Reviews

Chinese historical mystery drama with clever cases

The Wanted Detective starts off as a refreshing entry in the historical mystery genre, weaving together multiple intriguing cases under one larger story.

The pacing is tighter than many dramas with concise episodes that keep the momentum going and the storytelling feels logical and easy to follow.
On the downside, some mysteries are solved too easily and the side characters don’t have much depth beyond moving the story forward.

For me, the female lead is not very likable. Her role often feels secondary and while she is meant to be a smart FL, her logic sometimes feels off.
Additionally, her acting comes across lighter compared to Wang Xingyue’s stronger presence. While the early episodes look promising, it’s still uncertain if the main conspiracy will stay clear or become messy as the story progresses and I don’t feel much chemistry in the romance between the male and female leads.

In my opinion, Wanted Detective is an enjoyable watch of historical mysteries with clever cases and a touch of martial intrigue. It would be better if the female lead were written with more independence, but its mix of mystery and quicker pacing makes it a promising addition to the C-drama detective lineup.

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A Dark Comedy Worth Your Time!

Don't let the naysayers sway you! I found this to be full of dark humor with a good sprinkling of sadness to puncture its levity. It is a story about two astonishingly handsome yet despondent young men. Full of life yet both having given up on it as well. Although this series is short, it portrays an acutely innermost story between two men that were never meant to meet, yet did. Forced circumstances allowed them to fall in love. Although they were not supposed to; they did anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed this series. It let us look at two rather pleasing-looking guys in the here-and-now that I could believe in. And these two actors put it all together and made it work and made it feel genuine and honest.

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"We have all the time in the world."

"It doesn't matter, we have plenty of time. We can start anew." These annoyed me for a bit. Cause the different arcs made me think that the years they spent apart seems WAY TOO LONG compared to them being together. But when I think about it, they do have time cause know they will always find each other in EVERY lifetime in every realm. And I cried again.

I really have no expectations whatsoever starting this, it was just a random Saturday and saw this poster in the newly released section. Now I'm obsessed. LIAO TINGYAN IS AN AMAZING CHARACTER. Every line delivery is so good! The actress' comedic timings are perfect. She wants nothing but to sleep, eat, and go on vacation it's honestly what made me love her sm. She made me start this series and the romance made me stay!

SJ murdering people and delivering his speech while LTY holding onto his waist and thinking how slim it was—IS HILARIOUS. SJ's 'What?' was such a great delivery I WAS DYINGGGG. That line really made that scene perfect. I adore them. The air-conditioning and pain reliever thing is funny but still romantic how do they do that? And that kiss-not-really-a-kiss scene in the hot water thing was so sexy would 100% like to try that for myself 🙂‍↕️

"You are the only one in this world who can make me yield without a fight. That makes you the strongest of all." GURLLLL YOU WON.

"You don't need to worry about these things. With me here, wherever you go is a vacation." I need a Sima Jiao??? Hello??? Isn't that the most romantic thing you've ever heard? All of their kisses and intimate scenes feels so real and doesn't look awkward or forced I just feel giddy watching them. That soul connection/merging/dual cultivation is STEAMYYYY I was actually not sure if I should let my mind go THAT far and had to confirmed it to the people who read the novel but yes. They're getting freaky indeed.

And whenever Sima Jiao pulls that one eye tear, my lifespan shortens. I could feel the pain through the screen.

This story really focused more on the romance and how these soulmates always find each other, no matter what. And I love that. The last episodes really tired me out but still cried my eyes off, I am emotionally attached.

"I found you again."
"Do you know me?"
"Of course I do."
The theory that she didn't really transmigrated to the immortal realm but she actually belongs there? And that's just her gaining her memories back, is something I support. If we had 40 eps like the usual, we could've had explored their modern era too 😔

Lastly, I just want to say my appreciation to the OST: In this World I Only Love You (这世间我唯独爱你). When the first note starts playing, I'm already crashing out. It's so so good I had to add it to my playlist.

Now I don't know what to do anymore. I miss my babies. 10/ 10. One of my favorites this year.

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Carried the value of it's one of a kind concept

The season 2 didn't disappoint. While compared to season the mystery elements were less confusing as we already got an idea of what was going on (S1 made me left me confused in every scene in the best possible way) this season focuses more on how everything came together to bring the concept of Enigma.

