Reviews

I was really enjoying Phantom Lawyer (2026) for what it was trying to do. Up until episode 10, it was a solid 8/10—engaging cases, decent pacing, and characters that actually kept me invested.

But episode 11 (released on 17 April 2026) completely changed things for me.

This case wasn’t just disappointing—it was frustrating because of how badly it tried to whitewash everything. The show bends over backwards to make a criminal look sympathetic, just because she’s old now.

What the “granny” did in her youth wasn’t some small mistake. It was straight-up manipulative and cruel—basically SFL-level evil tactics. She destroyed another woman’s life to get the man she wanted, even going as far as killing the real female lead of that story. That’s not something you soften with regret 40 years later.

And the way the show tries to justify it is honestly ridiculous.

“Police got me before your letter, so you’re not the one who sold me out”—like… what?
That doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t undo what she intended to do. The crime is still the crime.

Then comes the so-called “redemption.”

She offers 33% of the company like it’s some grand gesture—but that share was already rightfully the victim’s. She’s not doing something generous, she’s just partially correcting her own wrongdoing.

And even that makes no sense.
Who just gives away 33% of a company like it’s a pamphlet?

What about 40 years of dividends from those shares?
What about the life that was stolen?
What about the moral theft of living someone else’s place, their relationship, their future?

The ending just turns into pure sugarcoated fairytale nonsense where everything is wrapped up neatly, and the weight of the crime just disappears.

And the male lead being sympathetic to everyone? That made it worse. You can’t expect the audience to feel the same for the victim and the person who caused all the suffering. That kind of forced moral balance just doesn’t work here.

Because of all this, I had to cut 3 points straight.
My final rating dropped to 5/10.

It’s disappointing, because the show had potential—but in the end, it chose fantasy over accountability.

Read More

A drama with the greatest love story and most shocking plot twists

I am the type of viewer who doesn't like to watch fantasy dramas. But this drama has completely changed my mind. I decided to give it a chance after seeing the high-profile cast, and it didn't disappoint. I witnessed the greatest love story of C-dramaland and the most shocking plot twists. This drama shows plot twists every minute. No episode felt boring to me. The cast, acting, visuals, ost, and everything else are 100/10. Every side character is very important to the plot, and each has a beautiful life story. Not a single character is unnecessary, and you will understand it in the final episode. When they appeared together in the final episode, it gave Avengers vibes, but in the Chinese version, I got chills. It deserves awards from every year-end award show, and I'm not kidding. The love story of Ji Ling and Lu Wuyi is so heart-wrenching that it makes one cry in every episode. They have left a deep impression on my mind. It is like one of those stories that can inspire writers to write poetry, love songs, and novels.

Read More

*flings imaginary papers into the air* I give up

This is a rant.

Often, even when I drop a show, I usually have something nice/decent to say about it. With this one, idk. Maybe there will be some good buried in here somewhere underneath all the things that frustrated and left me wanting

The Characters

🧚🏻He Si Mu - I found her boring, indecisive, and one-dimensional. She is so obsessed with humans, and for what exactly? The fact that they get to suffer through life and die? Or does she want the life of a noblewoman? To spend all her life pampered but sheltered, only to be married off for some familial/political/business purpose n live in the shadow of a man? Forgive me, but the thought of an all-powerful ghost supreme lamenting that she's not a human is annoying AF to me

🏮She is bored with her long 400-year life, and I feel like this is her fault. Honestly, I feel like an immortal who gets bored with their existence is at fault for the mundanity that is their life. Maybe this is me applying my 2026 brain to some (fictional) historical world, but.....
Do you know how vast the world is? The multitudes you can encounter if you manage to leave your backyard? She leaves the spirit world to go to areas that are essentially her backyard. Of course you're bored, babe. Humanity changes, but not that drastically. You can 'whoosh' yourself to literally anywhere, leave your people, and go elsewhere. See if you're bored then

