Reviews

Detective Drama on a Loop: Suspense, Angst, and a Finale Gone Wild

A wild mix of suspense, comedy, mystery and philosophy. Worth it for the ride, the Cantonese/Mandarin quirks, the time loops, and the chemistry between leads—but be ready to laugh, clutch your seat in angst, roll your eyes, and occasionally shout “Really?!” at the screen.

The Good
This detective/mystery drama kicks off with style: suspenseful Wagnerian BGM, clever use of Cantonese/Mandarin (the ML trying to sound Cantonese is comedy gold if you catch it), and striking cinematography. The investigative cases bring CSI vibes, action scenes, and sly humor. The ML is especially fun to watch—he looks like he walked straight out of The Matrix with his Neo-style vibe, but then turns unexpectedly goofy, which makes his character both entertaining and endearing. The OST—rap blending Mandarin and English—fits surprisingly well. Flashbacks are used strategically to unravel the past, while the time loops twist the narrative into unexpected directions. By mid-series, the show delivers sharp investigations, intriguing time loops, and a good dose of angst that keeps you right on the edge of your seat. Add in adult characters without fluff, some progressive themes (protests against genetic engineering, ethical dilemmas), and sparks of romance that never derail the storytelling.

The Mid
Around episodes 3–8, the narrative slows: less action, more scheming, and occasionally overblown emotions. The biotech case turns into a semi-apology of genetic engineering. In the second half, the flashbacks begin to repeat, dragging the pacing, and product placements break immersion now and then. Still, between the constant angst and the cliffhangers, the suspense keeps pulling you back in.

The Not So Good
By the final stretch, suspension of disbelief isn’t just needed—it’s mandatory. A home lab where miracle drugs are whipped up overnight, MacGyver-style chemistry tricks, and a villain who stabs instead of using his “scientist brain.” The ending feels like the writer panicked: tragic collapse, miracle cure, fireworks romance, antagonist escape… all jammed together like a finale buffet. It’s dramatic, yes, but messy.

In the end, it was still worth the watch—even if the finale felt rushed, illogical, and messy.

#CognitiveExplorer

Read More

It was a fluffy feel good drama, until it doesn't.

In the beginning it reminded me so much of Old fashion cupcake, the boss - subordinate relationship, the age gap. I thought this drama would have the same feel as OFC

20+ minutes per episode, mostly focused on Tojo's life and his overthinking.
It was perfect how Keishi and Tojo finished one thing from the list every episode. Their relationship build up was perfect. It was slow burn and i liked it.

But on episode 8 everything's ruined. Somehow that episode was focused on some side character we barely care about. Also there's barely any sight of the main couple together.
Then episode 9 happened. We only get the main couple together last minute..

Anyway the last minute romantic moments of the main couple is cute. Ngl i kinda expected the kiss to be just a quick peck, but it wasn't.
The things they haven't tick of the list was; Eating parfait, Kiss, Spend birthday with lover. Somehow they were able to do that in that last minutes.

I really like the OST, especially 菫 by chevon, i already added it to my playlist.

Overall it's a good drama. I probably won't rewatch it, but if i do, I'll skip ep 8.

Read More

I came for Miles and Apo, but I stayed for Son and Euro.

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

Even though I read the synopsis, I thought politics will be the backdrop of romance. In actuality, it’s the opposite. Politics is heavy and if you are not a fan, you might want to rethink unless you love the 1960s style and the actors.


My favorite: Krailer + Naran
The romance between Krailert (Colonel) and Naran (Reporter) is just WOW. Who would have thought I lived for their romance. It was fast and explosive in a good and bad way. It may not have been love-at-first-sight, but definitely some love-at-first-attraction before they officially met. Who knew flirting in a newspaper column would be so sexy. How about secret love letters through literature? A personal piano room in the library and a charming little rendezvous hideout? Add to that are some more tangible touching, kissing, hugging and getting the sexy on. I’m not just loving the lovey-dovey romance, but the clash in morals and their professionalism. The choice between standing up for what’s right and just, and following commands from your superiors. This forbidden romance has me in a chokehold (and I don’t use this term easily). Krailert and Nara gave me everything I want in a romance.


