Reviews

Cringe, Chaotic, Funny

If you are looking for something genuinely cringe-funny, KickKickKickKick is definitely a wild ride. It's got those laugh-out-loud, awkward moments that make you want to hide behind a pillow, but in a very entertaining way.

However, we need to talk about the casts, It feels like Lee Min Jae barely gets any spotlight to actually be listed as a main role—and the same goes for Baek Ji Won. The show spends way more time focusing on the dynamic between PD Kang and Writer Wang.

To be clear, it's not like I hate PD Kang and Writer Wang—I really love their story and dynamic! But it's just a bit disappointing not getting to see much romance of Lee Min Jae, leaving us fans totally hanging :"(

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No cartoonish villain , dark family politics revolving around power, status, marriage

Four episodes in and I’m really enjoying this! On paper, this could easily turn into another revenge drama, but what I like so far is how human the characters and conflicts feel. No cartoonish villains, evil stepmothers, jealous sisters or endless slapping—just people trapped by their own interests, obligations and circumstances, quietly manoeuvring within the social rules of marriage, status and family reputation.

Even the matriarchal power within the FL’s family feels more complicated than simply “evil grandmother.” The FL comes from a wealthy family, yet she has very little say over her own marriage because protecting the family’s status and reputation takes priority over what she wants.

The premise also feels fresh because the ML isn’t another duke, marquis or prince. He’s a relatively low-status salt dealer trying to make his way up, which creates an interesting contrast between two people constrained by status in very different ways.

So far, the family politics feel dark without being trope-heavy—more realistic social manoeuvring than manufactured drama. The first four episodes have set up plenty of room for character growth, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

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They have improved!

Compared to "Tide of Love" they've definitely improved the camera work, sets design and scene cut. There are still a couple of mistakes, but I was able to tell that they tried. They even incorporated some color themes, which I always appreciate. The acting was over the top, as per usual, but that's what I'm here for. It reminds me of queer media from the past as well as Japanese Pinku Eiga, so basically underground gay movies and series. Overacting and dramatic plots that combine the tragic with the comical are the bread and butter of that genre. All in all I had a good time while watching this little series. It's campy and you can definitely have a good laugh while watching. And if you look past the silly, there is also a tragic story about wanting to be loved and finding acceptance, which is very human.

I give this series a 7.5/10, because they tried and they entertained me well.

On a side note: That Dadada song has been stuck in my head for days now lol

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Don't judge a show by its premise!!!

I didn't know what to expect from this show at first, the premise didn't seem like my cup of tea but iam glad I decided to give it a chance anyway because it's been a pleasant surprise.

Over view:

Apartment job tells the story of former gangster whose mentor or father figure is wrongfully arrested and asked ten billion in exchange for him, he then sets out on an apartment scheme that could earn him the money and while there he finds himself taking on the job of the president of the apartment and handling different issues of concern for the residents.

Thoughts and experiences:

At first glance it might seem like a boring premise but it's interesting, I won't say I know alot about apartments because I don't own one but it's good to know that it's beyond just being expensive buildings you can stay in, this show takes on the risk to expose what lie behind closed doors, the embezzlement of funds the shoddy construction, the retail and private owned apartments, the corruption from the heads of the apartments and more.

This while blending in fun comedic elements and through brilliantly written fun characters.

This show has so much going on for it, The amazing cast head starring Ji Sung whose choice in scripts and amazing acting speaks for, Ha yunkyung whose this is her first leading role and iam proud because she's an amazing actress and more of the assemble.

The show manages to blend comedy, found family, action suspense and thrill all with non feeling more than the other..the perfect balance.

Note that this isn't a romance drama, you might have seen the edits on tiktok with the two leads and yes they have amazing chemistry but don't walk into it expecting just that...it's one of the few things that happen on the side.

Overall it's highly recommended for me, if it's your cup of tea of course.

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No Chemistry Between the leads… she was trying so hard and he wasn’t feeling it

I didn’t really enjoy the romance in this drama. There was no chemistry between the leads for me. She was trying so hard to make the relationship work, but he just didn’t seem to be feeling it, and their scenes together often felt forced.even the kiss

Because of that, I found myself getting bored and skipped quite a lot of the scenes.For me, the story was okay, but the romance definitely wasn’t it.