🏮Her indecisiveness with Duan Xu is also off-putting. You want love, but also don't want it. She kept changing her mind on how close she wanted this mortal man, which gave me fucking whiplash. The entire plot, at least till where I reached, is a fucking push and pull. 2 steps forward, 15 steps back. Ma'am, I'm tired. Make a choice so we can move on. Let him go or pick him, and let both of you protect each other and your love for one another

🏮One-dimensional - I thought that perhaps her love with Duan Xu would change her or something. make her care. sure she smiles more and is carefree when with him. I liked that bit, but all other areas of her life remain the same. She is bored with her job and the supreme, bored with her subordinates, bored during the fight that comes about every 100 years, bored when people try to assassinate her, and sad that she isn't human and can never die.
Girl.... I'm bored too. Give me something to work with! I wanted to see her get mad for once and act on it. Let her go crazy or something. Let me see another side of you, other than detached boredom and perpetual annoyance at your subordinates and their scheming.

They could have made her so interesting, but this is what they chose to give us... UGH!

🤺Duan Xu - I actually liked the fact that he was a golden retriever puppy around her. It gave a good contrast, giving me that grumpy-sunshine trope that I adore (especially if the grumpy character is the woman). However, I was let down by the fact that he doesn't fight much. I remember how impressed I was back in ep 10 when he infiltrated the enemy camp, threw everything into chaos, and killed their general.

I was like 'yes!!! The puppy finally shows that he is, in fact, a mad dog underneath it all.' It gave such a wonderful layer to who we'd seen him as by that point. Unfortunately, we don't see that side of him again. The man was a trained assassin since he was a preteen to his late teens, and we just get to see him walking around holding the hilt of his sword for the majority of the plot.

He is relegated to a love-sick puppy constantly chasing a woman who wants him, but won't claim him, and having petty (but sometimes hilarious) jealous spats with Yan Ke and any other man (un)fortunate to get close to si mu. Yan Ke was right in calling him a love-lorn husband. An absolute waste of a character

Yan Ke - What a boring villain. There is nothing as unimaginative as a man whose sole purpose is to possess a woman who doesn't even want him. All-powerful and all he wants is to have the more powerful being to be submissive to and stare googly-eyed at him as they share tea. I dislike him on principle alone

Jiang Ai - I did actually like her at first, but the fact that her weakness was not money as I initially thought it'd be, but love (love+hate? ) for a man who was basically Yan Ke version 1.0 is disappointing to me

The Cinematography, The Set, The CGI, The Makeup

🎥The cinematography & Lighting - Lord, is it bad. It gives bland and old. I remember leaving a note after I completed ep 1 and stating in part, 'The colour palette for all of episode 1 was grey, black, and white with some touches of red, blue, and yellow. It's giving depresso' (Ha! I'm funny.) The world, especially in the 1st arc, feels cold

The cinematography in this is flat and doesn't evoke any emotion. Unlike my experience with POJ, I never once felt like I was a part of this world. I was always a spectator. The look of this show doesn't make you look forward to watching it.

Aside from 'Pursuit of Jade', another example of a show that makes you want to look at it is 'Veil of Shadows'. I couldn't tell you what's going on with the plot (apparently, you need to understand a decent amount of some specific Chinese mythology to understand the story), but it's quite pretty to look at. VoS gives 'feed of a beauty and lifestyle content creator with a very powerful camera'. Compared to those two stories, this one is just...meh

🏠The set - It's fine when we're in the mortal world, but when we move to the spirit realm..., by God is it horrendous. Let's take He Si Mu's throne room as an example. It looks like something I'd expect to see in a show that aired in perhaps the mid 2000s to the early 2010s. Her throne itself looked like it was made of plastic that got coated in bad gold spray paint... why? Also, the big eye that was in the streets of that world... It's just big and plastic-looking. I just... they really didn't care about this, did they?

💄And can we talk about how the people in hair and makeup couldn't be arsed to make the actresses' natural hair colour match the wig? All through the 1st half i couldn't get over the fact that her hair had brown tones in it and the wig was jet black... how in the entirety of hell was that missed?
Can someone tell me why the supreme leader of the ghosts sometimes had the same complexion as people who were quite literally alive? It made sense when she was paler than those around her, but when they were all the same shade... girl, lemme go laugh.

