Reviews

Warmest Season

The Chinese Restaurant Season 9 is undoubtedly the loveliest season of the show. I can't emphasize more amazing the cast is and how family-like everyone is. Their laughs, combined efforts, and never ending praises to one another just filled the show with love and warmth. As much as the show itself is already great, the cast truly played the most crucial part of making this season special.

Everyone is just so lovable.

[Ding Yuxi]
I first knew him from this show and I must say that he's one of the best and most genuine people out there. This man is so caring, attentive and extremely hard working. From his well thought props, his little gifts, up to his next level perseverance. Special mention to his endless collection of sweet phrases that influenced everyone else to spread assurance and love to one another the entire show. It's impossible to not admire him after seeing all the efforts he exerted. I'm looking forward to seeing him again next season.

[Shen Yue]
Yueyue also played her secretarial role amazingly the entire show, I loved her development as the episodes went through, making her more open and expressive each day. She's just so sweet and cheerful. I really loved her and Xiaowen's never ending laughter whenever they're together. I can picture her and Ding appearing again next season due to the popular demand~

[Zhai Xiaowen]
Funny and Handsome. I swear, he never failed to bring out laughs every episode. I loved seeing how much he just enjoyed throughout the show. He worked hard and his cocky-humorous personality really had the entire cast bickering with him. He's just so cute and his appearance made things go light weight.
Really admired how bubbly he is! Like he's got never ending energy.

[Yin Haoyu]
Pat-pat, the show's baby brother truly showed his charm amazingly! Seriously, he's such a talented kid, you'll sometimes forget he's the foreigner among the cast. He's always so focused and dedicated to whatever task he's assigned. I loved all the little moment of the cast babying their lil brother.

[Jiang Yan]
She's sweet, she's reliable, she's awesome! Yan is what I'll consider everyone's big sister. Throughout the show, she's always taking care of everyone. From feeding the cast members with snacks to offering the uttermost guidance as she wipes off their sweat. Truly the prettiest chef and best big sister. Even I, look up to her so so much.

[Chef Lin & Huang Xiaming]
The best masters! I love how well they coordinated and how they blended so youthfully with the new cast. I can tell that even for them, this season's the most family like. Generation gaps is no such thing with them given how well the younger cast coaxed them to softness lol. I can also tell that just like me, they'll miss this season's cast a little more~

Again, as much as this review seemed more like an in depth rating of each cast (guilty). I hope it motivated whoever reads this to give the season a go. It's truly underrated and I can promise you—you'll fall in love!

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I know exactly why I’m here and it’s not for the plot

I’ve been orbiting this drama since the first whispers of its existence escaped into the wild, so yes, expectations were involved. Possibly too involved.

Let’s start with the good, because credit where credit is absolutely due.

- Visually? This drama knew what it was doing. He Yu—sir. SIR. The camera loved him, the lighting worshipped him, and the man was sweating through half the scenes like he was being paid per droplet. Magnificently divine. No notes. My eyes were fed.
- The chemistry was also very much alive and breathing. There was sizzle. There were sparks. There were kisses, and not the shy peck-and-run kind either. Sprinkle sprinkle indeed. Whoever was in charge of that understood the assignment and clocked in early.
- Aesthetically, the drama was moody, atmospheric, and honestly gorgeous. The Thailand scenes in particular felt lush and cinematic, like the show briefly remembered it wanted to be cool and succeeded.

Now. Deep breath. The struggles.

- The “fake sibling” trope… listen. I tried. I really did. I performed Olympic-level mental gymnastics to tolerate this, but the ick kept winning gold. Too many moments were just deeply uncomfortable, and no amount of “but they’re not *actually* related” could save it.
- And then there’s the FL. Lord give me strength. Let’s be fair: Esther looked stunning in many outfits. Truly gorgeous. Face card never declined.
However.
I understand the intent: ML is mature, masculine, stoic—so they wanted contrast. What we got instead was infantilization turned up to eleven. Soft and feminine does not mean behaving like a 12-year-old with picky eating habits and childlike mannerisms. Yes, she’s 18. No, that does not excuse the constant helpless energy, the perpetual chasing, the desperation. Watching her run after the ML over and over again was exhausting. He yearns. We get it. But balance exists. Agency exists. Please locate it next time. She is doing the entire emotional labour of this relationship.
- Plot-wise? A free-for-all. Characters came and went, motivations shapeshifted mid-scene, and some dialogue lines had me staring at the screen like, “Who talks like this? Who approved this?”.

So, final verdict?

At the end of the day, this is pure fan service. A textbook idol drama, clearly aimed at a younger audience, and for that demographic, it probably hits. For me? It’s not unwatchable, but it is work. We’ve still got nine episodes left, and yes, I’ll probably finish them—out of commitment, curiosity, and He Yu-related reasons—but at this point, it feels less like a binge and more like a contractual obligation.

