Reviews

I could watch until 5th generation

These series inspired in the manga/anime is just a guilty pleasure. The first cohort was amazing and had me glued to the screen. This second cohort was not so inspiring the first 2 episodes but then, their story starts to build and the team gets connected. Next thing I knew, I was as excited as with the first circle of players. Each character has details that make them precious. Their strugles, their fears, their Aha! moments, all sums up. Around episode 7 you get to see the others from the first circle and the dopamine multiplied. If I ever learn Japanese, it will be to have a chance to play karuta. These series really sparks that desire. I hope we can keep seing other adventures of these 2 circles.

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About that ending....

This drama is the perfect kind of “brain in a jar” watch for when you’re tired at the end of the day and don’t want to think too hard. It does all the thinking for you—telling you exactly what to feel with its intrusive score, stock characters, and black-and-white moralism, hammy acting included.

At times, I found its agenda disturbing. We’re asked to cheer when tormentors themselves are tormented, with no compassion, no learning, no recognition that wounds shape behavior. Growth is absent; the goodies are rewarded, the baddies punished, justice neatly served. All is right with the world—or at least with the script.

The one place a sliver of ambiguity sneaks in is between the leads. How are we meant to read their intimacy? Friends on the edge of something more? Fate nudging them closer when a blind date pairs them up? But the ML is explicit when he calls the agency—he wants companionship from someone of similar age and experience, not a romance. Even the taxi scene, when their hands fall side by side but never touch, feels symbolic. Lines are drawn, and he knows it.

The ending, however, is a cop-out. Cutting off mid-sentence feels like the writers couldn’t decide—were they leaving space for a sequel, dodging backlash about workplace power imbalance, or simply shrugging at love as an ongoing negotiation? For me, the disclosures between the leads felt intimate, but not romantic. I rooted for the ML, but not for him to be with the FL.

On another note, the Deaf representation was clumsy at best. Lip-reading is nearly impossible for most, yet here it’s treated as easy. The idea you could become fluent in sign language from a book is laughable—it takes years of use, just like any language. And the trope of a parent sending a Deaf child to “live with their own kind” is an outdated stereotype, not reality for most families. As a sign language user myself, I rolled my eyes more than once. Did no one think to consult Deaf advisors?

Overall, this is a drama best held lightly. Enjoy it if you want something simplistic and moralistic to zone out with, but don’t expect much warmth, growth, or depth.

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Unsatisfying ending…

The main tragedy of this show is Do-hyeon. The fl played with his feelings the entire season 2 and essentially emotionally cheated on him the entire time. Song-i absolutely disgusted me throughout the entire season 2 with how she strung Do-hyeon about it and essentially just picked Tae-oh since he has no job or familial responsibilities so he can just show up whenever she needs a guy. The show writers had Do-hyeon and Song-i as a couple for 13 episodes and just broke them up so she’d end up in a rushed ending with Tae-oh. Also the amount she’d just blatantly lie to Do-hyeon was gross and she studies architecture yet can’t even set up a tent properly. Also she got warned about that creepy senior from Tae-oh and her best friend yet she still idiotically gets into the dude’s car *smack.

Also Tae-oh is incredibly immature, has no goals in life and barely studies, just spends all of his father’s credit card money and thinks it’s okay to backstab his best friend.
The show never addressed Se-hyeon’s cheating with other guys properly since she never came clean to Tae-oh about it. Also that whole ridiculous side plot about Tae-oh’s mother faking her death for 20+ years just cause her siblings were breaking into their house for money made absolutely NO SENSE. Considering how rich Tae-oh’s dad was he literally could’ve just sued them or idk just don’t open the door.
This show essentially teaches you that someone hard working and responsible doesn’t deserve a girlfriend since he can’t drop everything at a moment’s notice unlike *cough cough* spoilt privileged brats.