The plot was great, amazing, astonishing. With a cleared picture of Ajin and the concept of black magic we progress to see the effect of black magic in real life through a very specific element. We got the story of Enigma and some back story for Ajin. I liked how they kept the continuation of the concept from s1 about women being pitted against women. S1 it was school and education while s2 is all about the competition of the industry and ending with a note of the dynamics of the power hierarchy of our society. I loved how they added the elements of Thai culture and traditions. The dress and the modern traditional Thai dance was everything to me.

Every scene made me stop breathing. It was intense. The way every scene is filmed with so much of effort, the crew and cast truly deserves a big round of applause. However if I think about s1 it was more interesting, might be because of the more profound element of mystery as we were still trying to figure out what was going on. Enigma Black stage was more about what will happen.

The cast did a great job. Their acting brought shivers to my spine. It truly felt like I was in the Enigma universe. Win has grown so much as an actor. He truly delivered. Namtan, there's nothing to talk about her. She is just fantastic with her expression and dialogues. Mint in her first role went beyond my expectations. Jingjing really took on her role of being Jew. She never slipped even for once.

I wish we have more dramas like this. A S3, no even a S10 of Enigma will never be too much. I hope more people can recognize the amazing Thai film and drama industry beyond BL and GL. There is so much to explore and Thai industry is such a risk taker for creating stories so out of the box like Enigma.

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A Sweet RomCom with Demons, Murder, and Blood

The good: a sweet and brave FL, her loyal friend SML, and a handsome, tortured ML. I enjoyed all the casting. Kim Mi Kyung played the spiritual mother of the FL, and I always look forward to her appearance in dramas (I've seen her in 24 and have nearly that many more I want to see). She's especially good in roles of powerful leadership tempered with maternal instincts, and that's the exact role she played here. The cast of students added warmth and levity to balance the darker issues. With only 12 episodes, the drama maintained interest and didn't drag until the final episodes.

The bad: it seemed all the characters took turns taking stupid pills which rendered them unable to make sensible decisions. FL Seong A told her best friend to avoid her love interest, the ML, but left out the reason why: he's demon possessed. Best friend made terrible decisions without consulting Seong A, which put numerous lives at risk. Worst of all, the big villain was taken into the household and given full run of the place when everyone knew she was plotting evil. Did bad things happen as a result? Darn skippy, they did. After all that, the viewers were treated to a poorly executed time skip at the end of the drama. The last few episodes were once again written by the janitor, makeup artist, and security. That's the only viable explanation for the disjointed and illogical mess the drama became (that, or the writer contracted brain-eating amoebas).

The drama depicted Bong Su as a supreme evil spirit, but the worst I saw of him were a few anger management failures. The Big Bad kicked a tripod once, punched his rival for love in the gut a couple of times, and got into a few altercations. He was also guilty of raising his voice several times. Hardly the evil we were promised! The true villain was the shaman who orchestrated the deaths of a hundred people, terrorized the ML most of his life, and caused the death of her spiritual mother. As often is depicted in South Korean dramas, she was given cheap grace and walked away free and unrepentant. To the very end, even when the viewer was supposed to believe she'd had a change of heart, she was still trying to solve her problems with murder.

I subtracted a star for the execution of the ending, but I added one for the delightful cast.

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One of the most profound kdramas out there

D.P. is one of the most praised dramas out there. I've always seen people say positive things about it, so naturally I became curious. The plot caught my attention immediately and since it had only 6 episodes, I decided to give it a try.

Needless to say that all of you who praised it were so, so right.

I was familiar with the series' premise before I watched it. I knew it had to do with military and the abuse that happens there. I am aware of the fact that South Korea takes pride in their military and how important its service is for them so it was interesting to see a drama that did not shy away from showing what is going on behind-the-scenes.

From the very first episode, D.P. had my undivided attention. I am the type of person who pays attention to details and from the very start, I could tell that D.P.'s cinematography was stellar. The moody colors added to the grim and heavy atmosphere and the editing added more tension, especially during the most dramatic scenes. The scenes where Seok-Bong snapped highlighted his delirious and desperate state of mind, I felt like I was the one going crazy after all the torment and abuse he had to endure.

The structure of D. P. was very interesting and quite unusual for your typical kdrama. While the show has a clear goal (to raise awareness about the abuse that takes place in the military), there isn't a specific plot. The drama follows an episodic format and each episode focused on a different deserter. I am a big fan of this type of series so I was very excited to see this approach. This format was very suitable for a series like D.P. By focusing on different cases of deserted soldiers, we are allowed to witness different point of views and place ourselves in the soldiers' shoes. I was so eager to continue watching once I was done with each case and I never felt bored.

