Reviews

exquisite storytelling with a masterpiece Ost

the story is narrated beautifully and captures the characters progression clearly through the episodes.
even if you feel that the story is a common fable, I ensure that it isn't.
the story, the characters, the twists and the plot only seem to get better throughout the story.
I this is a thriller of its own kind.
it shows grief, aching, longing, sorrow
the cliff hangers very not bearable for me because I was very enraptured by the story.
the actors did an amazing job portraying their roles.
the entire Dear HONGRANG team deserves huge credit for bringing forth such a masterpiece.

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This Drama Healed Me After All the Heartbreak Series I Watched

After finishing most of the dramas filled with angst, betrayal, manipulation, and fights, this one became my comfort, stress-free drama to start again. I’ve always liked sports-themed dramas. I'm a typical girly girl who usually goes for CEO tropes or first love stories, but there’s just something about sports that gets me passionate and motivated while watching.

It’s worth mentioning: the older woman x younger man trope was never my thing. But now, I’m really envious of Luo Na. I want to be as decisive and determined as she is. And I want my own little troublemaker like Duan Yu Cheng. On the other hand, Duan Yu Cheng truly inspired me—his determination, focus, and loyalty are top-grade. They are such a perfect match. Luo Na is exactly what Duan Yu Cheng needs in his life, and he fits perfectly into hers.

I love everything this drama portrayed—the music, the plot, the acting, and the chemistry. The song Wang Anyu sings by himself is so soothing and beautiful. It’s actually the first time I’ve watched the ending score every single time just because I love the BGM that much.

What I love about the plot is that it was never predictable. I liked the way Luo Na planned everything for her little troublemaker. And Duan Yu Cheng—always impulsive, always storming off, but also always the first to apologize. He’s such a child sometimes, but always considerate.

Wang Anyu’s acting is top-tier. The way he looks at Luo Na when he’s falling in love… and those tearful eyes always get to me. I’m at the point where I just want to hold and hug him personally. And Gina, she’s always a great actress. Her dramas always leave a big impression on me. Her voice is so attractive—not girly, but powerful. She’s the girl boss I aspire to be.

The chemistry between them is pure chef’s kiss. The kisses were perfect—and not come with just one or two kisses like in typical K-dramas. The clingy boyfriend and girl boss girlfriend dynamic really left an impression. It all felt so natural, and I loved it so much.

I’ve been searching for another drama like this one. If I can’t find anything soon, I’ll just keep rewatching their YouTube clips again and again!

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Tries not to be tropey but has the worst drama tropes

Why was this one of the best and one of the worst dramas at the same time??

The ML and FL are mature most of the time but everyone else around them seem to have the classic Cdrama script with common tropes of annoying rich MIL, annoying rich SFL etc. I hated how even the misunderstanding because of not communicating trope was overused throughout. The characters were not consistent I felt, especially when FL was wronged there wasn't enough apologies made to her by anyone including the ML (who allowed his mother to disrespect her WAYY too much for my concern).

Good parts were all I learnt about Chinese fashion industry, decent SML, cute flirtation including via texting between the leads, best CEO secretary relationship in any drama hands down and ML's acting.

Overall would not watch again ever and would not recommend. But if someone has started watching it - it is a nice one time summer watch.

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it was a 10/10 for me can't argue with that

I was hooked when I first saw the trailer and felt so excited to watch this cdrama. But honestly, I didn’t have high hopes before watching the first episode
I thought it might not live up to the excitement. But after I finished it, I was hooked again and shocked at how good it actually was. I love it so much!!

manman and weishao are so cute together. I absolutely love Manman’s character
she really fights for her rights and for others. She’s the kind of strong female lead I’ve been looking forward to, and I can’t wait to see more of her.

As for Weishao, there was one episode where I hated how he treated Manman, but I can’t totally blame him since Manman is from the Qiao family. Still, I love how shy and nonchalant he is. His character is so funny, and I constantly get secondhand embarrassment from him. I honestly thought he was a red flag at first, but I was so wrong.

I love everything about this cdrama, and I really really hope it ends happily. Just please… 🥺🥺 no heartbreak
I’m still traumatized from another cdrama I watched!

