Reviews

Not great but actually some good comedy

First off, this is barely a GL, though it has women loving women, it just isn't structured like a romance drama, if that makes sense? It seems to be structured more like a sitcom.

Also it is overly focused on giving the large number of actors time to use the screen. It feels like MGI used this as a vehicle to test a bunch of potential actors?

As long as you go into it understanding those aspects, and managing your expectations, you may have a lot of fun with this.

Where it shines is the comedy and honestly even the acting is surprisingly good. Engfa and Charlotte show way more range in this than we got to see in Petrichor, this actually gave me renewed interest in their work.

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Stop it Apo and Mile

I am so, so done with them. They have set my bar for BL series impossibly high, so high that nothing else even comes close. Their acting carries such depth that it does not just move you, it seeps into the soul. I do not even know how to explain it, but even the production house operates at an exceptional level. They know exactly who they are casting, as if they understand the magnitude of the stars they are bringing together. Two perfect constellations aligning in the same sky.

And the depth they have infused into the story feels painfully real. Watching their series has always felt like stepping into the realm of ApoMile, as if you are crossing a threshold into a world that breathes, aches, and lives on its own. And if I speak honestly, it is not just about the acting. It is the flawless storytelling, the striking cinematography, the intentional use of music, and a supporting cast that delivered their roles with grace and precision, each element working in quiet harmony.

Watching them together in a storyline so distinct from what we are used to feels less like viewing a show and more like inhabiting it. It opens doors to emotions we never knew existed and teaches us feelings we never realised we were capable of experiencing, feelings they made tangible simply by existing together on screen. I do not even know what I am rambling about anymore, but watching this series has been nothing short of a beautiful and unforgettable journey for me.

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Attack on Sanity - The OST

“I suddenly felt that it was all the same to me whether the world existed or whether there had never been anything at all. At first I fancied that many things had existed in the past, but afterwards I guessed that there never had been anything in the past either, but that it had only seemed so for some reason. Little by little I guessed that there would be nothing in the future either… nothing mattered to me.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

Watching Satomii get wasted on this script genuinely broke my brain. She brings a natural weight to the screen that the writing seems determined to undermine at every turn. The writers failed her, the director failed her, and the production might as well have apologized in the credits for handing a powerhouse a pile of wet garbage. Her presence is sharp and unyielding, yet the narrative traps her in a world where basic communication is treated like a confession wrung out under torture. I despise noble idiocy, and this show might as well be a masterclass in how to weaponize it against its own story.

The first blow to my sanity was Masaki vanishing (and his reasoning for ghosting). He leaves "for her benefit" and the show is actually dumb enough to have him literally running away from her. It is pathetic. Little bro folded instantly. Muzan at sunrise levels of cowardice. Absolute joke. The writing then leans on the most tired gimmick in the book. He mumbles one last thing while fleeing and she just cannot hear him. What a lazy middle finger to the audience. He decided he was the tragic anime protagonist of her life without asking her permission. He really thought he was pulling a shonen exit.. Naruto running into the night to “protect” her

I think I blinked and she went from seeing the ring from the BF to kissing Masaki. Nothing earned. Every ounce of suffering, every shred of dignity... just gone. A joke. And if that weren’t enough, he’s telling what happened on the day of the accident while the music plays like we are visiting a Zelda fairy fountain. What a mismatch. What’s next… Saria's Song? … Garuda Valley?

Somehow, it gets worse. The script shoves Satomii into the same martyr box at the end because the writers clearly ran out of ideas and defaulted to the most exhausted cliché in existence. It is a total assassination of her potential. Seeing an actress of her caliber forced to play a woman who just waits around for a coward is insulting. She does everything she can to sell the silence and longing, but she is chained to a plot that crumbles like Wall Maria getting bodied by the Colossal Titan. No amount of talent can salvage a story that survives purely by making its characters miserable for no reason other than stalling the plot.
I kept waiting for any semblance of communication. None came. Nada. The writers apparently charged by the Kanji and they couldn't afford to buy an adult conversation. The rest of the cast barely gets anything to do, devoured by a script that is more blackhole than narrative.

