Reviews

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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THIS SERIESSSSS isss very very fressshh

SALAHH satu series pondphuwin yang cukup fun dibandingkan NLMG jadi kayak hypenya tiba-tiba jadi fresh, sebenernya oke tapi alurnya agak berantakan sedikit dan plotnya agak kosong(?) mungkin karena banyak CP ya dan ekseskusi dari sutradaranya sendiri kurang jadi ga terlalu memuaskan banget dibandingkan sama series pondphuwin sebelumnya which is NLMG, mungkin karena ini juga termasuk series yang barengan sama cp lain jadi kebagi-bagi ya... tapi jadinya plotnya kadang agak boring walau color palette filmya fresh banget tapi jadi kemana-mana gitu setiap episode nya yang bikin bingung. Dan ini salah satu series yang minimm konflik (kecuali waktu masalah Q sama Toey dan masalah Peem nendang Phum 😭) sisanya bisa banget di enjoy. Untuk overall ini series bagus dan rekomen buat orang-orang yang lagi pengen nonton series santai karena ini SANTAI BANGETT dan bener-bener bikin mood balik lagi deh walaupun eksekusi sutradara nya kureng. But I love their acting SOOO MUCCCHHH!

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Long awaited and It's worth it.

That felt like, after a long time i just watched a good movie and enjoyed it whole. Thia movie was merely for jackie chen but I'm surprised seeing the cast. I specially love action movies and that's another reason i tried it.

Overall i am satisfied with it. Waiting for second part. Now Let's talk about why you should try it out and why not.

So it has beautifully captured Fight Choreography ✅
A strong and well written story which you Won't be bored ✅
Most importantly if you are a Jackie fan then you must.


And why not to try it out? I Don't know. For me it was a well spend time. I loved it and wanna watch Again.

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Worth the wait to binge watch it all!

I was so tempted into starting this one when it was airing! But! I knew that once I started it, it would be absolutely strenuous to have to wait for the next episode to be out! I've got to say it was absolutely worth the wait!

Big and park delivers a little gem with this one! Fell so hard and so bad for this beauty ! Big is sooo big and awesome in his suit! He's a feast for the eyes!
His gentleness when handling Park is out of this world!

The connection & chemistry between them is astounding!

Loved it all! The acting, the plot and the pace was beautifully plan to deliver a little masterpiece right into my waiting lap!

Loved it so much that I had to do a review for it! I recommend it to all the romantics out there!

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All in all just a great little rom-com

Everything you could want really. OTP great chemistry. 2nd leads, bravo. Bad guys were dealt with. Lessons were learned.

Woo-shik is just wonderful isn't he? Jung So-min is always so lovely to watch. Woo-ju 2 (Seo Bum-june) is one to watch his story in this was a rollercaoster and I was convinced by every bit of his acting. Kim Young-min is a little weasel in this but I could never hate him after CLOY, he's a fantastic actor. All the cast were played their parts well I think. I'll probably put this in my "comfort rewatch" list.

Anyone else been singing Soda Pop to the theme tune?

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The most incompetent police force in the history of the world

This is a poor show and there are many reasons why. Firstly, the Ninghai police force are just ridiculous. They are useless beyond belief and if I was a citizen living their city, I would be in fear at the incompetent buffoons that are meant to serve and protect me. These guys have guns and generally when they were taking on the villains, they outnumbered them. They always seem to be on the wrong end of the beating. Meant to be highly trained but they were always on the wrong end of any exchange with a villain. Totally useless.
The FL. Now I understand she went through some trauma PTSD and guilt but her behaviour to cut ties with the ML for eight years. Yes, eight years showed her level of maturity and gullibility to be off the scale rock bottom. She clearly didn’t love him. Not in the all consuming way we’re meant to believe to allow him to leave her life for eight years. I found the whole reconciliation way too smooth and easily fixed and I also found her to be quite childlike throughout the whole drama. I wasn’t impressed. The bad guy wasn’t that smart but he seem to always be at least 10 steps ahead of everybody including DML‘s police force which he was the captain of by the way. Now I get you’re supposed to suspend belief for these kind of things but as an audience you’ve got to capture at least some moments of realism and this show completely failed in that regard.

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NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO SCRATCH YOUR BRAIN, THIS IS IT.

