Reviews

Aight, let me be honest — I'm tryna only rate what could've been controlled, not the contestants merely.

Alright, now let me point this out right away: I've only watched Seasons 3 and 4, and I only know a little about Season 2.

So let's get into it:

Everyone's saying this was Si-ahn’s Inferno, but I don’t think that should be the main thing people rate the show on (at least I didn’t). Who the other contestants liked isn’t the cast’s fault. Sure, it made things boring — but honestly, blame the editing team for pushing it like some high-intensity competition and over-focusing on unnecessary stuff. Why does that dramatic music keep playing? Ew. It reminds me of those thirst traps on TikTok.

But I’m not here to rate the cast — I’m here to rate the show.

SYKE, let’s talk about the cast. As others mentioned, the casting choices were BULL. They clearly went by looks instead of picking personalities that would keep things dynamic, fun, and moving.

The competitions: Haven’t seen anyone mention this, but after a few episodes it’s clear the games rely way too much on physical strength — especially for the guys. That just makes it boring and unfair. Like... were the girls just some body diggers? This show heavily relies on visuals and physicality. At this rate, you might as well watch Physical: 100.

Format: They tried to act like the format was new — “Hey, this is different from the other seasons!” — but nah. Same as Seasons 2 and 3: contestants joining halfway, the same flow, same patterns. I’d only seen Season 3 and still predicted everything that was gonna happen. This show was predictable AF.

MUSIC WAS DOPE THOUGH

All in all, if Season 5 is gonna be like this, Netflix better just cancel it. You’d honestly be fine skipping it too.

Me before watching: 👦🏻
Me after watching: 👦🏻

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The best C Dramas for 2025, without doubts

Superb production with a charismatic Liu Yu Ning

PLOT: The leaders of two neighboring countries (Wei & Qiao) were friends and had an engagement for their children. But the Qiao's defection caused the death of part of the Wei leaders. Years later, a marriage of alliance is decided, and the FL (Qiao's granddaughter, smart and calculating) is send to marry the leader of the Wei (powerful and suspicious). Moreover, the FL's welcome into the Wei city reignites multiple conflicts (love rival, quarrelsome, hidden secrets, etc.). The couple will need to learn to trust each other to navigate through obstacles.

+++ Great casting: Liu Yuning (a magnificent, charismatic ML) (♡´౪`♡), the beautiful Song Zu Er. They gave their everything (micro expressions, chemistry, ...) to bring their characters to live. Kudos !!

+++ Lots of excellent actors... and even Vengo Gao (♡´౪`♡). It's a shame that some actors are used to playing Villain/Viper roles; we know what's going to happen as soon as they appear... even if they do it with talent :)
+++ Effective direction, without being length, with a perfect mix of emotions (romance, action, tension, humor, etc.) and beautiful images & effects (sets & costumes, fight scenes, framing, slow motion, etc.)
+++ Excellent writing (coherence, realism, quality dialogue, good psychological progression)

+++Epic OSTs (and a superb ending song sung by Liu YuNing ;)

NO FLAWS

=> Masterpiece (to watch and rewatch without moderation) (ര̀ᴗര́)و ̑̑(ര̀ᴗര́)و ̑̑

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Superbe production avec un Liu Yu Ning charismatique

PLOT: Les dirigeants de 2 pays voisins (Wei & Qiao) étaient amis et avaient conclu des fiançailles pr leurs enfants. Mais la défection des Qiao a causé la mort d'1 partie des Wei. Des années + tard, un mariage d'alliance est décidé, et la FL (petite-fille Qiao, smart & calculatrice) va épouser le chef des Wei (puissant & méfiant). De +, l'accueil de la FL chez les Wei ravive de multiples conflits (love rival, querelleur, secret caché, etc.). Le couple devra apprendre à se faire confiance pr naviguer aux milieu des obstacles.

+++ Super casting : Liu Yuning (ML magnifique, charismatique) (♡´౪`♡), la très belle Song Zu Er,
+++ Bcp d'excellents acteurs ... et même Vengo Gao (♡´౪`♡) Dommage que certains acteurs soient abonnés aux rôles de Villain/Viper, on sait dès leur apparition ce qui va se passer ... même s'ils le font avec talent :)
+++ Réalis° efficace, sans longueur, avec un dosage parfait d'émotions (romance, action, tension, humour,...) et de très belles images & effets (décors & costumes, scènes de fight, cadrages, slowmotion, etc.)
+++ Excellent travail d'écriture (cohérence, réalisme, dialogues de qualité, bonne progression psychologique)
+++OSTs épiques (et une superbe Ending song chantée par Liu YuNing ;)

