Emotions: When We Don't Draw Within The Lines
I don't want to brand this year as a disappointment, so as not to discredit the work that is already out, but my God, this series is truly a gem among stones. I don't believe we're in any shortage of "beautiful" series; Netflix has made sure of that, but there are few scripts that have hit the mark until the very end. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like for a drama to not falter at the last stretch.Everything exists in the grey with this drama, a near-perfect depiction of when human relationships are stretched to their limits and emotions aren't imagined in silos. I have immense respect for those who pen stories like this. There's a rare bout of honesty here that often gets overshadowed by boisterous, showy storytelling. In the writers' restraint, and in spite of their resistance to neat binaries, we're able to untangle this complex story between two lifelong friends, even if only in feelings.
This series opts for what I can only liken to a slow-cook recipe, trusting that steady pacing, subtleties and even silences will make us tender and receptive. This series is not ideal for those who think in strict dichotomies.
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This review may contain spoilers
Another drama with high potential but poor execution.One piece of advice: don’t approach Twelve with high expectations. If you watch it without much anticipation, you might find some potential for something better.
Unfortunately, I didn’t follow that advice. Yes, I had high expectations – not because of the hype before its release, nor because of the cast (though the actors were good), but solely because of the plot. The concept sounded fascinating: twelve zodiac angels fighting against evil spirits. The angels won, sealed the spirits away, but years later evil awakens again, and the angels must face another epic battle.
The drama has only 8 episodes, but the first 6 are a drawn-out introduction where almost nothing happens. The action is crammed into the last 2 episodes, leaving a rushed feeling – especially during the final battle.
The angels, who are left without any superpowers, spend six episodes running around aimlessly and causing more damage than they fix. You wait.. and wait.. and wait for the story to start.. and keep waiting.
I didn't even see the point of the love story between O Gwi and Mi Reu, who by the way got about 20 minutes of screen time.
The story was well-conceived but poorly presented. There should have been more episodes for the story to develop properly.
- Strengths: an interesting concept and, to some extent, the open ending that sparks curiosity for a possible continuation.
- Weaknesses: uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and a format too short for such a grand idea.
Despite my disappointment, the open ending intrigued me, so I’m curious to see how the story might unfold if they decide to make a sequel.
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Hong Ji Ah is a strong, independent exorcist who may seem distant, but is actually vulnerable because of her personal loss. Oh In Beom, who begins as a con artist, gradually changes and finds meaning in helping others. The dynamic between them is like a roller coaster – shifting from humorous to touching to healing. Through their collaboration, they confront not only the pain of others but also their own, with the hardest battle being to face a past burdened with unhealed wounds.
Hong Ji Ah’s connection with her mother is one of the most touching aspects of the drama, giving the story its emotional core. It reminds us that healing is found not only in banishing ghosts, but in facing and accepting our own pain. This is not simply a ghost story – it is a tale of people searching for comfort, redemption, and the courage to move forward.
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This review may contain spoilers
Family. A new character who shakes the balance. A game of cat and mouse.Season two doesn’t fall short of the first — once again, it delivers stories of injustice that sting, and retribution that heals. The formula is familiar, but the energy feels different. The missions are bigger, riskier, and carry higher stakes. The criminal network built by the new villains is larger and more deeply rooted, making Do-ki’s infiltrations even bolder and more varied.
There’s nothing new to say about the Deluxe Taxi team — they remain a family, united to the end.
‼️ Spoiler Alert ‼️
I was suspicious of On Ha-joon from the start, so I wasn’t surprised he was planted in the team. But I didn’t expect to grow attached to him. In the end, when he whispers, “If I had met you first… would my life have been different?”, it broke my heart. He became what he is simply because he had the misfortune of meeting the wrong people — and believing them. But can you really blame him? After all, he was just a child.
‼️ End of Spoiler ‼️
This season makes you reflect on how thin the line is between justice and crime, between victim and predator. And how the tilt of the scale often depends on who reaches out their hand — and when.
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This review may contain spoilers
Because of a few negative reviews I came across, I was about to drop the drama—but I’m glad I didn’t, because I actually had fun. Sure, there were moments that needed a bit more polishing, but overall, it was an entertaining ride.The moment I found out that Bae Suzy and Kim Woo Bin were teaming up for another drama, I couldn’t wait to watch it. Especially after the emotional trauma they caused me with their first project, *Uncontrollably Fond*, which didn’t exactly end on a happy note. This new one felt like a breath of fresh air.
There’s nothing much to say about the acting—it was solid. But the plot...? Well... I had mixed feelings. Compared to most K-dramas I’ve seen, it was original—strange, chaotic, but still enjoyable.
