Reviews

Politics first, Romance later

To be honest, 23 episodes in and I was sure I was giving this an 8. But this one has a satisfying happy ending I don't see in most of the dramas with this kind of genre so I added half a point.

Romance:
Like many other watchers, I started this hoping to see romance but it's mainly more on politics.
- Was I rooting for them? Yes obviously because they're the main CP that I started getting annoyed when they have so little screen time together than apart from each other and that I see FL have more tension with the other leads than the main ML.
- Is the romance good? Not the best but it's not bad. For someone who watched this for the romance, it's good enough but falls below my expectations.

Female Lead:
People got to understand that the FL went back 3 years before she died. She wasn't that scheming in the original timeline and she's full of hatred in the current one. She was sheltered and was kept in the dark most of the time in the last life so expecting her to know everything and have control over all the situation in the current life is not in line with her character. Getting a second chance doesn't mean you immediately get the higher ground to challenge those who have schemed all their lives. She can handle the situation but what she can't control is the people, especially when they're smarter than her and more experienced. So people getting annoyed and dropping this because FL is always losing after she got another chance is not thinking about the character at all.

Male Lead:
I haven't read the novel so I don't know what the ML is supposed to be like. But in the drama version, they put a mystery on the ML's background that got resolved without the watchers knowing. I mean thay made a big deal out of it but the conclusion we get is just meh. Anyways, ML has too little presence but that presence is what makes the FL feel more in control. She found out too late that she can trust him during the last life and the current one, she trusts him fully that the betrayal she felt when she found out his connection with her father's health is understandable and when she thought he died which made us see her character lose control.

Former Husband:
Stunning performance 👏🏼 and a very satisfying end for him too.
Grand Tutor:
Still confused here. Still don't know what the child companion is for.
Emperor's Uncle:
I love him but why does he always have to be so good playing the villain 😅
Other characters:
Mostly non-existing and the few that was introduced was discarded with their ending only described in words. (chu tang😅 has a great potential and have a great purpose in the novel)

Anyways, not a favorite of mine but I still think this deserves an 8.

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The Wait Was Worth It

This has got to be one of the most splendidly executed emotional payoffs I've seen in a historical romance C-drama.

Okay, hear me out.

I dropped this drama at episode 16 because the romance felt too much of a slow burn. Two episodes later (and after many dramas), it completely won me back and ended up earning a seat at my banquet rating system. (づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ♡ I was completely hooked. Well... mostly by the romantic journey of the two leads.

The first part of the story focuses heavily on Gu Jinzhao's family background and personal life. Then the drama introduces several men who, in one way or another, become connected to her heart. What I found interesting was that most of them weren't really competing against each other, they were competing against their own responsibilities, ambitions, and priorities. Meanwhile, Chen Yanyun quietly stood on the sidelines, carefully strategizing not only his next move in court politics but also how to win Jinzhao's heart. By the time the male lead confessed, I was already rooting for him with my whole heart.

What truly made this drama compelling for me was the acting. The cast didn't simply perform their roles to move the story forward, they breathed life into every scene and made the characters feel genuinely human. I found myself watching the actors' faces almost as much as the subtitles. The antagonist would smile, yet the moment things slipped beyond his control, that smile would subtly falter. Chen Yanyun's usually calm and composed expression would soften almost imperceptibly whenever Gu Jinzhao was involved or needed his help. Even a romantic rival's glare carried enough emotion to make me feel tiny pricks under my skin.

I spent half my time analyzing the meaning behind those subtle emotional shifts... and the other half forgetting who was betraying whom or committing treason. ٩(^ᗜ^)و

The cinematography deserves praise as well. The drama knows exactly when to slow down. During tense moments, the camera lingers on a character's expression while the music quietly builds in the background. Some of my favorite shots were the slow-motion scenes focused on the male lead. They weren't overused, but when they appeared, they perfectly heightened the suspense and political tension.

My biggest issue was the finale. It felt slightly undercooked compared to how high the stakes had become. The conflict kept escalating, and then it seemed to resolve a little too quickly. However, after watching the special episode, I appreciated the ending much more. It reminded me of something Chen Yanyun had said earlier in the story. This was a man who spent years climbing the imperial court, manipulating powerful people, exposing corruption, and getting blood on his hands in pursuit of justice. Yet after everything settled, what he wanted most wasn't power anymore, it was simply to spend an ordinary life with the woman he loved.

Despite my frustration with the finale, the romance more than made up for it. I especially loved how their married life felt surprisingly grounded. Their misunderstandings weren't exaggerated just for the sake of drama. They argued, communicated, made up... and then kissed. Honestly, that's the kind of emotional payoff I was waiting for.

