Reviews

Literally the perfect start to 2026. Seriously. Watch it. Right now!

After dragging it out as long as possible, because 28 episodes is NOT ENOUGH for this beautiful drama, I finally finished😭
This was such a PERFECT start to 2026. Seriously.
The plot isn't perfect, but it's the little things that really gave this such a high impression to me, an avid drama watcher.

So the leads. Our leads are honestly what made this drama probably my favorite cdrama from the past couple years. I have always loved Lu Yu Xiao, as her natural beauty really made her so versatile to watch as an actress. Her voice-overs might not be the best, but her emotional delivery is always very praise-worthy. The star of the show for me though has to be Chen Xing Xu. He was just 😮‍💨👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 oh my goodness. I've watched him in other dramas, but never really considered him good-looking amongst all the very beautiful Chinese actors. But OH MAN was I so wrong. He. Is. Just. Stunning! I fell in love with every little thing-- his physique, his voice, his so-perfect-looks-like-they-were-sculpted HANDS🫠 Such a rare gem in the Chinese industry where skinny boys tend to be favored. Watching him was just so pleasing. OK, call me vain hahahah

Plot-wise, there was nothing too unexpected that made it stand out from others. BUT the true WOW factor that got me utterly hooked from episode one was the murder mystery game aspect. Reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but the whole roleplaying in the VR-world was so new and refreshing. Not to mention, the idea of the game just sounded fun to experience and the costumes were FANTASTIC. I love how they spaced it out too, with the characters playing the game a few times but not enough to have it overtake the real plot, just enough to add some extra fun aspects. And again, he looks SO FINE🥵 in the Republican era costume UGHH

Side characters were pretty cute too. The friends were there just enough, not overshadowing the leads. The true mvp amongst the supporting cast had to be Dai Xu, the perfect embodiment of a character who the audience can get major second-lead syndrome over initially. A villain is made, not born. Antagonists are always portrayed the best when watchers can understand and empathize where they come from.

I am a really harsh critic when it comes to dramas but this one was just SO FUN to watch. The perfect amount of romance, not a lot of boring business talk, some side drama, a little familial drama, and even some mystery-based aspects from the fictional murder game. It has it all. I rewatched episodes 1-22 before finishing it up because I did not want my little reprieve from reality to end.
Fell in love with the characters (you know who specifically lol) but now it's time to say goodbye🥲🩵 Give this a try, I promise you won't regret it.

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A strikingly different sequel that swaps pulpy comic book excess and superhero bravado for a gritty post-apocalyptic, nuclear-ravaged wasteland, Heroic Trio 2 takes itself way more seriously than its predecessor, upping the sulky brooding and ultimately losing the fun. While I do respect the film for its ambition in going the complete opposite direction by adding an abundance of grungy, dystopian atmosphere and a fresh dose of anti-authoritarian attitude, it's all done with an oppressive bleakness that saps the mood right out of you. Despite such a dark setting, the film at least reunites Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh as the titular trio, however brief it may be, given they spend nearly the whole film apart from one another, a decision I still can't fathom. This is not a celebratory reunion; it's a story about disillusionment, fractured by trauma and moral compromise, where seemingly every key moment in the film needs to be punctuated by a pop song, usually sung by Anita Mui. The film does at least offer some rather impressive action, given that Tony Ching Siu-Tung shares Johnnie To's director's chair this time, it's blisteringly intense and stunningly executed. Unfortunately, their styles do not mesh very well together as the rest of the film struggles to juggle environmental themes, authoritarian politics and personal redemption, going way overboard with a veritable marathon of montage sequences. Even with the truly magnetic screen presence of its cast and relatively effective musical score in tow, it's difficult to recommend Heroic Trio 2; it's a truly bitter experience with too much emotional bullying, ending not with triumph, but with reckoning. You could tell they really didn't want to make another one after this, after all, you can't have another if your trio has become a duo.

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surprisingly coherent and fascinating

