Reviews

A Light Rom-Com With Some Clichés

It’s a funny, cute rom-com that balances comedy with emotional moments. It has its share of clichés, but it’s still an entertaining watch. I really enjoyed the main couple and the cute secretary romance on the side. No complaints about the visuals or styling either.

The biggest drawback for me was how predictable the story became in the second half. The secret marriage contract, misunderstandings, characters hiding things from each other, and some of the dramatic situations felt very familiar. I also wanted a more satisfying downfall for the Prime Minister. His actions were infuriating, but the consequences felt too brief. Hui Ju’s family also took some time to grow on me after the way they treated her, but it was good to see them change.

I enjoyed the drama throughout and liked that the ending took time to show life after the monarchy was abolished. Seeing Wan finally experience the freedom and ordinary life he was denied as a royal was especially satisfying. I just wish we had seen more of the young king adjusting to normal life, more of the staff from Wan’s private residence, and what ultimately happened to the Prime Minister.

P.S.
1. I liked that there was more than one kissing scene. People in love kiss it’s natural.
2. The idea of a modern-day monarchy in Korea made the show quite different from historical dramas. And honestly, watching it made me even more glad that monarchy doesn’t exist today.
3. I've mostly seen IU in emotionally heavy dramas, so seeing her in a lighthearted show was refreshing. I really loved her character here. Her self-praise and slightly better-than-thou attitude somehow came across as cute, and she also portrayed the underlying sadness really well. And of course, I loved that she got a happy ending.

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Writing style focusing mostly on muscles, with some heart to it, and little brain.

I had a lot of fun watching the drama, but I also honestly have little to say about the plot, premise, themes - all I remember and most I cared about were the exciting fighting scenes.

Honestly believe the plot was the weakest part of the whole show, because it lacked focus. Nothing truly felt connected in any meaningful manner. Ga Min wanted to protect his study group, Han Gyeong wanted to use the group to achieve her goals, everyone was pissed about the group existing for no real reason. The conflict between the good and the bad guys had close to nothing to do with Yun Ga Min. The past teacher’s death was there just for Han Gyeong's motivation, but I also question why it was more of her arc and not Park Geon Yeop. This is a typical case of entertaining moments happening for the sake of entertainment, with little cohesiveness. And while how they handled the plot disappointed me a lot, I actually enjoyed the characters themselves a lot.

Yun Ga Min is for sure the heart, but not the brain of the show. The poor baby truly barely has any working neurons in his brain. You know how there are people who are street smart, and some that are book smart? He is neither. He has awareness of ameba, but that is what makes him wholesome and adorable - he always sees the good in people, even if others already gave up on them.

While I enjoyed his presence on screen, and his fighting scenes were truly marvelous, overall I thought he was a rather flat character and I was not that invested in his development.

Similarly all the members of the Study Group did not have that much nuance to them. The one that truly seemed to be developed well and had a well structured plotline with proper set up, build up and conclusion was Kim Se Hyeon. All the rest was there to fill the quota. And they did it well. The chemistry between them all was truly perfect, the interactions were fun, the dynamics were refreshing. Whatever the combination of them on screen was presented, I knew I would be entertained. But entertained only. They tried to give a little bit more depth here and there, but it usually was too little too late.

Then we have the whole plot of teacher Lee Han Gyeong trying to get revenge/justice for the past events. Underwhelming in all areas. She was beefing with a group of mafia teens who were going around ready to kill people. And I understand they were related to real gangsters and all that, but the adults' influence and control was barely shown to justify their actions. Not enough world building to sell the story.

Which leads us to the villains - psychopathic teens. Sure they were entertaining, but they were so shallow and not compelling at all. I honestly do not have much to say. I wish the karma would hit them harder with how annoying they were.

I don’t even want to talk about Park Geon Yeop - why was he here? What was the point of his character? At first they seem to hint that he will have a major part in the plot and uncovering the truth about the post, and then he was written off the story completely without explanation.

