Ranked #1
Every scene is iconic and frankly the music is just incredible it hits different if u are thinking of watching a gl drama this is the best one for u. The casts played there roles very well and the direction was absolute best I am eagerly waiting for their pair to come on screen again they are fresh pair but frankly they killed it you will fall in love with every scene you watchWas this review helpful to you?
Revenge is a dish best served cold
The beginning was promising and the rest of the show is in the eye of the beholder. The casting is a mismatch for ML & FL. Plot has intriguing elements and dislikable ones. You quickly come to understand FL character’s motivations. The ML’s character is undeveloped and underrated. With just 50 episodes this melodramatic vertical short drama delivers a complete story of revenge. The soundtrack is ok. Rewatch value low.Was this review helpful to you?
Ti Yuen is thrown into the depths of the jail on trumped up charges. His cellmate appears to be a deranged wild man. Every month, Ting Dien is dragged out to the magistrate and viciously tortured. All he needs to do in order to be freed is to tell Ling Tui Si what the Deadly Secret is. Ti Yuen’s sifu is hoping that Ting will break down and tell Ti the big secret if he stays there long enough. Ti can’t figure out why Ting doesn’t break out with his superior kung fu skills and why he cares about the flowers on the window sill they can just see through the bars on their window.
This film had potential but a few puzzling issues dragged it down. The Deadly Secret was both a kung fu secret and the location of the lost treasure of Emperor Liang Wu. Now in order for either of those things to be helpful the person who passed the information to Ting Dien must have done the Vulcan MindMeld on him because the transfer of information was nigh on instantaneous. Everyone assumed that the dying man must have told Ting the info despite Ting being a stranger. Jumping to conclusions was a major pastime for the people of Jingzhou. Soon poor Ting was being hunted by every greedy highborn and lowlife around. The only person not after The Secret was the magistrate’s beautiful daughter, Ling Seung Wa. The two lovers were eventually betrayed by her father whose only desire was for the treasure and he was willing to sacrifice his daughter if that would bring him closer to The Secret. Also, numerous people failed to grasp that actually killing Ting would make it impossible for him to relay The Secret.
Another problem I had with the film was that much of it was filmed in the dark or low lighting. It was hard to follow the action while straining to see. The one fight filmed in daylight ended up being hilarious as a corpse was used in a giant game of “keep away.” The final fight seemed pointless. Chan Dik Hak and Hsu Hsia’s choreography was far from inspired.
Jason Pai and Shih Szu made for a sweet couple when they were shown together. Ng Yuen Jun wasn’t terribly compelling as the naïve Ti and this movie needed all the acting ammo they could wring out with the weak script. There was a story worth exploring buried under a pile of soiled hay and wild hairdos. Greed was shown as the great equalizer between the poor and the rich, for the greedy there was never enough, no life was worth more, and the price was never too high. I bumped my score up just for the karmic payback of the finale. A Deadly Secret wasn’t terrible but it could be deadly dull in places. As always, rated on a curve.
10 March 2026
Trigger warning: A rather gruesome torture scene early in the film. Attempted suicide.
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This review may contain spoilers
I found this accidentally, i was looking for something different but it was in the site and I was like okay this is a sign to me to watch.keep in mind it's a pink film which means it's so explicit.
What happened tho is that i ended up liking the 2 guys who didn't end up together. Don't panic its a happy ending but as there's 2 couples,i liked one dude from each couple which they had potential to be something.
Tbh I don't think I'd rewatch.
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Still, the story was very enjoyable and the two leads were great together, even the bad characters did well.
The only thing that bothered me is despite the good acting they didn't pull off the whole crippled/blind thing that well, it was a mess dare I say, and that made the whole things even less enjoyable, since it's not a funny drama but rather dramatic.
