Reviews

My Ethics Won

I debated a lot with myself over the last few days: Should I continue with "Peach Lover"? And now, shortly before the second episode will air, I decided I cannot let my curiosity win over my ethics.

My dilemma was that on the one hand, the first episode has several minutes of genAI slop, ugly slop at that. But on the other hand, I was curious to know how the story would unfold.

I find generative AI highly unethical. Not only uses it stolen artwork for its generated "art", it also consumes high amounts of energy and clean water by doing so and pushes real human artists out of their jobs -- and for what? That a handful of rich billionaires get richer. That CEOs think they save money. That we get cheaply made slop sold as "art".
(And it's even worse that Po is a cover artist for novels -- one of the jobs that are endangered by genAI already.)

The thing that made me hesitate was that I was -- still am -- extremely curious to see how the story would develop. I liked the hints of a deeper backstory (even if the way the screenplay told us about the main characters' reasons for going into online sex work was *very* heavy-handed). I was intrigued by the possibility of a story that explores how sex can feel liberating, how we can use our bodies to express ourselves -- by the possibility of a story about hiding in plain sight, about being presented vs. being seen, about identity and being able to be who we are. There is a lot of potential for it to be something very, very good.
And Poom was excellent in this first episode -- maybe his partner too, we didn't see enough of him yet to be sure.

But no.

I cannot in good conscience give my eyes, my attention, and my money to greedy producers who think it's okay to cut corners ("save money") by using genAI slop instead of paying an actual artist.
This also taints everything in this production -- what else, apart from the minutes-long slide-shows in the beginning and in the end of the first episode was done with genAI? The screenplay? The set design? The background score?

I don't understand how iQiYi, Copy A Bangkok or Cheewin Thanamin can condone it and willingly put their name on something like this. And I admit it, I also don't understand viewers who support it -- if we don't make it very clear *now* that the media we consume should be ethically made and *not* use genAI, then we will see a lot more of it in the future, because producers *will* (rightly) think they can get away with it.

I don't want a future like that.

Do you?

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Come discover the magic of Poom/Up

BL Mystery Action with Poom & Up (and I ship them) ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ

PLOT: Joe, a stuntman, is Tong's stand-in, performing all his action scenes (and more). He begins an strange relationship with Ming (the young heir to a large group), Tong's future brother-in-law (and clearly also in love with Tong). But he painfully realizes he's just a stand-in for Ming. Ming, incited by Tong, causes an incident that leads to Joe losing his contracts. Joe leaves with a foreign stunt team and dies in an accident. He wakes up in the body of another Joe, who also has connections to the film industry.

+++ Poom and Up are fabulous actors, full of nuance and micro-expressions. Their chemistry is fantastic, and I've become a die-hard fan of this pairing :)
+++ The story is coherent (if you accept the soul transfer :))
+++ The direction is efficient and well-paced; the sets, costumes, props, etc., are all up to the project's standards. The action scenes are convincing and well-executed.

### Sol, played by Porsche, is not convincing (acting skills, costumes, lack of charisma), and he's not the one I'd get a SLS from :)
### The role of the agencies, producers, etc., is unclear. I know there's a lot of power, influence, and money involved in these circles, but here, it's particularly confusing. Joe's agency, especially, is completely useless!!
### I regret that Tong remains unpunished for what he did. He's a nasty piece of work, but he's forgiven everything because he's going to have a child :( :(

=> Almost a masterpiece (a few flaws) thanks to the magic of Poom-Up (´♡‿♡`) (´♡‿♡`)

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BL Mystère Action avec Poom & Up (and I ship them) ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ

PLOT: Joe, cascadeur, est la doublure de Tong dont il assure ttes les scènes d'action. Il entame 1 liaison avec Ming (jeune héritier d'1 gros gpe), futur beau-frère frère de Tong (et visiblement aussi amoureux de Tong). Mais il prend douloureusement conscience qu'il n'est qu'un remplaçant pour Ming. Ming, incité par Tong, provoque 1 incident qui fait perdre ses contrats à Joe. Celui-ci part avec 1 équipe étrangère faire des cascades et meurt ds 1 accident. Il se réveille ds le corps d'1 autre Joe, ayant aussi des liens avec les cercles de tournage.