One of the main "tensions" … the fire.. Nothing needed to happen. Yuki said did nothing wrong and said nothing right. Masaki said everything by saying nothing. The idiots are not noble. Everything here should have been solved with adult conversations. This isn't Vegeta exploding to protect, this is the script bombing.

By the end, this FL is everything I hate. Satomii is brilliant, sharp, and the script slams her into every wall it can find. Every beat of noble idiocy, every fake martyr moment, every second she freezes while the coward runs is pure humiliation. The writers grind her talent into dust while he gets to wander free. I want to bow in shame and attend its harakiri. I am sure Link can second with the master sword, maybe entertain us with some ocarina. The OST wouldn't have to change to fit.

I have become Dostoevsky. Nothing matters. Nothing.

Every choice, every scene, every insult, every missed word collapses into the same blah void. Past, present, future... meaningless. The show might as well not exist. Satomii’s brilliance gets wiped out the same way Sung Jinwoo wipes out bosses. Hhyped threat shows up, gets clapped in thirty seconds, and vanishes like it never mattered. No weight. No consequence... noise pretending to be stakes.

Dear god.. find a white van... isekai me out of here.

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Aweful

I don't know where to start, but I will be brutally honest and ruthless. First of all, let me just say that I am really picky with the kdramas that I will watch. I don't just watch anything. If the trailer catches my eye, I will watch it. I don't like leaving things unfinished, so i watched this ridiculous drama until the end, even if I literally thought of dropping it at least 10 times! It was a huge struggle to finish it. It had terrible acting from the main cast in the first season. thank god the second half of the season actors got better, especially Cha Ewn Wo,. The directing was ok, but the screenplay was the worst in the history of dramas. Like: "Who writes this shit?!" It is an ok story, if you read it in a book, but this adaptation was a huge failure. I mean, at least in a book, or written scenario, you don't get to see it, you know? You must be extremely atheist, or living in a cave, to be able to accept this adaptation of catholic priests, acting like superheroes, and resurrect themselves from the verge of death?! Without ANY explanation during the episode about it?! What?! Don't let me start about the costume directing, right?! The main actress rolling the most important scene in the whole series with fluffy slippers! Let us not forget about how characters die here and there, very dramatic deaths, just to make the bad guy look more bad, without that being even necessary. And of course, remembering to incorporate a bunch of new characters, from the second half of the second season, without ever getting deeper into their existence, even though the series was not renewed for a third season, so leaving the series totally incomplete. Ok, I will leave it here, I am tired.

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Let go of the past or drown in it

I decided to watch because of Dou Xiao (Shawn Dou) being in a leading role. He is a really talented actor that I first came to know from his amazing role in Princess Agents as Yan Xun gege. However unfortunately he has previously had several roles in dramas that were not really super good, the plots and directing were not excellent, he deserved better. Lately he has been having much better roles that allow the viewers to see his skills and talent (The Lichi Road, small role, but still awesome; Kill My Sins, lead role, very good). After watching this drama I am happy he got yet another role and drama that allowed him to show off and to stretch his scope. This was first of his roles I have watched where he plays the bad guy. I felt a bit uneasy seeing him in such a role, but soon enough he swept me away with incredible acting and impeccable interpretation of his role. He manages to make the viewer understand him and even care about him, feel the heart ache for him, even though he is at the same time extremely evil. This is something that only an excellent actor or actress can achieve.

I am also happy to have gotten to know a new Chinese actor through this drama, Duan Yi Hong, who plays the other male lead. He immediately became a favorite actor, absolutely genius acting. He really brings to life his character with all the little details he shows, characteristics and habits of his that make his role feel so realistic and geniously explain what it is like for him to be this weird criminal study genius who can understand the minds of the criminals and easily notice things others miss and this way catch the criminals who otherwise would slip through the police's fingers. Very pleasant to watch him acting, and his relationship with his ex-wife was just the cherry on the cake for me, the couple that were divorced but yet still loved each other and kept being drawn back to each other in the middle of all the investigation and dangers without being annoying or stealing away from the main plot.

