Reviews

Refreshing and heartwarming drama

This is one of those dramas that I regret not watching earlier. This was absolutely adorable! It's been a while since I felt so much feels, giddiness, and butterflies over a romance story. Nanase and Kairi is that cute couple that made me question my single life. This was 10 episodes, but it made me smile all throughout (plus satoh takeru's constant smoldering) . 100% would recommend to someone looking for an easy and refreshing drama. Plus, what I liked about it is that it wasn't slow burn, unlike many. I like how they got together around episode 5, established a relationship, and slowly fell in love with each other more throughout.

To anyone still hesitating on watching this, WATCH IT!

Read More

A great love story based on emotional depth with characters that truly belong together.

I’ll give it a 10, not because it’s perfect (nothing is) and i have no criticism over it, as a book reader especially, but because it really made me feel a lot of things unlike most series, especially GL ones.

I can talk a lot about THE characters, because here they are complex and multidimensional like real people, but i don’t want it to be a spoiler review. Just know that you WILL root for them individually and together, which doesn’t happen often to me.
Script itself starts as comedy turns into melodrama and drama as this story goes on, the series delivers very delicious angst, moral dilemma is my favourite reason for drama and it’s acted out perfectly.
I understand that family drama is a hard topic and isn’t favourite plot of many but it is justified here, bringing characters to full circle even more as karma works.
Because of certain plot twists and turns and wonderful nuanced acting this series definitely will make you want to revisit it to notice the little things
Chemistry of actors was so strong and authentic, it survived effortlessly through angst, cuteness and passionate moments.
Acting is really a top notch, both comedy and drama and i’m not just saying it, you need to experience it yourself, what a ride it was!

Overall it’s a very special, solid series with beautifully written and portrayed main characters, a great love story based on emotional depth. It evolves in style and mood throughout just like sea changes its behaviour over time.

Read More

A drama with a complete storyline

For those who cared to read the synopsis of the drama before started watching, should aware there are 2 key interlinked storylines in this drama, the murder mysteries, and the story of the 2 first loves the main leads.
Like every murder mystery, the drama gave very little hints (or just a little) on what actually happened, nor the detailed background stories of them. As usual, answers were only reviewed near the very end, so successfully keeping everyone guessing throughout in the series. The short series not giving too much spaces for relax, so never boring.
For the other first loves storyline, if one watched this drama carefully, based on what it told us, there are consistent setups and hints throughout giving indications the most likey outcome. Right in 1st episode the fl is setup as a single mother, so making her available. And the ml always playing mahjong in mahjong house in his spare time outside works, rather than returning home to his girl friend, writing is in the wall in their relationship right at the start. And this is a rare mixed genres Japanese drama that actually had a fitting ending totally consistent to all the hints given in the story throughout.
The characters in this drama all had flaws. But they were only 12 when the first murder took place, and the fl a single mother at 35 had a son to look after. So there are circumstances that caused them covering the truths. And if they are perfect matured characters there won't be any story to tell.
With perfect casts, it is a rare Japanese drama I enjoyed thoroughly.

Read More

What a disappointment

After searching for this show for nearly a month and finally getting 4 episodes with eng subs, I payed out of pocket for a translation app for episode 5 and 6 only to be very disappointed.

So many people were saying this was better than the Thailand reset version, and my expectations were set, only to be immensely ruined. Like, how did they manage to completely miss the mark? Japan usually produces some of the best supernatural thrillers, so what went wrong?

This version is not even remotely close to the original at all; it feels like 2 different shows. Nanno, in this version, does not feel like a supernatural entity, but a high school girl who wants revenge. Almost all the storys are boring and end without very satisfying revenge. Tbh, this felt like a low budgeted, cheap remake rather than something done with precise thought, and it's a shame because the actress was good. I feel like with Netflix theatrical quality, she could have easily demolished this role up.

Such a shame and a waste of time and money I spent. I would rate this much lower if not for the actress, who was carrying the series on her back. Try for yourselves, but for me? I'm out 12 dollars.