I finished this as the first vd this year (1.1.2026!) while the page for this title was still not on MDL. I have a private list of all of the VDS that do not have the pages here and I occasionally check if the page was created so I can update my list with comments and rating. So I went back to it within 3 weeks and discovered that someone added this title. As a result I am writing this in response to the second viewing because I wanted to refresh my memory of this drama.
I'm going to start with what I did not like:
1. characterization of the female lead: she was annoying at times with a modern I don't care attitude, although the actress played really well. Her mastery came out in the last 15 or so episodes were the plot changes drastically demanding more artistic license and skillful acting.
2. character of the male lead: somewhat wishy-washy and (while likable) sort of a blockhead type, but just like with female lead he played his role well.
3. this was pretty much two character plot, meaning second female lead and second male lead had very little to do with the change in the course of the story, and the story revolved around relationship between the leads.
4. as with most vertical dramas the budget was small which showed in how the camera had to be positioned, meaning no grand interiors, decorations or vistas, no cinematography to speak of- just the close-ups and 3/4 plan with faces and full body with minimum background in most shots.
5. I watched it on YouTube as one long uninterrupted video, which meant the music was mostly cut out or the voice track was playing without the instrumentals, so I can't comment on the quality of OST. I would have liked it better with the better version of it, I'm sure.
And now on to what I liked:
we got a combination of two unusual characters: a person transmigrated into the book (meaning she knows what the story is about and what is going to happen), and a character from that same book, i. e. the character from the story, being reborn (meaning he has the knowledge of what had gone wrong in the story already and wanting to change it). And the major premise of this drama is: these two personas are mortal enemies: one scheming against the other and the other killing the first one. Of course with such a setup the things are bound to go wrong and of course they may not end well, particularly because both leads make strange errors in judgment thus ending up in precisely same situation that they did not want to be (female lead constantly at risk of dying and male lead being schemed against).
This is not exactly the angst driven plot of "will she love him? will he fall in love with her" but about the consistent distrust and misunderstandings between the two leads. And it is amazing.

The female lead cares only about her own survival and disregards anything emotional in herself and in the male lead. The male lead cares only about not ending up the same way he did the first time around, thus not giving the female lead the benefit of a doubt. For a love story this is contradiction in terms as the leads do not share deep love but merely an attraction. They are just two souls thrown in together and at one point collaborating for mutual benefit. The attachment they form is not the romance, it's understanding of themselves and not necessarily the other person.
The best part of this drama is the ending and watching how happy-go-lucky woman realizes her ultimate doom caused by herself is approaching regardless of all of the scheming she had done to survive, and how the man who feels completely conflicted about her basically because of insisting on his own biases and reactivity to her indifference and rejection of his attempts, tries to save her. And the bickering and verbal exchange between the emperor and the female lead's father in the end is hilarious.The level of emotional tension and expression in the final scenes with the male and female lead and female lead's father was just heartbreaking but awesome. I actually couldn't believe that I cared that much about completely unbelievable story and completely fictional characters. So bravo to the director and the actors for creating such a good illusion of reality and giving such a moving performance and production.
I am recommending it for this story being both typical and yet unusual

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Funny, entertaining, a little unrealistic but overrall enjoyable

from the start to the end this show has been very engaging and you can't help but binge watch it all! i must say poor NanHeung catching Ls throughout the show but still the smartest ! There were illogical plot points at some instances but they didn't ruin the drama for me. this was a very fun watch, i loved the comedy here it translated well even if you didn't speak mandarin and also the specific music was so suprising but fun! this would've been a 10/10 but the middle draggy part of the FL hating the ML was soooo draggy but keep on watching you won't be disappointed!

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Blew my mind

Went in with low expectations because of china and their censorships but my mind was blown away by the acting, the chemistry between the female leads and the intense bad nail biting story!! Still at ep 10 but i have a feeling they're going to have a happy ending. Chinese dialogues are always so insane too, mandarin is my second language and this language's efficiency never fails to impress me. So much is expressed in such short lines. The actresses delivery and acting is over the moon too, and not cringe, which I often experience when it comes to live action GL. The character development is very natural so far and the main ship's relationship feels nuanced and layered. Praying that the rest of the episodes are as good

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Go in to it expecting naked gun meets Thai BL...do not be serious. Prepare for whiplash.

Where do I even start...Let me give it it's flowers and grace first.

A very fun watch if you don't want to use any brain and like seeing fine men look fine. The music is really good, although a bit overused (whenever they play the stripped vocal version of the chorus during ANY romantic scene-) , the cast seems like they're really trying their best and I can appreciate that. There's fun moments, trope-y cute scenes that highlight the chemistry between the actors, and amazing wardrobe for Kamin (like I said, fine men looking fine).

Now, to the nitty gritty of it all. The sudden switch from murder investigation to them acting lovey dovey gives me such whiplash. This story has many types of characters but none I'd describe as feeling real; if you want grounded in reality, this is not the show for you. The pacing feels so odd, 10 episodes is very short for a story with a murder mystery and a romcom going along side, the show does not pause to let the viewer take in anything, it's too comfortable switching genres and expecting the viewers to be okay with it. Even the actors seem confused sometimes on how to act in a scene, Jade will go from being teary and pondering over his relationship with his brother to being flirtatious with Kamin immediately, with no real discussion of comfort between the two, no bonding moment, no "You've done well, I can see how you try your best for your brother", literally anything to acknowledge his real person feelings. None.

