Reviews

REFREASHING DRAMA IN 2025

Storyline: A simple yet heartwarming tale of young adults navigating their first romance. It blends awkward crushes, comedic misunderstandings, and tender moments into a feel-good narrative.

Tone: The drama leans heavily into rom-com clichés, but instead of feeling tired, it delivers them with freshness and charm. It’s a mood booster, perfect for viewers who enjoy light entertainment.

Cast: Wang Xing Yue (Ren Chu) and Tian Xi Wei (Lu Wanwan) shine with natural chemistry. Their performances make the romance believable and engaging.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, funny, and nostalgic drama that captures the essence of first romance, First Love is worth your time. It’s not about originality—it’s about charm, and this series has plenty of it.

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Bankable stars and romantic scenes can’t save this series from inconsistent characters ?

The director, known for previous successful dramas like "Love Is Sweet " and more..., had set high expectations.
Visually, the series is undeniably appealing. The styling, and aesthetics are well done—even “hot” at times. Both leads are attractive and have good on-screen chemistry. Esther’s acting, while often repetitive, suits a broad audience with her naive, childlike, and bubbly charm. However, her range is extremely limited in nuanced, emotional, introspective, or demonstrative scenes. Still, she fits her role visually; she looks beautiful and very young. A lot of effort has clearly gone into the visual aspect of the show.

From EP1 to EP 13
Yet, one of the most striking issues lies in the characterization of the main heroine, which feels completely inconsistent. She refuses to accept her mother’s decisions about her personal life—which is understandable, perhaps—but at the same time remains cold toward the woman who is kind to her, the stepmother. Her father, although shown only in a limited and underdeveloped way (which is disappointing), appears to be caring in the past despite his flaws: he cooks for the children, shares a passion for cars, and spends time with them. He feels more human than the mother, who struggles to accept another boy in her home. The heroine, meanwhile, never takes a moment to talk to her father, understand what’s happening, or reflect on her place in the family.

Up until episode 12, we see a girl who comes to live with her father’s family after years apart and settles in as if this is completely normal and her place is legitimate. She doesn’t seem to consider whether it’s convenient for the family or if she has the right to stay. At just 18, she decides, “I’m staying here…” without consulting anyone. Her only focus appears to be her boyfriend and her teenage romantic impulses.

Her behavior towards the male lead is particularly immature—like a spoiled 9-year-old: “make me tea, cook for me, I don’t like this, bring me that, drive me there,” and so on. She claims to stay “to help him,” but what exactly does she offer? Her actions revolve almost entirely around romance, instead of using the opportunity to connect with her sister, family, or contribute in a mature way. Perhaps her character will develop later, but I personally wanted to see these essential traits early on to understand, empathize with, and support her.

There are also subtle moments that struck me as surprisingly sloppy in writing: for example, a scene where the female lead is drunk with a friend of the male lead, and the male lead comes to pick up the girl, leaving the other girl almost" unconscious" without saying or doing anything. So Everything in the series centers ONLY for the main female lead. It’s an incredibly small, human detail, yet it speaks volumes in the context of a film where every second should help the audience understand a character.

The chronology of events is also confusing. When did her love first begin—at nine years old? The timeline is unclear. Did it happen later, perhaps instantly under the shower, as the show suggests? Similarly, the male lead’s intentions are barely conveyed, with only one line to explain his feelings, yet their interactions suggest something very different. A romance allegedly starting when he was 13 seems implausible, especially given the complex family context. The story asks the viewer to suspend disbelief to accept these developments. From the very first episodes, there are many highly provocative adult scenes, and at the same time, there are brother-sister relationships or depictions of a vulnerable young girl, which is unsettling

Overall, the plot emphasizes romantic drama at the expense of consistent, believable character development. I suspect the series will follow predictable patterns: a few kisses, some tragic obstacles, and time for the heroine to grow—possibly during university—before exploring mature relationships.

By “visual,” I specifically mean styling—wardrobes, looks, cars, the city—rather than directorial choices. The styling is very successful. Lighting, however, often misses the mark; for instance, please avoid that whitish glare on the male lead’s face in close-ups. The racing scenes are well-executed but may feel technically weaker compared to Western standards. For comparison, even the “Fast & Furious” films, despite being commercial, display strong action dynamics cinematography, and big budget

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Rewatching GAP and finally leaving my reviews

Rewatching GAP, I noticed details that went unnoticed the first time. Some scenes, like the opening show, Nop flying with Mon’s little push and her signing moments, are unnecessary and disrupt the pacing, even reaching a cringe level. Still, the series has many strong points that make up for these moments.