Storytelling & Worldbuilding

Considering what the story gives us (as per ep 28), I can for sure say that this story did not deserve a 40-episode count. The plot, romantic, political, or otherwise, doesn't have a lot of figurative meat on its bones to justify this length. We spend most of the episodes watching the characters not do much to further the overall plot. They are kinda just going through the motions.

The world-building is also rather weak. A lot of things are left untold/unshown. Some examples
a. Duan Xu's sword - We are told that a man gave it to him. Who was he? How long had he been carrying it? How did he manage to hide this sword that so many wanted? And what did he see in Duan Xu that made him hand it to him

b. The eye in the spirit world - What did it do? What was its purpose? Aesthetics?

c. The obsessions - We are told that if an obsession is powerful enough, a human will turn into a spirit upon their death. Once this happens, they only die if a more powerful spirit offs them or they ultimately and willingly let go of their obsession to ascend.
Now, Duan Xu was in love with He Si Mu to the point of obsession (if his 'dreams' in that prison were anything to go on). So if he was that obsessed, why not love each other till he dies a natural death (you know, unless something bad happens on the battlefield and she cannot for some reason save him), and he can then live as a spirit with her instead of the never-ending back and forth?

d. Why was there a curfew at night in the spirit world? Was it better for them to go scream and wail in their houses than do it all up in the streets?

All in all, this story dragged with more filler than plot or answers, very mid cinematography and lighting, and bland characters. If you love the actors in this, perhaps it'd be best if you went and found some of their other works coz, this ain't it.

Read More

It was everything I wanted it to be!

I loved how different each arc of this series has been.
Ter and North felt more playful, and then Phoon’s arc veered into emotional darkness, and now we get the paranormal side from Arthit and Dao, and yet the entire series still feels like a whole because of these great actors portraying those roles.

Just like I felt with the novel, I didn’t enjoy Arthit that much for a good third of the way, but then when the charm started, oh, I loved his character and how he loved Dao out in the open with no reservations. And it was the same for the tv show. They played so close to the novel, that it made me wish there was more episodes because there was so much left out (understandably) but what we got was brilliantly acted by our leading men!

The actor who played Direk was the absolute right person to play that role, he’s always my favorite Thai father in every show he’s been in.

The show excelled in every area, with each character contributing significantly, and I will miss both groups of young men. Ahhhh, what a fantastic show, I already feel lost knowing there’s no new episode from our favorite Four Ever You gang. It’s definitely a rewatch drama for all those heart fluttery feelings!

Read More

Veil of Shadows is the child of Fangs of Fortune and Till the End of the Moon

First of all, I want to say that of you are triggered by loneliness, abandonment, death and related, please watch at your own pace and have someone to console you. This drama has such strong acting and story, that it might affect you.
That said, this is why my title is what it is. This is the similarity (along with time travel and changing the fate) to Till the End of the Moon. The similarities to Fangs of Fortune are obvious - Mr. Director, half of the FoF cast, the camera work and angles, the noir mood and the amazing soundtrack.
Story. I'll start with what I disliked - the first six episodes are. Chaotic. They didn't quite pull me in storywise, only acting wise. We are literally thrown into the middle of the story, no introduction to the main goal or past, that all is unraveled later. In my opinion, eps 7 and 8 should've been first, then eps 1-6 as a retrospective and then the programme should've continued as scheduled. Otherwise, really good story, although I was kinda lost during the time returns but that cleared up. I'm not going to describe any further of the story, as it would reveal some spoilers.
Cast. The cast of FoF had great chemistry and they proved it yet again (that's probably why the director chose them again) with the addition of Joseph Zeng and Ju Jingyi. I really like Ju Jingyi as a seductress, it fits her so much more than tomboy princesses. I especially love Yanan in his multiple characters, he really brings out every one. The multiple characters per actor are what makes this drama special. Every actor who has two or more characters here does an amazing job in giving something special to every character.
OST. The perk of having actors who used to be or are idols or singers is that they create a special soundtrack with its own soul. This one really hits different, it is quite similar to FoF soundtrack. I really like the songs.
Rewatch value. Personally, I don't think I'll rewatch this, because as I wrote in the beginning, this drama has a very strong emotion and while it is brought out exceptionally well, one can handle only so much. But if you are a fan of this, I think it's worth it.
Overall, a very solid 9 out of 10, I'm sure that I'll be satisfied with the ending (if not, you'll find an edit to add under here).