+++ Poom et Up sont des acteurs fabuleux, tout en nuances et micro-expressions. Leur alchimie est fantastique et je suis devenue une die-hard fan de ce couple :)
+++ Story cohérente (si on accepte le transfert d'âme :)
+++ Réalis° efficace, rythmée, les décors / costumes / accessoires / etc. sont à la hauteur du projet. Les scènes d'action sont convaincantes et bien travaillées.

### Sol, joué par Porsche, n'est pas convaincant (acting skills, costumes, manque de charisme) et ce n'est pas avec lui que j'aurai un SLS :)
### Le fctt des agences, producteurs, etc. n'est pas clair. Je sais qu'il y a bcp d'enjeu de pouvoir, d'influence, de finance, ... dans ces cercles-là, mais ici, c'est particulièrement confus. L'agence de Joe, en particulier, ne sert à rien !!
### Je regrette que Tong reste impuni pour ce qu'il a fait. C'est un sale type, mais tt lui est pardonné parce qu'il va avoir un enfant :( :(

=> Presqu'un masterpiece (qq flaws) grâce à la magie Poom-Up (´♡‿♡`) (´♡‿♡`)

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They should give Chen Si more soft characters more often, he was so sweet here against his usual overbearing characters in his previous work.

I loved the pair here and I wish I can see them in another drama with better ending

I think the dilemma the writer created for himself made it hard to have a completely happy ending, I myself was confused while watching, who will end up with FL if both are the same person in different times, and if the one from the past has changed and became a better man, then why can't she be with him.

The idea of one soul, two different bodies is kinda complicated, but aside from the romance this was sweet and lovely drama.

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Not what it seems but a deep look into one’s psyche with morals/ethics and relationships explored

This is incredibly long and will get into spoiler territory in the form of a super long comment on the review. I ABSOLUTELY ADVISE YOU TO ONLY READ THE “SPOILER” MARKED COMMENT BELOW AFTER WATCHING if you want this one human’s explanation for their interpretation. This is a show that has a lot of stuff to chew on and will get a lot of different interpretations, many resigned to just not getting it. Wait to see if you ARE one of the resigned to confusion sorts before these reviews get fully read for your own sake!

This is not a dystopian-set BL to me. I went in not knowing anything which served me well since I expected nothing whereas many seemingly thought it’d be a spicy BL. It isn’t. It does showcase gay behavior, sure, straight behavior, too, those behaviors instrumental in understanding it BUT NOT what the storytellers made this to deliver us. They aspired to something bigger, what may be the ultimate human dystopian hell, no spoilers up here.

Things to avoid: 1) wanting a BL, 2) refusing to let the story unfold without the degree of good faith effort required 3) getting obsessed and unable to let go of early theories that you love but maybe don’t fit anymore or resigning yourself to just not getting it 4) jumping on a social bandwagon of rage to complain quickly instead of thinking about the ideas presented that while not new ideas certainly have quite the different lens through which to see and think about them.

I confess I feel a bit uncomfortably preachy in defending the work’s strong points that for me did outweigh the negatives by quite a lot even as some things got visually mundane and some riddles mentioned by another reviewer felt lame (but understandable later even if I might choose other questions except for the last “missed” question in the fight with the “chaos/creator/controller” woman in that dark space early on… the reason behind the final one, the REAL reason, really hit home later as someone familiar with the things happening as weird as that sounds for any dystopian setting). With a kind of calm, “observation mode” sort of viewing of this, most can get a far better grasp of many coherent options for what is happening here (and hey, maybe BellA’s review or mine can help guide lost souls to the finish line).

I saw some early scathing comments blaming the script when under a third of had aired at the time as well as the whole “actors who can’t act” copied and pasted hostile comment seen almost everywhere. These are certainly not the best cast members in the nation, but assumptions early on reflect mostly on the ones not allowing them to deliver their parts. This is a case wherein actors absolutely SHOULD NOT be consistent in character delivery, and these kids, all new faces to me, managed bizarre, challenging roles pretty well, the story much bigger than their ages&experience give them the full opportunity to understand with a quick read. The confusion felt by people when watching IS INTENTIONAL. To be fair, when are (good) dystopia-set works clear as a meticulously maintained budget balance sheet? I also think the production and editing teams did well overall.