The tension between Sam and Mon is well built and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. Mon’s idolization of Sam and her quick disappointment upon reuniting have a real emotional impact. The flashbacks with the adult actresses, however, could have been handled more carefully; small details undermine the sense that those scenes take place more than ten years earlier.



The rich vs poor contrast is a classic and works within the series’ premise, but there are inconsistencies: Mon is portrayed as poor, even though she lives in a nice house, wears quality clothes, and maintains a lifestyle that doesn’t always support this narrative. On the other hand, Sam faces the consequences of her actions believably, establishing herself as the red flag, while Mon consistently remains the green flag. It’s interesting to watch Sam slowly change while Mon gradually “breaks her walls” and genuinely integrates into her life. Mon’s reactions to Sam’s awful behavior are realistic, and she gradually gains a better understanding of Sam’s dynamic, especially regarding her relationship with her grandmother.


This is where the series falters a bit with some exaggeration in infantilizing the protagonists, as if they didn’t understand that they are a couple just like a man and a woman. Still, in this context, the presence of the sapphic couple during the trip makes a lot of sense, reinforcing the subtext and emotional growth of the characters. The performances are excellent, with Becky standing out as Mon. Sam’s grandmother is well-developed, and her rigid behavior helps explain the conflicts and trauma affecting Sam.


The reconciliation scenes work, especially the final conversation between the grandmother and Kirk, and later with Sam, although the redemption feels a little rushed. In the end, GAP stands as a classic and nostalgic GL series, with clear strengths and some flaws. While not perfect, it aged like fine wine and remains both impressive and memorable.

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Great Case Solving Trio & Friendship; The rest? Eh Not So Much.

This was obviously filmed a bit earlier with a lower budget. It was in my watchlist for LHY plus the storyline. Now while all of the actors, did very well, the storyline started to crumble. We had great case solving trio & Friendship, but the rest was really not so much.

Pros: The friendship of the main trio that went through life and death together and never faltered except for GT or YCE had a bit of an identity crisis when he had a tough injury where he nearly lost his arm and the use of it but our miracle physician FS was able to solve the problem. While on a quest to find some sealed treasure book and find out who killed FS' father and 10 other physicians, them two get framed by people working with the Breakwall organization who essentially run the kingdom with a puppet emperor. WJ (spelled Wen Jue) the daughter of the city Lord of Xichuan comes to their aide and they escape there. To find the book they must look for jade pieces to fit into the main plate FS unknowingly was given by his father to hold since he was a child. Turned out his dad and several others were working against Breakwall to find and return the actual emperor back but were systematically murdered over the course of 20 years.

Meanwhile, while on this main quest they have to solve one strange case after another and in the process some of them lead back to the main case and they get the Jade pieces while others aren't related at all. Though they have the ever undecided Lord Wen on their side (sort of), the chamber of commerce is corrupt and when the first two leaders are killed by the Breakwall organization, a narcissistic psychopath or SSM who once was a horse slave and was saved by FS, slowly weaseled his way into the top spot and into the Breakwall's lower ranks. This dude was the best villain out of all the villains because he killed without mercy and enjoyed it. And as I predicted, he really was the last villain standing for about 10 seconds before the real emperor finally finished him off in the last episode.

The deaths were cruel but the one that made me shed a tear was Wen Jiu, who was adopted and raised as Lord Wen's son; he was a great soldier but he had to essentially fight an entire battalion on his own and the hidden SSM who shot two tiny arrows into him one going straight threw his heart. It was gut wrenching to watch. And he knew he was going to die, that was the worst of it. This guy was a great ally to our friends. YY was the character GT fell in love with and vice versa and their romance was ok; it didn't take away from the main plot. YY went into a coma after her entire organization of spies and information were slaughtered and around the time GT lost his arm trying to save her; but at the end the trio rode off to find FS' Shifu physician who was also a miracle healer to save YY. There was also TB, Hulu, and several others that were good characters.