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Love, sacrifice and everything in between

This drama initially felt like a lot to take in, given its expansive world and numerous characters. However, as each character's story unfolded, I grew to genuinely love them. It's a classic tale of love, sacrifice, and saving the world, but what makes it truly special is its masterful role as a prequel, seamlessly setting the stage for the other dramas in the Fox Spirit series.

While I started watching for Zhai Xiaowen and was curious about Ding Yuxi, it was Zhang Yunlong's presence that truly captivated me. This is his first drama that I watched, and I was utterly blown away by his stunning visuals and undeniable talent. His chemistry with Liu Shishi was explosive!

If you're a fan of both heartwarming romance and thrilling fight sequences, this drama is definitely for you! A must-watch for drama series enthusiasts.

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Didnt even put this on hold ?

OHH MY I just finished Weak Hero Class 1, and honestly? That show was something else. It’s intense, emotional, and way deeper than I thought it would be going in. Yeah, on the surface it’s about school violence and bullying, but underneath all of that, it’s really about trauma, identity, loneliness, and how people respond when they feel powerless. The writing and pacing were solid, and the characters all felt so raw and real. Definitely not your average school drama.

Now, this might be controversial, but I want to talk about Beom Seok — and just to be clear, this is my opinion only. I know most people hate him or see him as the villain, and I totally understand why. He betrayed people who were actually trying to protect him, and he let jealousy and insecurity take over. I’m not saying what he did was okay. But at the same time, I understood him — maybe more than I expected to.

He’s not just some evil, two-faced character. To me, Beom Seok was someone who was constantly overlooked and made to feel weak, even by those closest to him. That pressure builds up. He didn’t know how to process his emotions or how to handle finally having people in his life who cared. And when you’ve been alone for so long, that kind of closeness can feel uncomfortable , even scary. It’s like he wanted to be seen, but at the same time, didn’t feel like he deserved it.

Honestly? I kind of related to that. Not the extreme parts — not the violence or the whole paying someone to beat up another person situation, obviously .... but just that feeling of not knowing where you fit in, of being insecure, of pushing people away even when you need them. Watching Beom Seok made me feel a little seen, in a weird way. He acted out of pain, and the show didn’t sugarcoat that. It showed the ugly, complicated side of it. Plus he was being abused and then we clearly see he feels singled out (i know how that feels it SUCKS.) so i dont blame him. Others say they like Yeong gi but personally i hated her. Each to their own!

Characters like si eun and su ho were amazing too — si eun with his calm, intelligent way of handling things, and su ho bringing that loyal, protective energy. Their friendship was honestly beautiful. I loved how different they were but still cared for each other deeply!!!

The visuals were clean, the action scenes hit hard, and the emotional moments stuck with me. 9/10!

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FL set a trap but got caught in big family saga. Spectacular acting by 3 leads

I am huge fan of Huang Bo and have seen Zhao Xi Xi's drama with Zhen Zi Qi which I love. I watched Your Trap last year and while I enjoyed certain areas of that mini drama, I found flaws with the writing. Huang Bo and Zhao Xi Xi's new drama will be released in 3 days so that prompted me to watch this drama as an "appetiser". I must say that I enjoyed Into The Abyss so much more than Your Trap.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wow, spectacular acting by Zhao Xi Xi, Huang Bo and the actor who played SML Lin Zong Yi. I was engrossed in the drama whenever they appeared on screen.
2. Romance - I have mixed feelings about their romance. Two intimate scenes were hot & thrilling because it was a challenge to them and I could see desire and consent in both of them. However ML was aggressive towards FL at other times which made me question his genuineness. Despite that, there was one sweet act done by ML for FL.
3. Styling - The stylist should be given a raise for the beautiful outfits. Zhao Xi Xi looked elegant for an assistant while Huang Bo was very handsome with that hairstyle and those business suits.
4. Antagonists - What a complex group of antagonists. Even with the complicated mess, I appreciated the arcs given to the three antagonists.
5. Ending - It is great that the ending is light & happy.

What I disliked:
1. ML's characterisation - Such a polarising character. I felt his anger when he was played by FL but I couldn't stand his aggressiveness and jealousy.
2. FL characterisation - She thought she could be in control of the game she set but she got entangled as well. I disliked her lies to ML but found her Ok in the third act.

