Reviews

bad story

I think I was gaslighting myself the whole time, trying to believe that their relationship was not toxic. I kept telling myself that everything happening between them made sense. But after finishing all the episodes, I realized that I wasted my tears and my time. Their relationship was emotionally draining, and most of their breakups were not acceptable to me. They kept breaking up for similar reasons, and it felt repetitive and unnecessary. Instead of fixing their problems, they just kept hurting each other.

I decided to watch this drama because I liked the idea of a rich woman and an ordinary man falling in love. That kind of story usually feels fresh and interesting, and I had high expectations. Sadly, the drama did not fully deliver what it promised. The plot started well, but later it became messy. There were too many unnecessary storylines that didn’t add much to the main story. These extra plots only made the drama longer and more confusing, instead of making it better.

The drama was actually good until episode 9. At that point, I was still enjoying it and felt emotionally connected to the characters. However, after episode 9, everything slowly went downhill. The conflicts felt forced, and the misunderstandings could have been easily solved if the characters just talked to each other. It became frustrating to watch because the same problems kept repeating. I wanted to root for them, but it became harder with every episode.

Even so, I can’t deny how strong their chemistry was. The main leads had great connection, and their scenes together felt natural and emotional. Their acting made the love story believable, even when the writing failed them. Because of their chemistry, I stayed until the end, hoping the story would improve. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I hoped.

In the end, I don’t think this drama was completely bad. It had a good start, an interesting concept, and strong chemistry between the leads. However, it lost its charm because of poor writing, too many unnecessary plots, and unhealthy relationship choices. I really hope to see this pair together again in another drama, but with a better script and a healthier love story. They deserve a story that truly matches their potential.

Read More

Light On Me felt like pure magic to me.

Soft, warm, and flattering — the way first love always is. Watching it felt like being wrapped in gentle light, where everything is awkward, sincere, and achingly honest. Woo Tae Kyung especially stayed with me. To me, he feels somehow autistic — this is only my personal interpretation — but that’s part of why I love him so much. The way he experiences the world, his honesty, his stiffness mixed with deep care… it feels real. He doesn’t pretend, and that makes every emotion he shows feel earned. And No Sin U? I adored him. He was intense, passionate, jealous, impulsive, and completely ruled by his feelings. His love burned fast and sometimes messy, but always sincere. That emotional chaos made him feel human. He wasn’t gentle sunlight — he was fire. And watching him struggle, love, and grow made his story hit even harder. Daon wasn’t my favorite, but I understand him. I really do. He lives in a world where he feels worthy only when everyone likes him, when he’s useful, when he’s perfect. That kind of pressure hurts in a quiet way, and even when his choices frustrated me, I could see where they came from. For me he wasn’t weak — he was carrying too much alone. He’s a character shaped by expectations, not malice.
And then there’s Namgung, the heart of Light On Me. The best matchmaker, the true love maker. Charming, perceptive, and effortlessly funny, he understood people better than they understood themselves. He didn’t force love — he guided it, quietly and carefully, with warmth and humor. Every group needs a Namgung. Overall, Light On Me feels like a love letter to first feelings — the confusion, the longing, the fear of being seen, and the hope that someone will choose you anyway. It’s gentle, emotional, and unforgettable. A series that doesn’t shout, but stays with your heart long after the screen goes dark. 💫💙

Read More

A Slow Burn That Overstayed Its Welcome

Real rating 7.8/10, but I rounded up.

Despite popular belief...I didn't like it. I had high hopes for this show. I kept getting this show recommended to me on Instagram and was excited. This was a real slow burn. The first 20 episodes I watched quick and caught up to the release dates. But then it was hard to pick back up.

Characters:
The main ML (Yu Sen) is honestly too perfect. He’s kind, talented, patient, emotionally mature… basically flawless. While that might sound appealing, it made his character feel a bit unrealistic and flat. On top of that, he talks a lot...long speeches, constant explaining, which started to drag and made some scenes feel way longer than necessary.

The FL (Xi Guang) was also a weak point. She had basically two emotions throughout the entire drama. She clearly loved attention, and her forced, exaggerated laugh made it painfully obvious when she was “laughing.” Instead of feeling natural or charming, it became distracting and repetitive.

What really hurts is the second male lead (Zhuang Xu). He could’ve made the story so much better. There was real potential for a stronger emotional arc or even a more compelling love triangle, but instead he was dragged along and made almost useless. He deserved far more depth and purpose. We just followed him way too long. I get that it’s meant to be “realistic”—people don’t always confess their feelings ,but here it felt frustrating and unnecessary rather than meaningful.