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Revenge on revenge on revenge

Revenge? Check. Political intrigue? Check. Family drama? Check. Action? Check. Loyal friendships? Check. Romance? Check. Slow-burn romance? Check, check! This series really has it all. I mean, too much of it all, in fact. The revenge alone would have you going for hours. It was really engaging and I enjoyed how the revenge plots played out. It was pretty satisfying. The acting of both Wu Jinyan and Wang Xingue are topnotch. They were perfect for their roles. I could not have imagined a more perfect Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng. They also have good chemistry. The side characters also did great. Totally love (and hate) the Eldest Princess Wanning. She was awesome and loathsome in her role. I also loved the cinematography of this series. It was so beautiful and added to the total vibe of the series. The breathtaking shots and angles were key to taking the storyline further.

Now, there are some things that I thought were problematic about this series. This was 40-episode long. Did it need to be that long? Honestly, yes and no. Yes, because it had so much to tell, and also no, because some plotlines just dragged on, and I felt that some scenes were unnecessary. And as much as the revenge plots were all resolved in the end, it all were just too good to be true and too convenient. And well, that ending? I usually do not mind an open-ending like that but seriously, you had me watch for 40 episodes and go through all of that just to give me a vague ending? That was just really painful and really unsatisfying, even unfair. I don't want to think of the end, please just give me a happy ending, for real!

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Familiar plot but gorgeous visuals (shots + cast) and charismatic leads made this fun watch!

This drama came to my radar through subreddit CShortDramas. I was intrigued by the first minute and after seeing a positive review, I decided to watch it on iQIYI. I enjoyed this drama.

What I liked:
1. Editing - Wow I must say that the shots were beautiful. This drama looked like a traditional long-form Chinese dramas with the colour gradation and set-up.
2. Acting - This is my first time watching Zhan Ni and I really liked her acting. She gave this elegant, understated but punchy performance. Wang Yan Xin was good in his role too. Zhan Ni and Wang Yan Xin had good chemistry too.
3. FL characterisation - I liked that FL was quick thinker and able to protect herself from bullies. The last scene with her family was bittersweet and I understood her conflict.
4. Styling - Gorgeous outfits from hotel employee uniforms to FL's casual work and night gown. ML looked dashing in his work clothes and even pyjamas but I wish he hadn't worn the glasses. Made him look like an uncle. SML's outfits were gorgeous and I also liked Xiao Xiao's styling a lot!
5. Romance - The romance was slow but there were good kisses and sweet moments, mostly initiated by ML. I wish there were more scenes of them bonding as a couple.
6. Supporting characters - I ❤️ Xiao Xiao! Her honest remarks about FL's relationship cracked me up. I also liked Shen Yu despite his attempts to woo FL.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Lin Yao Yao was annoying and incompetent. Gosh I loved it when she was demoted from ML's secretary to hotel staff - she was too nosy in other people's work. FL's mother was a surprise to me - I thought she was FL's stepmother but no she was her biological mother who treated FL badly. Glad they got retribution.
2. FL's action - It was frustrating when FL kept mentioning that they were in fake marriage numerous times. For someone who is great at anticipating customer's needs, she wasn't good at reading her husband's actions. Honey, you got a fine looking with good characteristics man whom you knew from school and why not take advantage of the situation since both agreed to that arrangement.

Favourite scene
When FL hung washed sheets on the rooftop

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Drop Your Prejudice At The Door

I say to drop your prejudice at the door because of the negative comments and reviews that some have expressed as being disappointing because it didn’t meat their expectations in the way the lead couples story ended.

The story was good - not always written well, and not always focused on the title, but it was decent.

I was hoping for a drama that was focused more on the men’s perception of love, but a lot of time was spent on the females themselves. Hu Yitisn’s character had a beautiful introduction and background details to the story and each little clip was very eloquent and touching. His character was that of the Editir in Chief for a paper magazine, and he portrayed this role of a quirky, detail oriented creative perfectly. He was wise, comforting yet straightforward, and balanced that out with the playfulness of being as he said early on, an adult man with the attitude of a teenager (osraphrased).

