Reviews

Put Away Your Critical Eye and Just Enjoy

Why would you want to watch horrible people and politicians (but I repeat myself, snicker). Because Ji Chang Wook and Song Yoon Ah's performances are worth viewing. I'm not a fan of extended fight scenes, but I could watch Ji Chang Wook skip rope on loop. That move of a knee in the face mid-air before landing, impressive! The fight scenes were pure fiction: the human body cannot sustain that much damage. I'll register my complaint here, but I still enjoyed the action scenes because of Ji Chang Wook. He excels at action, but he can play innocent, vulnerable, and sweet well. Easy on the eyes, too.

The most compelling reason to watch is for Song Yoon Ah's performance as a scheming psychopath. She is evil to the core. She wouldn't bat an eye to kill someone who MIGHT be problematic to her, and it wouldn't even be worth her time to find out if they were clueless or innocent before snuffing them out. And, yet. I was mesmerized by her. Song Yoon Ah played her part with such nuance that the viewer understood her and felt her vulnerability. I've got to admit I was rooting for her in a perverse way.

I've rated it higher than most would, but Ji Chang Wook, Song Yoon Ah, and that inventive OST made this a pleasure.

Read More

Loved every single second

I was really excited when I found out this has enemies to lovers tropes. Literally one of my favorites. There are so many Manman and Zhonglin moments that I adore. Them being so soft and communicating under the moonlight, the drunk Manman scene, and the steamy parts 🤭 The comedy was surprising (for me) especially how they made the first ep dark and serious, I didn’t know it has so much humor!

I do agree how Manman is sometimes too forgiving. I feel like she's too considerate with the lord. I understand how she got that trait, but it makes me think how she'll survive if she didn't end up with Wei Shao. But she's smart and prove that countless of times I'm sure she'll be okay. That water plan was so good, I just didn't expect she'll talk her way out of that situation lmaoo.

I also love how natural the romance with Manman and Zhonglin, and how he gradually let go of his hatred and accepted that his wife will still care for the Qiao Clan. He prioritized his principles and what matters most in the present than hold to that vengeance. Unlike Lady Yulou 🙄

The 4 Wei generals 😭 I love them so much. My Wei Liang you deserve so much better. His giggles are literally my favorite parts. I knew he was gonna die cause I got spoiled in Tiktok. But the moment Bizhi came to the screen, I immediately started bawling. I knew they're gonna use Bizhi to fucking kill him, that is just fucking cruel. My god.

"Tell Xiaotao not to wait for me." JUST KILL ME RN?! Xiaotao saying she's still gonna marry him oh my babies. I hope you'll find each other in the next life.
The guilt Wei Qu must've felt. I was already so devastated with Wei Liang, I literally lose it when Wei Qu saw and took his body. Whoever thought of that needs to pay my therapy.

Now let's talk about Bizhi and Qiaofan tragedy. I could write essays about them. I was saying from the very damn start that I would lose it if something happens to Bizhi and I didn't include the fact that there's Qiaofan. That was so horrifying. I understand Qiaofan's reasonings and actions. There are selfish people who will hurt everyone just to protect what's important to them. Even though it was the weakest way to protect someone. I was skeptical with their relationship at first, you can never be too sure with a man. But Bizhi getting sour plums and making Qiaofan's instrument (idk what's it called) really cemented how good he is to her, and she wanted to protect that love.

"You're my lover, not a beast to be controlled. Darling, if you ever think back on today, just remember, I never regret it." And there goes Bizhi running to catch her, so close on saving her but still not enough. What. the. fuck.

Now the villains. Lady Yulou finding out someone genuinely loved her but missed to experience it and chose to go in the path of destruction just so she can take revenge was so satisfying. She blamed everything and everyone but didn't prioritize those who cared for her was a nice touch. Liuyan was evil. He just had a weak ego and wanted power. Death was too quick for all that. Same with Qiaoyue. They needed to suffer more, hopefully karma chases them in their next life smh.