Overall, A Splendid Match completely surprised me. I came back expecting nothing after dropping it the first time, yet somehow finished it feeling incredibly satisfied. More than the palace intrigue, what stayed with me was watching two people slowly choose each other over everything else. For me, that's where this drama truly shines.

⭐ Rating: 4.25/5
Story: ★★★☆☆½ (3.5/5)
+0.75: Ci Sha's micro-reactions, dramatic coat flipping, and effortlessly kicking everyone's ass. 👩‍🍳🤌

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Don't waste your time.

The story began pretty good. I was honestly really invested in the drama. Up until episode 6 it was pretty watchable, but slowly it started going downhill.

I've written so many comments on this drama and honestly it's not worth watching. So please don't waste your time, unless you like messy and unorganized series i would recommend watching it.

No but genuinely what happend to them? Lifei and xie yuan.. I thought he wanted to change or smth, but he kept going back to becoming the demon lord or did i miss something?

Lifei still weak asf.. even in episode 30 she was struggeling with her powers and even had to have xie yuan support her. Like what's the point then? There were more scenes with Lifei and Tongzhou than with Xie Yuan. I really thought he was the main lead, but i guess not anymore. Also i gave up on episode 29. It really was not worth it.
I also read somewhere that Lifei agreed to marry Tongzhou.. Are we serious rn.

Don't waste your time guys😔
This is my opinion!!

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Kiss Your Sleep Schedule Goodbye

A few weeks ago, I lost some good sleep over this drama. 😅

I decided to watch just one episode before bed around 9:45 PM. By episode 3, I was already hooked. The plot grabbed me almost immediately. I dozed off for a while, woke up around 12:45 AM, convinced myself I'd only watch one more episode... and somehow ended up finishing the entire series. So yes, this drama completely destroyed my sleep schedule. ಥ‿ಥ

The premise instantly reminded me of the Nicolas Cage and John Travolta movie Face/Off, except this time the story revolves around romance rather than action. The pacing is incredibly fast. Every scene serves a purpose, and the drama wastes almost no time. It constantly moves the story forward, making it ridiculously easy to binge from beginning to end.

General Xiao Han Sheng quickly became my favorite part of the show. Unlike some of the colder generals I've seen in other historical dramas, he never feels emotionally distant. Cheng Lei's performance carries so much warmth beneath his composed exterior, and his micro-expressions honestly deserve an award. Sometimes he says more with a single glance than an entire page of dialogue could.

What I loved most was how naturally the romance balanced the suspense. The mystery had me holding my breath, wondering what would happen next, while the quieter moments between the leads made me sigh in utter bliss. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) Every time they got closer, I found myself grinning like an idiot. Their chemistry was simply adorable.

One thing I especially appreciated was Xiao Han Sheng's unwavering trust in Shi Qi. There wasn't endless suspicion or frustrating misunderstandings dragging the relationship down. Once his feelings became clear, he simply chose to trust her. Total husband energy. 🫠

The only aspect that felt underdeveloped was the sister's character. Her motivations never felt fully explored, so some of her decisions came across as a little ambiguous. Since the drama is so short, I understand why the focus stayed on the main couple, but I do wish her character had received a bit more depth.

The ending also left me pleasantly surprised. That final snowy scene made me pause for a second and wonder if what I was seeing was actually real or something else entirely. I love endings that leave just enough room for interpretation without feeling incomplete.

Overall, A Familiar Stranger completely caught me off guard. It delivers romance, mystery, suspense, and emotional payoff without wasting a single episode. If you're looking for a historical romance that's fast-paced, beautifully acted, and incredibly easy to binge, this is one I'd happily recommend.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
Story: ★★★★☆
+0.5: Cheng Lei's expressive eyes and acting.

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Boring, cringy, edgy

I'll try to keep it short, mostly because I don't wanna give it too much of my time.

Visuals. Somewhat ok. A few meh shots, but mostly everything in regards to visuals is ok. Apart from the fight choreography. You can see that they tried, the actors do put a lot of effort in those scenes, but the logic of the moves is meh at best. (Apart from ep 6, that one was good. For the most part. Because he should've done something else, something very specific. Anyway.) And thats a problem because the show involves proffessional killers. Btw, it has one of the worst snipers I've ever seen (mental discipline, target, technique).
** Funny thing: at some point in the first episode, the first scenes (I don't remember exactly when and I won't even check), our main protagonists watch a movie. She makes fun of it, a solo guy taking out all the other guys. He tells her no no, pay attention, he's using the blind spots. I started laughing, because of the irony. Apart from a few and very specific titles, the korean movies don't have good fight choreography. Its like they don't use trainers when filming. And the irony was that a line was used in this drama, as if its something korean movies do every time. And hen, the fact that they had none for this drama... Oh, they tried, sure. Like I said, lots and lots of moving parts and high tempo sht going on screen, it looks cool, but the logic behind the moves is sht. Also, only very few moments of "blind spots" used. **
Audio. This drama is supposed to have mystery/suspense/thriller so the sound design is done in a way thats catering to it. Lots and lots of dissonant strings, silence moments to draw you in, and such. You can say it is ok, it works well with the visuals unfolding on screen.
The editing is kinda meh. Too much "dead time". I mean, it has 8 episodes, stuff barely happens, ofc the editor tried to use every second available... Minimal world-building, but its not really needed anyway. Looks like mid production value, but dunno what for.

