Reviews

Closure, moving on and still longing

Looking at Go Soo's pretty face with beautiful hair while enjoying a drama with so much depth that it drowns you in it. I loved the first season but it's unusual that I enjoyed the 2nd season even more!

What worked is that this really is a continuation to the first part in the lives of the living characters, but also a whole new story when it came to the other side. Like the first season, the concept of the drama itself is extremely sad but the focus of the drama is about closure. Despite all they face, the characters are very light hearted and won't waste a moment where they can be goofy and happy. The first season built the relationship and trust between characters, and it was shown this season through their bonds and dependence of one another. The cast built even better chemistry and seeing them interact is a lot of fun.

That is why it never felt melodramatic despite its many crying worthy scenes.

Another theme this drama presents is how family bonds aren't determined by blood but by action. And even in the most terrible event you don't have a family anymore, you can still join another one and find reasons to continue living.

The ending was a bit underwhelming but also opened many possibilities.

I highly recommend this drama to everyone, but of course after watching the first season

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A deeply moving piece about identity

I was holding off watching this movie because I thought it was gonna be deeply sad. What I got instead was a movie about the ideals of morals, self identity and the roles families play in our lives.

This movie felt deeply upsetting. Kore-eda carefully layered all these actions that made it feel like he was leading us to a material conclusion only to swerve many times. I expected many things but I was wrong. It was amazed how he played with our preconceived notions of how we view events without any details. I also think this movie is a little bit of a discussion about the harsh culture in Japan about responsibility, even when it's not your fault.

The acting was superb from everyone. I felt bad for everyone by the end. Saori the mother, felt like she was constantly struggling to understand her child. Hori, the good willed teacher who wasn't even doing anything wrong. Someone who did care about his students and tried to be a better person. His girlfriend I think was meant to show his displeasure of the mundane life he had.(If it is to be believed she's from the hostess club). He also being a child of a single parent household demonstrated another aspect of the story I think is overlooked. Someone who is kind and t to help but in the end gets trampled by everyone else.

And Minato's storyline took such a swing that I didn't even realize what was happening at first. I think his realization of his sexuality is what sealed the deal that this movie is simply incredible. When we understand the events leading up to the main story, everything really starts to click. I was impressed with many revelations such as how dirty ended up in his mug and how he was trying to protect Yori.

As usual Kore-eda focused on a lot of character moments that just tell you so much more without having to say it. The act of spreading of I think cheese (?) on toast. Or how Saori did a slight head tilt as she was going up the stairs to talk to the teachers. The careful ironing of Minato's shirt.. all these moments really make a kore-eda film go from good to great.

The music was peaceful and solemn. They lead you into a sense of quiet melancholy.

Just being able to sit and really envelop myself in this movie, I reflected on how the bonds we have shake the foundation of self worth. Minato had no father and to me it felt like he was lost because of it. Yori had a father but he was mainly absent and treated a child who clearly had some sort of ADHD or autism as scum. The parallels of family households where one is present and the other it's fine have profound effects on our mental states. I felt so bad that Yori was being constantly bullied and his only friend didn't even try to stand up for him. The sociatile pressure of keeping up appearances hit harder once the realization of his sexuality came forth.

It reframed all of Minato's actions in a different context and then the story took on a whole other meaning. Same with the title, "Monster." That could mean more so many things in this movie now that I understand. Society, a slur, a responsibility, anguish, self worth.. it really makes you think about how we see each other.

My only main concern is the ending is very abrupt and I don't like that they left a huge thread about what Saori and Hori did after they didn't find the children.

Either then that, this is fantastic.

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May/December Romance with off the charts chemistry!

This mature, slow-burn Republic-era drama isn’t for everyone. But if you want to invest in a love story for the ages, set against the glamorous, treacherous backdrop of mob-controlled Shanghai, then my friend… this is for you. 💙

The chemistry between Jing Tian and Xu Weizhou ( Timmy Xu) have ruined me. 🥵

This isn't sweet fluff; it's slow-burn, heart-pounding, skin-tingling TENSION. He's the younger, reckless military heir with a fierce, masculine intensity. She's the elegant, poised governess 🫣 Together? FIRE.🔥Their glorious May-December dynamic works because his raw passion meets her sophisticated cunning as an equal in every war they wage.