This is one to watch WITHOUT knowing anything cause if you know the big picture, you will really lose out on the important thing here, the experience of viewing with your mind engaged, not just taking anyone’s word for it. It is brain food. It is a tad philosophical. It is deeply psychological but not in a way that will make you feel immense emotions about THEM. It is not as casual a watch as most prefer. Specific experiences that made it easy for ME to be immersed won’t apply to most, and maybe it isn’t laid out plainly enough to grasp the mindsets presented easily. I suggest you watch in order and critically without skipping/fast forwarding (just take breaks if the dialogue tires you, or drop it if it isn’t your thing and you don’t have NDD like me). I slept twice and watched other stuff between viewing sessions, and three sessions seems ideal, two if you have loads of mental energy winter weather doesn’t afford me. Don’t watch when your body or just your brain is tired or you’ll miss a LOT in a couple of seconds many times over, so many times I nearly missed important parts before having the sense to take a long break myself.

A couple of theories have been given that I really enjoyed reading! I decided to, when a response got too long, instead put that here. There’s a more simple option (one of many I entertained) that I haven’t yet seen in a review. It may not satisfy some though I don’t think the base story being more simple makes the exploration of the human mind through storytelling any less intriguing—and bless their intern/grunt worker for consulting an expert to at least not totally botch it like they did Leap Day (along with bad science, writers abandoned anything they didn’t know how to properly close like the drawings). For that, I send you to the comment I will post below.

In the end, I land at an 8.5. I found the story intriguing, the acting solid even with many “faces” to portray, and it is well worth a rewatch I may give it to match the different bits together that I was happy to see merged as it came to a close. I do wish there was an eighth episode for reasons I’ll get to in the spoiler comment. If it had an 8th episode to do what can otherwise only be accomplished with a careful rewatch, I’d rate it even higher, maybe, but the 8.5 accounts for me being able to catch plenty in a single time viewed and my ability to go back as many times as I want.

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✨ K-DREAMER’S CUT: Can This Love Be Translated? / The Consecration of Go Youn-Jung

[Overall Rating: ⭐ 8.0/10]
⚡ THE HOOK (In a nutshell)
"Both in languages and love, everything is simpler when you try to understand and comprehend the idiosyncrasies that define them"
🔋 BINGE-WATCH LEVEL
[🔋🔋🔋🔋🔋] — The banter between a top actress and a multilingual translator is peak Rom-Com gold. You won't want to hit pause.
🔥 CHEMISTRY CHECK
[5/5 Sparks] — Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung are a visual explosion. Their comedic timing makes the "slow burn" feel like a wildfire.
🚩 THE RED FLAG
"Classic Hong Sisters tropes: expect some 'misunderstanding' fillers in the middle episodes that might test your patience."
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📓 THE DEEP DIVE (kdreamer’s Analysis)

What makes this drama stand out in the crowded Rom-Com genre is the clever use of language as a barrier and a bridge. Watching Kim Seon-ho play a genius translator who ironically struggles to interpret the "love language" of a superstar is both hilarious and heartwarming. The writing is witty, and the international setting adds a fresh, cinematic layer that we don't always get in standard K-dramas.
Go Youn-jung shines as the 'unreachable' star, bringing a mix of vulnerability and sass that balances the male lead's more grounded character. While the plot follows some familiar "celebrity meets commoner" beats, the cultural nuances and the high-quality production make it feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s a love letter to communication—and the lack of it.
The ease with which the drama manages to be original, even while following tropes seen in many others, is what makes it truly special.
And we have to talk about the OST, because it is absolutely top-tier. Usually, a soundtrack just supports the scene, but here, the music feels like a third lead character.

