like we were mostly told about what she went through instead of actually being shown it. We got a few flashbacks, but I really wish we had seen more of her suffering and everything that eventually pushed her toward revenge. It would have helped me understand her perspective and maybe even root for her, because personally, I was more on Lalin’s mother’s side.

I also wish we had gotten way more confrontation scenes from Lalin. I found her way too passive considering how serious and messed up the whole situation was. There was so much potential for more intense confrontations between the characters.

Same thing with the assistant and the journalist I really wish their relationship had been developed more.

And as for the relationship between Lalin’s mother and Arisa’s mother: psychiatric hospital. That’s all I’m going to say .

But overall, I still had a good time watching the series.

Read More

You Need a Lots of Tissue When Watching!

Road to Success is an inspiring C-drama about ambition, perseverance, relationships, and the journey toward success. It follows the characters as they navigate career challenges, personal setbacks, difficult choices, and the realities of chasing their dreams.

What makes it compelling is that success isn’t portrayed as an overnight achievement. The story focuses on growth, resilience, friendship, love, and learning from failure—showing how every setback can become part of the road forward.

Definitely one of those underrated dramas that slowly hooks you until you realize, “Okay… I need to watch the next episode.”

After watching the last episode, this deserved a standing ovation. BTW, this is the first time I am rating a C-drama.

Read More

Quirky & Wise

A timid girl with poor self esteem joins an unorthodox sketching club when she’s captivated by one of its members. Then an extremely confident boy, who’s equally captivated by her, also joins the group. Under the guidance of the eccentric members, will this duo find a new sense of worth as they learn to see themselves more clearly?

I found this to be a really cute coming-of-age romcom. It had lots of scenes that made me laugh from the chaos this club created. And I found other moments to be inspiring with the lessons the older members taught the duo - about being & loving yourself in the present as you journey to meet the future you. They were such supportive mentors to their new, young friends. [[ I especially loved how they verbally slayed that delulu female love rival with some hard truths in defense of their beloved friends ]]🫶🏻

While this is mainly focused on the Leads’ individual & shared journey, it also gives time to each club member to have their story told to give us insight into the why behind each of their personalities. It also tells portions of the Lead’s respective friends’ stories too. I admit, I loved the male trio more than the females simply because the boys never had any petty fights or drama amongst them (unlike the girls) - their friendship was solid from start to finish.

There are other support characters that add certain aspects to the drama, some of whom I enjoyed while others I wanted to slap. But even that is realistic as we don’t only meet people we like in life - we have to learn to accept & respect those we don’t care for as well (but that doesn’t mean we have to allow them to manipulate or abuse us in any way!)

If you’re wanting a not-new story told in a fun, unique way then I recommend watching this. Due to all the differing personalities of the members, I think everyone will find at least one character they can relate to…

PS: the secondary love line adds its own life lessons in both beautiful & frustrating ways.

_________\\__________//________


-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


.


…


….


……

The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.12💋
- Together : ep.8 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp: Nope 💘

Read More

Came for the plot, stayed for directing - indie heart in a mainstream body.

Writing wise it’s a cliches overload. Successful male lead with initially egocentric attitude, haunted by his mandatory past trauma. Poor female lead struggling in her daily life, with mandatory past trauma. The plot was painfully predictable, but smooth sailing. I predicted the majority of plot points around episode 3 - ending included. I did not really mind, I watched it for vibes, not for the thrills.

The leads were fine. As a local pinning enthusiast I was both well fed, but also robbed. The first few episodes delivered such a good low-key angst with Su Bin pinning over Ju I Jae as she pushed him away, I just wanted more and more of it. But then they moved on from it so fast. That one time you wished the misunderstanding was not actually resolved in a mature manner…

There was depth on paper, but not in the delivery. I think they dealt with issues too fast. Less conflicts, but better explored please. Out of both leads, I for sure liked Ju I Jae arc more - from surviving to living and chasing her lost dream. Ready to face her fears to improve.

On the other hand, while I liked what they tried to present with Su Bin, it never truly hit the mark for me. Personally I loved how flawed he was. How desperate and misguided he acted at times. This makes for a compelling character. Yet again, similarly to external conflicts, his internal struggles were also not explored enough. He thought he was brave enough to stop running away, but the truth is, he just decided to hide behind Ju I Jae instead of learning how to be emotionally independent and healthy. This would be such an interesting internal journey if they cared to dive deeper into it.