Ki Ga-yeong doesn’t show empathy and is often described as a sociopath. That’s exactly what sets her apart from the typical damsel in distress waiting for a prince on a white horse. In fact, she’d probably beat up the prince just for fun. 😂
Iblis—better known as the genie in the bottle—might be all-powerful, but he’s also hilariously ridiculous at times. And that’s mostly because he met his match in Ki Ga-yeong. Instead of running the show, he ended up like Wi-Fi with a mind of its own—always present, but never working the way you expect.
The dynamic between them had a great mix of comedy and drama. A genie who expects to manipulate wishes, only to find out his new master doesn’t play by the rules.
Ki Ga-yeong’s grandmother and best friend accepted everything way too calmly. Anyone else would’ve freaked out, but their shock lasted about three seconds. As if meeting a genie and all the other weird stuff happening around it was just another ordinary day.
I didn’t really get the role of the boy (Khalid). Sorry, but I couldn’t take him seriously as a villain—he was in a child’s body. And aside from wanting to possess Iblis, his motives were kind of vague. Maybe the point was that he wasn’t supposed to be a real villain? I don’t know.
The final episode felt rushed. Things escalated way too quickly. Some events definitely needed more development, and because of that, I just can’t give it a full 5 stars.
The drama isn’t perfect—it has its quirks, rough edges, and characters who sometimes act in ways that make no sense. But despite all that, it manages to be fun, different, and even touching at times. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for something offbeat and slightly chaotic, it might surprise you in a good way. And if you’re looking for deep meaning... you might want to look elsewhere.
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This review may contain spoilers
Did we really need this season? No.Was it interesting? To some extent.
Was I on edge the entire time? Absolutely.
They left Borderland behind, but Borderland didn’t leave them.
Some time has passed since the last deadly games — the ones that left scars, even if invisible. Few survived. But no one remembers. Or at least that’s how it seems. Except for a few… who feel something. Fragments. Not memories, but echoes. Shadows of a reality that shouldn’t exist.
In the very first minutes, aside from the familiar faces of Arisu and Usagi, you immediately feel the absence of the other characters. And I found myself wondering: where are they? What happened to them? But the questions don’t stop there.
In the first episode, we see something even stranger: one of the players who chose to stay in Borderland suddenly appears in the real world and hands out a joker card to selected people, inviting them back to Borderland. And — even more confusing — a game begins. A game just like the ones in the borderland.
And I was like: Wait a second… what is happening? Are we even in the real world? Or is this some distorted version of it? I was a geyser of questions.
I understand why Arisu joins the deadly games again — he wants to save Usagi — but I don’t understand why anyone else would willingly go back. Usagi is still suffering because of her father, okay, but how would returning to a place she barely survived help her? And that professor? Besides being obsessed with the afterlife, his motives were unclear the entire time, which only added more tension.
Now, about the games themselves. Oh… the moment Arisu returned to Borderland and the first game started, I felt like he was about to stand up and say, “I’ve played these games before.” (If you know, you know.)😂
This time the games were more psychological — less action, none of the brutal, visually striking challenges from previous seasons, and more moral dilemmas. They don’t just make you wonder how to survive; they force you to confront what you’re willing to sacrifice to do so. And the choices the players made seemed to shape their own futures. It was interesting, but they didn’t show anything new that I hadn’t already seen in earlier seasons.
And then we get to the finale. I’m watching — everything seems to be falling into place. I’m watching — there are still 15 minutes left. And I start panicking that there won’t be a happy ending, thinking, please don’t ruin this. Thank God — there was a happy ending.
The problem is, the feeling that nothing is truly over still lingers. We finally saw the old characters I was so annoyed about — the ones who had completely vanished. They appeared… but only in the last minutes of the final episode. It seems each of them found their own path and didn’t need more drama — and this season was focused on Arisu anyway. Still, I wanted more from them. Even so, the introduction of the new characters was pleasant and brought some freshness.
Overall, I was left confused by how it ended. They hinted at something even bigger coming, but I’m not sure the series has anything new left to offer.
And this connection to the US… no. Just no. Not everything needs to be blended with an American style. No, thank you.
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It’s not easy to find yourself, nor to live up to other people’s standards, especially when those expectations come from your own parents. That inevitably leads to feelings of inferiority — just like with the FL. Her mother drove me crazy with the constant comparisons to her brothers and the pressure to “try harder,” instead of supporting her on her path to growing up. There are no perfect or identical people. Everyone has their own unique color to shine with.
