Reviews

Chinese BEAST & the BEAUTY & the group of nasty villains

Clan wars leads to an arrange marriage of Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao. Wei Shao has 14 years of bitter hatred of all Qiao including Xiao Qiao. The tall menacing Wei Shao keeps his distance and heart from his petite wife Xiao Qiao. Xiao is both beautifil and brilliant. The real battle is earning trust. Xiao earns the respect of a heartless mother in law. Wei Shao fights off concubine schemes, and resolves a villian beauty who know every trick there is. Watchng Wei Shuo fight his new respect & growing affection for his own wife. And how to earn her love. Added humor is the portly assistant to Wei Shao and chubby maid of Xiao finding love along the way. Many interesting side characters. Well done battle scenes. Cinematography is gorgeous. Direction is the best. Cast is steller. We finally get to see the great Liu Yuning play mean and funny in one brilliant character Wei Shao. Song Zu Er is beautiful and deserves total respect as the lovely Lady Xiao. This was *worth* the 3 year wait. Let us also give high marks to outstanding screen play by Nan Zhen ( Romance of Tiger & Rose) completed with good character development and humor. And appealing soundtrack by mostly LiuYuning. The 9.8 fan scores tells the appeal and facinating storyline. A must watch more than once. This will be a class among dramas. Added bonus a bath scene with hottie Liu Yuning cooling off from an aphrodisiac slipped to him. ✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️
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山海经：Fangs of Fortune’s Endlessly Burning Roots in The Ancient Classic

THE ORIGIN IN THE CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS
Unfortunately this very important detail is overlooked in many critical reviews.

Any kind soul who ever laid their eyes on the book(s) FoF is based on, called 山海经（ “The Classic of Mountains and Seas”），they will know how extremely utterly dark the content of the stories in there are; FoF only covered a handful of its stories/creatures. (We usually read texts in classical chinese, but there must be some translations online for you to do some research on and understand the root of FoF.)

I don’t even want to imagine how difficult it must have been to develop an entire script based on this ancient classic. Also to know which creatures, like the demons and their roots and nature, should be thematized; also the brainstorming of which plot could work in such a chaotic environment. My head starts spinning already even when I am just trying to come up with a coherent script for a capturing and comprehensive story evolving around the great 山海经.

Based on this information and what I have learned and read so far, I am truly impressed and will think about FANGS OF FORTUNE for a long time. The series has many deep and meaningful messages that it shares with the audience, which are not only inspired by the classic but also applicable to our everyday life. (f.e.: depression, guilt).


ACTORS; THEIR SCREENTIME
This one is frustrating. I enjoyed the acting itself A LOT, I’m a big enthusiast for vivid and expressive emotions, as they help to convey the feeling to me, who is part of a wider audience.

BUT the director really messed up the screentime of Neo and Dudu, which was needed to make FoF even more powerful in its writing. Here is where I want and have to deduct a few points because I don’t find it understandable to give such powerful characters such flawed scripts + that ending speed, just frustrating…- but fortunately the deep bonds and the acting saved this shortcoming somehow.


RECOMMENDATION
The implementation of the complex ancient classic stories and creatures is very much appreciated, but would I personally recommend it?

I highly recommend Fangs of Fortune to anyone who is interested in traditional chinese mythology and culture, as well as the highlight of a unique team growing into wiser and more skilled individuals, forming deep (!!!) bonds along the way.

Fangs Of Fortune is NOT recommended to anyone who is here for lighthearted action, a very present bittersweet romance and a happy ending.

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Season 1 is better, but Season 2 has the better ending. (Contains Spoilers)

Season 1 is better, but Season 2 has the better ending. Don't be fooled as the core of this show is ROMANCE but it's forgivable.

The majority of the plot revolves around who is into who, playing cupid, and we even learn about the preferences of the main friend group through their love interests wanting secret intel on them. Almost all the songs they sing are romance songs related to the romantic plot point of the given episode. Yes, there is a core friendship within the show, but it isn't really being explored into any kind of depth just something to enjoyably observe and get a laugh out of in the midst of the real plot of romance and hospital work life.