The FL was bubbly, innocent, very quick tempered and incredibly stubborn to the point of hurting the ML. She worried and ruminated on assumptions she made in regards to the ML rather than speaking to him directly. She gave everyone opportunities to explain and listened to them and judged wisely - yet when it came to the ML she jumped to conclusions and judgements faster than a kangaroo fleeing predators in the wild. I will give her credit, that once she got the stupid out of her thoughts she was able to see the truth.

Her character was frustrating and very selfabsorbed. Yet she was also capable of great compassion and warmth. I think most of her issues stemmed from overthinking and a low self esteem. So low that she kept everyone at arms length and tried to shoulder everything herself.

The 2FL/ML were initially odd. Tgey were the typical get physical first then get to know each other couple with a poor FL background and a rich 2nd gen ML whose mother that could not speak quietly or politely. She was a bully with a bank account and social status that tried to drive them apart. The ML had incredible control of being able to put his emotions of the role not only on his face, but his eyes as well.

The 2nd FL was annoying to me at first, even when her background came out she held people with money in a box assuming the 2ML was incapable of bringing her happiness or loving her long term.

The 3rd couple (husband and wife) were a mix of toxic soup. The husband was a notorious flirt, and the wife was a dominating distrustful person that only cared about her goals while holding her husband as an emotional hostage to her demands. She was constantly pushing her expectations, beating him with her suspicious theories and manipulating his friends into reporting things to her. Unfortunately, she figured out her mistakes after their divorce and even though she initially changed her behavior, little peeks of her attitude was returning.

The fourth couple ended up getting a LOT of screen time - almost to the point of leaving the Fml/fl very little time to resolve their breakup into a happy ending.

The ‘noble’ detachment of the 4ml from the 4fl was understandable - he battled feeling like he was betraying his late wife, his own feelings, and being manipulated by the 2ML and the girls mother (who is also the 2ML’s mother.

The 4fl was an annoying creature. Self-centered, headstrong, manipulative, crafty and downright aggressive in her pursuit of the 4mL at times. Her character was w remedy immature and very very spoiled. She could be very mature and handle work tasks professionally and quickly, but then turn into a whiney princess having a temper tantrum in a bar with a bottle of spirits the next. Her whiney voice when she was in princess mode was beyond annoying.

The 4ml was the stoic, self absorbed grieving husband of a woman who had passed way years ago. He was a lawyer and very capable of being tough and decisive within a case he had, but had no backbone to stand up on his own behalf. He was afraid of another relationship that might end in separation, afraid of his friend, the 2ml) ending their friendship, and refused to move on in a healthy way from his wife’s passing. So instead of facing things head on, he ‘nobly’ chose to push the 4fl away. I really hate that trope… its over used and not noble at all. In fact, it is exceedingly selfish and inconsiderate.

Tge appearance of the 1ML ex-girlfriend and her attempt to separate the leads was annoying but necessary. The ML couldn’t proceed into a relationship with the 1fl without removing tge emotional trauma left in his ex. I found it good that once they saw her at her exhibit, she was never heard from / seen again, and was a good shadow of how much influence she had in the ML’s heart after that.

Now…HYT was excellent in this role. He was able to show the depth of emotion he needed with facial expressions that mirrored the pain and happiness in his eyes. He seems to have matured a great deal and his already commanding screen presence
multiplued exponentially. He did an excellent job in this role. It was refreshing to see him being playful with his friends and the FL, serious at work, a stoic businessman and a loyal friend. He was quite handsome in his suits and yet a simple man who could dress casually and enjoy football game at home, or go to a cyber cafe to play video games with his friends. I am looking to seeing more from him soon.

Tge good news is, that even after all the trials and testing of each couple they ended up well.

And who can be unhappy with an OST sung by Liu Yuning?? icing on the cake!