Favourite scene
When FL seduced ML while he answered his wife's call

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Overall Well-Acted and Entertaining, but Doesn’t Quite Live Up to the Hype

I’m not as overwhelmingly positive as many of the other reviews here, but I still think Top Form is a good series worth watching. It deals with an important and current topic: the pressures of the entertainment industry and how little control celebrities have over their private lives. The main actors deliver strong performances, and their chemistry is one of the highlights of the series. Many emotional scenes feel real and touching.

The series is generally well-produced, with high-quality visuals and a professional feel. However, the pacing is a bit uneven. Some episodes move very slowly, with scenes that feel overly stretched out, while others are packed with drama and events that happen too fast. This inconsistency makes it hard to stay fully engaged at times.

One of the biggest weaknesses is the script. Conflicts and storylines appear, build up some tension, and then disappear without being fully explored. It’s as if there wasn’t enough time to develop each plot point properly before jumping to the next. Some side characters’ actions, especially the antagonists, also lack clear motivation, which makes their role in the story confusing.

Despite these issues, Top Form remains enjoyable, especially for fans of romantic dramas. The love scenes in the uncut version —many of which are quite long and explicit—will definitely appeal to a certain audience. If that’s what you're looking for, there’s plenty of it here. The series was heavily hyped before its release, and while it has many strong moments, I don’t think it fully meets the high expectations. Still, the ending hints at a second season, and I’d be curious to see where the story goes next.

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So beautifull!

As a huge fan of Hidden love, i was a bit afraid that this would be somewhat dissapointing, man i was so wrong!!
Though this spinn-off is a bit darker than Hidden love, is is just as beauifull. They really did justice in giving it the same feels when watching it. Also very good to see there were several moments from Hidden love in it, so it really felt like the two drama's belonged together.
Sang Yan and Wen Yifan reminded me so much of Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. Though it was a darker drama, it still had enough funny and sweet moments. Sang Yan and Wen Yifan had amazing chemistry.

I also adored the second couple, they also had very good chemistry.
The visuals and music were also very beautifull. Really no flaws to find in this drama.

I won't rewatch it as much as Hidden love, but i will definatly watch it again!

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Breathtaking and lingering

Although it is an adaptation it managed to give us something unique and long-lasting.

Reasons:
- great acting
- tension, heartbreak, romance, strong personalities, moral messages, laughter, EMOTIONS, TEARS and HEALING

I knew the series was good even before actually watching it because I saw some snippets of it at the very beginning when it started airing. However, I'm not the type of person who can watch series one episode at a time so I decided to wait and try not to see some big spoilers whilst following airing schedule. I didn't expect anything breathtaking but I was curious nonetheless so I gave it a shot. It turned out I was the one getting shot straight to the heart by the series. Getting attached to this extent and bawling my eyes out at 4-5am over certain scenes caught me off guard even though I'm an emotional and hypersensitive person, which only speaks volumes of how great the series turned out to be. I knew I would probably like it, but to love it this much and ranking it as my number 1 BL is pleasant and long-overdue breath of fresh air which was more than worth the wait.

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Overhyped & Repetitive – The Truth About Moonlight Mystique

🌕 REVIEW: Moonlight Mystique
⭐️ Personal Rating: 4/10 (and that’s mostly because the cast is strong)

I’m already at Episode 21, and honestly, I’m struggling to finish it. Despite having a top-tier cast with great chemistry between Fan Yue and Bai Shuo, the storyline is repetitive and dull.

🌀 Main issues:
• Fan Yue keeps repeating the same cycle : risking his life, getting injured, saving Bai Shuo… over and over again.
• The plot about collecting the five “Contemplation Stones Power” feels like a basic video game quest. Every few episodes, it’s the same formula: search, face danger, save Bai Shuo, move to the next stone. There’s no meaningful character development, no emotional payoff, and definitely no real plot twist to keep me hooked.

It’s frustrating because the actors are genuinely good, and visually the drama is decent, but the story just doesn’t go anywhere. It lacks tension, mystery, and depth. Nothing that pulls me in or makes me want to know what happens next.

💭 Honestly, if this drama starred lesser-known actors, I truly believe the ratings would drop fast. It feels overhyped, likely riding on the fame of the leads rather than the strength of the script.