However, the romance is highly mature and tasteful. The Romance genre in TV is full of badly written and immature couples and romance arc. It was nice to finally witness a majority of decent and realistic relationships. We do also get pretty consistent characters and personalities, so the friendship dynamics are written and feel very authentic.

**SPOILERS**
As for the romance between the leads Song-hwa and Ik-Jun. I don't hate that they end up together. I hate how the ship was introduced and presented throughout the show. PURELY a deduction on technicality. It relied WAY to heavily on screentime and flashbacks (which use to be fun and about the entire friend group until it became solely for them) and the introduction to the potential ship felt unnatural like it was a last-minute decision in the late middle of S1.

I would've enjoyed a slow burn between the Song-hwa and the 1st member of the group she rejected, Seok-hyeog, as the 1st scene of the ENTIRE series is of these two and it is naturally brought up that he asked her out in the past and she rejected him. If they went down a slow burn route for them, I'd buy it, and I might've loved it. I just don't buy Ik-jun and Song-hwa romantic lore as it felt like a forced plot point that I'm only okay with because I really LOVE their characters and the actors play them so well. It really is the directing and writing that I don't like for this couple. I will say the way Song-hwa confessed felt so real and authentic and i'm so thankful they didn't go the dramatic "you almost died so we have to date now" route. The cowardness with these two doesn't sit well with me. They'd realistically talk after Ik-jun confessed he liked her to her NS team 2 years ago and not drag it out. In their defense I love that Song-hwa had a moment with Seok-hyeong as the first person to fully acknowledge she was dating Ik-jun. It warmed my heart that I had to love it too.

The Yang Seok-hyeong and his resident, Chu Min-Ha, was a little iffy for me as I think once the student-teacher admiration wears off it feels like they're settling as there isn't much to them beyond that. I don't think they'd fall in love outside of work but if they did it might have been more lovely.

Jeong-won and Dr. Jang are honestly the couple that makes the most sense and feels natural and healthy as a couple but why they fell in love is nonexistent to me. I don't hate it, I'm confused but happy. For a good minute I wanted Dr. Jang to fall in love with Ik-jun but in the end I'm glad that didn't happen. There is a bit of student-teacher dynamic but I feel like Dr. Jang's personality makes up for that aspect of things. She doesn't live and die by his teaching and guidence. She straight up said "I can't promise you I won't do that again" at one point. I still wish Jeong-won didn't give up on going deeper into his faith and I disliked how they framed the situation but he's Catholic and not Otrhodox Christian (Orthodox Priest can be married with children and work another job). I think I like this couple the best because they actually know each other very well and relying on the other goes both ways. It doesn't for the other couples.

(Ik-jun never told Song-hwa about Ik-sun's condition, Seok-hyeong never went to Min-ha about his family troubles, Ik-sun lied to Jun-wan and Jun-wan didn't talk about what stressed him out to her.)

Jun-wan and Ik-sun is the only relationship I liked as they had a valid reason to be a secret, but man was it out of left field yet I'm thankful they didn't use flashbacks to justify them getting together... I did enjoy Junwan working through his breakup and his frienship with Jeong-won & Dr. Do Jae-hak being put to the test and found innocent and adorable. Him and Ik-jun are adorable too. I truly feel through him I got to see the parts of the friend group I wanted to see more of. I love the piggies. For a hot minute I thought the piggies were going to be a thing and I'm forever grateful it was not.

I hate how the daddy long leg and the children's hospital and the guardian guest house plot points dropped off. Also, the sibling twins were everything for me and I wish they got a nice solid arc but they kind of got mixed in with every other resident & fellow characters. They did love the piggies though so that warmed me up. They are the future piggies. NC and CS.

Personally, I'd like this series more if it kept the friend group 100% platonic and everyone dated outside of the group. Nonetheless I enjoyed it enough. Might watch the 1st season again on a rainy day but not season 2.

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Became one of my favorite dramas :D

After finishing Dr. Romantic season 3 I can comfortably say it has become one of my favorite K-dramas ever. This drama was something special for me and always put a smile on my face when watching.

The medical side of the drama was super interesting and exciting throughout and the different patient cases were perfectly paced and mixed in the drama. I only would have wished for a bit more variety in the medical cases.