Despite its short length, D.P. is one of the few kdramas out there that can brag about offering a fleshed out story in just 6 episodes. Although I am sure that the writers could have told even more had they increased the length, the number of the episodes was more than suitable. The story didn't feel repetitive and I never felt like it was dragged. The pacing was perfect, fast enough to keep my interest alive but not fast to point the story and character development felt too rushed and messy. I was constantly at the edge of my sit, waiting to see what would happen next and how Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol would deal with each situation.

One thing that surprised me and I personally didn't expect was the comedic aspect of D.P. Although the series tackles plenty of dark themes, there were still various funny and light-hearted moments, especially between Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol. While someone might had expected the comedy to undermine the value and importance of the drama, that never happened. The writers handled the funnier parts with outmost care and responsibility. The comedy never outweighed the serious tone. It certainly helped in lighting up the mood but not at the expense of the series' core point. The contrast between the comedy and drama is almost misleading. The first episodes have some lighter moments

The soundtrack was simple and yet so fitting. The moment I heard the first notes of the intro, I immediately knew that the same composer was involved in Weak Hero Class - and I was right! D.P. soundtrack is mostly calm yet melancholic, with some nice intense moments. It adds to the grim atmosphere and contributed to the emotional impact of the heavier scenes.

I could talk for hours and hours about the acting. Every single cast member gave a stellar performance, especially the main ones. Jung Hae-In was amazing as An Jun-Ho. He perfectly portrayed the calm and empathetic personality of Jun-Ho and he quickly made me connect with the character. His micro-expressions and his body language perfectly captured Jun-Ho's subtle emotions such as fear and anger and his delivery was always flawless. The way he looked was both haunting and captivating, his gaze conveyed Jun-Ho's pent-up sadness and guilt so convincingly to the point I felt he talked to my soul.

Koo Kyo-Hwan was absolutely charming as Han Ho-Yeol. I can totally see why he won the Baeksang Award. He made me fall in love with the character from the get-go and I always looked forward to his scenes. Ho-Yeol was like a breath of fresh air in a drama like D.P. Playful, outgoing, confident, he couldn't be more different compared to the calm and introverted Jun-Ho and yet these two clicked immediately. Although Ho-Yeol worked mostly as the comedic relief character, his role wasn't reduced to just that. There were clearly more layers underneath his carefree facade and sometimes, the mask of a carefree soldier managed to crack.

Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol's relationship is one of the defining elements of D.P. Hae-In and Kyo-Hwan's chemistry was just excellent. They effortlessly portrayed the friendship between the two D.P.s and they made a dynamic duo. The striking differences between Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol added more depth to their bond. It was so heartwarming to see how Ho-Yeol became Jun-Ho's first genuine friend and that also applies to Jun-Ho. Both boys were shown to be lonely, each one in a different way. Jun-Ho came from an abusive household. Although his mother and sister cared about him, he was suffocated by the abuse from his father and he felt trapped. Of course he had good relationships with some other soldiers, especially Seok-Bong but no one had managed to break the walls he had built around himself. On the other hand, while Ho-Yeol had a more outgoing persona and he clearly could get along with many people, he didn't form any actual meaningful relationships. It is also implied that his parents do not care a lot about him, which would make him even more lonely.

Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol influenced each other with one way or another. Ho-Yeol made Jun-Ho have more fun and he contributed to him making amends with his mother. Jun-Ho made Ho-Yeol show his more empathetic side and sympathize more with the deserted soldiers. Both of them felt comfortable around each other and they even found a form of security in their friendship. I really like how the series explored their relationship and they have become one of my favourite kdrama duos of all time.

As for the other characters, they were equally interesting and fleshed out. Kim Sung-Kyun and Son Suk-Ku gave equally exciting performances as Park Beom-Gu and Im Ji-Seop respectively. Watching them bickering was really fun but eventually they managed to understand each other and get their development. Jo Hyun-Chul was excellent as Seok-Bong, the way he portrayed him made me both scared and so sad and angry.

If you can't stomach violence and abuse, D.P. is not the ideal kdrama for you. Violence is presented in every form. Verbal, physical, sexual...It doesn't always gets to be too graphic but it's still there. And it makes you feel disgusted. Disgusted with people who believe they can belittle those who consider weak. Disgusted at the actions themselves. And disgusted at the way nobody did anything to stop this.