A chaotic watch. A visual feast. Chemistry is chemistrying. A narrative shrug.
Consume responsibly.


✨Alright. I’ve crossed the finish line.✨

All my previous points still stand, firmly planted and unbothered. Episodes 21–25, in particular, continued to irritate me for the same reason as before: the FL’s identity remained orbit-locked around the ML. Everything she was, felt, or did still seemed to exist in relation to him, and that creative choice continues to sit poorly with me.

I understand the reasoning behind their separation. Truly. Having read the novel, I’m familiar with JZ’s introspection, his internal logic, his emotional restraint masquerading as self-sacrifice. From a narrative standpoint, it tracks. From a woman’s standpoint? I have mixed feelings. If my supposed soulmate—someone who had yearned for me for years—still couldn’t bring himself to reach out, and the relationship only moved forward because I made the effort and carried the emotional momentum… that would hurt. Deeply. Love should not feel like a one-sided construction project.

That said, credit where it’s due: Jiang Mu’s character growth was beautifully handled. Her maturation felt earned, organic, and genuinely satisfying to watch. I loved her in the later stretch—confident, grounded, and emotionally present without losing her softness.

Episodes 26–29, in contrast, were unexpectedly healing. Warm. Unhurried. Rewarding. Watching them simply be happy—without constant tension, misunderstandings, or narrative whiplash—felt like a deep exhale. You could see it on the ML’s face: he had healed. He was no longer bracing himself against the world. He was openly cherishing his girl, and honestly? That part worked. It really did. Yay indeed.

As for the mother… I’m not touching that redemption arc. I’m still not forgiving how she treated JZ as a child, and no amount of present-day reconciliation will retroactively make that sit right with me. I said what I said.

Still, I am glad they reunited. I’m glad they reconnected. The ending delivered emotional closure, and while it doesn’t erase the earlier issues, it does soften the landing.

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I've watched the movie long time ago and then the Thai version later, I didn't knew about this version lol but because I loved the manga I decided to give it a go, I was slightly worried because this is a 2001 drama and I thought it might be boring or slow.

But this was amazing, probably my favourite adaptation.

First of all there are a few different things that wasn't in the kmovie, which was my reference when I started this show.
1- Momoko character isn't in the original story, I believe they added her in this drama only as I don't remember seeing her in the Thai version as well.
2- Ono isn't gay, while this isn't a BL, Ono's sexual orientation is a huge deal in the original source, here he is just a panicking man who is completely intimidated by women which is as cute, and I loved that they kept his persona even when they dropped this part.
3- here it's all about Eiji, in the source it's about the owner and his struggles to keeping cake shop working, but here Eiji is the main focus.

While these differences are significant IMO, they didn't change how amazing the show is, so it's different but still as great.

I loved that this show included a slice of life genre but also kept the fun and entertaining vibes, I LOVED the last ep, also the ep where they ignored the owner was hilarious too, I think the 9th ep.
Generally I have nothing but praises for everyone.

The subtle romance vibes are also nice, comedy is the best, highly recommended show ~~

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Ingore low ratings Really good and cute couple

this show is a 10 on 10 , the low rating is only based on the ending which is 1%of the whole show , y'all should be glad that mc doesn't die or breakup in end and people rating this low only because of the ending ,

my opinion on ending - I recently rated a drama 1 then 5-7 on different places and story actually sucks and the ml dies in the end , so 1-5 isn't wrong to rate that one , but this one only in the end they suddenly come back in time which I thought was unnecessary, because most of these time travel I have read in MANWHA so they do no go back to original world I just accept whatever it is I actually do not like this past time travel plot but I'm watching anyway since this is trend now , the first 20 eps seem pointless if they come back but the focus of the story wasn't to end some tragedy but blossom of romance which happened so you can't say that they won't come back if they can go back in time they can come back too, I actually enjoyed this drama as much I have HIDDEN LOVE AND FLY TOWARDS YOU it's not one of my favourite but definitely to be in top and ratings between 9-10 since there's no unnecessary drama or anything annoying , y'all also don't understand that she lost her identity? she came back to future with her memory so how can that be lost of identity? she is has new identity,she would probably go back working or won't have issues since she's more capable,and another thing she has a fiance? not bf but fiance? she already has no issues for her future it doesn't matter if they come back in time

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Based on a very cliched premise, "Individual Circumstances" nevertheless had the potential to be an entertaining way to spend a slow evening.
A conflict based on miscomminucation, the inability to face your own insecurities, or external influences that stop one of the two main characters to act and resolve the conflict on time: This all has been done before in many, many dramas and novels. So, in order to stand out, you need to be meticulous in the writing and in the execution. The crew for this production was not.