The characters are all absolutely amazing and the acting is excellent. I was sceptical at first of the big casting changes in season 2 but I ended up loving all of the new characters too. Yun Seojeong from season 1 probably still remains my favorite character (and I was super excited to see her at the end of season 3 :D)

The actual story is also great. There was just a perfect mix of medical cases, relationships, and events outside of the hospital. I really appreciated how the drama focused on the medical part and the relationship parts were a nice bonus, sprinkled in here and there. The hospital politics I could have done without but in seasons 1 and 3 there wasn't too much of it at all.

The heart of the drama, Kim Sabu, was also prominent in all seasons and I was left impressed in almost every episode by his profound and wise teachings and dialogue. A consistent theme throughout all seasons is Kim Sabu teaching younger doctors what it means to be a good doctor with good values and a positive outlook on life.



Everything in Dr. Romantic put a big smile on my face. I will be remembering fondly the staff of Doldam that felt like a big family, the profound and memorable dialogue, the heartwarming and heartbreaking medical cases, the cozy and comforting feeling/atmosphere of the drama, and of course Jang Gitae's ridiculous laugh :DDDDDDDD

Dr. Romantic is a must-watch for everyone!

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not that as good as it could've been...

After seeing the rave reviews, i've decided to finally give this movie a go- but i can't help but think i've wasted my time...

The premise seemed promising, but the camera work and overall editing style seemed messy and ended up throwing me off. It feels as though the director was trying too hard to make the movie seem aesthetic that the story became almost chaotic. Scenes were either abruptly cut or drawn out for far too long, making the story stagnant and disrupting the leads relationship. If the flow and pacing of the movie was much smoother, i think i wouldn't have questioned the character's relationship- and over all chemistry as much as i did.

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Love may not fail but this story is an F

I agree with others that it had a strong compelling start as replacement actress I think fit the role with her kind of beauty, petiteness and acting style= a pixie and ML's stoicism worked but the story utterly went downhill and the ending is not even a head scratcher, it was downright slopped together 'gosh we need to wrap this up'. Watch this at 1.25X or even 1.5X and you'll get through it as the dialogue is not interesting, Second leads story is hammy, and a third lead and villan characterizations are like pouting children who behave as bullies because it turns out they have power (which also makes no sense even in fantasy as to how they got that much power),
Watch the ML in A Moment But Forever, and FL in Sleepless Princess to enjoy their portrayals of similar characters in far more 'I want to watch the next episode" stories.

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The Potato Lab: A Hearty Mash of Comedy, Catharsis, and Chemistry

Let’s get this out of the way: The Potato Lab is not a reinvention of the wheel. It’s not here to subvert romcom expectations or deliver a genre-defying narrative. It is, proudly and unapologetically, a romcom. It wears its predictability like a badge of honor, marches to the beat of a familiar drum, and somehow… makes all of that feel like the warmest bowl of potato soup you didn’t know you needed.

The Potato Lab simply says, “You like the wheel, right? Here’s one that rolls smoothly, is painted a lovely pastel shade, and happens to whisper emotional truths while spinning.” That’s The Potato Lab in a nutshell—or a potato sack, if you will. At its center is Kim Mi-kyeong, played with incandescent chaos and aching vulnerability by Lee Sun-bin, who continues her streak of portraying women that feel like firestorms bottled in coffee cups. Mi-kyeong is a character built for contradiction—short-tempered but endlessly giving, confrontational yet emotionally reserved, someone who yells when she cares and says nothing when she's truly hurting. And Lee Sun-bin understands this paradox with a frightening amount of precision. Her comedic timing is surgical, her emotional breakdowns feel like cracked porcelain, and her painfully awkward, forced laughter when uncomfortable is the kind of acting choice that makes a character unforgettable. It’s not just good—it’s microwave-scream-in-the-office-kitchen level good.

Opposite her is Kang Tae-oh as So Baek-ho, a cold and calculating corporate number cruncher who might as well be allergic to sunlight and small talk. At first glance, he’s the walking embodiment of a productivity app, all schedules and logic. But as the drama progresses, Kang Tae-oh slowly dismantles the robot façade and replaces it with tenderness, subtlety, and (let’s be honest) an unfair amount of emotional damage in soft lighting. Watching him unravel—sometimes clumsily, sometimes beautifully—feels earned, like watching a glacier slowly, gloriously melt under the weight of spring.