Their relationships has no real substance, they've barely had a real conversation. The chemistry exists between the actors but not the characters. I really hope this makes sense to someone; they seem to have this unexplained attachment with each other which feels really quick and gives a sense of "Did I miss something...?" to the viewer.

The action scenes are shot badly, they could've really done those better. The show doesn't really have moments of catharsis or satisfaction that you'd expect in a suspense drama like this. It doesn't really want you to think too much about it either. And I don't, so I enjoy it. There are so many easy fixes and realistic ways that would benefit them and protect the people in line to be murdered but they just...don't do that. They couldn't care less about it really.

Go into this expecting a fun silly cop BL, the case doesn't matter that much, the scenes are cute, depth is non existent, but a fun watch still.

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? ???? ???? ?? ????...

𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍; 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚋𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚘.

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A high stake family ethics drama

I saw glory rating dropped from 8.5 to 8.3; I don't know why everybody is making a fuss about the last 6 episodes; yeah the ML's side of story of the duke household was old formula but annoying scenes moved at a fast pace and it was interesting enough and better than many other dragged out male lead background of other dramas.

I don't know what others were expecting from this drama, the title says it all, its about a family's glory, a high level family ethics drama that goes through many twists and turns of family bonds and family prosperity and unity; even ML's duke family plot hinted at the family glory and prosperity and power thing. I didn't find it inconsistent, the drama team delivered what they were supposed to, its a high stake family drama centered around solving family issues and that's it. Why everyone is making a grand idea like there should be something more like court politics, emperor, ML's career etc but these are not what this drama has hinted at all.

Anyways, people can just watch it with the mindset of a high stake family drama, there are many western shows and novels set around family inheritance suspense thriller; so for me Glory was just fine, maybe an extra 10 min ending with the main leads' wedding and a chit-chat tea party with all the sisters and their partners would be nicer but enjoyable nonetheless.

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“Dear X: 12 Episodes of ‘WHAT Is Wrong With You?’”

I went into Dear X expecting psychological depth, morally grey characters, and maybe a slow-burn descent into darkness. What I got instead was a beautifully acted, well-shot exercise in “WHY are you like this???”

Let’s start with the good, because yes — there is good:

The acting? 9/10.
Everyone understood the assignment. Faces were face-ing. Eyes were acting. Micro-expressions were micromanaging my blood pressure. No complaints there. If talent alone could save a drama, this cast would’ve carried it on their backs like Olympic champions.

Now.
The story.
Oh. The story.

I don’t mind morally bankrupt characters. I love complex villains. I can appreciate toxic narratives when they are saying something. But Dear X made me want to reach through the screen, grab a certain manipulative, sick, sociopathic menace by the collar, and politely but firmly punch her in the teeth. For character development. For science. For my sanity.

This wasn’t “wow, fascinatingly twisted.”
This was “everyone should run — not walk — in the opposite direction.”

The plot kept dangling the promise of depth, consequences, or catharsis — and then said, “Actually? No ❤️”
It felt less like a psychological thriller and more like watching a slow-motion car crash where everyone involved has a driver’s license and still chooses chaos.

And let’s talk about the unforgivable crime:

She killed my pookie.
Hwang In-yeop was out here doing the most — acting his soul out, serving pain, vulnerability, and sincerity — only to be emotionally, narratively, and spiritually DESTROYED. I will never forgive this drama for taking him from me. Ever. That loss alone knocked at least two points off my lifespan.

Music? 5/10.
It existed. It played. It did not emotionally support me in my time of need.

Chemistry?
Yes, there was acting chemistry — tension, intensity, sparks — but instead of butterflies I felt impending doom. Not romance. Not yearning. Just vibes that scream “this will end badly and I will need therapy.”

Rewatch value: 1/10.
I survived it once. That’s enough. This is not a “rewatch for nuance” drama — this is a “thank you, next” experience.

By the end, I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t devastated.
I was just… tired. Tired and mildly enraged. Like I’d finished a beautifully written essay that concluded with the wrong answer on purpose.

Final verdict:
Story: 5.0
Acting / Cast: 9.0
Music: 5.0
Rewatch value: 1.0
⭐ Overall rating: 5/10

Dear X is the kind of drama that makes you appreciate good acting while simultaneously making you question humanity, free will, and why nobody in this universe goes to therapy.

