Reviews

Episode 1-2 – The Hypocrisy of Plastic Empowerment

When Honour premiered, it tried to sell itself as a bold manifesto for female empowerment. The marketing promised complex women fighting a corrupt system and defending victims.

But even in the premiere, the cracks were obvious.

The show introduced three supposedly “independent” women, yet their independence quickly revealed itself to be either financially supported by others or morally shielded by the script itself. What was framed as empowerment often looked more like hypocrisy protected by plot armor.

Unfortunately, the finale only confirms those early concerns.

The "Independent" CEO

Take Kang Sin Jae.

The drama portrays her as the visionary CEO of a pro bono law firm, someone rebellious and independent. But the illusion collapses almost immediately when we learn that the entire operation is funded by her mother.

This creates a strange contradiction. The show tries to frame her as a rebel fighting systems of power, yet she is effectively a nepo-boss playing office with family money.

Instead of feeling like a strong professional figure, her constant rebellious antics often resemble a teenager acting out rather than a serious legal mind running an organization.

The Hypocrisy of Hwang Hyeon Jin

The most glaring problem of the show is Hwang Hyeon Jin (HHJ).

Promotional material describes her as an “elegant, fiery lawyer who resists anything that goes against her principles.”

The show itself proves the opposite.

From the start, HHJ is portrayed as a champion for rape victims. Yet her own actions consistently contradict the professional ethics and moral standards the drama claims she represents.

And as the story progresses, these contradictions only get worse.

The Professionalism Paradox

HHJ visits her ex-boyfriend’s house at night under the excuse of discussing work.

This is framed as normal behavior for a professional lawyer, but the scene immediately turns into an affair. The show unintentionally reinforces the very stereotype it claims to criticize — the idea that women cannot separate personal relationships from their professional responsibilities.

For someone who is supposed to be a serious attorney handling sensitive cases, this kind of conduct would be career-ending in any realistic legal environment.

Yet in the world of Honour, it barely matters.

The Cheating Narrative

The drama also tries to frame her cheating as a tragic “mistake.”

But cheating is not a single accident. It is a series of deliberate choices.

HHJ:

goes to her ex-lover’s house late at night

stays when things become intimate

continues the encounter fully aware she is married

returns home to a husband who is faithfully trying to build a family with her

Later she claims she “wasn’t in her right mind.”

That explanation might work for a moment of anger or panic. It does not work for a calculated sequence of decisions that lasts an entire evening.

Yet the show expects the audience to sympathize with her regret afterward.

The Ethical Collapse

Things escalate even further.

After her ex-lover is murdered, HHJ tries to protect herself by tampering with evidence and manipulating the investigation.

This isn’t just morally questionable behavior. For a lawyer, it is a serious crime that could end a career and potentially lead to prison.

And yet the story never seriously addresses these consequences.

The same character who is supposed to defend victims of sexual violence ends up jeopardizing legal cases and interfering with a murder investigation simply to hide her own mistakes.

The Finale and the Myth of “Realism”

After the finale aired, many viewers defended the ending by saying the drama is “realistic.”

Their argument is that in real life not every criminal receives justice.

That can absolutely be true.

But the problem is that this supposed realism never applies to HHJ.

Across the story she:

cheats on her husband

becomes pregnant from the affair

hides the truth

tampers with evidence

manipulates a murder investigation

behaves unprofessionally as a lawyer

Yet somehow she walks away from the story essentially untouched.

No legal consequences.

No real career fallout.

Not even a believable collapse of her marriage.

Instead, the narrative bends itself to protect her.

Her husband — who spent the entire drama loyal and supportive — is ultimately written into a doormat, accepting both the betrayal and a child that isn’t his.

The show wants the audience to believe that this outcome is realistic.

But it doesn’t feel realistic at all.

It feels like the writers simply refused to allow their protagonist to face consequences.

Final Verdict

In the end, Honour tries to present itself as a complex story about flawed women navigating a corrupt world.

But flawed characters only work when their actions have consequences.