And yet, The Potato Lab never feels stale. Maybe it’s the quirky setting of a lab and a guesthouse. Maybe it’s the sheer brilliance of the cast. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s the way it treats emotional healing like a slow-cooked stew, not a microwave dinner.

And when these two leads collide? Sparks. Electric, flammable, potato-fueled sparks. The chemistry between Mi-kyeong and Baek-ho is downright delicious. They argue like they’ve been married for a decade and flirt like it’s their first day on Earth. Their banter slides effortlessly into vulnerability, and their most serious conversations can seamlessly give way to absolute chaos—like, say, ending up in a police station with Baek-ho still in pajamas. It’s not just romantic tension; it’s a masterclass in tonal balance.

But The Potato Lab isn’t just about the central couple. The supporting cast brings their A-game, and the drama makes space for them to shine. Kim Ga-eun and Shin Hyun-seung make up the secondary couple, and their comedic timing is so sharp it could slice through tension like a hot knife through—well, a potato. Ga-eun’s character, Ong-ju, in particular, becomes Mi-kyeong’s emotional harbor, the best friend who knows when to crack a joke and when to anchor her in silence. Meanwhile, the rest of the lab team adds flavor without overpowering the main dish. They're quirky, they're lovable, and more importantly—they know when to exit stage left.

And then there's Yoon Hee-jin, played with relaxed brilliance by Jung Shin-hye. Hee-jin is Baek-ho’s best friend—and bless this drama for keeping that friendship 100% platonic. There are no romantic undertones, no secret pining, no “but maybe…”s. Just two straight, attractive people being emotionally intimate in the way K-dramas often refuse to allow unless it ends in a kiss. Their friendship is as pure as fresh-fallen snow and serves as a foundation of support that never once asks for anything more. It’s so refreshing, I wanted to frame it and hang it on a wall labeled “How To Write Friends Who Stay Friends.”

And just when you think you’re here for giggles and romance, The Potato Lab throws emotional haymakers. It tackles grief, burnout, failed relationships, and post-traumatic inertia with a level of honesty rarely seen in shows with this many food metaphors. Mi-kyeong’s six-year spiral after a double whammy of heartbreak and career devastation isn’t told in melodrama—it’s told in sighs, silences, and lines like, “I only wake up because I open my eyes.” That line? It broke me. I had to physically pause, whisper “damn,” and walk it off like a sports injury. The emotional arcs aren’t just believable—they're lived-in.

And let’s talk OSTs, because The Potato Lab didn’t just pick background music—it curated a playlist of soul. Strong Girl by B!ni and Hailey by Lee Sun-bin herself (!) bring the sunshine when the script leans silly, while Sondia’s Pretend and Seungmin’s My Destiny drag your heart across the pavement during the more gut-wrenching moments. Every scene feels tailored to its soundtrack, and that care pays off in buckets.

One of the smartest things The Potato Lab does is hide emotional nuance in plain sight. If you understand Korean formality levels, you’ll catch Baek-ho starting stiffly formal and gradually loosening up, while Mi-kyeong lingers at an awkward coworker level. Watching that formality drop over episodes is like watching walls crumble—quiet, but deeply intimate. It’s the kind of detail that rewards attentive viewers without excluding casual ones.

The drama also never underestimates its audience. It trusts us to read between the lines, to recognize that Mi-kyeong’s angry bursts are a defense mechanism, and Baek-ho’s cold demeanor is just professional trauma in a tailored coat. That line, “I only wake up the next day because I open my eyes,” casually dropped by Mi-kyeong like she wasn’t just holding my soul in her fist? Yeah. That’s the kind of dialogue that lives rent-free forever.

As for the ending? Chef’s kiss. No dangling threads, no last-minute drama bombs. Just resolution across the board—for the couple, the side characters, and the potato-shaped void in our hearts. And the drama even manages to leave the door open (just a crack!) for a potential Season 2, without sacrificing narrative satisfaction.

