Reviews

A Beautiful Beginning That Lost the Tide

I watched Summer Strike after seeing a TikTok edit and wondering how I’d managed to miss it. The first episode immediately hooked me. I even started the second one instead of going to bed.

The opening episodes are exactly what I hoped for. The small coastal town, the library, and the central idea of stepping away from a life that has become nothing more than surviving all felt wonderfully understated. It had all the ingredients of a memorable healing drama.

Unfortunately, it never quite maintained that momentum for me.

The series tackles a lot of heavy subjects, but they didn’t have the emotional impact I’d expected. I’m not entirely sure why, perhaps because there were so many dramatic storylines competing for attention that none of them had enough space to breathe.

My biggest disappointment was the setting. I wish the ocean had become more of a character. The town and library were charming, but the coast felt underused. Given the premise, I kept expecting the sea to play a larger role in the story’s atmosphere and the characters’ healing.

Even so, I’m glad I watched it. The first quarter of the drama is genuinely captivating, and although the rest didn’t quite live up to that promise for me, it still offered moments of warmth and reflection that made it worthwhile.

Read More

The expectation was set differently but the girls still rules

Contrary to popular opinion I enjoyed Girl Rules a lot more than I thought I would. My first GL didn't disappoint me at all. While my expectations were set for something else, this turned out not at all bad.

The plot is well written. Did I anticipate it to be more messy, toxic and deep? Yes but it was still good enough to reach my heart. The problem is the pilot and trailer set a different expectation for the series, making it the GL equivalent of Only Friends. But it was way less messy in terms the cross relations. In the middle it did fell of a bit however while it took a different part it still managed to show multiple issues w|w relationship faces, all the issues women as a general face in the society. Through the characters it showed us about the value of love, friendship and care. Each of the character carried their own back story. Bambi's character was well written and had the multidimension while most slid towards one dimensional characters. What really made me stay till the end was how the scenes are played, which felt closer to reality, as if I was a part of the Girl Rules universe. There was no rush or scenes which felt unnecessary. The girlhood and sisterhood played throughout the story made my heart warm.

The direction was great. I don't know what people are complaining about. This was not just for the adrenaline, this felt more like stories about actual queer women. I loved the direction style. The pace was perfect. The color grading and editing was perfect. The styling is chef kiss. The sound engineering could have been better but overall the watching experience was good.

Oh my gosh I love the GMM girls. Shout out to Namtan. Film, Love, Milk, View, Mim, Emi, Bonnie, Ciize, Kapook, Mint and the rest of the cast for crushing the drama with their acting. From dialogue delivery to facial expression, everything brought each of the characters to life.

As a women myself, this was closer to my heart. It felt more than a drama. If we keep the pre-built thoughts aside, Girl Rules might be one of the best GLs in the industry with such a realistic set up and grey characters.

Read More

Back to the Future with a twist

This is a story of what ifs, of second chances, and ultimately of discovering what truly matters in life.

The idea of traveling back in time to change the past is one of the oldest tropes in storytelling. On the surface, Twinkling Watermelon doesn’t reinvent that formula. But what makes this series special is that it uses time travel not to alter history, but to deepen our understanding of the people we love.

Its emotional core lies in our relationship with our parents. As children, we often see them only as mothers and fathers, forgetting that they were once teenagers themselves—full of dreams, insecurities, first loves, disappointments, and impossible choices. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we are reminded how arrogance, youth, or simply ignorance can blind us to the struggles they quietly endured long before we were born.
Watching this series reminded me of the song Dance with My Father. It carries the same bittersweet longing—the weight of “could have,” “should have,” and the question we all ask ourselves: If I were given one more chance, what would I do differently?

There are obvious echoes of Back to the Future, not only in its time-travel premise but even in the way music becomes a bridge between generations. Speaking of music, the original soundtrack is simply wonderful. It’s one of those rare OSTs that lingers long after the final episode and deserves a permanent place on my iPhone playlist.

The performances are equally remarkable. Every actor is convincing, and each character feels authentic and fully realized. Their chemistry makes every emotional moment believable, whether joyful, heartbreaking, or quietly reflective. I found myself eagerly waiting for each new episode, and when it ended, I was already longing for the next.

In today’s landscape of increasingly familiar dramas, Twinkling Watermelon feels refreshingly sincere. It takes an old trope and breathes new life into it through warmth, humor, music, and genuine emotional storytelling. More than anything, it reminds us that while we may never get the chance to change the past, we can always change how we understand it.

