Reviews

Surprisingly, a very good watch!!

I started Treasure at Dawn, without any expectations, but surprisingly,it really impressed me a lot!!
First, the plot is really solid and proceeds at a steady pace,. Though, there may not be nail biting twists and turns or sequences, but still the drama manages us to keep hooked to it till the end.
Fu Sheng, played by Li Hongyi, is a very profession oriented person whose main focus is healing people. He is very calm, steady, smart, intelligent, focused, patient and Li Hongyi has really excelled in breathing life into Fu Sheng. I cannot imagine anyone else as Fu Sheng, which is also the main point for watching this drama. He has really done a great job, who also loves his friends a lot.
Gu Tian, played bu Yu Chengen, is quirky, smart, playful, versed in martial arts, and is always there for his both friends in difficult times.
Wen Jue, by Su Xiaotong, also is a very impressuve character, collectively forming the tough and formidable trio.
What I liked most is the bond between the Trio, their friendship, loyalty towards each other and the way their bond has been developed on screen is really a delight to watch.
The costumes fit the plot, the locations were very pleasant and eye pleasing.
The ost is also good and the way the mystery is unfolded using songs, is also very impressive 👌
The most irrritating character, however, would be Sun Siming and hatsoff to the actor who effortlessly portryed this despicable and cunning role.
Finally, this drama is really a WORTH WATCH one, and I would Highly recommend it 💯👍
Thank you to the whole team for this impressive show👏

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I'll be very, VERY HONEST.
I started this thinking it was To My Shore. Complete brain fog on my part.
You know.. Tide.. Shore.. I made a mistake.
Only figured it out halfway through.
But I also figured it couldn't be that bad.
I knew it would be completely different, but maybe not bad.
It was bad.

The first thing - there's no actual story. The entire series is an hour and 40 minutes, and of those, 50 minutes are the two leads making out. The other 50 is one of leads giving us pointless monologues. It starts off as a contract relationship between the two of them and then divulges into utter stupidity from there on.

The acting is bad too. Which is both fair considering there's no story and really unfair to us because why can't we get something good?

There were a lot of NC scenes.. probably too many. I cannot tell if they were any good because the sheer volume somehow melded them into one full scene that felt like a replay of a single one every two minutes. I also don't know if the leads had chemistry because
1) Bad story
2) Bad acting

A complete mess. But I was glued to it nonetheless because.. I don't know. I didn't have fun but it was pretty fun? Luckily it's very short and can be watched very quickly.

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Watching the Machine Run

To me, The Manipulated feels like a KDrama approximation of a classic Tom Cruise production: glossy, efficient, and carefully tailored for international appeal. Disney clearly wants this to sell – and on an entertainment level, the series does many things right. The pacing is tight, the action relentless, the staging polished, and the performances well integrated. It is professional, routine, and undeniably effective.

And yet, this is precisely where my problem begins. The series devotes an enormous amount of screen time to violence, cruelty, and the grotesque fantasies of a completely detached super‑rich elite – and at times, it seems almost to revel in them. Dehumanized games that have lost any connection to reality are not merely shown, but aestheticized, intensified, and actively hyped.

Of course, the protagonist is a victim. And of course, in genre‑typical fashion, he manages to navigate his way through this scenario. The suffering is real, but never existentially threatening to the narrative itself. In the end, what remains is exactly what it is: pure entertainment. Efficient, calculated, and easily consumable.

This kind of entertainment primarily caters to a Western‑oriented, largely male audience. Female fans, however, are also well served – not least because they get to experience Ji Chang‑wook as closely as possible. Once again, his performance is impressive: soft and hard, vulnerable and controlled, with a convincing transformation and undeniable presence.

Anyone looking for this kind of high‑gloss thrill ride will be thoroughly satisfied. For me personally, it goes too far. Or rather: too far in the way this particular form of “sickness” is placed on a pedestal – not out of narrative necessity, but for ratings.

A message beyond sheer impact?
For me: none.

The Manipulated delivers exactly what the global market demands: frictionless, high‑gloss action. Those seeking flawless entertainment will be served. Those looking for the emotional depth and cultural specificity that once defined K‑drama will find little more than a smoothly polished surface.

This is not a drama meant to be felt, but a machine designed to be watched – professionally choreographed, yet morally as hollow as the world of the super‑rich it portrays.

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Epilogue – Tracing the Cracks
Still, it may be worth taking a closer look at the motives of the detached super‑rich, the antagonist, and the actual perpetrators. Especially within the context of KDrama – a format that often subverts even seemingly stereotypical structures with irony or emotional depth – one might ask whether these figures are merely projection surfaces for escalation, or whether they unintentionally reveal more about power, alienation, and responsibility than the series explicitly articulates.

The elites’ violence games are so exaggerated, so completely severed from any sense of humanity, that they verge on caricature. They can be read as a mirror of a fully commodified society, in which even cruelty becomes a product – consumable, aestheticized, and emptied of meaning. In this reading, the emptiness of the antagonists is not accidental, but symptomatic: power without accountability, wealth without responsibility, play without consequence.