After watching Our Sticky Love and Love Next Door, I have to say Jung Hae-in had much better chemistry with Jung So-min. With her, he felt so natural and genuinely romantic, almost like he wasn’t acting. The way he looked at her, touched her and kissed her made their relationship feel so real. Their chemistry and romantic scenes were on another level.
And this has nothing to do with Ha-young because she is such a good actress and absolutely beautiful. She did an amazing job in Our Sticky Love and gave so much to her character. I just didn’t feel the same romantic chemistry between them.
Jung Hae-in was also incredible in Something in the Rain, so we know how good he is at romance, but there was something extra with Jung So-min. Their chemistry felt effortless and believable. For me, I want to see Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min again in rom-com
Overall, I didn’t really enjoy the romance. The story itself wasn’t bad, but I found it boring at times, so I ended up skipping most of the scenes. The romance just didn’t work for me, and unfortunately, it made the drama less enjoyable overall.

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A WASTE OF A GOOD STORY

This story had potential but the execution & writing was a disaster. The directing was trash, especially with the police officers, they looked lost.

Even with solid actors, the performances were mid, NamKoong included.

The villain? Total flop. I was excited to see a good‑guy actor flip to villain, but he couldn’t carry it.

Out of 12 episodes, only 4 were worth watching. Honestly, the director needs a long hiatus for wasting good talent.

And can we normalize characters actually dying in dramas? Not everyone needs plot armor to survive 😭. Honestly, it could’ve passed as a decent movie instead of dragging itself out as a drama!!

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Give it a Shot At Least Once

I'm trying not to nitpick but focus on the plot and characters. I recommend giving this one a go at least once. There were several things that stood out and was just a breath of fresh air. It's not super heavy on the romance but it is well balanced with the action, as in the action doesn't drown out the romance.

Pro: I liked the chemistry between the leads and their love story (I am a fan of Vill). It didn't feel rush and overcomplicated with misunderstandings that dragged on. There was no overbearing love triangle that took over. Rawee has got to be one of the better male characters in lakorns - I just like how he wasn't abusive and toxic towards the women and call it "love." It was refreshing when Rawee apologized to Phetphring and took accountability for not being a proper husband and partner to her. Each supporting couples were just as cute. The mom was my #1 favorite female character. She proved why she was the Lady and rightfully so. She stuck with her intuition and taking down Kom was pretty epic after all the frustrating fight scenes in the last episode. At the same time you saw her tenderness and grace when it was needed.

I also like that Suea Mai stuck to his principles and you can see him be reasonable, especially with Chit. His outcry in EP 20 for Tew was one of the better moments and acting in the last episode. Tew was just out for blood for no real reason when he was the bad guy all along. I couldn't even really feel sorry for him. I think Tew is the #1 villain in this lakorn vs Mai. We're not supposed to side with Mai because he is a bandit but at the same time I couldn't help but respect him in some ways.

Phetphring was also hard to hate. I appreciate they didn't go all crazy and villainess with her like in a lot of slap kiss. Her acting was amazing when she was putting on the red lipstick. For me, it symbolized her breaking point and mental health more than her becoming evil. I don't think Phetphring was truly evil but just wanted to be loved, valued, and appreciated and it drove her mad. She didn't have a dad, her mom was not the greatest in conveying love and being gentle with her, and she served the MIL and Rawee without being noticed the way Lukjan was. It doesn't excuse what she did but she had her redemption arc and we got to see her soft and sweet side come back. She was punished enough for her actions and understood part of her loss was due to her decisions.

Overall, I would say the actors and actresses did really well in their roles. I like the loyalty between the friends and even Saen when Rawee gave him another chance to start over.

Con: I can't decide if 20 episodes was too long or some of the episodes/plots dragged on or were fillers. It felt well paced but there were times I either wanted it to slow down or pick up. It took too long for them to figure out who was behind Rawee's attempted murder. They gave Tew/Mesa too much benefit of the doubt when he really hasn't done much to prove he was trustworthy. The mom was the only one who truly did not trust Mesa due to how he handled the investigation and conduct himself in front of her, which did suggest ulterior motives and made him suspicious. For example, Mesa just happens to be able to infiltrate Suea Mai's hidden place and walk right in was overlook. I also got tired of all the bad guys being caught and then escaping; it was repetitive, took up screen time, and unrealistic at that point. I wished that screen time was devoted to the leads' romance and life at Rawee's home - I did feel that part was rushed. I wished Lukjan would've taken up something now that she is free or reconnect with something she liked prior to being held hostage; for example, go to a proper school and become a nurse. Her character fell flat there. Although Lukjan was smart and witty in her own ways, the things she figured out on her own should've been shared with Rawee, as it concerned him (like seeing Mesa with Phetphring and suspecting they were lovers).