Read More

Good plot, bad show

First and foremost, the K-drama was very promising from its trailer and clips I saw online(which led me to watching it). The earliest episodes seemed witty and showed the complexity of relationships at times, especially with the main leads and the baby. But as the series progressed, and as the second lead started making frequent appearances. The story felt dragged and weird. It was almost as if the writers were forcing a love-triangle between the leads. Although tripe like these are very common in dramas, it felt suffocating. The kdrama is supposed to be about two in-laws trying to figure out how to live with a child, then why is it so that they keep pushing the second lead in to the picture. Why does the second lead have more screen time? Why is he always the one there for Hyun-jin during those important scenes? Why whenever the SECOND male lead has a moment with Hyun-jin, the music shifts into some cheesy OST track, while they downplay the actual male leads moments with her? It’s already obnoxiously funny that a second male lead is prioritized, but let’s be real—Hyun-jin has no backbone either. She doesn’t set clear boundaries with him. How come your boss has such easy access to your home and your nephew? It’s not just weird—it’s aggravating. If the writers liked the thought of a first-love story so bad, then they should've just switched the two male leads roles anyways. They could’ve also had the choice to make Tae-hyung and Hyun-jin have a shared childhood memory if they love living in the past. It was also weird were they kept scrutinizing Tae-hyung as a bad person for choosing himself over men who abandoned him, especially towards his father. The story line was inconsistent. One episode, she’s realizing her feelings. The next, she’s having a date with her boss. The whole show just feels like the producers were joking in our faces. Out of a 12-hour series, I probably only watched 3 hours maximum because of how many skip scenes there are. For a production that decides to use AI for intros and outros, the least you could do was fix your storyline

Read More

Great contrasts but the ending was rushed.

This was a decent watch, an easy binge with a decent take on the measurements some must take to survive in an exhausting world... Boundaries and the way one is perceived while just trying to make it trugh the day.

The season has a bit of second hand embarrassment, some over the top moments and at least one character I wanted to send in to small dark room to rot. Some parts dragged out a bit to long while others were cut short, especially the ending flet like they skipped a chapter or two just to get to the point. That said the contrast and growth of communication between the leads was fun to watch and the episodes truly did just fly by...

Also I am not a fan of multiple seasons, but somehow Yumi makes it work, I am not sure if Im hoping for another chapter/season or not.

Read More

I desperately hope Chinese production companies keep producing BL dramas

I can't believe it's the remake , This version totally eclipsed its predecessor
China has elevated the production value of BL dramas to new heights . And 2026 marks a turning point for more intense and creative Chinese BL genre .
The quality of Chinese Bls is day by day getting higher .
The first two episodes is about the backstory/ flashback of the past relationship between lu feng and cheng yi . The two lovers who meet again in the future as boss and employee , still stuck on their previous feelings .
Cheng yi tries to deny his consistent feeling for lu feng
Intense Plot: The story follows Lu Feng and Cheng Yi , covering school-day romance, dramatic separation, and a tense, "boss/employee" reunion years later.
Strong Chemistry: first 2 episodes highlight electric chemistry between lu feng and cheng yi , bringing to life the obsessive nature of the characters.
Emotional Rollercoaster: The series is praised for its ability to convey heartbreak and deep longing within its first episodes, promising a mature, dramatic experience.
Production Quality: The drama features high-quality CINEMATOGRAPHY and production, setting it apart as a standout in the 2026 Chinese BL landscape.

I'm tremendously excited for the upcoming episodes , I have a feeling they're going to blow everyone away !!!

Read More

I'm maybe totally biased but it was amazing.

Their relationship, the chemistry was on top. They really suit each other, Workaholic x Workaholic.
I love the angst and yearning with each other. It was one of my favorite part (yes I love to suffer..).

I think 4E got a lot of wholesome family relationship. Either with Lada and her mom or between the 4 cousins. They love each other a lot and show it. It warm my heart a lot.

I usually hate the forget part of bad parent, but I think it realistic. The daughter was the only one to care, and in the end, she still take care of her dad, even if he was the worst. It's usually like that the daughter get hate even when she is the only one to care, while the son don't really care but get loved.

I also love how Lada tried so hard to make her dad proud, probably to find happy, but she find happy in trying for herself.

Read More

promising drama with a good story, which falls a bit in the acting department towards the end

Avoiding spoilers as best i can, this drama is a case solving mystery style drama with an emphasis on feminism and women's treatment. There is an overarching story, but it's not super obvious until the last ten or so episodes.
So first, the good things. This drama is visually stunning. The sets and backdrops are beautifully purposeful and aesthetically pleasing. The costumes are stunning. Bai Lu's in particular have such pretty embroidery detailing, and the fitting is fabulous, but most of the cast have at least one or two show-stopper outfits. The music is great too, I've already added a bunch to my playlist!
Bai Lu is very good in this, she plays a cold but charming Fl who's goal is to find the truth in every case she undertakes. She's cold but never to rude and treats those around her with respect which i find a lot of her male counterparts in these types of dramas do not. Her acting really impressed me in this drama, I didn't even relise id seen her in other things, and her face, especially her eyes are very expressive. you could pause the drama and show the screen cap without context to someone and they would be able to tell how shes feeling. It was a great line, subtle but not invisible and not overdone!
The ensemble cast is charming, especially the women are well written and have a range attittudes. I especially appreciate the emphasis on female code/friendships, especially because a lot of the tiems these historical dramas have a bad habit of being full of catty women that just hate on each other the whole time. This drama has a bit of that but its treated very senstaivly, and instead of just blamming the women the systems that caused them to act this way are awknoledged and criticized. Its done very subly too, so it doesnt feel preachy and anoying just very real. Honestly the writing and acting from most of the cast is very very well done, especially the first case with the princess, that one made me sob, and i really enjoyed the relationship between the FL and the princess.
The cases! I throughly enjoyed them. There were a few less interesting ones, but they were never bad enough for me to skim through them completely, and the good ones more than made up for it. As always i apprecieate the feminist nature of the cases, and although the endings often made me sad it was nice to see such heartfelt stories about different status's of women in the palace. i also lliked that the drama hightlighted men who were just as sensative about womens issues. It didnt make this a male vs female issue, it highlighted that it is a systemic issue that affects us all.
Some people have issues with the pacing, but it didnt really bother me. i thought that the cases were interesting enough that I wasn't hurrying to figure them out. But i do love these types of dramas to i might be biased!

