Reviews

Prison arc is awesome, but followed by typical American style

From the very start, I was impressed, hooked, and so happy that this movie seemed to be living up to my high expectations—but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Ji Chang Wook never disappoints. His acting was phenomenal, and to be honest, his performance is what carries the entire film. The first half—specifically the prison arc—was flawless. You feel so much empathy for Kwon Tae-jung as you watch all these horrific things happen to him. It was gritty, emotional, and perfectly paced.

However, after the "race" sequence, the story went downhill fast. It shifted from a grounded thriller to a typical, over-the-top American-style action movie. The "plot armor" became too much to ignore; Tae-jung would be lethally injured in one scene, only to appear perfectly healed in the next. It felt incredibly unrealistic and took me out of the story.

To make matters worse, the villain just did not fit. Their acting felt "off" and lacked the depth needed to match Ji Chang Wook’s intensity, which really ruined the experience for me. While the cinematography and the fight scenes were great, the side characters didn't add much value, and the script ultimately let the actors down. I really wish they had stayed with the darker, more serious tone of the prison chapters. It had so much potential, but it was ruined by a messy second half.

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Sweet Start, Messy Finish

I randomly stumbled upon this drama and ended up really enjoying it, at least in the first half. The early episodes were engaging and sweet, and I found myself invested in the characters and their relationships. Unfortunately, the later half of the drama did not hold my attention as much. I’ll be honest, I skimmed through the rest of the episodes.

Lee Seul Bi is a death angel who, due to an accident, saves Shin Woo Hyun and becomes human as a result. The first few episodes focus on her struggle to navigate the human world and figure out how to return to her role as a death angel. These episodes explore her naivety, curiosity, and gradual understanding of human emotions. A turning point comes when she witnesses Shin Woo Hyun mourning the loss of his grandmother. Seeing his grief firsthand makes her reconsider her perspective on humans and mortality, and she makes the difficult decision to remain human in order to support him. The early half of the drama is largely about building the friendship and emotional bond between Lee Seul Bi and Shin Woo Hyun, and those moments are handled with warmth and sincerity.

The second half of the drama shifts focus to conflict and jealousy, which, for me, was less engaging. Hwang Sung Yeol becomes jealous of Shin Woo Hyun and, once he realizes the girl he loves isn't in love with him. Once he finds out Lee Seul Bi's identity, does everything he can to drive a wedge between them. In the end, Sung Yeol learns to let go of his jealousy and opens his heart to the people who genuinely care for him.

There is also a third character, her senior from the afterworld, who has been in love with her all along. He too becomes human and serves as another obstacle preventing Lee Seul Bi from reuniting with her friends after she loses her memory. While this adds drama, these additional storylines felt unnecessary and at times weighed the narrative down. Honestly, considering how everything plays out, it might have been more effective if didn't have Hwang Sung Yeol's storyline, and just casted him as the senior death angel. The tropes they had felt overwhelming. The way they tried to fit in extra cliche trope.

One of the highlights of the series is the chemistry between Kim Sae Ron and Nam Woo Hyun. Their interactions feel natural and grounded, and the friendship and subtle romantic tension between them are believable. The actors bring charm and emotion to their roles, making Lee Seul Bi’s journey from naive death angel to caring human resonate even when the plot becomes predictable.

Overall, Hi! School – Love On is strongest in its first half, when it focuses on character development, emotional growth, and exploring human feelings through Lee Seul Bi’s perspective. The first half is enjoyable and I would definitely recommend you watching the first half.

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A typical filler c

This drama starts off pretty okay and then takes us on a journey of all thing predictable, boring and dare I say kind of annoying... I have issues with the plot and though I did like the female lead most of the time and admit the leads had nice kisses it was just not enough to have me care about any of the progress or characters towards the end....

There are som nice lines, sweet smiles, longing, yearning and pretty displays of lust and love... but the over all feel is 7 is a generous rating it could probably be a 6 if not for the charming female lead (most of the time), sweet side characters with nice smiles and decent chemistry between the leads.

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Entertaining supporting Cast and a mild law office romance! Easygoing Binge-watch!