Costumes, OSTs, sets and the CGI especially FS' fantasy world where practices his theories with a duck and a wooden men that have WJ and GT's voices as well as understanding the hidden clues were cool. A lot however just didn't jive at all.

Cons: While the case solving was nice, the main case was a lot of build up to a lackluster outcome. There was no real book of treasure in the place they found. Instead it was the remaining loyalists of the emperor who was also there and had the face of the puppet emperor because the Breakwall leader who was a eunuch and apparently dying, used someone's game of faces technique to make the emperor's kid or someone else look just like him. The secret to the book of treasure was how to properly govern the state and the only reason the real emperor and his loyalists were stuck in that underground palace for 20 years was because the door could only be opened from the outside with the fully assembled Jade plate and the most of the pieces were lost or hidden but by parties unknown until now. There was weapons gold and jewels, plus miasma that was used to tell the real tale. But all this hunting down some special book was nothing more than restoring its rightful emperor.

Lord Wen pissed me off; he had so many chances to arrest and kill SSM but didn't want to get involved that it was ridiculous. Like the chamber of commerce murdered thousands of people in broad daylight but he was like forget it, no big deal. Even the Ma Gang didn't create that much mayhem. If it wasn't for him always letting SSM go, Wen Jiu would still be alive. And how literally everyone good or bad believed SSM's words as gospel was mind boggling; you just met him and he's telling the truth? He's lying through his teeth but everyone was too stupid to just believe him? Come on now; maybe the first few times but not all the time. SSM cared for nothing but power and himself; even his mentally challenged brother was left to himself which was hella wicked when he claimed to care so much about him. But sure let him get to the end; GT should have finished him off because no one else had the balls to.

With the last case with fake shamans and whatnot and the last jade piece, that case was already sliding into the negatives and suspension of disbelief. The storyline came apart at the end. Plus the forced feelings of FS and WJ just didn't cut it. She was for the most part too ditzy and pouty and there was literally zilch chemistry between them plus FS was completely unaware of feelings as his character was supposed to just care about being a good doctor and friend. So it felt unnecessarily forced.

Would I recommend it? It's one of those in between watches while waiting for something better to drop though the actors did the best they could with what they were given.

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A drama that has lost its soul as its focus on entertainment has increased.

6.25/10
I'm gonna make it short and simple :
the 3 first episodes were excellent, but after that, it went downhill.

The writer made the fatal choice to prioritize entertainment over delving into the psychology and sociology of the story, which made me lose interest pretty fast ...

The directing was very good, the writing excellent until it took a less serious, and less rigorous turn.
The cast was also very good, but the writing could've served better scenes for us to watch how good all the actresses and actors were ...
Another drama with such a waste of good potential !

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3 women 3 different stories

When the series started to air i didn't even think to watch it cuz the story or the series is mostly targeted at a specific age group, which is the ones between 40 nd 50 nd especially for women not for guys at my age nd as a 20 yrs old guy i really enjoyed watching it.


I love how the kdrama covers various topics for each age group so everyone can watch in his own style nd what they like to see on their screen nd this drama is one of those diff topics made for middle aged ppl.


Kim heesun is so great her acting her performance can carry the whole show she knows well that she's slaying her role up + her voice is soooo calming i can listen to her talkin for days nd days without getting bored.


Other actors nd actresses did a great job too for example the actress han hyejin the way she dealt w her marriage problm nd started to monitor her husband to see if he was cheating on her or not but at the end she found he has a childhood psychological prblm due to his violent father she felt sorry for him nd for the misunderstood so she began trying to repair her relationship w him nd get closer to him.


Meanwhile the actress jin seoyun she portrayed her character well. At first she only wanted to enjoy dating nd romance without getting into a serious relationship that would lead into marriage, til an old friend frm her university days appeared nd the way their relationship developed to love nd started dating ,but her hormones had other plans causin her to experience early infertility so he wanted to have a btfl baby girl like her but she couldn't tell him abt her health issue so she broke up w him.


So overall the drama was good, tackled various topics that anyone might encounter, nd showed us how to deal with them in a realistic way. And best thing, it was a happy ending for all of them🫶🏻.

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"Is it real or am I dreaming?" A series that should be watched exactly 2 times!

The less I write about it, the more it'll make sense, because if you try to figure out everything in the beginning, you can't understand how Alan feels.

