Reviews

MASTERPIECE BUT THE WEBTOON IS IGNORED???!!

As a huge fan of the webtoon, I immediately noticed the numerous differences with the drama. First, the chronological order of events: the news report denigrating AJIN's actions, which appears at the very beginning of the series, actually comes at the very end in the webtoon. Some characters also lack development, and most importantly… the ending has been completely changed, to the point of using the beginning of the webtoon to conclude the drama. Not to mention the fiancé; he wasn't supposed to have that ending either.

Despite this major error for readers, the series manages to maintain constant tension, driven by remarkable acting. Honestly, the cast delivered an exceptional performance! Not to mention the visuals, the music, and the overall production quality.

It's an excellent drama, but I remain truly disappointed by an ending that doesn't respect the original work.

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NOT WORTH YOUR TIME

let me start by saying, I Love Love love Lee Min Ho and MOST of his career choices. this for me was a major fail. I’m not sure what he saw in the script but for me it just failed big time. apart from the fact that the FL can justify the reproduction of fruit flies and mice in space but then turn around and destroy human life as a justification of the ‘roles’ shows just where this world is at regarding life choices. put aside the huge lacking of chemistry in any of the romantic interests particularly the 2 leads. I just didn’t find this one worth continuing past episode 5. my daughter and I have a 3 episode rule, give it a chance but if by episode 3 it’s not got you tgen we can drop it. I found myself pushing ahead, wanting it to get better because of Min Ho, however it just wasn’t worth it for me……
the storyline goes from bad to worse and that’s not the actors fault

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I thought a lot about rating this series, but in the end I decided like this. I also said that I would give it a chance, even though the actress playing the main character is not one of my favorite actors and I find her series kinda boring. However, she pleasantly surprised me here. The series only has 15 episodes, not 16 if you thought like I originally thought and it is very, very emotional. I expected it to be just two friends with some past and there would be drama between them, but I really didn't expect it to be such an emotional journey... I especially didn't expect the ending, the last episode totally destroyed me and I cried like a little child. Yes, it has a sad ending, I warn you in advance. But I really liked that I was on Sanghyeon's side for a while and then on Eunjung's side (I still don't know which one I liked better, because one moment annoyed me and then the other). We also got to see different kinds of perspectives and in the end it ended the way it did and it destroyed me so if you enjoy series about friendship, life and with a touch of romance (and a sad ending), this is exactly for you

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ERASED QUIETLY

What pulled me into The Manipulated almost immediately was how unapologetically cruel its villain is. An Yo-han isn’t written to be misunderstood or redeemed. He’s simply a psychopath very calm, deliberate, and completely unmoved by the damage he causes. If he decides he dislikes you, you’re erased. What makes this genuinely frightening is how casually he does it, especially as the head of a security company with access to CCTV networks across the country. He doesn’t just manipulate people; he manipulates truth itself. The rich commit crimes and walk away untouched, while evidence is quietly redirected onto those who are poor, desperate, and easy to silence.

Yo-han’s patience is what truly sets him apart. He doesn’t rush. He watches, studies routines, and learns patterns until he can construct what looks like the perfect crime; one where the system takes care of the rest. That’s why it’s so unsettling that his latest target is Park Tae-joong, a delivery driver doing his best to raise his younger brother. He’s exactly the kind of person society rarely notices. The fact that his life unravels because of something as mundane as answering a phone call from a 'lost-and-found 'mobile phone makes everything feel disturbingly plausible.

When he escapes prison, his resolve feels earned rather than exaggerated. With Ji Chang-wook in the role, the action sequences don’t exist just for spectacle. They feel personal, grounded, and often brutal. Tae-joong never shrinks back no matter how powerful the people standing in front of him are... and there’s something quietly cathartic in that kind of defiance.

What stayed with me most, though, wasn’t the action. It was the discomfort. The drama constantly nudges you to think about how much power comes with access to digital data, and how little oversight there really is. Watching it made me think about who controls information, who benefits from it, and how easily that power can be abused when morality is absent. The fact that the drama makes you sit with those questions is one of its strongest achievements.