Would I recommend it?
Only if you enjoy:
being stressed
yelling at your screen
mourning Hwang In-youp
and developing a sudden urge toward fictional violence
Respectfully.
Now excuse me while I cleanse my soul with a drama that doesn’t make me whisper “what the fuck” every ten minutes.

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My first ever rant review-I couldn't take any more after episode 18

This has to be one of the worst kdramas I've seen in years. Terrible writing, poor casting, boring directing. Everything was terrible except Lomon being pretty, but I actually care about shows being good quality.

Characters
The absolute worst travesty a story can have is bad characters. Terrible plots can be elevated and made worth-while if you care about the characters. But I didn't like a single character here. The FL is a vile human being. She's not a "strong and woman," she's evil. Having flawed or morally gray characters can allow for dynamic personalities and character growth, but the FL is not morally gray, she's evil.
Her list of evils as of episode 18:
-She disrespects, degrades, and looks down upon anyone that works underneath her. SO MANY INSTANCES of her treating each character like a bug that she can step on to get her power back.
-Commits multiple instances of workplace harassment/power harassment
-Abuses her position by firing a worker for personal grudges
-ANIMAL CRUELTY. She helps a company cover up major amounts of animal cruelty, manipulates the ML who values animal safety to gather dirt, then fires him when she's done using him. Huhhhh??? We're talking thousands upon thousands of bunnies tortured for testing. The ML is an animal rights activist which she uses to gain a multi-million deal. Greed for money and power trumps any basic human empathy.

The ML is inconsistent where he values ethics and morals like a personality trait until it's no longer meaningful for the plot. All the side characters were stereotypes and boring. The antagonists were bland and un-intimidating.

Writing
This plot tried to tackle romance, comedy, thriller, and business. It managed to do none of those. The romance makes zero sense. The FL doesn't have a single empathy or kindness bone in her body. The ML has no reason to have feelings for someone that goes against all of his morals and ethics, plus tried to fire him over those. There's zero development to bring them closer and it felt like whiplash when suddenly they had feelings. They have zero reasons to like each other?? She hates him because he exists and isn't her. He shouldn't like her because she goes against everything he believes in, plus has been evil specifically to him. It's not like they built a comradere through the body swap, they still hated each other the whole time until suddenly they didn't.

The comedy felt out of place and a lot of it was at the detriment to the attempted thriller aspects. The FL was almost murdered; that's an extremely interesting plot. But... it went nowhere. I didn't feel any sense of suspense, fear for the FL's safety, nor fear from the mysterious killer. The show is mostly business with sprinkled romantic moments that have no footing alongside misplaced elements of thriller that emit zero fear. They couldn't even manage the business aspects right. Why were none of the workers doing risk assessments, conducting proper research, or even reviewing contracts?

What was the point of role reversal leads if they were going to body swap? Having a strong and overbearing FL is a breath of fresh air. Having an energetic, naive, and strong sense of justice ML is rare. Why have unique traits that are typically left for their counterparts only to have them body swap and make it all go away? I love strong FLs and sweetheart MLs, why write that to throw it away?

One final element. I only semi-liked Na Eon when she was in Eun-Ho's body. Lomon played the character as more of bold and assured character (but was still a terrible human being). When Na Eon was played by Ji Eun, she didn't feel confident, she felt arrogant and condescending. The eyes were the main problem; her eyes didn't look hard they looked condescending. Ji Eun should stick to comedy and lighter roles. Lomon on the other hand felt very awkward and unnatural when he played Eun-Ho. There were moments, it worked, especially towards the end. But for the most part, he just did not feel right for the character. He's way better at intense and dramatic roles.

I doubt anyone will actually read this, I just wanted to vent because what in the world was this terrible show? Why are there so many good reviews? Why were there so many inconsistencies in the writing of each plot-point and the very leads of the show?

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Secret Relationships = Feelings, Confusion, and Pain

Okay but let me be honest 😌
Before I even pressed play, I already knew Junseo from B2P and now ALD1, so yeah—I was super curious about how he’d act in a drama. And listen… he did not disappoint. Overall, Secret Relationships was such a pleasant surprise. The series pulls you in quietly and then suddenly—boom—emotional damage. It’s intense in so many ways: the looks, the tension, the unspoken feelings, the messy choices. You really see how love can betray you, twist you up, and make you completely blind to the truth right in front of you. 😭 What I loved most is how real it felt. No over-the-top drama for nothing—just complicated hearts, bad timing, and feelings you can’t undo. And Junseo? Watching him in this role made me see him in a whole new light.
Final verdict: come for curiosity, stay for the emotional chaos. Definitely worth the watch if you like your romance a little painful and very intense 💔✨

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