Perhaps whatever social critique the series may contain – if any – lies less in its plot than in the contrast between its glossy surface and the inner devastation of its characters. Between immaculate presentation and moral void, a space opens in which Western thriller clichés are adopted yet inadvertently exposed. The tongue‑in‑cheek notion that “KDrama simply can’t help itself, even when it wants to be Western” could be read as a quiet comment: the form may be imported, but the emotional emptiness remains visible.

Whether these fractures are intentional or merely byproducts of a production optimized for maximum impact remains unclear. The Manipulated does not actively invite reflection – but it allows it in retrospect. The final question is therefore less about the series itself than about its context: is this pure consumer product, or does it – perhaps unintentionally – reflect the social emptiness from which it emerged?

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Very good tragic drama.

The story is good, consistent and interesting. The characters are convincing and endearing. The chemistry between two heros is excellent. Very good acting by Yan Zixian and Min Xinghan. This is a bromance/light BL drama and it's a great pleasure to watch. It would be really great to have it upgraded to the A category: both the plot and the actors deserve it. There is definitely material for a high budget series. The tragic ending makes sense and is very emotional and I would say satisfying although sad. Unfortunately, to fully appreciate the series one has to pay for subscription on Mango TV, because the free versions available on other websites have awful English AI generated subtitles, to the point of being incomprehensible. It may hinder the exposition of this drama.

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When you think it couldn't get worse.

I think what was shocking for me was how mind numbing this was for a Korean bl. The mls could not save what could be described as the most horrible script ever. They also needed to feel comfortable in the roles which was apparent they weren't. Loud smacking kisses are supposed to convey passion? The direction, pacing, dialogue, body language needs serious work. BDSM? More like a cringy take on the subject. The whipping scene. Why? What? I have seen Jae Hun / Jung act much better than this. Hae Jun / Kim is on par with what he previously did, so I wasn't expecting any better. Why was this stretched to 10 ep when clearly there wasn't enough material? Just poses and voice overs and staged acting. No real flow or rhythm. Truly disappointed.

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A story of business rivalries, family ties, and emotional entanglements involving three families.

A story of business rivalries, family ties, and emotional entanglements involving three families.

The first three episodes are incredibly engaging, with amazing acting throughout 👏 I love the chemistry between the leads, as well as the second couple too ❤️
The ML can cook 🤭 and some of the food looks absolutely delicious.
I also really enjoy the bromance between the ML and Deng Wei Yu it feels like he finally has the brother he always wanted.

Fun fact: the ML gained 21 kg for the role he went from 64 kg to 85 kg.

Another sweet detail is that the ML and FL are married in real life. After filming the drama, they developed a romantic relationship and now have a baby together.



Totally recommend this drama! It’s available on iQIYI.

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Everything I love in one show

I loved Tempest from the very first second. I was over the moon when it was announced, especially since my absolute favorite actors – Gang Dong-won and Jun Ji-hyun – were in the lead roles. I am particularly thrilled that Gang Dong-won is finally back in a series – seeing him in every scene was an absolute joy. It’s rare that a series combines all of my interests so perfectly: political espionage, corruption, complex power struggles, action-packed sequences reminiscent of Vagabond, a love story that is emotionally gripping and well-executed, and even subtle Catholic symbolism, which I absolutely adore. It almost felt as if the series was made just for me.

Gang Dong-won was fantastic – his fight scenes, his presence, the intensity he brings to every scene – simply brilliant. And Jun Ji-hyun – every few years she takes on a role, and it’s always a spectacle; here, she completely blew me away. The chemistry between them is not cheesy but sizzling and believable; there were moments where I literally held my breath, and my heart skipped a beat. At the same time, the love story never overshadows the political plot – it complements it perfectly, humanizing the characters and adding emotional depth.

The political conspiracy, espionage, and corruption within the government were, for me, the real highlights of the series. I was genuinely on the edge of my seat; every intrigue was tense, every move by the characters felt meaningful. I was especially impressed by how the series weaves together personal and political conflicts without ever feeling unrealistic.

The ending fit the series’ tone perfectly. It provides strong empowerment for Jun Ji-hyun’s character and delivers a satisfying political resolution. The romantic storyline leaves little surprise, but this very limitation makes it feel more realistic and emotionally impactful.

A small critique: the premise of a long-term marriage between a progressive Democrat and a Republican presidential candidate felt a bit unrealistic to me. Ideologically, their worlds are so opposed that I can hardly imagine how it would work for over twenty years. Also, I find the title Tempest somewhat generic – for me, Polaris would have been far more fitting, symbolic, and memorable.

Overall, Tempest is a series for fans of political thrillers, espionage dramas, and high-quality action. If you’re expecting a simple romance, this might not be for you. But for anyone who loves complex power plays, emotional depth, subtle symbolism, and gripping action, this series is an absolute highlight. For me, it was a perfect hit – thrilling, emotional, flawlessly cast and directed, and simply a feast for the senses.