That said, the series isn’t without flaws. The first half is sharp and tightly structured, but the pacing becomes uneven as it moves toward the end. Some emotional moments feel rushed, while key threads such as including An Yo-han’s legal fate, the extent of his institutional protection, and even his mother’s role... are left frustratingly unresolved. After such a careful build-up, the lack of closure feels less intentional and more like a consequence of limited time.

Some supporting characters suffer from this compression as well. A few people introduced with emotional weight exist largely to move Tae-joong forward, and their arcs are resolved quickly, sometimes before they can fully land.

Even so, The Manipulated leaves a strong impression. Its exploration of surveillance, power, and how easily ordinary lives can be dismantled still lingers long after the final episode. While the ending doesn’t fully honor the depth of what came before, the drama’s core remains compelling.

I started this fully convinced it was a 10, but in hindsight, the rushed conclusion and missing resolutions settle it at a solid 8.5/10 for me. Not because it fell short of being good but because it reached for something bigger than it ultimately had time to finish.

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It would be much better if the drama ended on 24th episode

The first half was really good and interesting. The fall of the Grand Tutor could end the story and thus the whole drama would have been a lot better. Or, if the producers wanted more conflict and more tension, they could have gone as far as the episode 27 with a final coup by the Tutor helped by this horrible women, Grand Preceptor. And then just destroy their plot, by feigning the emperor's death in cooperation with his younger brother. But no... they just had to have a tragic end. The problem was not with the tragedy itself, but that it seemed really unnecessary and far fetched. The younger prince was completely unconvincing in his collaboration with the Preceptor. He was clearly aware of her scheming, but unreasonably choose to turn against his brother. As if he became completely dumb all of a sudden despite being really intelligent before. And the last straw: the apparition of emperor's mother out of nowhere... And if she could reveal the truth to the Preceptor at the end, why couldn't she do it before the emperors' death? It was just nonsensical: lots of possible exits to have a happy ending, but just going for a sad one.
And the last criticism: the level of primness in this drama is abnormally high. Even in the context of chinese censorship, how this drama is avoiding any warmer scenes... it is unbelievable. They really exagerate here.

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Wasted a lot of potential

It was great to revisit our beloved couple TharnType. Therefore 7 stars.
TT 2 had good story parts where typical issues came up one has in a relationship.
Also a reason for the 7⭐️.

But it came with an overload of thrown in fan service elements und a bunch of side characters/couples I couldn’t get interested in.
It would’ve worked much better, if the production had invested more energy in the storyline and storytelling. More focus on a well told story arc about the main couple, a better music background (music at the TLC scenes were corny to the extreme and made these scenes a parody), less screentime for all these other couples (give them their own season or a special) and the wedding not as a special episode, but rather as the typical final episode and it could have been a pure joy to watch!

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

A great element in itself (interesting titbit of Thai culture) and as part of Type’s character growth during their relationship, was the shown ceremony to get ordained as a Buddhist monk👏👍 Thank you, writers, for including this.
The difference of how Type was at the start and this serene guy now - wow.
Will I rewatch this season? Yes. Already did. LOL. But with major skipping of some parts.
(Review from 2021/11/08)

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Don’t judge a book by its cover

The MLs are both uber shy introverts. So be prepared to sit and watch through a lot of awkward situations and communications. Especially in the first half of the drama.
But if you have the patience for this more slow pacing you won’t regret it.

