I’m Emotionally Attached to a Chaebol Again!!
This is an ongoing show, but man oh man… how has this drama completely won me over in just 6 episodes?I went in blind as always, only planning to check out the first 2 eps, but I ended up absolutely loving this drama. I’ve been laughing, swooning and genuinely having such a good time with it.
We’ve seen this trope a million times in dramaland, but somehow this drama makes it feel fresh, magical and hilarious all at once.
And the biggest reason? Cha Se Gye.
Another bratty chaebol who thinks he’s above everyone else but is secretly a soft-hearted loser who just needs love. We could spend all day listing his bratty predecessors in dramaland, but what makes him feel so unique and lovable is Heo Nam Jun’s performance. I LOVE IT!
Maybe I’ve just seen too many flat performances lately (you all know exactly who I mean… I mean there is so many lately), but seeing an actor with this much charm, nuance and expressive acting genuinely felt like lightning striking out of nowhere. He’s handsome, charismatic and every tiny facial expression lands perfectly. He somehow makes this cheesy chaebol trope feel worth watching again. I LOVE his performance. Ok, I need to stop proclaiming my love!
This drama deserves every bit of hype it’s getting now while airing. There are still 6 more episodes to go and I genuinely can’t wait to see where it goes.
The storyline has me hooked me in, especially the Joseon plotline. I have so many unanswered questions though and I hope this drama would resolve it all in the end.. . How did the Crown Prince’s story end? Did the Joseon queen betray him? Did they fall in love? How did she end up with the king? Honestly, I’m even more invested in the joseon storyline at this point. And I just know heartbreak is coming… I only hope it doesn’t completely destroy our poor boy heart!
I’m still a little skeptical about the Lim Ji Yeon’s performance… she is an amazing actress and I understand she’s supposed to be acting like a Joseon queen suddenly thrown into modern Seoul, but sometimes it feels a little too performative for me. I’m trying very hard to overlook it but honestly, most of the time I succeed, I do.. but occasionally it does get on my nerves.
But somehow… I forgive every tiny flaws in this drama. And that’s rare for me. Usually I’m way harsher. I swear there’s some kind of sorcery involved because this show has me completely wrapped around its finger.
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Chaotic and messy but intelligently written thriller!!!!
Man I honestly didn’t expect this show to get under my skin the way it did. 6 students, one teacher, messy relationships. Full of emotional damage. I mean in just 6 episodes they perfectly build up so many characters . Every character has so many layers--they showed both their loving + vulnerable parts . What I love most is that the show refuses to hand you a “good person” and a “bad person.” Every episode shifts your perspective a little more. Someone you sympathized with suddenly disappoints you. Someone you hated starts making painful sense. I mean you feel for everyone , you get sad when they get sad , you get happy when they are happy.The writing deserves a lot of praise because the pacing could’ve easily collapsed with this many characters, but it never feels like that. The backstories are revealed at the right moments. The acting is also really really strong . Not just the emotional breakdown scenes, but the quieter moments too--the awkward pauses, the resentment, the jealousy, the tension when characters are clearly hiding things from each other. It feels natural instead of overdramatic.
And can we talk about the atmosphere? The directing and soundtrack give the series this heavy, uneasy feeling almost all the time, like something is constantly about to explode. The ost is very very enjoyyyable. When will they release the MV...i need to see it right noww lol. Girl Rules was meant to be like this. Chaotic and messy. But dont worry Shades beat it to us. This is probably one of the most emotionally messy and intelligently written Thai GL dramas I’ve watched in a long time.
Can’t wait for Part 2. I already know this show is going to ruin me emotionally.
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Simply Smashing!
Self-aware and kooky as all get-out! That's what Hometown Romance is!It's a drama with real color! And not just in the outfit choices, but with the upbeat, animated intro, the cheesy music, the landscape, and even the energy of the leads. And the comedy? It gave Me and Thee vibes meets the setting of Meet Yourself, which tells you how positive I felt about it!
Klao and Si were each their own special brand of ridiculous that melded together into a delightful romantic duo that schmoozed each other so hard they repeatedly fell again and again until they just decided to succumb and become that couple who makes heart-eyes in public and flirts like there's no tomorrow and they're still in their honeymoon phase.
Not once did I feel like it dragged or that there was anything inserted just to pad the runtime. Every character and conflict was uniquely charming.
And I loved how full of life Klao's community was. Well-meaning neighbors showing up at your door at all hours to chat, who, once they quickly grow fond of you, are all too willing to throw a legendary dance party in your honor, complete with homemade alcohol.
