Reviews

You may as well book in for therapy before watching this movie !

**Trigger Warning:** If you're considering watching "The World of Kanako," tread carefully. This film is devoid of heroes, presenting a grim tapestry woven with deeply flawed and reprehensible characters. It showcases humanity at its most grotesque and twisted, featuring a multitude of disturbing images that can be profoundly unsettling. I strongly advise you to think twice before diving in for the sake of your mental well-being.

The experience left me utterly speechless for days, and four years later, the visceral shock and feelings of unease continue to haunt me. The darkness of the narrative escalates relentlessly, plunging into depths that can only be described as harrowing.

This movie is a relentless portrayal of abuse in its most explicit forms, pushing boundaries that many may find difficult to stomach. But despite its sickening nature, I must acknowledge that the film excels in storytelling and acting. If the filmmakers aimed to illustrate the depths of human depravity and the twisted realities of our world, they succeeded with remarkable intensity, leaving me utterly shattered.

Nana Komatsu delivers an astonishing performance, and it's hard to believe that this is her debut film! Watching it was a profoundly challenging experience, but undeniably impactful..

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A BL I Didn’t Feel at First, but Might Love Forever !

When I watched it for the first time, I wasn’t deeply touched—and honestly, I don’t think that was the drama’s fault. It was mine. I wasn’t in the right emotional headspace to fully connect with it. Still, my instincts kept whispering that this story had something special waiting for me, something I just couldn’t reach at that moment.

Because of that, I gave it an 8.5, but I truly believe a rewatch could easily push it into my all-time favorite BL list. Some stories don’t hit instantly—they wait for the right timing.

This might be the first series where the first kiss happens in episode 8, yet it never felt like a slow burn. The pacing and emotional build-up were so natural that I stayed fully engaged the whole time.

The second couple’s chemistry also deserves praise. I usually end up skipping one couple in dual-pair BLs if the chemistry doesn’t work for me—but not here. This drama kept me invested in everyone, which says a lot.

And lastly… the ghosts in “Khemjira”?
Absolutely slaying at ghosting. Iconic. Unmatched. Peak supernatural behavior. 👻✨

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You might suffer a little in tje middle and dont trust those who says esther yu acted bad here

So i have finished this drama a long time ago i basically watched this during my exam it was so good that i risked my exam to watch this it became an addiction since the first episode the story the cast the main couple the bgm and the songs everything was so good before watching this drama esther yu's skii into love and when i fly towards you were first on my drama list now speed and love became my favorite of them all amd please dont trust those who says esther yu cant act they are just spreading hate towards her since i have watched this drama i wanna say that esther yu aka jiang mu acted a little childish during her story in thailand where she was 19-20 she acted comfortably infront of jinzhao but then after their separation and during her time in china where she was 27-28 she acted more maturely 🍬🍬

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Until We Drown

I don’t need to overthink a title for this review, the title of the series already encapsulates its core themes perfectly.
I went into this short series with fairly neutral expectations and ended up enjoying it far more than I anticipated. While I’m generally not someone who gravitates toward sad endings, I usually try to understand why a story chooses that route and come to terms with it. In this case, I can honestly say I prefer this ending over a far crueler alternative, one where the characters turn against each other and the main character dies believing he was betrayed by someone he trusted and loved. Compared to that, this ending, while undeniably tragic, feels purposeful. The series frames sacrifice as an expression of love, and in that sense, the tragedy carries meaning. If love must end in pain, I would rather it be a love rooted in selflessness than hatred. The story establishes early on that this is not a light watch, the visual palette leans heavily into dark blues and greys, reinforcing the somber tone and emotional weight. At its heart, the narrative argues that fate cannot be escaped; if you attempt to defy it, it will simply find another way to assert itself. If one did not die, the other would have. That inevitability is what defines the story. Despite the sadness, I found it to be a beautifully tragic experience. The chemistry between the leads was genuinely compelling, and the cinematography elevated the emotional impact throughout. I also couldn’t help but notice how much the second main character, the “brother”, resembles First Kanaphan Puitrakul. From facial structure to even the placement of moles near the chin, the resemblance is striking, almost uncanny. One character I felt no sympathy for whatsoever was the man obsessed with the main character. He was, without question, the primary source of destruction in the story. I would like to believe that after everything he did, literally across two lifetimes, he was ultimately caught by the police. Anything less would feel undeserved. I do wish this series had been longer, as the story had real potential to be something even more impactful with additional development. I’d also love to see the two leads reunited in another series someday, ideally something lighter and more hopeful. Unfortunately, no actors are credited, so if anyone has information on who they are, I’d genuinely appreciate it. One technical issue that significantly distracted me was the dubbing in the first and last episodes. The timing was often off, either delayed or rushed, and it pulled me out of the story entirely. At times, it felt almost like an AI-generated dub forced into place, which is unfortunate given how emotionally grounded the rest of the series is. Overall, this is not a series for everyone, especially not for viewers who strictly prefer happy endings. But for those open to tragic romance and reflective storytelling, it’s a worthwhile watch.