I do have a bone to pick with the last episode. EP 19 took me 3x to sit through and finish and then 20 got worse - the engagement just went down drastically. About 75% of EP 20 was senseless fighting and shooting, and I was fighting to not give up. The action and pace that was established from the beginning to when Rawee was Tawan in Mai's village was just ruined by the last few episodes, especially 20. There was no point in teaching the females how to shoot and defend themselves when they missed most of the time and was not given a gun to carry. Ngamta also had a gun next to her and didn't use it but instead gave Kom the password and tried to negotiate with him.

Neutral: The music, outfits, fighting, pace, and sceneries were all neutral to me. I don't hate it but it also didn't leave an impression. It just was what it was. Phetphring and the mom's outfits were some of my favorites and made them elegant.

What I would've liked to see happen: I had a feeling the real Tawan was going to be revealed near the end and knew it was him the moment he entered the screen. However, I wished we would have seen more of him in a way that tied to the overall story or common enemy like Kom (who later partnered up with Tew and Mai). There wasn't any substance to him and he was introduced too late, so he felt like an after thought. The opium plot was more of a filler and truly was not memorable and was unnecessary. The real Tawan was such a mystery and built up to be a badass and untouchable bandit that people feared and that just didn't really come through. I felt like Rawee lived up to it more.

I would have liked to see Lukjan shoot Tew and knock him over the stairs lol or even Phetphring - I think that would have served justice and come full circle. Tew hurt and betrayed Lukjan more than anything. His attempt to kill Rawee wasn't as personal as it was with what he did to Lukjan. I think Tew got out of it too easily for everything he did. To the very end, he thought he was wronged.

I would've loved to see Phetphring coming home at the end with her new husband and child too. Again, too much of EP 20 was just filled with nonsense fighting at the bank and we didn't need all those flashbacks. I think it needed to only take up about half and the remaining half should've tied up the characters' stories and any loose end. I would've liked to see a wedding or something. If you have watched a lot of lakorns like I have, you'll know how they usually end. Sadly, this one became one of those cliche "just end it fast with main couple in a happily ever after scene that lasts 5 seconds." I feel like the last episode in a lot of lakorns tend to be very weak and ruins the whole storyline - like there's no real satisfaction and we just have to accept the ending.

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Good Fathers Absent (the drama wouldn't have happened, otherwise)

A reckless, indulged son of wealth and position took offense at Liu Yu Ru, the unfavored daughter of a businessman, and bullied her in thoughtless prank, which caused misunderstandings that led to their engagement and marriage. On their marriage night, he made his feelings known and promised her a divorce as soon as it was practical. The playboy and the puppet had to learn to work together to survive the impending chaos the country found itself embroiled in.

The character growth of both leads was enjoyable to watch: silly boy into a meticulous, thoughtful man and timid, careful girl into a capable, competent woman. I especially enjoyed watching their relationship grow from reluctant allies to friends and to lovers. ML learned his wife wasn't a manipulative schemer but a powerless pawn who had been forced to her way of life in order to survive. FL learned her childish husband was decent and intelligent, but his pampered upbringing had left him few aspirations with no one having expectations of him. Their relationship was the highlight of this drama. Once they were on the same page, they never deviated; they always believed in one another, they had no nonsensical misunderstandings, and they were a true partnership.

Once the ML was sent away to work on the dam, the story suffered. The drama needed the leads to be together to work well and keep my interest. The story shone brightest when it was involved with regular townspeople and the main couple; it dimmed dramatically as soon as the stage was shifted to the palace and court issues and away from our one true pair.

As an "historical" drama, the writers indulged heavily in intellectual fallacies, assigning today's morality and culture to the past. An Emperor with a troublesome dowager Empress and princess should have quickly found a solution to dealing with them (Empress banished to the Cold Palace; princess married to a far land). As for women in large businesses and as generals, those would have been exceedingly rare, also. However, I'm sometimes relieved to have the past sanitized for me: it was personally shocking to see a cockfight depicted.

Miscellaneous meanderings: I wonder what happened to that smart beggar boy who kept an eye on the streets for the ML. What happened to FL's stepmother, youngest stepsister, and little stepbrother? And, wow, in that scene of moving rocks at the dam, skinny Bai Jing Ting had great arms. Until I read the credits, I didn't realize the charismatic villain was Liu Xue Yi, the bald monk of The Blood of Youth. What range he has as an actor!

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