Reviews

A definite 10/10

The plot is pure fanservice as it shows Si-eun do what every nerd wishes they could do. The plot twists go crazy--- I was expecting the first arc to be the entirety of the show, so the second half genuinely threw me for a loop and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The fighting choreography was excellent in that it was both thrilling to watch and gave us insight into the characterization of the various fighters, as each person had a distinct style which matched perfectly with their personality. Even the characters that I hate were compelling and the acting was phenomenal.

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Great Remake

This Zac Efron adaptation was a fun watch and surprisingly more touching than I expected. I enjoyed all of the plotlines in this show, although I found that many of the smaller plotlines were lacking due to the quick resolutions and/or turning out to be largely irrelevant to the overall plot. While it is expected to utilize many flashbacks to fill in the gaps for Hong Daeyoung's original life, they felt hamfisted due to consistently being used directly when they become relevant to the plot rather than used for foreshadowing. Most shows also build up the relevance of flashbacks by showing an relevant event in the past, then showing a longer version that provides new info to recontextualize the flashback--- this show decided to cut out the context from the MIDDLE of the scene instead, making it feel more like gaslighting rather than a discovery of new context.

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Weirder than I expected

This series was absolutely not what I expected it to be. It wasn't worse than I expected but still didn't really do anything for me, especially with this ending.

Things that I liked:
1. Beautiful acting from Seto Toshiki. I've seen him in another series before, and I wasn't the biggest fan of his acting there, but in this I like it more. Overall acting from everybody was exceptional, and I enjoyed watching them.
2. Yuma and Meguru. I wasn't a fan of the whole thing around Yuma and how we were never given any explanation on what actually is happening with him. But I still loved both Yuma's and Meguru's characters; they were great side characters, adding so much flavor to this series.
3. Ritsu not letting Masumi go to his mother. I was so happy he stood his ground, because if not, Masumi probably would've spent his last days in misery with his mother, who hates his guts. Masumi staying was the best thing that could've happened.
4. Ritsu biking 30 km to get medicine and crutches for Masumi. That was incredibly sweet and thoughtful as well as selfless, which we would've never seen from younger Ritsu. I was so happy to see that he changed and grew as a person, which strongly suggests that he is actually sorry and deserves a second chance.
5. Ritsu being actually apologetic while asking for forgiveness instead of making up excuses like he did in the past. That again just comes to show his growth, and I really appreciated this. We are all people, and we all make mistakes; there is nothing wrong with making mistakes—we are not perfect. But it's always important how you react to your mistake and how you proceed in the future.

Things that I disliked:
1. Masumi stalking Ritsu after they stopped talking. Extremely creepy… Please don't do that. That will never help or give you peace. Just let it go.
2. RITSU!:
2.1. Cheating and saying, “My bad, I thought you would understand.” Who does that? If you thought he would understand, you should've talked to him about it and established some boundaries. The fact that Ritsu did none of that just shows that he knew Masumi wouldn't understand and just chose not to tell him.
His only problem with this whole thing was that he got caught.
2.2. Ritsu being so nonchalant while talking about literally drugging and killing a person (allegedly), not just any person but a 15-year-old child!
2.3. Ritsu acting like a predator, he promised a random kid that they were going to kill themselves together. (?)
No info on how he met the kid, and also why the hell would they agree to kill themselves at the same time, and also WHY IS THERE A LITERALLY RANDOM CHILD AT HIS HOUSE.
2.4. Ritsu gave alcohol to a minor. Actually saying, “But it would've been such a pity if he died without tasting it,” are we serious right now?
3. Masumi's mother. Going through a tough time because of your own poor choices isn't a reason to abuse your child. She is pathetic, and her behavior is sickening.
4. The ending. I wouldn't call it an open ending, but if anything, it was a truly poorly written one. No actual explanation for what exactly happened with the meteorite and no info on what was going on with Yuma.