Overall rating: 7.5/10

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Loved these two together!

Been a fan of Chen Xing Xu, since I first watched Starry Love. (I am not masochistic enough to watch Goodbye My Princess, I did watch a decent edit that covered only the leads scenes and that was itself gut-wrenching.)

Lu Yu Xiao has only recently grown on me since I watched her in Love in the Clouds last year.

I think both of them have good chemistry with whoever they work with and they brought their A game to this drama.

The virtual game was what made this drama so good. Yes, there was a time when the ML was being a jerk, but it was small enough of an incident for me to overlook it. Other than that, he has been solid.

It so good to watch a modern cdrama that doesn't center around childish infightings. This is def worth a rewatch.

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I loved it once they got together.

The first arc wasn't my favorite, especially when the ML was mad at her for something she hadn't even done. I get associating his pain with the accident but does that mean she has to take the blame for it? That entire message is so messed up. It is not properly handled. It was an accident, there's a reason it is called that. I wish this part of the story was a little more developed.

Her college roommates were not it. She was quite forgiving after the stunt they pulled after they ganged up on her without any proof.

Zhuang Xu was such a idiot, after treating her that way for so long, how did he expect her to just wait around for more shit? He found apologizing so difficult that he never apologized.

Her workmates turned out to be good friends, far better than the college ones ever were. I felt glad for her. I did watch till the end and they were good together once they started dating. I rooted for them because they were both quite charming after that.

Had the story been a little more polished, this could have been a 10.

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Refreshing and Quality

There are so many good things about this drama, I appreciate the slow burn and the lack of emphasis on physical intimacy and typical relationship plotting and the lack of most drama tropes and plot devices. I also appreciated the attempts to take mental health seriously. I would say the biggest flaw in this show is the writing of the FL character. I will definitely rewatch at some point but unless I missed her background story I feel like she's an incomplete character because I still have no idea why she was with her fiancé, why she has no friends or support systems. I feel like if she had fulfillment and priorities outside of work then she would have never had time to develop an overly personal relationship with her student. Outside of work, her motivations made very little sense to me. Let me know if you agree on the FL or fill me in on what I'm missing because why was she dating someone she didn't like?

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My Thoughts on the Ending (Along with other parts of the show)

A Sad Ending Doesn't Equal A Bad One.

Firstly, let me explain my ratings (I see a lot of talk about how bad the ending was, so I wanted to write my own take on it, and also talk about other stuff that happened that I only realized after finishing. Sometimes it's better not to search for all the flaws in a show and just enjoy it).

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I found the plot of the story very interesting (I did pick this show to watch because of it, haha). The Aliens had a nice design, and I adore the sound they make. But it lacked in some areas. There were inconsistencies, such as the big deal about them being attracted to sound like they're blind (even though in a later scene we get to see the world through the aliens' eyes, moreover, most, if not all, animals rely on hearing and would naturally go to where any loud noise is to pursue prey.)

