Reviews

Steamy start but FL didn't put much effort in her relationship with ML & the kids

I got to know this drama from my reddit friend the week of Halloween. The last time I watched short dramas that feature a mermaid / merman was back in May so I was excited. Unfortunately I had mixed feelings about this drama.

What I liked:
1. Fantasy - I enjoyed the fantasy elements like the appearance of ML's scales, tail and gills.
2. Kisses - Good kissing scenes. That opening scene was hot.
3. Styling - I liked the matching outfits they wore - the black business casual when ML showed dowry for FL and the white casual outfits when ML offered shoulder massage.
4. Supporting characters - I liked the twins. They always planned dates for their parents. I also liked ML's butler / subordinate.
5. Styling - I liked the merman outfit + VFX for merman scenes. I also liked FL's businesswear.

What I disliked:
1. Romance - They didn't spend a lot of time together and they always bickered & had misunderstandings. I felt FL didn't make much effort in their marriage.
2. FL characterisation - She was too focused on her career and her stepmother - I found her unlikeable.
3. Antagonists - SML was interested in the study of mermaids. I hated him for abducting the kids to lure ML.

Favourite scene
The opening

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Good biological daughter vs adopted daughter story but with underdeveloped romance

I was preparing for a reddit post on Zhang Ruo Chen's dramas so I looked for dramas to watch and decided on this title because I like Ji Jun Liang. It seems that Zhang Ruo Chen has done a few "biological daughter vs adopted daughter" dramas. I enjoyed this one.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - I liked her stance on her involvement with biological family after the rebirth. She never forgave them for their atrocious behaviour in the past life. I also liked that she helped her new family when she could have stayed quiet / passive.
2. Dynamics - Fascinating to see different dynamics between her and new foster brothers and between her and biological brothers.
3. Acting - I liked the performances given by Zhang Ruo Chen, Ji Jun Liang & Hu Wen Le.
4. Hard work - I liked that hard work was demonstrated as an important value in achieving success. One cannot just rely solely on fate.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - FL's adopted sister was vicious & envious of FL. She manipulated her brothers but the brothers and father were at fault too for indulging her. They were idiots.
2. Romance - Sadly the romance between FL & ML was underdeveloped. FL seemed to spend more time with her other foster brother than with ML.
3. Duration - At 2 hours 34 minutes, I found the drama was too long as some arcs were draggy.

Favourite scene
When FL & new foster brother sold stuff at booth

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10Dance: When Chemistry Takes the Lead

I decided to watch this film without any spoilers from the manga or the movie itself, and without reading any prior information about it — and I was not disappointed. The film is truly fascinating, suspenseful, and filled with emotion and sensuality, all of which are expressed through dance.

I am not familiar with the characters as they appear in the manga (I have read that they are somewhat different from their film counterparts), but I really loved the characters portrayed by Keita and Ryoma. In my opinion, their performances were extremely professional, especially when compared to other BL productions I have seen. It is clear that both of them are genuine actors with immense talent.

Additionally, I know that the actors trained and prepared for a very long time to learn the dance techniques, and it is evident throughout the entire film. More than once, I forgot that they were actors and not professional dancers. One of the strongest aspects of this movie is undoubtedly its main characters and their personalities. Suzuki is more energetic, open, direct, occasionally provocative, and more expressive of his inner emotions, while Sugiki is defined by elegance, minimalism, and precision. I was very pleased that the characteristics of their dance styles flowed seamlessly through the entire film, influencing both their decisions and personalities.

The love storyline and the emotions the characters share were truly impressive. The electrifying chemistry between Suzuki and Sugiki was incredible — I honestly haven’t seen anything like it in a film or series in a long time. From the very first minutes, I was drawn into their story and could feel the unspoken emotions conveyed through every small glance, movement, and dance — pride, jealousy, desire?

Even though 10Dance does not include many typical romantic scenes, such as kisses, dates, or explicit +18 content (thankfully), it beautifully portrays sensuality and shows that dance itself can be a powerful form of expression. Sometimes, it can convey emotions more deeply than a simple kiss or the words “I love you.” This was exactly what I needed at the end of this year.

The only minor drawback was the pacing — at times, it felt as if certain scenes were cut short or something was missing, or perhaps the issue stemmed from the translation. (The scene on the stairs before the subway scene particularly surprised me, as it felt as though Suzuki had offended Sugiki.) It’s possible that if I had read the manga, some scenes would have been clearer, especially since I’ve heard that certain plot points were omitted in the film adaptation.

Despite this, I wholeheartedly recommend this movie. As someone who loves both dance and BL, this film was an incredible experience for me, and I truly enjoyed it. I will be eagerly waiting for a sequel if one is planned.