Now the good parts. The story is meh, at best. While the premise might seem interesting, this k-drama was boring as hell. At first I thought it was about setting the mood. Then the opening was replayed in the 3rd episode. They tried to make a couple of "Uh-oh, tense moments incoming. Will they live?" moments work, but because the drama started at a certain point in the story and then it went using flashbacks, you know how it will all end up. And, like I kept saying, the scenes were boring and very long, for no reason. I mean the reason was to have enough runtime, thats not what I was talking about. OK, it gets a little better for episodes 5-7 (I think?), but overall its a drag.
Anyway, the writing is bad. Only a few good stuff in there, the rest will make you sigh and roll your eyes. Add to that some edgy and cringe dialogue, acting and/or "bad guy speech" trope all around, and you get the picture.
A lot of plot devices and plot contrivances. Oh, and lots of red herring. Yet some of the stuff is still predictable. And yes, I'm ok with the over-the-top action scenes and situation, even with some of the sht physics involved, but not the "it just so happened that..." way of pushing the story forward. Thats just lazy writing. Oh, and the last 10 minutes or so were sht.
Now lets talk about character development. OK, I was being cheeky. I won't bother :)))

It gets a rating of 4. Apart from some very few extremely good acting, some very few character stuff and the ok-ish technical aspects, the story, writing and dialogue are sht and/or boring. No rewatch value, obviously. This could've been a 3-hour movie (maybe in 2 parts) if someone erased all the "dead beats". I mean the story would still need some small changes too, but you could have a good product. Ok, decent, lets not go crazy here. The premise is nothing new, it was just modified a bit. But, as it stands for now, nope. And yes, I'm aware a new season is on the way... Maybe it will get better.
Have a lovely day.

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The absence of retribution for the innocents left me deeply disappointed

I found the scenes where Bale and his team hunted down Jung Jin Man’s family especially harrowing. The helplessness of the victims, and the grandmother’s desperate struggle for her last breath, made their deaths feel unbearably pitiful. I had expected Jung Ji An to rise up and fight back, but her determination only flickered briefly, surfacing in glimpses during the final episode.

Episode 4 was striking when Bae Jeong Min revealed his true nature, shocking everyone as he tried to capture Ji An and seize the warehouse. In contrast, Min Hye’s acrobatic kills were exhilarating to watch, and it’s no surprise she earned a Best Actress award for her performance.

I had hoped Jin Man would exact justice by killing General Lee Yong Han, who bore clear guilt for the deaths of Ji An’s family. The absence of retribution for the innocents left me deeply disappointed, as their suffering felt unresolved and unavenged.

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Weakest film by Thai horror standard

King Kaew is a Thai horror film that draws inspiration from a historical execution of Kingkaew Lorsoungnern that has evolved into local folklore, showing something promising with its premise. The first act of the movie is considered its strongest part, effectively setting up a creepy atmosphere based on a real-life tragic execution. Supported by a strong performance by Thailand's Scream Queen, Inthira Charoenpura, it creates a solid narrative that hooks the audience right away.

However, despite its good start, the film stumbles in its storyline and multiple technical and artistic areas. The momentum drops as the plot moves along, primarily due to the film's weak story and character development, and constrained budget, which is evident in the poor CGI and subpar cinematography. These aspects greatly diminish the engaging experience that horror lovers often look for. Plus, the supporting characters lack depth and credibility, further weakening the film’s impact. Their lackluster portrayals fail to enhance the storyline or evoke genuine fear, which is crucial for a horror movie’s success. As a result, King Kaew not only fails to scare its viewers but also the weakest film by Thai horror standard, lacking in nearly every important aspect. Even the most scaredy-cat won't be impress by this film.

Overall, King Kaew is an example of how a great idea and decent start can be let down by technical issues and underdeveloped characters. While it offers an intriguing glimpse into a dark chapter of Thai urban legend, it ultimately falls short of delivering the thrills and chills a horror film supposed to have. For those in search of a genuinely scary movie, this one might be a letdown. It's such a waste of potential.

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Pacing is off

main point: Pacing is off and bad script but the actors tried their best with what they got.