📉 Verdict: Boring, repetitive, and overrated. I’m not sure I’ll even finish it and I rarely drop dramas this far in. There’s just nothing intriguing enough to make me care anymore.

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choppy indie series (watch suggestions)

Overall: way too many characters/plot threads in this series. 6 episodes about 35 minutes each (taking out the intro/outros/etc) Aired on Loy Kaew YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLsPniimXTgfDEGMCYnL_MGY_Ic96dsM6&si=TgztkVxn1VRCg7z6 (note the playlist is in a different watch order)

Content Warnings: murder, blood, gang rape off screen, bullying, beaten up, blood, sexual harassment, non con touching, manipulation, punch

Watch Suggestions (focuses on the m/m couple, sweet & steamy parts, removes the content warnings)
- watch episode 1 part 1 4:30-6:15 and 12-14:45; part 2 9:30-end; part 3 beginning to 5:15
- watch episode 2 part 1 13:40-15
- watch episode 3 part 2 1:30-end and part 3 11:30-end
- watch episode 4 part 1 beginning-9:20
- watch episode 5 part 2 8:10-end; part 3 3:30-end
- watch episode 6 part 1 13:55-end and part 2 beginning-3:50 and 6:05-13:25

What I Liked
- vistas/countryside (or historical, not 100% sure) setting
- 1 kind mom
- good kissing/intimacy

Room For Improvement
- super long intro
- too many characters, I couldn't figure out who they were or their relationships to each other, choppy
- love triangle/s?
- the implied gang rape was horrific, I don't care what that character did, she did not deserve that
- the ending was disappointing, we've seen it done many times before, at least they could have cut out some of the other plot threads and added a reincarnation part at the end

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HANDS DOWN THE BEST SERIES OF 2025 (this is a tough one to beat)

Alrighty so this is my first time EVER writing a review, however I feel compelled to after viewing this masterpiece. (This is purely how I feel so if you disagree with me.. it's totally fine!)

First things first... Boom's ACTING! I mean boy can he act his heart out! Boom's onscreen presence as Akin truly garnered by attention. The way in which he expressed himself in every scene (especially the emotional ones) made me feel for his character and the struggles that he goes through within the series (ngl plenty of tears were shed). It's like he takes us on this journey with him wherein we get to see how isolated and alone he once was... that is until he met Jin. But in all seriousness though, Boom made his character very flawed, very human which I truly appreciate as it gives us a glimpse of the harsh realities for most actors out there who have been in the industry for so long, expecting to remain on top, yet are threatened by newcomers. I'm really looking forward to seeing him in more projects, cause he definitely needs more exposure!

Moving on to our surprising scene stealer, Smart.. now he definitely held his own throughout the series as Jin. To be honest, I was not quite sure about how the dynamic of Jin and Akin would play out in the first few episodes, but my doubts were instantly cast aside as the series progressed. As Jin, you could really see his thoughts and feelings expressed through his eyes (referring to when his bangs were not covering his eyes... I feel the need to call out his hair stylist fr). In the beginning he appeared really cute and aloof (aka that wooden boy phase), but whenever he showed anger or sadness, there's an aura that can't be explained (like ep 6 for instance iykyk). As a viewer, you could really feel Jin's compassion... *coughs* or passion towards Akin, like being his support system, wanting to be on his level to be "worthy" enough to be with him and have the power and means to protect him (hey, if that ain't love idk what is :/). Though Smart has not been in many projects unlike his acting partner, he did a fantastic job playing the role of Jin and I only wish him the best throughout his acting career.

As for the supporting characters, Johnny and Naru, I can't really decipher their dynamic for now since they have not gotten as much screentime together, but I can see some banter going on... would love to see their relationship develop further. Though Johnny is most definitely a POS (he still needs to be accountable for what HE did to Akin... still upset about that), I want to see how he could grow as a character, now that Naru (sweet baby boy) is going to be a part of it.

Also who can forget about P'Jade... best friend, manager, companion ever! He truly is one of the MVPs of this series, helping out Akin solve his mistakes (there were truly many) and standing by him through the ups and downs of his career. He is such a gem and I'd like to see him happy as well.. with his mystery partner (s2 please come faster!).

