Reviews

Don't Bother

I had high expectations initially. In fact, first 10 episodes were pretty good. But it went downhill afterward. I knew slapping is a staple in lakorns, but lord, there's slapping in every episode. The villains are one dimensional with no redeeming qualities, the FL is relentless but the ML might as well not be there. I mean, ok, just like in Love Hurts (Rak Rai), I feel like they intentionally do this or else it would be too intense. ML got the morals but not the spine and it gets old FAST. Also the 2nd couple was boring as hell.

If you're expecting romance between ML & FL, you're gonna be disappointed. Not only it's a slow burn, also there was barely any. Logically speaking, why would she be involved with him if their marriage is only transactional.

By episode 18, I regret not dropping the lakorn earlier and now I'm in too deep to not watch the ending. Fortunately, it has a satisfying ending.

My advice, watch it on 2x or 1.5x speed. In fact, if you skip the middle episodes, you won't be missing out on anything and you will still get the ending.

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My January 2026 recommendation

Watched this for my Recommendation Challenge from 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒆. Let’s talk movie…

The story centers on Wei Yihang (YH), a cynical and reclusive teenager who has undergone brain surgery for a tumor. Living in constant fear of a relapse, he gradually distances himself from the world—and even from his own parents—to avoid causing them further pain. Seeing himself as a burden, YH chooses to retreat into his own isolated bubble.

His life begins to change when he meets Ma Xiaoyuan (XY), a bright, optimistic girl who also had brain cancer. Unlike YH, XY embraces every moment of her life, firmly believing that even a limited lifespan should be lived to the fullest.

At first, YH tries to push XY away. However, her warmth, optimism, and unwavering positivity slowly break through his defenses. XY teaches him how to see the world differently, encouraging him to find joy and meaning again.

XY even teaches YH to dream again.
They travel—to Paris, to the sea, to faraway skies—all within their imagination, yet feeling more real than anything else.

For a while, everything feels peaceful and perfect… until it doesn’t.

So what happens next?
Will their illnesses return, or will they be granted the happy ending they both long for?

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ This movie teach us how to find the positivity even in the dark moment
+ The amazing family YH had. Seeing how his entire big family support YH’s dad for his treatment is something we rarely see in dramas or even in real life
+ Amazing acting from every actor(ess) involved. We can see the pain in YH’s parent's faces, the despair in YH’s eyes or the positivity in XY.

What I too like:
- A little boring at first. But If you’re just a little bit patient you get the prize in the end. Haha…

Overall this is one of the good movies to watch.

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Fantastic music but just a drag

First few episodes were intersing I have completed 10 but it's not going anywhere, too many conflicts that's going over my head first of all too slow for my liking then FL is king how is that ? Ok let's assume that's true than she doesn't have a freedom of what to do she feels like a princess at best rather King , is FL is king then who's the person she calls master ? other's calling Lord ? Gods are dying getting hurt and they are calling themselves immortals don't know how's that ? ML is good looking but after sometime you are just bored with same expression there's no change whatsoever

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Could have been a 10/10 show

When I started this, I was convinced this was going to be my best xianxia, so I'm disappointed in how hard it fell off.

At first, I applauded the writers for doing their best to tell a beautiful story in limited episodes, because it's obvious that this is a show that deserved 50-60 episodes to fully bloom. But as I spent more time thinking about it, I realized that the writers held partial responsibility in the mess that the second half turned into. The story they were trying to tell was incredible, but they didn't have enough episodes to tell it well. To maintain the quality, they should have cut the story down. Or at least done it over multiple seasons, (which is rare, I know).

Unfortunately, they chose to do neither and the story suffered significantly. I know that the 3-lifetime romance is a big xianxia trope. But prioritizing a trope to the detriment of good storytelling is a decision that opens them up to criticism.

What I did like (let's get this out of the way because it's super short):

Wang Yinglu and Chen Feiyu deserve so much respect for keeping us invested in these characters despite the story going downhill. I can't give them enough praise!!!!! I'm pretty sure I'm going to rewatch this a few years down the line, but I'll be sticking to the first 13 or so episodes just to bask in Tingyan & Sima Jiao's beautiful story.

What I didn't like (no surprises here):
The pacing. The pacing. The pacing.

I'm just confused with how it was set up. The show starts off slowly, letting the characters get to know each other and fall in love realistically. Before you know it, you're halfway through, having a great time. And then you realize they're going to try and fit 2 arcs (demon + mortal) in the remaining half of the show, and question marks start popping up in your brain.

This problem with pacing is exacerbated by the middle arc that feels pointless (the cultivation school and body swapping plotlines that take up a lot of time and don't have thaaaat big of an impact on the overall picture.) It's frustrating to see so much time spent on side plotlines when the main story is so rushed. We also didn't need a second couple given the massive time constraints. Ruling and Black Snake Guy didn't really add that much by having a romance arc.

The pacing is even worse in the mortal realm, where Sima Jiao falls in love with Tingyan in 1-2 episodes, depriving us of the realistic romance that made the show special in the first place. At this point it felt like the writers were just ticking off things from their to-do list. The mortal realm also features a big drought that majorly impacts the characters, but it's introduced and resolved all in the span of, like, 10 minutes, so it all feels very bland. And of course, the fight in the last episode is laughable ... or frustrating, depending on which way you fall.

I really wanted this to be a 10/10 drama. If it had resolved in the demon realm, I probably would have given it a 9. I think it poses serious conversation around whether it's worth telling a whole story if you're going to tell it poorly, or whether it's worth to cut it down to something smaller and do a magnificent job from start to finish. It's all depends on personal opinion, but I much prefer the latter.