Miss the Mark: Tanwa + Trin
I thought Miles’ Tanwa and Apo’s Trin would be THE pair that sucks me in. But unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark. I was interested in how the two very different individuals are attracted to each other. We have an idealistic and upright Professor and a hippie, pot-smoking Singer. Their characters are much deeper than what meets the eye. But when it comes to romance, they pale in comparison to Krailert and Naran. I feel that the politics and student uprising do not integrate well into their storytelling. Yes, the kisses are great, but the chemistry was not as good as in “KinnPorsche”. All the other side plots seem to keep them away from each other. In contrast, the politics is what made Krailer and Naran’s love story more interesting.


Not My Favorite: Politics + Side plots
I don’t hate political stories. I think “Shine” tries to send a message about a very important time in Thailand. But I do think the drama did not make all this interesting enough for me to be invested, at least not until the last 2 episodes. Victor and his friends brought a little excitement in the early episodes but then they started to annoy me. Victor’s little crush is nice especially the way he looks at Trin and I appreciate him knowing when to stop. But then, you have Veera’s crush, Victor’s dad, Ms Moira, corruption, Tanwa and his family drama…. Just too many side stories for such a short drama.


Having said all that, the acting is amazing. Everyone delivers and each main character has to deliver quite a range of different emotions. Cinematography is great and I love the 1960’s feel in costume, sets and music. A lot of care is given to make this drama look good. I just wish there’s more to keep me excited throughout the drama.

But because I was so moved by Krailert and Naran, they make it hard for me to give this drama lower than an 8.0-8.25. “Shine” just doesn’t speak to me as much as I would have liked. But I am sure many viewers enjoy it tremendously.



Completed: 9/21/2025 Review #627

Read More

Enjoyable jiejie romance from ML's perspective

I was checking newly released dramas when I saw the drama poster. The translated title said the wife chases the guy so I was intrigued. The drama was enjoyable despite the unfamiliar cast & specific shot framing.

What I liked:
1. Romance - This is a jiejie romance. Despite the odd reason for ML's unemployment by FL's aunt, the romance was sweet. They took time to cultivate their relationship (no one-night stand) and there were some spicy scenes.
2. Rivalry - There was business rivalry between FL and antagonist and I enjoyed this arc. I think the antagonist was formidable - thank gawd for no jealous sister / childhood sweetheart.
3. ML characterisation - This story was mostly told from ML's perspective. He was a young man who was easily persuaded by quick money gain. His character grew to become responsible adult and I liked that he took lead in one of the companies' initiatives to defeat their rivals.
4. FL characterisation - She was smart & nice. She didn't take advantage of ML's employement, I liked that.
5. Supporting characters - FL's aunt was nice.

What I disliked:
1. Male gaze - The amount of cleavage shots are too many. There was also a scene that shocked me. I thought this drama must be targeted towards male viewers.
2. Ending - I didn't understand why that scene was included.

Favourite scene
When FL agreed to be intimate with ML

Read More

A good drama overall, though it had plenty of potential to be even better.

Another solid C-drama of the year.
Mobius made an impression with its intriguing start. Unlike the usual time-loop narratives, this one stretched the cycle across five days—each serving as the stage for a different chain of events.

This choice proved to be a strong differentiator, allowing for a story filled with shifting outcomes, multiple character arcs, and constant reconfigurations of the ending within the 24-hour framework.

The drama kept viewers in suspense, questioning the villains, the enigmatic Master Villain, his elaborate schemes, and how Ding Qi would manage to outwit the traps before the loop closed on the fifth day.

Bai Jingting delivered a standout performance as Ding Qi. Intelligent, versatile, and determined, his character anchored the story with depth and credibility. Casting him in this role was undoubtedly one of the production’s best decisions.