Without question, this is a series I’ll gladly watch again.

Read More

I tried to like this

I liked the main cast from Princess agents and because of how that show ended I was looking forward to their next work together.
I tried watching this when it just came out ended up dropping it after 3 episodes
I picked it up again this year but still couldn’t finish
Maybe I just hate fantasy dramas
The world building is not my cup of tea
The only thing worse than those ugly cgi monsters is the annoying background sound effects
Not sure if they were going for dramatic effects but the sounds are just too loud and annoying.
As someone who loves mandarin I thought I could watch it for the Mandarin but I can’t hear them speak because of the annoying sound effects.
Kudos to anyone who was able to follow the plot
I guess I love dramas with good ole regular mortals, all this immortal and spiritual real bs is not my cup of tea.

Read More

Breathtakingly beautiful

A breathtaking historical romance where every sacrifice, every glance, and every choice carries extraordinary emotional weight.

Pursuit of Jade is everything I hope for in a historical drama: richly layered characters, intelligent political intrigue, breathtaking romance, and emotional storytelling that never loses sight of its heart. From beginning to end, it delivers a beautifully crafted story that constantly raises the stakes while remaining deeply character-driven.

The romance is undoubtedly the soul of the series. Rather than falling in love instantly, the relationship develops through mutual respect, trust, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty. Their bond feels earned, making every joyful reunion and heartbreaking separation profoundly emotional. It’s the kind of love story that quietly grows stronger with every episode until you realize you’re completely invested.

The performances across the entire cast are phenomenal. The leads bring remarkable emotional depth to their roles, portraying strength, vulnerability, resilience, and devotion with incredible authenticity. Even the supporting characters are given meaningful arcs that add complexity to the larger story rather than feeling like background characters.

The writing deserves enormous praise. Political conflicts never overshadow the emotional core, and personal relationships never diminish the larger stakes. Every plotline intertwines seamlessly, creating a story that feels epic in scale while remaining deeply personal.

Visually, Pursuit of Jade is simply stunning. The cinematography captures both the grandeur of the historical setting and the intimacy of its quieter moments. Every costume, location, and musical piece enhances the atmosphere, making each episode feel cinematic.

What impressed me most was the emotional maturity of the storytelling. Every difficult decision carries consequences. Every victory comes with sacrifice. Every heartbreak serves a purpose. It never relies on unnecessary misunderstandings or cheap emotional manipulation because the characters themselves are compelling enough to carry the story.

This is historical storytelling at its finest—romantic, heartbreaking, intelligent, and visually spectacular. A drama that completely consumed me from beginning to end and one I’ll happily revisit for years to come. An effortless 10/10.

Read More

Masterpiece

A masterpiece that captures every complicated emotion that comes with loving someone at the wrong time and finding your way back years later.

Our Beloved Summer is one of the most realistic, heartfelt, and beautifully written romance dramas I’ve ever watched. Rather than relying on over-the-top drama or unbelievable plot twists, it tells a deeply human story about first love, personal growth, unresolved feelings, and the bittersweet reality that sometimes people need to grow separately before they’re capable of loving each other properly.

What immediately stands out is how authentic every character feels. Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-soo are wonderfully imperfect. They’re stubborn, insecure, funny, frustrating, and incredibly relatable. Watching them slowly confront their past mistakes while learning to understand each other again feels completely natural. Their relationship isn’t idealized it feels real.

Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi deliver career-defining performances. Their chemistry is effortless, built through meaningful conversations, quiet moments, lingering glances, and years of emotional history. You believe every smile, every argument, and every painful silence because both actors portray their characters with incredible honesty.

The supporting cast deserves just as much praise. Each character has their own dreams, fears, and emotional journey, making the world feel rich and believable rather than existing solely around the main couple.

Visually, this drama is breathtaking. The cinematography is warm, nostalgic, and almost dreamlike, perfectly reflecting the themes of memory and growing up. Combined with one of the most beautiful OSTs in any K-drama, every episode feels comforting while quietly breaking your heart.

What truly makes this drama unforgettable is its understanding of adulthood. It reminds us that growing older doesn’t mean having everything figured out. We continue making mistakes, carrying old wounds, and searching for where we belong. Yet despite all of life’s uncertainties, love still finds a way when two people are finally ready.

Beautifully written, emotionally honest, and deeply comforting, Our Beloved Summer is a romance I’ll never forget. It’s the kind of drama that stays with you because it feels so incredibly real. A perfect 10/10.