SPOILER METRICS

To be honest, I walked into this expecting a "scenic trap"—a drama relying on a star-studded cast and dreamlike landscapes just to guarantee ratings. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
We all know Kim Seon-ho’s legendary commitment. Seeing him master multiple languages for this role is no surprise; he’s an actor who "eats" his roles, often overshadowing everyone else (who could forget the Start-Up syndrome?). However, for the first time ever, I felt he met his match. In fact, he might have been slightly eclipsed.
Go Youn-jung delivers a precision performance I’ve never seen from her before. Playing two characters is a challenge, but her execution is sublime. From the start, she weaves subtle shared gestures between both roles—nothing is accidental. As the episodes progress, she draws a perfect circle: Do Ra-Mi and Mu-Hee start as opposites, drift apart in episode 7, only to slowly converge in a way that feels incredibly organic. Watching this transformation was simply breathtaking.
I’m genuinely fascinated by her growth. This isn't just a popular actress in a pretty setting; this is a masterclass in character evolution.
P.S. I can’t close this review without mentioning something that’s been living rent-free in my head… am I the only one who thinks Go Youn-jung could be Kim Ji-won’s long-lost twin?! The resemblance is uncanny!

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🕹️ KDREAMER’S INTERACTIVE ZONE

Since this drama is all about Lost in Translation moments, let's play a game!
The "Global Love" Challenge: If you could have a personal translator for ONE day to talk to any Korean actor/actress in person, who would it be and what is the first thing you would tell them?
I’m picking Go Youn-jung to tell her she’s the absolute queen of visuals! 👑 Drop your pick and your message in the comments below! 👇

#KDrama #kisskh #kdreamerReviews

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Ti Shen Jiao Qi: Zong Cai Zhui Qi Ru Ming(2024) is a romance drama with Zuo Ming (as Jing Shao Chuan) and Cheng Zi (as Tang Song) in the leading couple’s role. Te cast did a good job delivering their characters and the leading couple has a nice romance chemistry even if there were just a few intimate scenes, more sensuality, but nicely done! Chen Zi did quite well performing the duality of her character and, as a man, her makeup was very tone down to as to make her face look as if it was bare. Zuo Ming was a delight as he was falling in love with the female lead. He was charming, resolute, and protective of the frail looking Tang Song. The drama is not spectacular but it is entertaining.
“The boss found himself being aroused by the body fragrance of his personal assistant...” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it8dxwN6pBU) or “Cinderella was forced to disguise as a man, but the CEO fell in love with her at the first sight”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bztUV9X6ekk )

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Heads slowly

The concept of the show started off promising with the mystery of how two people who can't stand each other, but are constantly drawn together nonetheless by their family, but mostly by each of their respective obsession with one another that they interpret as hate before some kind of supernatural force intervenes.

The reveal that Jinn confessed to Jerome when they were very little kids and the latter handled it with bullying Jinn from elementary school till current day in college and worse Jinn's crush still hadn't gone away in the 10 years since is so sad. Every time Jinn tried to move on in the interim with different boyfriends, Jerome kept stealing them. It took supernatural intervention of visions from his dating alternate future for Jerome to realize his extremely weird fixation on Jinn is something else. Alternate because it seems to be a world where he didn't have these visions and still organically started dating Jinn at some point. It's weird that Jerome is so not immediately more concerned about his visions more since they literally take over his vision and senses into crashing his car.

I love Jerome's speech to Jinn that it took a life endangerment to realize his feelings and that Jinn can take all the time he needs since he's still not used to them being loving to each other and even if it means that they don't end up together in the end, at least they don't hate each other. It seemed like Jerome had a plan revealing his future seeing to Jinn's mom, but they they decide to do it in a traumatizing way of driving Jinn up to the boutique to see his dad there instead of just having her talk to him like an adult, maybe with Jerome present. It didn't really resolve with any kind of communication, it just does when Jinn calms down. I did like that non of the parents are surprised or care that they're dating.

There was a scene where the director wanted to angle their faces to be visible to the camera during the hug, but there was like a cavern between their faces. The angle for the Van and Farm kisses are weird too. Despite the weird angles, I do think the kiss scenes in general between the two leads is a slight improvement at times from their previous projects, though definitely still needs more direction to look organic. The actors in the same age range in other shows are about the same. It also depends on the individuals, experience, good direction and perhaps some coaching from intimacy coordinators if there are any.

