Reviews

Good but not great

I will start this by saying i was very excited for this series as I love Ja as an actor and the storyline was something different than what we usually get. Now I will also continue this by saying that begging of the series and the end of it feel like 2 very different quality series...

The beginning of the series was something I actually enjoyed watching, it was interesting and the chemistry between Ja and Tae was AMAZING. Unfortunately that didn't last... the moment their characters got in a relationship that chemistry was nowhere to be seen....
Tae is not ready to be a main character and his kiss scenes were horror show. For goodness sake your partner was Ja THE JA the one who knows how to kiss, who isn't shy to kiss his partner!! The kiss scenes left me frustrated because of Tae and his lack of reciprocation during them. Genuinely hope he stops accepting roles until he doesn't get comfortable with kissing other people.

Next couple. The girls. In all honesty I skipped them... I tried to give them a chance but the plot was not something in enjoyed that beginning of their relationship felt so rushed to me that I just couldn't get pass it.

Finally MudBook the only couple that had good chemistry from start to finish and weren't shy around each other. The plot of their relationship was also good but I do love some level of toxicity in relationships.

All in all I was left disappointed especially when Ice and Saint decided to give that person a chance. Warm was supposed to be left in past, forgotten and not forgiven. I was rooting for this series, but not everyone deserves a happy ending. A good watch, but definitely won't be rewatching it.

I also do love the OST.

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The Kind of Drama You Wish You Could Watch Again for the First Time

Neo Hou’s performance stands out, especially in his non-human role, where he perfectly captures emotional restraint, loyalty, and quiet suffering. The relationships in the drama particularly the complex romantic dynamics are layered and engaging, adding warmth, pain, and subtle humor to the overall narrative.

The female lead as Xiao Yao is another major highlight. Her character is adorable, lively, and emotionally grounded, bringing balance to the darker themes of the drama. The actress’s casting feels perfect, and her natural, expressive acting makes Xiao Yao instantly lovable and believable. Together, the strong performances, thoughtful storytelling, and refined visual atmosphere make The Unclouded Soul a drama that lingers long after it ends.

What makes the drama even more exciting is how the plot keeps getting better as the story progresses. The pacing never feels flat; instead, the conflicts grow more intense and emotionally layered. And the love quadrangle surrounding Xiao Yao? Absolutely one of the most entertaining and heart-tugging parts of the show. It’s messy, painful, funny, and charming all at once. Watching these characters love her in completely different ways is both adorable and heartbreaking.

Honestly, this drama is so good that if I ever lost my memory, I’d want to watch it all over again from the beginning. It’s unforgettable, emotionally rich, and incredibly rewatchable.

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Not sold on this one

I am still on a teen movie streak, LOL.
But sadly this one fell short for me.

Since they are not blood related, I had no issues with them growing up as siblings.
But with the rest.

Zero chemistry between the lead actors.
As a viewer you should be able to perceive some level of pull toward each other and yearning between these two (it’s a romance after all), but there was none.
The ML characterization didn’t make much sense either:
Seemingly stoic and no issues with using random girls to distract him from his love to his stepsister, but a softie and an instant cryer during that break up scene with fake Mina. Huh?!
The 2ML was subtle creepy most of the time with his swarminess. 😐 When niceness comes with an agenda. Eww.
The only positive point in this movie was the female lead and the best friends.

The fl actress did a good job. And while Minato’s actions aren’t exactly stellar, they were relatable and without malicious intentions.
Which brings us to the story.
I have no high expectations regarding storyline, when watching a teen romance. But that doesn’t mean, the plot should be without any depth. There are movies out there, which are easy and fluffy, but are still wholesome and carry some kind of underlying meaning.
Not this one. Why was the cleaning quirk of the fl not a touch more explored and as a healing process more woven into the story? It clearly related to her brother.
No.
No recommendation from my side. There are better options out there to watch.

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A simple romance... i kinda expected a bit of drama tho

It was as simple as a straight line. The story had no ups or downs just a simple straight line.. when i saw ep 1 especially Amane's FWB i thought it'd be something like "Therapy Love" but nope. All the foreshadowing lead nowhere.

But the lead were really cute and adorable to look at. The drama was an eye candy. Just a little too undramatic for me... i personally prefer dramas which show the whole process of them falling in love with each other and getting a happy ending. Probably cz this one was a short drama? That didn't happen here. All of this was just 1 episode in the end. The remaining 4 it was more of friendship i guess...

Yeah it was good. Should you watch it? Yes. Would i re-watch it? No.

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The brilliance in simplicity

A very substantial mini-series, under the category of queer media, that addresses many issues and concerns of gay relationships and dynamics with realism and depth. If feels very natural and down to earth from the writing and the acting to the cinematography. Despite that the episodes are short, each character is unique, multidimensional and properly fleshed out.