If you're looking to be entertained with a show, look no further! This one will hook you from the jump!
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It‘s a show with potential, but something is missing.
I started to watch this show only for Teeteepor because I saw Duang with you and fell in love with their chemistry. So I wanted to watch more of them. I saw friendship, and I liked Thomaskong as a pair. But if I think about this show, there is something I miss: what would get me hooked like other shows do? I think I wouldn't have finished it if Teeteepor wasn‘t in there. The main story didn‘t catch me, and sadly sometimes the acting wasn‘t great as well. I think ThomasKong has potential, and this is only their first show, so I'm still curious about more.The writing was sometimes just weird or didn‘t make sense. But for me, the weirdest dynamic was hia and real. I didn‘t get why they were acting like they do. That said, I like AuauSave a lot, but like ThomasKong in this show, sadly they didn‘t work all the time. The same thing with PunLee and Glaijai. They had so little plot, and I loved to see them, but story-wise, the pacing was strange.
All in all, it was okay. Maybe I will rewatch the scenes of TeeteePor, but other than that, sadly not. But that doesn‘t mean that I'm not still super excited to see all the couples in new shows.
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Touches upon important issues but doesn't see it through?
There are many positive aspects about this show. It is pleasantly sensual, maybe not as spicy as many other shows, but it does not take away from the chemistry and intimacy. The writing is good, most of the dialogues and interactions seems realistic (but maybe I am too used to bad writing in Thailand lol). The soundtrack is great for the mood, although you can clearly see the taste of the person, who picked the songs. I seem to like the same music as this person, but if it were not the case, then the soundtrack may seem too homogenous in terms of genres.I agree with previous reviews I read here. Even though, it is refreshing to see a bl lakorn be deeper on its themes and topics, it didn't quite hit the target with them... Maybe there is some censorship involved? GMMTV is still a large company, it is possible that they have their own agenda guiding the content.
What I mean is that the conflict between Jira and Koh is supposed to symbolize the conflict between artists and AI. Why does it end this way then? They make up without any compromises or talking, it just happens because of their chemistry? It did not make sense to me, because it undermines the message. Maybe they did not want their criticism to seems radical, I don't know, I'm still kind of confused about that.
One more thing I notice in a lot of Thai shows, the sound engineering and editing is just... nonexistent. Do they not teach sound directors in Thailand? I don't get why I need to hear static and the surroundings, when the characters aren't saying anything. Just cut it out? The quality of sound overall was honestly lacking and often distracted me from immersing into the series.
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My Royal Nemesis
I love that this drama has me kicking my feet and smiling throughout each and every episode. So far i have only re-watched a k drama once , but this is definitely one that is tempting me to rewatch because i can't get enough .I love how the Leads are so strong , and captivating.
Hopefully they pulled through with the entire series
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I am on episode 20 rn and Good Lord I have stuff to say!First I didn't notice the leap at all!! It's like one moment she is crying over the dress and the gu family plotting and bamp!! We have the leap. I found it so weird that suddenly it is 3 yrs as everyone started mentioning the year. In fact I watched the episode twice to finally see where the leap scenes was
Another thing that confused me was ML confessed and "gave" her time to think (she rejected him lol). But that time to think streched to 3 yrs??? Isn't that a lot?? Like what?? Did they interact for these years?? Or did I mistake the leap moment? I am still confused.
Now comes Gu Lan. At first I thought she had a brain and could obviously see through nanny Zhou. But it was quickly revealed that though she is intelligent the restrictions and gap between di and shu is something she is still afraid of. In fact it was more of greed. Greed to take everything. And ofcourse for Ye Xian. She started antagonising everything FL did. It changed her character to a brainless half sister so quick. But still understandable since she is spoiled and wants everything for herself. And sharing for her is being wronged. She is just ungrateful.
But after the whole thing will her mom and FL's mother. Her sudden 180 gave me whiplash like what?? One moment I am seeing her still defending her mother and still not realising her mistake and next scene we see her kneeling and apologising infront of FL. At first I thought she was just acting this way to save herself. She wasn't really apologetic. But FL mentions how Gu Lan isn't lying about her apology . And after the leap Gu Lan turns into this bullied white lotus . Though well yes she is being bullied but I would have liked to see the progression of her realising her mistake. Because it was very abrupt. We don't see any remorse at all. She is just suddenly good. And FL starts being cordinal to her and all.