Plot:
One of the biggest problems was the amount of business talk. There was so much focus on work, meetings, and professional conversations that the drama got genuinely boring at times. It took away from the emotional build-up and made the pacing feel slow and dry.

The misunderstanding between the main leads was another major issue. It felt unnecessary and honestly kind of stupid. The conflict dragged on far too long and could’ve been solved with one proper conversation.

And then there’s the romance... or lack of it. There was barely any skin ship. Certain scenes had great buildup, that they could’ve kissed and actually made it satisfying, but instead we just get… hugging. It felt boring and underwhelming, especially for a drama that’s supposed to focus on romance.

Also they had like no friends. Only friends FL had were from College and they just sucked. Whenever she saw them, she was always upset, they weren't nice. The friends she had at work were just alright. Also there was just unnecessary family problems. But I did like the relationship with the FL and her cousin and her family.

The ending itself was good and emotionally satisfying, even if some choices didn’t make sense. I honestly didn’t understand why the second male lead was at the airport, ugh it just felt unnecessary, but I did love that ML and the FL still had a good, healthy relationship without bitterness. The way the ML lead yearned for her when she came back was sweet, and their dynamic in the final moments was cute, though it really could’ve been shown more. That said, the show absolutely could’ve ended about seven episodes earlier, because by the time it wrapped up, it felt like it had already overstayed its welcome.

ALSOOO.. The OST was great but too overused lol.

Overall, Shine On Me had a solid foundation and some realistic ideas about love and hesitation, but it leaned too heavily on business talks, and played the romance way too safe. With better pacing, more chemistry, and stronger use of the second lead in beginning episodes, it honestly could’ve been so good.

Final verdict: enjoyable but frustrating. Decent drama, just not very exciting.

Read More

Obsessed

I'm obsessed with this drama. I'm watching it again and again and again. The storyline is good. The male lead is flawless. I loved him in My Fated Boy as well. The racing scenes and fighting are all good.
Watch on your risk as it will disturb your peaceful life and make you delulu.

If you are here to knwo if it's worth watching. The answer is YES. You can watch it again and again. Some cons I noticed you can read it after watching the drama:





Cons:
There are some direction and editing mistakes. I'm not an expert I can only tell the story line is great, the actors are great but you'll find some avoidable flaws due to direction mistakes that may annoy you a bit bcz for just a great drama it's a loss.
I think if they had taken care of the direction mistakes this drama would be 1000/10.
Now it is 100/10.

Read More

Reminiscent of the palace drama days, so much scheming and so much fun

I went into this show not really knowing anything about the plot or holding any expectations. And to be honest, before it aired, I had seen rumors about it here and there, but I didn't really care enough to look into it. So imagine my surprise when I decided to check it out, shout out to Twitter editors, and found out it's actually a true reverse harem about a matrilineal tea-empire family. There were so many twists and turns, and I kept guessing things wrong. It was so fun! Also, lots of familiar faces. I feel like if you go into this show completely blind, you'll enjoy it. Are there some plot issues? Yes, but nothing that turned me off that much. Additionally, if you like palace dramas/miss the palace drama era, I also feel like you will enjoy this show a lot. All in all, I definitely recommend watching this show.

Read More

Nice but that's it

Promising but didn't live up. I end up watching it on a faster speed just to get through it. There seemed a good strong storyline but I think the core focus ended up jumping around between the FL’s money struggles, the prophecies and the love triangle. It was a bit over the place with the core focus that all the additional elements fizzled out the strong hold on the story and any reason to keep engaged.

Surprisingly it was the FL who needed the cheering up as the story unfolded towards the last 2 episodes. Though, I found the FL acting a bit over the top and unnatural. She does great in showing different emotions but the overjoyed or casual self of the character seemed too much. The character could have had more scenes of why she holds herself in such a boosted way that would have rounded the character much better.

There was a good balance between the characters that's one thing they did achieve.

Good concept, maybe room for another drama, I would love to see another that uses the cheer up theme and cheerleading squad to navigate through life’s hardships it would need to be much more heartfelt and have a stronger script.

Read More

Wasting of time. Especially for LYX's fans.

This drama has just... exhausted me. The action was so slow that I sometimes watched it even at 2x speed. The script is quite boring. They're in love, and for over 40 episodes, they just run away and chase each other. You think that finally everything will be okay, you get one episode of happiness, and then... it all falls apart again.

