Reviews

The cinematography saved this

I agree with the other reviews saying this started strong. I don't about others but this initially gave me Given vibes.

What I liked:
Number 1 in the list is the cinematography. I can't explain why Japan dramas are just so aesthetically pleasing. Their cinematography is just chef's kiss. Even the way the sun casts shadows is beautiful.

Next, the main actors' acting were pretty decent too. Although, I feel like it's too short to build enough chemistry.

Room for improvements:
After the confession in the roof top, everything crumbled. I feel like the story needed a bit more time to really develop the second arc (the post high school life). We don't even know what happened to the MC'S family. The world building after high school was basically nonexistent.

They could've have given us a few more songs or music considering the MC is a musician. For a series with a musician as the main character, the soundtrack could be better.

I noticed J dramas in general tend to bathe in silence lol. Sometimes, I want them to just talk it out.

Overall verdict:
Depth of Field isn't the worst series aired this year but it's nowhere near close to being in the pool of the good ones.

Read More

Well-written & acted crime thriller drama with a huge dose of bromance

I have to admit that it’s been months since I last watched a Shen Hao Nan drama. I have never seen Cai Xin Yang’s work before plus the fact that this drama is tagged as Thriller and Mystery got me excited. It was hard to get links to drama with English subtitles, I almost gave up. Thankfully Jwells shared links to this drama. I loved it!

What I liked:
1. Cai Xin Yang - I have to be honest - I was captivated by Cai Xin Yang’s performance and looks. Oh, I found Cai Xin Yang sexy! I don’t remember seeing a vertical actor looking mighty FINE in jeans paired with white shirt or black shirt. Those arms! It was also great to see Cai Xin Yang doing action scenes.
2. Chen Ye characterisation - He got the grittiness, pessimism and quick-to-take-action qualities I expect in a police character. I also liked that he wasn’t a perfect cop. There were moments when he was not thinking objectively. That’s normal because cops are humans too.
3. Jiang Yan Bai characterisation - His character fascinated me: i) his personality was a contrast to Chen Ye’s personality, ii) his relationship with Chen Ye and Chen Ye's brother. Given his profession, Jiang Yan Bai analysed the situation first before providing insights but he never pushed the police to accept his views just because he had academic qualifications (you know how stuffy professors can be). He had the quiet confidence which complemented Detective Chen Ye’s more commanding presence.
4. Acting - I mentioned earlier about enjoying Cai Xin Yang's performance. He is lesser known in the world of vertical drama but he had charisma to be the first lead! I really enjoyed Shen Hao Nan’s performance - this is my favourite role of his. The supporting cast especially the three police officers did well in their roles too.
5. Writing - I was engrossed in this drama. Brilliant crime thriller story told in two hours. I liked the very subtle hint of the perpetrator - I knew the creepy florist wasn’t the main culprit! I also liked the science explanation for the meds and crime procedure although I was not sure how accurate the facts were.
6. Styling - I liked the contrasting outfits worn by both leads. Chen Ye's outfits had an edgy look whereas Jiang Yan Bai wore more softer colours. My favourite outfit worn by Chen Ye is the outfit he wore for shooting practice while my favourite outfit worn by Jiang Yan Bai is the long beige coat paired with white shirt and black trousers.
7. Bromance - Ok there were too many bromance moments that I thought are disguising the love they had for each other. I found it funny that one moment even make it to my 'ML in bathtube' MDL list.

What I disliked:
1. The ending - I did not like the ending though. What’s with the epilogue? Is it a hint for season 2 or something else???
2. Assault - Chen Ye saved Jiang Yan Bai from being stabbed. I was puzzled by his way of saving him. Why didn’t Chen Ye kick the assailant or use his gun?

Favourite scene
The refrigerated truck scene

Read More

Hats off to the whole team for bringing this amazing drama and waking me up from Kdrama slump !!

I started with no hopes at all but I shocked by how invested I was by the end if the 1st episode. it kept getting better and better. Maybe its not for everyone because the food was the life of this drama but it worked for me. I was hooked till last and I am happy I chose to watch this.

Chae Min was magnificient in this one. I hope he gets more scripts like this with good stories and likeable characters. For those who say that it was filled with fillers, I dont agree with them. Try it and you won't regret for sure. If not for the story then for the actors because everyone did an amazing job !!

Read More

The real prophecy was fluff all along!

Some dramas want to challenge the world, and some just want to make you smile after a long day. My magic prophecy belongs to the 2nd camp.
It's light and happy to live in the land of fluff.