Overall it was not too bad, quite nice actually. I was really about to give it 8-8.5, but the ending sadly made me drop the rating to 7.5.

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A quiet masterpiece for anyone who’s ever had to rebuild themselves

The Ideal Life of Mr. Kim has been one of the most meaningful dramas I’ve watched in 2025. What struck me most is how profoundly it speaks without ever trying to be “profound.” There’s no loud messaging, no forced self-help narrative—just a quiet, deeply honest look at transformation, healing, and what it means to finally face yourself after years of being shaped (and sometimes damaged) by work, expectations, and corporate culture.

If you’re Gen X or an older millennial—or anyone who has ever been churned through that system, burned out, and had to put yourself back together—this drama will make you feel genuinely seen.

The lead’s physical and emotional evolution over time was exceptional. It’s rare to watch a performance that doesn’t just act transformation, but embodies it. The choices, the subtle changes, even the aging—they were done with such care that you feel the passage of time inside the character, not just around him.

The soundtrack deserves special mention. There were moments I simply sat there letting scenes breathe because the music elevated everything without being intrusive. Beautifully curated, beautifully placed.

And without spoiling anything: the final episode is one of the most quietly beautiful endings I’ve seen in recent years. Reflective, gentle, earned. I watched the whole series in two days and wished I could somehow watch it again for the first time.

I’m honestly grateful this drama was produced at all. It’s not a show aimed at the teen-bopper crowd, and that’s exactly why it feels so special. It speaks to viewers who have lived a little, fallen, repaired themselves, and kept going. For us, this feels like a gift.

Stunning drama—quietly unforgettable.

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I truly enjoyed this drama, the acting was excellent, the music added depth, and the chemistry between the main couple was captivating. Dilraba brought Nie Julou to life perfectly: fierce and independent on the outside, yet tender and vulnerable within. Yan Tuo complemented her beautifully, always offering his strength, support, and protection when she needed it most. Together, they were outstanding throughout. The story, however, felt a bit uneven: slow in the middle but rushed toward the end. There were so many unanswered questions, especially about the earth fiends, Lin Xirou, Xing Shen, and the rest of the Southern Mountain Hunters team. The ending felt abrupt and left too much unresolved, which made it feel somewhat empty. I truly hope they release a second season to continue the story and give us a more complete conclusion, because ending it this quickly doesn’t do justice to the world they built. One more aspect that felt out of place was how the fiends seemed to overpower the hunters in almost every way. Their strength and abilities made the hunters look pitiful and even embarrassing at times. The fiends, having learned to live among humans, were portrayed as far more intelligent, adopting modern techniques and strategies, while the hunters remained stuck in their overly ritualized, old-fashioned methods. In a sense, it made sense that the fiends adapted quickly to human life and used modern approaches to their advantage as they were still learning about humans and gradually adopted to human's new way of life, but it also highlighted how conservative and limited the hunters appeared in comparison. While I wouldn’t call it the best drama, it’s definitely one worth re-watching.

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A hymn to love

Do I recommend the series? Yes, I do. There are wonderful, iconic, unforgettable moments and with a bright and promising happy ending for the lieds, Nie Jiu Luo and Yan Tuo.

If you read my review, consider all the very positive aspects of LOTTL. Are there any drawbacks? Yes, like everything in life, but LOTTL will please you.

Although these observations lie between subjective and technical perspectives, the series is extremely captivating. There are countless scenes that I will keep with immense affection for their poetic beauty and because the story of NJL and Yt is a hymn to love!