Although I like most of the actors in this drama, their performances were nothing remarkable. I really like Luo Yunxi's gentle voice, so this dubbing drives me crazy.

The music is overly dramatic all the time. It doesn't make me cry; instead, it bothers me.

Do I recommend "And The Winner Is Love"? No. It's just a waste of time. There are a lot of more worthwhile series to watch.

Read More

Tea does not judge itself, people judge the tea

As it's said in the chinese title 玉茗茶骨 (Yu Ming Cha Gu), the core of this story is about tea which it's plantations are ran by the family Rong, more exactly Rong Shanbao, but with appearance with Lu Jianglai, played by Hou Minghao, which is also his 1st billing drama, things start to evolve a lot more than expected.

Let me talk about the story first. As said above & since HMH is the billing for this drama, everything will have to involve him. It started really well, more than I actually expected and it was so well build, from his amnesia to him remembering stuff, to getting his title back up to a point where it got ruined by the intervention of YZ director. From episode 26 to 30 (even a bit of 31), that's when it all started to go down a bit 'cause of the changes he made. The Rong family's story should've ended a while ago, but he added extra scenes that made no sense at all and ruined the story by a lot. Later on, it was slowly recovered by the Duke Mansion's story which was really interesting to see the truth behind Lu Jianglai's (LJL) identity, which he has been always knew about, but he didn't care about it at all because, in the end, he never wanted to take part of it. Once he started to love Bao a lot , he gave up everything for her and even before.
His relationship with his brother was something I was looking up forward to a lot, but even tho it was a bit short, I still enjoyed it. In the end, I wish Bao's grandma was more lenient with her and to stop caring about tea plantation that much, but it's whatever it in the end.

As for acting, it was top notch. As a fan of HMH, who has been following him since Cambrian Period, till even this day, I was literally looking forward to every day to watch him act. My favorite scenes with him are totally in the first episode where he was first shown as Lord Lu, a ruthless magistrate, which is later on getting to realize his love for Bao (btw, they've fallen in love since ep1). Also, his scenes as Lu Fusheng we're so good and I'm glad that they didn't drag his amnesia to 15 episodes or so. It was solved pretty fast. During the time he was filming this drama, even tho he was sick, had stomach problems, these stuff weren't seen in the drama at all. You literally couldn't see it on his face when he was acting. So, I am really proud of his acting & especially for all his hard work on this drama, giving his all to get the best scenes.
As for the other actors, especially FL, I didn't really watch a lot of stuff from them, but I was really impressed by everyone who kept working hard and delivered.

Lastly, if you do want to watch Glory, try to look at the trailer first rather than reviews, because everyone has different views on how they "evaluate" it. But if I made you, even for a little bit, to watch it, then I am glad.

P.S.: Even tho I enjoyed it a lot while it was airing (as of 15th Jan 2026) for S-VIP, rewatching value for this would be 8*. I would simply do it only for HMH and the FL, while skipping other parts, especially Shanbao's grandma.

Read More

A Meaningful Law Drama

The main reason I decided to give Pro Bono a try was Jung Kyung Ho. I’ve always enjoyed his acting and consistently liked his past dramas, so there was really no reason not to check this one out as well. Overall, Pro Bono is a fairly decent take on the legal system in South Korea. What stood out most to me was its focus on pro bono side of the legal world that many law kdramas don’t usually place at the center of the story. The various cases, usually spanning two or so episodes, were quite unique and sometimes unexpected, which did keep me engaged.
That said, the comedy didn’t always work for me. Some of the loud, exaggerated moments felt a bit forced honestly. They often came across as unnecessary and occasionally even annoying. But can be avoided by skipping through those scenes (atleast that's what I did).
Kang Dawit's transformation from a career-driven, self-focused lawyer into someone genuinely shaped by the clients he represented was the most compelling part of the drama. His growth felt gradual, believable, and well-earned.
Jang Yeongsil’s quieter arc was another highlight. Watching him grow into someone courageous felt very real. SPOILER STARTS: The scene where he confronts his estranged and abusive father, struggling to gather the courage to speak up, was raw and emotional. I found myself truly rooting for him in that moment, and the actor delivered it well. SPOILER ENDS

All in all, Pro Bono feels uneven at times, but it’s a drama I don’t regret watching. If you’re drawn to legal dramas that prioritize social issues over spectacle, this one is still worth your time.

Read More

Mediocre drama with artificial sweetness.

