Reviews

it’s a love story with no romance

I can see why this has the low end of reviews but it is still a beautiful story of love, hardship and connection. if you watch the series expecting boys love it’s a 5/10 since there’s no real excitement or romantic scenes that make you giddy. but if you watch this series expecting love, hardship and connection, it’s a solid 8/10. minus 2 points for the abrupt plot turns.. but still lots to enjoy about this series. I’d still recommend it for the unique Japanese Korean boundary crossing mature acting and story. don’t let all the negative reviews deter you from watching this series! Reset your expectations and enjoy what this series offers.

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A Lukewarm Echo of a Groundbreaking Original

The original "Only Friends" was a massive step forward for the BL genre, delivering a rich, complicated, interwoven story about unique, flawed characters in conflict. In contrast, "Dream On" simply exploits that brand value while delivering a thin story with low-energy couples you mostly don’t care about.

Where the original offered three masterfully interlocking stories, "Dream On’s" three narratives barely relate to each other, creating a frustrating lack of cohesion. I primarily tuned in to see if JossGawin could replicate the magnetic sexual energy they displayed in "My Golden Blood." They didn’t—but frankly, their weak story arc didn’t give them the narrative room to show what they could do. The same was true for EarthMix’s storyline; though underserved by the script, Mix’s outstanding, nuanced acting at least provided the show with some badly needed heart.

Ultimately, only AouBoom brought genuine energy, charm, and sexiness to the screen. Repeatedly cast as second bananas, they have become absolute experts at making the most out of smaller parts, and they easily carry the show here.

Overall, "Dream On" replaces the grit and complexity of the original with weak characters and a shallow plot. A major disappointment.

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The Tragic Vacuum of a Demon Lord: A Millennium of Despair Lost to Script Bloat

Fangs of Fortune is a visual feast that delivers one of the absolute best works of Hou Minghao's career. He completely transforms for this role, managing to even age his eyes to perfectly look the part of a 1,000-year-old, frustrated demon. The core story is highly engaging, and the chemistry between the two Male Leads is almost sizzling hot to the point of a BL series—even though the plot strictly features heterosexual couples! 😉😂 It is actually incredibly refreshing to see these sweet dynamics, providing a much-needed lighter contrast to an otherwise very deep, emotional narrative.

The Mid-Series Narrative Bloat & Character Oversaturation:
However, viewers must navigate massive narrative structural issues, especially in the middle of the show. The production team frequently halts the central plot progression to inject an onslaught of 5 to 6 newly introduced side characters. It becomes blatantly obvious that the show was used as a promotional launchpad for lesser-known actors at the direct expense of the main leads. Consequently, the Male Lead’s screen time is severely diluted. Adding to the frustration, the second Male Lead’s scenes are noticeably better written and granted far more immediate emotional intensity than the actual protagonist's arc.

The Tragic Narrative Vacuum:
This skewed writing creates a massive flaw in the show’s emotional center. A 1,000-year-old demon who actively seeks his own demise—yet slowly develops vulnerable romantic feelings toward the Female Lead and genuine bonds of friendship with others—inherently possesses incredible character depth and tragic layers. This complex arc could have been developed into something profound. Instead, the writing leaves a total emotional vacuum around the Male Lead's millennial isolation. The audience is manipulationally steered into feeling sorry for the human second Male Lead and the Female Lead, completely sidelining the quiet tragedy of someone who has spent a thousand years entirely alone.

Production Disrespect & Audio Choices:
This structural sideline extends directly to the audio production. The team went as far as pulling an official character soundtrack recorded by Hou Minghao, giving the song's primary placement to other actors instead. This choice disrupts the artistic coherence of his character's themes. Structurally, the cinematography and editing are heavily stylized, feeling much like an impressionistic painting. While beautiful, this artistic choice results in an excessive use of slow-motion sequences that drag out the runtime.

In spite of every production hurdle thrown its way, the undeniable brilliance of the cast still turned this show into a massive hit. With a Heat Index surpassing 8,500+ on IQIYI. If you have the patience to navigate through the mid-show padding and slow editing, the phenomenal character dynamics and Hou Minghao's stellar acting make this masterpiece absolutely worth a watch!

