Reviews

Schemes, Slaps, and Second Chances — 9.5/10!

SYNOPSIS – SPOILER ALERT!!!

The FL and her illegitimate sister marry on the same day. The FL becomes the wife of the eldest legitimate son (2ML), while her sister (2FL) marries his younger, illegitimate brother (ML).

But tragedy strikes fast. On the seventh day of ML’s funeral, FL catches her husband (2ML) and her sister (2FL) sleeping together right next to the coffin. 2FL cruelly reveals she had intended to swap the bridal chairs on their wedding day—since she was already having an affair with 2ML—but her plan failed. She further twists the knife by telling FL that her father divorced her mother, promoted 2FL’s mother to legal wife, and expelled FL from the Shen family. With the new emperor on the throne and her allies gone, FL is left with nothing.

2ML plans to divorce her and make 2FL his wife, but his mother pushes things further, framing FL for adultery and having her beaten to death. FL dies with deep regret for marrying the wrong man.

✨ Rebirth: Luckily, FL is reborn on her wedding day. This time, when the veil is lifted, she finds herself married to ML instead of 2ML—the bridal chair mix-up succeeds! ML initially wants to correct the “mistake,” but FL boldly interrupts, humiliates 2ML and 2FL in public, and insists on staying married to ML. Known as an idle, uneducated dandy, ML isn’t thrilled, but their marriage proceeds.

Using her knowledge from her first life, FL begins to navigate her second chance—guiding her new husband toward the Imperial Exams and slowly discovering his hidden talents. Meanwhile, her sister’s dreams collapse when she becomes only 2ML’s concubine instead of his wife. As revenge simmers and fate twists again with another rebirth in the mix, the drama unfolds toward an ultimately satisfying ending.

💭 My Thoughts

This drama is so enjoyable from start to finish! The story is packed with betrayal, rebirth, and revenge, yet balanced with heartwarming romance and moments of humor. Here’s what stood out to me:

FL: She’s strong, clever, and composed—never loud or messy, but quietly sharp and decisive. She uses wit and intelligence to protect herself and seek justice, making her an inspiring lead.

ML: Playful, supportive, and surprisingly versatile. His transformation from an underestimated “dandy” to a devoted husband and talented scholar is beautifully done. I loved how he consistently showed up for FL at the right time. Their partnership felt equal, with both protecting and supporting each other.

Chemistry: The ML and FL make a fabulous match—beautiful to watch and emotionally believable. Their journey from an accidental marriage to a deep, trusting relationship is so satisfying.

Revenge Plot: Unlike many dramas full of endless trash talk, this one cuts straight to action. FL’s revenge is smart, clean, and deeply rewarding.

Side Characters: The scheming 2FL gets the downfall she deserves, while ML’s playful moments add humor and balance to the heavier revenge themes.

The pacing is solid, the acting strong, and the overall message heartwarming: love, trust, and resilience can change destiny.

🌸 Final Verdict

Story: Engaging mix of betrayal, rebirth, revenge, and romance

Leads: Strong, witty FL + loyal, supportive ML = perfect couple 💖

Acting: Excellent performances, versatile and heartfelt

Ending: Very happy and satisfying (no loose ends that matter!)

✨ Rating: 9.5/10 overall | 9/10 rewatch value
💖 Recommendation: 100% worth watching if you enjoy rebirth + revenge stories with a genuinely sweet romance at the center.

Read More

My Bias is Ae Jun

Ae Jun is a star. He was so adorably cute and personable when no one was looking, that there's no other choice but to like him. His bright smiling eyes brought countless moments of joy as he crushed hard over A-ONE and his ultimate bias Si Yeol. As would anyone bumping completely by accident into their fantasy, he frose but for a moment and retreated within himself. Unwilling to let Si Yeol know how gone he was for him and his inside connections to him, he became an awkward introvert.

Si Yeol, on the other hand, was a piece of work. Consumed by an obsession for Ju Ha, and misunderstanding the external relationships, he sets about a plan to hurt Ae Jun. Along the way, when all was told, he succeeded in hurting all involved and more than any other, he hurt himself. Confronted by his actions, he realizes too late after the damage was done, that he had fallen hard for Ae Jun. The bubbly bright smile had captured him.