However, I shall keep an eye on those two leads and their next work cause they were good, the ML reminded me of Pei In from some angles, and the FL is so cute ~
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All that potential ruined. I
Is this really a BL story or just a straight drama with a BL couple in the background? Jiho and Sangjun's chemistry and acting were spot on, but it was lost due to a script that didn't give them what they deserved: a well-developed story. Honestly, do these characters know how to talk? I think they weren't made to live in society because they just run away and don't talk about something easily resolvedn in a 5 minutes conversation. I wish the main leads had more screen time, more physical contact, and more couple moments beyond just holding hands on the bus at the last minute. Anyway, great actors, promising plot but poorly executed.Was this review helpful to you?
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When life is two steps ahead
Watching Pavane made me realize just how unexpected life is. Every character gives us a sudden surprise, which most of the time is too bitter to swallow. The ending sealed the deal for me, as it truly shows just how life is always way ahead of us, and we just have to deal with its bittersweet surprises. The pacing also adds to the overall message while giving us time to appreciate the characters. A well-written and truly beautiful story that leaves you with a heavy heart and makes you think about life.Was this review helpful to you?
1Rom Com of fantasy AI world?
I am usually very selective with K-dramas, but I decided to binge this one mainly because of the leads.Here’s my verdict—purely my personal opinion.
Rom-Com: 💯
This drama is structured as a sweet, lighthearted rom-com, so it’s best not to expect too much narrative depth.
Theme:
The concept is interesting, especially the idea of an AI boyfriend. However, I felt the premise had much more potential than what was actually explored. The AI theme ends up feeling somewhat wasted. That said, I did enjoy the school arc—it was one of the more engaging parts of the story.
Angst / Character Growth:
Naturally, there isn’t much here. As expected from a rom-com, the story relies heavily on familiar tropes—pride and prejudice, misunderstandings, and miscommunication. We also get the classic “ideal male lead” whose heart and attention are devoted entirely to the female lead. While charming in a fantasy sense, it doesn’t feel particularly realistic. Because of this, I didn’t really sense a meaningful growth arc for the characters.
Acting:
Both leads performed well. I’m actually surprised to see some of the harsh comments directed at Jisoo. Personally, I thought she did a solid job here—although I still prefer her performance in Snowdrop.
CP Chemistry:
The chemistry between the main couple could have been stronger. Perhaps because there were so many well-known cameo appearances from other male leads, I found myself distracted. As a result, the main couple’s relationship felt somewhat plot-driven and a bit superficial.
Other Relationships:
I really liked the lady author character—her ending felt particularly bittersweet to me. I also found the dynamic between the editor and the author quite interesting. The female lead’s best friend stood out as well; among the characters, she felt like the one who experienced the most growth.
Final Thoughts:
The drama touches on the idea of AI relationships replacing human ones, and that’s something I find troubling. If we choose to live in an idealized fantasy—whether in life or in love—how do we learn from our mistakes and grow? Real relationships require tolerance, compromise, and acceptance. Without those struggles, it’s hard to build something truly lasting.
If you want something to past time and feel mild fluffiness, this is. fun watch.
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Ok Story with good moments
The Unclouded Soul is a fairly typical xianxia story, with the usual elements of sacrifice, love, destiny, and cultivation that are common in the genre. The question is whether it stands out compared to other series in the same category.Personally, I would say it is average. There were no moments in the show that particularly impressed me. The Dreamshard Immortal arc was probably the most interesting part of the series. It draws clear inspiration from the historical story of Qin Shi Huang and his search for immortality, adding an intriguing philosophical layer of obsession, power, and the cost of pursuing eternal life.
However, the second half of the series becomes more problematic from a narrative perspective. The story introduces a time-loop dynamic involving Xiao Yao, in which Future Xiao Yao's actions influence Ning An and ultimately shape Past Xiao Yao's fate. This creates an unusual causal structure in the plot.
The implication seems to be that Future Xiao Yao’s actions directly affect the events that lead Past Xiao Yao to become the person she eventually becomes. In other words, her future self is partly responsible for creating the conditions that shape her past self.
As for the romance part, it's a typical story of misunderstandings, resentment, and sacrifices, and how they overcome them. Nothing really new, no real twist to the age-old formula.