By contrast, Janice Man’s portrayal of An Lan fell short. Her soft-spoken, passive character contributed little to the narrative. The romance angle between her and Ding Qi felt unnecessary and diluted the momentum—her role as a doctor/researcher would have sufficed without the forced emotional entanglement. Ultimately, her presence added little substance to the drama’s development.

Mo Yuanzhi, however, emerged as one of the most compelling figures. Ambiguous and layered, he came across less as a deranged scientist and more as a socially maladjusted human being, which made him far more interesting. His dynamic with Jiang Yu Wen—who fully embodied the reckless, unhinged scientist archetype—provided sharp contrast and added weight to the storyline. I genuinely hoped for a different ending for Mo Yuanzhi.

While some viewers are holding out hope for a second season, I remain skeptical. Many other C-dramas with stronger setups never received continuations, and I see little chance of this one being different. In my view, it’s better to accept the unresolved gaps in the final episodes rather than wait for an unlikely sequel.

In conclusion, Mobius excelled in concept and execution for much of its run, but the ending fell short of its potential. A good drama overall, yet it had all the ingredients to be truly great.

Read More

Leading actor Arthur Chen

Such intense gaze from ML Arthur Chen, making my heart fluttered each time 🙂
This reminds me of another ML in Amidst a snowstorm of love played by Leo Wu. I love the chemistry shown by ML and FL in that drama but not so much in Lighter and Princess, possibly because at times the emotions shown by actress Zhang Jingyi are not so believable. Having said that, they’re still young and have lots of potentials.
I am still half way through and am not sure if I should finish watching it. I might continue just to watch how the relationship progresses between the leading roles when they reconnect and continue to admire the gaze from our leading man!

Read More

"Let's never ever waste new tears on the past"

This film was so engaging, funny and action-packed that I didn't notice the time passing until it was over. Being based on a webtoon, I was impressed with the high number of events featured, without making the viewer feel overwhelmed.

The concept of the protagonist needing to go through multiple trials based on the Buddhist religion was refreshing and though there were many comedic elements, it also included a deeper conversation regarding judgment and redemption. It was easy to be emotionally invested in the protagonist's journey, as we discover more about him and his motivations with each trial. I wish the film provided more information and background on the other main characters. However, this was remedied in the second instalment of this film series.

It visually featured impressive CGI and has a high re-watch value. I would definitely recommend to any action/fantasy fans.

Read More

NOT THE BEST OF CHENG YI ACTING.

*The Journey of Legend* had the potential to be a powerful drama, but it ended up unbalanced. The script itself was not bad—there were solid story beats and villains who were so evil they made the plot feel dark and heavy, which actually worked in its favor.

The weakest link was definitely the female lead. Her off-screen scandals destroyed the immersion. No matter how the character was written, it was impossible to separate her from the controversies. Instead of feeling sympathy or connection, I felt annoyance whenever she appeared. It’s a huge flaw when an actor’s personal baggage overshadows the story.

Cheng Yi, however, was the saving grace. His performance carried the drama with heart and intensity. The pain he showed after having his wugong stripped away was raw and convincing—you could truly feel his suffering. He gave more than what the drama itself deserved. At the same time, his role as the youngest brother felt frustrating. He tried to help, but his brothers ignored him and never trusted him. He was left to follow, always treated as the “little brother,” while the elder brother—who was clearly not the smartest—chose to believe outsiders instead of his own blood. This dynamic made Cheng Yi’s character even more pitiful and tragic.

The only real disappointment from Cheng Yi’s side was how his voice was handled. Instead of the usual strength and clarity, it often sounded weak and strained, almost like he was dying. Whether this was a production choice or a post-editing issue, it did not do justice to his acting.

In short, the villains were convincingly evil, the script was fine, and Cheng Yi poured everything into his role. But the female lead’s scandals, the poor treatment of Cheng Yi’s voice, and the frustrating family dynamics dragged the drama down, turning what could have been great into something disappointing.

Read More

If only they had...

You know the feeling that you get when the cover art and blurb / summary of a book / manhua / manhwa / manga end up being the highlight? Yeah, that's the feeling that Missing You gave me.