The kiss. I felt so rewarded by their reconciliation and the kiss. Perfectly soft and tender.

Ju ha has been in fighting mode since the series began. Fighting to understand why Ji Kyusong broke up with him. Fighting his feelings of rejection. Fighting to move on. Fighting to get him back. Fighting to not love him more than he already does. Ji Kyusong, caught at the end with no other excuses, finally gives in. He had loved him so much, he had pushed him away so that he would not have a negative impact on Ju Ha's career. What he forgot to take into consideration was that Ju Ha had a mind of his own and he wanted only him.

It has been a very very very long while that I have seen a Korean bl that was so light and fluffy and bringing so much happiness with and about adults. I cheesed hard when the cast of Jazz For Two made a cameo. I missed them, too. Kevin did a fantastic job in bringing Ae Jun to life. Standing next to the big teddy bear Kang Min, you can't help but fall for their chemistry. No doubt, they worked well together. His towering over him conveyed how much he would protect him. Ae Jun's mini melt downs with Ji Kyusong, brought countless smiles.

While I do appreciate more hard hitting heart wrenching stuff, it's good to switch it up and appreciate a little gem when it catches your eye.

Recommend to watch: Approved!

Read More

Trashiest ML

I started this drama just because the poster looked pretty (that orange was gorgeous), and honestly… I don’t regret watching it, but I also wouldn’t recommend it. It’s the kind of drama I’d be embarrassed to admit I watched.

It’s based on an old Wattpad story: Alys likes her best friend Sheen, but he likes Kei. Kei likes Drake, so Sheen asks Alys to seduce Drake. Yeah… you can imagine where this is going.

Was I entertained? Absolutely. I tuned in every week just to hate-watch, lol.
Drake is hands down the trashiest male lead I’ve seen in ages, such a walking red flag. No growth, no character development, just an asshole to the bitter end. Every single line out of his mouth was painful, and the actor being so wooden only made it worse. Cruel and expressionless? A combo nobody asked for.

There was zero reason for Alys to fall for him. She started off adorable, but oh girl… she turned into a complete idiot. Forgiving him over and over without so much as an apology? Self-respect, who?

Tripp was the classic second male lead, kind, actually had chemistry with Alys, and treated her better as a friend than Drake ever did as her boyfriend. I actually enjoyed their dynamic way more.

Aya and Alys’s friendship was one of the best parts. Just two girls being weird together, loved it! But sadly, Aya disappeared in the second half once they went to different universities.

Thank god they dropped the stepmom subplot quickly, because… what even was that?

On the bright side, the production value was solid, and the OST was pretty good. Overall, it was entertaining, but… meh. Would’ve easily rated it higher if only Alys had dumped Drake.

Read More

Another series ruined by Netflix's greed

The season 2 finale was conclusive and satisfying. It tied everything together perfectly imo but of course Netflix had to bring it back for the cash grab. And it's still not enough as they're trying to stretch this even further into season 4... oh lord. And let me preface this by saying, I love this series, Alice In Borderland (Seasons 1-2) is one of my favorite drama's of all time. However Season 3 was a disappointment as the plot felt forced and so many things did not make sense to me.

Let's start with the plot. The premise for this whole season is Arisu must return to the Borderlands to save Usagi, who was lured there by Banda ("Joker"). And Banda's reason for this was that he was lonely? He said he missed having players who were good at games so he wanted Arisu to become a citizen. But citizens don't even play the games so...? Anyway, one of the new characters Ryuji (professor who has this weird kink for death) is used as a tool to get Usagi back to the Borderlands. I did not understand their relationship at all lol. They said Usagi wanted to go back to the Borderland because she misses her dad? But her dad was dead a long time ago and wouldn't be there. Ryuji also has this weird obsession with Usagi, I couldn't tell if it was romantic or like it reminded him of his dead student he got killed (though I don't really see the correlation). On the other hand Usagi also seemed to keep protecting him even though he literally kidnapped and drugged her. Anyway that whole dynamic was just weird. Usagi in season 1 and 2 is a loyal and badass, but in this season she just becomes selfish and her sudden extreme depression didn't make sense to me. Like it didn't bother her for the past five years but now suddenly she has to take some extreme measures to deal with it. I hated this relationship between Usagi and Ryuji. Ann returns which was cool but her role was kinda lame and didn't make sense. Some of the other new characters were well written and interesting to me like Tetsu, but some were just horrible and not really fleshed out. The games are decent I suppose but not as emotional or intense as last time, since we didn't have two seasons to develop understanding and connection with the characters.