Regarding the acting, it's very solid. Every performance feels authentic and genuine.

Overall, I definitely recommend this series to people who are looking for a more raw portrayal on queer matters. It's a show that embraces imperfection and flawed characters, which is what makes it noteworthy.

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Shine on My Awkwardness

Haven't finished the drama, but for the first 9 episodes there's really only one word for my experience: Awkward.

It's not just that the characters were awkward, because I actually did not mind that so much. The main characters were mostly kids freshly graduated from college, and having been there myself, I appreciated depicting more of the faux pas that happens with young, innocent, well intentioned impulsiveness. The drama itself also appears to understand when someone said something really weird and off-key, so that all seemed deliberate and with purpose, so in my books, that's acceptable. But I found myself questioning the writing and the writing process, because THAT seemed awkward too. It's one thing if something embarrassing happens because this was a personality trait, like a character is just really shy and lacks the sharp tongue necessary to resolve situations rapidly, or is insecure and lacks the confidence to stand up for themselves, but the characters keep getting themselves into weird situations and misunderstandings that feel completely unnecessary. In the beginning, FL had a crush on the SML. She was bold enough to confess first, but for some reason he didn't actually answer? And upon learning that her roommate also had a crush on SML, she acted all awkward and regretful about it, leading to these long, painful sequences where FL and SML would stare at each other wordlessly over and over again. What did the roommate having a crush on SML have to do with anything if FL confessed without knowing and he should have answered? How do you have such a conversation without a resolution one way or another? Did the writers not know how conversations work? If SML actually liked the roommate back, then be like your old confident self who confessed first and cut things off, stop pining after him like a loser. If he didn't requite the roommate's feelings, WHAT DOES THE ROOMMATE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? Why didn't he just answer? If he didn't reply then he doesn't like you, move on exactly like you would if he liked your roommate back. Hello? It's such a bizarre way to land in this limbo state, both look like idiots and it's so hard for me to believe I'm enduring all these scenes for any good reason. What kind of logic did the writer use to explain this situation? Each time it comes up, I'm not sympathetic toward the characters, I'm just baffled.

And then even weirder was the ML, who's a neurosurgeon; I don't know exactly how old ML is supposed to be and whether this was addressed somewhere I'm missing, but folks, Chinese medical school lasts at least 5 years, which is 1 year longer than your average uni, and that's assuming you don't aim for a PhD, which ML apparently had, so he needed to have been in school for at least 7-8 years. Then you enter residency; first year of any residency is always the year where you're mostly clicking charts, prescribing Tylenol to inpatients, and observing from the back in the OR. If you've proven yourself and the attending is in a good mood, MAYBE you get to retract, which isn't really relevant in something like neurosurgery; at most, you might be able to close with sutures at the end of the case. Neurosurgery residency in the US takes 7 years, I guarantee in China it wouldn't take any less time to complete, which means it would be a few years before you're trusted to do a full surgery on a patient's brain front to back. Not being a neurosurgeon myself, I'd wager end of 2nd year, beginning 3rd year at the earliest, and only very simple, short cases; honestly I really doubt a resident would be trusted to do a full case that early. Still, let's say ML is a genius and he defied all convention and really did pick things up that fast. So at the time of ML and FL's meeting, FL would have been 22 years old, ML should have been at least 29 or older, because he was referred to as a PhD, he was shown performing an 8 hr surgery as a primary, and then having a car accident that damaged his dexterity after which he was out of surgery for a year. Now I'm not talking about the age gap, I'm talking about ML, despite being a surgeon and at least 7 years older than FL, being weird enough to blame FL for not showing up to see him at the hospital after his car accident despite never even having met before? Even a 10yo wouldn't be this irrational, and this guy's supposed to be a neurosurgeon and the hero of the story? Furthermore, his characterization also makes zero sense; he is depicted as a guy who silently angsts while glaring at FL for her seeming abandonment a year ago when she clearly had no idea what he's upset about. The dude's a SURGEON. What self-respecting surgeon is able to shut up about themselves and whatever is on their minds? Yes, they can be socially awkward, but not because they don't say enough! If anything they're absolute divas, especially if they do NEUROSURGERY, I defy any of you to find a surgical specialty more proud of how brilliant they are than BRAIN SURGEONS. These people make decisions about whether or not to cut your head open, they're not going to waver about saying what they want to say, and they're certainly not going to care whether you want to hear it. So this whole weird dynamic of ML misunderstanding FL for several episodes straight and not being able to clear things up because he has selective emotionally-triggered mutism immediately knocked me right out of the immersion. It's fine if 22yo college grads who are still wet behind the ears don't know how to express themselves, but an almost 30yo former neurosurgeon is just pathetic. "Maybe he suffered brain damage from his car accident", you might say. Well, then maybe he should focus on his brain damage instead of hooking up with his employee. And I won't even go into how ludicrous it is for him to sit with his former colleagues in FL's room when she was admitted at the hospital, discussing other patient cases like some weirdo. What do they think they are, neurologists? Did they forget that workstations exist where they don't need to discuss private medical information in front of those who aren't part of the care team? Anyway, if you don't know how neurosurgeons behave, don't make your character a neurosurgeon. If you don't understand how 30yo adults behave, don't write about 30yo adults. There are plenty of much more natural, realistic series of events that can lead to awkward tension between two people, if you're not able to design a believable context then you shouldn't be writing this kind of plot. It's just so clear that these writers don't actually understand the topics and people they're writing about. I'm not dropping this show because it's awkward, I'm dropping it because it so clearly did not have to be and this is what makes it more agonizing than anything else. If I'm constantly wondering why the writers designed the show this way, chances are many of you would find this show more insufferable than enjoyable.

