Reviews

Second Shot at Love is one of those dramas that quietly grows on you. It’s slow, but intentionally so—the kind of story that takes its time peeling back the layers of two people who’ve been hurt and are scared to love again. Their connection feels raw, not dreamy. The silences, the hesitation, the small acts of care—everything feels deeply human. It’s not trying to impress you with big moments, just honest ones. And honestly, that’s what makes it beautiful.

But yeah, it’s not perfect. Sometimes it drags a bit too much—like the story gets stuck in the same emotional loop without pushing forward. A few scenes feel repetitive, like they're trying to stretch the tension a little longer than needed. And some side characters don’t really add much, they just float around. Still, even with its slow pace and occasional stalling, it holds your heart. It’s quiet, flawed, but really touching—and it makes you root for a kind of love that feels earned.

Read More

Just wrapped up Nine Puzzles and bro… this was intense in the best way. From ep 1 itself, the mystery grabs you—this isn’t your regular crime drama. Each episode adds a new piece to the puzzle (literally), and nothing feels wasted. The main girl isn’t some genius detective cliché—she’s layered, scarred, and relentless. Midway, the show gets even darker with all the hidden connections, but it never feels confusing. And that ending? Clean, emotional, and satisfying. Everything ties up, and it leaves you thinking. If you're into thrillers with actual depth, this one’s a banger.

Read More

Till ep 8, “Our Unwritten Seoul” feels like a quiet storm building up. It starts slow—two lost souls in Seoul trying to figure out life, love, and regrets. The first few episodes are all about mood: long walks, late-night convos, awkward silences, and little moments that say a lot. By ep 4–5, their connection deepens—not in a dramatic way, but like two people slowly realizing they matter to each other.

By ep 8, the emotional tension is real. Past wounds resurface, choices start to clash, and you feel that something unspoken is always hanging between them. It's not fast-paced at all, but if you vibe with slow-burn, emotionally rich stories, this one hits. The loneliness, the timing, the what-ifs—it all feels raw and real. A little slow at times, but beautifully layered.

Read More

Mature, Intense, Twist-filled - WAY better than the first season!

How have I just now heard about this?! This was way, way WAAYYYY better than season 1 (the chronological sequel to this), which I know is beloved by many! Season 1 was full of tropes and forced cringey, comedy. This prequel takes a more serious tone which makes everything a lot more tense. Is that why this didn't get as much attention afaik? The general HK drama viewer prefer comedic banter over slow conversations?

The beginning was a little slow as you get introduced to the characters but halfway through to the very end, it's nonstop action, twists and turns, and drama. The cast have amazing chemistry, even the non-romantic couples like Jessica Hsuan and Priscilla Wong. I love their relationship and how you feel that they genuinely care for each other. Pakho Chau Chau & Benjamin Yuen and Michael Miu & Moses Chan have an interesting rivalry as well. The characters are so well-written. Great acting from everyone, of course. I usually despise love triangles, which TVB tends to overuse but I found myself rooting for everyone here. The love triangles were not annoying. In fact, they were tastefully and maturely executed. The side characters have their motives which are slowly revealed and are all memorable. There are a few plot-holes and moments of suspension of beliefs.

A HUGE STEP UP from Season 1 which I felt was so overrated. Oh yeah, the OSTs are fantastic too, and not overly used that blasted 越难越爱 every 5 minutes.

Definitely recommend (but it will take a while for you to get invested. The last 15 episodes are riveting!!!)

Read More

Beautifully Emotional, But Not Without Bumps

I have mixed feelings about this drama. Heavenly Ever After tells the story of an undying love between a couple—love that endures life, hardships, and even death. Their bond is so pure and heartwarming, it leaves viewers yearning for something just as beautiful.

The drama starts off wonderfully—engaging, emotionally rich, and full of promise. However, it veers off course in the middle, which slightly disrupts the momentum. Fortunately, it ends with a powerful and emotional finale. That said, there are moments where the internal logic of the “heaven” portrayed in the story feels inconsistent, making it hard to fully immerse yourself in the world.