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GIVE IT A TRY..10/10

Heroes Next Door is honestly such a good drama. Everything about it just works — the story, the characters, and the emotions. What stood out the most for me was the friendship and chemistry between the people living in the neighborhood. Their bond felt so warm and natural, like a real found family. Watching them slowly trust each other and come together was one of the best parts of the drama.
The humor is actually funny and makes the heavy moments easier to handle. I love dramas like this where there’s heart, teamwork, and emotions all mixed together.
The last episode completely broke me. The scene with Do yoon and Sullivan. I couldn’t stop crying. I felt so bad for both Sullivan and Charlotte.
Overall, this drama made me laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. I really hope there’s a season 2 because this story deserves to continue.

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With this drama, the most important aspect for me to note is that it had potential. Don't get me wrong - this drama appeared to be promising but it fell flat. Whenever I rate anything around 7.0, it's usually a tell-tell sign to me that it's not the best but it's also not the worst thing I've ever seen either. This drama falls right smack dab in the middle of those two extremes.

The premise drew me in and it seemed promising but the execution fell flat. I'm not exactly sure why, but I felt the writers didn't allow this drama to reach its fullest potential. You have a drama where the gender construct/binary can be deconstructed and you do absolutely nothing with it. This drama had all the makings for a very deep dive into this particular subject and it just ... didn't. Sure, I know some viewers will say this drama leaned into the 'after school special' shtick with deconstructing the idea of a gender binary closer towards the end of the drama. However, I disagree. With respect to different cultures, I have to critique the way it was handled. It seemed more surface level than anything. Meaning - it leaned into the explanation that would be easy for someone with a very cursory understanding of this notion, which isn't terrible but it does make it very shallow. It lacked depth! There were some truly thought-provoking places this drama could have gone with this subject and they didn't. Maybe they should have consulted with someone while writing this one?

Besides that, the acting wasn't bad. It was decent enough. I will say that I don't believe that I truly grew to like these characters though. I liked Makato a LOT more than Akira, strangely enough, and that rarely happens. I never seem to enjoy the male lead more than the female lead but that's what happened here. Go figure! Despite Makato using his appearance to hide the fact that he suffered from a lack of self-love and self-esteem, he seemed more ... sure of himself than Akira did. He had no issues with standing up for himself. Akira was incredibly passive and was more of a pushover. I hated the Fumi (SFL) character a LOT and it's all because I KNEW that she was going to run right over Akira and I found it irritating every time she came on-screen. Akira lacked a backbone and she was too trusting and it showed. Sidenote: the SML (whose name I don't know/don't remember) TERRIFIED me. He was so unsettling to me. From his eyes, to his glasses, to his hair, his creepy smile - he was terrifying to me. He made my skin crawl. He gave me weirdo vibes and I didn't like him either.

There weren't many romantic moments here. Did they have chemistry? I guess ... If you're watching this for the romance, you're going to be disappointed. Little to no kisses are seen in this drama. As this is the second J Drama I've watched recently, I find that most J Dramas aren't really 'romantic' in the way that most of us are probably used to. It's cute, it's adorable, but it's not really romantic in that way. At least this subcategory of J Drama romance, that is.

Would I recommend it? Ehh, sure. It's a quick binge watch. It can be used as a palate cleanser as it's not too heavy. Would I rewatch it? Probably not. I like my romance to be more overt than this. I need more romance, I need more kissing, I need more feeling! This drama didn't give me any of that, unfortunately. Not a bad drama at all, but I expected more.

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NOT A FEMALE LOVE DRAMA!! A 1000 Year Old White Snake, & A 400 Year Old Green Snake Becoming Humans!

1ST I WANTED TO SAY THIS IS NOT A FEMALE LOVE DRAMA, And For Those Of You Thinking Why Is The Female Lead Playing The Male Part... The Reason Why The Female Lead Is Playing The Male Part Is, Because This Is A Taiwanese Drama, And Back Then Taiwanese Were More Conservative, And For There Convenience, They Chose Females To Play Male Parts As To Not To Let The Female Feel Embarrassed, Or Uncomfortable As To Being Touch Or Held By A Male And What Not... At Least That Is What My Understand Is From Taiwanese Opera!!! (Although In My Taiwanese Opera, The Females Were The Only That Knew How To Sing The Opera Parts. Men Were Very Rare, And I Only Knew Of 3 Male Taiwanese Opera Singers. The Very 1st One I Think Was Only In 1 Or 2 Taiwanese Opera, And Was Never To Be Seen Again... Another One Was Only In One Taiwanese Opera That I Know Of, And Disappeared. So Technically Only One Continued Working As A Taiwanese Opera Actor. ***"YANG WAI MING"!!!***)