So even though many people complained about the lack of chemistry between the couples, I found it realistic. A relationship that has gone through ups and downs, difficulty and hardship is very different than that of one soaking in fluffy clouds and candy hearts floating around. People have to learn to let go of their self obsession and learn to work together as a couple, and while this drama didn’t end up as many expected, they all came out with a bond forged together by those trials and into a healthy partnership where mutual support and respect inds them together.

Drop the expectations, and enjoy the story. 😎

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The “Diamond” Michiko is back!

Daimon Michiko, the greatest surgeon of all time is back and working at Totei University Hospital- it sounds all fancy with bloated titles and rankings, but there is so much corruption and dirt under the surface. Leading the corrupted organization at this time is none other than Director Hiruma who remember had surgery done by Michiko in the last season and she saved his life, but his memory is short and his corrupted heart is stronger than his gratitude towards her so he continues to treat her like a pest that needs to be exterminated or exiled rather than the top surgeon that saves their entire reputation and does all the actual work. Everyone else is practically useless except for her. It’s like she’s the main character and all the others are NPCs with no real skills of their own, just self centered scripts to blow up their reputation.

This time the season starts with Michiko in NYC as she waltzes into a random hospital and starts doing surgery on some patient that falls down in the middle of a restaurant- I don’t get how there are all these stage 4 cancer patients just writhing in pain randomly like that, but hey it makes for good drama when they collapse and “need to have emergency surgery right now or they will die!” So Michiko saves this lady and catches the attention of this lady who stole her Gyoza dumplings- like seriously who steals food from Michiko when she’s hungry? Good food is one of the only real rewards she gets for all her genius work! Anyway this lady is the head of that hospital or something and she ends up going to Japan to Totei Hospital and bringing along with her this “Americanized” Japanese doctor Kitano who speaks both English and Japanese with a weird show off kind of accent, and hiring Michiko into her team. Turns out she’s the sister of the previous director of the hospital who has now conceded the position to Hiruma. So Akira San calls Michiko and tells her to come back home or “she’ll be fired,” so she starts/resumes her position at this hospital under Hiruma.

Michiko deals with new scandals and patients- famous patients, celebrities that are so famous that the whole country is dying to know about his surgery, etc. and of course most of them collapse in pain of course and need emergency surgery or else they will die lol. The most touching story was of the anesthesiologist Jonouchi who has life threatening cancer like everyone else and Michiko for the first time seems like she might fail and she even thinks that she has failed in the first round of surgery. But turns out it was a necessary failure to shrink the tumor and turn it back a stage to be able to be removed completely with another surgery. The scenes where her surgery was finished and her daughter Mai and Akira San go to the church to pray for her life was very touching and beautiful. It made me cry.

So another great season, and I’m here for Michiko. When I saw her tearing up at her bond and determination to save her friend and anesthesiologist colleague Jonouchi, it was very sweet. She has come a lot way since the first season - back then she didn’t give a crap about anyone and only handled the patient. But now it’s like her heart is softening and her colleagues Kaji, Haru, and even Kitano are there to help, all on Christmas Day. It’s very touching to see the collaboration and energy she brings around her. Even though at first she might seem hard to get along with, any genuine person knows that Daimon Michiko is full of compassion and love for those around her that she has dedicated her life to serving people all the time.

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Queen Mantis: The Sins That Bind

🔹 When I pressed play on Queen Mantis, I expected a classic mystery, but the mother-son dynamic struck a deeper chord.

🔹 Would I rewatch? No, but I leaned in for every clue.

✨If your mother were a serial killer, could you forgive her after twenty years, or would those memories haunt you?

