Reviews

Ip Man is more than just a martial arts movie—it’s a story about quiet strength, integrity, and resilience. Donnie Yen completely embodies the role of Master Ip, turning what could’ve been a standard biopic into something powerful, respectful, and emotionally compelling.

The action choreography is phenomenal—fast, clean, and brutal in the best way. But what makes this film resonate is its emotional core. Set during the Japanese occupation of China, the film uses its historical backdrop to explore themes of national pride, dignity, and survival without feeling preachy. Ip Man’s calm, unwavering presence contrasts beautifully with the chaos around him.

While some of the historical elements are simplified and the nationalistic tone may feel heavy at times, the film earns its emotional moments with sincerity and skill. It moves quickly, never drags, and balances action with character in a way that many martial arts films don’t even attempt.

Pros:
✔ Donnie Yen’s defining role—quiet but magnetic
✔ Clean, powerful fight choreography
✔ Strong emotional tone without melodrama
✔ Excellent pacing and direction

Cons:
✘ Some historical liberties taken for dramatic effect
✘ A few characters are underdeveloped

Would I rewatch?
Yes—especially for the iconic fight sequences and the grounded emotional impact that lingers afterward.

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THANK FOR HAPPY ENDING ✨

first of all, a little sad for the final episode (haven’t realize there was a special episode)
why does there have to be a sad ending...shen nan and shi wen went through so many difficult to be together...obstructed because the family didn't approve(harder part)...
Also they both have gone through various tests including life, death, together, apart, fighting, giving in and loving each other was they have gone through.
why is the struggle to live together and love each other so many obstacles and challenges...
anyway...
big thank for the special episode... love it so much
also thank you to the actors ... expecially the main actors and everyone involved making this series...
The best and amazing ...

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The title Meet Yourself truly says it all

Meet Yourself isn’t for everyone—but if you’re in a season of burnout, heartbreak, or just feel emotionally drained, this drama might be exactly what you need.

Yes, it’s slow-paced. Painfully slow at times. But that’s also kind of the point. The show doesn’t rush anything—just like real healing, it takes time. It lets you breathe, sit in silence, and soak in the little things: the sound of birds, the warmth of a shared meal, the stillness of rural life. And somehow, that simplicity becomes deeply moving.

Liu Yifei brings this quiet strength to her role, and her chemistry with Li Xian is calm and steady—not explosive, but deeply comforting. Their relationship builds gently, without dramatic twists, and that's what makes it feel real. The entire village, its people, and the daily rhythms slowly become a balm for the soul.

The title Meet Yourself truly says it all. This isn’t just about escaping the city or falling in love—it’s about slowing down long enough to meet your true self. The part of you that’s been hurting, hiding, or forgotten. And that quiet journey of self-rediscovery is what makes this drama so special.

If you’re looking for action, high drama, or fast-moving romance, this probably isn’t it. But if you're going through something—or just need peace—this show is like a soft blanket. You just need patience to appreciate it.

Pros:
✔ Beautifully healing atmosphere
✔ Natural, grounded performances
✔ Reflective and emotionally warm
✔ Perfect for when you feel lost or overwhelmed

Cons:
✘ Very slow pacing (you have to be in the right mindset)
✘ Some subplots feel repetitive

Would I rewatch? Yes—on a quiet night when I need to feel like everything will be okay.

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solid ending

Overall: it was exciting to see Singto and Krist again with a story not about high schoolers or university students; however, one of my most hated tropes is the basis for this series which made me not rate it higher. 10 episodes about 50 minutes each. Airing on GMMTV's YouTube Channel (not available in Thailand, Korea or Japan) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI6nPzMs-RhMalpGr-jA0_3C&si=cEfvTY0ErPMrmQZn and Viu (Thailand).

