Reviews

AWWWWW

This was my most anticipated drama ever since the trailer came out and its safe to say that it didn't disappoint. The leads OMG they had me smiling and giggling with their sweetness every two minutes. The chemistry was impalpable. I loved how the Lin Yusen was such a healing factor in Nie xiguang's life and how she had a backbone to standup for the love she had for him. I loved Nie xiguang's family too especially her cousin jiang rui--bro is such a good brother. Lin Yusen is the greenest most flirty and the most caring guy omg what an awesome way to start the year. I AM GONNA MISS THEM EVERYTIME I'LL OPEN THE APP. AHHH

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My January 2026 recommendation

Watched this for my Recommendation Challenge from Jojo. Let's discuss drama…

The story follows two high school students, Minase Jin and Hirukawa Haruki, who are polar opposites in both personality and social standing.

Minase is an honors student—polite, quiet, and burdened by the heavy pressure of meeting his parents’ high expectations.

Hirukawa is a so-called “delinquent”—straightforward, emotionally honest, and seemingly carefree.

Minase believes there are three kinds of relationships between people:
The Bystander — like water. Always present but trying to remain invisible. They don’t take sides; they simply “flow” around the situation.
The Perpetrator — like a stone thrown into that water. They cause ripples, create chaos.
The Victim — the one hit by the splash, left to suffer the impact.

To Minase, the safest place is as the water. He believes that by remaining a bystander and avoiding emotional involvement, he can protect himself from harm. To him, being “water” is the most logical way to survive a suffocating society.

That belief, however, is soon disrupted by Hirukawa.

They first meet in their first year—by chance, at the school sinks. Minase is washing his hands when Hirukawa walks in, right after nearly strangling a teacher. Their eyes meet. Nothing is said.

For a long time, they remain strangers who merely attend the same school. Their dynamic begins to change in April of their second year. Minase witnesses something no one else sees: Hirukawa being beaten by his father in their front yard. When Hirukawa notices him, he doesn’t cry or beg—he just glares and says: "Don’t tell anyone."

After that, Minase starts to notice Hirukawa more. Everything truly shifts when Minase encounters Hirukawa outside of school, at a local park. He finds Hirukawa beaten up, and instead of staying away, something about Hirukawa’s presence draws Minase in.

Against all logic, he does something unthinkable. Minase approaches Hirukawa—injured and emotionally guarded—and invites him to come to his house. Hirukawa is shocked and suspicious, since they aren’t even friends. But with nowhere else to go and his body in pain, he accepts. That night at Minase’s house marks the true beginning of their awkward and clumsy progression.

From then on, they begin spending time together in a secluded outdoor spot and at Minase’s house. Minase has only one rule: they cannot be seen together at school.

As days pass, they grow closer. Minase learns about Hirukawa’s broken home, his loneliness, his fight to survive; while Hirukawa begins to understand Minase’s inner emptiness. Yet no matter how close they become, Minase’s rule remains unchanged. To the outside world, they are merely strangers—but quietly, deeper feelings begin to form.

Everything changes again when Hirukawa’s father suddenly dies. With no family left, Hirukawa has to move—far away, to his mother’s district. Contact fades. Life moves on. And before they realize it, university life begins.

Now the question:
? Will they meet again…
? Will they continue their relationship…
? With Hirukawa’s bad reputation now in the past, will Minase finally dare to acknowledge their relationship openly…

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ Portray the almost perfect ambiguity for teenagers. Their identity crisis, their confusion in sexual prefrence…
+ Portray the perfect never judge the book by its cover. You never know what people hide behind their ‘mask’

What I don’t like:
- How Hirukawa kept yielding to Minase…
- Never really tell the story about Hirukawa’s family in detail. Like why his parents divorce in the first place…

Overall this is really one good BL drama to watch. Our Youth masterfully deconstructs the "bystander" philosophy through the quiet, complex bond between Minase and Hirukawa.

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iQIYI produces a lot of crap and this is no exception...