I apologize this ended up being more of a rant than a review.

TLDR: Poorly written plot that did not make sense, some games were fun and interesting, new characters were hit or miss, ruined Usagi's character. Alice In Borderland is a top 5 drama for me but only because I will pretend this season doesn't exist. Wasn't as bad as Squid Game season 3 though :D

Read More

160 Boys Held Hostage by Bad Editing

This was the worst season of Produce-type show in Korea so far. NOT because of the trainees, but because everything else in this production failed them.

I will talk about trainees only very briefly: The boys were gorgeous, skilled, entertaining, talented, fun, charming, hardworking, good looking individuals and none of the criticism in this review is directed to them. This is not a hate-piece aimed at trainees. Congratulation to winners, good luck to trainees who didnt make it to the final group. Most of you are super awesome. Best of luck to aldi, this seems like a solid lineup.

1. Storylines
This is the SEVENTH korean iteration of Mnets hit reality show of Produce format. The name might be changed, some gimmicks were added, but this is still Produce 101. Except they attempted this to be seventh and EIGHTH season. That's the first and actually the last straw that broke the camels back.
There were supposed to be two shows, two debuting groups (one for Korea, one for China), but due to some reasons, it fell through and two shows were merged into one. Even before audience voting, the number of trainees had to be suddenly halved. This lead to instant elimination of "personality" (and future "storyline") trainees. What happens to your show, if you eliminate the rowdy, no-filter personality hires and leave in well-behaved, media-trained, talented guys, desperate to debut and play it safe? Seemingly you get boring show. Except based on after-show testimonials, the remaining trainees were not trying to play it only safe, it was all the BAD EDITING.

2. Editing and Production
Someone call Korean Academy of Film Arts and ask them if their courses on tv production and editing are still open cause people who worked on editing of this show really need some more tutoring. Horrendous. Disappointing. Boring. Inconsistent. Unnecessarily serious. Bad. Not viewer friendly.
I understand and emphatize with production team, as they had really hard task of carrying out this big show that was falling apart in their hands. They had to patch up together 2 shows into one, were being probably told to come up with something new, something that never happened in previous seasons, something fresh… but they just couldn't and so we got terrible show instead. None of the gimmicks, none of the "classes", none of the "plot twists" worked. I wonder if this is a result of pure incompetency on so many levels of production or if there is something deeper.

3. "Rigging"
It shocks me to say this, but looking back, i enjoyed the rigged/fixed seasons much more than this one. At least in that case, the votes were rigged but the need for character assasination and visual erasure of "unwanted" trainees (by mnet) by the means of editing was not that big. The way some extremely prominent and early-promoted trainees were not shown later even in moments of their excellence was frustrating. Not in the prefered lineup? No storytelling for you, even if you got set up for a story in the begining.
It feels like at least in "fixed seasons" the editors were handheld by final result and they could build around it. But in this season, we had to be pushed very hard to "the right direction". I know this is not a "documentary" and the integrity to telling the truth and all the context is not that .... important. But with 180+ minutes long episodes, you really could give us more without it looking like this was badly hidden promo for 5-10 trainees.

4. Styling + songs
Maybe this is more of a proof of the state of kpop genre, rather than this show, but long gone are the days of "To my word", "NEVER", "Boyness", "Rumor" - top tier original songs given to participants. The selection of songs - original or already existing was lackluster and mostly unispired. The styling has been the worst i remember - with the strong emphasis on the "killing part" and "his backdancers" (i swear it didnt use to be like this!!). The styling for final performances was embarassing and must be an act of sabotage.