Read More

Beautiful

A beautiful reminder that sometimes the people who change our lives don’t save us they simply help us find ourselves again.

Melo Movie is one of the most emotionally mature romance dramas I’ve had the pleasure of watching. While it presents itself as a love story, it is ultimately about grief, healing, dreams left behind, and learning that life rarely follows the script we imagined for ourselves. It’s a drama that understands that love isn’t always about dramatic confessions or grand gestures. Sometimes it’s about showing up, staying, and helping another person remember who they are.

What makes this drama exceptional is its writing. Every character feels authentic, with hopes, insecurities, and emotional scars that shape every decision they make. No one exists solely to push the plot forward; everyone has their own journey, making the world feel incredibly lived-in. The dialogue is thoughtful without becoming overly poetic, allowing even the quietest moments to carry enormous emotional weight.

Choi Woo-shik once again proves why he’s one of the strongest actors of his generation. His performance is understated yet incredibly moving, portraying vulnerability, regret, and hope with remarkable subtlety. Park Bo-young is equally outstanding, bringing warmth and emotional depth to a character who refuses to let life’s disappointments define her. Their chemistry feels effortless because it grows naturally through shared experiences instead of manufactured drama.

Visually, the series is stunning. Every frame feels intentional, with warm lighting and cinematic compositions that beautifully reflect the emotional tone of the story. The soundtrack perfectly complements every scene without overpowering it, creating a nostalgic atmosphere that lingers long after each episode ends.

What I appreciated most is that Melo Movie respects its audience. It doesn’t rush emotional moments or rely on unnecessary misunderstandings to create conflict. Instead, it allows relationships to develop through honesty, communication, and personal growth. Watching these characters slowly heal both individually and together is incredibly rewarding.

This isn’t just a romance. It’s a story about rediscovering your dreams, learning to forgive yourself, and finding beauty in life’s imperfect moments. It’s heartfelt, beautifully acted, gorgeously filmed, and emotionally unforgettable. A flawless 10/10.

Read More

Fuckass Finale

July 3, 2026

What the fuck is that ending?

I am genuinely so appalled cause I really look forward to watching and finishing this series. Honestly, I will take ep 11 as the main ending cause I refuse to accept that ending. It's open ended and it feels so out of place. Rushed, incoherently done. I don't even know how to explain how confused I was as I watched the last episode. Are they trying to imply that they both will die because of the meteor or it's one of those last moments before the final doom. I feel like at this point they should have just given us a sad ending than whatever ending they came up with.

Regardless, I loved watching the progression of our main characters, they had the strongest chemistry ever. I truly loved it. Ep 1 to 11, you will be missed thoroughly.

Read More

Don't be fooled by the Trailer!

Was waiting for a time where I could sit down and watch this drama, and it genuinely delivered beyond my expectations. The trailer got me hooked and with ChengLei being the lead, I was expecting comedy and a new side of Him. But beyond this, I wasn't expecting for this drama to be packed with such depth to the point I cried at some scenes in the later episodes. The acting was phenomenal and damn the OST always gets me.

No other words to be said, but this was one of the fastest Cdramas that I have finished because of the great pacing and it overall just grabs you.

Read More

Watched in a single sitting

I thought a show about a fan meeting their bias would be cringy, but this was kind of cute. I found myself smiling for no real reason quite a few times. Some moments made me cringe, like when I think about how I would act this way meeting my bias, and when the fans cross the line, like when the girl asks to see Choi Siyeol's abs & the one asking insensitive questions on the radio show. Fans like this actually exist, and I feel bad for anyone who has to deal with them.

Na Aejoon is the definition of "my bias can do no wrong." This man is literally defending Choi Siyeol when he's still mad and heartbroken. Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't be the same if I was in this position with literally anyone from Stray Kids or BTS.

The plot wasn't the strongest. I'm not talking about it being almost every fan's delusional dream to meet their celebrity crush and said crush show a romantic interest in them; they do make it more believable by making Na Aejoon's cousin Choi Siyeol's manager. So there is a connection. The weak parts are:

1. We don't get enough of the side couple. We have, in my opinion, a really good scene at the end of Yeon Ju Ha confronting Ji Kyuseong, but we never get to see how they make up; they are just suddenly together again. It also would have been nice to see more of their confrontation with the reporter since he was apparently the cause of their breakup.

2. The other group members are not part of the story at all. They may as well not have existed. It's completely unrealistic because even if they are all doing their own thing, they would still be a part of each other's lives. They would be doing dance practice together, recording songs, interviews, etc. We get none of that, and when they are on screen, they don't say a word.