This is a unique story about a clueless guy being clueless for 8 damn episodes only for you to see how complicated life can be when you don't understand what's going on with you. That restlessness, impatiently waiting for the story to reveal, "what the hell is happening?" is part of the process and, trust me, it all made sense.

In my opinion, it could be better if it was two episodes shorter because by the time I finished watching it, I had already lost my braincells waiting for the revelation. Once you discover it, the agony and despair hits you like the cold damp air in the depressing dawn of monsoon. So you watch this drama two times; first time for the journey and second time for the realization of being aware of the destination. It will hit the same as it did the first time. 

"So, how was that? Was it more like a dream or a reality?"
"This isn't a dream?"
"I told you earlier, but you didn't believe me."
But the truth spares no one.


Did I make any sense?
I feel like I'm becoming Alan now.

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A wonderful classic drama

Story: Almost always, I'll be a big fan of dramas where the ML is the one going from rags to riches or just goes through a very rough life which is what Kim In Ha went through here. The thing that makes him stand out is that he has many skills in the casino games because of his life following around his Uncle gambling. It plays apart in where his life ends up and how he uses those skills to become successful. The story of the romance between the two leads is enjoyable. They have ups and downs but the best thing is that they don't see other people during their times away. I think that is rare considering the time period of this drama aired which I think you would expect many cliches to occur. Some issues I had were how they wrapped up some story lines too quick or not enough details in the end. The biggest issue I had was this forced love triangle if you could say that between In Ha, Soo Yeon, and Jung Won. I wasn't convinced at the idea that Jung Won has fallen in love with Soo Yeon all of a sudden. They were friends leading up to that point but he fell for her after In Ha had to leave the country in hiding. He was an awful friend and the writers just did this to probably spark a best friend feud which was not needed. Also while this was happening, they completely tossed aside any character building for for Jin Hee. At the beginning of the drama, they established In Ha, Soo Yeon, Jung Won, and Jin Hee as the 4 lead characters. They even put them as couples early on. But then Jung Won breaks up with her basically when he betrays their company he works for to side with his evil father. At the end, In Ha tells Jung Won to work with Jin Hee's company to get his back on track but we get no resolution scene of them. In the end, this drama should have not gone the annoying love triangle route + shoving aside the SFL.

Acting: It's kind of amazing to see now that Lee Byung Hun, Song Hye Kyo, and even Ji Sung were the main actors and how they've become big and successful since. I think the acting is the biggest reason why this drama so successful and probably remembered well by Koreans who watched it back then.

Music: This is probably my weakest part of the drama. They were alright but nothing I truly enjoyed. I like the sad ballad songs more than the popular ost that was used/remembered.

Rewatch: I would be glad to re watch this again one day because of the chemistry of the two main actors. I was impressed at Song Hye Kyo's acting in this drama. I definitely like her work here than her work in Full House another old Kdrama. Lately I've had bad luck with watching older Kdramas because of the annoying tropes or such but All In doesn't fall into many of those traps. I recommend this drama if you want to experience classic Kdramas or you are a big fan of either of the 2 actors playing the leads.

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Doesn't work well when this show is recommend as heartbreaking + should have been a GL

This series might have hit better for me if I was watching it while it was airing. I knew the biggest plot twist i.e heedo getting married to someone who is not yijin. Matter of fact i might have seen that scene the most before watching this series.

This series was very hyped up with people saying the last 2 episodes gave them a heartbreak so that hype might be a factor to my disappointment.

First of all, THE AGE GAP?!? i thought 25-21 might be a cute inside joke and not their ages. And it's not even the age they get together, it's the age they break up at!!!!! I could not get over their age gap, given that they met each other while she was 18 and he was 22. They even heavily point out how of a mental difference there is between 18 year olds and 22 year olds. But then everyone pretends that it's ok for this grown ass man to hang out with high school girls ( and one guy) and even date one of them. Even at the end they point out how they were such clueless kids and he was the only adult.

One good thing the age gap did was to show what parents'emotional neglect will lead to. If you don't give your children emotional support they end up seeking it in the wrong places. Due to heedo's luck yijin was decent, if he was anything but that she could have gone the wrong path. After getting attacked by the entire country her mother doesn't come up to protect her or comfort her, she has to seek comfort from the man she met in a bookstore and strangers in restaurants.