That said, I do like the acting a lot. Even though the cast was rather young with not much credit behind their names, and almost none in terms of action heavy titles, they truly did ace all the fighting scenes - I was beyond impressed. That was the part I was the most excited for. No halfassing in that department - from acting, choreographies, performances, use of set and props, filming, editing and soundtrack - every element crafted truly amazing action sequences.

Overall, it was fun, exciting, making my cortisol and dopamine levels higher, as a story should. I just wish the writing was stronger.

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The only thing that STUCK was my disappointment ?

The plot was interesting enough. Then why was it not executed well?

Well, here I am with another review about how disappointed I am with the plotline and, honestly, much more.

Even though the plot was cliché, it could have turned out really well if the characters had been written better. Instead, everything felt far too convenient. And then, suddenly, WOW, they get their happy ending. What else could you possibly want?

The chemistry was practically nonexistent. I’m not even kidding. The FML was trying so hard, while our ML seemed to feel absolutely nothing. My biggest complaint, however, lies with the ML because you had ONE job.

You’re supposed to be dangerous. Scary. The kind of man who is feared by everyone but becomes vulnerable only around the people he loves. And yet, when the person you supposedly love runs away from the very thing that was meant to keep her safe, after you’ve literally taken multiple stabs and punches to make that happen, you just... let it go?

How?

Someone with his supposed emotional attachment and personality would have lost it. At the very least, I expected anger, desperation, frustration, something that would show that her actions actually affected him. Instead, he just accepts everything so calmly. There’s no doubt that he loves her. As a viewer, I can imagine what he must have been feeling in those moments.

Unfortunately, what I imagined remained just that: my imagination. I didn’t actually get to see those emotions translate onto the screen. And that’s a problem when the entire relationship is supposed to be built around how deeply he feels for her.

Another major complaint I have is about the FML.
You’d expect much bigger reactions from someone who was tortured, turned, and put through everything she went through. For someone whose fingerprints were literally burnt to a crisp, she seemed suspiciously okay and strong. And I’m not saying she needed to be completely broken or helpless, but I needed to see the impact of what happened to her.

There was so much potential for this to actually shape her character. Trauma, fear, anger, hesitation, even small changes in the way she interacted with people would have made sense. Instead, she seemed to bounce back far too easily, which made the whole ordeal feel strangely weightless.

And that’s probably what frustrated me the most. The story gives these characters experiences that should fundamentally affect them, but then doesn’t let those experiences actually affect their behaviour enough.

The plot twist was good, even though I'd called it two episodes ago. It was good enough to keep me engaged, I'd say.

But I have seen better i guess. I would have been appreciative if they showed if Jang Tae Ha picked up boxing again after that (Tho the show does hint so).

But I guess it is what it is. This is probably the most frustrating kind of disappointment. Not when a show is terrible from the beginning, but when you can see the version of it that could have been so much better.

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Not worth it

I really like LO, but that show just wasn´t it. I was already a bit dissapointed by only you, so getting something way worse is really sad. They took a plot that is sometimes used for creating short-term-drama (MIL vs wife) and tried to use it for a whole a** series. The acting was mostly fine, except for the scenes where MIL and Orms Character fought, these were really hard to watch and must have been hard to act too, because nothing in this series has essence, or matter. It´s pretty boring and gets old very soon. If I had known, it wouldn´t develope any kind of plot, I would have stopped watching after the second episode.

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The sun awakens in the end…

Every once in a while, a series or film comes along that reaches somewhere deep inside you and leaves a permanent imprint. For me, that was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I suspect Liu Jingyu’s Changyang will be one of those characters for me.

A Winter’s Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hill is a series I already know I will want to watch again and again. And somehow, “满纸长情” the song Kuma and Lyu sang together feels like the perfect musical metaphor just like “Moonriver”. Some stories simply stay with you.