- Yes, it seemed like they were working with a modest budget.
- Yes, they also limited both cast and shoot locations.
- No, these weren't necessarily bad things. I felt like limiting the number of characters and locations allowed for more streamlined storytelling.
- No, I don't know why the sole episode that i watched had a note at the end that said "the story isn't over yet" when I couldn't find succeeding episodes anywhere as of this writing (if any of you manage to find said episodes, or know why they can't be found anywhere, please let me know in the comments section).

Expectations (mostly from the MDL summary) aside, I feel like this would've been a pretty decent stand-alone short movie (better even than most of the shorts --- mostly Korean --- that I've watched before) IF:

- They had spent a few more minutes expounding on the past relationship between Saengnuea and Kawin. I know, they may have been planning to do just that in succeeding episodes, but a little more context upfront might've helped me care about the characters a bit more, which then would've made the initial episode more effective at getting me to come back for more.
- The acting had been a tad more consistent. As it stands, it was a little over in a few scenes and a little under in a few others.
- They had gotten rid of the product placements that are typical in most Thai BLs. I don't usually have any objections to those (guess I've gotten used to them), but here, they take up precious screen time that could've been used for something else (like character development, maybe?). Not to mention the fact that they pull you out of the story, which is not a good thing in a show that's already short to begin with.

The story's intriguing, and you can feel the chemistry between the actors during the intimate scenes (no awkwardness in sight!). But it falls a little short without the support of succeeding episodes.

Read More

1 crime case and 5 time loops to save the day! Bai Jing Ting is the star of the show!

This drama is about the male lead, a policeman, who has the ability to time loop 5 times on random days (where the 5th day stays real). The plot begins at episode 2, as he takes on a new murder case. Two of the three CEO’s of the biotech company MOMA have seemingly died by accident. As the male lead starts to investigate, he suspects that the murderer has the same time loop ability as him. The drama follows only this crime case, with each episode focusing on a wide range of characters, all connected to the MOMA company.

POSITIVE:
- Bai Jing Ting was the true star of the show as he totally stole the spotlight. I loved him and his character was a perfect blend of Neo (The Matrix), James Bond, John Wick with a dash of goofball vibes.
- Banging first episode. Truly the best episode was the first, as I felt like I was watching an american blockbuster movie. The script and action scenes were absolute cinema.
- Time loop explained perfectly. I honestly doubted we would be given a real and concrete explanation of how the male lead has the time loop powers but I was pleasantly surprised how well the drama explained the concept and the reason behind it.
- Undercover vibes. I truly loved that the male lead went undercover and was put right at the centre of action, instead of just going to places and chasing clues.
- Lots of suspects. The drama did a great job at making every single character look like the murderer.
- Police team. The highlight for me was the scenes between the male lead and his dedicated team. Sadly, we didn’t get as many scenes as I would have liked.
- Slight romance. As a romance girlier, I was pleasantly surprised by this. However at the same time, I definitely would not watch this for the romance and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would have liked to see more bromance instead (especially between the male lead and his boss).
- Bits of comedy. There weren’t that many but what we got was hella funny.
- Ending wrapped up well (if we ignore the very last scene).

NEGATIVE:
- Draggy parts. The middle of the drama (ep 7-10) felt too drawn out as we would get about 5 min of actual information and the rest was just character stuff. Maybe because I knew the time loops were not permanent, everything else felt a bit “whatever”. Perhaps if the drama was shorter, maybe 12 episodes, it would have been much better to tighten up the story.
- Chess pieces given out too soon. Although the drama did well by dripping in information about the case in every episode, by the time something big was revealed, I already knew because of all the given clues. Yes, you could say the drama did well providing the clues but at the same time I kept missing that “WOW what a plot twist” factor. When eventually some of the reveals happened, I just nodded “yep, makes sense”.
- Boring female lead. I get that she is a scientist but still, for such an important character with a lot of screen time, I would have liked to see a more charismatic character.
- The last scene of the drama (if you know, you know). It just made the drama feel unfinished… unless there is season 2 which I doubt.

