Reviews

Peak

First Season is the best one.
I love love love the story! They did change little things from the webtoon but I would say it was SPOT ON. Before watching this I absolutely didn’t like thrillers or horror, but, after watching I’ve come to enjoy thrillers. Not so much horror because I ain’t doing all of that. Anywho, I just really like how all the main monster all had different personality’s, even the main characters in the show having their own little story time! Season two was kinda iffy for me because I lowkey thought it was boring in some way but it did have so comedic relief and I LOOOVVEEE that! season 3 has a lot happening but it honestly so cool.

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ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.

When I first noticed the drama I was sure that I would not like it, but, oh boy, I truly loved it that I savored it in two days.

It was absolutely stunning.

It's not a common thing to find a Chinese drama that has such a strong plotline — the themes that the show presented are deep and happens every day to a lot of girls. Sexual harrasing at work, at home, by family and friends and, yet, only a few times justice found its target. Luckily, that show did not disappoint.

The ML was such a green flag that I could not help but feel giddy throughout the show and the chemistry between these two was unbelievable. Hands up to the actress presenting the FL for showing the despair and the agony of her past.

It is absolutely worth watching, yet, I would not re-watch it a second time. That kind of drama is best when watching for the first time.

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Utopia of Love

Can love last forever, or is that just an illusion or a utopia? This beautiful movie is an ode to love, presented in an artistic and rich way, offering plenty of details that each enrich the topic of love. In our time, it has become almost a rule that marriages don’t last or don’t work as intended, and each failed relationship seems to influence others to fail as well. In that environment, is it still realistic to believe in love?

I really liked the topic of the movie and how it was explored — with no definitive message, but instead open to personal reflection and conclusion. I also appreciate the style of the movie, which is a little unusual yet very artistic, while still remaining mainstream and entertaining. The filmmakers made the movie special without making it too weird. But most of all, I liked the characters. They had a special aura about them, especially the female lead, Mi-jeong. She is so naturally beautiful, without any need for makeup — something that has sadly become the standard for women today.

This movie is slow and graceful, just like a pavane (a piece of music and a dance), and it feels like a ray of light, inspiring viewers to take a leap of love — honestly and naturally. There is eternal Love above us all.

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Great Start but Fell Flat

I went into this drama not knowing what the plot was but quickly found myself binging episode after episode. However, at some point (and as with many Chinese dramas), I started to feel it drag - unfortunately, I didn't really pay attention to which episode I really started feeling this, but I mostly had it playing on in the background while I did other things.

By the latter part of the drama, I was jumping around in the episodes, mostly skipping the parts related to their work. I'm certain there was a reason for all of this to be part of the plot, but it didn't catch my attention at all and I thought it could have been condensed significantly.

Aside from the main characters (+ FL extended family and coworkers), most of the side characters were pretty unlikeable and, by the end, pretty much irrelevant. Also, I do love a time-skip but it was a bit wild that they suddenly had multiple time-skips in the last episode. I thought things could have been cut out in earlier parts to perhaps spread this out a bit into two episodes. Anyway, by then, I was already watching the drama at 3x speed and just trying to complete it.

I'd be curious how the storyline compares to the book it is based off of. Song Weilong is always nice to look at on the screen, but in the end, the drama felt somewhat disappointing / lackluster.

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A Slow Pois0n You Can’t Resist

After watching Episode 8: first word- brilliant. This is the kind of drama where the research and authenticity are top-level; you can clearly feel the realism and the characters’ intellect, and it naturally grabs your attention. It’s a slow-burn poison, where things move carefully and deliberately. I’m loving the direction and performances, they’re truly fantastic.

The music is also very uniquely scored; it has its own identity compared to others. It deals with a wide range of emotions. Till now, for the most part, we’ve gone through struggles, harshness, and hardships, but even within that, there’s humor that prevents the drama from tipping into depression. That’s the genius of the maker.

I love how they don’t want it to be just sad and heavy, but rather about growth and resilience. So I’m enjoying it to the fullest and really loving the dynamics that have been established. I can’t wait to see how Ji Feng begins his work, the steps he takes to make it impactful and real, and how Xi Mi Yu will play a larger role in this.

Just one complaint, why only two episodes a day? It’s killing me. Joker’s part, I’ll write my other thoughts later. Till then, happy watching.

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So this is my review after watching this. So many people might say, " DON'T WATCH IT, IT IS SOOOOOO BAD But it really isn't. I love the story as a whole, and I also love how Uea and King seemed like a mother and father to Jade. They also kept checking in on him when they noticed he was feeling sad and distant. At the start of the series, I thought of how loud Jade is. Then I realised that he is so loud to cover up his insecurities, it's like a perfect mask that he has made himself because he has seen how no one really loves him more than a platonic way, and also from when he got rejected and "hurt" by his EX. I also didn't really like Gus, as he really made it seem that he liked Mai, which almost ruined his relationship and Mai's. Maybe he did it to make Tong jealous. I don't really know, but overall, the story is really good; it makes you laugh, and it also makes you feel sad. It might be cringy for some, but it is a sweet kind of cringy, not one that makes you wonder what the actors are really doing, one that makes you have a warm heart if you get what I mean.