NO FLAWS

=> Masterpiece (à voir et revoir sans modération) (ര̀ᴗര́)و ̑̑(ര̀ᴗര́)و ̑̑

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CHEMISTRY, a fresh start, and betrayal…

!!!!! LET ME START WITH CHEMISTRY. holy cow… the angst went CRAZYYY the slow burn was to die for. the JEALOUSY. wenxuan’s “ill support u always” treatment to li rong. WTF. this was crazy. wenxuan was SO secure attachment (slightly anxious) meets anxious avoidant :,) i loved the character development & how wenxuan helped li rong feel so secure within romantic relationships after being betrayed… HOW CUTE. ugh and their couple scenes had me drooling bro like the banter was there and the teasing . so good and i was floored. ofc wenxuan was hot too and the FL hella good acting - very surpised about that after seeing her other dramas!!

i loved the concept of a refresh and trying to fix everything. i loved how everyone had their soulmate they were meant to be with and persist!!! and how loose ends were tied(ish). ugh and LI RONG as an ACTUAL badass FL (not a “omg i’m so girlboss but i rely on my ML for everything” type). she literally commanded wenxuan and her army and the court. what a woman!!!! also court scenes and political scenes i usually can’t follow and don’t understand but this one was good!!! i understood the schemes

but oh my god. su rongqing GOT ON MY NERVEEES. AND WHY WAS LI RONG SO NICE TO HIM??? AFTER HE RUINED EBERYTHING?? HIS DEATH WAS SO SWEET??? LIKE BRO… HE WAS DELUSIONAL AND STUPID. and you COULDNT set his head right??? that was the worst part of this drama bro. i can’t.

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Damn! Probably One if the best if all time

It's hard to find a bl with an actually interesting plot and I know many people will agree.

I don't usually enjoy "one person-many suitors" dramas but gave this a try happy I did! this exceeded my expectations in every way!

This was fresh and the plot twists are actually good and interesting.

The cast!!! I'm hoping to see them in many good works in the future. They are truly talented.

Lemme just point out everything I liked

Storyline
Cast and Acting
Barely any boring scenes.. No cringe scenes.
Interesting till the end!

I am kind of (maybe a lot) picky with shows I watch because when it's not interesting right away I just drop it.. I'm not the type to wait until it gets better..And I don't hesitate to drop it even halfway or near ending if it gets boring bcs I really can't stand meaninglessly dragging the story or the scenes that makes no sense...So if you are like me.. Give it a try! It's been so long since I've been so satisfied with a bl so I really recommend it.

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Jiejie romance with well written characters & plot. No silly green tea!

I enjoyed the acting of Wang Xi and Xia Jing Ran so when this drama appeared on my youtube dashboard, I was intrgiued & decided to watch. I enjoyed it.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Sweet & good dash of spicy with good kisses. I liked that ML was playful & coquettish. This jiejie romance made both ML & FL work on their issues rather than let them fester and create bigger misunderstanding.
2. FL characterisation - I liked how her character was written because we got to see her facing challenges at work.
3. ML characterisation - I don't like secret identity but in this drama, I could put it aside because he was smart, mature & genuine about his feelings for FL.
4. Supporting characters - I really liked FL's brother especially when he was caught by ML for snooping. The dynamic between ML & FL's brother after that scene was fun to watch. ML's assistant was funny too.
5. Siblings - There were 2 pairs of siblings: 1) FL - her brother, 2) ML - his brother. Good contrasts in sibling dynamics.
6. Ending - Amusing & so sweet.

What I disliked:
1. Miscast - I felt like both Wang Xin and Xia Jing Ran were miscast. Wang Xin loooked too mature for 22 year old guy while Xia Jing Ran lacked assertiveness for the role of successful older businesswoman and she looked youthful still. Nevertheless they did well in their roles.

Favourite scene
When FL's brother was caught by ML

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Amazing plot with amazing acting

My first impression before starting on this drama was that this must have been one of those arranged marriages with a quiet despondent young master who only marry after being forced by the family.

I never expected to see an ML who is so ruthless, fierce and full of hatred lord of the clan as portrayed in Episode 1. He didnt even bat an eye to refuse the marriage ordered by the martriach of the family, my fav Lady Xu. It took a battle for him to finally agree to the marriage, and it was only done for his pride and not because he bowed to the family’s wish. He is resolute, he is strict, but has a soft, kind nature that he didnt like to show much outwardly. He held back this nature because he didnt want his hatred and grudge towards the Qiao clan to dissipate hence failing to avenge his grandfather, father and brother’s death due to Qiao’s inaction in a battle 14years prior. I’d say the ML is actually the one who went through a full fledged character development, from a ruthless, blood-thirsty, power hungry, vengeful warlord into someone filled with love and cherishes a woman born into the enemy’s clan.