Unlike most dramas, this one actually picks up and gets better in the second half.
The best part of the drama is the support cast, although not fleshed out enough, FML's three colleagues are simply unique and adorable in their own personalities. Same for Attorney Wu, wow what an impeccably calm and tempered guy, he totally deserves to be a board member in a law firm!! CP's parents are also funny as well. I just love that they are all written with just the right amount of humorous elements!!
ML has many gotcha endearing moments, he plays the serious professional well, I prefer this version of him over the sappy in love character he becomes after confessing love towards the FML. Put him in a power suit and let all the dapper oozing do the talking :D !! FML seems so delicate but her character is strong & talented., first half her acting was not very strong (watch her in The First Frost for her improved acting chops!)
Overall not a lot of depth in the CP and low chemistry, but it was decent enough for us to get invested in the relationship and appreciate how their storyline and the supporting cast is able to bolster the overall office drama setting and keep it moving forward. The focus on law and significance of the responsibility of being an ethical lawyer is well depicted.

Due to all these bonus reasons, I am adding +0.5 to make it a perfect 8.
Don't expect fireworks but be ready to find yourself cruising through episodes after a while.
It was okay at get go but i was able to watch it without getting bored most of the time, easygoing binge!

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“Sniper Butterfly” is an unlikely love story about two people whose bond defies age, circumstances, and distance. It’s also a compelling character study, mostly due to the strength of Daniel Zhou’s performance.

His quietly loyal but deeply sensitive and perceptive Li Wu is a beautifully portrayed character. At 19, he’s terrified of being a burden to Cen Jin, the woman who’s taken him in to sponsor his education despite having her own problems. At 21, he’s fallen in love with her, but she sees their relationship as that of an older sister and younger brother. At 27, he’s heartbroken, even traumatized, by their separation and desperate to find a way back into her life.

What stands out about Daniel Zhou’s performance is how good he is at showing barely contained emotion — being close to tears, or hiding a delighted smile, or fighting against resentment or jealousy. His character may be quiet, but he feels things deeply, and communicates through his actions more than his words, which causes problems at times.

Cen Jin, played by Michelle Chen with a charming blend of cuteness and maturity, is harder to pin down as a character. Her emotions aren’t as easy to read, or perhaps it’s that she doesn’t understand her own feelings clearly. She also has a bad habit of walking away from conversations that make her uncomfortable. Still, Cen Jin is a multifaceted character — compassionate, self-reliant, decisive, but cautious when it comes to romantic relationships. She has good reason for being wary of getting hurt, but also finds it difficult to ignore Li Wu’s unwavering devotion.

The series is set in 2016 and 2024, switching back and forth throughout. The timelines are handled well and show connections and contrasts between characters and their situations. This structure also gives the leads a richer and more meaningful history together, keeps the pacing brisk, and doesn’t let the story linger too long on conflicts.

Other than an ending that’s a bit lackluster and the FL’s whiny best friend, there’s very little not to like about this well-told story.

What to Watch for:

– The leads make an adorable couple, from their height difference to their contagious smiles. Their relationship has has a sweet, giddy quality that’s really heartwarming. They’re both very protective of each other, which sometimes leads to stupid decisions, but they way they try to shield each other (both literally and figuratively) from pain and problems is endearing, even if they sometimes go about it the wrong way. Yes, there’s an age gap (between both the characters and the actors). If that bothers you, this drama probably isn’t for you.

– The character development. The main characters are more realistic than what you often see in dramas. They’re not perfect or invincible; they have flaws; and they go through a process of growth, reflection, and learning what they want in life.

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Looks Better Than It Acts

I couldn’t even finish it. The cliché tropes were overwhelming. Usually I can tolerate or even enjoy predictable plot points if the story or chemistry between the leads is strong, but here, neither aspect worked.

The storyline is painfully formulaic. Two rich lead falls in love with a plain, relatable girl. The female lead being in love with the second male lead, but he didn't appreciate her as he was still hung up with his ex. There is always the ex who cannot let go of the past, creating conflict that feels recycled rather than compelling. Once the second male lead wakes up and smells reality, he wants the female lead who is on the process of getting over the second male lead. None of these arcs bring anything fresh, and the pacing struggles because the drama stretches minor conflicts far too long.

Jiang Coco as Bai Ji Qing was… something else. Her acting was cringe worthy and over the top. She constantly seemed to be trying too hard to appear sexy and intimidating, which came across as forced rather than natural. There were moments where her expressions and tone were so exaggerated that it pulled me out of the story entirely.

Supporting characters are largely underdeveloped, serving as plot devices rather than fully realized people. There is little emotional depth, and comedic or dramatic moments often land awkwardly instead of naturally. The dialogue does not help either, it swings between melodrama and forced quirkiness, leaving scenes feeling artificial.