Content Warnings: non con touching, non con video recording/sharing/outing, attempted murder, blood, manipulation

What I Liked
- great to see Singto & Krist again
- clear premise in the present
- clear flashbacks
- protect mode
- callbacks like with the engineering shirt
- once together their ongoing intimacy, good kissing
- Mix's cameo
- styling
- excellent finale

Room For Improvement
- the noble idiot trope where a person caused much more pain to the supposed love of their life than if they had talked to their loved one and told the truth, we finally learned what happened in episode 7 part 1 which made it difficult for me to enjoy their past relationship knowing how they ended up in the present and (correctly) guessing their rift was based on stupidity (if you're struggling, I suggest start at episode 5 part 3, then skip over where you see angst/anger, fairly smooth sailing episode 7/4 and onwards)
- how Tam didn't tell his mom like it was/standing up for his relationship (he had a conversation off-screen with her)
- a character told something that the mom had instructed him not to say

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Loved it!

Honestly seeing all the negative reviews on here made me reluctant to start watching this but ive had it on my plan to watch for ages now and i dont regret watching it in the slightest !

As someone who tried to watch hospital playlist and just couldnt get into it, i enjoyed this SOOOO much, the dynamics of the main characters was just so wholesome and cute, their development and growth as doctors was so nice to see, and the stories of the patients were touching! And as someone whos not that big of a romance fan, the romance had me giggling and kicking my feet !

Id say if you do enjoy hospital dramas and are looking for something light and wholesome to watch, try it out <3

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A Show Full of Savory and Sincere Food and Feelings

I don't typically write reviews for shows before they're completed, but this show has been an absolute delight so far so I will!

Story: 8/10
To be completely outright, I didn't have high expectations going into this show. It's full of cliches in Rom-Com K-Dramas: A rich and spoiled ML, a stubborn yet poor FL, rich parents, and sidekicks. The story itself isn't incredibly new or shocking, but I feel the writers took a refreshing approach to an otherwise over-told storyline. The ML and FL have an amusing enemies-to-friends/co-workers-to lovers relationship that makes you laugh but you still feel their feelings shifting for each other as they grow to respect and care for each other. The sidekicks also make you laugh and although the villains of the story are a bit typical, there's no unnecessary twists thus far like a random murder-mystery plot or something like that. Lately, I've personally been watching a lot of thriller shows and I felt like this show was a good break in the middle of a warm May, letting me relax without thinking too much about the storyline.

Acting/Cast: 9/10
I honestly am really enjoying the acting from everyone in this show so far! I have watched Go Min Si before in Youth of May and her acting blew me away back then, so I knew she wouldn't disappoint me and I was right. She nails the role of a so-called "Country Bumpkin" with a headstrong personality and strong morals, and both delivers in comedic scenes and in the romance parts. It's refreshing to see her do a Rom-Com after seeing her in such a serious role in Youth of May and I think it's a great reflection of her versatality as an actress. As for the ML played by Kang Ha Neul, I haven't actually seen him in anything but Scarlet Heart and that was frankly too long ago for me to have much of an opinion on his acting. But he does a great job playing the selfish ML and his comedy and romantic scenes are wonderful too. I love his micro-expressions as well, I think he plays the role very naturally. I also want to mention Yoo Su-Bin who plays Shin Chung-Seong. I first saw him in Start-Up and I honestly loved his character in that show too and it felt like a nice reunion of sorts to see him play the goofy Chung Seong. And for Kim Shin-Rok who plays the adorable Jin Myeong-Sook, I've only really seen her play the villain in Undercover High School, but I am really enjoying seeing her in a comedic role. Overall, everyone has good chemistry together :)

Music: 8/10
As I always say, I'm not a big OST person but I liked the music so it's an 8/10 for me.

Rewatch Value: 9/10
Like I always say, I'm not a big fan of re-watching shows. In fact, there's only a handful of k-dramas I've ever re-watched. But this show is sweet and fun, and I could see myself re-watching it later on when I need a break from more fast-paced, thrilling shows. So, 9/10.

Overall: 9/10
I think this is a great show if you're looking for something lighthearted with "clean" humour, along with a good mix of comedy and romance. I believe I'll watch the show all the way to the end, and I hope the show can keep up its good momentum until then. Thanks for reading my review!! :)

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Best thing I have seen in ages

So, for some unknown reason this drama skipped my attention at the end of 2024 and only accidentally I stumbled upon it seeing Park Bo-young in a thumbnail and started watching.