Abbreviations for the names of characters mentioned in the review:

NJL - Nie Jiu Luo
YT- Yan Tuo
LXR -Li Xin Rou
XS - Xing Shen
LX - Lv Xian
XH - Xiong Hei
LL - Lin Ling
(Yu Rong, Que Cha and Lu Jie are also mentioned, but I didn't use abbreviations)

■The qualities of the series:

The leads

Dilraba's performance reached a level of maturity and magnetism rarely seen in actors, especially those of her generation. It's no wonder she's so persecuted, as people only throw stones at trees bearing fruit. It's challenging to define her performance in a few words, but even so, I dare to highlight her ability to convey a multitude of subtle microexpressions that carry a powerful emotional charge that kidnaps and mobilizes the viewer's emotions to the very limit. Dilraba's character is the most complex, the most challenging to interpret; she manages to reconcile wild firmness, femininity, sweetness, fury, compassion, love, pragmatism, childishness, maturity, vigor/strength/courage in opposition to her fragility as a human being susceptible to trauma, such as her phobia of water. This character, Nie Jiu Luo, is already consecrated as legend and a classic that shines in the pantheon of great heroines.

I make this very personal point, and I ask for permission from those who think differently: NJL is nothing like Lara Croft. Nie Jiu Luo is unique because she has immense human depth, she is like us, someone truly made of flesh and blood. Her spirit bears the deep traces of ancient Chinese roots. She herself is a sculpture with carvings that did not copy models, that were inspired only by the subtlety of the worldview so peculiar to China. The black outfit (which would be the only similarity...), despite being daring and exuding sensuality, is sober and extremely feminine in contrast to Lara Croft, who has a masculinized, eroticized profile, almost like a soldier, clearly violent with her excess of pistols.

Nie Jiu Luo is a warrior who, with a simple knife, terrifies powerful enemies without losing her dragonfly aura.

Chen Xing Xu

Besides being physically a Greek god, CXX also delivered a sensitive and mature performance, portraying and giving dimension to a wide spectrum of feelings, behaviors, and gestures. CXX masters facial and body expression, magnetizing with his gaze, in a performance that expresses, with depth, the universe of those who love, those who suffer, those who strategically dissimulate, whether in the context of the conflicting and affectionate relationship between YT and NJL, in the context of tension or sublime moments, or in the context of depression, loneliness, and silent despair. CXX manages to reconcile masculinity with gentleness and sweetness, the dream of any woman.

▪︎Positive points of the series:

1- It offered a high-quality spectacle, with a refined line of thought that skillfully and balancedly utilized artistic, poetic, and psychological/psychiatric concepts.

2- It presented an intriguing, intelligent, daring, and even surprising story, focusing on affective relationships, philosophically rich, intricately woven with psychic and behavioral explorations, and permeated with originality.

3- It presented solid, strong, iconic, well-defined, and coherent characters, tinged with lyrical touches.

4- It produced a well-written plot, with well-concatenated and connected facts, well-developed, and permeated with artistic beauty and poetry. The novel even includes quotes from poems by Li Bai and Du Fu, two of China's greatest poets, which explains the production's clear attention to aesthetic aspects, not only visually, but also in the lyrical message in which the story builds the characters NJL, YT, LL, LX, LJ (yes, even LJ, who captivated everyone. They publicized a scene of her as a fiend and, without any explanation to the public, there was no development), all profoundly human and overflowing with lyricism, very subtle in their feelings, gestures, and behaviors.

5- Very well-structured aesthetics and cinematographic aspects that act on the viewer's emotional universe, with meticulously explored environments, enhancing the viewer's immersion, in addition to atmospheres that range from luminosity to shadow, from dim light to darkness, but always strongly contrasting with the light (Example: scene of Guo Ya's execution, episode 11).

6- The series has an almost dizzying pace that balances action, emotion, tension, violence, humor, anxiety, love, delicacy, lightness, and density.

7- An intelligent, engaging plot, unpredictable (although it lost coherence and rationality from episode 22 onwards).

8- Impeccable costume design.(with the exception of hunters, I'll talk more specifically about that later in the review)

9- Solid characters with well-structured characteristics, well-articulated and believable emotional and psychological aspects (up to episode 22).

10- Perfect chemistry between the leads, the direction explores sensuality without trivialization, and develops the relationship between the leads with an engaging progression.

11- Impeccable acting from all the actors.