5. FINAL WORDS
I am still flabbergasted by how mid the finale was. Until last second, i was 9 members truther. The fact that no such surprise happened only cemented my disappointment from this season. 8 members is so little for show with 160 participants. Too little for debut group from Mnets show that is guarranteed success. You COULD afford it, you have so much power but not decide to use it, smh.
I am also enraged by the fact that, in the end, chinese version of the show went through and cplanet trainees get round 2 of this rodeo. I find this so offensive to all the guys who had to be cut early from kplanet only for merge to happen. (but best of luck to all the cboys who decided to participate).
This show sucked, but i am still happy i got to witness these talented guys. I just wish they could shine more in a good show.

PS. I'm sorry, Kang Woojin, you deserved better :(

Read More

Echoes of the Self: Facing Your Own Reflection

🔹 If you had one chance to fix old regrets, would you take it?
🔹 Would I rewatch? Yes

📕 Overview
🔹 22 episodes, romance drama
🔹 The story begins when Zhou Ruo Xi loses everything to palace intrigue and wakes up in the past with a chance to rewrite history.
🔹 At the time of this review, 13 episodes have aired.
🔹 Arriving after other historicals, Echoes explores what would happen if you could confront the mistakes of your first life instead of just regretting them

🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 Watching Echoes of the Self felt personal and somewhat heavy.
🔹I think the drama asks what any of us would do if we faced our past mistakes again.
🔹 Tone: bittersweet, suspenseful
🔹 Themes: regret, redemption, ambition, growth, fate, and memory.
🔹Like many popular 2025 dramas, Echoes uses a rebirth storyline to explore whether past mistakes can be corrected, making it emotionally engaging for viewers.
🔹It reminded me a bit of Si Jin, but Echoes felt more personal and introspective.

✨ Cast & Acting
🔹 Chen Yao portrays Zhou Ruo Xi, convincingly depicting emotional breakdowns.
🔹 Quan Yilun portrays Li Yan as earnest and intense, though slightly awkward in romantic scenes.
🔹 The supporting cast adds tension, which enhances the complexity of palace politics.

🎵 OST 🎵
🔹 Mirror’s Edge by Tang Hanxiao
🔹 Love Rewind by Xue Zhiqian

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 Cinematography features vibrant colors and dreamlike flashbacks.
🔹 The costumes and sets are historically accurate
🔹 The pacing slows down after episode 8, with repeated flashbacks.

☕ Tea Notes
🔹 What worked: The visuals of the drama are captivating. Chen Yao’s conflicted lead portrays her struggles authentically.
🔹 What didn’t: It struck me that the romance feels distant at times, and the pacing of the series sometimes drags.
☕ SpillTheDramaTea’s Rating: 10/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: Perfect cup,
✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea noted, Echoes of the Self explores whether regret can lead to forgiveness, illustrating that confronting one's past may hold greater significance.

Read More

For real, my PREJUDICE is showing

I am going to be biased in this review, whether i like it or not. If youre a big KPop fan, who doesnt fantasize about the scenarios in this drama. Its a fanboy/fangirl dream come to life.

Kim Kang Min played Choi Si Yeol perfectly as a member of an ageing idol group and Kevin as the almost geeky and perfectly relatable teacher Na Ae Jun. The moment the show started i am immediately transported into the shoes of Ae Jun - the slowmo moments and the cute fangirling - my heart would have exploded and i wouldnt have his self control when faced in similar situation.

Im glad that the episodes were a little bit longer than the usual KBLs and isntead of 8 we got 10 episodes. It was the perfect length to tell the story without rushing things.

The show, however, isnt perfect - first, it felt like there was a little bit of budget constraints especially when acquiring songs because this is a show about a KPop idol but there wasnt really any great song for the soundtrack. I also felt like there was a lot of missed opportunity to tell a deeper story as they glossed over the difficulties faced by idols (and their partners) especially when it comes to their personal lives.

This series also amped up my anxiety to the max. When it was revealed that Si Yeol is only using Ae Jun to exact revenge on Ji Kyusong i felt afraid for him and imagined how devastated it would be if he found out that his bias has been deceiving him. I sincerely felt that the show didnt handle that situation very well because that was some weird dark sh^t and it was downplayed as something to be forgiven easily just because "i like you first for a really long time".