I’ve been watching K-dramas for many years now, but I haven’t seen anything as good as this, not only regarding K-drama, regarding anything I have watched in the past decades.
Just a week ago I wrote a 1.0 review for ‘heavenly every after’ being really frustrated what the writers and director did with an actually interesting and important topic like a possible afterlife. All the things that went wrong there? Were down SO right in ‘Light Shop’. I never gave a drama a 10.0 in every area, this one got the full 10.0 in all of them.

The actors in this are altogether beyond fabulous. I can’t even say who stands out as they all do. The soundtrack is so multifaceted, so sensitive, capturing not only the entire mood in the alley, but also the specific situations of the characters, sometimes only with a few keys played on the piano.

But from the start: I started watching this without reading a summary before. I watched the first episode, was mesmerized the whole time and after it finished, I didn’t have the faintest idea what is going on. Just a feeling, much like the shown characters themlseves who just seem confused. Same thing happened with the second episode – I watched it, totally fascinated, but no real idea what is happening there.
And this goes on for a while, until episode 5 at least, when things start clearing up a little bit. This is a philosophically very deep, sensitive and touching take on a possible afterlife realm. Not only humans are there, also loyal pets who, beyond death stand by their humans, not giving up until they are safe.
Human souls are wandering endlessly in the dark alley until they find their way into the light shop. Only there they can find their individual soul light and move on, either to another realm in death, remaining in the limbo alley for longer, or going back to the realm of the living.

Each story of each character is very touching and combined with the extraordinarily good special effects to make the alley tangible for the viewer, I was glued to my screen the full 8 episodes without missing a single second. I think I never watched a drama where this happened. Not only were the individual stories very moving, sometimes heart breaking without any of them being attention seeking or over the top, the whole setting was thought-provoking in a deeply philosophical way, at least for Agnostics like me. Many things I saw there fit my personal vague feelings and thoughts of what might come after death. Many things depicted even fit some personal experiences I have made with death and what might come after this earthly timespan. I guess this specifically struck a chord with me.

Apart from all that I was again very moved by the death-and burial rites in Korea in general, which have so many gestures of acknowledging and respect for the deceased – something that has gone amiss totally in many parts of Europe I know at least. There death is totally avoided, and if it occurs, it’s either an emotionless factorylike thing (concerning the actions of many doctors and nurses), a grim business where profit counts at funeral homes who want to sell you absurdly expensive coffins for tens of thousands of dollars trying to convince you to spend more and more with guilty conscience speeches of the lowest order. How refreshing was it once again to see the morgue director in the hospital in this drama, who talked to every deceased person, called them by their name and told them individually with a bow, what the next step would be. How refreshing was it once again to see there just is one sort of light wooden coffin and the yellowish linen death garments that are so carefully put on the deceased.

In small but important scenes it was shown how utterly important, even life-changing in the literal sense – small gestures of good will, or small gestures of pure spite and evil in life can be. I was almost shaken, (having had a mother-in-law who her whole life through made everyone else’s life pure misery with her never ending spite, hatred and lies) when the anxious mother is waiting in front of the operation theatre after the accident and as a viewer you side with her, you feel for her as her son is in acute danger of dying in there… and then… she grabs this cell phone, the girlfriend of her son desperately tries to call him and his mother, spiteful as she is, sends this message to her, lying, that her son is dead and that it is the girlfriend’s fault he died. This ugly, hateful and nasty gesture in an instant changes your feeling towards this mother. Where there was empathy for her a moment ago, there is only disgust and disbelief about such devilish doing. And this small hateful gesture has direct consequences, not only in this life, as the poor girlfriend is taking her own life right then, also in the afterlife, for both, the girlfriend and her son who is there in limbo. As much as this emotionally bothered me, as good I found it captured what is happening in so many families between mother-in-laws and girlfriends or wives of their sons, and as true it rings to me what consequences, on a much broader sphere such behaviour could possibly have.
But there are so many more scenes, impressions, ideas in this show that touch very important topics for actually everyone as, in fact, everyone will die one day.