12- Impactful fight scenes that don't exploit excessive blood, but well-coordinated blows with good choreography (The final scenes of the long-awaited final battle in the cave were disappointing, bland, lacking significant movement/choreography.)

▪︎Negative Points/Plot Holes in the Series

The pillars of the series began to crumble in the final 10 episodes. These are the main flaws/holes in the series:

1- The disappearance of YT's sister, is a deep wound in his life (and in ours...). This fact is presented to us throughout the series, however, we are left without a clear answer and with the mere presumption that she was murdered as a child. This assumption is suggested in episode 31, during a dream of YT, who was recovering from injuries sustained in the final battle in the cave. In the dream, she appears for the first time in a luminescent aura, evoking another state of life, and says that she has always been there, that she is very happy, and runs to a very bright portal and disappears upon entering it. YT wakes up... He, and we, also wake up to a nightmare that persists.

2- NJL's rescue: how did YT get out of that place, sweeping NJL away? How did he manage to reach and exit through the high ceiling where the hole he fell through was located, separating the river from the dry cave where NJL lay in a dome? How did he manage to carry her without supplemental oxygen, to get NJL to the surface of the river? This couldn't have been left to our imagination.

3- YT burned his hands to break through the scalding dome where NJL lay, but he didn't have ANY scars. It's therefore implausible.

4- What happened to LXR's housekeeper? She was complicit in all the horrors committed by LXR, but she disappeared from the scene, as did the mansion and possessions that LXR stole from YT's family.

5- What happened to the children's asylum (in the middle of the forest, also implausible), an important part of the plot and where the series begins, it was part of YT's life.

6- Lu Jie, did they give up on explaining her identity? Or did they create two arcs and choose to keep her as the dedicated and maternal housetaker? Or was this scene created by AI? We'll never know...

7- And the Locust? They gave the simple solution of a team of biologists simply collecting it: end of its story, let's accept it. In other words, Locust had no function whatsoever.

■ Some personal impressions on the genre of the series

It is not a simple task to discuss the sources of Chinese cinematographic production, since even science fiction works resonate with the ancient roots of the country's culture, notably the influence of "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" (Chinese: 山海经, Shanhai-jing), a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts.

The series blends mystic, legends, history, science fiction, suspense, horror, romance, and adventure, in a cocktail that reminds me of the atmospheres of Alien, Blade Runner, The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, and The Name of the Rose.

These impressions make no comparison between these works and Chinese cinematographic narrative, structure, and aesthetics, whose creative process is supported by its own technical elements, is inspired by national sources that have consolidated their own standard, in a movement that starts from within the country and extends outward, with a life of its own, because it's free from Western formulas.

■Final very personal considerations

It's not about leaving doubts in the air for a possible season 2, because, technically speaking, that's done by leaving narratives open, but what we saw was a narrative that lost cohesion, it was split in half, each half became another story, separate from the whole, the viewer falls into a dark abyss, I felt stunned in the pasty and opaque atmosphere of the final 4 episodes.

The leads, LXR, and other characters lost the impact of their significance and were excluded from the much-anticipated climax, namely, the elimination of LXR, which was given as a gift to NJL's mother, a secondary character who is merely a detail in the story. LXR, a strong, solid, and memorable character, didn't progress in the final four episodes, and the expected final battle never happened. LXR faded and perished without any real fight. Besides having a, let's say, painless death, given the speed with which she was decapitated, it offered no impact, not even visually, and didn't calm our hearts, because we all expected an epic showdown between her and Mad Blade that would live up to her reputation. We didn't see LXR being chopped to pieces, cleansing the soul of Justice. So, was decapitation enough to kill her? And if only NJL's mother's sword could kill LXR, it would have been so symbolic if she threw the sword to NJL and she fulfilled her last mission. The same I say about SH, ZERO emotion, no confrontation, merely pushed into the abyss. The self-sacrifice o XS didn't move me.