This story shows that everybody has insecurities and more often than not the perceived situation only tells parts of the whole truth and can lead to wrong conclusions. Don’t judge a book by its cover - so to speak.
This drama is for binge watching.
I got invested and the episodes are short. It starts slow but as the story unfolds it gets more and more interesting and in the end I was sad that it was finished already.
It ends on a feel good note. Some good messages.
Recommended!
(Review from 2022/05/10)

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A show to savor like a good wine

I need to leave my ⭐️ already because it’s just THAT good.
I am totally hooked and have developed a serious crush on the female lead‘s character. Her personality is a silent but persistent power which knows how to articulate her thoughts when necessary. 🤩👍💪
After watching more than half of the drama - serious binge material! Update after finishing this show: Still going with the 10 stars! 🤗
The second half included some episodes where they took the melodramatic quite seriously and it felt oppressive to watch all these discouraging moments. And yes, some part of me was considering if this drama should’ve been shorter, too. If they might’ve stretched and overdone some negative story elements.
But after ending this drama I’m not sure if a shorter storytelling would’ve worked out regarding this drama in its entirety. Perhaps it needed these difficult parts filled with nearly only hopelessness so we viewers can fully appreciate the growths in the protagonists at the end.

If you’re now struggling with the decision to watch - this drama made me often smile so hard that my cheeks hurt, too. 😅
And I don’t recommend to skip through these difficult passages because (imho) they’re fundamental to fully appreciate the satisfying last episodes! I ended the show with a big smile on my face, deeply satisfied with how they concluded the different subplots. Some other reviewer compared watching this drama with savoring a good wine. In my eyes a suitable comparison! Bravo! Well done! 👏👍🤗
(Review from 2020/10/29)

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Good enough to entertain

It's too short to shape an opinion about it, they want to represent an idea in only 4 very short episodes.

Did they succeed? Well, kinda~
It feels like it was cut from a proper longer movie or something, I can't seem to understand the speed here, you want to squeeze too much in too little time, I guess. If it was slightly longer it would make a difference, but for those short independent shows you can just accept what they give you, because I'm sure if they could do more, they would have done it.

For the chemistry and acting, it was good, nice kisses and intimate scenes were lovely, the first episode was funny and probably the only one that make sense, they rest as I said felt choppy a little.

I don't know if I would recommend it, it's fun and entertaining so if you can spare a couple of minutes waiting for something you can pick it up ~

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A coming of age story for grown ups.

This season is the most unusual continuation of a series I have seen for a long time. One of the first scenes describes the series perfectly when the director of "Daydream" said: "A love story that continues after two people get together is, in my opinion, quite difficult to portray. Because the most exciting part of the drama is the moment they fall for each other. However, real love doesn't end the moment when they get together. After that, both of them will have many more important moments to come. [... this is] something I hope to portray with care and nuance." - And that's exactly what the series is about and what they did.

I know this is not the kind of series that will get most acclaim, because it's so outside of "normal" BL series. Yes they have their tropes, Shirasaki-kuns inferior complex and Asami-sans unpleasant past, but the care they put into the characters is not seen very often. This is not entertainment you watch just to escape your troubles, this is a story which confronts you with new troubles and which can't be watched alongside doing something else. I'm late with my review, because I binge-watched the entire series again, because to have the most impact, to wait for a week does this series not justice.

In the context of japanese culture, children are thought to not show emotions and even surpress them for the sake of your career and/or family or to just "save face". This series does the opposite by showing the process of getting actors into a mindset of the character they are playing, where they have to show emotions. And both of them apply the learnings in doing so for their own persons, to reflect on themselves and to battle their inner "demons". And so they both grow as persons and they grow as a couple. And they feel and know when their partner is struggeling and they talk about it. And that just got me. That portrayal was so nuanced and so great to watch, if left me stunned for some time processing all the emotions they got into me.

While I understand that such a series will not click with many, for me it's a masterpiece. A series really focused on the characters and still having also the little things in it, the affection for each other and the longing for each other. Of course I have to recommand this series, but you need a clear head and you should not take a break watching it. I can't express how much I like this series, because it's so different and so mature and so well made.

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Loved it! A warm hug on a cold dark day

I loveddddd this drama! The best way to describe this series was a warm hug on a cold dark day. It was so easy watching you didn’t have to think too much just absorb the scenes and nothing was too much I think it was balanced quite well!