I was so excited to see Ma Lejie in this drama, but I was very disappointed. The plot was so-so, and the sweetness was artificial. It's a cliché story: because the ML d is rumored to be dying, FL marries him as substitute bride of her pampered younger sister, using her medical skills to heal him. Then the sister tries to sabotage the wedding, and the FL gradually reveals her true identities as a jewelry design genius and a medicine god.

Actually, the substitute marriage was all planned by the female lead from the beginning to run from her abusive family. The performances of both leads were mediocre; the domineering CEO was annoying. I wonder if higher expectations lead to greater disappointment.

Maybe hardcore fans of both actor could enjoy this.

Read More

Beauty, Brains, and a Third Act That Blinked

I can’t believe I’m writing this review again after accidentally deleting the first one, but maybe that’s fitting— this is the kind of drama that makes you want to revisit your thoughts anyway.

Let’s start with what ''Glory'' does exceptionally well.
- Visually, this drama is an absolute feast. The tone, the narrative style, the color palette, the costumes—every frame feels deliberate. The attention to detail pulls you straight into its world, and the OST doesn’t just accompany the story, it elevates it. This is one of those shows where aesthetics aren’t decoration; they’re part of the storytelling.

- The cast deserves genuine applause. Supporting characters aren’t just fillers here—they all have agendas, motives, and secrets. At various points, I found myself rooting for them, distrusting them, or doing both simultaneously. No one feels entirely safe, not even the characters who initially present as innocent. My naturally suspicious heart was on high alert from early on. Bonus joy: spotting so many familiar faces from short dramas felt like a delightful little Easter egg hunt.

- Plot-wise, the first two-thirds are rich, layered, and genuinely gripping. Tea cultivation heritage, a powerful family monopolizing an industry, murder mysteries, abductions, reverse harem undertones, and multiple no-nonsense female characters—it’s a dense mix, but one that mostly works. The Rong family arc in Linji, in particular, is where the drama truly shines. That stretch is confident, immersive, and sharply written.

- And then there’s the female lead. A queen, frankly. Cool-headed, scheming, razor-smart, and always ten steps ahead while chaos unfolds around her. She had me fully sold at the very first slap. What I admired most is her consistency—she never bends her core personality to appease the plot. I know the comment sections were in full meltdown mode over her “overly cool” demeanor, especially in romance, but you don’t get to ask for a strong, calculating woman and then complain when she’s emotionally composed. The traits that make her formidable are the same ones that make her restrained in matters of the heart. Personally, I loved her throughout and found myself applauding like a proud stage mom every time she outplayed everyone.

Now, where did I struggle?

- The male lead. HMH is endlessly charming on screen, and his portrayal of LJL—scheming, mischievous, shameless and morally grounded when it truly matters—was a joy, especially early on. He’s justice-driven, devoted, and willing to burn the world down for the woman he loves. That’s the good stuff. I genuinely enjoyed the leads’ dynamic up until around episode 20ish.
But in the final third, his character veers into insecurity and emotional neediness that didn’t quite work for me. This is entirely personal taste, but I tend to adore strong female leads paired with unwavering male leads. Watching him oscillate between fierce devotion and emotional instability left me conflicted—swooning one moment, mildly annoyed the next. HMH handled the role amazingly and made the character’s emotional arc believable, even when the writing choices didn’t fully work for me, and full transparency: I probably wouldn’t have picked up this drama if not for him. Still, I wish the writers had taken his character in a steadier direction.

- The final third of the drama also suffers in comparison to what came before. After spending around 30 episodes deeply invested in the Rong family arc, the Capital storyline—compressed into roughly six episodes—feels rushed. The pacing wobbles, the editing becomes uneven, and the overall narrative polish drops. You can feel the story sprinting toward the finish line instead of arriving with confidence.

That said, I still consider this a good drama, especially when viewed through a female-centric lens. From that perspective, it succeeds more often than it falters.
The romance is… fine. Enjoyable, but restrained. The chemistry is there, the kisses (though few) are undeniably fire, yet there’s a lingering sense that something is missing—more spark, more heat, more emotional payoff. Again, very much a personal take.

So, would I recommend ''Glory''? Yes, absolutely—especially if you go in knowing what kind of story it wants to tell.
Will I be rewatching it? Probably not. But am I glad I watched it? Definitely. It’s flawed, stylish, ambitious, and anchored by a female lead who refuses to dim her brilliance—and that alone makes it worth the journey.

Read More