OVERALL:
I feel the drama has a good plot, script and production but the execution wasn’t perfect. I think most people like me expected to see multiple cases instead of one, which made the drama feel too drawn out. Although the suspense was quite good at times, I was never at the edge of my seat while watching. Mobius had the potential, and it’s actually not a bad time loop drama but it simply cannot beat Reset, which for me is a true masterpiece. Still, as Mobius is not my typical watch, I actually quite enjoyed it and still recommend it.

Read More

Nice but boring

Just those two words, nice and boring.
Nothing to write home about ~

It's a nicely done series, but it was so slow and boring, I wish it only had like 6 episodes with everything happening too fast, it would show everything perfectly and wouldn't be as boring.

Cast is nice, if you like the two leads you will definitely like them here, I enjoyed watching Great, I like him but his character here was too pushy and
pliable

Story is by no mean an original, you have seen it a billion times before, and this time isn't one of the best versions either, I'm even surprised the show is over 8 but anyway ~

I won't recommend it tbh, but I don't really regret picking it up, despite skipping a lot in the second half of it ~

Read More

Bai Jingting is definitely a man of action

I really enjoy watching Time Loop. The moment I saw Time Loop and Bai Jingting, I thought of Reset. I think the series progressed wonderfully. Of course, I had some issues; I think there shouldn't have been any romance in this series. Even if there was, I wish there was a younger actor Because in the first episodes, I thought they were sisters.😐 I won't go into too much detail on this topic since there isn't much romance. Bai Jingting fits the role very well. I'd like to see her in more action dramas.

First of all, the series is based on a single storyline. I wish it had been longer and had more events but watching this storyline was absolutely breathtaking and very exciting. Although it was a bit sad that they focused on a single storyline, I was excited to watch it anyway. It was the second or third episode. I don't remember. A rap song played. I don't know what its name is but it was great. I will do some deep research to find it😅. My advice to those who want to watch the series is to use glasses while watching. The light emitted by Bai Jingting's charisma may hurt your eyes. 😂

I think the second season of the series will come. There were 48 days for Wenqing. What happened and what ended was not said?? and most importantly, what happened to the blonde haired son of one of the company partners, whose name I forgot, it was not told to me whether he died or not, everyone was happy, we couldn't see him, he was one of my favorite characters!! Also, psychopath Mo Yuanzhi did it again. I hope the second season comes soon because it's so hard to wait!!

16 episodes is nothing, my friend, I think you should take your time and start as soon as possible and this is my first review, I don't know what I said, just watch😌

Read More

A Category of Its Own

I highly do not recommend this series to anyone expecting a cute and happy romance set in the 60s. This show falls under the category of queer media and not BL. It's politically heavy, with the romance being a naturally integrated part of the story rather than its main focus. It preserves a serious and realistic tone for the most part, but also mixes in lighthearted moments and elements of idealism that sometimes fit and others feel a bit out of place.

Watching this show requires attentiveness. It took me a while to warm up to it, because I felt a bit lost at the early episodes. Having at least a general idea of the political landscape of that period, might get you immersed to the plot much faster, without that of course being a necessity, since a lot of the themes addressed more or less transcend borders to other countries as well.

Regarding the acting, the series has a great collection of very capable people who portrayed the complexity of their characters in the best way possible. I have to point out how much I enjoyed Mile in the role of Tanwa, especially due to the striking contrast to his most known role of Kinn. He pulled off his part magnificently, showcasing his range as an actor.

Overall, it was a good show—deep, well made with beautiful cinematography. I do recognise its thematic significance and value, but at the same time it didn't leave me with a long lasting impression as a viewer. I found the premise interesting, but at times it felt like too many things were happening within just eight episodes, or that some dialogue was a bit stilted, just to create a dramatic or poetic impression. I liked the characters as well, but I didn't connect with them that much. Even so, they were properly fleshed out and the show still managed to resonate emotionally through some impactful scenes.

It has its own unique character as a story, and I do recommend it to anyone who looks for something different to watch.

Read More