The storyline was unlike anything I have seen before it was based on the dad’s death (which in the end did anyone get blamed for ??) and then they go on journeys as traders selling different items and the troubles they come up with and sort out along the way.

I loved Tae Pung and Mi Seon they were such strong main leads and their characters developments were so cute!! I actually found Tae Pung’s mum sweet in the end and with Beom!! Grandmas is knownnnn for her incredible acting so I loved when I saw she was casted!! I also enjoyed the second leads Nam Mo and Mi Ho they were a bit dramatic but in the end it all worked out!!

Pyo Back Ho and his son… I don’t know if that ending got justice..? Maybe it did him having to send his son away? The PA also said he wanted to tell him something yet never did maybe it was an excuse but it felt opened ended!

I think it would have been nice for Tae Pung to keep the flowers maybe grow some at home? (Did he sell his nursery??) Something domestic and cute I loved the reasoning behind his no but at the same time I loveeee flowers so maybe biased! Oooo and Mi Seon not going to college?? I don’t know if those were the right moments for the end again the reasoning was sweet but it felt like a bit of a flat ending for me. Hence the 8.5 not 9.

Actors and Actresses were all amazing and I am obsessed with the OSTs I would recommend this as an easy watching series full of hope and inspiration!

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Princess Hours (Goong): A Royal Pain in My Sanity

📝 Review (WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage)

Let me start by saying this: I love older K-dramas. I love the toxic tropes, the melodrama that makes telenovelas look subtle, the fashion disasters, the emotional blackmail, the villains with eyeliner — all of it. I sign up for the chaos. I thrive in the chaos.
But Princess Hours?
This show tested me.
This show put my patience in a chokehold and whispered, “You thought you were strong, didn’t you?”

THE FL: Bold of Them to Call This ‘Character Development’
People online will swear up and down that Yoon Eun-hye “carried the show.”
Carried what, exactly?
Certainly not a brain cell. Not an ounce of growth. Not a glimmer of critical thinking.
Chae-gyeong spends 24 episodes being a professional crier, a runway model for crimes-against-fashion outerwear, and the world’s densest human. There’s naïve, and then there’s: “girl, at this point even Dora the Explorer would ask you to look again.”
Also, I was over her constant apologizing after the 10th time. I swear even wallpaper has shown more emotional evolution. The only thing Chae-gyeong truly grew in this series was her wardrobe. Congratulations, lady, you leveled up your coats.

THE ML: A Certified Jerk, but at Least a Jerk Who Learned Something
Ju Ji-hoon starts this drama with the interpersonal warmth of a refrigerator and the communication skills of one too.
But — credit where it’s due — the man actually grows.
He thaws. He self-reflects. He attempts to communicate like a sentient being instead of a royal gargoyle.
He was insufferable… but he was growingly insufferable, which is more than 90% of this cast can claim.

LEE YOON-JI AS PRINCESS HYE-MYEONG: THE ONLY SANITY I HAD LEFT
The moment I realized this punk-rock menace was Noh Soo-an from My Demon, I almost choked.
Watching her go from anxious mom-of-twins to “internationally chaotic princess who escapes the palace like she’s breaking out of prison” was the emotional treat I needed.
She deserved more screen time. Frankly, she deserved her own drama.

YUL: SECOND LEAD SYNDROME? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I’D RATHER CATCH A VIRUS
This headline stays. Forever.
I almost never get second lead syndrome, but here? Not only did I not catch it, I vaccinated myself against it.
This man comes home after fourteen years like:
“Hi. You were promised to me when we were children. I am now entitled to your entire existence.”
Sir. That is not romantic. That is not sweet. That is not fate.
That is a restraining order waiting to happen.
He is a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal with emotional issues.
The fact that Chae-gyeong never once paused to question his behavior? Ma’am. MA’AM. Borrow one brain cell. ONE.
And yes — I disliked him more than Hyo-rin. At least Hyo-rin’s disaster energy had a little sparkle.
Then he states he’s going to leave with Chae-gyeong… but I don’t ever recall her agreeing, or reciprocating his feelings!?!?!?!?