Read More

First Impression: Reset

Overall: I'm excited with the premise and how the first episode went. This is based on the book Reset by Crystaljade which I haven't read and I'm reviewing the series on its own merits. 10 episodes about an hour each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/reset-episode-1-2812ixbgl6w?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: punch, blood, violence, vomiting, something that's complicated/a spoiler

What I Liked
- interesting premise
- engaging intro
- Pond's acting
- protect/caring moments
- mystery elements

Room For Improvement
- cartoonish villains
- the timeline doesn't make a ton of sense regarding how everyone does not look that much older/younger

Read More

OK enough if you’re in a drama slump and would want to get by with something easy

This is not the worst youth drama series, but it’s also not the best. Personally, it’s something you randomly grab off the shelf when you’re starving, so anything that would fill the stomach would be alright as long as you get by.

The tone and style were definitely aimed at being lighthearted, romantic comedy (although it attempts to go slightly beyond that in the end), however, I still find some of the conflicts silly and absurd. I wish the writer attempted to write more realistic conflicts that would actually happen in school as young adults, not something obviously and directly plagiarized from someone’s daydream.

I also found myself clenching my fists a few times because of how utterly cringey some scenes can be, but I couldn’t help but keep watching until the end because the leads are adorable and their chemistry is there.

And I think that’s the strongest point of the show. They make it seem like they’re really in love, especially Tian Hong Jie as Zhang Ruo Xi. With a few improvements here and there, I’m hoping he could land on a huge project to show more of what he can offer. And oh, Chen Kang, too!

There are loose ends and rushed and cramped narratives, but the most disappointing of all is how the second ML’s story concluded. He deserved a better ending, even if it means not pairing him up with another secondary character.

Technically wise, there are also numerous hiccups that I’ve observed, so to enjoy the drama, it’s best to turn off your brain and just let the youthful romcom take the lead.

Read More

The adaptation of Marry My Husband nobody asked for!!

Where to begin???

I'm usually a massive fan of Chinese Dramas (either short and normal lenght ones) and i have some not so well reviewed in my watch list, but this drama i cannot, since i watched the original korean drama...

the original drama has 12 episodes and that's is enough, if you extend the number to 31 episodes then you will (safe for rare exceptions) ruin the drama by extending it beyond the OG history and that is a nail in this drama's coffin, they extended it so much that the story became redundant and unnecessary long...

But, to me, the worst part were the actors, specially the leads; Dai Gao Zheng (ML) is absolutely brilliant in Love Beyond the Curse and in Fatal Allure but here?? Here it seemed he forgot how to act...
Li Mo Zhi (FL) carried My Lethal Man, her acting was brillian in that, but not even close here

More importantly, it seemed the to Mains did not have any chemestry and their kisses and intimate moments showed that, they are both great kisses, but here, it seemed they were kissing wood

I have a belief that the original is ALWAYS better than the versions/adaptations and this drama proves that, you want to watch Marry My Husband??? Watch the original!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read More

So many unnecessaries

Lets start with the good. The first episodes it really felt like I was here for another epic like Hidden Love and First Frost. The cinematography was giving vibes of both. I was hopeful this is the direction it was going. Visuals on the leads are off the charts. Unique sub plot of TCM was fun, to the point where it started to feel like TCM was the sponsor. Wouldn’t be surprised. Green flag ML, yes he liked her from the first moment, thank goodness or there would have been little to show up for in the beginning.

Here’s some things I found irritating for me, and why I knocked off 1.5 stars off of something that was headed in the 10 star rating direction.

The overall story was missing something- it didn’t need to be more angst, as there was enough for the pace this drama was going for. I can’t put my finger on it. Chrmistry struggled with FL. She already had plenty of loving expressions and curiosity about her, but the sudden rejection after we knew she was deeply into him was weird. In fact lets discuss this study abroad plot. I honestly don’t understand the obsession in Asian dramas wuth study abroads. I get it, but what are your reasons? In asian dramas it is always sold as, you’ll have a better future if you do it, and hence nothing should ever stand in thecway of your future career or you will have regrets. Its the same thing every single show. Most people can attain the future with a domestic university. Let’s look at why people in real life study abroad, because lets face it, its not the easiest or cheapest option.

1) They are wealthy and curious, and its about ego or just something fun to have some fun with away from home. So sure why not.
2) The school offers something-either accreditation or unique learning that other domestic schools can’t offer. This is true for a handful of study abroad opportunities.
3) They want to become proficient in the language in that country, and seek immersion opportunities that are easier to apply for than trying to get a job.