Now, let's peel the skins off a few minor nitpicks: the drama follows a fairly standard romcom trajectory. That didn’t bother me (structure is comforting!), but some viewers might wish for more narrative risk-taking. The past trauma, though central, is told rather than shown—we could've used a well-executed flashback or two. The comedy sometimes pops in at awkward emotional moments like an overenthusiastic party guest, and yeah… that first kiss in Episode 2? Way too soon. My romantic oven hadn't preheated yet, okay?

The backstory, while crucial, gets mostly told rather than shown. We’re told about tragedy. We’re told about past wounds. A few flashbacks could’ve given the emotional payoffs even more weight—particularly in a short 12-episode format.

Also, while the comedy hits more often than it misses, it sometimes interrupts intense scenes like a clown horn during a eulogy. The tone shifts are mostly well-handled, but when they miss, it’s a jarring bounce.

Lastly—and this is personal—I wanted more Hee-jin and Baek-ho. Their friendship is such a rare, sparkling gem that I was greedy for more. They’re platonic perfection, and frankly, I’d trade in a couple of banana peel gags for more of their quiet, unwavering bond.

But in the end, these are tiny bruises on an otherwise perfectly baked potato.

Verdict:
Let’s be honest: The Potato Lab isn’t revolutionary. But it doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t need to chase innovation when it understands the assignment so well. Like your favorite cup of ramyeon or a rainy day playlist, this drama is about emotional rhythm, not surprise. The joy isn’t in what happens—it’s in how it happens.

The Potato Lab never promised to be revolutionary. What it offers is something better: emotional sincerity wrapped in hilarious hijinks. It’s a story about finding love after loss, trusting again after betrayal, and allowing softness to return to a heart that’s been hardened by life. It’s absurd. It’s moving. It’s funny. And most importantly—it’s real.

It’s in Mi-kyeong learning to breathe again. It’s in Baek-ho realizing logic isn’t always the answer. It’s in watching people, broken in different ways, find each other and slowly rebuild—not because the story forces them to, but because they choose to.

It’s romance not as fantasy, but as emotional growth. And that, dear friends, never goes out of style.

So yes, it’s a romcom. But it’s a damn good one.

Score: 143,234 potatoes (total potatoes shown in 12 episodes) out of 10

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THE DRAMA GIVES YOU A SPECIAL KIND OF FEELING ?

The story, the twists, the actors, the OST... almost everything is just amazing! 🤩 This isn't just any typical high school drama, it's a totally different one– one that would give you lots of realizations, lessons, and a new perspective.

Yi-Chan and Chung-Ah made my heart flutter so much ahh...! They had such a great chemistry and love story that's pure and tender. 🩷

The OST matched everything so well and I wasn't bored at all with the flow of the story, although I wished we all saw what happened between Yi-Chan and Chung-Ah when Eun Gyeol left. Like how they were when they are studying together in college.

Nonetheless, it's still amazing after all and I would totally rewatch it. TOTALLY!

VIVA LA VIDA!! 🍉🍉

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My May 2025 recommendations challenge

Watch this for my May 2025 recommendations challenge by Marina. But actually quite intrigued by this since its airing time, when people keep posting about this on the feed. Well, finally I've watched it.

As usual, story first…

The series follows the story of a group of strangers who are mysteriously drawn to a light shop located at the end of a shady alleyway. Inside the shop, a cautious shopkeeper guards all the lights within.

Little by little they unravel the story about these strangers & the secret the light shop has.

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

What I like:
+ I’m usually not a fan of this genre, but the intriguing plot really pulled me in.
+ I liked how the story gradually revealed the secrets of the shop and each character—it kept the suspense alive.
+ The horror elements were well-executed and compelling enough to keep me watching until the end.
+ I'm also glad they gave us the shopkeeper's backstory and a happy ending for him.

Overall this is a good drama to watch. Below I'll write what I'm not too like about this drama. But that also means SPOILERS ALERT!!! Read it at your own risk.












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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- This has an open ending with very much possibilities of season 2.