THE KING: WORST FATHER. WORST MONARCH. WORST EVERYTHING
The man looks at his actual son like he’s allergic to him, but practically polishes Yul’s shoes with his tears.
Useless as a ruler, pathetic as a parent, and every scene he appeared in made me want to yeet him off the palace balcony.
He ruled the palace with the emotional maturity of a toddler losing at Mario Kart.
If pouting were an Olympic sport, he’d have brought home gold for Korea.
He looks at Shin like he’s the dust under his throne and then turns to Yul as if he personally invented the boy.
This wasn’t fatherly affection — this was a man stuck in his own personal fanfiction.

THE QUEEN MOTHER: OLDEST MEAN GIRL IN THE PALACE
Her entire personality is: “I disapprove of everything.”
She contributed nothing except rigid posture and negativity.
Honestly, replace her with a large decorative vase and I might not notice.

THE QUEEN REGENT: MY UNPROBLEMATIC QUEEN
Clueless? Yes.
Soft? Yes.
Occasionally the only source of serotonin in this palace of misery? Also yes.
Love her. Protect her. Give her cookies and a therapy session.

CHAE-GYEONG’S FAMILY: ADORABLE UNTIL THEY WEREN’T
Their comedy relief moments hit early on, but they fizzled fast.
At some point I just nodded and let them exist in the background like neutral NPCs.

YUL’S MOTHER: ENTITLEMENT LEVEL – SUPERVILLAIN
The woman was exiled for cheating, but acts like everyone else is the problem.
She spends the entire show asking, “How can I ruin a teenager’s life so my son can cosplay as a king?”
I wanted to slap my screen every time she opened her mouth.
She even escalates to… attempted murder. Thailand? Regicide schemes? Yes, yes, and yes.
Peak villain energy. Absolute audacity. But karma is served hot — she eventually gets her comeuppance, and watching the palace finally flip her script is the only thing that gave me some satisfaction.

THE REAL PROBLEM: TOO MUCH SML/SFL, NOT ENOUGH ACTUAL ROMANCE
This show could’ve been fire — iconic, legendary, rewatch-classic fire.
Instead, it drowned itself in:

* Miscommunications
* More miscommunications
* Excessive SML/SFL screentime
* Yul lurking
* Hyo-rin gliding
* Political plotting no one asked for
** Meanwhile, Shin and Chae-gyeong’s relationship was treated like a side quest.

The Cheating Arc(s): Thailand? Seriously?!
The cheating plotlines were so wild I needed ibuprofen, an inhaler, and possibly a clergy member.
Thailand felt like the writers said, “Hey, let’s fling the ML into a tropical guilt spiral for NO REASON.”
Then pair that with the FL and Yul scenes — the emotional adultery Olympic trials — and I genuinely considered rage-pausing the episode.

Every moment with those two felt like:
* Misunderstandings
* Unnecessary hand-holding
* The world’s slowest manipulation attempt
* That soft music cue that whispers, “Someone here is lying, but shh, let’s make it pretty.”
* My temples still hurt.

THE MUSIC: Surprisingly a Little Magic
The instrumentals are a fascinating Celtic-Korean fusion — like someone thought, “Let’s make palace melodrama feel epic and timeless, even when everyone’s being completely ridiculous.”
And then there are the occasional catchy tunes that sneak in like little auditory candy. You don’t even realize you’re humming along while glaring at the screen because Yul just did something terrible.
It doesn’t fix the chaos, but it makes every emotional meltdown feel stylishly tragic.

Four Special Sections (a.k.a. Where the Real Fun Begins)
1. Scenes That Aged Like Milk
“Promised to me since childhood” entitlement arc
Yul lurking
Adults blaming teenagers for their marital problems
The monarchy’s obsession with meddling
Every “let’s separate them so they can learn to love each other” plot device
Sour. Spoiled. Throw it out.