Those who watch this ultimately would compare it to Love In The Cloud; both have their pros and cons. But I am guessing a lot of people who watch both would be big fans of Hou Ming Hao.
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Such an underrated gem
I enjoy some good action comedy from time to time and if its a crew or heist type of story? Sign me up ! I saw a very short clip of this drama and I was immediately intrigued. I mean who wouldn't be curious about a crew of random neighbors who are all former special forces soldiers and are now fighting against a terror threat against their quiet neighbourhood?!I thoroughly enjoyed this and was left wishing for more. I was very impressed by the acting, directing, writing, the action choreography and the pacing of the story. Each character was different but believable and I loved their chemistry amongst themselves. The action, mystery and comedy aspect of the story was perfectly balanced and it stayed that way from start to finish. I wasn't tired or bored by the story progression and there were some very clever easter eggs and plot points in the story.
Now, it did have its flaws. Except Choi Kang, we don't go into much detail about the other characters. Their backstory, military career, inner workings etc are not clearly explained. I don't know if this is getting renewed for a second season but they left some plot holes that I wish was clarified. There were a lot of questions left unanswered like his reason to leave JDD, whether his wife knows his past, the real identity of his boss etc
Also, I found the villain to be a little boring. Sure his schemes are cunning and actually devastating but the character itself didn't make me feel anything (maybe its the acting ?). We're talking about a crazy terrorist lunatic but when I see him on the screen, he is just too stiff and emotionless. Even when he emotes, its a little forced and cringe (?) This drama would've benefited so much if they cast a great villain actor since the main plot is to stop the Villain's schemes.
Overall, this was a happy suprise for me and I enjoyed this to the fullest. I think this would've been more popular if this was aired through a television network or a major streaming platform instead of Coupang play since this genre of dramas seem to be popular both domestically and globally. It's a tragedy that this flies under a radar. 8/10 stars !
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Felt like they dropped the ball on this one
Was super interested in this when it was first announced because the gist of ai-generated boyfriends on the fly sounded kinda fun, and the early episodes lean into that fun part pretty well. The virtual worlds look great and make it too good to be true like it should be, the scenarios were cliche obviously but because it was supposed to be unrealistically fun (sometimes cringy in a fun way), and the production and costume work in those settings are especially well done.The fun concept it built though starts to lose its momentum around the midpoint. The story felt like it kept circling back to the idea that each boyfriend is perfect but not real which is a good concept to build off of but they didn’t really explore how those experiences changed Mi Rae’s view on real relationships very well. The virtual boyfriend part was pretty much Lee Soo Hyuk, mostly Seo Kang Jun, and Seo In Guk's Yeong Il character with other minor appearances that were way to short so she pretty much just experienced two boyfriends in reality when i thought it was going to be something like a boyfriend per episode, that typa thing until the last few episodes. Because of that, they rely a lot on the virtual dates to carry the first half of the story while the real-world story feels underdeveloped and rushed to clean up when they gotta limit the BOD and mostly shift the real world in the 2nd half.
Mi Rae's character was kinda a mixed bag for me. Felt like she was too indecisive which made her frustrating at times and her not really understanding why the perfect boyfriends not only made her happy but sad reflecting on her relationship with Se Jun and how wanting to be perfect leads to imperfection. Her character gets a bit repetitive with the plot revolves around her journeying through her virtual boyfriends but again she didn’t really develop much out of it. I think Jisoo fits the role visually and the styling for her character is great (big credit to the costume team again), but her acting still feels like it’s developing and isn’t ready for a full lead role just yet. She’s not terrible like some others like to say just because she's an idol, but in scenes where her emotions need to show to she sometimes lacked the depth, which makes it hard to take a scene seriously. In my opinion she still has things to improve on which is normal and expected for someone with limited acting roles. I personally think a secondary lead would fit her better while she builds up her repertoire and refines the little things that she has shown she can improve but it’s pretty obvious because of her name that wouldn’t happen even if i think it would really benefit her.