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Sweet dreams are made of cringe

This drama has a lot to offer to the rom com lover, with a whole palette of male leads, friendships, work life blance, comics and what not. But there was just to much cringe, secound hand emberresment and bad acting/directing from the all but the male lead that I just could not rate this higher. Even though the Seos (Kang Joon and In Guk) s presence and characters could easiely be rated with a 10, they were just not enough to save this cringefest.

Jisoo, Love, sorry to say this she can not cry on screen, the way they let a top singer IRL sing badly in karaoke was just mean and so were about 90% of her mimics.

Other than that it was a fun watch, just mind the bad acting, embarrassment and cringe and you will be fine.

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Manual to Greatness used as toilet paper #LameWriting (though everything else worked perfectly)

Yet again, another Korean writer who did not fail to disappoint me with painfully weak writing. The overall sketch of the story was so captivating that it could have been an easy 10/10 banger. Instead, like many promising plots before it, this one got sacrificed to the writers’ strange obsession with a two-cents-worth stalker who somehow gets treated like a national-level threat yet arrested after 10 attempts.Honestly, it was tiring to watch the characters waste hours chasing this bargain-bin villain as if he were some multiverse mastermind.
And then comes the female lead. Possibly one of the most clueless heroines to grace the screen. She keeps walking straight into this stalker again and again. At some point you start wondering whether she secretly enjoys these encounters. If she is that fascinated with the stalker, maybe the writers should have just paired them together and saved everyone the trouble. And What makes it more frustrating is that she literally possesses a manual to greatness 'the-holy-book-of-spells' , yet.. still.. ends up getting slapped around by the vamp cause apparantly love and beauty spells are useless in this situation. She didn't use a single useful spell out that book .. oh sorry she did i think the one that saved the ML ..but no he had to die to over come his curse so that one attempt also goes to bin.
Thank goodness she was never entrusted with something like a death note. She might have turned it into a gratitude journal and ll writing daily affirmations for the villain. Damn it !
Now, credit where it is due. The cast was genuinely one of the best parts of this drama. Rowoon and Bo-ah did a solid job, and their chemistry carried many scenes that the script itself struggled to support. Even with an annoying role, Bo-ah’s charm managed to shine through. The side cast also added depth and personality, making the world feel more alive than the plot deserved. So, Majority stars in my rating goes to this lovely effort put together by the great cast of this drama.

The background music and OST were absolute bangers. The kind that linger in your head long after the episode ends.
The ending was satisfying as well. Not perfect, but decent enough to close the curtain without throwing tomatoes at the screen.
So yes, it was a good drama…
if you can simply fast-forward through the endless “catch-me-if-you-can” circus starring the stalker. This one is absolutely a must-watch for you.

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AMAZING CHEMISTRY

They are by far one of my fav pairings. they have sm chemistry it's insane and they NEED another main role that isn't only 8 eps. If y'all want to see a veteran pair at work watch them because ive never seen so much chemistry from a couple EVER. I dont usually write reviews unless a show is really good. If y'all liked Johan norths story I think y'all will like them. I think the only part that's kinda cringe for me is the English from the dad because im just like why cant they cast someone who speaks English? like I get why ngernoat (arthitdao) would still be cast even if their English isn't the best because they're the main lead, but for the dad, there were a lot of parts I couldn't understand which I was very confused about. I just think it doesn't make sense to have a storyline based entirely on being able to speak English because one of the dads is American but not being able to speak it. This is not hate it's just confusing for me especially because I feel like there are a lot of actors who can speak English that can play the role of a dad.

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A match I wish never made...

A drama with potential buried under confusion and repetition. ( Line taken from a very interesting review i just read ) 🤫
Well !! I finished it out of habit, not enjoyment, and walked away remembering the frustration more than the story. Like literally ~~~it was one hell of a struggle to understand the way this drama was written. For me, it felt like a failed attempt on several fronts.
1. The plot is packed with errors, making it hard to follow the events. The biggest confusion revolves around the people supposedly killed eight years ago. The list keeps growing with every few episodes. By the end, I was still unsure who actually died and what exactly happened. No .. this is not suspense. It's a good damn narrative fog.
2. The casting was a serious problem. Too many characters looked alike, and the production made almost no effort to distinguish them. Similar faces, similar styling, similar presence. At times it felt like watching different versions of the same person walking in and out of scenes. Keeping track of identities became an unnecessary side quest.
3. The Kardashian sisters' storyline dragged far longer than it should have. I expected more matchmaking cases and more inventive scenarios. Instead, their marriage troubles dominated the screen time. The repetition made the plot feel stuck in one place, circling the same issue without moving forward.
4. The lead characters came across as superficial. Their personalities lacked emotional weight, and their struggles failed to leave a lasting impact at least on me don't know about others . More importantly, the chemistry between them felt weak. Their interactions looked forced rather than natural, which made it difficult to invest in their relationship.
5. The male lead, in particular, became increasingly irritating. I understand the intention behind portraying him as emotionally restrained and socially awkward. But his constant nagging tone continued until the very end, turning what could have been a character trait into a persistent annoyance.
6. The music barely registered. Nothing stood out, nothing lingered, and nothing added energy to the scenes. For a drama that already felt exhausting, the absence of memorable sound only made the experience feel flatter.
Overall, the drama had a promising premise, but weak execution, confusing storytelling, and uneven pacing made it more frustrating than engaging.