Lieutenant Lee, initially, would keep visiting the second sphere that we saw fall from the sky. But we never see anything else about the alien in that one. Furthermore, I wish they would show the different sizes of the aliens, but instead, they only focused on the smaller ones.

They never explain where or why they came to Earth, nor why, after 1 year did they fell to the ground. It's said that they target humans like they have no interest in any other animal (It's pointed out like it's a huge deal), but I highly doubt that's true. The aliens felt like the Demogorgons from Stranger Things, where in each season, there were inconsistencies with them, like one moment bullets don't work on them, and then they are very effective.

We see the army try to find ways to kill them, but nothing works except for the special bullets (in which I remember them saying they don't have enough material to make them, but our characters never seem to run out, but I could be wrong). It's shown that freezing them is very effective, yet the military never thought of that? And it's only shown twice.

Why is their still spheres left in the end? We're also told these aliens are really smart (I enjoyed the scene where one of them threw a rock and knocked over a small statue onto the students, which displayed a level of high intelligence), but at times, they felt like worker bees.

I'm not Korean, nor did I grow up in Korea, and even after googling what the CSAT test is, I just don't understand why, after they regroup at the second military camp, anyone would care about it. More so, why did they say it will still happen in a month? Last I check everyone is in bunkers and aliens are invading your country. The war was not ending anytime soon; even so, it demonstrated just how life-changing one single test can be, that you'd risk your life and kill others over it. It tells a good story that when it really comes down to it, your grades or test scores don't matter and shouldn't hold such a huge weight like the world makes you believe (Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a play on how big of an issue tests are mentally and physically for students in East Asia that kids will commit because of it).

What happened to the three girls that survied? Where did they get off to? Not to mention Won-Bin just disappearing in part 2. Did the CSATs being canceled really cause Young-Soo to have a mental breakdown where he started having hallucinations? It was so devastating that he betrayed morality (it would have made sense if he had some medical condition that he took pills for and started to go crazy because he stopped taking them).

I liked the mystery of who killed Soo-Chul, who and why someone(s) rigged the votes, and who broke the radio.

Il-Ha had a nice redemption, and I found myself very sad that he got killed. Ae-Seol and Bo-Ra really reminded me of Ann and Kuina from Alice in Borderland. I loved seeing their friendship (dare I say even romantic interest) grow.

I don't think the ending should have changed in the sense that the student shouldn't die, but rather it should have been by the aliens. That would have been pretty poetic.

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I don't have much to say about acting. Because of the language barrier, I can't tell if a line was said how it should (But, when acting is really bad, I can tell). Furthermore, I don't look much into casting, I only care about seeing new faces (considering many US films recycle actors and don't give way for new actors to create a standing).

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The same thing goes for the music. I don't have much to say because nothing stood out to me. There was only one OST that did, but otherwise, the music was appropriate for said scenes; it just didn't stand out to me.

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For rewatch, that's simply because I don't want to cry again. It's not low because this show was bad.

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Now for the main reason I made this review! You're in for a ride heh... TuT

People like happy endings; they want to see the characters they adore and love get the ending they deserve. Especially when they fought so hard for it. But happy endings are overrated.

Sad ones are poetic and within them lies a deeper message. During my fight with depression, I thought what I needed was joy and happiness in my life. So I went in search of any go-happy K-dramas I could find, filled with laughter and dreams. But what I found was that it kept me afloat, delaying the inevitable, that I would soon come to sink.

What I didn't need was to pluck the dead leaves, but to cut the stem at the base. So that when it grows, it'll come back 10x stronger than before. I kept so much to myself, I was gonna down in it all, fighting back tears. When the real solution all along was to let them flow. Only then was I able to smile once more.

It's sad to see a person who you went through so much trauma with become the reason for your death. It hurts, but it's a good kind of hurt. I did not enjoy the ending; they deserve to see their families again. But death does not discriminate, and art is born out of all kinds of emotion. Happiness, fear, disgust, regret, envy, and even grief. Their deaths were ruthless and quick; plot armor did not even give them a chance.