One particular point of frustration was the sudden introduction of a new character late in the series. It clearly serves the purpose of setting up the final twist—one that does tie the story together—but the abruptness of it makes the flow feel jarring and slightly off-putting.

What truly elevates this drama, though, is the stellar cast. The performances are absolutely memorable. Despite the age gap between the main couple, it never feels awkward or out of place. In fact, veteran actress Kim Hye Ja, portraying the older Lee Hae Suk, does a phenomenal job. She not only captures the essence of her character's enduring love and devotion, but also makes it easy for the audience to imagine her younger self through her expressions and presence.

Son Suk Ku, playing Ko Nak Jun, delivers a deeply moving performance. His portrayal of a husband endlessly in love—regardless of age, time, or even death—was nothing short of brilliant.

In the end, Heavenly Ever After is a flawed yet emotionally powerful drama, carried by heartfelt storytelling and unforgettable performances.

Read More

Just so much fun

There’s nothing that particularly stands out in this movie, yet it keeps a constant grin on your face…..and seriously we are in the end of May 2025 and there’s been a bunch of real tepid Asian dramas this year.
Imagine desperately searching for something worthwhile to watch - and this movie from 10 years ago, with all its teenage hormonal sexuality , and 3 heartthrobs in their early days lights up your screen ……… oasis!!!!!

The lead actors were great but the supporting cast stole the show.
The director, the parents of WooBin, the chinese restaurant owners…..spot on comic timing!!!

Be warned there are a lot of sexual innuendos….but such a great movie about 20 year olds.

Read More

I didn't expect this drama to be this good

I must say this is one of the best cdramas i watched so far,from storyline to actors to costumes everything is perfect.i drop any drama if i find the storyline or actingis gettingbad and creeping, i was expectingit to be tge same kind .i am glad i watched it.i liked the face that female lead here is strong and kind and loving and her presence of mind is great at the same time,while male lead is equally strong and kind. I loved the fact he stood fast for his marriage commitment and didnt get swayed by othe female characters even though he hated her at first but he respected his marriage. And the grandmother played such strong and beautiful role and always sporting female lead inspite of grades between families,she didnt let that cloud here judgement.

Read More

A bittersweet portrait of love and loss

This drama is a quiet, tender story that lingers in the heart long after the final episode. It’s not a grand, sweeping romance but a painfully realistic portrayal of love which I do think is necessarily and fitting.
What actually caught my interest is the tattoo on Hongrang’s back, It is a haunting and symbolic element central to the series' dark narrative, which the drama’s brilliance lies in how it uses this detail. Every time Hongrang’s back is revealed, in moments of vulnerability, the weight of that ink feels heavier. Dear Hongrang is beautifully shot and emotionally resonant, with standout performances and a unique concept. While it stumbles with pacing and clarity toward the end, it remains a worthwhile watch for those who like dramas with a dark and sorrowful twist.

Read More

Compelling revenge story! A masterpiece!

Initially, I was not interested to watch another revenge series as I thought the revenge story line is always about the same. Then, I like the two leads actors and decided to give a go!

Only one episode I watched and was totally hooked by the riveting story with scheming detail plots of revenge, mystery, intense moments to craft his revenge. This is a series a must watch series unbelievable story.

The ML is a perfect actor for this series, Zang Hai is highly intelligent and witty and very confident played Xiao Zhan. The FL is gorgeous and the chemistry between them is well matched. I believe the romance between the leads will be interesting in the coming episodes. The rest of the cast is brilliantly written in their characters. Love the acting and superb storytelling. Just hope the series will continue its strength to captivate audiences and doesn’t wane after 20 episodes. This series is truly a masterpiece and very well written and produced. Super awesome to watch!

Honestly, do not miss this series ! It is an artistry of storytelling at its best!

Read More

clingyness overload!!

My Boss (2024) turned out to be an unexpectedly emotional and engaging ride. While the storyline had its ups and downs, what truly carried the drama for me were the incredible performances from the cast and the beautiful, heartfelt OSTs. Zhou Yiran and Sabrina Zhuang gave such natural, compelling performances that you couldn’t help but root for them even when the script didn’t always do their characters justice.