I had so much hope for this. We rarely get omegaverse shows so when I saw boat and oat casted for this series I was excited. the best casting choice for a show with this topic. But three episodes in already and I’m disappointed. The pacing and plot is really awkward. I always watch shows half way through before dropping it so three more episodes to give it a fair judgement. On a positive note the actors are giving their all to deliver the story. I did like the vulnerability between phasta and nakhun.

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This Never-Ending Summer tested my patience

Subjective Enjoyment Rating: 7.75
Objective Rating: 8.0-8.5

I can see why so many people love “Never-Ending Summer”, especially when you are a romance lover. Romance is the main focus in this drama from start to finish. Unfortunately, I think the execution and writing could have been better. The last episode raised my rating from 7.5 to 7.75. I lost my focus and was bored for about 50% of the drama. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s repetitive, it’s really repetitive.

Plot/Pacing
Rich man/Poor woman is not a unique plot. The family drama is not a unique plot. The business part, well, it’s the weakest plot of the drama. But luckily, the main romance is solid and the chemistry of the leads is great. I actually really like the first few episodes of the drama when the leads first started getting to know each other. And I understand and empathize with the tough choices FL has to make, and she’s only 18 years old. I just wish the writing is better so it doesn’t feel so repetitive. I commented on my Friends Feeds that the first 11 episodes feel so draggy and are the slowest 11 episodes I felt in recent months. I was hoping the storyline would go back to the present-day timeline soon, but I had to wait for a very long time. I was looking forward to the angst of the break up, because you know it’s going to happen when you have a rich boy and a poor girl. I waited and waited and almost gave up. Finally the breakup happened and we’re back to 2026. I was stuck in that never-ending summer for a very, very long time. I am interested in the main romance again, but the investigation and business plots bore me. “Never-Ending Summer” really feels never-ending and it tests my patience. Additionally, the parents are annoying. There are illogical plot holes here and there (not enough to dock big points from the rating, but enough to be noticeable and for me to roll my eyes).

Main Romance
I actually like both the leads as characters. I like that they are both flawed and hurt. I actually prefer ML to be more of a playboy or fake red-flag, but he’s very green from start to finish. I like their dynamics, their chemistry and their interaction. But as I said earlier, the repetitive back-and-forth with lying and not lying, taking advantage of someone, avoidance, forgiveness, etc…. It was just too much for me to fall in love with the main romance. I love the breakup scene. It was beautiful, emotional and well-acted. Many criticize ML for forgiving FL in a heartbeat. I don’t fault him for that as he’s always been like that since he’s a teenager. It’s apparent that he’s never stopped loving her and his meanness towards her is really nothing serious. I do agree I wish there’s a little more push-and-pull, and I wanted FL to work a little harder to earn the forgiveness. “Never-Ending Summer” does reward romance lovers, like myself, who stuck around till the end. Once they got together again, it was sweet, fluffy and rewarding. The last episode is worth my extra 0.25 rating. It pleases my hopeless romantic heart. Did I mention we have an amazing drunken confession scene full of emotions and amazing kisses?

Secondary Romance
Well, this couple is disappointing. They could have been so much fun, but not enough time is given to develop their storylines. In high school, they acted as props for the main leads. When they finally have some screen time about their problems, I am not invested in them enough to care.

Acting
I do like the acting of Bao Shang En and Daniel Zhou. Bao Shang En made me love her and also wanted to strangle her. I’ve been a fan of Daniel since I first saw him in “A Moment but Forever”. The two of them gave us youthful energy, and also maturity as professionals, and giddiness when in love. The younger supporting cast did fine, though not amazing. I was especially surprised to see Ke Chun here, as I’ve had many late night dates with him watching YouTube verticals. Seeing him here as a loan shark/hooligan was fun and he did a great job. I’ve seen Fu Wei Lun in so many supporting roles and I felt he’s underutilized here as ML’s best friend.

Production
First of all, I love the OST. There are many beautiful songs, and they complement the show and scenes very well. Having said that, songs are played way too often. There are times when I couldn’t hear the actors’ conversation when the background music was played loudly. The music is great, just the usage could be better. Bao Shang En and Daniel Zhou look great visually. Bao Shang En has such an amazing wardrobe. I love her high school casual wear (and thank goodness she’s not in uniform all the time). And as a professional, she looks absolutely stunning. Did you notice she keeps on wearing off-shoulder tops?


Do I recommend this drama? Mm… I don’t know. I think either you love the romance and the couple, or you hate the repetitive back-and-forth. It's only 29 episodes, so it’s not too long if you are looking for a rewarding romance. But if romance is not your cup of tea, don’t bother.


Drama Completed: 7/14/2026 Review #703

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