One thing you need before you watch this it to leave all your expectations at the door, nothing will go the way you want it to. Nothing.

That being said...HOLY HELL WAS THIS THE MOST INTRIGUING CINEMATIC UNIVERSE EVER!!!!

BAEK AH JIN.
A girl shaped by her circumstances. I've seen many people term her the perfect villain. She wasn't a villain. Baek Ah Jin didn't seek your ruin until you came at her, until you placed yourself in her path. Then she comes for you and yours.
You cannot hold her to the standards of a normal person. As a child, Baek Ah Jin survived her mother's abuse and her father's complacency. Then her father killed her mother, and he explained it to her like that was not a big issue, made her think of the bigger picture, so when the abusive mother asked for help, she went the safer route. The writers ate with that first episode since it dictates Baek Ah Jin's persona to a T.

Her father tells her life will get better as he remarries, but some part of Baek Ah Jin believes that, only to be disillusioned when her father and her new mum plot to have her sold, or film child pornography. So she finds a way to defend herself, blackmail, when that fails, and she's almost drowned, she goes for the next weapon: Junseo. And it works. It is important to note this going forward, for it shapes their relationship.
Another gem the writers subtly nudged at the viewers was Ah Jin's hate /mistrust of females; she has a misconstrued view of her gender, and this is also a factor in her manipulation.

Her high school bully had no business coming at her, belittling her background, and her lack of parents; she got her due.

The cafe owner was marked the moment they met, but Ah Jin cemented her decision to use him when he told her, EXPLICITLY, that she could. She even repeated it. Now, under normal circumstances, it would be considered kindness to offer someone help in these words, but Baek Ah Jin isn't normal; she doesn't think as anyone would, her fight is for survival, and so she survives.

Jae Oh is my favourite character by far, and the perfect partner for Ah Jin. He gets her, her entire flawed self. He doesn't try to change her. not like Junseo, who tries to mould her to his understanding of behavioural norms. Jae Oh put her first, believed her first. And their relationship was the most open and comfortable. He could have survived, though I guess his sacrifice, which Junseo shat on!!!! required a steep price.

Junseo tries to have everything, his morals, and the woman who went against everything else. He is a hypocrite who deservedly loses everything in the end. At his own hands, too.

LET ME REITERATE, IF JUNSEO HAS NO HATERS, AH JIN GOT TO ME FIRST. FUCKER LET THE PSYCHO CEO GO SCOT FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IN KANG.
One of these days, they will stop giving HIY tragic love stories. Is it that he yearns so well and plays the broken heart so good they have to cast him?

This man had Ah Jin well on the track to security and freedom. Freedom to love and feel safe in being loved. He had his demons, she had hers, but they were working it out. Grandma was healing Ah Jin one interaction at a time. Had given Ahj Jin a second chance, so had In Kang.
Then, JUNSEO HAPPENED.
He could just let it go; he did what he did best, then got into Ah Jin's head, and she did what she was good at: surviving. Survival meant protecting herself, and protecting herself meant getting rid of weaknesses. In Kang was becoming has, so she broke it off, awful timing, because the man was holding on by a thread.
In Kang's death nullifies all of Ah Jin's healing. Makes her even 'worse', especially when her carefully curated world comes tumbling down.

CEO Moon puts Ah Jin's behaviour under contemplation. He is a master manipulator, unlike her, who is majorly on the defensive. He plays everyone like a chess piece, and a desperate, heartbroken Ah Jin, falls right into his trap. When Ah Jinn doesn't fall in line, he seeks to break her, and with Jae Oh's help, she fights back. But in the end, he goes untouched courtesy of Junseo, the hypocrite.

Baek Ah Jin finally feels the freedom and survival she fought so hard for within reach, when it all comes tumbling down, on the biggest night of her life. Junseo betrays her, I think he finally embraces the part of himself he fought so hard to keep down, using Ah Jin as his shield. He wants to end it all, so he picks up a fleeing Ah Jin, stupidly confesses his love, offers to send her to hell with him, and drives them off a cliff.

If it had ended here, the writers wouldn't have done this magnificent work any justice.