💋 AND THE AESTHETIC. SWOON. The qipaos, the wavy, silky hairstyles, the smoky cabarets and opulent mansions, it’s a visually stunning feast. Jing Tian in those dresses is a goddess. 💋

🎥 The cinematography is award-worthy, painting every frame with palpable atmosphere. It transformed the smoky jazz clubs and the neon glow of Shanghai's streets into living, breathing spaces.

🥺 You could almost smell the astringent cleanliness of the hospital corridors and feel the hazy veil of opium chaining the characters to their inescapable fate.

💕 In the opening sequence, as they danced, the world itself melted away, the universe had no room for anyone but them. ❤️

These elements were so vividly rendered that they became characters in their own right. This is true cinematography, where every set and scene breathes with its own life, its own distinct personality.

🫣 But be warned: if you like your villains purely evil and your heroes perfectly just, look elsewhere. The characters are masterfully crafted in shades of moral grey; you'll find yourself understanding them more than you ever wanted to, which only deepens their compelling stories.

⚠️ This isn't a binge; (although I did) it's a savoring. Get lost in the intricate web of family business and revenge, cheer for a house of formidable women, and scream into a pillow over two people who should be enemies falling in love in a world of danger and deceit.

If you want aesthetic, angst, and atomic-level chemistry… THIS IS IT. My brain is still in 1920s Shanghai. 😭

Bonus it’s streaming in so many platforms…Viki, WeTv, Tencent and Prime

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Not Perfect, Not Healthy, But Still a Drama I Liked !

**There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with appreciating a drama you liked.**
And yes, I liked this one. Flaws and all.

So here’s the deal. This drama revolves around a **young general who is deeply, intensely obsessed** with a countryside girl who is young, underestimated, and constantly looked down upon. Yet she shines in her own quiet way. She is skilled in **both dance and medicine**, and her elegance feels almost unreal. Some people may call it exaggerated that she cures patients whom even Western medicine couldn’t save, but honestly… **that’s why it’s called a drama**. We don’t come here for realism textbooks, we come here for fantasy, emotions, and escape.

That said, let’s not pretend this drama is flawless.

There was definitely **room for improvement**. The kissing scenes were honestly *too frequent*. Instead of making the romance feel deeper, they slowly started losing their value and became irritating rather than impactful. Sometimes less really *is* more, and this drama clearly didn’t get that memo.

Another thing that genuinely bothered me was the **moral inconsistency** of the male lead. The young general kept trying to convince his brother’s fiancée to become his woman, which the drama clearly framed as “acceptable.” But the moment she asked him if he would actually marry her, he rejected her outright. That raised a huge red flag. Like… what exactly was he expecting? To use her without commitment? That part left a really bad taste in my mouth.

And let’s be brutally honest here:
Throughout the drama, many of their intimate moments felt **deeply uncomfortable**. She was crying during kisses. She was distressed. She was not emotionally willing. No matter how romantic the background music tried to be, **it did not feel consensual**. Calling it anything other than **sexual harassment** would be sugarcoating the issue. This is something that absolutely deserves criticism.

**However…**

Despite all these flaws, I still enjoyed the drama. Why? Because at its core, it is a **fantasy drama**, and I chose to watch it as one. I focused on the atmosphere, the aesthetics, the exaggerated emotions, and the escape it provided. It entertained me, and at the end of the day, **that matters the most to me**.

You can acknowledge flaws and still like something.
You can criticize and still enjoy.
And you can appreciate a drama without asking for permission.

And I stand by that.

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Fun, laughter, drama and CHEMISTRY!

I have actually bought the DVD of "Love Is Sweet", it is THAT GOOD! The story itself begins early and doesn't let up. The FL, Jiang Jun, (played perfectly by the beautiful Bai Lu) is allergic to her own tears (a real disease called tear allergy or allergic conjunctivitis) since childhood. ML, Yuan Shuai, (played phenomenally by Luo Yun Xi), who is her friend from childhood, is the one she runs to if she has to cry so he'll help her (as her father had asked of him). He does bully her, but it is to toughen her up so she doesn't cry easily. Jiang Jun is intelligent and has graduated with degrees in economics and psychology. She is also quirky with a terrific sense of humor. Suddenly her father dies of a heart attack after an accident. Too fulfill his wish, Jiang Jun begins working for a top investment firm, MH. There she meets Yuan Shuai again, (who is the Executive Director of MH) but he doesn't think she can handle the job and tries to make sure she isn't hired, despite doing very well in the interview. But despite his protests, Jiang Jun is hired.

Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai are attracted to each other, but Jiang Jun is so angry at Yuan Shuai for trying to keep her from being hired at MH, doesn't want to be bothered with him. In reality, Yuan Shuai, has secretly loved Jiang Jun for the past 10 years

Jiang Jun has a mentor, Du Lei (played by the terrific actor Gao Han Yu) who is the Executive Director of a rival investment firm GE. He teaches her all about investments and how to be confident in herself. Which comes in handy as Qiao Na (played by the gorgeous Zhao Yuanyuan), MH's Vice President, is strict with employees.

Finally, Yuan Shuai confesses to Jiang Jun, who returns his love and they start dating. Qiao Na is furious as she always believed she would end up with Yuan Shuai. Meanwhile, Du Lei has been quietly pursuing Jiang Jin and does all he can to keep her from Yuan Shuai. This brings about tension in the drama, too, especially from Du Lei (whom Gao Han Yu plays so intensely).

All through the story there is such great comedy, especially between Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jin. They are so good together and you can tell they are friends off-screen, as well. The chemistry is off the charts. The entire cast is terrific, and the show is one I highly recommend. Thanks for reading.

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A good show but could've been better

at first it was really nice and fresh
the interaction and their act are really natural and it's interesting to watch

they start making friends, writing letters and hangouts together
i love seeing them doing nice thing together

Most of the cast had some bad past and as the time goes they try to overcome that with being open to eachother

lots of problems happened and i think most of the problems are kinda overdramatic
it's hard to watch when they could just talk about it but they choose silence and try to fight

2 new people come and it kinda ruin the dynamic of the show, it becomes more like a drama than reality show

i think it could be better if they know how to execute this, everything kinda overdramatic after 3 episodes
i mean crying over someone you just met couple days ago is kinda crazy hahaha

and the fact that yanboh kicked out because something he said but baby is forgiven after hurting someone physically it's not fair

overall it's pretty good but could've been better

TACKLE MY GUY HE'S THE BEST, HE'S THE ONLY ONE LOYAL FROM THE START!

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I think I Just Expected... More :/

Just want to start by saying that I love our leads, and I think this pairing was adorable. BUT after seeing him act with Tang Song Yun in Go Ahead, and her with Leo Wu in Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, the chemistry between them was just subpar. Both are visually STUNNING🥵 of course, but I didn't really get the butterflies when seeing them together, and the long process of them actually flirting and whatnot had me... wanting more. I just couldn't help but think it lacked some sparks⚡️. For me, if the leads have chemistry that's out of this world, the drama is an automatic must-watch. (Speed and Love, for example. No strong plot at all, but their chemistry was off the charts.)

Story-wise, it was also whatever. Both are from affluent backgrounds, and while he had his accident that served as some big catalyst to kickstart the plot, it was almost overshadowed because they essentially just skip over it. They talk about the accident ofc, and how his career and hard work vanished because of it, but they don't really show him strongly affected by it as much as they should, considering he went to med school and residency only to suddenly go into the business world.
The workplace/business part of the story was VERY banal, and I found myself skipping over all of it. Them talking about the PV industry and growing China's influence in the world was just more typical nationalist propaganda-themes I always find ruin a good cdrama, like in Go Go Squid and You Are My Glory. Not too big of a deal, since I can just skip over it, but it did cover a lot more than I hoped-- meetings that should've been shown for two minutes tops were given too much screen time and I just got bored. The college drama with the second main lead was honestly pretty interesting at first, but then fell flat too. 🥲

There were cute parts, as expected. Without giving spoilers, the little things he notices and does for her before they get together are really adorable⛄️. Her character is pretty mature, and doesn't behave cocky despite her wealthy family, nor does she play the naive girl who just accepts defeat in every situation. She knows how to put herself first, and that was something I liked about this drama. And having solid side characters really elevates a drama's likability, but again, there weren't any worth liking lol. Her friends, some, yeah, but nobody with any real story.

Maybe my expectations were just too high, with the star leads. Maybe because I just finished Speed and Love, where I would internally scream. It was really really hard finishing the last handful of episodes...

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