OMG was that bad. While the script makes at least some sense, the acting is bad and especially the editing is the worst. Even all 53 episodes cut together made this not a movie with any flow. It's just a hack fest, the next scene had nothing to do with the scene before.

Of course with an unpolished script and no clear vision from the director there comes bad acting... The small "boy" is too young to be a police officer from the get go, so it's completely unbelievable to begin with. His acting is also very rough. The side characters slide off into soap opera characters, all over-dramatized and over-acted.

So this series is a bad joke and even the chemistry between the leads leaves something to be desired. The only positive note is, that this is one of the few vers couples ever in BL, but that does not help the series at all. Also the production quality was not on par with similar productions. There are some sound problems which also don't help the series and makes me derank it even more. Just don't waste your time with this crap and do something more productive. 🤣

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WOULD YOU EVER BE CLOSE YOU & MEEeeEeee

The drama we didn’t expect to be this good, it’s crazyyyy!!! ✨✨✨

First, the storyline. I definitely didn’t anticipate that twist —Yusen being the victim of it all. I love how things progressed between the leads and Xieguang’s character? The most humble and kind even though she’s from a nouveau rich family.

Don’t stop me from hating almost all the characters of this drama (applaud to the actors, they’re so good portraying their respective characters!!!) from Xieguang’s so-called college friends (except the one who stood up for her, that’s the only true friend she got from college) to her sperm donor of a father 😩 AND THAT MOTHER-DAUGHTER TANDEM GIRL MY BLOOD IS BOILING EVERY TIME THEY’RE ON SCREEN 😭 +++ the second ml? OHHH I WANNA ZIP HIS MOUTH EVERY TIME HE SPEAKS 😩

I so love Xieguang’s mom, also!!! Being so supportive and lets her daughter pave her own path 🫡✨

Back to the storyline, if you want a light watch, this is definitely for you. It’s not without problems and all but it will not hurt your brain overthinking what comes next ✨

And the music? I shout my lungs out in “WOULD YOU EVER BE CLOSE YOU AND MEEEE” 😩

Yes, would definitely rewatch since it’s a light one. I love the ending, too (too many time skips tho 🤣).

Lastly, I love how the drama turned out slightly different from the novel. You’ll know if you read the novel I know you’ll understand what I meant.

PS. IN THIS WORLD FULL OF RONGRONG, I HOPE Y’ALL GOT AN YIN JIE IN YOUR LIVES. THAT’S ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 🤍

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AMAZING! so well done.... until ... ep 6... then you realize this was a collywood delusion

It is really a horror movie in disguise. It is scary and has quite some gory parts. Luckily not tooooo toooooo gory, you can easily skip the gory parts. It is hard though bc they are shown quite fast. Be ready with the fast forward button.

I really like use of makjang acting to act scenes about topics that do not matter, and "acting like in real life" to show topics that DO matter. It makes the drama go fast.

The movie plays on some Chinese / Taiwanese stereotypes that I am not familiar with. Clearly, it is a culture steeped in superstition. There must be some delulu in this drama based on some play on what is true, but I am not familiar to say exactly what.

Like in Western movies, where families are broken and everyone is separate and single and lonely, isolated, depressed; and it is a consumer society where everlasting personal satisfaction happens super fast without any effort, there is this delulu idea of getting all happy bc you found the right person who loves you - and then INSTANTLY AND FOREVER your life becomes supper happy and everything is great for you. This delulu consumerism plot manipulates the true, genuine human need to love and be loved by others.

A good movie might showcase true things that are now considered mystical, like the kung fu powers etc.

So what Chinese delulu AND / OR truth card(s) is this drama playing....?. I dont know. It seems to emphasize the magical power of caligraphy. Which... is true :) and I am not sure about delulus. Perhaps - the power of beer to unite ppl... ? the "masters" are all grumpy... ?

For the first 5 episodes, I thought it was a great drama. Then ep 6 was super cheesy copy of kdramas - going to an amusement park and playing on the claw machine (to claw out a prize out of a glass box full of prizes). I ALSO NOTICED THEY ADVERTISED THE BEER... the dad and son and mother and son drink beer together...