2ND I Watched This Drama When I Was The Age Of 13 Or 14, So I Bearly Remember Very Much Of This Drama, I Watched Over 30 Years Ago...
I Do Remember Liking The Story Line, And How A White 1000 Year Old White Snake Could Turn Into A Pretty Lady, And Her 400 Year Old Green Snake Friend Could Turn In To A Human Too... I'm Amazed That I Still Remember How Old The Snakes Were. As Far As The Female, Playing The Male, I Can't Remember If She's A Student Of Some Sort Or A Monk, But He Falls In Love This The White Snake, And She Falls In Love With Him. OH AND HE DOESN'T KNOW SHES A SNAKE, UNTIL ONE DAY HE'S IN BED ***JUST SLEEPING TOGETHER*** AND SHE TURNS INTO THE SNAKE, AND SCARES THE LIVING BEEP OUT OF HIM. SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE MOON, I BELIEVE WHEN EITHER THE MOON IS FULL OR THERE IS NO MOON, SHE'LL BECAUSE A SNAKE!!! Ever After Her Turning Into A Snake, I Don't Think He Finds Out She Is A Snake Yet. All The Signs Were There, But Yet So Clueless... How Blinding Love Can Be!!!

***Sadly I Can't Even Remember What Happened At The End, If It Was A Happy Ending, Or Sad Ending!!!***

THIS ALL I CAN REMEMBER, AND TO BE HONEST I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF I AM CORRECT ABOUT WHAT I WROTE ABOUT DRAMA IS CORRECT!!! Because Like I Said I Watched It More Then 30 Years Ago, And I Only Watched It Once.
I Will Say This Even At The Age Of 13-14, I Thought That The Female Playing The Male Lead Didn't Act Very Will, And She Lagged In Personality, And Just... I Don't Kbow, She Just Didn't Do A Great Job. I Don't Know Who She Is, And I Have Nothing Against Her, Or Anything Like That, So If You Are A Fan Of Hers, I'm Very Sorry!!! Maybe I'm Comparing Her To My Taiwanese Opera Actor, But... The White Snake Female Lead, And Green Snake Lady Did Great, Except For The One Playing The Male. Maybe She Was Nervous Playing A Male Part Being A Female... She Just Doesn't Look Confortable At All, LIKE IN THE DRAMA PICTURE!!! SHE KIND OF LOOKS TERRIFIED, AND SCARED IN THE DRAMA'S PICTURE WHILE WHITE SNAKE LOOKS ALL GITTY, AND SO HAPPY... Hey They Do Say Opposite's Attrack!!! No, I'm Just Kidding, But I'm SERIOUSLY Thinking It Could Be Her 1st Time Playing A Male Lead Part That's Why.

I Was Trying To Remember If The Drama Was Spoken In Taiwanese, Or Mandarin, And I Can't Even Remember... Anyways This Is My Review, I Don't Think I'll Ever Watch It Again, But If I Do, I'll Update My Review For Now This Is It.

Wrote This On December 17th, 2025 At 1:38 A.M. To 3:08 A.M.

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What’s the better synonym for “Do Over”—"Rearrange"? Or "Reset"?

Why write a review for Reset and Rearrange, two 2025 series that each ended months ago? This essay comes along too late to serve those who watched as the series aired. Instead, I assume my readers in 2026 (or later) comprise folks who missed the original broadcast. Perhaps, Dear Reader, you came here to learn more about a series that someone recommended to you? If you’ve heard of only the one, the one whose review you’re presently reading…well, surprise! There’s another one just like it! Hopefully, my comparative review will help guide you to which “Re-do” series is more likely to match your own taste in BL consumption. Though, in all honesty, this reviewer was entertained by each, and if you press me—I’d advise to watch them both. Though, perhaps not at the same time. Too many timelines to keep track of all at once!

In 1998, two competing Hollywood studios sent to theaters two big budget films with the exact same premise: a meteor is about to crash into the Earth and wipe out humanity, unless brave astronauts on an emergency space mission can save the day. Somehow, Deep Impact and Armageddon managed to distinguish themselves from each other, likely because each film delivered audiences a unique experience. The identical premises became less “who did it better?” and more “well that was interesting in its own right.” Here in 2025, two competing Thai studios sent to streaming platforms two BL series with the exact same premise: a discontented middle-aged man gets into an accident and awakens to find himself returned to the body of his younger self. Will this be a chance for him to rewrite (reset? rearrange?) the details of his life, perhaps making this second chance more meaningful? Somehow, Reset and Rearrange also managed to distinguish themselves from each other. The two series have a different vibe, a different ethic, and each hero with a second chance at life has very different objectives when he contemplates how to maximize his big Do Over. Each series is interesting in its own right.