Only the second of these would I say comes even close to a reason to seperate for a long period of time, for the sake of future career. Very rarely do we see them heading abroad to a top flight school because its the only place in the world to give them that. In fact 99% of the time that’s not it in dramas. They break up perfectly good green flag relationships. This show is no different. Yes no breakup per say here, but it felt stupid and they rushed through the away time, and then had an unecessary extension-that whole time it felt very one sided, ML was aching for her, she was off having fun. After all of that, masters in hotel management she comes back and rushes in to running a small restaurant with her best friend… ohhhhhkaaaayyyyy then. Her job AT THE HOTEL she had already was already a solid job in that career of hotel management and likely would have got her where she wanted to be had she just stayed. It was the most pointless part of the show. The side story with her mother felt like a typical “give me a reason to stay” moment, but we knew it was there for that plot only and that it wouldn’t stop her trope. For goodness sakes if an amazing relationship with ML isn’t gonna stop you skipping out, nothing will lol.

So no, the study abroad thing ended up a stupid way to add some angst, even if she thought about it early on - I wish they had found a way for her move forward without it. For once can a show, do what no one ever does as a writer and show how important good healthy relationships are, making mature decisions like the fact the ML is already getting on a bit. Who has wimsy to go abroad for a bit of experience she was already getting in her “management job at a fancy hotel”… good relationships can be hard to come by, and can offer great mental health benefits and memories. This is never promoted.

Enough on that. The efforts to push a 2ML & 2FL both were extremely flat.

Occasionally something is in the script thats just laughable and silly. Eg “your room is on the 9th floor” of a hotel that never once shows a building anywhere near as tall as one that even has 9 floors. 5 maybe at most. And every hotel room scene is ground level with outdoor door access lol.

I found some dragging too, which I thought theres too many episodes but then they rushed through things near the end, so I think overall pacing dropped off after a handful of episodes. I started off bingeing and end up trying to keep watching.

So in the end, this was no Hidden Love, not even close. I have zero desire to watch this through again. Even a 8.5 is a stretch, but I’m doing it for what I think they wanted this show to go.

Read More

hoping for other drama to easily get my heart like what this drama did!!!

this drama was one of my anticipated drama in 2025,every time i watch this, it feels like so short, tbh no other drama get me very excited like this one, even though the cast is so underrated they did a very great job in acting, also the character they portrayed, loved them so hard that all of then is my favorite character, every couple here is so funny and lovely at the same time, the tears that falling down to my face at the end of the episode, hope they would make a season 2, another level of friendship, comedy and romance, i recommend this to you, LET'S LOVE THIS DRAMA TOGETHER!!!!!

Read More

It started off well and then it fell flat.

Started off well enough. However, the storyline of revenge, framing then eventual redemption got old.....quickly. Villains are too one dimensional and these gorgeous actresses being obsessed with mediocre men was just not realistic enough for me (even if it does tend to happen in reality). The wigs/frontals were a constant distraction but I could ignore it if the story wasnt so bland towards the middle. The heroes are unfortunately loveable but not loveable enough for a 54 episode drama. Lets not get started on the overacting by the side characters.....its giving telenovela.

I like the male and female lead so I wanted to love this plus I am suffering a cdrama drought at the moment. Unfortunately, this would have been better suited for a 30 episode run not over 50 episodes. Furthermore for the heavy content its displaying, the video colour grading is far too bright which "cheapens" the drama despite the expensive costuming and sets.

Read More

Good combination of humour and meaningful messages

'Oh My Ghost Clients' is about Noh Mujin, a labour consultant who, after going through a near-death experience is able to see ghosts. NMJ signs a contract to escape his death and as a result has to help ghosts who died unfairly in industrial accidents to find peace. The plot has a similar vibe to dramas like 'Hotel Del Luna' and 'Tomorrow', just in the context of workers and I presume will follow the story of a different ghost each ep as they explore the problems the workers face in their work.

Basing on the first two eps, the story does a good job educating people about the role of a labour consultant, at the same time bringing up the drastic safety issues in factories which is the reality for so many people. From what I gathered from interviews, South Korea has a large number of industrial deaths due to lax safety precautions, to the extent of two people dying every day. So, this is a nice way to bring awareness to these issues.