Another solid and captivating character, Yu Rong, with her rebellious personality and casual/grunge look, was completely deconstructed and transformed into a well-behaved lady, just like Que Cha, both running a teahouse (at the end of the series).

The climax of the plot, and of several subplots, was aborted, and in its place the director and writer planted these and other quick fixes, like instant noodles, dismantling the plot, the key characters, killing almost all the hunters and turning heroes into fools waiting to be caught by a single hook, in a simple, laughable, childish way. On the other hand, YT's acting in the battle was kind of pathetic, and that tranquilizer dart gun in the context of such a battle was beyond ridiculous.

Well...and at the end...Where did that character from the NJL exhibition come from, whose father buys all NJL's work? No connection to anything, he parachuted into the story. In the final scene, where a museum TV appears (I didn't understand this choice), his father, whom we don't see in the scene, only hear, is talking to him on the phone. From the dialogue, it seems to be a humanized fiend that's still left. If the goal was just to give the series an open ending, after so many deaths, both of civilians turned into blood bags and of hunters, it's regrettable because it undermines the moral of the story. If the goal is to suggest a second season, I feel totally encouraged to embark on this journey with Dilraba and Chen Xing Xu, explosive chemistry, impeccable acting.

Finally, that delightfully natural relationship between NJL and YT is lost in the final scenes, they've lost their warmth, they become artificial in impersonal, sumptuous scenes, as if they were about to parade on the red carpet. It wasn't the fact that they were dressed in a sophisticated way that made them seem artificial in their relationship, but rather that they seemed very formal with each other, considering the level of intimacy between them. It would have been more welcoming and in keeping with the story if the two had been camping on that iconic mountain, watching the sunrise as a clear symbol of a new life.

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My November 2025 recommendation

Watched this for my Recommendation Challenge from 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒐. I know this drama is fav for many watchers. But unfortunately for me, it’s not really appealing, and once more, the duration proves to be my nemesis… Haha…

No matter what, let’s start with the story…

The drama begins with a tragic accident that kills 48 people, leaving the survivors and everyone connected to the event forever changed.

The story revolves around Ha Moon-soo (MS) & Lee Kang-doo (KD).

MS, a survivor of the accident who is still haunted by nightmares about the accident. She lives above her mother’s bathhouse and works as a model maker, crafting detailed architectural models for major building projects—with a strong focus on safety.

KD, not only suffered injuries in the accident but also lost his father. Now, he carries both physical pain and emotional scars. He works as a day laborer while also caring for his sister and pay off mounting debts.

One day, MS protests to her boss about safety flaws in a model she’s working on. Her strong insistence on safety catches the attention of Seo Joo-won (JW), an architect. Impressed, JW hires her to create detailed, professional models for a new development project: “Bio Town”—a massive construction site being built by Cheongyu Construction… on the very ground where the tragedy happened.

At first, MS was reluctant to accept the job. But after hearing about the high payment, she agrees. At the construction site, she crosses paths with KD and begins working alongside him. Slowly, they develop a friendship that eventually grows into something more romantic.

KD who starts working as a day laborer at the site. Because of his short temper, he often gets into arguments and sometimes even fights, but his strength and work ethic don’t go unnoticed. JW sees his reliability and offers him a steady position. KD then begins working directly under JW, helping him supervise the construction site & KD becomes one of JW’s key men on site.

JW himself turns out to be someone deeply affected by the accident. Because of that, he becomes determined to build Bio Town not just successfully, but safely, with integrity and respect for those who were lost.

As their lives intertwine, each of them begins to heal in small ways. They find strength in shared silence, in quiet gestures, in showing up for one another. Especially MS and KD.