And the story got pretty cheesy... All "help me cases" were obsessions of live people...

Soooo at the end of ep 6, I fast forwarded to ep 12 and found the (dead) dad encouraging the son to drink beer... THAT was a sure sign this drama was totally a trap...

And then I quit. I got tired of ML actor ONLY grumpy face, of drinking beer by manipulation, etc and I quit this as Collywood.

Written after ep 1: this drama uses makjang exaggerated acting to show things that are not important, and "like real life" acting to show what is important. It saves so much time!!!!
Only one half of episode 1 was enough to totally set the background story of ML's life.

The story is well done and the acting is well done for the first 5 episodes. ML is young but that actor is excellent.

But he never smiles and stays super grumpy or the entire drama. One time he smiles, it is visible he has bad teeth. Too bad. He is a handsome guy and a phenomenal actor, he needs to fix his teeth so that he act roles with smiling too. And of course, for his own health.

I got tired of watching his grumpy face all the time. He needs to change facial expressions... imo.

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“A dark, addictive thriller that keeps tightening its grip with every episode”

The Manipulated is a dark revenge thriller, fast paced, intense and very hard to stop watching. It’s the kind of drama where you keep saying “just one more episode” and suddenly hours are gone.

The biggest highlight for me is the acting. Ji Chang Wook acting in this drama really strong. His performance feels raw and emotional not just action heavy. You can genuinely feel his anger, pain and desperation. D.O as The villain also adds an unsettling psychological tension that makes the story more interesting.

The story moves quickly with very little filler. There are lots of twists and mind games and the drama does a good job of keeping you on edge. The action scenes are solid but what really works is how they’re tied to the emotional weight of the story.

However, around the middle episodes the story slows down a bit. The plot doesn’t hit as hard as it does at the beginning and the intensity dips compared to those early episodes. It’s not boring but it does feel less gripping for a while like the drama is catching its breath before moving forward again.

Overall, The Manipulated is a dark and addictive watch. It’s not perfect and has some flaw but the strong performances and psychological tension make it worth sticking with. If you enjoy revenge thrillers and intense character driven stories this one is still a good pick.

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What's this drama even about?

I just finished this drama and I’m genuinely confused about whether it even had a plot. I haven’t read the novel, so I don’t know how faithful the drama is to it, but it started off promising and then went downhill fast. The main misunderstanding turned out so ridiculous that it barely justified anything that followed. The whole leaving medicine to do something completely unrelated arc felt pointless. He could have just been her manager with a past connection and the story would have stayed exactly the same.
Once they became a couple, it was peak cringe. The male lead felt like an overly performative green flag rather than a real person and I love green flag MLs in C-dramas....
The last four episodes had no plot, just stretched-out fluff and unnecessary additions like the marriage/kid storyline. Acting was mid overall, and honestly the only reason this drama has a good rating is probably because of the cast. Even after finishing it, I’m still wondering what this drama was actually about.

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To My Shore: A BL Drama That Will Leave You Breathless

To My Shore is a gripping and emotionally charged Chinese BL drama that has captivated audiences worldwide, and it’s easy to see why. Dark, intense, and deeply psychological, the series explores love at its most dangerous and transformative. At its core is the volatile relationship between You Shu Lang, a composed pharmaceutical company director, and Fan Xiao, the manipulative yet emotionally fractured heir to a powerful Thai conglomerate.

The Plot: A Dangerous Game of Desire

The story begins with a life-altering car accident that intertwines the fates of Shu Lang and Fan Xiao. What starts as calculated manipulation quickly turns into obsession, as Fan Xiao coerces his way into Shu Lang’s life and heart. However, beneath Fan Xiao’s cold control lies a man slowly unraveling—one who is genuinely falling in love for the first time.

As Shu Lang begins to recognize his own feelings, he also uncovers the disturbing truth behind Fan Xiao’s intentions. What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse dynamic, where love, fear, and control collide, keeping viewers on edge with every episode.