What could have been an impactful romance drama became a cute, fluffy and light fantasy (yes i consider it a fantasy since i think everything is just a fantasy happening in the mind of Ae Jun) series that lacked real depth.

Dont get me wrong, Its not a bad drama but its definitely not on the level as some of the best KBLs like Semantic Error, To My Star, Bleuming and Love for Love's Sake.

Would I recommend? Yes, definitely.
Would I rewatch? Probably not.
Giving it a high 8 just because i love all of the 4 main cast. I told you im going to be biased.

Read More

The Only Show That Never Disappoints

Alice in Borderland is honestly the only series that hasn’t disappointed me in all 3 seasons. Season 3 was another absolute masterpiece. The story was so well written, full of tension and twists that had me hooked from the very first episode to the last. The games were on another level creative, unpredictable and so intense that my heart was racing the whole time. What makes it even better is how deeply I found myself emotionally connected with the characters once again. Their struggles, their bonds and their growth pulled me in completely. Few shows manage to balance action, suspense and emotion the way Alice in Borderland does. Season 3 never let me down—it only reminded me why this show is truly one of a kind and a definite must watch.

Read More

Dating Your Bias Fantasy Drama (I Loved it!)

This drama is definitely not the best BL out there, but I had such a great time with it! It’s light, silly, and super fun, exactly what I needed. Based on the title, poster, and synopsis, you’d probably guess it’s just a fluffy little drama, and that’s exactly what it is. If you don’t expect too much, it’s really enjoyable.

Plot & Setup:
What would you do if your K-pop bias suddenly appeared at your new job, and now you have to work with him? That’s exactly what happens to Na Aejun, a teacher and devoted fan who suddenly has to hide his fanboy side to stay professional. The setup is cute and funny, and it kept me smiling through most of the episodes.

Characters:

Na Aejun – I absolutely adored him! He’s such a cutie, and his flustered reactions whenever his bias flirted with him were priceless.

Choi Siyoel – Tall, handsome, and at first motivated by a misunderstanding to “revenge flirt” with Aejun, only to fall for him instead.

Second couple – They didn’t get much screen time, but they were sweet (especially in the last episode when the broken-up couple got back together).

Kyu Seong & Na Aejun (the cousins) – Their bickering was everything. Honestly one of my favorite dynamics.

Juha & Na Aejun’s friendship – I loved that they became friends at the end (and lol, clearly Siyoel has a type).


The romance was super cute, with lots of funny and heart-fluttering moments. The angst setup was promising (one hiding his fan side, one flirting for revenge), but it felt a little one-sided. I think it would’ve been better with a more sincere apology from Siyoel, but I still liked how Aejun didn’t forgive too easily—his cold shoulder and avoidance made the eventual reconciliation sweeter. Watching Siyoel try to win him back was adorable.

Overall:
It’s not deep, it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s cute, funny, and charming. And honestly, that’s all that matters to me. 💕

Read More

Quite fun

I came into this show with low expectations. The plot idea was interesting, and I can't deny the height difference was important to pique my curiosity. But as with many BLs starring an active K-pop idol, I expected more of a bromance and no kisses, as we've seen from BLs with other Omega X members (I'm looking at you, A Shoulder to Cry On and Jazz for Two). The first episode also made me question if Kim Kangmin would be a good actor. But the show actually became quite fun and interesting. For an idol BL the kiss on episode 9 was great. Kangmin proved me wrong, especially in later episodes where his character had to be more vulnerable. Kevin was also good in the role. I wasn't sure I'd be able to root for the couple after the lie was exposed, but I feel like the show delivered a good resolution for the issue. The secondary couple didn’t have much to do, but I liked them too.

Read More

Immersive fantasy!

I loooved this show! It got me kicking and screaming all the time. Simple and effective, touching and sweet! All characters had the chance to flow with their arc and their chemistry was truly awesome. This show made it clear that a simple plot is sometimes better than a complicated and presumptuous story. Easy to follow but charming and engaging at the same time. It was my first time seeing these actors, but they really nailed it bringing to us a moving and loving example in BL. Not cringy, but hilarious. An all rounder! OST and incidental music and effects were also quite coherent and enriched the show. I'll be watching out for more series like this one bringing some laughs, fun and relaxation when needed.

Read More