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heartwarming story

japanese bl series never disappoint. the story is really great, the story is about a smart, innocent, popular kid who fell in love with a troublemaker. it's not just a High school love story, it's even more. usually in other high school bl series nothing much happens actually they just fall in love and then what? do they stay with each other forever? do they join the same university ? do they spend their life with each other forever? we don't have any answer for this. But in this series there is highschool love story and even we see about their university life and also about the after university life. they fell in love in highschool and then they break up but they meet with each other again and they still had feelings for each other and also jin asked hirukawa about marriage. even though they couldn't marry each other because of the law they still loved each other forever. a really good story, a really good plot, the acting is great and it's a must watch series.

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That moment in life when you realised you turned into an adult

LIKE

When Chen Ting got slapped - that felt so good

My menses is here!! HILARIOUS

Wow the tears my god when Hai Chao scolded He Lan

The family bond is so close when one is in trouble the other two let go of everything and run to that sibling

DISLIKE

I have never wanted someone to disappear so much please just leave Chen Ting I beg you

MUSIC - personal fav

無畏 Wu Wei - 馬頔 Ma Di
雨 Yu - 沈以誠 Shen Yi Cheng
我會守在這裡 Wo Hui Shou Zai Zhe Li - 毛不易 Mao Bu Yi

REWATCH VALUE

Will re-watch when I have time some day

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RECOMMENDED THIS DRAMA !!

HEE YAN KEREN BGT CUK, DEMI UNGKERR. first time w nonton dracin kayak gini. HEE YAN IDOL W SUMPA, LITERALLY DIA RELA NYAMAR JD COWOK BIAR BS NGEREBUT BALIK TAHTA YG HARUSNYA PUNYA DIA TP MLH DIREBUT SEENAKNYA SM HE RUFEI SAMPE MATANYA SEMPET BUTA. wkt matanya buta, asistennya si he rufei asli disuruh ngebunuh hee yan ajg. untungnya ditolongin sm sifu nya. emg si rufei2 ini ajg bgt. LITERALLY HEE YAN RELA KENA TUSUK 2 KALI DLM 1 MATCH N DIA MASI BISA NGELAWAN MUSUHNYA. GMN ORG2 BS CURIGA KL LU CEWE SDGKN POWERNYA KEK COWO. kl ga gara2 xiao jue nganterin pulang n lu ketiduran sampe ga sengaja nyandar di punggungnya naik kuda, gamungkin xj tau kalo lu cewe. qi mubai ngeselin bgt, TAPI LEBIH NGESELIN HE RUFEI SAMA XU JINGFU. MEREKA BER2 TUH BNRN KEK MEKI TW G. APALAGI HE RUFEI LITERALLY BENALU, PARASIT, HAMA, BEBAN PARAH!!. dia ngambil jabatan orang lain yg bahkan dia gaikut ngerasain susahnya buat dapetin jabatan jenderal. USAHA BOS USAHA. COWO KO CUPU,BEBAN KELUARGA LG. kasian cewe w :<. TAPI BENERAN INI BEST KOLOSAL WUXIA YG PERNAH W TONTON, TRUST ME KALIAN GBKL NYESEL NONTON INI N I'M SO PROUD OF HER AS WOMAN ;>

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Opposites attract

This KDrama feels like a series from 2015, but with a much more expensive budget. The travel part was lovely, but I feel like it could of still worked if it were filmed only in Korea and Japan. It has a slow romance, crazy family background, great leads and has a "one of the leads falls first, but the other falls harder" type of story. I loved the love story, honestly I don't remember a KDrama from recent years which made me feel like I was actually watching a couple falling love (great chemistry is not the same thing).

The Hong Sisters are mostly known for darker stuff, and there is a storyline here which was hidden from the trailers, and may surprise some viewers. It is not exactly a rom-com, so be warned. So I would recommend it, but not for those who expect a fluffy rom-com, this is a romance drama with some comedy and horror elements.

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WHY is Thier bond so complicated

Likee Ioved the cast and Thier chemistry but what is wrong with the writer likeee they already had alot of complications at the start atleast if you made Thier life so complicated should have given Thier happy episodes and why whyyyy even after love at the last episodes Thier life could be this complicated likeeeee whyyyyyy meanwhile the co leads had better love life's likee for god sake we watch kdramas to escape realities compliance and yet you made it complicated it's unfair there should be another kdrama with this lead and that should be light weight and lots of happiness

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Understands loneliness better than most films bother to try

I don't think a film has ever left me smiling and laughing, then shifting to uncontrollable sobbing, so many times before. There was a particular point in Rental Family wherein Brendan Fraser's character is asked if he'd ever consider using the same service he's providing to so many other people; it really got me thinking about how much I miss members of my own family and what I wouldn't give to see them again, however brief, for one more time. It understands loneliness better than most films bother to try. There's a beautiful sense of heart and deep emotional love at its core, daring to ask what it really means to interact with fellow humans and how the roles we play in life shape our reality and our perception of it. It all bathes in a subdued light: low lamps, quiet kitchens, rainy streets that blur into bokeh, Tokyo is a presence, not oppressive, just honest, a city of people close yet worlds apart. Hikari directs the film with a wonderful amount of softness, offering the comfort of a warm hug within, never becoming overly melodramatic or heavy-handed as it's all handled with tenderness and careful thought. It doesn't try to be revolutionary in its storytelling, yet for this reason, the depth of human connection we witness is tremendous. Brendan Fraser is simply phenomenal, chewing through scenes with masterful restraint. He doesn't demand the spotlight or steal scenes from equally exceptional co-stars; he elevates those around him with emotional quietness. An endearing tour of empathy, compassion and a glimpse of humanity at its best, yet equally so quietly devastating, Rental Family serves as a small yet meaningful reminder of the importance of kindness and human connection in a world that seems to be losing both.

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