Overall, The Queen of SOP is a textbook example of style over substance. Between over the top acting, tacky costumes, and an entirely predictable plot, the drama fails to engage. Unless you are watching purely for background entertainment, there is little here worth investing your time in.

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A beautifully captured fantasy romance

Okay, they did this one really well. The acting and the chemistry between the ML and FL are top-notch. There is great character development for both of them, and it’s unforced, natural, and makes sense within the story. The story is slow-paced at times and sometimes more focused on romance than the plot, but I personally didn’t mind. There are lots of kissing and heated scenes (which is not very common in C-dramas), and as I said before, the chemistry works really well, so it’s beautiful to watch.
They did a great job with the cast. It was my first time seeing Wang Ying Lu, and because of her excellent acting, the FL is relatable and someone to cheer for. Even though she starts out somewhat like a damsel in distress, she isn’t hopeless or annoying. As for Arthur Chen, I liked this actor before thanks to Ever Night and Princess and Lighter (both of which I can recommend, though it’s a pity that in Ever Night 2 the ML wasn’t played by him but by Dylan Wang—even though I like the actor, I think Arthur Chen captured the role better). So I already knew his acting, and this role was clearly tailored for him. He makes you believe that he falls for the girl—in fact you believe every emotion he shows.
There are, let’s say, two main antagonists. The first one is really great; I disliked him very much (which is exactly what you want from a villain). The second one, however, didn’t have the same effect on me—maybe the evil wasn’t personal enough.
The scenery was beautiful. Yes, in some parts the CGI wasn’t terrific, but most of the time it was quite good. The music also works fantastically with the story and its themes.
And I’ll definitely watch it again!

Spoilers!
Where they could have done better is that there were a few scenes which I assume were meant to be heartbreaking and bring you to tears, but that didn’t happen for me. I think there wasn’t enough desperation in those moments to really push me over the edge. I don’t think this was because of the acting, but rather the script, where they could have prolonged those scenes a little longer before giving the audience hope.
The ending is little bit predictible and they also could have made the ending a bit longer. It’s somewhat ambiguous whether it’s just her recognizing him or if he recognizes her as well—but I choose to believe that he did recognize her too.

So even with these few setbacks, overall this has become one of my favorite fantasy/wuxia C-dramas. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! =)

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Brilliant hot lawyers have problems too

What is this sorcery. The drama is checking all the marks of a vertical classic : sleek, inspired production (the music, vertical's usual weakness and blank slate, was so good), great use of its gorgeous cast, and a layered story that isn't a moodboard of tropes but feels like it has a legit cohesive script supporting it (thankfully I had access to a good translation). The focus of the show is the ML and his reconciliation with the world after a very traumatic event left him with crippling PTSD. The drama doesn't try to be too clever, shoking or twisty with its mental health theme, and tells a touching, even deep story of mutual healing around it. There is overall very little cliches, the secondary characters feel like human beings and not a stereotype gallery (which, in vertical land where you can describe them as "scheming sister", "cheating husband" or "sick grandma" most of the time, is almost unheard of). They were quite memorable from the socialite who plays the opportunist boyfriend as much as he intends to play her, to the colder than ice bio mom who tries to hide her pathetic and unethical choices under the guise of hard profesionnalism. The drama even manages to have underlying themes behind its main one about trauma and trust, like how some people blinded by their inferiority complex and vindication can be enboldened to commit some truly despicable acts and feel no remorse. I'm sure it's the kind of drama that can be rewatched several times to discover new things. The dialogue was as sleek as the visuals, very deep cutting (like the observation the boyfriend could have a good career if only he wasn't so eager to have instant sucess), but the drama also remembers the golden rule "show don't tell" and let the scenes tell the story as much as the dialogue (like in the famous car scene, OMG). It is, in my opinion, a must-see.

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It's a good show

It really is a good story told very well, the acting is good, the main leads have amazing chemistry from the beginning, the FL gave a really good performance 🌟, the ML what an actor I want to see more of him🌟🌟.


Watch if you enjoy a good palace intrigue plot, with a lot of detective work, a smart female lead and an equally smart male leadd, family politics. A well paced story with no cliffhangers or unanswered questions.

The only reason I didn't give it 10 is because no get what they deserve most of them get away with murder. But overall a good watch.

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Some things just can't be fixed

When the preview dropped for this, I was already invested. Now that I've seen it, it was worth it in every way. It was intriguing and captivating. I was mostly awed by the quality of acting. Expected from the main but the support really stepped up and delivered.