Mai has been a one man comedy show from beginning to end. Van is big walking red flag, but I do like that he's taking it slow and just gradually changing for the better with how he treats Farm without instantly just asking him to date before he can be a proper boyfriend that Farm deserves. I love that his friends call him out early and often to treat Farm right. Farm finally learning Van's parents have both passed on and Van's living a lonely life with no commitments to any of his relationships though relying on them to take care of him until he betrays the relationship somehow.

The pacing really grinded down towards the end.

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Love the story, hate the visuals

I finished Her Private Life and I’m giving it a 6 out of 10.

It’s a 2019 drama, the same year as Crash Landing on You, and honestly… that comparison made it even harder for me not to notice the difference in quality.

Because story-wise? This drama is super fun. It’s really watchable, it’s light, it’s entertaining, and it’s the kind of series you can easily binge without forcing yourself through it. The romance works, the vibe is cute, and the chemistry between the male lead and the female lead is genuinely really good.

Also, the cast? I liked them. I enjoyed the leads, I enjoyed the supporting characters, I enjoyed pretty much everyone. And yes, I even teared up at one point, because the story still has those classic K-drama emotional moments that get you.

But… the production completely distracted me.
The whole time I kept feeling like I was watching a low-budget series, like they didn’t have money. Not even in a subtle way. Visually, it just didn’t look good. At some points it honestly felt like something from 1998, and I don’t even mean that as an insult, it’s just how dated it looked to me.

And don’t even get me started on the wardrobe.
I don’t know who was in charge of styling, but every outfit had me wanting to claw my eyes out. Like seriously, I was so annoyed. It was one of those things where you’re trying to stay in the moment, trying to enjoy the scene, and then you see what they’re wearing and your brain immediately goes: why… just why?

And I’ll admit something petty too: I was also really distracted by the female lead’s hair color. I’ve seen that kind of look in Korean dramas before and maybe I’m just tired of it, but I don’t like it. I love natural jet black hair. It’s rich, it’s clean, it’s classic. That fake-looking shade just doesn’t do it for me, and it kept pulling my focus.

So overall, that’s where I landed:
The story is fun.
The chemistry is strong.
The actors are enjoyable.
But the visuals, styling, and overall production quality bothered me so much that it lowered the whole experience.

It’s not a bad drama. I had moments where I genuinely enjoyed it. But I also don’t see myself rewatching it, because I was constantly distracted by how it looked.

Final verdict: great chemistry and an easy, fun story… but the production made it hard for me to fully get into it.

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They should connect this season with season 2 instead

The overall quality is still above average, although it didn't surprise me, it's still okay.

It would be even better if this season were combined with the second season. Only the dramatic conflict at the end of the second season would be retained, with the third season featuring sweet interactions and a resolution, plus a bit more of the older brother + sweet girl storyline, and the decent guy + firecracker sister storyline.

SFL finally gets divorced this season, but given her personality, she probably won't even realize what she did wrong in the end.

I feel like this season is probably the real last one. The ending includes the ML's confession and love letter, and their wedding—a happy ending!

It was nice trilogy despite the flaws. Recommended to watch.

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It felt flat

My rating: 7/10

I finished Can This Love Be Translated yesterday, and I’m giving it a 7 out of 10. Not because it was bad, but because… for the amount of hype around it, I honestly expected more. It was fine. Watchable. But it didn’t hit the way people made it sound like it would.

And I know how deep I can go with a drama when it truly hits me. Crash Landing on You is the perfect example of that. That show had such an impact on me that I actually watched it like a die-hard fan. Scene by scene. Episode by episode. I analyzed everything, because it made me feel something real.

But with this one, I never got pulled in like that.
I love a good romantic story, and on that level this one felt… flat. Like something was missing. It was lacking. It didn’t give me that “wow” feeling, and it definitely didn’t leave me emotionally wrecked in a good way.

The male lead was actually one of the better parts for me. I love a good T-character and he delivered that energy.