Read More

Uninteresting characters in a very dull and slow story

I was waiting for something to happen but the show went on as slow as a snail with literally nothing going on.

Just two one-dimention characters going on with Their lives, and that life is very boring.
Maybe if you like very slow and simple stories that has nothing going on you may like it, but I couldn't even like the characters so I was bored to death.

It doesn't even matter if this was BL or not, the story itself is telling us nothing and that's why I was very disappointed.

I wouldn't recommend it at all, there are many other simple stories with more interesting characters than this one ~~

Read More

First Thai BL and now I'm hooked

So I started watching because I knew Winnie and Min who competed on Boys Planet were in this. They had such minor roles but man! The rest of the cast and characters got me.

My only major complaint is the storytelling and the order they showed it was confusing, especially when you're not familiar with the characters or actors. I think it took me until episode like 5 to realize the guys in the traditional Chinese outfits and the guys sitting at the table with the cute hair/PJs were the writers/characters in the show. I had to rewatch the first few episodes to grasp that the traditional outfits = the story they're writing, them sitting around the table in PJs = the writers group chat.

There was also the weird thing where the 2 chinese actors said random lines in chinese but then never did it again later on in the show.

But overall I did enjoy the show. The pairings were cute and worked well together. The intimate scenes were STEAMY, I don't know how the actors play that off and then still be able to look each other in the eye the next day. But yeah, I did ultimately enjoy the show in the end.

Read More

My opinion on the drama

I have been a fan of cdrama for many years now and I’ve seen my share of series. This drama is one of the best of all I’ve seen. it is very easy to watch, i binge watched many episodes and it felt like i only watched three eps. It had everything you would want in a drama: good plot, good actor/actress, well written characters, comedy, touching romance, good friendships, and so many tropes well done( i really liked the plot twists in the later episodes of the drama..).
The miscommunication not only didn’t frustrate me but i really enjoyed it as the angst was so good ( the yearning was crazy work…) and the divorce era was not very dragged. And i like how they prefer to live and die together rather than one of them secretly sacrificing themselves and leaving their significant other behind. ( this is NOT a spoiler)
The ost was the very cherry on top, i love minghao's voice smmm!!
Overall, it was a drama that went way beyond my expectations, I’m so glad i watched this.
It is definitely not overrated and deserves its praises.

Read More

She marries to please her mother and get benefits at work. It's a sham marriage, they break up immediately, and he disappears for three months, after which she finds him as an intern at the company where she works. It turns out he's the illegitimate son of the company's boss.
After discovering that he hid his acquaintance with her mother, who had fostered him for years, upon her mother's death, she angrily sends him away. He returns some time later accompanied by another woman, and she acts jealous. It turns out she's his stepsister, and they get back together.
The writer friend is dating her ex-boss, the other pregnant friend is on and off with her partner.
Plot, acting and OST, nothing special.

Read More

Rite of passage: an adult woman becomes a real adult.

"The Crush"
(Yes, you will hate the sound. After a few tries I found the endless piano playing version was the least tiring).
(Also: This review is based on a heartfelt recommendation I gave to a fellow cdrama-fan in youtube comments, it does not include a synopsis of the story).

The theme is about an age-gap relationship (FM much older than ML) and it focuses on the characters' journey, shining a very humanistic light especially over the FL's inner conflict and her growth.

Maybe you could sum it up as "an adult woman becomes a real adult", because it is actually a rite of passage to real independence.
It is also an unfolding of the FL's understanding of the what really being in love means (the difference between love and eros).

The artistic means are as simple as they can be, which is a plus from my POV for any work of art.