As noted, Reset and Rearrange share a premise. They each start with the death of a middle-aged man, but that character’s starting point is somewhat different. We meet Armin (Reset) as a successful actor, receiving accolades at mid-life for his professional achievements. Unfortunately, his personal life is messier; he feuds with professional colleagues; his former best friend wants nothing to do with him; and his longtime lover jilts him in favor of someone he trusted. His death is accidental, but his dying thoughts are to ponder how everything went wrong. Meanwhile, when we encounter middle-aged Win (Rearrange), he loses his job, struggles to pay his rent, is estranged from his only living family, and still mourns for an unrequited high school crush who died more than 25 years prior, in 1997. Feeling despondent about the disappointment his life turned out to be, Win, like Armin, ponders where everything went wrong. At that precise moment, Win takes his eyes off the road to retrieve his fallen cell phone from the floor. And then—well, Dear Reader, suffice to say that is not the smartest thing to do while driving. Reset was quite clear that present-day Armin died in his accident. Rearrange is more ambiguous. We hear the crunch of a collision, but then Win awakens in his own bed—well, his own bed from 1997, a time when he lived at home with his father and brother and was still in high school. Glancing at a mirror, Win is astonished to see the familiar youthful face that stares back at him. Almost at once his thoughts turn to his late, long-deceased friend, Nut. Can Win meet Nut again? Armin experiences a similar moment of temporal confusion, but he regains consciousness in the middle of a film set. The gig was—is?—his first job as a professional. He was a rookie actor then, but now he has years of professional experience to guide his performance. He can rewrite his own history by dazzling the movie set with his accumulated acting prowess. Well, he might do so following a momentary freak-out stemming from his unexpected temporal relocation. Quite understandable in the circumstances, but rather exasperating in a professional environment. These summaries essentially account for the premiere episode of each series. The remaining nine episodes of each depict the respective efforts of Win and Armin to alter the undesirable trajectory of his previous life.

Rearrange is by far the simpler of the two stories. Win is a high school student, and his two chief ambitions befit the worldview of a high schooler: to start a band with his crush, Nut; and to confess that crush to Nut before the latter dies from a brain tumor. Other characters in Win’s world include his father and brother; his bandmates and their parents; and a boss at his job who also died in 1997. Win attempts to save the boss from death, but Fate is unyielding. The time and circumstances did change, but the outcome remained the same. Win II concludes that nothing he does will alter prior outcomes in any meaningful way. Win I’s lifelong regret was that Nut’s unanticipated death deprived him of any opportunity to confess his feelings. This time, however, Win can anticipate Nut’s demise. So, he strives to alter the small details—with the goal of making sure that in the time Nut II has left Win can reveal the unspoken confession from decades earlier (or is it the same year? Time is confusing!) but also to help Nut II realize the dreams that Nut I fell short of (like winning the band contest or having a girlfriend or defying his strict dad). In both timelines, the band’s prospects anchor the whole story. Absent the time travel elements, Rearrange really comes across as a standard-issue coming-of-age story about high school kids learning to mature. The bandmates’ messy personal lives feature crushes, confessions, rejections, unspoken feelings, parental conflict aplenty, and band rehearsals. Lots of band rehearsals. Fortunately, the soundtrack is pretty satisfying—and sounds convincingly like music from the late 1990s. Because Win has a general knowledge of how events turn out, he is haunted by (and the series with it) a sense of wistfulness as he awaits the inevitable. Any time Win II asks his (living!) father for advice (a normal thing for any kid to do, but a privilege middle-aged Win is overjoyed to rediscover), the wisdom imparted carries greater weight. With his middle-aged consciousness, 1997 Win II is better able to appreciate advice from his father than 1997 Win I had been. The series repeatedly wrestles with the question, “if life is short, what is the best way to spend our time?” That is heady material for a “simple” high school drama, but it elevates the emotional impact of Rearrange.

By contrast, Reset features a much more convoluted storyline, one that occasionally lapses into melodramatic lakorn territory. Armin II wishes to flourish in his career without the years of struggle he endured in the original timeline, and he wants to rectify mistakes with friends and colleagues. Knowing exactly how, when, and why the relationship with his best friend soured, he makes sure to nurture that relationship this time. That subplot is fairly soft and easy. Armin’s worklife provides the drama. If Rearrange was almost a standard-issue high school series, Reset is almost a standard-issue “wannabe celebrity” series. The travails of the modern day celebrityhood complicate Armin’s life. Public relations fiascoes, professional jealousies, and the need to keep romance out of sight of the press are all “wannabe celebrity” tropes that pop up in Reset. In his professional life, Armin II keeps meeting the same people Armin I knew previously and keeps receiving the same professional opportunities he received previously, but in many cases these encounters arrive years earlier than expected. Due to the nature of his last day in 2025, Armin brings his embittered feelings from mid-life back to his younger self. In the early episodes a desire for revenge animates his actions. Of course, this approach is problematic because in the new timeline the people Armin resents have yet to sin against him. Meanwhile, Armin II finds himself increasingly attracted to the head of his agency, TD, who Armin I had never met in person. TD has an uncanny knack to anticipate when and how Armin will encounter difficulty. TD would like nothing more than to dedicate all his spare time to promoting Armin, but a tropey “rich family/greedy stepmom/jealous stepbrother” subplot consumes a lot of screen time. Both this subplot, and the grandeur of the film career Armin is achieving bring Reset closer to the spirit of Thai lakorn. Those soap opera level trappings help establish the vibe of Reset, just as the band rehearsals keep Rearrange grounded in a high school world.