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A slow-burn romance about growth, choice, and quiet strength

Shine on Me is a drama that unfolds gently, rewarding patience with emotional depth, meaningful growth, and one of the healthier romances I’ve seen in a long time.

At its core, this story is about the female lead reclaiming herself. She begins timid, overly accommodating, and shaped by other people’s expectations — especially her father’s. Over time, and largely through the steady, non-intrusive support of the male lead, she grows into a confident, decisive woman who knows her worth. That evolution feels natural and earned, never rushed.

The romance is a true slow burn. The male lead supports rather than controls, listens rather than dictates, and challenges the female lead in ways that help her see her own potential. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, emotional safety, and choice — not sacrifice or misunderstanding-driven angst. When they finally come together, it feels like a partnership, not a reward.

The second male lead is frustrating by design. While moments of sympathy emerge later, his arc reinforces one of the drama’s strongest themes: indecision and silence have consequences. Love requires courage and timing, not assumptions.

Family dynamics add emotional weight, particularly the female lead’s relationship with her father — a man repeatedly blinded by control and manipulation. In contrast, her mother represents quiet strength and self-respect, creating a powerful generational parallel. The business storyline, especially around the PV industry, complements the character growth well, highlighting the female lead’s intelligence and passion beyond her family name.

The ending delivers a true sense of closure. The time skips feel earned, the future feels peaceful rather than rushed, and even unresolved threads align with the drama’s tone. This was never about explosive revenge — it was about healing, choice, and moving forward.

Overall, Shine on Me is a thoughtful, emotionally grounded romance about choosing the right kind of love and growing into yourself with someone who walks beside you, not ahead of you.

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Sweet Revenge with the Handsome Officer as Her Hand and Knife

I was attracted by this drama because of the ML Lu Huan Yu who is so handsome. The FL Zhang Jin Yi is so beautiful too. After watching the series I've found out that they are real couple. I love it. They look so wonderful together and glad that those looks and the affection and the very love itself are for real.
The story is quite different from usual. A beautiful girl who suffered so much injustice and is under the evil control of her relatives was struggling for clues to be used for justice and revenge. Unfortunately, she met the royal officer investigating corruption in the city and tthe handsome officer fell in-loved with the beautiful girl who was also virtuous and very intelligent. He supported her, helped her and protected her from harm and became her hand, her knife and her sword to avenge against those who made her suffer so much.
Their acting are simple but very convincing. I love this drama and hope to see more dramas with Lu Huan Yu in it.

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idol I the kdrama YOU should watch

Idol I is a fresh and engaging K-Drama that offers a compelling look into the world of idols while balancing drama, emotion, and entertainment. Unlike many idol-centered dramas that focus purely on romance or fan service, this series takes a broader approach, exploring the pressures, challenges, and personal growth that come with fame. From the very first episode, it is clear that the show aims to give viewers more than just glitz and glamour—it presents characters who feel real, with believable struggles and aspirations.

The leads deliver performances that are both convincing and relatable. The actors bring depth to their roles, portraying the joys and anxieties of idol life with authenticity. The main characters’ interactions are layered, reflecting not only friendship and teamwork but also the subtle tensions and challenges that arise in high-pressure environments. Supporting characters are also well-written, contributing to the story without feeling like filler, which keeps the plot engaging throughout the series.

One of the standout qualities of Idol I is how it balances different tones. While the show has plenty of lighthearted and fun moments—highlighting the charm and charisma of the idol world—it also delves into more serious themes. Issues such as personal identity, ambition, and the expectations placed on public figures are explored thoughtfully. The show never becomes overly heavy, but it manages to provide emotional depth that adds weight to the story. This balance of entertainment and meaningful storytelling makes Idol I appealing to a wide audience, from casual viewers to devoted K-Drama fans.