I noticed some comments in the comment section saying viewers were confused by the plot and found it difficult to understand. I myself had no such problems, maybe because I've watched so many crime dramas and movies before, so I find it easy to follow even a complicated case depicted in a crime drama. I would recommend watching this in one go or almost in one go, maybe within a couple of days, so the plot stays fresh in your mind and it is easier to remember and keep in mind what happened, so as to not get confused. This does require using those brain cells in your head, you need to pay attention and follow closely to form a full perspective of what's going on. It's not really a lazy half hearted watch while at the same time doing something else or a drama where you can just skip scenes and still easily follow the plot.

SPOILER ALERT, DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW THE PLOT!
Here come spoilers, so if anyone finds it difficult to follow the plot, one can read this and better understand:

Back in the day a boy called Xu Jing Zhi got kidnapped and given a new name, Lu Yuan, as he was sold to a family that already had a younger boy named Lu Ran. They encountered bad things, but kept each other company and had a brotherly connection. Lu Ran's mother was a kidnapped lady herself, and had gotten pregnant with Lu Ran after being molested by her kidnapper, who was also Lu Ran's father. With such a beginning, Lu Ran did not experience love at home. His father was an evil criminal, his mother hated him because of how he got concieved, him being a constant reminder to her of her sufferings. After some time had passed, the intelligent boy Xu Jing Zhi (aka Lu Yuan) found a way to escape. Unfortunately he could not manage to save Lu Ran and take him with him but was forced to leave him in that disfunctional family, as he himself was rescued and brought back to his family.

Xu Jing Zhi had done everything he could to help catch the human traffickers, drawing their faces for the police. He kept coming to the police station trying to ask for help for Lu Ran, but other than Lu Ran's father, the human traffickers were not caught, and Lu Ran's nightmare continued. As his father was in prison, Lu Ran then grew up with his mother who took out all her anger and resentment on him torturing him psychologically and emotionally.

Xu Jing Zhi, affected by his kidnapping experience as a child, grew up into a very intelligent man and applied to the police academy ending up being a detective. He kept in touch with Lu Ran, trying to teach him and guide him. Unfortunately Lu Ran had grown in such a crooked environment that despite of Xu Jing Zhi's care he started to become twisted already at a young age. While Xu Jing Zhi was interested in crimes from the perspective of catching criminals and preventing crime, Lu Ran took interest in his "older brother's" Xu Jing Zhi's notes and studies about crimes as a way to learn how to commit perfect crimes.

One time as a young boy Lu Ran realises his mother's hatred towards him has gotten to the point that she actually wants him gone for good by trying to poison him to death. The viewers never find out if this suspicion of Lu Ran's was true or if it was the product of his tortured twisted mind, however, it was real for him. Something then happens that leads to Lu Ran's mother's death. Xu Jing Zhi is called to the scene by Lu Ran. With his intelligence he notices small little hints and details that something is off but he is unable to piece the truth together because of his personal attachement to Lu Ran. The case becomes his obsession for years, leading even to his divorce from his detective wife, as his own mental health started to suffer and he began to see paralysingly disabilitating nightmares, even when awake. Lu Ran picks up on the fact that Xu Jing Zhi saw something about the death of his mother that didn't fit the official explanation, and finally decides to go abroad to study to get away from him.

While abroad, Lu Ran's mind keeps getting more twisted, as he realizes he is good at noticing people with dark secrets and desires and manipulating them into doing what he wants them to do. From the university he finds a suicidal student, and manipulates him into allowing him to switch identities with him after he has switched the data of their DNA's with each other. The official story is Lu Ran has died abroad even though it was the suicidal student Zhuang Ming Cheng, and after finishing his studies, the one who returns to China is now called Zhuang Ming Cheng, even though he is actually Lu Ran.