The titles of each series fit the characters’ circumstances as well as provide double entendre with “Do Over” or “rewrite.” On a film set, if a director wants another take of a scene, the actors and crew will reset the stage, returning to their original position. The title “Reset” thus reflects Armin’s profession. In music, a performer might adapt an existing song to better suit his own needs, changing the arrangement of the material. The title “Rearrange” thus reflects Win’s passion for music. And, of course, both words convey the idea of a “Do Over” life.

In 1998, Armageddon was the louder, more bombastic, more action oriented film. Deep Impact came across as a work grounded in human emotion, its screen time dedicated to showing how the characters prepared for the possibility of death by lethal falling space rock. Where Armageddon almost assaulted the viewer with IMPENDING DANGER, Deep Impact was almost contemplative by comparison. A similar disparity in mood separates Reset and Rearrange. Borrowing soap opera-level trappings from Thai lakorn, such as trope-driven character and story arcs and over-the-top acting styles, Reset comes across as the more brash of the two 2025 series. It had a larger cast— featuring numerous well-known BL actors and many many more background extras in “big” scenes; its filming clearly had more money for its own sets; for movie-within-the TV show sets; for wardrobe; and for location shooting. Its finale featured not only an action-oriented set piece but the chief villain becomes almost comically evil before suffering an only-on-TV mental breakdown. The finale went full lakorn! Meanwhile, Rearrange had a palpably small-potatoes feel by contrast. Location shooting seldom ventured beyond the band’s rehearsal spaces or the member’s homes. Most exterior locations seemed to be parks, which presumably were cheaper spaces to rent than actual places of business. Background extras were either few in number or non-existent, even when a scene was set in an area you’d expect to find other humans, like a restaurant or campground. Wardrobe? High school uniforms and casual clothing sufficed for most episodes. Only a couple of concert scenes required a large cast of extras, and those were scaled to be “just enough to do the job” rather than all-out. Rearrange did what it could with the budget it had. Its biggest accomplishment may be the OST, which features a number of original songs. Rearrange may have been quieter and smaller, but I don’t think those qualities hurt it.

In closing, Reset and Rearrange manage to avoid feeling redundant or repetitive despite sharing a nearly identical premise and despite one series starting mere weeks after the other ended. Each approaches the conundrums of being “gifted a second chance at life” in a different manner. Do Win (Rearrange) and Armin (Reset) get a happy ending in their second turn at being human? You may as well watch. If you read this far, you know you’re tempted.

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What’s the better synonym for “Do Over”—"Rearrange"? Or "Reset"?

Why write a review for Reset and Rearrange, two 2025 series that each ended months ago? This essay comes along too late to serve those who watched as the series aired. Instead, I assume my readers in 2026 (or later) comprise folks who missed the original broadcast. Perhaps, Dear Reader, you came here to learn more about a series that someone recommended to you? If you’ve heard of only the one, the one whose review you’re presently reading…well, surprise! There’s another one just like it! Hopefully, my comparative review will help guide you to which “Re-do” series is more likely to match your own taste in BL consumption. Though, in all honesty, this reviewer was entertained by each, and if you press me—I’d advise to watch them both. Though, perhaps not at the same time. Too many timelines to keep track of all at once!

In 1998, two competing Hollywood studios sent to theaters two big budget films with the exact same premise: a meteor is about to crash into the Earth and wipe out humanity, unless brave astronauts on an emergency space mission can save the day. Somehow, Deep Impact and Armageddon managed to distinguish themselves from each other, likely because each film delivered audiences a unique experience. The identical premises became less “who did it better?” and more “well that was interesting in its own right.” Here in 2025, two competing Thai studios sent to streaming platforms two BL series with the exact same premise: a discontented middle-aged man gets into an accident and awakens to find himself returned to the body of his younger self. Will this be a chance for him to rewrite (reset? rearrange?) the details of his life, perhaps making this second chance more meaningful? Somehow, Reset and Rearrange also managed to distinguish themselves from each other. The two series have a different vibe, a different ethic, and each hero with a second chance at life has very different objectives when he contemplates how to maximize his big Do Over. Each series is interesting in its own right.