I am so happy that that the writers and directors of this drama decided against the current trend of just making another horror – everything explodes-torture porn – what every crass, perverted scene can we make up no one has done yet – etc.-show calculating this will probably reach the broadest most dumbed down audience and make the most money. Instead, they made a sensitive, deeply philosophical, slow-paced show, often without much or any words, where you don’t get spoonfed every little detail, but you have to just wait and feel in and think yourself what could be happening.
I will certainly rewatch this as I think, knowing what it’s about will make me sense more details and make me understand more of the story in a second go.

I recommend this for everyone - well, with a working brain, that is not dumbed down with all the rubbish that is out there in tons, for everyone who does think philosophically about topics like the afterlife with an open mind of what might come there without anyone really knowing.

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Pond is worth watching and Wang deserves more

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

When “180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us’ was aired, it created a little stir on the feeds due to his melodramatic storyline and the age gap. The age gap was what gave me pause and not watching it.

Despite a sea of BLs, 180 Degree is a unique drama that I think is worth watching and I am in the mood for something more melo. That is not to say this is a pleasant watch because I was so mad at Uncle In in the end, so much more than the Drama Queen Mother.

There’s a lot to like in this drama:

1. Pond/Wang - He is the star of the show and makes this drama worth watching. Because Wang is such a mature 20-year old, it makes the age gap feel a little less yucky. Pond exudes that young playfulness in earlier episodes especially during the fun mother-son interaction and banter. As he falls in love, you can see the feelings and longing coming out of his eyes. The last episode when he let it all out and told everyone off, I was cheering for him. Wang deserves so much more than what Uncle In can give him. I want him to go out and find someone as brave as he is, someone who can be by his side for good and bad.

2. Feel of the drama - I’m searching for something melodramatic and I get that here. Despite some yelling and screaming, the drama has all the elements that I am searching for - cinematography, the general slowness (for the most part), philosophical conversations all and especially Pond’s beautiful voice when the theme song is played. They all work very well together that makes 180 Degree a very unique drama.

3. Chemistry - The chemistry is definitely there when Wang and In first laid eyes on each other. They haven’t even talked much at that point, but I can see tension in their gazes. All of their interactions and conversations up to ep 6 feel so intimate. This is the In that I like as well - thoughtful, caring and understanding mentor for Wang. The one that validates Wang’s feelings and encourages him to pursue what he wants in life. Whenever the mother shows up in the first 6 episodes, she feels like a third wheel!

What I don’t like or have mixed feelings:

1. Mother - Gosh, she is so over-the-top. Mom is a drama queen and the center of all the attention. She’s loud and bossy. What is up with that birthday party celebration? I was so embarrassed for Wang. She should have known that’s not what her son wants. I don’t question her love for her son, but she needs to find more appropriate ways of showing it. She always blames others and it’s never her fault. But in the end, Mom is right in pointing out and asking Wang whether Uncle In has directly expressed his feelings.

2. Uncle In - He does not deserve Wang. This coward makes my blood boil in the last couple episodes. After all that he has gone through in the past and knowing pushing people away may not bring them happiness, he still doesn’t change. He doesn’t flat out tell you how he feels but his inaction speaks louder than words. It feels like the mature, thoughtful and caring In that Wang fell in love with in the first 6 episodes disappears in the last 2. I wonder if that bar-like divider screen in his bedroom is a symbolism of how he imprisons himself and stay away from the world, and be the lonely 52-Hertz whale.

3. Slowness - For the most part, I enjoy the slow pacing of the drama as it complements well with everything. But the only part I dislike is how the drama unveils the dead father’s story. It took forever! I feel like Uncle In took 3 steps forward and then 2 steps back, and all I want is for him to just tell me what happened (even though it’s not hard to guess).

If you are looking for a different kind of BL, I would recommend this. It’s not fluffy with tons of passionate kisses, but angsty in a way that you want to punch a couple of the characters in the face. But Pond is worth it.


Completed: 5/24/2025 - Review #581

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9.5/10 COMPARTO MBTI CON TINN??