I think the chemistry between Hwang In Youp and Lee Hye Ri was good, but not outstanding. A lot of heavy lifting was done by the editing. That silhouette kissing scene? Cinema!

Luckily, in terms of romance, everyone can find something for themselves since we get 3 separate couples with different flavors. Leads deliver the youthful romance, second couple sprints from bickering to friends to lovers tropes and the third just jumps straight into bed with initially no strings attached.

Of course no kdrama can happen without abuse plotlines, so be prepared for that - it goes both emotional and physical. Some of the abusers did not face enough karma if you ask me - forgive and forget should not be that easy to achieve.

For the acting, I was content, but not impressed. You know what's funny. Usually actors do decent in every day mundane scenes, but struggle with more emotionally heavy. But I actually liked Hwang In Youp's acting in these more heavy scenes more than the daily stuff. Not that he did a bad job per se, but it was just fine. Sidenote - Lee Sang Yeob was as hot as always.

Truth to be told, what I loved the most about this title was the directing. The indie vibe with mainstream quality just worked so well. There were many little filming techniques and editing choices I loved. Slow close ups from medium-full/full shots that hold the camera on the reaction of the character longer than usually. I also liked how “slow paced” the editing was - rather than creating dynamic shots by cutting to different angles, they used one shots with zooms in/out and camera movement.

It's not like the whole drama is some masterpiece of unique editing and directing, but it always had moments that I especially enjoyed. Fun transitions between scenes, POV you would not expect to see, mixing romance with comedy by showing different people’s reactions in the same wider shot. Changing the person in focus in one shot, instead of cutting the scenes between the two characters. So many little things that just worked for me.

Overall, it was a fine watch. Around half way through I caught myself being more excited to see what kind of fun filming/directing/editing choices they make, and not the plot progression itself. It feels like there was a lot of heart and thought put into all aspects of the production, but the writing itself.

Read More

cutesy and adorble until its not?

POSITIVES-

i like ms cha was in the background, doing odd jobs, tryna indirectly help them yet not officially joining the team (perhaps her ego was too inflated or she had other responsibilities to take care of, lowkey forgot)

also like the fact all of the co-workers, one by one joined in again.

the ml's mom moving in and taking care of everyone was sooo cutesy.

THE SISTERS OUTFITS WERE SOOO CUTE OMFG SHES SUCH A STAR

ALSO I WANTED HIS BAD BOY AESTHETICS AND HIS LOVE FOR FLOWERS TO NOT JUST END IN 2 EPS.

the vibes, aesthetic, cinematography was AMAZINGG


NEGATIVES-

girl this shit was becoming my favorite until...
From episode 9 it kind of went downhill

His acting is so good, his eyes are so expressive but his character is a bit weird.
He doesn't say anything when she's insulted and even after mentioning several times his love for her, when someone flirts with him he just lets it happen.

He tried to kiss her several times and it's clear she isn't fully aware of her feelings yet he keeps pushing.

They needed to add more romance, cus it kind of honestly lacked it

There are moments where he is just made to be the main character since he comes to save the day and only he can, and when he does face misfortune it just seems like an opportunity to showcase how he copes(which isn't showcased badly)

also go ma-jin like his stereotypes and misogyny ( in Thailand or even before that) was REALLY PISSING ME OFF ( but i loved his redemption arc in the last 2 eps)

I felt that they needed to further develop the villains character, lore/ backstory cus half the time i didn't understand it esp the father son crying scene. AND I don't understand the part where the villain just knocks out his father and kidnaps him.

ALSO I DONT UNDERTSAND THE TIME JUMPS OR THE SETTING LIKE THE SHOW STARTED AT 1996 THEN IT WAS 2006????

EP 15-16 (i dropped it and picked it up again cus i though he was gonna get kidnapped or smh and got scared)

interesting music choices for sure in the last 2 eps (don't even get me started on the use of ai songs, disappointed in humanity)
also everyone sorta over-acted in the last 2 eps like being too dramatic and stuff.

also the moment where his co-workers father attempts to commit suicide and where the ml is like tryna sad-talk feels kinda forced, esp when the co-worker couldn't climb the ladder.

the promissory note of him no longer being the ceo, should have like added a date on it.

bro did not need to look like Patrick star on tip of his car in the middle of the road to block it (first time it happened it was really cute and heartfelt but this was just cringy)

also why did they just add a Montague of all the happy moments when he was kicked out? like everyone started sobbing and shit.

Read More