As noted, Reset and Rearrange share a premise. They each start with the death of a middle-aged man, but that character’s starting point is somewhat different. We meet Armin (Reset) as a successful actor, receiving accolades at mid-life for his professional achievements. Unfortunately, his personal life is messier; he feuds with professional colleagues; his former best friend wants nothing to do with him; and his longtime lover jilts him in favor of someone he trusted. His death is accidental, but his dying thoughts are to ponder how everything went wrong. Meanwhile, when we encounter middle-aged Win (Rearrange), he loses his job, struggles to pay his rent, is estranged from his only living family, and still mourns for an unrequited high school crush who died more than 25 years prior, in 1997. Feeling despondent about the disappointment his life turned out to be, Win, like Armin, ponders where everything went wrong. At that precise moment, Win takes his eyes off the road to retrieve his fallen cell phone from the floor. And then—well, Dear Reader, suffice to say that is not the smartest thing to do while driving. Reset was quite clear that present-day Armin died in his accident. Rearrange is more ambiguous. We hear the crunch of a collision, but then Win awakens in his own bed—well, his own bed from 1997, a time when he lived at home with his father and brother and was still in high school. Glancing at a mirror, Win is astonished to see the familiar youthful face that stares back at him. Almost at once his thoughts turn to his late, long-deceased friend, Nut. Can Win meet Nut again? Armin experiences a similar moment of temporal confusion, but he regains consciousness in the middle of a film set. The gig was—is?—his first job as a professional. He was a rookie actor then, but now he has years of professional experience to guide his performance. He can rewrite his own history by dazzling the movie set with his accumulated acting prowess. Well, he might do so following a momentary freak-out stemming from his unexpected temporal relocation. Quite understandable in the circumstances, but rather exasperating in a professional environment. These summaries essentially account for the premiere episode of each series. The remaining nine episodes of each depict the respective efforts of Win and Armin to alter the undesirable trajectory of his previous life.

Rearrange is by far the simpler of the two stories. Win is a high school student, and his two chief ambitions befit the worldview of a high schooler: to start a band with his crush, Nut; and to confess that crush to Nut before the latter dies from a brain tumor. Other characters in Win’s world include his father and brother; his bandmates and their parents; and a boss at his job who also died in 1997. Win attempts to save the boss from death, but Fate is unyielding. The time and circumstances did change, but the outcome remained the same. Win II concludes that nothing he does will alter prior outcomes in any meaningful way. Win I’s lifelong regret was that Nut’s unanticipated death deprived him of any opportunity to confess his feelings. This time, however, Win can anticipate Nut’s demise. So, he strives to alter the small details—with the goal of making sure that in the time Nut II has left Win can reveal the unspoken confession from decades earlier (or is it the same year? Time is confusing!) but also to help Nut II realize the dreams that Nut I fell short of (like winning the band contest or having a girlfriend or defying his strict dad). In both timelines, the band’s prospects anchor the whole story. Absent the time travel elements, Rearrange really comes across as a standard-issue coming-of-age story about high school kids learning to mature. The bandmates’ messy personal lives feature crushes, confessions, rejections, unspoken feelings, parental conflict aplenty, and band rehearsals. Lots of band rehearsals. Fortunately, the soundtrack is pretty satisfying—and sounds convincingly like music from the late 1990s. Because Win has a general knowledge of how events turn out, he is haunted by (and the series with it) a sense of wistfulness as he awaits the inevitable. Any time Win II asks his (living!) father for advice (a normal thing for any kid to do, but a privilege middle-aged Win is overjoyed to rediscover), the wisdom imparted carries greater weight. With his middle-aged consciousness, 1997 Win II is better able to appreciate advice from his father than 1997 Win I had been. The series repeatedly wrestles with the question, “if life is short, what is the best way to spend our time?” That is heady material for a “simple” high school drama, but it elevates the emotional impact of Rearrange.

By contrast, Reset features a much more convoluted storyline, one that occasionally lapses into melodramatic lakorn territory. Armin II wishes to flourish in his career without the years of struggle he endured in the original timeline, and he wants to rectify mistakes with friends and colleagues. Knowing exactly how, when, and why the relationship with his best friend soured, he makes sure to nurture that relationship this time. That subplot is fairly soft and easy. Armin’s worklife provides the drama. If Rearrange was almost a standard-issue high school series, Reset is almost a standard-issue “wannabe celebrity” series. The travails of the modern day celebrityhood complicate Armin’s life. Public relations fiascoes, professional jealousies, and the need to keep romance out of sight of the press are all “wannabe celebrity” tropes that pop up in Reset. In his professional life, Armin II keeps meeting the same people Armin I knew previously and keeps receiving the same professional opportunities he received previously, but in many cases these encounters arrive years earlier than expected. Due to the nature of his last day in 2025, Armin brings his embittered feelings from mid-life back to his younger self. In the early episodes a desire for revenge animates his actions. Of course, this approach is problematic because in the new timeline the people Armin resents have yet to sin against him. Meanwhile, Armin II finds himself increasingly attracted to the head of his agency, TD, who Armin I had never met in person. TD has an uncanny knack to anticipate when and how Armin will encounter difficulty. TD would like nothing more than to dedicate all his spare time to promoting Armin, but a tropey “rich family/greedy stepmom/jealous stepbrother” subplot consumes a lot of screen time. Both this subplot, and the grandeur of the film career Armin is achieving bring Reset closer to the spirit of Thai lakorn. Those soap opera level trappings help establish the vibe of Reset, just as the band rehearsals keep Rearrange grounded in a high school world.