Junseo dies, and his last desperate grab at Ah Jin is fought off. Ah Jin had called him his last shackle during the death drive, and with that final scene, as she is standing on the cliff, looking down at the wreckage, she didn't even try to pull him out of, she finally achieves what she fought so hard for. FREEDOM.

Her last shackle had fallen, and without her direct interference. A truly fitting ending.

I would love a second part, but this ending feels complete. Knowing KDramas, they might have botched SN 2 anyway.

Those hating on this failed to understand the film. Or they were looking for something other than what was advertised. Or forwarding masters. Their loss.

I would watch it again.

Now I'm off to rewatch my demon, and any other film with KYJ, because she ate this up, and I want more.


THIS MIGHT BE THE LONGEST REVIEW I'VE WRITTEN EVER. BUT THIS FILM DESERVES IT.

WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Lost Summer : A story of regret, healing and writing that doesn't commit to either!

This drama's synopsis tricked me in the beginning. The initial impression I had was that it was a drama about nostalgia, reconciliation, facing old wounds, and promising emotional payoff when buried memories resurface. And for a few brief moment, it did almost convince me that it was that but then the mask slipped away and what we got in the end was melodrama where characters circle the same point without making much progress and pretending it to be romance. This was far from a healing romcom in my books and the non-linear storytelling didn't help its case.

Starting with the writing, the non-linear storytelling was my least favourite part here. All the flashbacks here felt like they were stalling the plot, repeating the same information we already know and withholding answers for way too long which feels deliberate rather than purposeful.
Nonlinearity is supposed to show contrast and clarity but everyone here for most of the drama stayed flat. Whether it is past or present, it felt like they were stuck in the same emotional loop, repeating the same conflicting, lashing out the same way based on their suspicions and misunderstandings. It was like no one evolved across timelines or even wanted to.

Another part which wasn't written well or executed was the twin subplot.
The whole mystery part of the drama was built around DoHa's twin brother, Do Yeong and what happened to him. But the problem was that everyone (the audience) already knew he existed from the 1st line of the synopsis, so the secrecy around it wasn't needed at the start and it didn't make sense to me either. Also, the two brothers barely had distinct identities or clear backstories, or even styling to differentiate themselves. If you don't pay enough attention when both are sharing the screen, you might easily get confused about who is who. We have had twin dramas this year where they have actually nailed the twins part (Our Unwritten Seoul - Yu MiRae and Yu Miji), so technically it is possible.
By the time they actually revealed what actually happened, I kind of stopped caring about it.

Coming to characters, Song Ha Gyeong was a frustrating lead, not because she was flawed or not a green flag but the way her character was written in the same self-sabotaging pattern that never evolved. On paper, she is supposed to be complex, wounded and introspective. But in reality, she was frustratingly inconsistent and her refusal to communicate her feelings surprised me. Again, flawed characters are not the issue but the lack of growth is.

And the strange part is how self-aware the writing seems about her shortcomings. She was told by other characters about her distrustfulness, her tendency to jump to conclusions and lashing out. Yet every episode, it felt like she did the same thing. I understand she built a wall around her heart for self-preservation but then own up to it. She kept running away from her problems and then turned around to blame her choice to bolt whenever they tried to sit down and have an actual and honest conversation. I understand she has been hurt, but she shouldn't act like it was only her especially when her actions keep dragging everyone else into the fallout. She did finally understand Do Ha's perspective but I thought it was a little too late in my opinion.

Do Ha's journey wasn't that interesting either but it was better than Ha Gyeong's. I did like how doted he was on FL, even though he was rejected left and right. I liked how he always put his foot down to have a clear, honest conversation. What I didn't like was how the script often used him as a catalyst for FL's emotions and somehow ignored his.

The chemistry between them was alright. I liked the playful banter in between, especially the one involving Subak. Towards the end, we finally get cute moments of them together. But was it enough to overlook everything? Sadly no. The loop of hesitation, guilt and misunderstanding somehow drained the life out of romance.

2nd couple was sweet and had an interesting story but they didn't get enough screen time. They popped in occasionally and then just disappeared from the narrative, and then re-emerged just as suddenly. Wasted opportunity.

A special mention to Subak, our cute golden for maintaining the cute quotient whenever he was on screen.