Some people might say that the extent of the abuse depicted in D.P. is exaggerating and that these type of actions do not occurr that often in the military. I am happy to see that there are many people who didn't get to experience that in their service but unfortunately, bullying is very common in this field. There are many stories out there which will make you speechless. D.P. itself is based on real events. And this is the most tragic part: we want to believe that this is overdramatized because we don't want to believe it try happens.

One of the key points regarding the bullying in military is the cycle of abuse. D.P. shows that those who get bullied can become the perpetrators themselves. Obviously this is not an excuse. Bullying is wrong, period. Just because you get mistreated, that doesn't mean it's ethically correct to do the same in order to release your pent-up feelings and find a form of salvation. But this is not always possible. People react differently to abuse and some of them will end up becoming the abusers themselves. Jang-Su got mistreated in his work and he abused Seok-Bong in return. Seok-Bong endured the abuse and then he belittled other soldiers. It's an on-going circle that cannot be broken easily.

D.P. calls out toxic masculinity and the abuse of power in military. Whether it's from the perspective of the soldiers (like Jun-Ho and Ho-Yeol) or the generals (like Beom-Gu and Ji-Seop), the series portrays how those who are in higher positions will go to great lengths in order to establish order and power. Ranks play a fundamental role in military and more often than not, they become the cause of violence. Those in higher positions let this go over their heads and those in lower positions feel jealous of the others.

The only minor "complaints" I have is that I would have liked to see more og Ho-Yeol's character being explored. There was potential to showcase his complexity more, especially his relationship with his absent parents. Of course he remained a well-written character, I just would have liked to see more aspects of him. I also think that the writers could have given more insight into Jun-Ho's relationship with his family but overall, I have no bad feelings about the story.

D.P. is one of the most profound series out there. Not only does it expose the abuse that takes place in the military instead of glorifying the military itself but it urges the viewers to take action against bullying in general. "I should do something" Ji-Seop said in the last episodes. And this is what we should tell ourselves to do once we witness abuse. Don't be a mere observer. Do something.

I'm very thankful for watching D.P. It's a drama I'll keep thinking about and never get tired of it. No matter if you watch kdramas or not, everyone should give it a try. I can confidently say it has become one of my most favourite series and I want to rewatch it because I think it's the type of show that will make you learn something new every time you revisit it.

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"As Long As We're Together": A Heartfelt Saga of Family Resilience

"As Long As We're Together" is a compelling drama that intricately weaves the stories of three families as they navigate life's myriad challenges. Set against the backdrop of contemporary society, the series delves deep into the struggles, sacrifices, and unwavering bonds that define familial relationships.

Each family faces its unique set of trials. One grapples with financial instability, another confronts health crises, and the third battles internal conflicts that threaten to tear them apart. The strength of the drama lies in its realistic portrayal of these everyday struggles, making it easy for viewers to empathize with the characters.

The ensemble cast delivers stellar performances, bringing authenticity and depth to their roles. The writers skillfully balance moments of intense drama with heartwarming scenes of love and solidarity, creating a narrative that is both poignant and uplifting.

"As Long As We're Together" is more than just a drama; it's a celebration of the human spirit and the enduring power of family. It reminds us that even in the face of adversity, hope and resilience can prevail as long as we have each other. This series is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates stories that resonate with the heart and soul.

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She's a tactical genius, She's a woman in love

TL;DR--
Watch it for romance, chemistry, fun times and little emotional investment in politics/bloodshed

1. Plot
I have not read the novel so this was a blank slate, so to speak. In that aspect, this was pretty good. Most of it made complete sense, had logical flows and were digestible in there outlandishness.
I liked that the story was hers mostly. The ML had his own story and struggles, yes, but in the end, it was she who was most highlighted by the plot--and by the ML too! This was in-line with the drama title so I appreciate that.

2. Characterization
Huaijing has always been quiet and reserved, the tragedy at Mingshui only made it worse with bitterness in the mix. In that lens, all his actions and reactions make complete sense. And then, when the air is cleared and we see their history, his emotions and feelings make sense too.