The titles of each series fit the characters’ circumstances as well as provide double entendre with “Do Over” or “rewrite.” On a film set, if a director wants another take of a scene, the actors and crew will reset the stage, returning to their original position. The title “Reset” thus reflects Armin’s profession. In music, a performer might adapt an existing song to better suit his own needs, changing the arrangement of the material. The title “Rearrange” thus reflects Win’s passion for music. And, of course, both words convey the idea of a “Do Over” life.

In 1998, Armageddon was the louder, more bombastic, more action oriented film. Deep Impact came across as a work grounded in human emotion, its screen time dedicated to showing how the characters prepared for the possibility of death by lethal falling space rock. Where Armageddon almost assaulted the viewer with IMPENDING DANGER, Deep Impact was almost contemplative by comparison. A similar disparity in mood separates Reset and Rearrange. Borrowing soap opera-level trappings from Thai lakorn, such as trope-driven character and story arcs and over-the-top acting styles, Reset comes across as the more brash of the two 2025 series. It had a larger cast— featuring numerous well-known BL actors and many many more background extras in “big” scenes; its filming clearly had more money for its own sets; for movie-within-the TV show sets; for wardrobe; and for location shooting. Its finale featured not only an action-oriented set piece but the chief villain becomes almost comically evil before suffering an only-on-TV mental breakdown. The finale went full lakorn! Meanwhile, Rearrange had a palpably small-potatoes feel by contrast. Location shooting seldom ventured beyond the band’s rehearsal spaces or the member’s homes. Most exterior locations seemed to be parks, which presumably were cheaper spaces to rent than actual places of business. Background extras were either few in number or non-existent, even when a scene was set in an area you’d expect to find other humans, like a restaurant or campground. Wardrobe? High school uniforms and casual clothing sufficed for most episodes. Only a couple of concert scenes required a large cast of extras, and those were scaled to be “just enough to do the job” rather than all-out. Rearrange did what it could with the budget it had. Its biggest accomplishment may be the OST, which features a number of original songs. Rearrange may have been quieter and smaller, but I don’t think those qualities hurt it.

In closing, Reset and Rearrange manage to avoid feeling redundant or repetitive despite sharing a nearly identical premise and despite one series starting mere weeks after the other ended. Each approaches the conundrums of being “gifted a second chance at life” in a different manner. Do Win (Rearrange) and Armin (Reset) get a happy ending in their second turn at being human? You may as well watch. If you read this far, you know you’re tempted.

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Starts with Promise, Then Flails and Falls

It's a comedy, so I'm supposed to ignore all the silly misunderstandings, nonsensical insta-love, and noble idiocy. As charming as the ML was, he couldn't overcome my flagging interest in the drama as it limped along.

Adults—people in their 30s—who act like preteens when it comes to romance... Why is this a drama thing? And talk about fantasy: three men, all handsome and talented, with two of them much younger, fall in love at the same time with a boring, older woman whose only outstanding merit is that she's a good salesperson.

I know I complain about over-the-top characters, but maybe the FL's insipidness balanced that out, and I really enjoyed ML's mother-in-law-ish brother, his flamboyant brother, and the exuberant 2FL. Akamine (2FL) was off-the-charts wacky and somehow made that endearing! I'd much rather deal with someone who is honest, speaks her mind, and has definite opinions than deal with the FL who denied her feelings, allowed herself to be manipulated, and lied continually.

Story should have been half as long, eliminated the love triangles, and focused on the aspects of a male taking on the traditional role of a wife. It should also have had a satisfying conclusion. Bah, humbug!

I added a star, because I'm grumpy and probably rated too low. Also, the supporting cast deserved it. And Takasugi Mahiro has puppy dog eyes.

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Painted in Clichés: The Art of A Promising Start that Drops in Quality

A good summary of my experience watching KDramas. A promising start to a show that gradually drops in quality and deteriorates into a convoluted and contrived plot.

Although the show has a very good cast, it is a fairly clichéd programme that offers nothing fresh and instead uses the usual - often annoying - tropes: An innocent and morally upright main character who is desperate but gets drawn into the world of crime, a dark and mysterious second main character with a dual identity and a background that shows her inherent good side, a cop/lawyer who doesn't do his job well, and the main culprit behind the plot who is part of the institution that serves the law. Then of course there's all the prison shenanigans with bullies and all the other usual aspects.

Even though I can suspend my beliefs for a fictional show, at some point there were too many circumstantial encounters and incidents to move the plot forward. Not a compelling writing for a thriller in my opinion.

The music is decent and fits the overall atmosphere of the series; the cinematography is good, especially in the dark and gritty first episodes; the characters are well portrayed by the actors, except for the melodramatic and sometimes over-the-top performance of Mo Eun.

While the beginning of the series provides enjoyable viewing, it fails to maintain this level until the end.

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