Meanwhile, Qiao Man the FL has become one of my favourite FL of all time, despite me always leaning towards physcially strong with martial ability FL all this while. Although the FL here was physically weak and possess no martial prowess at all, I think she still stands with the badass of all badasses FL out there. Her intelligence and strategical prowess is top notch, and she is able to tactically curb any hurdle that came her way with ease, without needing much saving from ML. Her mental strength is even sounder than ML itself. While ML was almost swayed by the silent enemy, it had not been the same with FL. FL is someone who is extremely eloquent with amazing debate ability and extremely calm and coherent composure. She didnt need to raise her voice or snap at people to gain the upper hand. Her arguments are flawlessly calm which can stun even the fiercest lord. She knows when to advance and when to retreat like a true born strategist. I like her character on screen better as she is more fluid and scheming than the book FL. The book FL is just a flat, straight arrow with vision only to capture ML’s heart enough so he would extinguish the hatred towards her clan. There was not much strategizing by her in the book.

I really love the 2nd ML Wei Yan portrayed by Liu Duan Duan. I have seen him in Joy of Life as the Third Prince and The Rebel Princess as General Song. I can see that he has the tendency to adopt weird characters with rather heretic nature. In TPoB he plays the cousin of ML who lusts after FL. Although he was infatuated with her, he knows he cannot move beyond his imagination. He still holds the brotherhood with ML quite dearly, and when he could no longer contain the situation, he immediately retreats to his paternal family to mend his broken heart. All three characters I have seen him play have a certain eerie demeanour with sinister look, as if he had something evil brewing behind the scene. Theyre really interesting characters which add darkish colours to each show. On a side note, the 2D portrait drawn by Wei Yan was the first portrait that i saw bore exact resemblance to the actual person. In other shows I always wonder how the hell do they find people with portrait that looks nothing like the person they were drawn after. 😂


I am happy to say that this is the first tv show that I watch on streaming platform which I never use the fast forward button. Every scene is worth watching and I have no interest at all to skip. I especially love the side couple Wei Liang-Xiao Tao who became most anticipated than even the main couple. Their antics are amusing yet fiery. Usually with goofy side couples like this one i’d just abuse the FF button and skip them all, but not on this show. Unbeliavably the FF button stays pristine all throughout the show. What a feat on my part!

If xiao tao-wei liang won my vote as my favourite couple, the four Wei generals - Wei Liang, Wei Qu, Wei Xiao, Wei Dou - won my vote for most favourite side characters. Unexpectedly, they became the source of comic relief for this show in contrast to the fierce and ruthless look they pose in the first 2 episodes. Wei Xiao had been hell bent on killing FL in the first few episodes, eager to shoot her dead with his deadly arrow but at the end he was the one entrusted to escort and protect her to Boya to get reinforcement for ML’s troops. Such an irony and a full swing turnof event indeed.

Another thing that I love about this show is that all misunderstandings or conflicts are resolved in a timely manner with no excessive over-reaction involved. The plot are even more engaging than the actual novel it was after. Events in the book is also mostly flat and non dramatic (other than battle scenes) compared to the adaptation, which is why i totally love the TV FL compared to the book FL. Although I usually dislike adaptations that dont adhere to the novel’s plot, it is not the case for this show. I truly think the adaptation is even better than the novel. Although the novel is filled with spicy, dark and lustful side of the ML, I actually liked the innocence of the couple on screen more. They definitely hired the right people for this production.

The only thing dragging down my rating is the songs. Theyre not too catchy and memorable. I only have plans to add 1 of the songs into my playlist, the rest are really just so-so.

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A proper bl vampire story, yes!

I for one enjoyed this series. Not like the other bl vampire series that shall not be named. That wasn't a BL, that was a comedy, a very bad one at that.
Now this had a story, some blood and gore, lotsa love, and the struggle of a vampire now starting to feel love. And a human that must trust this cold blooded vampire.
I personally loved the story. Don't see why Tongkla and Narkan had to die though.
They should maybe have been the second couple 🤔
Tongkla could have saved Narkan too or made him maybe human to add a spin to it or something.
The ending... I loved the upside down hanging off the Eiffell tower. Overall, definitely for me a good watch. I loved it a lot. And even the sex scenes, it wasn't porn, but love.