The final episode, appropriately titled “Beholding,” may be the most beautiful expression of Changyang’s love. His joie de vivre, passion and emotional intensity make us wish that everyone could experience a partner who looks at them the way he does. For Changyang, there is only one person in his eyes. Gender becomes irrelevant. What he sees is the person, the soul he has chosen to behold.

And perhaps that is exactly what Zelia is trying to say.

The series feels like a commentary on China’s risk-averse attitude toward same-sex relationships. “The social divide between us” does not weaken their love; it seems to intensify it. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then societal pressure makes their bond stronger. The more the world tells them what they cannot be, the more determined they become to simply be.

I was particularly intrigued by Zelia’s use of Venezuela’s brutal Hunter School as the antithesis to the social constraints surrounding homosexuality in China. Was this simply part of the story, or was Zelia deliberately creating a symbol of rebellion against rigid systems of control? The Hunter School represents one extreme of a society that attempts to reshape people through force. China’s social environment represents another kind of pressure, less physical, perhaps, but capable of controlling lives through conformity, shame and public judgment.

Then Zelia finally makes her own Hitchcockian cameo, appearing as Director Li. I translated the text message she sent and reads as follows:

“Mulan disguised herself as a man to join the army in place of her father. When a woman dresses as a man, it's called "leiwu satao" (a type of martial arts performance); when a man dresses as a woman, it's labeled "effeminate culture." Is this a case of cultural hatred towards women, or a societal lack of confidence in its own culture? Ultimately, it's only when humanity entered a patriarchal society that we fell into a social acceptance of male worship.
What does it matter if you're male or female? We're all just a shell containing a soul. Some retain their spirit, some lose their soul; some are clear-headed and blind, some can't distinguish right from wrong. When will humanity be able to let go of gender?”

And what she says after their film is criticized for being gay-centric may be the most direct statement of the series’ philosophy. Mulan can disguise herself as a man and be celebrated as a heroic cultural icon, yet when a man displays femininity, society is quick to condemn him. Zelia asks whether this is cultural hatred toward women or simply a society insecure about its own definitions of masculinity.

Her conclusion is even more provocative.

What does it matter whether we are male or female? We are all merely shells containing a soul. Some retain their spirit. Some lose it. Some remain clear-headed while others become blinded by convention. Some can distinguish right from wrong, while others simply follow what society tells them. And ultimately, she asks: When will humanity finally be able to let go of gender?

That, to me, is the real theme of this series. Love does not see gender first. Society does.

Zelia’s reference to Chinese netizens as moths dying in a flame could not have been more pointed. The frightening power of strangers to elevate, destroy or even ruin someone’s life through online judgment is a sobering commentary on modern society. Reputation becomes public property, and people who have never met you can decide who you are.

Shi Yu Hao’s redemption caught me completely off guard. But beneath that redemption, I also sensed something darker, the price people sometimes pay when they become trapped by the expectations of others. In a country where the entertainment industry has seen a disturbing number of young actors do not live beyond 45, the storyline carries an uncomfortable resonance about the cost of losing one’s way, one’s identity and ultimately one’s will to live.

Very few series know how to end on a high note. A Winter’s Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hill does.

It ends with a rising sun.

Not a declaration that everything has changed. Not a fantasy that society has suddenly become accepting. But a suggestion that change is possible. That love can survive the systems designed to contain it. That perhaps one day, China may look at same-sex love not as something that needs to be hidden, explained or condemned, but simply as love.

And that is why the final image stays with me. It reminds me of that lone man standing in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square. One person standing against something vastly more powerful. He did not stop the tanks. But he made the world stop and look.

Perhaps that is what Changyang does. He simply stands there, loving the person he loves.

And asks us to behold.