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Amazing Drama!

I love this show so much, this is probably my third time rewatching but my first time posting a review on it. This drama got everything you would need, romance, comedy, a bit of scares, and a bittersweet ending. Be prepared to cry during the last couple of episodes.

Story :
The story talks about a girl/spirit, Jang Manwol, she got tied down to this magical tree and became the owner of a hotel for the dead. As time went on, the hotel developed and eventually comes Goo Chan-sung, a Harvard graduate and becomes the manager of the hotel, helping Man wol with work while allowing her to grow and let go of her hatred and learn to love. This story is so sweet, I love the romance between chan sung and man wol, though it is a bit weird that a relationship between a ghost/spirt and a human formed but the producers did not make it feel weird or different.

Music :
The songs were pretty good. Not much to say about them but they definitely sound very calming. The soundtrack was also really good, certain parts had certain feels to them. The costume design was phenomenal!!! I love every piece that Jang Man Wol wears, it really speaks classy and chic and girl boss.

Acting:
The main lead acting was soooo good. I wouldn't put it past IU because she is a queen in the acting industry and she slays every role. The actor who played Chan sung was also really good, he embodied his role really well. I love the supporting cast as well, especially the guy who makes the drinks. He was really funny. I love the different deities/versions of Mago, they really made the show entertaining. I really think the casting person did a really great job! I also like how the second leads, specifically Lee Mi Ra, she didnt hang on to Chan sung a lot and eventually moved on, which allowed for the plot to move a lot smoother without unnecessary plot holes or annoyances.

Ending:
The ending was nice and where I definitely cried the most, so prepare them tissues lol. I love how the director and producers made sure every character had a happy ending and were able to let go of their grudges and move on. It's very rare to see, I also love how we get to see everyone again at the end doing thei rown things and enjoying a new life reincarnated. Also, the way each person who worked at the hotel was sent off really tied everything together.

Absolutely loved this drama! So worth the watch.

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Just like the first season it got better with the second couple

So this series seems to have a pattern where the second couple is more interesting than the first one. There is nothing wrong with Phoon and Fah, but Dao and Arthit had more of an interesting dynamic.

What I did like about the first pair was Phoon getting a close knit group of friends around him that will defend him to the very end (as we saw with North). Generally the story of him getting to stand up against his abusive father and finding his mother were also really nice to follow.

I do find the dynamic between him and Fah bit creepy, mainly bc of the aspect that Fah used to view him more as a brother type of figure which then shifts to a romantic interest. Sure this can happen in real life when ppl know each other from longer period. Just something about the dynamic feels bit unbalanced in a way, where I feel Phoon would be willing to do almost anything bc he admires Fah so much, even if he would not be personally comfortable with some of the things Fah wants to do. But they get their happy ending, Fah obviously yes is eager, but adores Phoon and Phoon got out of "little brother" zone into being a proper boyfriend with the guy he loves.

Now about Dao and Arthit. Did this dynamic have it's issues? Yes there were some very questionable line crossing. I get it, Arthit aside from Johan (who is a complete simp now that he has North) is meant to be the second edgier character and I'd say he is the most "imperfect" character of the series. Dao has his own past issues to deal with, and still somehow two of them make a really deep connection during the first episodes. What maybe bothered me, especially after they shared such a significant moment, trying to contact Tith's mother's spirit is the part when Arthit starts to court Dao. Despite the fact that Arthit knew the crap Dao's ex made him go trough, he still resulted into pressuring tactics in gaining Dao's affection. Dao does put him into his place at times, but still some of the stuff did leave me wondering that is Dao going along with it, bc he genuinely is catching feelings or bc of the pressure Arthit puts on him and emotionally he doesn't have the capacity to properly just put a stop to it. Despite the courting process being questionable, I do feel this was in one way the most rewarding couple to see getting to the end.

I am calling the trailers for Dao and Arthit false advertising unless we get a special EP later! The studio trailer made these two to be the most spiciest couple to be expected and we only got one scene in the last ep 16 for them. Yes the scene was definitely more than what we have seen from the other couples, but everything else was the same fluffy stuff we saw from other couples once they decided to become boyfriends. This would have been fine, unless I had the original trailer as a base material for the expectations.

For me this is still a 7/10 series, but if you like university romance with long character development archs this isn't a bad choice.

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