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I'm still looking for a perfect realistic detective kdrama

I apologize if there are a lot of mistakes here, I translated my review using google translate 😅
I really liked the previous work of director Song Yeon Hwa - "Hunted", so I was happy to start watching this drama.
The story was interesting, but not without its drawbacks.
The recipe for an ideal detective thriller for me is to be realistic and show more investigations than drama/melodrama.
Here they did not quite cope with this task.
Too much drama/melodrama out of nowhere.
I would shorten the series from 10 episodes to 8.
I do not mind the slow narrative, I even like it and it seems realistic, but I do not like what they waste our time on.
If they removed the scenes where the characters whine for a long time and annoyingly, cry, are silent and just look at each other mysteriously or repetitive dialogues and running after the daughter, it would be better. (IMHO)
The actors play well, the drama is well filmed.
I would just like more realism, the picture is TOO clean, every frame and look is licked, it doesn't look very believable. Many scenes look like decorations, especially the main characters' house, it doesn't look like a house where a family lives, especially a father and a teenager, there is no comfort even when the mother was there.
Teenagers from the gang looked like models with new hairstyles.
Special thanks that there is no politics in this drama, otherwise it is impossible to watch when elections, conspiracies, deputies, chaebols, corrupt officials and police chiefs are dragged in everywhere. It all seems so cliche that you don't even want to watch it anymore.
It is also pleasing that disagreements between colleagues at work remain more or less professional, and do not slide into a farce and fistfight, as often happens. (The team of main characters is good and professional, and the other workers envy them every time, plot, yell and fight with them) For me, this immediately gives many minus points.

----- SPOILERS -----

Everything could have been different if the main characters' family had taken care of their child, talked to her, taken her to sessions with a psychologist/psychiatrist. This was not the case here, there was no hint of it, there was not even an offer to visit a specialist, although the mother had been visiting him for years...
The father, in principle, did not know anything about his daughter and ex-wife. (Okay, let's say work was more important to him.)

The daughter only causes irritation.
I caught a facepalm when she said, "Mom just had to ask me...😔"
Girl, that wouldn't have worked, your father would literally ask you what you were offended by and you'd answer, "Are you suspecting me?? 🙄" Or you'd answer with a thick layer of sarcasm, something like, "Yeah, I killed EVERYONE."
You could have tried to be a normal kid and tell your parents everything, instead of keeping silent and getting into even more trouble every time.
You could have not acted like a psychopath and not made murder plans or dossiers on everyone you knew...

I was a little upset by the cliche that a large police station doesn't have any security or a security checkpoint at the entrance. And also that witnesses and suspects detained for questioning are led through corridors where any passerby with a knife or other weapon can enter.

The most disappointing thing for me was the lack of explanation of what happened to her brother in the past. We were told it was an accident, but I would have liked to know more details, see a scene from memories or maybe just a third person flashback. (In case his sister forgot the details due to shock)
But we don't know anything... What were they doing? How did it happen? Why was the girl covered in blood?

I thought the blood was from the boy falling, but then why is it on her dress? Or was the girl climbing down to him? How did she manage to get back up then, it seems impossible for a small child... So many questions, but few answers.
The parents also had all these questions and logically, specialists should have worked with a mentally traumatized girl to be able to help her and find out the truth.
I waited for answers until the very end, but I never got them.
It seemed like the director wanted to engage the audience in an interesting way, but couldn't explain it properly or connect it to the main plot.

But overall, I liked the vibe of the drama, I want to see more realistic dark detective thriller Kdramas like in Scandinavian series.

Personally, I'm already tired of action dramas with a lot of inappropriate humor and immortal heroes.

My rating is 8-8.5/10, worth watching.

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Cute series that reminded me of the older BL's

Disclaimer

What I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this movie. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a better score and why it is better than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.

I started this series on a whim, and honestly, I actually liked it! Yes, it did have some flaws (ex-boyfriend, a kind of mean girl), and yes, these issues were dealt with quite swiftly (the ex-boyfriend, mean girl), BUT I still liked it. The chemistry between the two actors was there, and they were cute when they did come together. We had a secondary male couple that I kind of at one point wanted them together and then at the next point did not really care if they did get together. The next secondary couple with Diew's best friend and the lead singer of the group kind of felt out of place for me – I don't know. I just didn't get them.

What was the saving grace for this series was the songs. They hit hard and had me bopping my head to it and sometimes (trying) to sing along with it as well. What they do need to work on is having these 'singers' look like they are singing. I don't know – I guess I'm spoilt by GMMTV, as their actors are actually singing.

In the end, I did enjoy this series, as it was an easy and quick watch to follow.

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