Instead, the drama repeatedly shields its female lead while condemning nearly every male character as either a predator, a manipulator, or a pathetic fool. The result isn’t nuanced storytelling — it’s a narrative where accountability exists for everyone except the protagonist.

Ironically, the show ends up reinforcing the very stereotypes it claims to fight.

It calls itself realistic, but only when that realism applies to villains.

When it comes to HHJ, the story suddenly becomes fantasy.

And that contradiction is exactly what made the entire drama feel hollow from the beginning to the finale.

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SWISS ARMY KNIFE

Imagine a world where the sins of the parents aren’t just a metaphor—they’re an actual pirate radio broadcast from the 80s that resurfaces to haunt everyone. Seo Jung-hoo is a high-tech “night courier” dreaming of solitude on a deserted island. Chae Young-sin is a tabloid reporter with zero chill and a heart of pure gold. Kim Moon-ho is a star journalist weighed down by heavy “older brother” guilt. And the true MVP? The Ajumma—an ace hacker who lives on kimbap and yells instructions at the ML through an earpiece.

Usually, the “hidden identity” trope drags out 16 episodes of avoidable frustration. Here, it sparks a partnership. When Jung-hoo plays the bumbling rookie “Bong-soo,” the chemistry isn’t just romantic—it’s laugh-out-loud funny. And the action? Not just brainless brawls. It’s parkour-packed, rooftop-leaping, “how did he fit through that window?” brilliance—tactical and sleek over flashy.

That tired trope where leads break up “for the other person’s own good”? *Healer* flips it. These two actually communicate, leaning on each other when things get rough. The mystery of the five friends and their illegal radio station is genuinely gripping, giving the modern-day stakes a weight that turns the story into a multi-generational epic.

And honestly, it’s the gold standard for a reason. Ji Chang-wook is in peak “brooding but soft” mode, while Park Min-young proves she’s the queen of the game. It’s a 20-episode ride that somehow feels over in five.

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A new fairytale from the Hong Sisters

'Can This Love Be Translated?' is the third drama I've seen written by the Hong sisters. It's once again a fairytale story (as the lead actress, Go Youn Jung, has rightly noted in interviews), set in our own reality. However, unlike 'A Korean Odissey' and 'Hotel del Luna', it doesn't feature any fairytale characters. The fairytale feel was more due to the stunning beauty of the filming locations: in addition to the colorful landscapes of Canadian lakes, mountains, and parks, I especially enjoyed filming in Italy, a country I love and have visited many times.

Go Youn Jung is back as the character similar to the one I've seen in 'Resident Playbook'. Cha Mu Hui is an unfortunate child been forced to adapt and pretend starting from childhood to not only be liked but also to survive. A very useful skill for an actress, right? Especially in SK.

Childhood trauma runs deep within her, embodied in the character Cha Mu Hui played before falling into a coma and waking up to become famous. The writers walk a fine line, making a personality disorder caused by profound trauma seem almost normal. Every time I watched Ju Ho Jin play along with Cha Mu Hui while she imagined herself as Do Ra Mi, I couldn't understand how come he was not terrified of interacting with someone with a clear mental disorder. A girl like that shouldn't have been invited to dinner; she should have been sent to a clinic, and not to that nice guy in a white coat.

It's clear that this is a way to draw a parallel between translation from foreign languages, which allowed people to communicate and understand each other, but it was truly eerie upon closer look. This in no way detracts from Go Youn Jung's charm and her brilliant performance as the two-in-one role. She's rising higher and higher in my personal ranking of actresses, and I eagerly await her new roles.

Well, Kim Seon Ho was pure love. Anyone who couldn't get enough of his wseet Park Cheong Seop in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' was fully rewarded in this drama. Well-mannered, well-educated, handsome, stylish, and very sensitive, Ju Ho Jin is a dream! He has a house with a huge library, he speaks several foreign languages, works as a translator, loves good music, has excellent cooking skills, and wears stylish coats. Could you resist? I couldn't.

Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung formed a beautiful and harmonious on-screen couple, but the 'third angle' was lacking: Kurosawa Hiro had every chance of being a worthy rival to Joo Ho-jin (and, admittedly, I would have rooted for him with all my heart), but Fukushi Sota was given a poorly developed character who never was a threat to the main couple. From a complete ***hole, Hiro suddenly (!) transforms into a compassionate wise man, and I saw no motivation for this change, because the viewer's attention was always focused on Cha Mu Hui and Ju Ho Jin, and Hiro's arc came off as very, very complimentary.

Overall: I liked the drama, but credit goes to the stunning scenery, Go Youn Jung's lively presence, and Kim Seon Ho's beautiful eyes, rather than the incredibly engaging plot. While there wasn't much intrigue, it was a beautiful fairy tale the Hong sisters are so good at.

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Had high hopes but...

Goddess Bless You from Death should have been my favourite show this year. It had everything that I love. An MC that can see ghosts and is tortured by it, a murder mystery, police getting involved, a love interest that doesn't believe in ghosts but is still overprotective of our MC. I adore these things and I was ecstatic that we got a BL with an interesting plot. But I was disappointed by the end.

Why? I had two major issues. One, was that the plot went downhill fast. At first, it was very intriguing but by episode 6 it started getting boring and honestly didn’t make sense.

The other thing was the acting. Pooh’s performance was such a disappointment. I honestly hoped he had improved since pit babe but nope, still the same. Thup’s character was so interesting, but Pooh didn’t manage to do him justice. You could really see that when Thup was getting attacked. You just couldn’t really see him being genuinely scared. On the other hand, Pavel and Topten were phenomenal.

On that note, I actually found the second couple more interesting that our main couple. I wish we could have seen more of them.

Overall, I was disappointed by the show but it was still somewhat enjoyable.

PS. The special effects and make up were some of the best I have seen in a series of this genre.

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New Romances, Strong Performances, and a Season Worth Watching

I liked the second season a little less than the first, but it was still very good and well done.
I love the character of Pooh and I loved this jealous side of him that we didn't see in the first season.

This season we see a new character played spectacularly by Milk. Willy's expression and laugh are wonderful and perfect for the character in this story. In addition, we see new romances and stories that finally come to fruition, as well as stories that, in my opinion, could have been avoided, at least in this season.

Obviously, my comments are all about the series and not the book, as I haven't read it.

However, I recommend it.

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Serious Themes, Great Storytelling, and One Truly Green‑Flag Character

This series introduced me to ForceBook and NeoMark.

My favourite story is the one between Ray and Sand, in fact I watched it more than once.

Having been introduced to ForceBook in this drama, I didn't have a very good opinion of this couple because I didn't see any chemistry between their characters, but luckily I've changed my mind after watching other series.

However, it is a very good series that tackles different and serious issues, and it is the first series in which the characters (except Sand, a green flag, and Nick, a yellow flag) are all powerful red flags.

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Powerful Performances in a Story That Mirrors Real‑Life Struggles

Namib was a complicated series for me to watch, mainly because I identify with the character of Yoo Jin U.
It's a really heavy series, but beautiful. , as it shows how idols are treated in Korea by their industries and what many of them feel, and unfortunately also those who have not managed to win their battles.

I found a few minor flaws, including perhaps a lack of development in the various storylines of the characters, but the actors did an impeccable job of conveying the emotions to the audience. Go Hyun Jung definitely did a great job with her character, as she made me hate her, but at the same time made me try to put myself in her shoes.

I recommend it, but if you are going through a difficult time psychologically, I advise you not to watch it until you feel able to.

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The Best Series of 2025: A Masterpiece of Emotion and Craft

Without a doubt, the best series I've ever seen in 2025! You can clearly see the care that has gone into the series, from the staff to the actors, in every detail.
A story of love, curses, loss and the struggle to keep on living without ever giving up and keeping a smile on your face, but it also has some perfect moments for laughter.

Well done, everyone!

In addition, I would like to mention the impeccably chosen soundtracks, but above all, the OSTs are wonderful! I can't stop listening to Mantra by Keng, Never Apart by Keng and Namping, and โฮมขวัญ Ost.เขมจิราต้องรอด.

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