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good characters

the ml and sl in delightfully deceitful had really good personalities

ml- blunt, professional, honest, sincere not cold aloof or morally grey

sl- charismatic, naturally charming and sweet behaviour, chronic oversharer

fl- loved how she wasnt a helpless girl archetype and her gradual character development when she was with ml

wished the friend characters were more developed

jay being the chairman was like pulled out of my butt, kinda sad when ringo got dragged to the hospital and jay didnt do anything cynical yk but i might just be sadistic.

when they put jay and the others in prison, kinda felt not satisfying liek girl bfr but i loved how EVERYONE went to jail
(not the lawyer is crazy)

also the cover image is NOT at all reflective the show

wished there was a bit more romance yk.. but if they weren't gonna add more, then girl cut that kiss scene out (embarrassing as hell)

also when he bought her like 3 diff drinks was ummm, like on paper it was romantic but in reality it was cringey as hell

"trust my disease" sussy baka, i feel like they stressed on his disease soo much we couldnt even tell if HE HIMSELF truly wanted to help, like bro went to therapy for like 3 years but he is same???

OVERALL I RECOMMEND!!!!

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Why God?

There is a famous old Korean movie with the same title from 1977, so this is some sort of remake or reimagining of the story. From the very beginning, it’s clear that this is an amateur film because none of the actors really know how to act, and there are a lot of them. That said, it’s commendable that they are dedicated to their roles and fully immersed in them. From a production standpoint, you can see that the people involved really tried to make everything look convincing. There are plenty of shots and a lot of details.

The child actors, who carry the main story, deserve special praise.

The story itself is beautiful and inspiring, but unfortunately it lacks a bit of tact in its narrative development. Some scenes are too long, some are unnecessary, and some are poorly integrated into the whole. The prayer scene and the conversation with the priest were particularly interesting to me. It doesn’t provide a solution, but it adds some depth to the story. What I liked most, however, was the music — both the melancholic instrumental pieces and the song about the mother who is no longer there.

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Read This Before Starting The Series!

Well everything's perfect especially the visuals aishhhhhh but it's just that the order of the events that takes place in the first episode makes it a bit confusing at first like atleast for me coz I felt like "Wait is this a flashback or something?" also the pace like the speed of the events like the plot is moving at a rather fast speed than usual — I saw the preview of Episode 2 and thought about it I mean I don't mind it but I believe it could have been a bit slower like the for the first few episodes yah other than this I loved it and would absolutely recommend to EmiBonnie fans or GL-Drama lovers <3

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It's about how two people with a very difficult fate become a secluded place for each other, almost a home. Chen Nian is desperately trying to break out, to arrange a better life for himself, and Xiao Bei is just trying to survive in a world where he was left with almost no chance. And between them is born not a beautiful story, but a quiet support: they understand each other without unnecessary words, and that's all the strength.

It is especially catchy that the film does not hide the cruelty of the system and pain, but at the same time leaves room for cautious hope: sometimes it's enough just for someone to be there and understand everything. I wish everyone who was poisoned had such a person. This movie beats not with loud scenes, but with how accurately it shows this very need - so that you are simply not left alone. A very deep and honest movie that doesn't let go for a long time

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Don’t miss out on this one

-One thing I’m sure of about this drama is that they chose the perfect actor for the antagonist (Park Byung Eun everyone!!)
-Easy binge watch. I caught up faster than I expected.
-Tension/chemistry between characters (between ML/FL and ML/Antagonist🤣)
-Romance wasn’t the main highlight but don’t let this be a deal breaker!
-Could’ve easily been a 16-episode drama but it does a great job with moving the pace.

If you want to watch something similar, I recommend: My Fellow Citizens! 2019. The themes: con artists, stealing, political, and side plot romance are present. It will give you the same moral dilemma as this one does😁

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Boring but good

The first episode got me intrigued, making me complete the entire thing AND there are spoilers so warning.

POSTIVES-

I really like fl's character, she's not the average joe like pick me, bubble, clueless or anything like that. She's very emotionally mature and extremely strong (good at fighting) which I love.

I really loved Noh tae-nam's character developed, like boi got me stressed esp about mass shooting thing but highkey dont understand why he gave bolt (dog) away?