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Second Shot at Love is a fair take on alcohol dependency

Han Geum Ju and Seo Ui Jun are childhood friends who have been out of contact for more than a year. Now, after calling off her marriage, Han Geum Ju has returned to the village. She has even vowed to become sober.
This story is not just another childhood friend turned lovers story.
It is a fresh attempt at assessing the influence of alcohol. Han Geum Ju, her elder sister Hyeon Ju, and their father, Jeong Su, have been alcoholics for years. But their denial has only made their mother’s life more complicated. However, Han Geum Ju's decision to become sober made these other two take the vow as well.
Their chaotic vows, unfilial attempts jeopardize their mother’s face in the entire village.
Through the lens of Seo Ui Jun, the director attempts to give colour to the lives of people who have been trying to get rid of this disastrous habit. Alcohol consumption above the limit endangers the life of the drinker and also of the people they are surrounded by.
A subtle love story, which builds in as a background, gained the affection of the audience. Ui Jun’s sudden love confession made Geum Ju go awry all by herself. Her chaotic intervention all by herself made the journey funny and cute. The parallel love story between Hyeon Ju and the brother of her friend, Seon Uk is equally gripping. The hesitation yet the yearning, Hyeon Ju is feeling is the perfect graph every divorced woman faces before falling in love.
It is a fresh take on love, redemption, and life.

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“Good Boy” starts off surprisingly strong. The first two episodes do a great job of pulling you into the world of ex-athletes who’ve lost everything — fame, identity, direction — and are trying to rebuild by joining the police force. Park Bo-gum plays Yoon Dong-ju with quiet intensity, and you can really feel the weight of everything he’s been through. His character is hurting, but not broken — and that makes him easy to root for. Kim So-hyun also stands out as Ji Han-na, a former shooting prodigy with her own scars. The two have chemistry, but it’s not romantic yet — just a nice balance of mutual respect and shared pain.

What makes this drama different is the concept — a team of former national athletes being thrown into violent crimes. It sounds odd, but it works. There’s real heart in the way the characters are introduced, and even though the pacing in episode 1 is a bit rushed, episode 2 smooths it out. The tone shifts a lot — from serious to light and back again — but it doesn’t feel fake. If anything, it reflects how these characters are trying to laugh through their pain and prove they’re still worth something. It’s not flawless, but it’s sincere — and that alone makes it worth continuing.

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Di Qi Ci Xin Tiao (2025) is a romance miniseries with Ben Wang as Lu Jingchen and Ma Xin Yu as Qin Ruyan/YanYan in the lead couple’s role. This is a miniseries that has a mystery surrounding the female lead and a man that falls for her at first sight. The lead couple has some really nice intimate moments but the female lead’s facial expressions don’t convey a loving warmth as her gaze seems detached from her emotions. The lead couple’s characters are intelligent, strong, and somewhat mysterious but, if not for the male lead’s suave, passionate, and warm persona, the romance would not have been believable. The drama’s plot has too many things going on and, sometimes, not all issues are resolved clearly, and no amount of passion nicely portrayed by the male lead, can overcome the female lead’s detached demeanor.

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I mourn what this could have been

Honestly this is just a story filled with constant despair and stupid teenagers being put into situations where they shouldn’t be, as much as I want to absolutely despise this series with all of my being there's something in me that I can't fully hate this. This had the potential to be something amazing and I will always mourn the fact that we lost what could have been one of the best dystopian world romances, It honestly started off like that but as it went on I guess they decided to just take the route of a boring romance that took the safe route. With the people killing themselves because no one around them rung their alarm could’ve made for the best route of the story, in the end the problem of the app wasn’t really solved for anyone else besides the main character since she decided to not listen to the app and follow what her head wanted instead of her heart. Which is understandable considering her background, which is one of the main reasons as to why I don’t completely hate Jojo. She comes from a very broken and traumatic background so it's no surprise that she would take that safe route, which I feel is something that a lot of people refuse to see about her and just want to hate her for leaving Sun oh. Speaking of him, in terms of the main storyline and disregarding Jojos trauma for a minute I feel bad for Sun Oh the most in the situation. Just for the fact that Jojo was the first person that he was able to open his heart up to and love fully, but his model or actor career I can’t even remember made him not be able to stick with her and caused her and him more pain in the end. I hope he truly did love Yookjo in the end and didn’t just choose her because he basically had too, which sucks for both parties involved at the end of the day. But hey, at least Hye yeong got the girl in the end am I right fellas

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