Another strength is the pacing and structure. Each episode flows naturally, with a mix of character development, engaging plotlines, and moments that showcase the idols’ talents and personalities. The drama’s narrative keeps viewers invested without relying on predictable tropes, and it rewards attention with subtle character growth and interpersonal dynamics. The production quality is also notable, with visually appealing cinematography, stylish sets, and music that complements the story without overpowering it.

Overall, Idol I is an entertaining, thoughtful, and emotionally satisfying K-Drama. It offers a glimpse into the idol industry while maintaining a strong focus on character and story. The series succeeds in being both fun and meaningful, making it highly enjoyable from start to finish. Personally, I found myself completely invested in the characters and their journeys, and I would confidently give Idol I a perfect score. It is a series that both idol fans and general viewers can appreciate, providing laughter, heartfelt moments, and a satisfying exploration of life behind the spotlight.

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Sexy & entertaining romcom

This one grabs you fast and never really lets go. What makes it stand out most is how confidently it’s written: the male lead is smart, observant, and refreshingly not a walking misunderstanding machine. Even when everything around the female lead looks wildly suspicious, he trusts her without hesitation, which creates a delicious mix of comedy, tension, and genuine warmth. That trust is the backbone of the romance and makes their connection feel earned rather than forced. The tone is chaotic, naughty, and self-aware, and it fully commits to that energy. The chemistry is explosive—natural, bold, and unrestrained—and it elevates every close interaction, whether playful, emotional, or outright spicy. Supporting characters are given real dimension instead of being cardboard cutouts: the abusive husband is disturbing yet strangely entertaining thanks to a layered performance, the possessive “gege” inspires rage on a primal level while still remaining oddly watchable due to strong acting and a script that allows nuance, and the sister figure is sympathetic without being unrealistically pure, which adds welcome complexity to the female dynamic. There are moments where logic takes a back seat, but honestly, that’s part of the fun—this drama isn’t trying to be restrained or realistic, it’s trying to entertain, and it succeeds. One early scene in particular is so audacious and absurd that it permanently sears itself into your memory and perfectly encapsulates the show’s fearless approach. Add in strong girl-power vibes, bold physicality, and a romcom rhythm that never drags, and you’ve got something wildly addictive. Content warning for brief but severe domestic abuse. Overall: sexy, entertaining, chaotic in the best way, and absolutely worth your weekend. Spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Sweet 🌹🌹🌹 Entertainment 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿(Shortened r/cshortdramas review)

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A really important message!

This is a series that requires an open mind. On one hand, we have JaTae working together for the first time, which demands a significant investment of work, dedication, and commitment from the actors. Added to that is the story's backdrop, which deals with such a difficult subject matter. I think that, obviously, although there are flaws, as in any production, it was an excellent job by the entire production team. From my personal perspective, it would have been desirable to see Ja's character confronting his father from a much earlier stage in the series, but as the plot progressed, I had to remind myself how different the staging of Asian productions is compared to the rest of the world. In Asia, respect for parents is sometimes portrayed so deeply that even the worst treatment doesn't provoke confrontations from children towards their parents. I found the portrayal of JaTae's characters in the short film within the series wonderful (and I cried a lot). It conveys an important message.

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Light vs Darkness

No matter how fiercely the darkness prevails, light will always triumph in the end. - this quote sums up this drama

Finished watching Vendetta of An., finally This is one of the best dramas that has come out in 2025 year-end. I enjoyed watching every bit of it, craving for more episodes. I had so much to vent while watching, about humans acting worse than animals, and also wondered if living is so important that one would kill to live. . ML's side answered my question, they killed too , so that others lived , not for greed , not for power , but to bring peace to the realm. they killed only the garbage parading in human skin . .. they have mostly forgiven or protected innocents (even if they have done mistakes , unknowingly) . I loved and hated the deposed king. it took so much death and destruction for him to grow a pair! On the contrary though I started off being suspicious of his brother, i ended up admiring him in the end. He came out as being more compassionate , politically matured and more deserving of the throne , and i felt bad that he died in the end. Some of the moments felt so helpless, and i was worried ML's side wouldnt be able to succeed . and only a miracle would help them succeed - and that miracle is ML himself - the ending was so intense and he indeed strategised the win so brilliantly , and convinsingly!

I immensely enjoyed the series, no doubt about it! And I will follow the original author's works more closely. I think the author is immensely talented.

The drama captured the essence and presented it powerfully and convincingly. I loved the fast pace .my only grouse was, it needed more episodes to do justice to all that content (choppy editing didnt help) - in the later episodes i sometimes struggled with names /characters /context , when some references made by various character , more episodes would have given us more context , breathing space to catch up. the fast pacing though i loved was so fast that i found myself racing (albeight not as fast )playing catchup.... Otherwise good content , acting , direction ..... will revisit this series again.

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