Yan was not explored well emotionally. She had a very unique upbringing, trauma after trauma. We don't get much in terms of her coming to terms with her lot in life emotionally. It could partially be because of the actor (no hate to her but she doesn't do complex emotional depth well), it could be on the editing (perhaps the episodes were cut so it was edited out) or it could be a directorial choice.
It wasn't too bad, as you can see from my rating, but it could have been better with that.

Chu Zhao, what can I say. I hated him from his first moment on the screen and I wished him all things bad. His ending was a mercy and in my world, he lives a horrible life and dies a horrible death <3

The King, probably the stupidest one there ever has been. No wonder Wutou keeps invading, the Wei King makes it too easy. The King has never seen a selfish minister he didn't listen to, never heard harmful advice he didn't immediately implement. Xu was almost, almost, right in that last shenanigan of his.

3. The Ending
This ending was interesting. It wasn't a failure, definitely. It did fall into the trap of 'must-kill-someone-for-the-genre' and I think it did so terribly--just like Yan's emotional depth they chose to take the easy way out and kill the easiest to kill. But, we live in delululand, so I don't care much about that.
Other than that, 10/10 ending.

4. Chemistry
Whew. Guys, such chemistry. If you are here for romance, definitely watch this. If you want little and easy to watch political intrigue with heavy focus on building the main relationship, watch this. If you want to watch a second lead being put in his place, repeatedly explicitly and thoroughly? WATCH THIS. Some of the best developed lead couple relationship, in fact the main selling point of this drama is the two general's love triumphing all.

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Just... a masterpiece

Where do I begin. The screenwriter really outdid himself. The art department and set design did a fantastic job - the Fengbo Lake and bride murders? INSANE. The editing was fantastically paced - didn't feel rushed or dragged on. The director had a VISION and it came to life beautifully. This was a wonderful production. I was hooked from the very beginning and the music, visuals, storyline, and actors just kept roping me back in. I literally couldn't put it down. Xing Yue... the man and actor you are. I love how he is able to fully immerse himself in whatever role he is playing. Not once did I think "oh this is an actor," it was always "Beiming you genius!" The relationship between Beiming and Xueman is beautiful too. A level of maturity and trust that you don't see in a lot of other Cdramas. You can tell that they have loved each other for a long time. You didn't need physical touch to see that. But mr. director man.... why only one kiss AT THE END OF THE SERIES? He knows he deprived us. Also, the plot twist?????? insane work. The screenwriter wanted our jaws on the floor and he achieved that. I only knocked half a point because sometimes it felt they solved some things too easily but I guess we can't have them pulling their hair out EVERY step of the way.

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Season 1 was better as season 2 became lower quality

To my surprised Taxi Driver season 2 is rated 8.9 vs 8.8 season 1 as of writing this review.

Now Season 1 is one I liked because I'm a simple lad, it got action and it got a decent story not hard to follow.

Season 2 I started watching it and I was so disinterested because what they do in season 2 shows how low quality it is which is they skip fight scenes. They just imply there was a fight in multiple instances and there was a fight scene that just made no sense like there was no choreography done and they just told him to fight like a thug.

I assume there's budget reasons for this.

The other problem I have with the story is the story doesn't focus on a lot of relatable grievances but there was one that I assume it was to emulate the big story that blew up in South Korea.

The biggest issue is the cabal concept which is just like it just doesn't feel as strong as season 1 but the music is always great and the actors deliver. It's an okay series but definitely not stronger than season 1.

I will watch season 3 in hopes they bring back more action pack scenes but this show has turned more into like The Blacklist to where it had a strong start but I will only continue watching because I like one of the characters which is the nerdy girl in the van which deserves way more screen time.

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So strong in the beginning

There were a lot of things that I liked about it, and a lot of things I didn't. For one, love the main cast. The story is good. The editing fantastic. The one scene of Shen Wan dressing the beheaded bride and applying her makeup was just.... it made me sob. Absolutely beautiful. That's what hooked me in. I just wish that they focused more on the Prince Jin and Shen Yi case than the last 10 or so episodes. I know that they had to lead up to them having the power to investigate, but it resulted in the main crux of the show feeling rushed. It's also upsetting that the traitor Yan Han wasn't properly condemned. I know that it would "shake the foundation of the country" or whatever, but didn't they just give a speech about letting the law handle him? and then it just.... didn't? To me, the writing was really strong in the beginning and started losing steam halfway through, barely carrying the same momentum til the end. Overall though, was definitely a good watch and would recommend it. Just not top of my list of dramas this year!

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