An Emotional Rollercoaster: Not for the Faint of Heart

To My Shore dives headfirst into heavy themes—trauma, emotional dependency, manipulation, and the thin line between love and obsession. Fan Xiao is the standout character: unsettling yet mesmerizing. His psychological depth and morally gray behavior make him both terrifying and heartbreakingly human.

Shu Lang serves as the emotional anchor of the story. His quiet resilience and moral clarity contrast sharply with Fan Xiao’s chaos, making their connection both painful and irresistibly compelling.

The Ending: Healing, Growth, and Letting Go

Without spoiling too much, the finale delivers a powerful and bittersweet resolution. Fan Xiao is forced to confront the destruction left in his wake, while Shu Lang chooses self-worth and healing over control. The ending doesn’t promise perfection—but it does offer growth, accountability, and the possibility of healthier love. It’s poignant, mature, and emotionally satisfying.

Why You Should Watch

If you’re a fan of BL dramas that push boundaries and refuse to sugarcoat emotional complexity, To My Shore is essential viewing. With stunning cinematography, layered storytelling, and haunting performances, this series lingers long after the final episode ends.

Be warned: it’s intense—but unforgettable.

Cast

Fan Xiao – played by Yun Qi

You Shu Lang – played by Hao Yi Ran

Genre: BL Drama, Romance, Psychological Thriller
Recommendation: ⭐ A must-watch masterpiece for BL fans and anyone who loves dark, emotionally rich dramas.

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Spring Fever is a breath of fresh air that captures the feel‑good vibe of a real spring day. The pacing is deliberately slow‑burn, letting the chemistry between the leads develop naturally—no rushed love confessions, just lingering glances and soft smiles that feel genuine. The countryside scenery is gorgeous.If you’re looking for a comforting, feel‑good series that balances light romance
The casting is on point.
As someone who read the web novel I appreciate the casting more.
Overall this drama is different from your normal romcom leads which makes it intriguing... can't wait for episode because it's getting better.

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The Emperor's Country

This film is *terribly* well done.

I hated the first hour, I freely admit it, because it was definitely on the far side of "too much". I am always the first one to point out that Japanese manga adaptations have their own style and that's how it is; and if you know what I mean by that, imagine it ten-fold that and you have a good approximation for how this film is done. I really struggled with the shouting and the overdone reactions and the wigs and ... everything, really. But for some strange reason, I also could *not* put it down.
It was all worth it for the ending -- I won't say anything to not spoil it, but let it be known that I had to get up, paced there for several minutes and then shouted "That's so clever!", and I meant both Teiichi's actions *and* the writing.

This film is set in an oligarchic and patriarchial society, both in the "adult" and in the "school" part of it -- it reminded me of the Kaiserreich society of around 1900 (go and read "Der Untertan" and "Unterm Rad", if you haven't yet!), others might think of England's Edwardian public schools, Japanese viewers will probably think of their own Imperial era. That oppressive, hierarchical society, governed by ties of obligation and old history which span generations, with its homosocial enviroment and the (homophobic) (or do I mean homoerotic?) bromances, the sizzling rivalries and the masochistic self-degradation towards the powerful -- and then, for a minuscule moment, a glimpse of a dream, of change, of humanity -- or maybe not?
All of this is perfectly distilled into the set designs and the costumes, into the use of light and color, into the pace of the ceremonies with the ritualistic stand-bow-sit and the hard-and-short applause, into the perfect timing of every single actor, and even into the kumi-daiko with half-naked men.

With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense that the female characters barely have screentime, that the younger sister (who is maybe about 13?) carries a teddy bear whereever she goes, that in his moment of victory, Teiichi leaves his girfriend(?) and runs towards his number one lackey to embrace him. Actually, that makes it even more clever that the girlfriend(?) is the only voice for egalitarianism in this film.

It would take a while to talk about all the different layers of meaning that hide behind the manga-esque facade, so I'll just point out that there are many, and leave it at that -- I think every viewer will find their own preferred reading.

And in the end, even on the day after finishing this film, I sit here and ask myself "Who is the real Teiichi?" and "What the heck is Dan hiding?"
Very much worth it.

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