The Spirit Fingers group was quirky, chaotic, hilarious, and most importantly — supportive. They encouraged each other and lifted each other up, which was exactly what Song U Yeon needed to feel alive.
This drama definitely needed a few more episodes. There was still so much to explore — the stories of the other “fingers,” as well as more about Song U Yeon’s and Nam Gi Jeong’s friends. Instead, we ended up with a rushed finale.
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Low budget drama
Another low-budget drama based on an excellent novel. As most drama based on novels, this one follows a single main arc from the novel and not a trace of cultivation levels, And the drama still feels shallow and empty. Emotions are poorly delivered, especially by the main lead, who portrays Qin Wentian.Coreography and special effects are quite poor and outdated. Sequences where thousands of people should be present are showing a couple of dozen people at most - It effectively ruins the scene that should be grand and impressive.
Another weird thing is the amount of makeup used, which quite often gives you a vibe of old Chinese opera. The lights glaring straight at he actress's face exaggerates the effect even more.
This is something you can fast-forward through quickly, and nothing will be missed. Definitely, not worth rewatching...
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I liked that the games were new and well-designed. As for the secret rooms — we already have one season behind us, so it’s obvious the players now suspect that hidden twists lurk around every corner. No surprise they uncovered them early. But honestly, they could’ve made things a bit harder.
It’s hard to say if I had true favorites. The people I liked or disliked kept changing depending on the games and how they played. My opinion swung from “wow, genius” to “what on earth are you doing” every ten minutes.
Unpopular opinion: I feel bad that Hyun-gyu got so much hate — yes, sometimes he played dirty, but it was all within the rules. For some players it’s considered strategy and totally acceptable to switch sides and betray their group, but for him it’s not? I don’t get that. In my view, his gameplay was really good — and at the very least, fun to watch.
Overall, season 2 was chaos, strategy, and pure entertainment. Not a single moment felt boring. I’m already excited for season 3
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ONE VERSION OF ANOTHER VERTICAL DRAMA
I've seen a similar version/plot of this with Wang Yi Lei and Yang Shu Yu, having the title here on MDL SWING ME TO YOUR HEART. I've watched it from a vertical drama app having a different title. I guess titles posted here on MDL are mostly original titles. Also a good version, but Wang Yi Lei there looked younger, not believable as a much older adopted brother/benefactor of FL, considering he took her to his care when she was just about 10 or 11, when he was already a ruthless leader at that time. Wang Yi Lei there was hot though and fiercer. Supporting male characters in Wang Yi Lei's version were more effective and good looking.This series is a bit more credible when it comes to the ML.. a more mature actor. Main leads are both gorgeous, although for me a younger looking actress should fit the role more, considering we're talking here of a wider age gap, not just a good looking couple on screen. Yang Han still looks the same from 15 years ago when he adopted the much younger kid. No argument from me though when it comes to his gorgeousness🤪. FL here is lovely but looks as if they are of the same age. Actually in real life, she's a year older than Yang Han. He's 32, she's 33.
So I guess in both versions, casting isn't about credibility when it comes to age differences. I think since female leads are supposedly much younger than the male leads, and the plot would lead main characters to be romantically involved later on not just as siblings, in both versions characters were made to look fitting as couples, so viewers wouldn't feel uncomfortable since female leads are supposedly raised by the male leads. Just my take.
Meng Na's and Feng Ming Chao's version though I haven't seen it, when it comes to casting is the best version in terms of credibility just by looking at the poster.
Execution of plot, both versions have the same merits in some aspects, but I liked more Wang Yi Lei's version. No dragging scenes for me. I could feel Wang Yi Lei's passion there towards his sister and his jealousy. ML in this series is so brother like in his gestures, I couldn't connect. I kind of felt uncomfortable instead, because FL in my opinion doesn't look in anyway younger than ML, but kept saying she's a grown up now and not his little sister anymore and it's not appropriate to even hug.
Meng Lu resembles a popular vertical drama actress Han Yu Tong even in speaking voices. I favor Meng Lu more though.
Overall, just an okay version for me. Yang Han is gorgeous! I connected more with Wang Yi Lei's version though, SWING ME TO YOUR HEART. Yang Shu Yu there the FL, at least fits the role in my opinion as a younger sister. Wang Yi Lei in that version fits his ruthless/cruel persona, but not as a much older brother who had raised his sister.