One thing that stood out in a negative way was the portrayal of the male lead. While the actor delivered a strong performance, the writing gave him traits that made him hard to root for at times. He was overly clingy, controlling, and lacked a proper redemption arc. There were moments where a deeper exploration of his flaws and true growth could’ve made his character more redeemable, but instead, his development felt rushed or brushed off. This imbalance was frustrating especially because Ruonan was written with more emotional depth, maturity, and restraint.

Despite this, the chemistry between the leads, the emotionally loaded dialogues, and the warmth of the supporting cast helped make the show memorable. The soundtrack added another level of poignancy, often elevating scenes with its timing and sentiment.

Overall, My Boss (2024) is still a worthwhile drama to watch especially if you love slow-burn romances and character-driven narratives. Just don’t expect a perfectly balanced love story.


zhang ruonan

Read More

Unlike other revenge tales, this drama warms my heart with its writing & acting performance

I decided to watch this drama as I was preparing to write a reddit post on Han Yu Tong's revenge dramas. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this story. Highly recommended.

What I liked:
1. Tone - Many revenge dramas have a cold feel but I felt warmth throughout the drama. There was so much heart showcased by Zhu Yuanyuan. Plus I never expected comedy in a revenge tale.
2. Acting - Spectacular performance by Han Yu Tong and the actress who portrayed Zhu Yuanyuan. Cao Tian Kai was also good at portraying a goofball antagonist. The actress who played SML's sister was good too.
3. FL characterisation - Wonderfully written. FL is just a person who wanted to be loved. Even with physical transformation, there are still pieces of Zhu Yuanyuan in Qing Ting.
4. Theme - It's great to see themes such as self-worth & family love is explored in this drama.
5. Dynamics - I enjoyed watching FL and ML relationship progress from strangers arranged to be marriage by their families to allies. Very subtle romance with actions mostly by ML, which is understandable considering FL's mission.
6. Supporting characters - I really liked FL's father.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Cruel & disrespectful. The mistress got the comeuppance that she deserved.

Favourite scene
When SML got ready in hotel bathroom

Read More

A tribute to the series

There has been no other story that has been told as many times as the dramatic saga of F4. Based on the original manga by Kamio Yoko, Hana Yori Dango is an ever evolving story that has seen many language and cultural adaptations over the years. Most of us have watched at least one version of it, yet some of us have watched every single adaptation in hopes of finding that one remake that sets the story apart from all the other ones that were produced.

The first viewing experience I had was when I watched Meteor Garden. The Taiwanese version was low budget and cheap looking, yet the cast brought the story to life in a way that had us sitting at the edge of our seats just waiting for Shan Chai and Dao Ming Si to defy the odds of the rich boy poor girl trope and prove to us all that love prevails no matter what. Yes, it was 2001 and most of us clung to the hope that although Dao Ming Si was a complete ass and a nasty piece of work on the outside, deep in his soul he just was a lost poor little rich boy who needed a strong girl by his side to turn him into a decent human being.

This being the premise of the story, it was easy to see that nearly every adaptation was the same in terms of the narrative and the purpose of the story:

Meteor Garden (Taiwan, 2001)

Hana Yori Dango (Japan, 2005)

Boys Over Flowers (South Korea, 2009)

Meteor Garden (China, 2018)

I had watched the Taiwanese and Japanese versions before declaring that I would skip the South Korean and China versions as it was predictable and honestly, the story was not aging well. In today's society, it is incredibly hard to watch a show about four spoiled rich boys selecting schoolmates to bully simply because they were bored and they could. The level of violence was unacceptable and as I grew older, it bothered me to a level where I questioned why I ever championed Dao Ming Si/Doumyouji Tsukasa when they were just awful people. Was there something in the water back then that made us such fans of toxic male leads? Some fans may have been rooting for Hua Zhe Lei/Hanazawa Rui instead, but don't forget that he too was a member of F4 and did absolutely nothing to help out the victims (please don't think that just because he stopped Shan Cai/Makino Tsukushi from being sexually assaulted that he became some hero, because he truly was not decent either.)