Now the questions remain…
? What does the future hold for them, especially when it’s revealed that KD and MS share a much deeper past connection than they first realized…
? Will MS and KD be able to overcome the trials of love trauma and memory…

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers. Now what I like & don’t…

What I like:
+ This drama reminds us that healing doesn’t happen overnight. Through shared trauma, quiet support, and growing love, MS and KD learn that it’s possible to live again, not just survive.
+ The family dynamic in MS’s family is quite interesting.
+ The family that KD made for himself, like grandma Jung Suk Hui & Yeo In Suk (his landlord & her son)

What I don’t like:
- The duration… Haha… K-drama that has more than 45 min, really been my nemesis….

Overall, I quite understand why people like this. The trauma & all the wounds around the accident really can be related to some people. But once more unfortunately the duration really makes me bored watching this…

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Right, well just finished Dear X and I have thoughts.
Started off really enjoying it with Kim Youjungs acting, she was so cativating and believable. Her expressions were amazing. I loved Junseo at the start but then i got a bit bored and annoyed of him doing the same expression in every scene. I really expected more from this drama. I like the exploration of aspd and child abuse and how abuse haunts u ages after I think that was quite realistic, along with the convo with the stepmum about her being nice to her sometimes was the worst part and then shed fall for it again. Which is so realistic and the hardest part. She fascinated me because you felt bad for her and that this was her survival tactic but she also manipulated everyone and used them without a care which made us wary. When dealimg a mental illness in a piece of media its very important to potray it well and with understanding. I feel they didnt quite handle it with care. Aspd IS a complex disorder that doesnt MAKE you "a bad person" but it is debilitating and can be harmful for that person and others around them, left untreated. You can not have empathy but also be able to care about someone. U still have emotions with it just not all. It makes sense that she was self destructive. I just wish she had more than that. It was a flat character, not actresses fault but writers. Along with the other character who had nothing else but either loving and caring abt Ahjin to the detriment of themselves or hated her. It wasnt complex enough.

Her dating Ingang was like, okay? But after all that I was like what the hell was the point in him in this drama then? And in the last few eps it just this bad guy making her feel crazy and it got worse and worse through out the eps. They should of had either Ingang or that new husband guy having both was irrelevant and strange. Even her and Junseos relationship felt unnecessary towards the end. It felt plot holey and things that shouldnt of just been brushed over or dropped, were. There were a few different people who tried taking her down and all those random plots fell flat and unimportant and were just dropped. It became a mess. Im annoyed it couldve been so good. But it just went all over the place and didnt make sense, very unsatisfactory. The ending was shit too like what? Right... the story, writing let it down a lot. I love a dark drama but I got more bored as it went on when at first I was excited turned into lets just finish this. Im disappointed. ://

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should've seen the writings on the wall ...

so this is the same screenwriter for sword and beloved , that being said ; here's what went wrong

from the start everything was confusing and tended to be rushed and made non sense , the scene where she stabs him in the beginning , her running away and getting caught , the wedding by the way you get all of this in first episode , then we get a flashback without even giving us a hint that was a flashback , you find out from the context that they don't know each other yet

the ML with his cold illness like he is dying and getting poisoned every episode and FL is crying for him it was really tiring .

FL indecisiveness like make up your mind do you love ML or wanna kill him for kill your master , one minute she is plotting to hurt him and the other she is in love with him .

a lot of dragging in the middle she gets kidnapped , he tries to save her by using a stronger poison to suppress his cold poison and we drag for a little bit

prince of yuzhang the most clueless person i've ever seen or he is playing dumb don't know , nevertheless he the one who gets to live in the end ,

Du tingxin can't remember her name , however , for 19 episodes no sure of the number , she is all about i want to save xiao huan he is my savior , suddenly she discovers she is his half sister and a princess and get that hunger for power and goes into i am gonna kill everyone phase .

for ep 20 onward everything becomes a whole lot messier .

ML role here was all about suffering and dying the end , don't know what was I expecting from allen ren drama usually they all have sad endings or he dies .

everyone dies empress dowager , FL , ML , du tingxin "not sure " , zhong lin "don't know why she died " , xiao ying .

on the bright side acting was superb and music also and that's it can't think of something else .

if you watch this drama don't expect much .

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