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It’s an intriguing story about an unconventional female lead who resorts to questionable motives and feels absolutely no remorse. Baek Ah‑jin is a manipulative vixen. You realize you’re caught in her web only when it’s already too late and the chain is tightening around your throat. Every time you think her kingdom of lies is about to collapse, the next moment you see her standing on top, with all the unlucky souls who crossed her lying at her feet. I felt sorry for the victims — at least the innocent ones — while at the same time burning with curiosity to see what devilish plan she would come up with next.
I’m not sure where exactly things went wrong, but something definitely did. Whether it was the character development or the direction of the plot… I don’t know. The beginning was fantastic. It promised something phenomenal. But with each episode I felt like I was going in circles — an endless loop of repetitive actions with no clear direction.
The whole time I watched Yoon Joon‑seo, I kept screaming: leave her, save yourself, Baek Ah‑jin is manipulating you, can’t you see it! The only logical explanation for why he stayed by her side all those years, despite her never promising him anything, is that he’s just as broken as she is.
Kim Jae‑oh was probably the most normal one of them all — just blinded by his own illusions about her. Like Joon‑seo, he could have started fresh, but he chose to remain in Ah‑jin’s shadow because he genuinely believed that made him useful, and he was strangely okay with that.
I expected some kind of development between her and at least one of the two, but everything was touched on only superficially and quickly brushed aside. Instead, they became willing prisoners in her web — a web that slowly and inevitably consumed them.
And what was Moon Do‑hyeok’s role supposed to be? His motives remained unclear until the very end. He married Ah‑jin, but for what purpose? Everything about him felt suspicious — a door left open for something more — but instead of exploring it, they simply left a gaping hole in the plot.
And then we get to the ending. Why did they have to settle for the easiest possible conclusion? What did we get — an unnecessary death and a finale that existed solely because they needed to wrap up the story as quickly as possible. After all the madness, I expected something bold, but what I got was a compromise.
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BEST COMING-OF-AGE SERIES, A MUST WATCH, MY COMFORT SERIES.
Putting all these feelings into words is difficult. After finishing it, I am left in a peaceful, quiet, happy sort of awe. Watching this was an experience that settled around me like the warmest, softest hug I've ever known. It is the best drama to have recommended to me in my early twenties.This series is a rare magic that makes you feel completely seen, or inspires you to see yourself. The storytelling, the lighting, the music...all are woven together with a gentle pacing that creates a safe and beautiful space. It doesn't rush you; it invites you in and lets you sit with your own thoughts.
It is a peaceful sigh for the soul, a place you can return to whenever you need a lift, some inspiration, or an answer to questions that aren't concious.
The casting is perfect.. the four best friends, a god, and his dog. But honestly, the four friends... all four of them are so pretty and kawaii, I definitely fell in love with their looks. I wanted to kiss each one of them deeply. It's insane. Lol.
It was made with such love and care that every scene feels important and every emotion rings true. It’s deeply thought-provoking, but in the end, your heart is left both full and calm. I just know I’ve found something special, something that will stay with me.
This series holds you gently. It asks you questions you didn't know existed and answers them in the most unique way. It's a genuine treasure that I know I'll carry with me for a very long time.
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So good!
It a relaxed paced, sweet romance drama that has a vibe a lot like the 2018 K-drama "Encounter." It's everything a drama should be. With the slower pacing, it doesn't feel like a short (which often send you on a whirlwind of plot ridiculousness trying to be exciting.) This drama is unapologetically mellow, and all the better for it. It leaves you feeling warm and satisfied.Was this review helpful to you?
women's rights & women's wrongs
I love love love Mo Eun's character and I do like how she is still evil, but can have some good to her. The MC was a bit bland to me, but I did understand her frustrations, recklessness, and desperations. I can see why many people wanted to take advantage of her because she was an easy target for them. I liked how it showed the sides of murder motives and how people can be insane. The law system can be filled with corrupt people blinded by their own need for justice, but there are people who do seek justice without any prejudice, which is deeply needed in this world. I also adored the ending and how it tied to the opening scenes because I will always eat that up. <3Was this review helpful to you?
Wow! Major plot twist and has your mind spinning
I rarely write reviews. This series is one of the best Thai BL. I binged it. It's BL but it doesn't show much. More story driven. The ending was insane. I was like omg what. I was BAWLING, had tears streaming down my face lol. It was a GREAT ending though, not a sad one. It was just the plot twist that got me. You'll have to watch to understand. Alan thought that Nate was imaginary cause the others was like who is that. But at the end, he shows up and says finally, been waiting. So I'm assuming Alan, Nate, and Win were childhood friends?I'm very picky with my BLs now. Hard to please since they are making sooo many now lol. So I really pay attention.
I definitely recommend this one.
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