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CROSS OVER SERIES

I would call it a Cross Over in all aspects of this series -- It crosses over the Normal BL's Agenda -- With the Bl'S that have come out recently this is Ultra Asexual or even non-sexual in all senses--There is no Physical & very little Dialogue between the Main's that would indicate differently -- It crosses the divide between Japanese Language / Culture & Korean Language / Culture -- The Languages are spoken so well there is an amazing flow almost merging the two spoken languages together by the end of the Series -- There are many props to be given for the Director Writer & the Actors to carry off this type of Emotional Non Physical Series in todays climate of Physical Nudity & Sexuality being over played -- You know for sure that there are Gay & Straight characters but I really could not say that the Main Characters are either -- There is a Scene where Yohan says he has fallen in Love with a Man it kind of gives you a gutted feeling when the only time it is openly discussed between Ryo and Yohan he is leaving but luckly the emotion in the Drama carries it & the Story in Nuanced enough to keep you engaged & I would suggest anyone to check it out -- It is well worth your time -- I watched it twice & each time I found something New

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A Masterclass Performance Trapped in Sabotaged Production

The first 12 episodes are a flawless 10/10, easily ranking among the best fantasy dramas in C-ent. Having watched favorites like The Double, The Untamed, Love You Seven Times, Love in the Clouds, and Fated Hearts, I was blown away by the initial execution. The early episodes deliver a tight script, amazing fight choreography, high production value, and stunning cinematography. Even the quieter, simple interactions between the ML and FL feel incredibly natural and deeply woven into the narrative, moving the story forward without needing loud, forced tropes. Unfortunately, after episode 18, the production completely loses its grip. By episode 20, the narrative dissolves into heavy bloat, and the Male Lead—who is undeniably the star of the show—suddenly feels like a guest in his own drama.

The Mid-Section Breakdown (Episodes 19–32):
The plot becomes highly fragmented, but recovers from episode 33 onward, episode 34 showing a glimpse of his acting genius which we all saw in Vendetta of An, without the camera or make-up flaws of that series. If you want to bypass the heavy padding and stick strictly to the main plot, fast-forward and only watch episodes 19, 24, 25, 26, parts of 29, 30, 31 and 32. Note that many of these scenes were frantic, late-stage additions; the editing is noticeably choppy, and Cheng Yi looks visibly exhausted due to the chaotic filming conditions.

The Behind-the-Scenes Reality:
This narrative collapse wasn't the actors' fault. Industry news confirms that Cheng Yi was approaching the end of his contract with Huanrui Century (H&R) with no intention to renew. In response, the production house purposefully diluted his character to launch or elevate other actors. When Cheng Yi openly fought back against these illogical script and character changes, management retaliated by cutting his scenes and creating immense on-site friction. Industry veterans like Tan Kai have openly defended Cheng Yi, proving that the drama’s flaws lie entirely on a vindictive production crew and incompetent management.

Watch it for Cheng Yi's spectacular acting and the phenomenal first half, but keep your fast-forward button ready for the middle.

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Raw Realism or Lazy Planning? How Cinematography Failed an Acting Genius

The Vendetta of An features some of the best acting I have ever seen in the C-drama industry. Cheng Yi completely sheds his usual roles to turn into a lethal, patient schemer, sometimes cruel. A glimpse of the genius we had seen in Sword and Beloved episode 34. His silent look was so dangerous at times that, as an audience, I could literally feel the chill seep through my body. His screen presence and restrained intensity are unmatched here.

What sets this protagonist apart is his incredible psychological duality. He is capable of unleashing moments of extreme, calculated violence, yet he is simultaneously grounded by an acute moral understanding and the heavy guilt of right versus wrong. Unlike other massive, highly-anticipated historical revenge thrillers that rush through rapid-fire plot twists, this narrative purposely slows down to expose the agonizing, frustrated wait of a strategist biding his time. This deliberate change in pace serves a purpose: it anchors the profound human cost of vengeance. His deep-seated bonds with his childhood friend and his sister—culminating in a raw, devastating emotional breakdown—felt incredibly real and heartbreaking to witness.

Imagine Vendetta of An without the wide angle gritty feel, see Ep 34 of Sword and Beloved and re-watch Vendetta again... This project was an absolute blockbuster in the making, but it suffered from what "seemed like" another deliberate production sabotage. May not be!! A big flaw was the use of wide-angle anamorphic camera lenses and poorly designed costume headwear and no base make-up. Rather than using the typical flattering face-lights to brighten up the actors' complexions, the crew used highly dramatic, harsh, naturalistic shadowing, for an actor who is a master at micro expressions. Feel raw realism" is often a lazy excuse for poor technical planning!! 😡

A sharp contrast exists between the seamless, tight execution of global hits like The Untamed or The Double and the fragmented pacing seen in The Vendetta of An. In the latter, the overarching structure often falls apart, leaving Cheng Yi forced to carry the entire weight of a production that seemed actively designed to slow him down. First rather than action you have conversations between the two protagonists and then you use wide angle camera, basically you are asking the ML to do magic!! Which he did... The data heavily reflects this massive tug-of-war between brilliant acting and flawed production execution. On one hand, the show was undeniably a massive commercial hit, surpassing a peak popularity index of 10,000 on Youku and topping the Maoyan charts during its run. However, blatant structural flaws deeply divided the audience, resulting in a criminally low initial Douban score of 6.9 that fails to reflect Cheng Yi's elite performance.