Having sworn off the series, I told myself I would never watch any other adaptations - the first two and their multiple seasons plus a movie were more than enough. Then in 2021, F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers aired. This was the one. It overshadowed all the other adaptations and paid tribute to the story of F4 by bringing it into today's world and making it relatable. This version was a masterclass in how to adapt a classic story and give it new life and purpose to exist today. It was just done right.

This adaptation was produced with a budget that could carry the show without cutting down on the quality or reality of the characters' lives. It truly made us believe that there was this exclusive school somewhere in the middle of Bangkok that catered to these incredibly wealthy children who were all set to inherit their family businesses. Done with true Southeast Asian relatability: Thyme came from a real estate mogul type family, Ren from a family that practiced traditional medicine, Kavin from a family that practiced cultural crafts, and MJ from a family that was part of the Thai mafia. I liked that the production team decided to localise these aspects of the story and make it familiar not only for their Thai audience, but also for most of us in Southeast Asia who could relate to it.

The premise of the story began the same way, F4 being revered yet feared by the entire school. I feel like the director really leaned into the audacity of the boys as he found an abandoned space that resembled the ruins of a stadium of some sort and Thyme would sit on a chair in the middle of this space and watch whichever victim he had chosen be bullied so violently, like he was some depraved king on his throne. Was it ridiculous and over the top? Of course it was, but when was this story not? The settings in the drama were chosen so well that it transported us from the school, to Thyme's palace of a home, to Gorya's regular suburb and even to the flower shop where she and her best friend worked. Each transition between these spaces felt natural and did not look like it was part of a fake set which had been created specifically for the drama. I truly believe that Thyme's family home belongs to some mogul who was kind enough (or smart enough) to lend it to the production team for filming.

Following its predecessors and the original storyline, the drama progressed as predicted however, it cleverly utilised social media and technology to make it more current. This aspect of the show was rather ingenious and drew attention to how easy it was to be a cyberbully because one can always hide behind their screen. There were moral lessons and social accountability awareness weaved into the story, eventually culminating in Thyme feeling severely remorseful for his past behaviour and visiting each victim he bullied to apologise. None of them forgave him easily, which I found incredibly realistic. The scene with him on his knees outside a victim's house begging for forgiveness was so powerful and so well executed. None of the other adaptations had ever done this. This was what made F4 Thailand stand out and break the barriers of adaptation as the director and screenwriter chose to tell the story responsibly and for it to age well into the future.

The cast for the drama was excellent. Most of us know Bright and Win from 2gether which came out the year before F4 Thailand and had already made them famous internationally. The Thai BL fandom is a global one and many of them had a hard time accepting both Thyme and Kavin who were so very different from Sarawat and Tine. For me though, I was late to the 2gether fan club and had watched F4 Thailand first, thus I shipped the characters from both shows accordingly without much trouble. Tu was cast perfectly as Gorya, she brought out that familiar rebel and kind girl energy that we all loved. Whether she was kicking Thyme, falling for Ren or carrying the weight of her family on her shoulders, Gorya was a force to be reckoned with and Tu gave it her all to make us root for this poor girl who really just wanted to go about her daily life without any drama. The final episode of the drama really clinched this version for me, as Gorya goes to see Thyme's mother (Cindy was brilliant) and it's not a confrontation, but Gorya coming to understand that Thyme's mother loves him very much and only wants the best for him. The way this scene played out in the rain and between the gates of Thyme's palatial home really showed how two women who came from such opposite backgrounds could unite in their shared love for this one boy. Thyme's mother realising that Gorya never wanted to take him from her, but just wanted to be a part of his life was such an important lesson and a realistic one too. Again, none of the other adaptations had this conversation take place and the significance of it definitely added to the success of this adaptation. Let's not forget the subtle and quiet romance of Kavin and Prim, "indie" Ren and MJ's fried chicken sponsored unfinished love story on the side, as well as the wonderful Lita who all came together with just the right amount to balance out our main couple.

For those of you who missed out on this version or didn't get around to watching it simply because you don't watch Thai dramas, let this be the one drama you watch. I promise you, no regrets.

Read More