There was much potential in the imagery -- the sterile house vs. the perfectly manicured garden, which Ha Yeonwoo crashes into, vs. the wide spaces of nature. There was good potential in the non-linear story-telling, so that we only get to know of their back story bit by bit. There was some potential in the meta-narrative where the feelings of our protagonists are mirrored in the feelings of the fictional couple.

Unfortunately, none of it was used well. It starts with the writing itself: The meta-narrative and non-linear story-telling interfered with each other and reduced the potential significance of each. Parts of the flashbacks seem at odds with each other -- at first there was something about a sweater, and later about a kiss; and both times I had the impression that this was the last time they had seen each other. Some scenes in the later part added nothing to the story (like when they broke into the museum) -- and considering that the whole runtime is just under two hours, the screen writer should have asked themselves: What story do I want to tell?

And in my opinion, the screenplay is the base for everything else -- if it already doesn't work, then the rest will struggle.
The thing is that "the rest" also doesn't work well. The cinematographer had an eye for nature shots (those were great) -- but that was it. The house, the garden and the world outside had interesting lines and light to use. None of it had any significance on screen.
Scenes were edited to be too long or ended abruptly. Microphones were seen on screen. At times, there were some audio issues. And let's not talk about the "kiss" in the "rain" at the end. (Not that I don't mind closed-mouth kisses per se, but here the camera held and held, until it felt awakward for everybody.)

Most of the time, the actors tried to save the mess, and I do think that their abilities were the only thing that made me sit through this film. But even they dropped the ball near the end -- if you are that uncomfortable kissing your (male) colleague, then you should make sure to either not act in a production that requires kissing or at least make sure that it's not as obvious in the finished product.

Overall, I have the impression that most of the crew didn't want to be there and rushed through everything just to get it done. I wonder if they are able to take pride in the product?



Was it good?
No. There was potential but none of it was used.

Did I like it?
I liked two aspects; the rest was ... meh. It was short, though.

Would I recommend it?
No.

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An entertaining mess

Not a big fan but it was good.

The leads have amazing chemistry. The kisses were really good. The storyline kinda sucked. They tried to do a complicated story with complex characters but failed at it. It's worth a watch though. I'll never be re-watching it but bingeing was fun.

It's always a "I'm doing this for you" and never a "I'm being threatened, what should I do?". I'm not a fan of "I'm breaking up with you for you" type of stories. It just causes unnecessary misunderstandings and separation when you could've just communicated and developed a solution which would benefit both of you and bring you happiness. Or you could just sit and cry together rather than being miserable alone.

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When Obsession Is Mistaken for Love

I was waiting for this lakorn for a long time. I had already watched its older 2009 version, so I was glad to see a new adaptation finally released. I discovered it today and started watching immediately.
Purim, however, is honestly a disgusting character. A complete womanizer. He keeps hanging around with different women and then takes out his frustration on Nui simply because she ignores him. What makes it worse is the age gap—Nui is young enough to be his daughter. His behavior feels more like harassment than romance, giving off a disturbing, almost predatory personality.
Nui, on the other hand, is portrayed as a constant crybaby—naive, emotionally weak, and painfully unaware. Thank God this is just a drama, because in real life I find such portrayals frustrating. Female characters deserve at least basic intelligence, the ability to recognize right from wrong, and the courage to stand up for themselves instead of silently suffering.
That said, this kind of storyline is sadly very popular in Thai lakorns—the obsessive, dominating male lead and the fragile, submissive female lead. The familiar “slap-and-kiss” trope continues, where no matter how cruel or abusive the man is, everything is magically forgiven in the end. Forced love is normalized, and even sexual violence is romanticized, which is deeply toxic and potentially traumatic for real women watching.
As a drama, it fits the genre perfectly. But as a story about love, it raises uncomfortable questions about what we choose to normalize and glorify on screen.

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Power Production

Before watching the show i did not look up the writers and directors but this show has absolutely fantastic people working on it and you can see it!
I was mostly impressed by the writing. Usually a lot of GMMs shows have plot holes that bother me a lot. Here, they try to avoid them and i think it works perfectly. Also, the characters are written with so much more charm and attention to detail and the actors are very well directed.
They tried to be creative with the shots. You can see the amount of takes and effort this production put in. There were moments when i replayed a shot just because it was so fantastic to watch.
As a horror-movie and crime-show lover, this was a strong start. I hope they are able to keep that level!

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Characterless, Aimless, and Pretty.