I loved how the "main" villain remained a villain? like she had no sob-story and her character never changed, although her emotions were a bit hard to read, like your son almost committed suicide in front of u and u is fine??? a bit weird thats for sure.

NEGATIVES-

The middle got a bit boring so I just skipped some parts.
Like every revenge drama, they gotta make some empty threats and blah but it kinda got really annoying.

It was kinda upsetting that the other 2 co-workers relationship maybe got hinted at but since these was a romance deprived drama, i feel like they should have at least developed their relationship at the most (I'm just a sucker for 2nd lead couple romance).

Kang ha-Joon (the long time friend) I feel like some scenes it hinted at his unrequited love for the ml but that's it? I feel like that part was kinda pointless or should have at least developed more, like in the middle he kinda just gave up (like his feelings didn't influence his actions but that might just be me fighting thin air).

The detective aunt and the head of 4th division office (park jin-woo) I feel like their romance (or lack of) was kinda unnecessary like they had 3 scenes? 1- her asking him out 2- them meeting up for dinner 3- her giving birth (esp the 3rd scene was soo not needed, like I would have preferred their relationship developing instead of them just having a baby like a bit weird in my opinion.

Pyun sang- ho (mass shooter) lowkey satisfying but this might be a sign of me being sadistic but only thing I don't get was why he didnt kill sergeant ma (the bully) like just a bullet to the leg and a few whacks from the gun like, I expected more.

No hwa-youngs (villain) subordinate, I feel like her "redemption arc" didn't make sense? like her just hearing the recording of her boss yapping behind her back was at least expected of her character so I don't get how she felt so "betrayed" since she was the one who knew the most about the villain (boss).

The ending, felt like revenge was too easily achieved like bro just handed them the x-files while they were looking for it for 2 episodes and had no clue where it was at, lowkey sad.

ML & FL relationship- throughout the kdrama, they didn't have any heart fluttering scenes or at least where it was kinda sorta obvious they were falling in love, maybe a few scenes looking at each other a bit yk... so I feel like the ending kiss was completely unnecessary like they could have just ended it my them looking at each other lovingly.

If u have reached the end, congrats u get...nothing.
Overall, I would say perhaps skip it? maybe just for Noh tae-nam like his character was worth it but yah.

p.s my first review <3

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i’ve become obsessed with jasmine

i was losing my mind during episodes 11 and 12 😭 also, mhok’s return was so underwhelming ✋🏻✋🏻 bro… why 3 years?? i hate time skips in dramas, and this one really wasn’t it. but i think their little flirty moments when they met again after those 3 years made up for it 🥹🎀 there weren’t many kisses, but i felt like the emotions were conveyed more through mhok’s perspective, at least. of course, since i started this drama about a month ago, i don’t really remember all the moments that annoyed me in the beginning, but august was still a dumbass 😭 overall, the drama was average, but i can’t say a single bad thing about the acting, it was amazing 🫶🏻

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honestly not that bad

i dont really write reviews but i feel like a lot of the reviews for this season are too harsh so im here to balance it out a bit.

personally this season feels more like a web drama then the first one. im not sure if it's the camera work, the story, the acting or the significant lack of colour but it feels...homemade ?

though i really did enjoy the drama. i feel for the fmc as she has been through an insane amount of trauma (seeing 2 PEOPLE DIE in front of her LIKE COME ON). i understand why sh did what she did to protect what she had built and i think the criticism of her being spinless is a bit harsh given that she wasnt just protecting herself. i think she had a good amount of character growth as well as the 2 fmc. the new male love intrests mehhhh not that interested in them.

also HATE the actor changes for so many of the characters. it took forever to remember who people were supposed to be. ALSO the female villain fell flat for me, i could'nt understand her drive or motive. she was so wishy-washy. but she did create some decent drama for everyone.

overall, i think it was okay. i dont think it deserves as many negative reviews as i've seen. it doe have it's quirks and it isnt a great follow up but it did well on its own methinks.

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