Watch it for a phenomenal, spine-chilling character study and authentic emotional depth, but be prepared for the production’s structural and aesthetic flaws.

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Everything was good about this ….

Everything was good about this drama the experience she had of becoming friends with her mom in her past life, the friendship, the way Duan Xiao treated Li Jin Bu, the hilarious Wang Xiao Min and Fan Shui Shui, and the way Chen Jun He loved Li Qing Tong and protected her and her baby. Their relationship with the teacher was so touching, and I also loved Li Qing Tong’s parents.

I loved the way they added Duan Xiao at the end as a new student in her real life.

But I still have a question: why didn’t they talk about Wu Zhi Xun? Where is he? And why didn’t they tell him about his child?

Well, I didn’t really like him. He wasn’t the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for his beloved like Chen Jun He did.

In the end, the show was mainly about the relationship between the mother and daughter and their friendship.

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One word: RUSHED!!

This had the potential to be so much better than it was; especially with this casting!!! This felt rushed and all over the place. I am very disappointed in this series. I'm not really sure how to describe the way I feel about this series, but I'm going to try....

First off, the only thing I liked about this series is the casting. I think the casting was great, however the execution of this series; terrible and I blame the directors. When I watched the series I was expecting more drama, more spice, really more of a lot of things that this didn't deliver.

Second, this did Neo dirty! He played a bastard in Only Friends yet he was docile in this one. I mean, they really toned down his character and I was expecting his character to be more outspoken, more dramatic, more of a lot of things really. I expected his character to be similar to how he was in the first Only Friends, but no... his character was toned down way too much and he barely had any screen time. The fact that Boston wasn't Boston in this had me highly disappointed because I was expecting more drama the minute he appeared in this show.

It also felt very rushed like the director wanted to hurry up and get this series over with or something. And don't get me wrong, the casting was great but the acting on some of them were very subpar and all of them are pretty good actors, so imagine my disappointment when I was watching this subpar acting from them and again not their fault; it's the directing. And let me just add this; with that much eye candy in this series it should have been better then the first one.

The Earth/Mix pairing wasn't doing it for me. I usually like anything those two are paired in together but this, no. Joss/Gawin pairing we're pretty good, however, the pairing that made this show even the slightest bit likable for me to continue watching was Aou/Boom pairing. To me, they made this show possible. They brought the spice and they brought most of the drama that actually made sense.

Another thing that made this okay to watch were the cameos by Sand/Ray and then Nick showing up and Boston saw him while being Boston. This one just did not tickle my fancy but I did like seeing Great at the end, so does this mean we'll possibly get a third season of Only Friends and we'll follow his story? I mean, it can't be any worse than this one was. It was so disappointing and I wish I could get all the hours I wasted on this show back but I can't. And maybe somebody out there will like and appreciate the show, but I didn't and my rating stands.

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Sad and complex bromance with problems

In my opinion, no one does a sad story quite like a Japanese series. Soul Mate is a beautiful and touching story, but marketing it, even if indirectly, as a BL was a mistake.
We had 10Dance a few months ago, so we know Netflix can deliver a great Japanese BL story with big names. At the same time, we’ve seen two versions of Love in the Big City recently, proving that big Korean actors are doing BL. Because of these expectations, Soul Mate will likely disappoint many viewers since it ultimately ends up being a bromance.
That said, the characters are complex and the acting is strong. I didn't always agree with their choices, though, like a friend withholding from their best friend the fact that a former “roommate” has been seriously ill in the hospital.
The only element the series truly fumbles is Arata. His confession and the incident are the catalysts for the entire show and a major driving force behind Ryu’s journey. It’s the reason Ryu is in Berlin, why he tries to give up inside the church, and why he abandoned hockey. Yet, it’s resolved so briefly and forgotten so quickly that it feels like Arata didn’t even matter. Ironically, mishandling this plotline is exactly what allows Soul Mate to exist. In my opinion, a proper resolution would have likely inspired Ryu to live without regret, prompting him to confess his true feelings to Johan much earlier.

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