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I have been waiting for this drama for a long time, and I am so happy because the wait was 100% worth it! This drama is very high quality and definitely worth your time.
Esther is so beautiful in every single scene. I really can't stop looking at her because she looks so stunning in this show. But she is not just a pretty face; her acting is also very amazing and feels so real. She brings so much charm to her character, making the story feel alive. You can really feel her emotions in every part of the drama. She is truly a great actress who makes this show very special to watch.
And can we talk about how handsome Heyu is? He has such a strong screen presence and his acting is top-notch. He perfectly captures his character's emotions, making it impossible not to fall for him. The chemistry between Esther and Heyu is just perfect. Both of them are not only good-looking but also very talented actors.
If you are looking for a great drama with amazing visuals and great acting, you must watch this. My long wait was not wasted at all!

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espetacular

Tem um certo dramalhão exagerado aqui e ali? Sim. Mas é tão bem feito, e tão repleto de bons momentos, que se torna impossível não se encantar por esse BL. Conseguiram criar uma história do personagem “normal” que se torna a fixação de um homem lindo e popular (ainda que eu ache o Hioki mais bonito) sem se tornarem vítimas dos clichês e excessos desse tipo de história.
É inovador e revolucionário? Não. Mas durante aquela meia hora cria ali pra você um lugar tão aconchegante, tão reconfortante, tão capaz de reconstruir a sua fé na humanidade (...) que não tem preço.

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Great first & second acts but third act ruined by unnecessary drama

I am a massive Huang Bo fan so I was excited to watch this drama when it was released. The drama started off with a bang with exciting first and second acts but seemed to run out of steam in the third act. Overall I enjoyed this drama.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - She was bubbly & flirty. Smart to approach ML for a safe space.
2. Romance - I liked the pacing from the start because of the banter between the leads. Good kisses with sexy intimate scenes. Hand-holding was sweet.
3. ML characterisation - He was prickly and sickly but warmed up to FL after her countless attempts to be nice to him. I liked that he strived to improve his leg condition. He also knew his boundaries with other women.
4. Supporting characters - I liked Qin secretary and ML's mother.
5. Styling - I wrote a reddit article about ML wearing black pleather jacket, white shirt, black tie & black trousers before this drama was released. Turned out Huang Bo too had worn this ensemble. I also liked FL's beautiful clothes.
6. Acting - I enjoyed Mai Tong & Huang Bo performances. They had good chemistry even though it wasn't fiery nor sizzling.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - ML's father & half-bro were the worst people in this drama. FL's family was horrible too. ML's ex girlfriend was pathetic.
2. ML's mother's action - Apparently the green tea saved ML mother's life. Asking ML to check on green tea's wellbeing crossed the line. She shouldn't feel obligated to fulfill green tea's request.
3. Third act - It became messy after Qin announcement. How I wish the writer had focused on Qin heir situation than on emotional cheating (FL hung out with a man at a club which I considered emotional cheating). Why ruined the good, stable relationship between FL and ML with this scenario???

Favourite scene
When ML worked hard on his leg treatment

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misleading and dangerous mindset for young girls

Jiang Mu is a bad example for young girls because it promotes unhealthy and unrealistic ideas about relationships. The drama centers the female lead’s worth around romance, while romanticizing emotional dependency, possessiveness, and unequal power dynamics as signs of love. Most concerning is the incest aspect, where romantic feelings develop between characters raised in a sibling like or familial relationship and are framed as “forbidden love” rather than clearly condemned. This blurs important moral and social boundaries and risks normalizing inappropriate behavior. Overall, the drama sends harmful messages about self worth, boundaries, and what a healthy relationship should look like.

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Failed do remake of Face/Off

I watch this drama since i like Dai Fengyi and want to know how her transition from antagonist to become protagonist. The Plot is lowkey inspired by Face/Off (1997) with generic formula. They are too lazy to find same height actress since if they want to do face swap people would notice the height different.

The Supporting Artist are too stiff especially the SFL and lack of emotion while Shen Haonan didn't have any chemistry with all the Female character. No fluttering feeling and the kisses are too fake. The Chemistry is no found in every part of this drama.

Kind of lackluster drama.

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Promising 1st act, followed by terrible 2nd and final act

Starring Kim Da Mi, The Great Flood is more than just a disaster movie, and you won't realize it unless you actually give it a try. The outcome, for me, was a big disappointment.

The opening 30 minutes is breathtaking, it is the movie's strongest point. It is a "breathlessly tense" survival thriller with impressive digital effects that capture the terrifying scale of a global tsunami.

The protoganist, An-na (Kim Da-mi), a top-tier Al researcher performance is also greatly appreciated. Her maternal role performance is praiseworthy. She carries the physical and emotional weight of the movie, making her desperate fight to save her son feel grounded and believable.