But the female lead… I don’t know. I just couldn’t connect with her. I couldn’t put myself in her shoes, and the way her mental health was presented really bothered me. It felt kind of clumsy and overly casual, like they wanted to include something serious but didn’t want to treat it with the weight it actually deserves. If you’re going to imply someone has a personality disorder, you can’t present it like it’s just a quirky character trait. That didn’t sit right with me.

And honestly, it wasn’t even “miscommunication” that got in the way of the relationship. It was more like… she just didn’t know how to say what she felt. And she sabotaged herself.

The moment she started feeling like, okay wait, he actually likes me now, her whole mindset switched into, this won’t last anyway. It’s going to fall apart. So I’ll end it first, before it ends me.

I get what they were trying to do, but for me it felt a bit too forced. Like it needed more depth, more buildup, more emotional logic behind it. Because I kept thinking: why are we doing this right now? It didn’t feel natural enough to be heartbreaking. It just felt… unnecessary.

There’s also one big thing that didn’t land for me: the love story itself. The male lead tried, I’ll give him that. But based on the scenes they had together, I didn’t really understand when or why he suddenly fell in love with her. I couldn’t see it happening. It felt like the plot decided it was time, and that was that.

And maybe I’m hard to impress because the only K-drama I’ve given a straight 10/10 to is Crash Landing on You. Nothing else has touched that level for me, not even My Dearest or Mr. Sunshine. So I’m not saying Can This Love Be Translated needed to be life-changing, but still… I expected it to hit harder than it did.

In the end, it’s a perfectly fine feel-good series. I enjoyed watching it. It wasn’t painful, it wasn’t a waste of time. But it also didn’t really do anything for me. And if I’m being honest, I already know I won’t be rewatching it.

Final verdict: a decent watch, good male lead energy, but emotionally underwhelming and not worth the hype.

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Tough Women Never Back Down

It is almost impossible for me to pick up a romance piece, especially in a modern setting, but here i am after reading a review off facebook. I’ve only remembered Zhao Lusi from The Long Ballad and Love Like the Galaxy, and William Chan from The Mystic Nine, but i decided to give it a go anyway, not putting much hope cuz i have dropped 3 shows before this one mainly due to mainlead lack of chemistry. I am happy to admit Love’s Ambition had turned the tide.

Xu Yan was leading a life under a fake identity as to escape her sad childhood memories of her parents. Setting out into the big city alone, she strived hard to make a better life, and seemed to hit the jackpot when she caught the eyes of Jinda Corporation heir, Shen Haoming. Determined to seize this man, she was willing to sacrifice it all, including her reputation when she decided to hire actors to pose as her parents with fake background. The marriage was a success, and she was showered with love and soaring career as a news caster, when thunder struck with the return of ML’s childhood friend who had been in love with him. Sounds like the typical love triangle script, but apparently, Xu Yan isnt the typical FL. As her marriage caught up in the rocks and her career hangs by the thread, she decided to take the high and hard road to break away when she realized Shen Haoming had not married her due to love but to make use of her relentless personality and working background to embellish his business profile. And when she thought she had moved on, it turned out she was pulled even closer to her soon to be ex husband.

Initially it seemed like FL was the typical gold digger, going out of her way to win the heart of future mom in law from hell, to the point of groveling to her. But i liked that Xu Yan did it elegantly with meticulous strategy. And to realize that the only reason she held on to Shen Haoming was because she truly believed his love for her was even sadder when the cracks appeared in their relationship.

Xu Yan is the embodiment of a tough and relentless young woman who is clear of her vision and mission in life. Although she loved ML to the point of disowning her own dysfunctional family, she had no problem letting him go when she saw that there was no future between them other than being nominal husband and wife. She would not live her life in such prison, and she was not afraid to wade the waters of fire to escape it. This is one of the few physically weak FL that I truly admire because damn she was a really tough cookie.

Love the chemistry between the mainleads. I didnt feel much for their relationship at first, cuz i thought ML was rather old for Zhao Lusi. But as the story progresses, i saw that they looked really good for each other, and when ML finally realized how he really felt for FL, it actually looked convincing. I can say i ship them both despite not having much impression of William Chan at the beginning.