Ken and Bright wowed. Ken in the role of Pleo with a limited education, marginalized and constantly ridiculed never gave up til the end. His determination to find the truth created an emotional and electrifying performance.

Bright as Korn, broken and cowered by previous events, found the strength to fight for what was right, no matter the cost. One thing he was sure of, Pleo was the best thing that happened to him and he wasn't going to fail him. Bright embodied the timid Korn.

Linn, as Best, did a wonderful job. There was no love in her heart and it showed. She was the 'best' manipulator and pulled all the tricks out to get whatsoever she wanted. Collateral damage meant nothing to her. While I enjoyed her acting, I welcomed karma. She was very polarizing.

Typhoon, Poom and Noom stand a cut above the rest of the supporting cast with their believable portrayals. Ter, his father and the gambling druggie Man, brought the corruption, violence and proof that the present cannot be changed. It may be different but not changed.

Enjoyable as it was, there are still some things that could have been done differently. The script felt a little dumb with the repetitive lines. It was a bit frustrating with the constant time jumps. Too many actors daring the other to shoot them with the barrel against their forehead. Korn's 2024 deductive skills were a little slow. Why did Pleo choose to live 17 yrs in hiding? I believe this was to keep the timeline correct for the future. But, here I will ask, if Ter was erased in 2024 following the timeline, why couldn't Pleo knowing the date, do differently to stop Korn? Had he tried to come back to the future, he also would have been erased as he was already dead. Those events may not still be possible to exist as it doesn't show Best and Man in the future after his last return. Then, why did the accident still occur as it did? All of that should have been erased as Korn's coworker had an appendectomy and not beaten by Man. Probably, this is just me fishing for a different ending or the script didn't quite capture the events to fix the ending.

Lastly, interjecting the last shoulders touching, Pleo holding Korn's hand with Korn saying that Pleo is the best thing that happened to him, didn’t sit too well with me. Was that done to entice / appease bl fans? They could have used different words to convey brotherhood without alluding otherwise. I'm a bl fan but the script didn’t need it.

I would definitely recommend this series. Action filled, entertaining and acceptable outcome. I really liked it.

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Aigoo, Who is the True Victim & Who is the Actual Villain here, hehe :)

Trust No One!
Suspect Everyone!!

Do not miss to watch this interesting Crime Revenge Drama.

***
First of all,
The Title misled me little -- I expected Supernatural theme more but in entire drama, there are only three such scenes.

This is exclusively, a Crime Revenge family drama n not Supernatural.

So Supernatural genre lovers, be aware of it -- Watch, without expectations!

Even though, it's just minor content (3 scenes -- Opening scene of the drama, Resurrecting the criminal & One scene in Finale), I LOVED THIS IDEA of including Witchcraft / Resurrection/ Supernatural element in a Crime Revenge Drama 👍🏻
It's NEW and DIFFERENT!!

***
Opening scenes of the drama -- introduction to Resurrection by tribals (or whoever is practising that witchcraft) -- all those scenes are well directed, Cinematography there, is cool n Visuals are Wow.
As a Supernatural genre lover, those are mesmerizing!✨

***
Story, Direction, Cinematography are Good.

Pacing is Slow for most of the episodes.

OST -- Opening theme music n Closing credits song are Very Good

The idea of using three languages -- Taiwanese, Thai n English, as per the story demands, is Good.


*** STORY:
Set in a fictional city, Two mothers desperately fighting to seek justice for their kidnapped daughters, go to any extent to avenge for their daughters like using witchcraft, kidnap the culprit etc.

In their journey, we get to see Different Characters, many Secrets, many Selfish acts n Manipulations by everyone, Threats, Blackmails etc.

It's sad to see the Moms who teamed up for their daughters, turn as rivals, because of bad guy's manipulation.

The Story progresses with a lot of Twists n Turns, making the viewer to suspect every character.
(At one point in the drama, I lost trust on every character n suspected everyone, including the two moms, haha)

Also, in some situations, U will definitely feel bad for every character including the bad guy.
Watch it, to find out Who the True Victim is & Who the Actual Villain is!
Those twists are Good.

The Story took a turn from
Supernatural
To 3 girls being kidnapped
To Their moms trying to take revenge on the culprit
To A big spam call fraud involving teen gals
To illegal money laundering case involving an organization.


*** WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I need to rant about STORY NARRATION.
It is confusing at times.