📕 Overview
🔹 The series consists of 12 episodes and falls under the genres of crime and psychological thriller.
🔹Remake of French series La Mante
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin gave me chills with her restrained and icy demeanor, even in silence.
🔹Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: the pain is visible before he even opens his mouth, and every scene with him is somber
🔹The drama begins when a copycat killing forces Su Yeol to confront the mother he has been avoiding his entire life.
🔹 6 episodes have aired at the time of this review

🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 Secrets from twenty years ago resurface with each new killing, trapping you in a suspenseful tension.
🔹 I found myself holding my breath during certain tense moments.
🔹Themes of family, guilt, justice, and forgiveness are present in every scene.
🔹 If you’ve seen mother-son dramas with a twist, this feels familiar, but the emotional turmoil is raw and real.

✨ Cast & Performances
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin: I couldn’t look away. She’s terrifying yet layered with a maternal edge that makes her presence unforgettable
🔹 Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: his eyes carry the pain even before he speaks. He isn’t the hero type, just a weary son weighed down by history
🔹 The supporting cast added tension but felt underutilized; I wanted more insight into their motives and backstories.

🎶 OST
🔹 "Shadow" by Younha
🔹 "The Past Haunts" by Crush

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 It's all cold and cutting, designed to unsettle you.
🔹Dimly lit sets and shadows enhance even the most subtle details, making them more impactful.
🔹The uniforms and police rooms looked so realistic that I wouldn’t want to be in them.

☕ Tea Notes (Refined)
🔹 What worked: Go Hyun Jung's performance left a strong impression, and the mother-son tension added depth to the drama. The silences and dark visuals effectively maintained the suspense.
🔹 What didn’t work: The pacing felt slow at times, and I wished the supporting cast were more developed.
🔹 Would I rewatch? No
☕ SpillTheDramaTea’s Rating: 8/10 — a nice brew, I enjoyed it

✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, Queen Mantis felt gloomy but addictive.

✨ Which scene sent shivers down your spine, and did the family secrets ever feel too unbearable to handle?

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An absurd journey though past and future with three endearing silly boys

I went to see this film with no expectation whatsoever, and i ended up enjoying it very very much !

The story, set on another planet, is completely absurd but that's what makes it so enticing. It's funny, moving, endearing and yet somehow there is also a sadness to it.
What happens when your 17yo soul wakes up in your 37yo body? What happens when you know who you'll become? Can you change a future that's already happened? Can you live your teenage years as freely as before?
Those are some of the questions this film asks, amongst its action-packed scenes straight out of a 90s videogame and its over-the-top characters. The journey on which the three boys/men embark is filled with laughter, nostalgia, silliness , a hint of darkness and heavy-punches !

I truly enjoyed watching it and would definitely watch it again !

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Flawed but interesting suspense story

Helpless was a bittersweet watch as it starred the late Lee Sun Kyun as a desperate man searching for his missing fiancée. Director Byun Young Joo directed this film adapted from the Japanese novel, “Kasha.”

On the way to deliver their wedding invitation to his parents, Jang Moon Ho’s fiancée disappears from his car while he is purchasing coffee and snacks at a rest stop. The police ignore his requests for help assuming she’s a runaway bride. When his every step leads to more questions, he calls upon his old friend and ex-police officer Kim “Everyone Was Taking Bribes” Jong Geun. The trail to Kang Sun Young and her past becomes increasingly dark and twisted.

The acting in this film was quite strong. Each of the three main actors pulled off complex and believable performances. The first and last acts were tense and well crafted, though the ending tiptoed into overwrought territory. The middle became weighted with too many characters and not enough attention paid to the most interesting one…Kang Sun Young.

I don’t want to write anything that would fall into spoiler territory, for this film is best enjoyed going into it knowing little about it. The pace could be painstakingly slow at times carried only by the actors and their commitment to their characters and the story. Helpless was more suspense than thriller, but worth a watch if you enjoy this genre.

12 September 2025

Triggers: Strong allusions to sexual assault and trafficking, suicide. Butterfly murder.
Seeing Lee Sun Kyun-whatever his problems, he didn't deserve the death penalty he sentenced himself to. RIP.

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