Although this show seemed like a pure romance, it turned out to be more of life/family drama instead. I love the family dynamics portrayed in here. How FL’s relationship with her in laws would deepen beyond what i expected. There was no real villain here and no extreme jealous lover that pisses people off when they appear on screen. Even the big sister who seemed to be a real troublemaker in the beginning was molded to be Xu Yan’s bff at the end. The only characters that I could really hate to the end are in fact Xu Yan’s biological parents cuz there was no reconciling plot for them. They never realized or admitted their mistakes of sidelining Xu Yan which caused significant childhood trauma for her growing up.

This is a great light drama that people could enjoy without much distress for hateful characters. Although i am an action-wuxia lover, i can approve of this when there was no interesting titles to watch. Which was why i picked it up in the first place.

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They keep the quality for the sequel

I watched this drama on 10 January 2026 and tried to rewatch to get better review.

For a sequel, it's above average. Although the plot doesn't have any substantial progress, it still maintains the quality of the first season. The plot mainly revolves around the daily lives of the two main characters. The first season saw them progress from complete strangers to semi-mature adults, while this season shows their journey from semi-mature to fully mature.

I especially love watching FL tease the ML. She's a straightforward person who knows the answer but pretends to be stubborn and old-fashioned, and then seeing him look pitiful like a puppy looks so satisfying.

ML's old-fashioned character is further developed, and it's clear he's growing to love the FL and starting to change. The older brother still has limited screen time, but his appearances are always impactful.

The cons is the lack of original audio and editing is kind rushed. However, the overall viewing experience is still very good.

Recommended to watch.

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A Kingdom of Villains and Complicated Love