Acting wise, it was decent. The leads gave it their all, but the script was straight-up holding them back. It was my first time seeing Choi Sung Eun and hoping to see her in more dramas but with a better script. All the other actors across the board were also just fine. Again, no amount of acting could save a story that was already sinking under its own writing.

Production wise, it was pretty and visually appealing. I liked how the framing of the house was done, and not just visually, but for the story too. Outdoor scenes were scenic with that soft lightning and warm colour palette.

Overall, after completing this drama, I realised stagnant character arcs and misplaced melodrama aren't something that I enjoy. Will I recommend it? Sadly no. But it's good to watch and judge it for yourself rather than taking anyone's word but proceed with tempered exceptions. Better to be surprised than disappointed.

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Masterpice acting from JCW

I love the development of Tae Jung carachter till the end. The acting was masterpiece from JCW and DKS is a promising actor. He has good taste for villains.

I watch this for JCW. He is so handsome and very talented. Hope to see him also in others genre of dramas.

Although, did not remain with nothing after. No insight, no learning, nothing emotional just fights and adrenaline, and the taste of revenge. What was the point ... i will never rematch because for me it was to much violence, and once is enough.

Wonder if people who like this kind of dramas see trough the lines see beyond the "movie" and understand that this is happening in real life too, maybe worse. I gave this high note just for acting.

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Terrible, through and through.

This was one of the biggest disappointments in this years kdrama land to me. I had some expectations but it under delivered at every front i just can't believe what i just watched.

At the start they preface that we should think that these two people like each other, to me it didn't seem like it for more than half of the drama. ML just took everything FL threw at him and smile through it. It made it seem that ML has no agency, he was only vessel for FL to build her character up. He really only got 1 episode to build his character and it was at almost end of the whole drama.

They committed worst mistake you could do in romance drama. They made one of the leads unlikable. FL was unlikable from the start, that's not to say you can't make unlikable characters but they can't just be unlikable, they have to also be some one to root for, in this drama FL was just straight up unlikable without any other redeeming traits.

Story was mess of its own. Synopsis and start of the drama hinted about the twin but honestly he was side note in the whole drama until previously mentioned 1 episode which was MLs episode. So basically ''biggest'' plot device was just forgotten completely. Instead they brought this lawyer who suddenly decided to pray on our FL and honestly i was very uncomfortable how he abused his position as a lawyer to advance his relationship with his clients opponent. He should be disbarred and investigated for abuse of power. Not to mention this drama really didn't need triangle as those are plot devices to advance romance plot but we and FL already knew how ML felt so it was completely pointless.

This drama also should've ended at 10 episodes, episode 9 was completely filler ( with said lawyer, yikes) and episodes 11-12 were filler with destroying second couples relationship until they ran out of episode 12 when they decided to hold wedding for them, like what? That was so obviously terrible writing i really don't know what to say about that even. (with lawyer again, yikes.)

So props to this whole drama, i've not had this much emotion watching dramas in last months as i had hatewatching this, this was trainwreck that just didn't stop at any point. Terrible 4,5/10 would never watch again.

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Brilliant Childhood, Disappointing Adulthood

The beginning of this drama was honestly the highlight for me. The child actors were incredibly charming, expressive, and carried the story with so much emotion and natural energy. Their version of the story felt engaging, well-paced, and genuinely captivating.

However, once the characters grew up, something shifted - and not for the better. The adult cast didn’t match the younger versions at all, and the transition felt jarring.

The king (formerly the crown prince) was adorable and full of personality as a child. As an adult, the only thing that vaguely connects him to his younger self are the eyes. The rest - expressions, face shape, even the general vibe - feels disconnected. I can understand that his harsh life might have changed him, but visually and emotionally it felt like a completely different character. The king’s brother also had a lot of charm as a child, but the adult version didn’t carry over any of that warmth or appeal.

Overall, most adult versions felt strangely mismatched, which made it harder for me to enjoy the second half of the drama.

The only character who exceeded my expectations was the girl who becomes queen. Her adult actress portrayed fear and vulnerability extremely well, and she felt believable within the story.

In general, I couldn’t shake the feeling that if they had filmed the adult part years later with the same child actors once they were grown, the story would have felt much more cohesive.