The premise uses tarot card-inspired themes. Each episode is named after a card, hinting at what is coming, which is unique in my opinion, but the drama doesn't focus much on fantasy. In my head, I thought they would lean into a puzzle box narrative with heavy mythology of tarot cards, but they settled for a simpler story. Again, which wasn't bad, but I feel they missed on this.

The story is also pretty straightforward. It follows the journey of Thap, a skeptical ICU doctor who doesn't believe in fortune-telling, and Inthu, a tarot card reader. When Inthu predicts a streak of bad luck for Thap that could lead to his death, he begrudgingly decides to believe him and they seek shelter in Inthu's hometown.
The chemistry between the leads is the biggest strength here. It is warm, cosy and healing. I enjoyed their initial banter and gentle arguments. But since no BL is complete without one of the leads having a traumatic past, this was no different. Inthu had demons of his own to deal with, and what I loved the most was how Thap broke those walls slowly and gently. Somehow, everything clicked naturally and every tiny moment built up to something emotional.

It was very sweet and comforting but it was also very safe. This is where my disappointment comes. When I see a fantasy element mentioned as the primary plot device, I expect it to be present and used to actually make a difference in the story and not just episode titles. While the tarot gimmick adds a unique wrapper to the story, it was underdeveloped. I kept waiting for the fantasy to sweep me away, but it ended up buried beneath all the romance and fluff.

Coming to the second couple, while I do like the pairing, they felt more like an afterthought. They were sweet and we did have cute moments, but they didn't get much development.

Also, there’s an attempted murder mystery plot lurking around, but honestly… I called the antagonist by episode 3. Even if I give myself a slow clap for that and move on, the story barely cared about the subplot anyway.

Acting-wise, Sea wins the award for me. All the emotional scenes of him breaking down had me in near tears too. It felt messy and painfully real. Jimmy also complimented him well though I found him a bit stiff at times...nothing really too distracting though. I liked Save's acting here, even though his character as the Inspector was a bit foolish at times. I am looking forward to seeing him more. Franc was also decent, though whenever he had a scene with Save just bantering around, he always had this smile on his face which was awkward. I am not sure if it was intended that way. Also, I loved Junior's performance here even though it was very brief.

Production and cinematography are bright and easy on the eyes. I liked the whole countryside setting and the hospital scenes did feel real. It's a GMM TV production, I don't think budget is an issue for them.

Overall, for the fluff, it absolutely delivered...I had fun, I smiled and I even teared up a little. I rated it for what it actually gave me. But beyond that, it doesn’t bring much new or fresh to the table. The story plays it safe, the fantasy elements never fully bloom and the subplots feel undercooked. It’s sweet and satisfying in the moment, but not something that will stand out among the more memorable BLs.
I would recommend it if you enjoy fluff with healing vibes. Just don't go in expecting complex plotlines or mind-blowing twists.

Thank you for reading my review! <3

Read More

So fun

The chemistry between the leads is amazing and enjoyable to watch. The plot is engaging as well. I loved learning about each other, the characters' backstories, and why they act the way that they do. I also enjoyed watching them figure out how to get out of difficult situations together. Lastly, I really liked how the majority of the conflicts between the leads did not drag out too long, and they were separated from each other for long. If you are looking for something entertaining to watch, that has very minimal stress and great chemistry between the leads, I highly recommend you check out this drama.

Read More

Why add plot when you clearly do not want to have a plot?

Nor you need the plot to be perfectly honest. I am genuinely confused about what happened and what this drama wanted to be. It claims to be a fantasy rom-com, but it feels like a cooking slice of life. It sets the plot as this epic love story that defies time with political schemes in the background… but delivers a cooking slice of life. So why not just… be a cooking slice of life and not cosplay as something else?

The whole drama is a sandwich. Episode 1-3 and 10-12 have a plot, episodes 4-9 have cooking and close to no plot. Anyone willing to explain to me how I am supposed to care about all the events happening at the end, when they were never developed and existed only in my memory from the first few episodes? I’m honestly annoyed, because I actually love the slice of life genre, and I love historical rom-coms with fun set up and some political schemes. But I was expecting a plot, and got disappointed when I did not get it. And since I was not expecting a slice of life cooking comedy, I kept waiting for the plot to happen, and ended up not quite enjoying it either.