24/05 El winny de pooh jajaja ame a sound y a tinn son tan buenos personajes neta que la veria de nuevo me encanta, su música 10/10 y ame que no fuera aburrido como otras series de escuela que la verdad son repetitivas, PERO, but my school president es diferenteeee, sirvieron romance, comedia, 3 casi 4 parejas (ambas me encantaronnn y eso que a mi personalmente los ships heteros en series gays no me llaman la atención, esta pareja fue muy linda y amé) RESPECTO A LA ACTUACIÓN senti que fue un poco comica pero no se si era asia propósito o si era un poquito mala (refiriéndome a los personajes secundarios) excelente serie para MARATONEAR y como rata que soy me la vi de una hasta las 4am, me despeja la mente en una realidad tan alborotada, hagan mas series estudiantiles ASI.
Me trajo recuerdos a FUTS (no se si se escribe asi idk) sin necesidad de ñakañaka y tantas escenas cursis, senti que fue una serie mucho mas guiada a publico juvenil y me atrapo. Suelo ver de todo tipo de series da igual si es adulta o estudiantil pero siempre la de estudiantes es repetitiva y sigue el mismo patron por eso no vi la serie cuando salio, OJALA averla visto ANTES, esto queda en mi recuerdo como la serie que debo recomendar SIOSI.
ESCENAS MEMORABLES:
-el combo que le dieron al señor kl homofobico.
-el besote que se dieron win y sound uffff veria la serie solo por ellos, ya denle serie propiaaa
-el que se quedo solo jajajajaja wn
-el gritote que pego la mama de tinn??? unas ganas de ver una serie de solo esa señora, me enamore nmms que pedo con mis gustos
-las canciones ayayayyy increíble lo que hicieron con el ost y todo se sintio como un musical, pero cambiaron el rumbo en los ultimos capítulos y no daban tantas canciones pero se agradece igualmente.
-gemini me sorprendió deveras que no pense que fuera tan tierno nose pero me cautivo la personalidad de su personaje, que dios lo bendiga se nota que es super talentoso


(6:53pm)






















gemini is cute

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Almost perfect

Thoughts:
Fantastic story of friendship, redemption, and forgiveness against all odds. This part of the story is 1000/10. I loved how friendship was THE core of the story, and it was more important than romantic relationships (which is unusual. I don't know if that's why the one romantic pairing had no chemistry, but I - for once - liked that because it meant the friendships could be center stage.) Some small things that held it back:
Dragged after the first arc ended and the plot got confusing and had some unnecessary parts - people kept coming back to life and they had to just kill them over and over again.
I loved all the man tears, yet there was still a lack of emotional depth in some characters (ok, one and a half), and there was also a need for fake tears.

Back to some positives:
I liked Tian Jia Rui's character growth. I was shocked when I started to see him smile. I don't know what triggered it, though. I would have liked a specific moment or event. Maybe I missed it? But it was out of the blue in a way where I honestly thought we were in a dream when I first saw him smile. I was like, "that can't happen, they must be stuck in a dream again."
I loved Bai Jiu. I repeat, I love him! I loved his little shrieks and his joyfulness, devotion, and funniness. However, this is clouded by [Spoiler 1 in the middle of the drama after the first arc that had to do with his character, you all know what I mean] and [Spoiler 2 in the last episode]. It tarnished what I liked about him initially.
Cheng Xiao's brother (and I don't know why. Sibling devotion trumps all?)
THE MUSIC. I WOULD GIVE THE MUSIC 1,000,000/10, especially the one for the fight scenes, the one that's famous for.

I would have put the rewatch value lower, but in the extra episode, I saw that character 2 was wearing character 3's bell in his hair, and I almost cried again. Especially after the present that character 3 gave to character 2. I think there are details like that that would make it interesting to rewatch, but I won't because of the negatives listed above.

Last complaint. Why did half the main characters need to SPOILER? Question for the audience: is this a plot point in most Xianxia?