I initially stopped watching it during the first scene, annoyed,I guess because the sound was so bad; but there was something interesting in that first scene, so after a while (a few days) I sat down and watched it. And so glad I did.

When it finished I had this sense of tranquility and fulfillment that you get as a teen when you have just finished a good book. Serenity and wisdom gained. A wider view on things.

In all creative aspects (minus the sound) it is more like a film in small chapters than a drama. Nothing fake or forced, no lack of connectivity of parts (not referring only to the story parts, but to all elements of which it is composed). Flowing storytelling with nothing boring or distracting. Well balanced. Meaningful.
(It was also really refreshing that FL and ML were normal working class folks, with bills to pay, it is becoming a rarity lately!).

Many thanks to the people who worked hard to make this drama, hope you enjoyed its making and that you will have the strength to continue making beautiful works of art!

Read More

WRONG in nearly everything, but the actors are great and it is not boring

The details are in a reply comment with a spoilers tag.

The good things are the issue of disability is covered, however faulty, and that the leads are not hardcore straights that all of the sudden become gay, it is better than that.

A PSA: if possible, avoid running both as a recreational/cardio exercise and a sport. The issue is that even if with the most advanced footwear this activity irreversibly destroys your spine and knees. Health scientists did not find any benefits of it in comparison to other activities that do not cause this much harm. The issue is that evolutionary humans are long distance walkers and, rarely, short distance runners, but never long distance runners, hence the body is not accommodated for the latter at all, so it always ends up being destructive.

ANOTHER PSA: never become a couple before trying intimate fun because it can completely and fundamentally destroy all prospects of your relationship no matter how much the purely platonic/romantic part goes. You absolutely need to establish that you are compatible first.

Read More

The Usual Stone Cold ML melted down by the Cutesy FL

Sima Jiao is the last of his clan, with blood so precious it is coveted by cultivators all over the realm for being potent for cultivation and healing. But also because of this, Sima Jiao is held prisoner by the 8 Palaces upon the annihilation of his clan 500 years ago when he was just a little kid. As he is on the verge of breaking free from his prison, a Liao Tingyan is sent together with 99 other palace disciples in the name of serving him but in reality each carries a mission of either killing Sima Jiao or mating with him to bear his descendant. The demon cultivator Liao Tingyan did not even remember her own mission because she is actually a modern soul that had transmigrated into the ancient realm just before she was sent to Sima Jiao. The initial suspicion of Sima Jiao towards Liao Tingyan turned into curiosity as the latter keeps refusing to kill the former despite so many chances he gave her. And so, when he finally broke through his seal placed by the 8 Palaces, he decisively brought Liao Tingyan with him in order to further investigate the origin of her mission and figuring out how to topple 8 Palaces altogether. And of course, after going through life and death, both fell in love with each other.

Cant help but notice how much of a trope this show turned out to be. It is the third work of Wang Yinglu’s that I saw, also third of Arthur’s, and sadly I could not finish it. Honestly I totally love her as Feng Baobao in I Am Nobody, and I adore him as Ning Que and Duan Xu, but no amount of adoration I have for both actors could make me finish this.

Liao Tingyan, the body that FL transmigrated into in this title, had been fun to watch in the first 10 episodes as she tries to adapt to the new foreign world, but she grows annoying as she started to fall for ML, and went full on acting baby-ish and cutesy when the ML reciprocrated. I especially couldnt stand how the FL was written to be too naiive, dim-witted and not too bright to read the room, this on top of being a damsel-in-distress just turned me off completely.

Support characters also lack depth and background that I failed to feel any connection with them. The Snake guy, Ruling, Yuan Che - all fell short. Basically they were not impressive - the absolute fillers to the plot. I wish I could push on to the finish line, but as FL’s voice becoming more and more whiny as the episode progresses, I realized I just could not stand her anymore.