This is a nicely shot sizzle reel for the actors, and very little more. It’s overindulgent in the time it took to tell an incredibly thin story. It could have been done in three of these short episodes, or one full length one. I was skipping forwards more than I ever have watching any K-drama for the first time. I feel like they started filming while the script was incomplete, but the writer pulled out, so they just edited together what they had, and did some VO. There was zero plot, character arc, or depth to either of the protagonists. Two men meet under a business arrangement. They liked each other. They extend the arrangement and end up in love. The motivation for the sub was a sick mother. The dom’s a mystery, and a weird kisser. Watch it if you like naturally lit pot plants, and a bit of incredibly tame BDSM.

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top tier GL!

I was honestly really underwhelmed by the first episode, so I was expecting this to be a fun and silly time but I didn't think I was going to get very invested in it. I am so very happy to have been wrong! It's pretty simple on plot — you can easily ignore the whole "the mafia is after Phethai" aspect as it's pretty peripheral for most of the run time, and the rest of the show feels very slice of life with its focus on Pun, Ploy, Prang, and Jay. While the mafia subplot adds a splash of danger to the story, it's for the benefit of building Ploy and Pun's relationship that that thread has minimal presence overall.

Pun and Ploy's dynamic follows an established formula that we've seen countless times in romance stories. They have been emotionally wounded over and over when it comes to love and they initially treat this as a game — Pun's ulterior motive is to try to get her money back from Ploy's brother via seducing Ploy, while Ploy is testing to see if Pun's feelings are genuine as she doesn't believe anyone can truly love her as a result of her fractured relationship with her mother. The first 4 episodes are a lot of fun as Ploy and Pun flirt a bunch, but Pun keeps chickening out from going further and only initiates a kiss when she gets nervous that Ploy is losing interest in her. Pun is basically all in by the first kiss (even though she still wants to get her money back and withholds this situation from Ploy), and Ploy, known for never getting into serious relationships, clearly quickly develops feelings for Pun as well. It doesn't take long for the two of them to enter a relationship after that first kiss, but unfortunately the honeymoon phase doesn't last long because this secret and we enter the angsty phase as Ploy turns cold due to knowing that Pun is lying to her. This show works as well as it does because of the great performances by Ice Amena and Memi Muanfun. The two actresses clearly put so much thought into these characters and they have sizzling chemistry and nail each phase of the PloyPun dynamic.

The start of the angst is actually when I went from "oh this is a cute and comforting show" to "wow this is REALLY GOOD." The character work that is done in this section of the show is exceptional — we fully understand why they were both so closed off before becoming involved with each other and how devastated they are to be apart; but we also innately understand why Ploy can't bring herself to believe Pun was genuine and why she repeatedly pushes her away. And while this angsty period lasts for a relatively long time given there's only 12 episodes, it is absolutely necessary for the audience and the characters to sit with this as it has to fully sink in for Ploy what she has given up, and Pun has to rediscover what she wants outside of their relationship as she had dropped basically everything to be with Ploy. (Plus I'm an angst lover, so I love when a show likes to twist the knife on me lol.) A lot of my favorite scenes from the entire show happen in episode 10 when we get to see Ploy's perspective after their break up — that scene with the butterfly collage completely and utterly destroyed me.

If you're looking for a GL to watch, I can't rec this one enough. It's truly near perfection.

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It’s 2025 and we still have to put up with useless damsel in distress trope dramas

There are 24 episodes at under 10 minutes each and I’m still annoyed. The male lead is an alien who is on Earth for some reason and sporadically ends up saving the FL’s life several times from when she was a young girl.. about halfway through she has a lightbulb moment when they fall in love and kiss when she realises it has always been him who has protected her throughout her life.
At this point the question surely should’ve been why have I needed to save you more times than I can count over the course of your life? Why is your life always in danger? That has to be the question at this point, surely? I jest, but only a little.
Anyway, we’ve got a little bit of satisfaction seeing the evil antagonist getting taken away in handcuffs and by the end when the ML has to once again save the FL‘s life. He uses magic which hes not allowed to do and disintegrates in front of her…….anyway some unspecified time later the ML somehow turns up and we get our happy ending. Roll credits.

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No bullshit BL but wholesome...

While I did not expect much from this series, it was very refreshing. It's many stories about many bizarre people which will grow on you the further you watch this series. They all have their quirks but most of them are just good people regardless.

The center pieces are a soon to be gay couple and a girl which is neglected by her parents for different reasons. The stories tell about the life of the people, all the struggles they face and how they grow together. The gay romance is not the focus of the stories, it just happens naturally without much fanfare and I would have wished for a bit more focus there and some intimacy.

But overall that was fun to watch, educational to watch and a series needed for Japans society. This is of course on my "must watch" list, even when the beginning seems to be very comedic, the stories have depth and meaning and will warm your heart. This is a series for the whole family.

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