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If you endure the first 4/5 episodes that it gets better

I personally don't like very much those dramas where everybody keeps screaming and shouting instead of talking and this drama starts exactly like this. Moreover, the first interractions between the main leads are kinda forced just to portray their love/hate friendship.
I kept watching because I instantly fell in love with the second couple and the friendship of Lavander team. These got me through the first awkward episodes and then I started to really enjoy the show.
The topics treated are many and important ones (even if a few of them have become kind of clichés now, like the theme of overworking and mental exaustion), but too often the actors used exaggerated ways to bring them on the screen.

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Living Deep in the Closet

As its name suggests, 'Depth' (its pinyin is shēn chù) is a Chinese film that addresses the complexity of being gay and living deep in the closet.
The 2022 short film portrays the story of Yi Ran, a gay boy played by Zeng Huaiyi. Through this character, Chinese screenwriter and director Ding Yuhan explores internalized homophobia. Yi Ran lives out his sexual identity by working in a bar and pretending to be happy with a girlfriend, played by actress Lu Meishan.
But the sudden visit of Zhou Mu (played by Shang Guolong) disrupts Yi Ran's life, and when feelings explode and he can no longer control his desire, his closely guarded secret may be exposed.
'Depth' problematizes the issue of sexual diversity and the lack of acceptance of one's own sexual orientation. Its 10-minute runtime is sufficient to expose the typical behaviors and negative emotions of closeted gay people, such as fear, shame, disgust, anxiety, low self-esteem, and avoidance or denial of everything related to their homosexual orientation due to the fear of being rejected.
Yue Zongao's beautiful cinematography and Xu Qiang's photography contribute to reflecting internalized homophobia, which is nothing more than the rejection or non-acceptance of one's own homosexuality.
The final images serve as a metaphor for the fear many homosexuals suffer from recognizing their sexual identity.

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this was bad...really bad

Let's me start by saying I have nothing against teacher/student dramas. I ve watched several and some are really good ( for example tsuiraku jk to haijin kyoushi) but this was insane.

The FL is such a hateable characters. She literally has no back bone.
At the beginning of the story we meet this 26 years old girls which is basically a Nepo baby (she got her job as a teacher because of his dad influence) teaching in a high school without much success. Students disrespect her and peers ignore her.
She is a pushover when it comes to everyone. Her character is so passive without a real reason. We learn nothing about her to justify this kind of behavior. Her mother tries to stick up for her and her dad is the typical japanese salary man character from the 90's. It clearly shows this is a drama of that era and that's fine.

She is supposedly engaged to a seemingly "nice guys" that adores her but she is always reluctant when it comes to talking to him or being a normal girlfriend.
The ml did a good job at portraing an angsty Teenager. His character reflects how a 17 years old actually thinks or acts.

These two meet at school when the kid transfers and basically fall in love over the longing feeling for freedom.
I still don't get how this 26 years old cannot break free. Social norms or expectation are hard to disregard , I know, but when it comes to worst stuff like dating a minor she literally has no issue and even declares her love for a teen ager in front of the entire school.

When these two get together the "adult" should al least be concerned about being "caught in the act" or about this kid future who is literally willing to run away from family , school and entire future because of a woman.
But no.. not this girl... They literally have sex in the school library...and they fall asleep!!!!!

This woman doesn't think straigh. She is the most childish between the two. Doesn't understand consequences or that this guy is literally a minor with no prospectives giving up his future for her... And I still don't know why.
She Is also super obsessed by this kid.
I could go on and on about this character that that has literally no charm or interesting traits.

There is much more problematic stuff in this drama like the kids mother literally paying his private tutor to sleep with her son and make him forget about the other teacher.
Towards the end the drama also starts treating the mother like she is some kind of psycho in love with her child and jealous of other women ...

The mother was the only sensible person trying to act like and adult...at least until the end

The best friend, the ex fiancee... And many others are so toxic in this drama.
Some of the students also try to rape her and end up with zero consequences.
Plot twist: the teacher is pregnant! Come on... The 26 years old is having sex without protection with a 17 years old!!!
She is insane and I could go on and on.

to preserve your sanity don't watch it.

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