The best thing about this series was that friend group. They showed a good friendship with all of them loving and accepting each other as they are, letting each other take breaks and providing support on the various paths they take. Even a very healthy male and female friendship. On that topic.......HEDDO AND YURIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOVERS.

Honestly this should have been a gl. EVERYTHING about heedo and yurim was romantic. Both of them knowing each other before actually being introduced to each other, them wanting each other to do well so that they can compete together, them being scared together, being online penpals. Their declarations of friendship felt like love confessions. They way yurim plays with heedo's hair......YOU CAN'T TELL ME IT WAS NOTHING. Then hugging at that marid match after not talking for months, yurim's speech at heedo's retirement, all of these were the most passionate and romantic moments of this series. I would have eaten this up if it was gl with two fencers who fall in love with each other and their highschool life.

The last few episodes are the most talked about, i feel like they were pretty realistic and good. I thought the 9/11 part was unnecessary, just felt like they threw something in there to give yijin a reason to be an ass. Like i can understand he is affected by it ofc, but being so affected that you say your gf's support doesn't help and she doesn't understand you yet she should not break up with you? From heedo's side the break up made sense. She is not the naive girl who could not find support from home anymore. She grew up and understood that the kind of life her mother led was not the one she wanted and that yijin is probably going to follow the same path and she doesn't want a future like that no matter how much she loves him.
During the time when life gives you tangerines was airing I saw a lot of comparisons between this show and that, saying that in one the couples give up their dreams for their love while here the couple give up their love for their dreams. I think that's a bad comparison cause here without their dreams they will not be who they are and they would not love each other if it weren't for their dreams.

I was not that emotional over their breakup or relationship (due to the above mentioned reasons). The best parts were yurim and heedo's friendship. I liked heedo's journey and high school parts the best. I got a lot of new perspective on athletes.

Overall an okay show. Another series with Kim Taeri and Bo Na as leads please

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Fun and Flawed

Heroes Next Door clearly tries to build on the same foundation as The Fiery Priest; a mix of comedy and action, with random people coming together as a squad. It’s funny, chaotic, and warm in its own way, even if it doesn’t reach the same highs.

One of the biggest strengths of the show is its cast. Yoon Kye-sang is especially well suited for comedic roles; he feels natural and effortless, never forced. The drama is filled with familiar supporting actors, and it genuinely feels like a show where supporting characters finally get their moment to shine.

What really makes the drama work, though, is the dynamic between the characters. There’s a strong sense of community throughout the show; these are ordinary people living boring lives, yet they have so much heart that they’re willing to risk themselves to protect others. That warmth is what carries the story.

Choi Kang slowly becoming an integral part of the group was especially heartwarming to watch. His friendship with Byeong-nam is hands down the best part of the show. They start off constantly at odds, but watching that turn into a sibling-like bond by the end felt very earned and emotional.

I also appreciated that the show opted for just 10 episodes. It knew its limits and wrapped things up without unnecessary dragging, which worked in its favor.

That said, the drama doesn’t really have those “I need to watch the next episode right now” moments. The pacing feels monotone at times, and while the show works with its limited possibilities, it doesn’t offer much beyond its core premise. Some storylines felt completely unnecessary, making you wonder why they were even included, and certain sections dragged more than they should have.

Sullivan’s revenge arc, in particular, didn’t make much sense and felt all over the place. On top of that, the “Khamas” mention and the decision to portray a brown Pakistani character as a suicide bomber was honestly wild and poorly thought out. It’s hard not to question whether anyone in the writing room stopped to think about how problematic that was.

Overall, Heroes Next Door is character-driven drama with a lot of heart, good chemistry, and decent humour. It’s not groundbreaking or particularly memorable, but it’s sincere and enjoyable as long as you go in with tempered expectations.

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It's a cute and sunny short drama, the comedy was lost on me but it's obvious that they went for a rom-com, underlining the com. Part.

I love the couple so I enjoyed it, generally it was a bit draggy for my taste, started funny and light then it's all a secret past with conspiracies and mysteries that needed to be solved.

It's not badly done, it's quite enjoyable, but I would have preferred it more if it was focusing only on the rom-com as the romance was pushed till the like the last quarter of the series, and comedy was only in the beginning.

Recommended if you like the lead couple ~~

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