okay, on to the not so good.
The ML. i actually have no gripes with the character itself. i enjoyed how he was a bit of a loner but never rude or demeaning, and i thought that the drama balanced the ML and the Fl very well, in terms of case solving.
Honestly where it fell flat was Wang Xingyu's acting towards the end. This is by no means hate, i knows hes quite young but honestly his acting was a bit poor in this. He was fine in the beginning, because the script required him to be a bit mysterious and in the middle when he was supposed to be a little more obvious about his emotions he was good enough but towards the end it seemed like he couldn't quite handle some of the emotinal scenes. It took me out of it soo bad because I just felt absolutely nothing. it felt like an amateur or someone in a high school play and was extremely jarring. It was especially bad in comparison to Bai Lu, who is much older than him and a veteran at this point. The camera kept flipping between Bai Lu's expressive eyes and WXY who just looked like a very pretty wax statue.
In the Double, and in Kunning Palace and now here it just kind of seems like hes playing variations of the same character, and once i noticed that it was hard to ignore. I'm not sure if it was a directing choice, or they told him to act like that, or its just inexperience but it was really distracting.

Final Thoughts:
i really enjoyed this drama, and i think you'll like it if you like case style mystery dramas, revenge dramas, or dramas with a strong male lead. All of the relashionships, especially the female ones, are really well written and the character motivations are well thought out and feel realistic. i related to a bunch of the women, even the villains.
All of the issues ive listed with it are towards the end, and negligable if you like WXY's past characters. Definitely watch if your a Bai Lu fan, shes great in this.

Read More

sad and mad

I’m sad because I really wanted to like this one more than I do. The couple gets together in the first episode which is fine. It’s how teens tend to move with this stuff. Akira’s kinda a fool tho, his pushiness when they were teens pissed me off. If he was like this with a girl and not a guy it could have gone south pretty quickly.

He confesses to his sister about dating Yuuki, who mind you is thrilled for him, and still goes on to fuck it all up. WITH A COWORKER. I’m flipping all of the imaginary tables.

And yes. I get it. It’s hard. You have to be next level sociopathic to actively hurt someone you love AND yourself after building a life with them tho.
I have little sympathy for Akira. You’re not just screwing your relationship but also fooling this poor woman. All for the sake of seeming “normal” when no one even gave you shit for being “abnormal”.

SHE LIVED IN THEIR APPARTMENT!! And then what?? They randomly meet IN ALASKA after forever and Yuuki supposedly just takes him back??

Yh, alright.

Read More

Justice for Seojoon man….

Nahhhhhh….. ON HIS BIRTHDAY?!?!!??!! Han Jiwoo!! You little sociopath!!!
I get him and have even been him but it feels like his character had absolutely no growth in two whole seasons. Zero. That ep.5 dinner scene was hard to sit through also..

After watching some bl’s I tend to leave with a gut feeling that one of the people in the relationship just deserved better, this is one of them. I’m not too mad at Jiwoo but the guy is way too emotionally stunted and is hellbent on not compromising a single one of his set values.

“If you’re going to act at least do it well until the end” line stuck out to me.
Jiwoo pushing Seojoon away in the worst way possible because of his insecurities, giving in enough to sleep with him and then continuing to treat Seojoon like trash.. Stick to your script baby boy. Just set that man free.
Seojoon should not have taken him back. I stand on that.
Big fan of the corny ahh handkerchief story tho.

Yooha has my heart. I don’t know enough Korean to place it well but her dialect sounds very fun to my ear.

Read More

First half of the drama, there wasn't that much chemistry between the two main lead. They were great at acting everything except being in love. But after a few episode, it got better.

The plot isn't bad but some part deserve better writting. Some part didn't make sense. Like why would they make random person do fanmeeting even if they are the inspiration for a game??? Why would they put an engineer to chara design in a game? Especially if he just come into the business. But I put my logical thinking aside and I enjoy it.

I don't know if it netflix, but some part are weirdly cut?? Like the screen freeze for a second and moving to the next scene?? And yes my phone was working.

Read More