Despite the serious issues, this drama does a good job balancing the dark parts with comedy, so the overall tone is light and it's relatively easy to watch and focus on the messages. The characters also have a good chemistry, and their interactions are fun to watch. The characters themselves seem to be well-written and have potential. NMJ like a lot of Jung Kyungho's characters, is not black or white and JKH did a tremendous job in bringing NMJ to life. He is clumsy, a little stupid, a bit selfish and generally flawed, like most people but has some redeeming qualities and his growth will be an interesting part of the story as he experiences the hardships of his ghost clients.
Overall, if you like tomorrow, this drama is definitely worth a try.

Read More

Di

This is a captivating drama set in Xishuangbanna, produced by Taiwanese filmmakers. It explores the culture of the Dai people, the indigenous group from which the Thai people originated. In many ways, Thailand can be seen as a reflection of Dai traditions and heritage.

นี่คือละครที่น่าดึงดูดใจที่ตั้งอยู่ในสิบสองปันนา ผลิตโดยผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์ไต้หวัน มันเล่าถึงวัฒนธรรมของชาวไต ซึ่งเป็นชนพื้นเมืองที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการก่อตัวของชนชาติไทย ประเทศไทยในหลายๆ ด้านสามารถมองว่าเป็นภาพสะท้อนของประเพณีและมรดกของชาวไต

It would be better if China company makes this story. The Taiwan did not use real native language here due to the actors are from Taiwan. They can't speak the local dialect. If I have money, I want to make this film and more in Xishuangbanna and Xinjiang regions of China.

Read More

Worth watching!

Disclaimer: I did not watch Red Moon Pact, but started watching this because of the cast, and they delivered! The only weak link in the cast/role was Jin Ren Feng, which is no offense to the actor; I find that often in Cdramas villains have petty motivations and are very one-dimensional as a result, making it hard to take them seriously as villains in the story. I had to skip some of Jin Ren Feng's scenes because it was just eye roll stuff. This was helped by Jiu Huo Lin and Jia Lan, who, although didn't necessarily feel super threatening, their motivations at least made sense, and actually kind of made me pity/root for them in the end.

The pacing of the story is good, I love how Huai Zhu and Hong Ye's relationship progresses and Lui Shi Shi and Zhang Yun Long are incredible in this drama. Hong Ye is this notorious warrior but ZYL plays him in a way that he becomes such an endearing softie around Huai Zhu, it's really cute.

Another thing I LOVE about this drama and the acting is how they handle what happens emotionally after the 'final battle'. In most dramas, this aftermath is glossed over very quickly and tied up with a neat bow for a perfect ending. I love that this drama takes the time to show the horrible trauma that the characters have suffered and the pain that comes with that, and the distance between Huai Zhu and Hong Ye as a result. It feels very real, and I applaud LSS and ZYL for their performance with that.

Two things I did not like though:
1. Zhang Zheng and Qing Mu Yuan's story. DYX and MZY have great chemistry, and I felt like there was such potential for how their relationship and story were going to develop, especially with Zhang Zheng's identity issue. But their story ended before it barely even started, which I feel was a lost opportunity.
2. After the final battle, when they are safe back home and have taken steps to move past their trauma, Huai Zhu and Hong Ye just never meet Qin Lan or Qu Zhuo again??!! What?! This really annoyed me cause it was super unbelievable that Huai Zhu would forget about her sister and that Hong Ye would ignore his (basically) brother, who was also the only other person that survived the battle. Come on, dumb.

Read More

Emotional and lovely!

I have to say that nowadays it’s extremely easy to just write a bad reviews about movies or series, now, it’s extremely difficult to see people actually stopping and writing a good review for a good and well produced movie or BL series.
When I started watching this series I was just like hooked up from the first episode somewhat. I felt like a connection with the main character he’s deception of betrayal, then his boyfriend left him and then the accident and going back to the past I just felt that the way that he looked at people and places it was just like an empty look you could actually feel the sadness and the feeling of emptiness in his look. I cried so much it was really really emotional and it was lovely. When he met His partner and he took care of him. He could actually see that the boy was suffering ! I actually loved it. Loved it loved it.

Read More