As for romance, the kissing scenes were somewhat sweet in the beginning, but when the writer decided to blast scene after scene of their hands and lips all over each other, even while suffering from flesh injuries, honestly they just grew intolerably boring and much too sappy for my liking. I lost count how many times I fast forwarded with rolled eyes. I also realized this show had a tremendous amount of scenes of the main characters in bed, either making out, comforting the injured half, or merely conversing, but the number definitely surpass any other shows that I’ve seen in just the last 5 episodes I saw. Look, I get that in this world, your soul partner could heal you by entering your consciousness, but whats up with the overzealous kissing and feeling each other up while doing the healing, complete with the injured losing all their clothes in the process (but funnily the healer did not)? Was the screenwriter insinuating that they shagged? How did they shag if they were inside the soul manor thing? The dorkiest one would be when Sima Jiao was ‘gravely injured’ and Tingyan was supposed to have performed the soul manor healing thing, then Jiao was awake and pulled Tingyan back while Tingyan plead, “I can’t take it anymore!” Is that a hint that theyre doing it while dual cultivating or something? Oh lord, make it make sense. 🙄 The amount of such scenes made me feel like I was watching amature soft porn skit instead of the usual romance/xianxia kind of show. Not sure if they had this in the novel or the adaptation amped up such scenes just for the fans.

The amount of precious Sima blood being spilled was also overbearingly ridiculous. For a 500yo grandmaster, it is funny how Simu Jiao’s power keeps getting toned down with each battle, rendering him gravely injured each time (but still strong enough to keep saving FL and make out with her every chance he get). He basically has the supreme blood and powers compared to the rest of cultivators who were mostly born after his imprisonment except for 3 palace heads, and yet he keeps narrowly escape their siege with serious injuries that left him incapacitated for days after each confrontation (read: more making out when Tingyan performed the soul manor healing on him 🙄😒). This character just doesnt exude supremacy at all.

I love Arthur as an actor, and boy I keep seeing the innocent Feng Baobao which I adore so much when I saw Liao Tingyan, but this plot is a strain to my eyes as I keep rolling them episode after episode. Not only was the romance too overbearing and looked cheap, the action choreograph also failed to garner any wows from me. I guess I’ll just move on now.

Read More

Once again, strongberry shows that a good love story doesn't need hours of runtime nor a high budget, if you have a clear vision of what story you want to tell.

Here, the story is very simple: Young man has a crush, gets enormously flustered when said crush flirts with him, they meet again and try anew. Add a light splash of secret identity, and indirect kisses, and you have a strong base for a good short film. I liked the piano pieces and the old-fashioned crooned song at the end, the perfomrance of both actors was solid -- only the change between scenes was too hard and distracted from the overall soft vibe.

If you have eight minutes, then do go and watch it.

Read More

The best talented actor xu kai.

“800 Meters” showcases Xu Kai in one of his most grounded and emotionally resonant performances to date. Departing from his usual historical and fantasy roles, this drama leans into realism, offering a refreshing perspective on perseverance, youth, and inner struggle.
Xu Kai delivers a nuanced portrayal of a character caught between expectation and self-doubt. His acting feels natural and restrained, allowing subtle expressions and body language to carry much of the emotional weight. Rather than relying on dramatic exaggeration, he builds his character gradually, making the audience genuinely invested in his journey.
The story itself revolves around more than just a physical race—it becomes a metaphor for life’s pressures and personal growth. The pacing is steady, giving enough room for character development without feeling dragged. Supporting characters add depth to the narrative, each contributing to the protagonist’s transformation in meaningful ways.
Visually, the drama maintains a clean and realistic aesthetic. The cinematography captures both the intensity of competition and the quiet moments of reflection, balancing tension and calm effectively. The soundtrack complements the story well, enhancing emotional scenes without overpowering them.
What makes “800 Meters” stand out is its simplicity. It doesn’t try to be overly complicated or sensational. Instead, it focuses on relatable themes: determination, failure, and the courage to keep going. This grounded approach makes the drama feel authentic and impactful.
Overall, “800 Meters” is a compelling watch, especially for those who appreciate character-driven storytelling. Xu Kai proves his versatility as an actor, delivering a performance that is both sincere and memorable.
Very² emotional drama, bestt

Read More