Childhood part: 8.5
Adult part: 6.5
Final average rating: 7

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Wanted to Love It but Couldn’t

I genuinely wanted to love Last Summer. I’ve adored Choi Sung-eun since Beyond Evil. Plus, with its small-town setting, I expected the warm, healing atmosphere of shows like Summer Strike, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, or Welcome to Samdalri. But despite being built in the same vein, this drama never captured that feeling.

The first few episodes were decent, and although the characters’ actions felt exaggerated, I gave it a chance. But the story never finds its footing. The writing is messy, and the plot feels shaky from beginning to end. Characters behave irrationally; not emotionally complex, just excessive.

The FL’s reaction to the ML hiding his twin’s death (and pretending to be him to spare her while she cared for her dying mother) was understandable to a point, but her anger eventually became disproportionate, as if he had directly caused the tragedy. Her grief, guilt, and abandonment issues are real, but the way they were written felt imprudent rather than compelling.

The ML isn’t much better. A single honest conversation could have solved most of the conflict. But he, too, is buried under guilt and indecision, allowing misunderstandings to fester until both leads become miserable.

Small-town dramas work when the supporting characters feel human and heartfelt; people who fill the emotional spaces the leads cannot. Here, there isn’t a single memorable one. Even the side couple with the differently abled boyfriend and caring girlfriend had the potential for something touching, but the writing never lets their story land. The second male lead and the love triangle were completely unnecessary, neither added anything. With such hollow supporting characters, the show often feels empty.

Choi Sung-eun does her best. She pours emotion into her role, but the writing doesn’t give her enough to shine. Lee Jae-wook, usually solid, feels disconnected here. His character and his performance never quite align, and at this point he deserves better scripts; The Impossible Heir, Dear Hongrang, and now this. He needs another project like Alchemy of Souls where he fits naturally.

Still, the drama has moments of brilliance. The episode by episode narrations from each lead are beautifully done. They express emotions the script itself fails to convey. Some lines and introspective moments genuinely land. Episode 5 has a particularly lovely scene: the FL mentions her hands are always cold in the summer stemming from her long-standing feeling of being abandoned, and by the end of the episode, without knowing what she’s thinking, the ML gently holds her hand. It’s the kind of subtle emotional moment the show desperately needed more of.

And visually, the drama is stunning; the sea, skies, buildings, and small-town scenery are all captured beautifully.

Last Summer had the makings of a heartfelt healing drama but never found balance. It gestures at depth but settles for surface-level drama, relying on emotions without the narrative clarity or character grounding needed to make them resonate.

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Drama is a Little Dissapointing but I'll Watch it to the End.

The main leads were not utilized to show their acting skills. I'm happy to see Peng Xiao Ran in a few action, fight scenes. Although she's done quite a few costume dramas, this is the first I've seen her with a sword and fighting. It's disappointing that there is no intimate behavior in this drama. The main leads have a platonic relationship but love each other. Can't figure this one out. I'm watching this drama because I'm a fan of Peng Xiao Ran. Ren Jia Lun always has a sour look on his face with a stiff posture in all the films I've seen him in, and intimacy with his female leads are normally slim to none, as in this drama. I'll keep watching and maybe it will get better towards the end.

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Topic vs acting

The story itself was too uninteresting for me. I’m really not into zombies and blood, and the whole concept of fiends just wasn’t stimulating.
But the acting… oh, the acting! And the stunts, the stunt choreo, the lighting, the group fight scenes, the way the fighting was woven into the story and the characters’ development, all of that was incredibly well done.
The romance between the ML and FL was also one of the nicest I’ve seen in a C-drama. So sweet and real, never over the top, but leaving you with this little tingle of truth and tenderness.
Also, the costumes and music created such stunning visuals. Some shots of Dilraba are truly picture-worthy! Just beautiful. Really good photography overall.
I’m genuinely impressed with the director and actors for taking on such an unusual script and such a different way of portraying their characters.
A good watch for those who like zombies and similar themes, as well as for those who enjoy unconventional storytelling.

PS The first fight in the study between the ML and FL. I call it the “tango fight”. It is a must-watch for anyone who wants to see a sexy yet ferocious fight between two characters with huge chemistry. I’ve rewatched it at least ten times already, and I know it’ll stay in my memory alongside other unforgettable scenes from different media.

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