The biggest problem and the twist comes in the second half, where the movie pivots from a simple disaster flick into an "ambitious action-packed puzzle box". Drawing comparisons to films like Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar, it explores a recursive, "time-looping" narrative. However, this tonal shift leads to a super complex plot with so many loopholes, that by the final act I already got tired of seeing it till the end, and yes it still disappoints.

My thought - The Great Flood is presented as a disaster movie, however the narrative moves deeper with high ambitions, and a very little payoff.

My Rating : 3.5/10

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the chemistry is absolutely great!!!!!

the acting, the tension. I love it!!!❤️❤️❤️ sometimes I wonder if they r just acting. the storyline is great but the accident broke my heart 💔. 6 years!!! before they met!😭😭 im heartbroken. i really hope that it's a happy ending!!😭😭. I love their chemistry! the visuals. specially all the racing scenes. I hope jin Zhao can still continue to race after everything he's been through. I kinda miss the old, mysterious jin Zhao. but I'm really glad that he still lived a peaceful life after his accident. really hope they end up together. best modern drama of the year in my opinion. a MUST watch.

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The Vendetta of Boredom

"The Vendetta of An" is a political revenge drama that squanders its intriguing premise through slow, plodding storytelling and a lack of narrative tension. Despite promising courtly intrigue, the plot unfolds at a tedious pace, burying key developments under excessive detail and repetitive scenes. This isn't a sophisticated slow burn, but a boring execution that fails to make its central vendetta feel urgent or compelling.

The drama ultimately feels tailored only for the domestic Chinese market, leaning heavily on familiar tropes without the sharp writing or universal emotional stakes needed for wider appeal. Its failure highlights a risk for the industry: without opening creative horizons and prioritizing tight, globally-resonant storytelling—as seen in many Korean dramas—Chinese productions may remain insular and artistically stagnant.

Verdict: A missed opportunity that confuses slowness with depth. It serves as a case study in how to drain all excitement from a promising premise.

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Reborn & revenge: I marry your father instead of you

I stumbled upon this drama on subreddit CShortDramas. My gosh, the trailer caught my attention and good thing the reborn & revenge drama was enjoyable.

What I liked:
1. Revenge - I loved that her revenge plan included marrying her ex's father and getting involved in the company management.
2. FL characterisation - She was tactical, focused & smart. I loved her proposal to ML and her confidence.
3. Romance - Their intimate scene was hot. They were in a marriage of convenience but developed a romantic relationship soon after marriage. They were sweet to each other.
4. Acting - I had seen the actress who played FL in a drama with Zhen Zi Qi. I liked her acting here. The actor who played ML was hot & handsome. Damn! They had good chemistry.
5. Duration - Running time under 90 minutes. Well paced.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - ML's son was ungrateful brat. Cruel too. I can't believe he even planned to kill his father.
2. Romance - I wish there were kissing & flirting between FL & ML.

Favourite scene
When FL proposed to ML

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How is the rating so high?

The story started off well. I was hooked on episode 1, but then by episode 4 it lost me. I got to episode 10 and was absolutely confused by what was going on. The second lead couple have more chemistry than the main couple. Its not because of how the characters were written (boring), maybe it was the director. Maybe the actors. I had a hard time believing they actually liked eachother. There's nothing anyone can say that could convince me this show deserves more than a 6 rating. The production value is good, music is good. The actors are good looking, but not good enough to overlook the actual acting.

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*insert face-palming here*

Fort carried the show. It was quite fun to see him as a house husband from his role as playboy-rich kid-CEO in Love in the Air. I was surprised at how good he is at the emotional scenes as well. Big kudos to him.

Peat... well, as a tsundere black cat, he's pretty decent, but for the emotional scenes - Lord Jesus, no. The man cannot act in emotional scenes. Whenever it comes to scenes where he has to panic or worse, cry, everything goes straight to hell. He cannot do it. We saw it in Love in the Air, and it repeats itself here. I'm not one to support typecasting, but he needs to stick to the cold tsundere roles for now and enroll in classes to help with the more emotional scenes.

Side note - I'd like to see Fort in 2 other types of roles - As a mafia daddy (the man is hot when angry), and as the emotional, crybaby, golden retriever top. Not only does he do well in the emotional scenes as mentioned, but his smile is beautiful and would work perfectly in a golden retriever role.

The GL couple was a good addition, but they weren't consistent, especially with Mook. From the get-go, Vie was into her, but Mook wasn't presented as gay in the beginning - just as a bullied, confused, clueless, and overworked assistant. I think if they became an official GL couple, they'd do well with a better storyline. The girl who plays Vie is a good actress - the girl who plays Mook needs a different role for me to judge, but she's really cute. Loved how they dressed her.

Actually, everyone but Peat was dressed/styled really well. Whatever they were trying to do with Peat's styling didn't work, especially the tucked-in look at the beach. No. Just no

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