Obsessed with his past, unable to escape the cage in his mind, Zhuang Ming Cheng aka Lu Ran begans hunting down everyone who he wants to pay for his sufferings. He often seems to be a good samaritan, helping other suffering people, even rescuing sometimes someone, but everything he ever does is motivated by his incredibly strong need for revenge. In his mind, Xu Jing Zhi is a brother to him, someone he needs and loves, the only one who ever cared about him and the only one who ever made him feel safe, but also someone he blames for leaving him behind, feeling that he should be punished for abandoning him. He doesn't understand love, only obsession, and he finds ways to get close to Xu Jing Zhi and following him around, as if playing a game with him.

Zhuang Ming Cheng (Lu Ran) orchestrates elaborate crimes through manipulating other people to work for him. Xu Jing Zhi returns to the police force to help with the peculiar cases with his keen insight. Xu Jing Zhi follows the trail left behind by Zhuang Ming Cheng, who uncovers the evidence of the crimes committed by the human traffickers leading the police to catch them, and for a while it almost seems like he is helping the police and doing good deeds. That illusion does not last long, as he intentionally leads Xu Jing Zhi to uncover his real identity, wanting to pull him into his world of revenge with him and give him his acceptance despite of the choices he has made. He longs for Xu Jing Zhi's unconditional family love but when he can not get it due to Xu Jing Zhi having a conscience and rejecting him (telling him he is not his brother), Zhuang Ming Cheng finally snaps and attacks Xu Jing Zhi, and then later kills someone innocent as collateral damage, abandoning entirely any and all concepts of right and wrong. He tries to push Xu Jing Zhi into choosing between him and his ex-wife, and the confrontation escalates until finally Xu Jing Zhi finds a way to get through to him.

The story highlights the need of caring loving adults in the lives of young children to help them grow right and prevent their minds from being broken. At first, it seems that Xu Jing Zhi and Lu Ran experienced the same bad thing happening to them as children, but later one realises that Lu Ran went through much worse than Xu Jing Zhi ever did, starting from his identity being the product of a sexual assault and the target of his mother's bitter hatred, all the way to Xu Jing Zhi getting rescued and taken away from the nightmare whereas Lu Ran felt completely abandoned even by the one person who promised to be there for him. Xu Jing Zhi himself later mentions, that he had thought perhaps Lu Ran could come around and let go of his past just like he had until he realized that Lu Ran never had the opportunities and the good adults around him to allow him to be pulled out of the darkness.

The story also asks the question, whether Lu Ran really ever even had a choice, or if he was inevitable going to end up becoming the criminal master mind that he became. He constantly drowns into his past sufferings, unable to move on, stuck in the injustices and self-destructing his own life. Despite of the horrific incidents happening, Xu Jing Zhi manages to find a way out of his nightmares and back to his beloved wife. Finally, it seems like everyone else also eventually finds some sort of peace, as the criminals are brought to justice and punished for what they did. However, whether it was revenge or letting go of the past that more effectively brought the victims closure remains unclear.

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If you’re looking for a light hearted rom com with lots of funny bits, this is for you

I giggled, laughed and just plain out snorted (yes, really!) my way through this lovely gem of a story which I will admit I wanted to watch because of Song Weilong.
The story is about a group of students at an all boys college who bond over trying to get to the truth behind a tragedy that happened nearly 20 years earlier additionally there are a number of interesting sub plots along the way including ones that will frustrate you through to a couple that will make you think “awww, how cute”.
The lead players are completely different characters: Wen Bin/Xi a young girl who pretends to be her brother; Yue Xuan a slick talking lad who turns any trick possible to make a profit; Lei Zi Xin a thug who has a chip on his shoulder the size of a potato field and Feng Cheng Yun a straight laced student from a very noble background who wants justice and equality for all. As the story unfolds this unlikely (and very good looking) bunch become deeply connected brothers (and sister).
The way the story has been written the two stooges, namely Wen Bin and Feng Cheng Jun, are the perfect foil to the comedy element provided by Yue Xian and Lei Zi Xin which just makes everything even more enjoyable.
These lead actors head up a stellar cast and there are plenty of good things to say about all the supporting actors whose stories intertwine with this four. From a wonderfully flaky school principal who oscillates between different points of view depending on his audience to a school bully who has a beautiful redemption arc and a young lady that falls in love too easily. There are baddies, innocents, love stuck young people and tense moments in this story that turn something quite straightforward into an even more enjoyable plot.
The fight scenes are about right even though one tiny woman somehow manages to out fight a whole platoon of soldiers which did make me roll my eyes a little. The costumes are gorgeous (especially the school uniform for the archery competition) and the overall production values very high. The music wasn’t particularly memorable but maybe that’s not a bad thing as some dramas have scores that are so powerful as to detract from the story.
There is lots to love about this rom com and IMHO it rivals Filter in terms of the comedy.
Would I watch this again? Absolutely