Now I can't really say a lot about the plot following the original manga (tbh I watched a few episodes of the anime but dropped it.. just was not my cup of tea), though I can tell that the writers have chosen a different route in depicting the relationship between Jin and Akin as well as handling other difficult topics. Kudos to them for producing a series that follows the same template, yet adds different elements to make the series fresher, interesting and more palatable for audiences. I'm sure they wanted every component to be perfect and their hard work really shows!

Alas it is the end of my review... needless to say I thoroughly LOVED this show (we fans need more series like this). I'm going to miss being excited for Thursdays again *sigh*... Till the next review :)

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USUAL BACKSTABBING STORY, FAMILY N THEIR RELATIVES OR ENEMIES FIGHTING FOR POWER N WEALTH.

ML = SHAMELESS MAN, CHEATS ON THE WIFE, HIDE THE FACT THAT HIS BROTHER KIDNAPPED HIS OWN SON N TELL LOTS OF LIES

FL = RICH BUT NO BRAIN, HAVENT WATCH FINISHED BUT HOPE SHE REALISED THE TRUTHS N KICK THE STUPID MAN OUT. SHE IS BLIND EVEN WHEN SHE SEES THE ALDULTER COUPLE HUGGING TOGETHER. SHE NVR SUSPECT FOR ONE SEC THEY R THE ALDULTERESS N ALDULTER.

2FL/MISTRESS = SHE SAYS SHE IS KANG JAI INN. SOMETHING LIKE FATAL ATTRACTION, SHE HAVE A MORE SINISTER MOTIVE FOR GETTING CLOSE TO THE ML, MORE LIKE REVENGE. SHE IS THE MOST EVIL BITCH, EVERYBODY SHE WANTS TO KILL.

2ML = HE WANTED TO TAKE REVENGE BUT I THINK HE IS FALLING FOR THE FL, FEELING PITY FOR HER.

FL MOM = SHE WAS SO NAIVE AS A RICH MADAM BUT SHE GOT NO COMMON SENSE ALSO, IN THE END GETTING CHEATED FOR EVERYTHING INCL HER SHARES N MISPLACE TRUST FOR HER SIS IN LAW.

ML MOM = SHE IS ALSO EVIL AS SHE N THE OTHER DAU IN LAW , DRUG THE FL N SENT HER TO THE MENTAL HOSPITAL.

MORE EVIL STUFFS GOING TO BE HAPPENING , BY THE EVIL MISTRESS WHO SPREAD HER EVIL WAYS N THE ALDULTER WHO IS CONDONING HER ACTIONS EVEN WHEN THE SON IS KILLED BECOS OF HER . BOTH EVIL THEY R SO SUITABLE FOR EACH OTHER. WAITING FOR THEIR BAOYING IN THE END. 100 EPS TAKE SO LONG.

DONNO WHY RICH PPL GOT SO MANY PROBLEMS EVEN WITH MONEY. THE STUPID CHAIRMAN N THE STUPID DAUGHTER JUST SO STUPID, WHEN U WANT TO FIGHT , DONT EVEN HAVE BACKUP WITH BODYGUARDS TALKING TO A SCUM. DIED ALSO DONNO WHY. JUST LET THE STUPID SON IN LAW TAKE OVER THE BIZ WITHOUT BACKUP PLANS. MOTHER GO JAIL. DAUGHTER DONT TRUST THE MOTHER BUT TRUST THE HUSBAND EVEN WHEN HE IS IN THE BEDROOM WITH THE STUPID MISTRESS.. THE SON SAW THEM KISSING BUT NVR REPORT TO THE MOTHER. STUPID SHOW WITHOUT LOGIC. IS ALL RICH PPL SO STUPID IN DRAMALAND ONLY OR IN REAL WORLD. WATCHING THEM MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL. SO EASY TO TOPPLE A CO N BIZ MEH. DRAMALAND IS SO STUPID.

NOT SURE WILL WATCH FIN ONOT. SOME SHOWS WILL GIVE U HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
THINK THE WRITER JUST WANT US VIEWERS TO KEEP WATCHING. MAKE UNTIL 100 EPS. IN THE END ALL WILL CRUMPLED DOWN HOPEFULLY.

MAYBE I WAIT UNTIL THEY BROADCAST FIN THEN WATCH THE END.
SAVE MY ANGER FOR LATER .

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