The main romance doesn’t help much either in picking up the flat parts either. The chemistry between Mi Rae and Gyeong Nam feels pretty meh and just like you expect them to get together because they are the leads and not that they actually mesh together well which was a bummer. Could be that they pretty much just gave them just about 2 episodes to be together and not really letting them establish anything until around the second half. Could be also that Gyeon Nam's character remains very robotic even when he gets together with Mi Rae, which adds to romance feeling more forced than natural. One hated the other and one was more of a robot then the actualy AI-generated boyfriends somehow. I get he is not an expert at being social but even then still like they overdid his character being too monotonous.
Overall, it’s not bad, but the concept never feels as fully explored as it could have been and instead relied a bit to much on parts that didn't amount to much. It’s visually appealing and has some fun moments, but it ends up feeling a bit underwhelming by the end. The cameo appearances ended up being a highlight for me and where BOD showed its best colors. Seo Kang Jun really came out swinging in this and he definitely brought the most fun outta this.
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A survival show for shaman psychics? SO fascinating and fun!
I love getting my fortune told, but at the same time I usually do it just for fun and am not a total believer. But this show definitely made me think twice.THE GOOD:
1) Fascinating to watch the shamans get the details right, especially if more than one agree on the details
2) The battle where they read each other or the celebrities fortunes. Man, I SO WANTED to book one of them to read my fortune!
3) Can be a bit catty but also supportive for what seems like a lonely job. That supportive element was nice to see
4) It's fun when I also was able to "predict" the right answer
THE BAD:
1) The judge panel's overreactions especially Park Nara. She annoyed the hell out of me with her over the top gasps. IMO the judges' whisperings and expressions helped guide shamans to know if they were on the right track and would help others also guess similarly. That's how fake conmen can read their clients. The judges should have had neutral expressions or be behind a screen.
2) Severely edited to limit the times the shamans were wrong. Obviously if the shamans were wrong too much, viewers would lose interest in the show cuz who would want to watch frauds. The PDs would have a hard time casting a S2 and probably would face defamation suits so the editing definitely sheltered in favor of the contestants.
3) The last episodes with the shaman rituals were in poor taste imo. It felt like fake acting, taking advantage of grieving people.
Throughout the show, I was so entertained and slowly questioned if there might be something to this. But then a part of me also felt like it'd be so easy to feed info to the shamans or it being scripted or if it's a small community, they might all know each other's past already. Also, I question why would ghosts know the future? Is it really spirits they are tapping into or maybe they are accessing a part of the brain that can pick up subconscious cues better and faster than the average person. Only time will tell if future predictions are real, but regardless of my doubts, I was thoroughly entertained and would def watch s2 if it comes out!
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literally surpassed my wildest dreams ?
This was just so much fun to watch!I started it to watch in-between another show which was high on my watch list, but in the end I ran to this first!
I think above all they cast this perfectly💪🏻I mean I seriously do not believe Seo Kang Jun is real anyway, so playing an AI was perfect and their chemistry was next level! But her final choice, yeah he was perfect, it was the bottle tops on lined up bottles that did it for me 💯 and the complete green flag of a man and his AI to spice it up was a bonus!
It started out just cringingly wonderful, with each of these lovely men and honestly I was happy there, but her story was really nicely done, they pitched that perfectly, it was clean, simple and you could relate to this deeper and unexpected layer.
The comedy was on point and i howled at her new found athletic prowess ⛸️🥷
The office family, her friend, the AI sidekicks all added to the fun of this drama, we were spoilt as viewers.
I was left wanting more but at the same time I’m glad they didn’t distract from what for me was a simple, original piece of Romcom heaven.
I hoped it would be good, it surpassed my wildest dreams…literally 🤭
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Important
Its amazing to see three woman in the main roles. The topic is so important especially at a time where epstn files are a major issue that needs to be adressed far more often and our reactions need to be better than what we are capable of right now! The story and acting were great. I hope there will be a second season.Was this review helpful to you?
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