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Stayed for the men.

Seriously what a beautiful cast of men! Everyone from the ML, the evil obsessed general, the physician, the ADORABLE cat to even the SIFU are either good looking or lovable. A treat for the audiences for sure.

However, same can’t be said about the women with the exception of maybe Zhang Tai.

I was underwhelmed by Lu Yu Xiao as the FL. She didn’t sell it to me that she’s a once powerful warrior. She lacks the aura and martial arts (or dance) skills to pull it off and there’s something about her that doesn’t keep me engaged. I also fowarded most of the princess’ scenes unless she’s with the physician because her face acting is bad.

Story wise it’s not bad but I feel like it could’ve been so much more. Most of the time I felt like they’re just playing around while doing a skit.

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A Beautiful Idea That Wanted More Time

I went into 0.1% World completely blind. No synopsis, no trailers, just the promise of romance. And for a while, that worked in its favor. The movie opens with a strange, sudden connection two people, living in different countries, linked in a way that makes distance meaningless. Pain, emotions, and physical sensations are all shared in real time. The moment that clicked in my head, I had that quiet thought you don’t say out loud: this feels familiar. Not in a copying way more like a reminder of how powerful this kind of idea can be when it’s handled right.

At first, I was enjoying myself. The bickering pulled me in immediately. An Yi and Gao Ang don’t meet, yet they clash like they’ve known each other for years. Their arguments are petty, impulsive, sometimes silly, and that’s exactly why they’re fun. Watching two strangers sabotage each other’s lives while being forced to share pain and embarrassment shouldn’t work but somehow it does. The awkwardness never tips into unbearable secondhand embarrassment. It stays playful, chaotic, human.

An Yi feels like someone you recognize instantly. Young, hardworking, exhausted in that quiet way people are when they’re trying to hold life together. Gao Ang is more restrained disciplined, careful, and emotionally guarded. Patrick Shih gives him a grounded calm that carries scenes even when the writing rushes past moments that deserved more time. You sense there’s a deeper story inside him, even if the film doesn’t always slow down enough to tell it.

And this is where my feelings start to split.

The concept is strong enough to invite big expectations. When you introduce a connection that allows two people to feel each other across distance, it naturally makes you think about what that kind of bond means. Not just romantically, but emotionally. Identity. Loneliness. Boundaries. The way being seen can be both comforting and terrifying. The movie touches these ideas, but never fully commits to exploring them.

Everything feels slightly off in pacing. Some emotional moments pass too quickly, like the film is afraid to sit in discomfort. Other scenes linger without adding depth. I kept thinking how much more there was to uncover Gao Ang’s inner world, his isolation, his past; An Yi’s emotional life beyond work and surface level relationships. They’re connected in the most intimate way possible, yet we rarely stay long enough inside what that actually does to them.

Visually, the film is soft and pleasant. The music supports this tenderness well. Piano themes, soft background tracks nothing overwhelming, nothing distracting.

The film talks a lot about self love and worth, sometimes too directly. Instead of letting those ideas grow naturally through the characters, it repeats them until they start to feel instructional. Love here is careful, restrained, almost afraid of crossing lines. That makes sense emotionally but it also leaves the romance feeling slightly unfinished.