This could have been just a slice of life cooking comedy - 8 episodes, remove Kang Mok Ju and Prince Je San from the story completely since they were useless. Also, remove the whole backstory of the king's mother - useless. Serious political schemes? Useless. Male lead being tyrant for like 2 hours of the screentime? Useless. Basically, remove the crumbs of the plot we’ve got, and I will love it.

The cooking? Amazing. The bond between the cooks? Awesome and fun to watch. Making meals more than just food, but rather an emotional experience that connects people and makes them remember their happy memories? Beautiful. The visuals - breathtaking. I even enjoyed the romance, which was mild and cute, a nice backdrop to the cooking itself. And if the drama was that, and only that, it would be an easy 8.5 out of 10.

Then we have the issue of the casting. Acting wise everyone did a good job, but it’s obvious Lee Chae Min was to some extent miscast. I know it was a last minute decision, and he aced the role itself. But when you put him in the context of the other actors, his presence makes no sense - he is simply too young. All the main characters are supposed to be more or less of a similar age, and so are the actors. And then we have this 2000s baby. I want to be clear that I do think he did a great job acting wise though.

As for the romance - outside of the set up it was great. Loved the fluff, loved the initial banter. I loved the growing trust and actually decent communication. In the context of the set up? Flat. I don’t know, I’m just confused and want to ask the writer: why? I liked their relationship, I do think they like each other. Did I feel love? No. Ji Yeong felt mildly interested. I did not feel that deep bond that can change the trajectory of the future, that would make their souls crushed if they end up separated. It gave me more - you are my type, let’s see where it will lead us.

Production wise - beautiful. I was in awe with all the cooking scenes, still giggling when I remember the editing of the reactions when characters were testing female lead’s dishes.

Overall, I would be fine with no plot, just good vibes and cooking, if they did not set up an actual plot that also seems interesting and would have exciting conflicts. But now I’m just confused about what was the goal and what the writer and director wanted to deliver with this project.

Read More

Fell Flat

They tried, but it honestly fell quite flat for me. Got me a small chuckle here and there as well, but by the end I was kinda zoning out, just waiting for it to end. Thankfully it was short, so I made it to the end, though I feel it could've been a tad shorter and it might've fared better with some scenes being cut or at least shortened.

The production value also felt quite early 2000s, so seeing (2025) surprises me, though they did have a drone in the budget at least, as was seen in a certain shot with the drone being visible in one of the shadows.

My biggest gripe was probably the audio mixing/mastering. 2/10 for that. Certain scenes were barely audible with their whispers, only to suddenly be shocked by them speaking at a normal volume, and then suddenly the music blaring at an even higher volume. It's as if they completely neglected it, or only recorded audio from one source, so in e.g. one scene they're standing with the back to the camera while talking quietly and you can barely hear it, as am I guessing the camera location was maybe the microphone location as well, and recording someone speaking softly and quietly with their back turned away from you, from a small distance on top isn't exactly gonna make for great audio.
This is definitely one of the few times where dynamic range compression (DRC) would actually improve the audio experience instead of destroy it, lol.

4/10, with 5 being average and just "OK".

Read More

Nonsense drama that brings no value

Each episode is the same as the previous one, nothing is happening in the story. The whole drama was just being dragged. The interactions of the main actors felt so unnatural and cringe for this series but not in their previous works. The story, plot and scenes were very repetitive throughout the whole show. 6 out of 10 episodes were filmed in just one location. In's house.

It was also unacceptable for the screenwriter to make Thap to forgive and cry over someone that attempted to murder him, not once, not twice but three times, or should I even include the other scenes where Thap could've been in a fatal accident. This is improper behavior that is normalized to the viewers.

The other extra characters in the story did nothing for the series, they were there just so an episode could be completed.

For anybody saying this drama is about mental health, it's not. Bad past traumatic experiences and anxiety about the future is never solvable by just being with someone you love, that is what this drama misrepresented.

Read More

Underrated masterpiece!!

I saw many other reviews. In which it was said that this season is not as good as season 1. But for me this season proved to be very good. It turned out much better than I thought. Everyone's acting is great. I fell in love with the lead. Her acting was very good. Her cuteness and her chemistry with main lead was very good. Many people liked the chemistry of the main leads in Season 1, as I did.But that doesn't mean the chemistry between the lead and the main character isn't good. I really liked their chemistry and his caring for her.i binge watched it.

Overall it was a very good series .
I feel very good after a long time.if you like historical fantasy drama than go for it.

Read More