Love Like the Galaxy is honestly a must-watch for any C-drama fan, especially if you’re into general stories—because I am a sucker for those. This drama sets a very specific bar when it comes to generals, and Ling Buyi absolutely smashed it.
Ling Buyi / General Ling
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a ruthless, cold-blooded male lead in a historical drama. He was brutal to the extreme—like actually bloody, killing people without hesitation—and he never softened up just to please the audience. He wasn’t a green flag at all, and what surprised me most is that he stayed serious throughout the entire show. Characters like this usually “break” at some point, but he never did. That was just him.
The only moments where he softened—where he smiled, where he felt human—were with Shaoshang. Other than that, he was cold, harsh, and terrifying, and honestly? I didn’t mind it at all.
Leo Wu did an insane job. I genuinely can’t imagine anyone else pulling this character off. He has that strong, serious face and the ability to hold a character without cracking. The revenge arc, the heartbreak, the messiness of his emotions—it all landed. His character was chaotic, but not illogical. The whole “my revenge comes before everything” mindset stayed consistent, which made his choices painful but believable.
I also loved the twist with his identity—being the Hou general’s biological son. His relationship with the emperor completely stole my heart. The emperor basically adopted him, and that bond felt more genuine than the emperor’s relationships with his own children. It fed my soul.
Cheng Shaoshang (Niao Niao)
Her character is one of the most interesting FL I’ve seen in a long time. She’s not self-righteous, not a green flag, not overly kind. She gives kindness where it’s due—and revenge where that is due. She’s clever, petty, cruel when needed, and deeply broken underneath it all.
I loved the first part of the drama where it focused mainly on her story, even before the romance really kicked in. Watching her navigate life, survive, and scheme was genuinely entertaining. Honestly, I feel like her character had even more development than Ling Buyi’s.
Lusi was phenomenal here. This might actually be my favorite role of hers. She portrayed a broken person beautifully while still showing her cruelty, carefreeness, and villain-adjacent tendencies. That mix of traits is hard to balance, but she nailed it.
That said… her stubbornness did get on my nerves sometimes—especially near the end. When she couldn’t forgive him after five years, I was like, girl please loosen up a little. But at the same time, it was in character, so I can’t fully fault it.
Family Dynamics
Her family storyline was one of my favorite parts of the show. Her father? Absolutely top-tier. He was her rock, always supportive, always loving her like his baby girl. I loved that the show showed both a mother’s love and a father’s love—because her dad truly balanced out everything her mother failed to give her.
Her brothers were such a fun addition, and honestly, I think the show underused them. I really wanted more of their relationship with her, especially after the time jump. It felt like we were robbed of their stories—they had so much potential.
And don’t even get me started on the eldest brother. Why introduce him if you’re not going to bring him? I wanted him to show up and protect her at some point.
I also missed the third uncle and his wife in the second half. They played a role in shaping her early character, and their absence was felt.
The Emperor (Best Character, Period)
Hands down, the emperor was the best character in the entire show. The best emperor in C-drama history, in my opinion. He was funny, kind, warm, chaotic, and genuinely father-like to everyone around him.
I kept waiting for him to turn dark or suddenly put the kingdom first over people—but he never did. I loved his dynamic with the empress and the consort, especially the fact that they were friends. That storyline felt so fresh and mature. The empress choosing herself in the end was sad but powerful, and the way he didn’t forget her was beautiful.
Romance & Relationship Issues
Now… the main couple. I have mixed feelings.
As actors? Insane chemistry. Fire. Intensity. They carried the show together effortlessly. But as characters? Their relationship was exhausting—and intentionally so.
Ling Buyi kept accusing her of not trusting him, while he never trusted her enough to tell her the truth. Their relationship went in circles—secrets, manipulation, judgment, revenge—over and over again. And the thing is… it made sense for their characters, even if it drove me crazy as a viewer.
He’s not morally gray—he’s dangerous. And she’s just as selfish as he is. They both prioritize their own revenge and trauma over love. That’s why their relationship hurts, but also why it feels realistic.
I did find some plot points frustrating, though. The whole “he abandoned her” thing after the cliff jump made no sense. He was literally trying to save her life. If she jumped with him, they both would’ve died. That storyline annoyed me a lot.
Time Jump, Villains & Ending Thoughts
I usually hate time jumps, but for once, I didn’t mind it here. They needed time to heal, mature, and reset. Episode 51 honestly could’ve been an ending on its own—a bittersweet, realistic one where not everyone gets a second chance. It hurt, but it made sense.
I also appreciated that there was no evil second male lead. I really thought YSJ would turn obsessive, but instead he became a genuine friend and confidant. Loved that choice.
The show was full of villains, but none of them overstayed their welcome. Their storylines were fast-paced, satisfying, and they all got what they deserved.
That being said, I do have complaints. I hated how stupid she could be sometimes—she had zero survival instincts. She never trusted her gut, never noticed when people were very obviously trying to kill her, and she kept walking straight into danger only to wait for the ML to save her, and then somehow still blame him after. Her stubbornness also got on my nerves. Another thing that lost points for me was the wedding. We waited almost 25 episodes hearing about engagements and marriage, only to be completely robbed of the wedding. Them getting married off-screen, without the emperor—who had been hyping the wedding the entire show—felt ridiculous. The ending itself was rushed too. I feel like the last five to seven episodes were unnecessary and could’ve been written better instead of fast-wrapping everything. I wanted to see the whole family together properly, not squeezed in at the end. And listen… her hairstyle. Those two braids the entire show genuinely pissed me off. The costumes were beautiful, but the lack of variety in her hair was criminal. On the other hand, Leo Wu in a general’s outfit the whole time? Perfection. And the scene where his hair was down? Absolutely breathtaking. Devoured. No complaints there.
Despite all my complaints, this is an incredible drama that I’d recommend to anyone—especially historical C-drama fans. It has revenge, strong characters, sharp sarcasm, emotional depth, tension-heavy romance, stunning cinematography, and an amazing OST.
It’s serious, then suddenly hilarious, and it works. Not big on PDA, but huge on tension and chemistry. Overall? Absolutely worth the watch.

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If Only

If only she did not get married to the King, if only. But, fate has decided for her, in what ever corner she turned to, she will end up to the King. then, she chose the King after so many flirting attempts.

Little did she know, she turned into a different woman. No more smile, no more laughing. She only sat in her chamber all day long, without her friends, but court maids.

Undeniably, The Red Sleeve is such a great series and I enjoyed my time in watching it. I did cry a lot because of how painful and pitiful it is to be the female lead. She deserved the love, but she also deserved her life as a normal people. If only she did not get married to the king...

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