3. There are a couple of moments where the idols have to deal with rude fans, but otherwise we don't see much of what they actually have to deal with as idols.

4. The show they are creating in the show really doesn't seem interesting at all. Would anyone actually watch this? Regardless, too much screen time was given to it when we could have been doing more with the main or side couple.

On to the actors! First off, I love the size difference between both couples. Na Aejoon in Choi Siyeol's clothes is so cute! The acting itself was solid, no complaints, and the chemistry was decent even though the kisses (what little we got) were more like pecks than anything. Ji getting crewed out by Yeon Ju Ha was so funny. Incredible acting from Shin (Yeon Ju Ha). This was easily one of my favorite parts. Yeon Ju Ha and Na Aejoon exchanging pictures of their boyfriends was honestly adorable. We only get to see a little of their friendship, but I loved it.

As Korean BLs go, this was actually really good. Not that the bar is set very high, but I was surprised by the production value, that the actors were good and had decent chemistry, and most of all, the world didn't feel like an empty void inhabited by only the main characters & a couple of supporting ones.

Read More

"Hope is the beginning of calamity"

The King of Pigs is another drama focusing on South Korea’s national trauma---school bullying. It is hard to peruse very far when looking for a Kdrama or Kfilm to watch that doesn’t touch on bullying—in school, the work place, or in politics. “Know your place” is a well-worn phrase straight out of the Joseon Era. The King of Pigs showed how the emotional damage to two young boys was internalized and then realized in a complex gory and deadly revenge plot played out on both sides of the law.

Lt. Kang Jin Ah is called to a possible suicide scene when a message is found scrawled on the window mentioning another officer she has worked with-Jung Jong Suk. She calls Jung in to help her and it’s not long before Jung’s ties to the killer are revealed. After a gruesome discovery, Jung becomes as much suspect as witness, complicating the case further.

The vicious revenge plot played out well. These types of dramas and films throw me into my own existential and spiritual crisis as I find myself rooting for the killer. Adults who as children had been subjected to what amounted to torture developing psychological breakdowns was not much of a surprise. What was surprising was the calm, methodological manner Hwang Kyung Min planned his vengeance even while hallucinating. For Jung Jong Suk, as the memories flooded in, his mental stability flooded out, causing him to act less rationally as he struggled to deal with the past. Both had basically been POWs, trapped in a cell with their tormentors with no escape and no help coming. For the tormentors it was all fun and games.

The class divide raised its ugly head inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers bowed to money and power and turned a blind eye to the bullying. The homeroom teacher lamented not being able to physically abuse the young men in his class. One wealthy father felt perfectly comfortable beating a student and striking a woman in a public place with no repercussions. The vulnerable had no one to turn to and no one seemed to care about their suffering. The bullies were too cowardly to act on their own but hunted in packs like wolves. Yet if the classmates who did nothing had banded together with the victims, they would have outnumbered the bullies. Instead of pigs, which can be dangerous, they acted more like sheep.

Kim Sung Kyu gave a strong performance as the slowly unraveling Jung. Kim Dong Wook endowed Hwang with a powerful determination to accomplish the tasks set out before him. The flashback scenes worked particularly well because the drama actually utilized teenage actors instead of trying to paste on more makeup and make the audience pretend thirty-five-year-olds were playing middle school students. All of the teens played their roles well. My biggest problem was with Chae Jung An as Lt. Kang. If the writers were going for a loner who liked to work alone and who didn’t always play by the rules, then she better make a difference and better be charismatic. Unfortunately, neither happened. The character vacillated too much, didn’t accomplish anything meaningful, and came across as petty and bland. And dear goodness, she had a bad habit of holding her gun pointed at her own head-gun safety people!

The King of Pigs traveled at a break neck pace, never letting off the pedal of death and mayhem. While the investigation aspect of the drama had weaknesses, the psychological thriller delivered an onslaught of emotional punches. One more drama warning people that extreme bullying can break people down, break them so badly that a glimmer of hope could lead to calamity.

“Dogs are loved for their very existence. But pigs could only have their worth acknowledged when they are torn to bits to become food for the humans.”

3 July 2026

Trigger warnings: SUICIDES, abuse, sexual abuse, smoking, drug use, gory torture, animal cruelty

Traffic notes: Another drama where car chases took place on empty four lane highways. People were constantly laying down in the street. Have they never heard of The White Truck of Doom???

Homeroom Note: Why are teachers never in the classrooms, especially with bullying being an issue?

Read More