2. Scenes That Aged Like Vintage Wine
Shin’s painfully slow emotional thaw
Princess Hye-myeong being a punk princess powerhouse — basically the Korean Diana, without the Charles-level drama
Any moment where the leads accidentally understood each other
The rare domestic scenes where they mutually behaved like humans
The final few emotional breakthroughs (worth their weight in gold)
The friends on each side — quietly loyal, snarky when needed, and the only people in this palace of chaos who actually act like functioning humans
Still magical. Still rewatchable. Still the reason the show almost works.

3. What Would’ve Fixed the Plot Without Breaking the 2006 Formula
Give Shin/Chae-gyeong at least 30% more screen time together
Cut Yul’s creepy stalker arc in half (or just cut him; I’m flexible)
Reduce the cheating plot from “WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?” to “okay that hurt but it narratively tracks”
Give the King a spine or remove him from the chessboard entirely
Let the women have one — just ONE — honest conversation that isn’t dripping in manipulation
That alone would’ve elevated this show from “I need therapy” to “rewatch classic.”

4. This Should’ve Been 16 Episodes, Not 24 Super-Stretched Noodles
The plot was basically:
Ep 1–12: “We don’t like each other but also maybe we do?”
Ep 13–20: “Misunderstandings but make them EXHAUSTING”
Ep 21–24: “Speed-run the actual romance before the credits roll”

That’s why it feels like a hostage situation at times.
They had a beautiful 16-episode romance, but stretched it like dough until it tore.
And we sat there like loyal clowns watching it happen.

Final Verdict
Episode 23? Solid. I actually liked it — the friends on both sides added some much-needed relief.
Episode 24? I felt a smidge of sympathy for Yul… but only a smidge. He’s still a snake, still manipulative, still entirely unworthy of our forgiveness.
Did I scream? Yes.
Did I hate-watch? Absolutely.
Did I roll my eyes so hard I saw my past lives? More than once.
Will I watch it again? …Probably. Because I’m trash for mid-2000s melodrama, and this show is basically junk food you know is terrible but eat anyway at 2AM.

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Well-written, well-styled, well-acted

Smart, relatable villains with personal conflict, working brains and solid writing from the authors? I'm in.
A gray and weavering good side, with an honorable goal and dishonorable means? I'm in.

Add some 7-8 good actors for the main characters and a solid secondary cast for the secondary characters (which is rare!), and I'm watching. I haven't skipped or ffw anything.

When the villains are cartoon villains, mindless and cackling, who only know how to beat or kill like animals, there is no suspense and there is no display of inner character strength of the good guys. Everybody can decide to take down a cackling cartoony villain, but a person has to have absolute personal integrity and a functioning moral compass to take down a relatable, sympathetic villain they used to like.

When the good side is gray, it's very interesting to follow their journey to victory. I had low expectations, because cdramas are usually too superficial with why the good side must win, but this drama is deeper and grayer than usual. I may have watched less than 15 Cdramas that don't hesitate to paint the good side with dark tones.

The story makes sense, if you don't expect a romance and some decorative battles with little cute blood stains. There are centuries' old secrets that can't be revealed on episode 01, nor wait to be revealed on the last episode. There are interpesonal stakes and grudges and the paths are not clear. At times, there is a fuzzy line on who is on the villain side or whethere there is a line at all.

Even the minor characters have a background story, and I'm glad we are told about it but we don't linger on it with tedious side story arcs. The tropes are well-masked and well-integrated into the story, you never get the feeling that you are watching a to-do list.

The styling (allowing, of course, for the actors' good career management and fandom) is adapted to the story and is not focussed on pretty-pretty, unless the scene is about looking pretty. The cast looks nice, looks scruffy, looks beautiful, looks beaten to death, looks tired, looks ill, looks morning fresh, looks whatever the specific scene is about.

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