And somewhere in the middle of all this, I found myself thinking about other stories that used distance and connection not just as a gimmick, but as a way to explore longing, timing, and identity. Not because 0.1% World fails but because it shows how close it comes without fully crossing that line. The difference isn’t ambition. It’s depth.

Still, there are lines that stay with me:

“Maybe some things are better left in memories. Some people are meant to be missed.”

“Why are you wearing gloves?”
“Hands are very important for a pianist. If my hand is hurt, you won’t be able to play the piano again.”

0.1% World is a watchable, sometimes charming, sometimes frustrating. You’ll smile at the fluff. You’ll enjoy the banter. You might even feel a quiet ache settle in your chest during certain scenes. But you’ll probably walk away thinking: this could have gone deeper.

Some stories stay with you because they change you.
This one stays because it reminds you how rare it is to be truly understood, even briefly.

And maybe that’s what the 0.1% really is.

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Just normal BL love story

This drama doesn’t have a unique or different storyline. It follows a very normal BL romance. I liked it, but I wouldn’t say it’s very good — it’s just okay.

In terms of acting, the two female characters are more talented than the male leads. They express emotions really well and have strong screen presence. From some angles, Junshi even looks a bit like BTS V — did anyone else notice that?

Overall, the drama is watchable. It’s mainly about romance, without much of a strong or complex storyline. If you’re looking for something simple and romance-focused, you can give it a try.

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so good!

this was my 2nd attempt at watching this and i’m so glad i gave it another chance; i literally binge-watched this in less than 1 day! i’m such a sucker for the found family trope, most especially within a sports club, so i was sure i was gonna like this and i really did.

i would have given this a perfect score if it weren’t for the annoying men who got too many screentime. i completely understand that it was for the plot and that these situations unfortunately happen frequently, but they appeared too often for my liking that i just skipped their scenes entirely—and that would be like a quarter to half of the episode! still very glad that they eventually got what they deserved because i was wishing for their downfall every second so i can finally enjoy the rugby team and woojin’s scenes peacefully.

also the romance was so cute! i like that it had both developing couples from the teachers and students, but it was just the right amount where they aren’t the sole focus of the drama while still having the cutest interactions.

overall still really liked it (so much so that i finished it in one go LOL)!!! would definitely rewatch but still skip any scenes with the annoying rats idc if they were important to the plot

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Very frustrating

I'm very, very pissed off! I'm used to watch all kind of love triangle and all different situations (friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, just met, etc). However, this one is somehow annoying from the beginning... I'm good with them not realising their lateral love until someone else appears BUT there are so many frustrating things.

Firstly, they tried to "justify" why she is going to choose Tae-O. Through the drama it shows how Tae-O helps Song-I all the time while Do-Hyeon isn't in her worst moments but it pissed me off because they created the "perfect" boy: good personality and rich with no jobs, so he has always free time for being by her side all the time that she needed it. While Do-Hyeon was always working (or had family issues too).

Secondly, every time that something happened, they never explained to Do-Hyeon what's going on, just for creating the "good" reason (bad emotions) for Do-Hyeon's leaving. Also, the mobiles thing! That never works.

Thirdly, having bad situation doesn't justify you make improper things! Your boyfriend has right to get angry with you despite being in a bad mood.

In the end, they put Do-Hyeon as a guy with emotional issues who needs to work on it (fake, Song-I caused it) so that he broke up with her. He is a green flag, he deserves something better!! Undoubtedly, for me it's not a happy ending.

By the way, how about Ga-Rin? A completely unnecessary character! The one who messed it up and also who doesn't have any goals (just living her life without her mother's commands but at someone else's expense)! Plus, she has plenty of money from the beginning but she just wanted to be in Tae-O's house. Undoubtedly, they just searched an excuse to put another girl in Tae-O's house so that Song-I won't go alone with boys.

PS: I hate Korean's optimistic with regards to families!! Not every thing can be forgiven just because it's your mom (in this case).

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