For eg, the Timeline and the Location of the crimes are very confusing.
Initially, it is said that moms are fighting from an year but there's a lil baby gal, related to the crime, who is around 5 years -- This is made clear only in the finale.

Also, whatever crime that happened with the 3 gals and the money laundering organization are based in the fictional city, where they speak different language (mostly Thai), not Taiwanese and only few people speak Taiwanese.

So, it means the entire drama is set in that city only n moms stayed there for whole five years (without knowing the language), huh?
But then, there is a time limit of seven days for the resurrected perpetrator.
So the entire story / drama has happened within seven days in that fictional city, huh?

Or moms are fighting for justice from 5 years and came to the fictional city, resurrected him n entire drama has happened in those 7 days.
If so, jin jin (coma patient) should already be in Taiwan, not in that city and they shouldn't be speaking about an air ambulance for her.

Some points in the writing of the plot do not add up clearly.
Location of the story is ok but I'm not at all clear with the Timeline of the story.

I'm not sure whether this confusion is caused by the Editing of drama or lost in translation of the dialogues.

Whatever, these confusions made me to lose interest to watch n I couldn't connect with the flow of the story, though the overall story is easy to understand.


*** EPISODES:
First three n last three eps are Very Interesting n Captivating.

Remaining three eps in the middle are Good but Execution is lil bad. The story progress is very less here.

The Mystery and Suspense of
What exactly had happened with the three girls in that city in the past,
Who the actual culprit is and
Who, among all the characters are bad -- Everything is Well Maintained till the end of the drama.

Finale is lil rushed.
The Final Twist in the climax is Very Good.

*** RATING:
My Rating is 8/10.
(Though some eps are 8.5 or 9, Slow Pacing, Rushed Climax n Confusing Narration made me give, just 8 )

Definitely, a Good n Interesting Drama but One Time Watch!

***

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A very precise & deal introducer review.....

It was different than what we had expected from the trailers and synopsis, but that only made it even more fun and rather more stable of a storyline to enjoy throughout the 12 episodes.
It was weird but in a good way. The surprise element of split personality gave a fresh air to the drama. It's also something which made it unique to it's own and iconic. Something that people would wanna watch as they get interested in kdramas, in the coming years.

The quirkiness of Do-rami was really interesting and something that excited me a lot. Those scenes were so artistic in a sense.
I would say it was a pretty good watch, especially with all those unique elements.

Unfortunately there were a few parts which didn't made much sense to me. Like her level and passion towards liking the ML since they were basically strangers. So I can't expect someone to like a stranger so so much right from the get go. Then, the issues between their love translations, I could pretty much understand both of them so how couldn't they with each other. It was only almost in the last half that actually made me confused about her language a little as well. Otherwise it was pretty much clear so why was ML finding it so hard too understand. But you know that's how it is between humans....sometimes it's just so hard to understand other beings when they are totally different from us because we never know what they've struggled with in life.

Their chemistry, acting and the cinematography played a significant role in making this drama a success. In a sea full of below average dramas these days, it shines brighter than most.
I would still totally recommend it to people

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They tried to blend all genres into one series and it's not working...

Tbh, I really had to think twice about rating this series. The idea and concept are actually good, but the execution left me confused. I honestly don’t know who to blame, the director or the screenwriter, because this pair is genuinely beautiful, yet the show couldn’t maintain a consistent tone throughout all 8 episodes.

At first, it felt like a criminal psychological thriller. Then out of nowhere, it shifted into mellow melodrama. Not long after that, they started pushing comedy, especially through sponsor scenes. Like, what was that yogurt scene? I really couldn’t take it seriously.

The tone kept switching back and forth and it felt very random and out of place, especially for this kind of story.

The sponsor scenes honestly ruined it for me. The final part where they tried to make the noodle cup scene iconic too also felt forced, like they were doing it purely for the aesthetic rather than serving the story.

That said, the cinematography was perfect. No complaints there at all. I just wish they had developed the side characters more, because some plot points felt illogical, especially considering the prison setting.

Acting wise, all the actresses nailed their roles. However, I really got the ick from some of the male actors, especially Pond. His acting felt way too exaggerated for me. Ter is the only exception.

Belle, on the other hand, was amazing. Her performance stood out, and there’s no doubt why she’s been trusted with main roles before. She as Kae is perfect.

If only the mood of the series had been consistent from start to finish, I would’ve easily rated ClaireBell a solid 9.0 but the constant tone shifts kept it from reaching its full potential.

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