A sad ending isn't a bad ending, and it's all the more memorable for it.

They died where they began, in a classroom. Now, how poetic is that?

(My first review! Ah I'm nervous..... I just didn't like seeing all the hate on the ending because it wasn't sunshiny and rainbows, given that there are plenty, more then plently, of shows with endings like that. And people have this consensus that if the story ending is sad, it's just bad. Anyway, I didn't proofread this, so sorry for any grammatical errors! I'm also bad at expressing deep feelings and moving messages, so this isn't as impactful as I would have liked it to be.)

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Surprising find

I will be honest. I am quite surprised that I am rating this drama 10/10, but I have to be true to my opinion, and the reason is that I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

**Plot:**
The whole story is about a girl named Sato, who comes from a warm but humble Japanese family. She meets Kenta, and the two decide to get married. However, what Sato doesn’t know is that Kenta is no other than the second son of the Miyama family, one of the oldest families in Japan with a history of over 400 years, deeply rooted in a patriarchal system. The family rejects Sato from the very beginning. Although they refuse to accept her, she does her best by trying to change the family. The story takes Sato through several adventures as she fights not only to make the Miyama family accept her relationship but also to change the role of women in a strictly male-dominated world.

**My reflection **

I was surprised to find that this was a live-action adaptation of a manga, as it was done beautifully. The character of Sato is very interesting; she is the typical manga heroine who fights and never gives up. She has a positive outlook on life and never backs down. She is warm and seems like the one who can find any solution. Sometimes the storylines were all over the place, but the characters were so entertaining and warm that I couldn’t stop watching. It was beautifully adapted into live action without losing those manga elements while still keeping the authenticity of a live-action show, if you know what I mean.

Also, the drama isn't just about a cute couple trying to show a rich family their love; it’s deeply rooted in the topic of misogyny and a male patriarchal society. Each female character in this drama can be seen as oppressed just because they are female. Even though times have evolved, these situations have never changed, and this drama does a good job of showcasing that. From the wife who is seen as useless and only needed to serve her husband, to the one who is considered useless just because she was born a woman and cannot bring anything to the family except for advantageous connections through marriage. I mean, the drama is filled with all those things that make you roll your eyes but also shows that even in 2026, it’s still a reality.

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Hooked

This is the second time I’ve watched this show, but first time reviewing it. Much of my opinions on it remain the same the second time, and I wanted to make some observations.

First, it’s very addictive. It’s super easy to binge in one sitting or over a couple days, and it keeps you hooked. The dual timeline does a really good job of grabbing you right away and wanting to find out what goes down. You really root for Ari and pray for the downfall of the super rich, spoiled people. There was a good amount of glamour, intrigue, and mystery to go around.

Second, it’s a decent social commentary on the dangers of social media. It made a lot of good points on how our lives are consumed by strangers and the damage it can cause. Even the bbbfamous girl made valid points in the end, despite being messed up. Why do we concern ourselves with people who flaunt their wealth when so many people can’t begin to reach their level, and why do we care so much about them?

Third, I HATED the ml. Nothing against the actor, but the romantic plot line did not need to exist. He was arrogant, entitled, and just so bland as a character. Ari should have stuck to her guns and not gotten with him. People like that piss me off and I couldn’t get behind it. They would have been better as friends or acquaintances.

Finally, the acting overall was a bit weak. Park Gyu Young was great, but the ensemble cast felt one note. Don’t get me wrong, the bad guys were good at being the bad guys, but some of those snooty celebrities just swore and huffed the entire time and didn’t show any other emotions or depth. The only other stand out was Kim Noh Jin, who played bbbfamous. Even though we only got to see her as revealed in the final episode, her scenes were good. She was very chilling.

This is a good drama to throw on during your free time, and highly entertaining. Good for rewatches too.

Side note: that Lee Jun Ho cameo was random, haha. He and Park Gyu Young look like they could play siblings! Make it happen!

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