Infact in the whole concubine scheme it was her idea mostly. Her mother was just following her. Sure she didn't expect it would cause a death or that the maid was lying. It is true that her intentions were malicious. But instead her mother ends up getting punished while she left just like that??
Anyways I really likeML and FL's chemistry. Love them.
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Dragged on far longer than necessary
I had been waiting for this drama for ages because of Kim Seon-ho’s long-awaited return to romcoms. And at first the drama really had me. The chemistry, the soft moments, the yearning they got me seated. But somewhere along the way, this drama forgot it actually needed a story.Don’t get me wrong, Jo Hojin and Cha Muhee had amazing chemistry. Their scenes together felt warm, natural, and comforting, and Kim Seon-ho once again proved he can generate butterflies just by staring sadly into the distance. The romance worked. The problem is… the story kept running in circles.
After Jo Hojin and Cha Muhee confessed their feelings, the drama practically stopped evolving. The misunderstandings that followed felt like meaningless back-and-forth added only to stretch the plot, not deepen it. There was no big obstacle standing between them, emotional tension was not strong enough to make you desperately root for their reunion. Honestly, the drama should’ve ended around episode 10.
And Muhee… girl, PLEASE stop beginning for love. The drama keeps telling us she feels unlovable, which is a very real and relatable fear, but the way it was written became exaggerated “alter ego” situation. I kept wondering: is this meant to represent a real psychological condition? Is she bipolar? We do get some answers in the last episode but they were vague as well.
And Jo Hojin deserved to have a story of his own. Despite being the male lead, it feels like we barely know him because the entire narrative revolves around Muhee & her alter ego.
And I’m sorry but the second lead couple did absolutely nothing for me. Their storyline felt soo dense and disconnected that half the time it seemed like they were only there to fill episode runtime.
Overall, the drama is watchable and has some genuinely sweet moments. But despite all the emotional buildup, it somehow leaves almost no lasting impact.
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THE FL IS SO FULL OF HERSELF!!!
After a lot of bad luck with dramas, I thought this would be better. I've seen it recommended a number of times and I thought I'd give it a shot.I DNFed after most of episode 2. I just couldn't watch it. She was SO full of herself. And unkind to someone who was almost dead! What made it worse was the silly music that was trying to make it out to be funny. It was disgusting. I thought this had a bit of comedy in it but it had none!
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Catch Me If You Can
The notoriously heartless Grim Reaper 444 who had always prided himself for being a trueblood born Grim Reaper than the rest of the Grims who had been once humans, found himself in a pickle when the ex-human partner he had wanted to change by having him caught doing a bad job at collecting soul bailed on him in the mortal world. Forced to hunt down his partner before the Underworld enforcers come to get him for being an accomplice, 444 takes over the body of Detective Han Moogang who died after being shot in the head. As Han Moogang, 444 realized that a girl who could see grim reapers, Kang Ha Ram, is deeply into him as she thought Han Moogang had been her childhood crush, Kim Joon, back in Moojin the town where she grew up. Thus he decides to use Kang Ha Ram’s monkey love to make her identify the body that is taken over by his partner.The show had a rather solid starting point, with the funny and mysterious Grim Reapers, the hectic and cooky Han Moogang Violent Crime team, and the mystery of Moojin Times Mall destruction that claimed hundreds of lives, seemingly intertwined with each other. The plot twists were really mindblowing especially that part with Han Moogang’s and Kim Joon’s past. Totally unexpected! They managed to hook me onto the show despite me not fancying neither main roles.
It really bugs me how frequent people are screaming and yelling at each other in this show. I hated this part in kdramas hence why i rarely choose to watch them. They seem to be constantly on anger management crises, as if there’s a great prize for those who could scream and cuss the loudest. Anyway, i didnt like 444 because he’s one of those characters who scream and yell whenever he wants. As for Kang Ha Ram, it is beyond me why would she fall for this foul-mouthed and abusive 444 as Han Moogang who constantly looks down on humans, even after she realized he was not the gentle and optimistic Kim Joon whom she had known since childhood. Rolled my eyes when she said she liked Han Moogang for who he was and not because of Kim Joon. Like for real girl? This guy screams and pushes you around like a mad dog since the past few weeks, and you fell for the few gestures where he protected you cuz he wanted to use your eyes? Good lord, this woman is hopeless. Other than being hopelessly in love with first Kim Joon and now Han Moogang, she also had the tendency to run into danger when she herself knows nothing on how to protect herself. She keeps getting saved by either Oh Mansoo or Han Moogang repeatedly.
I liked Han Moogang’s Violent Crime squad though. They were the outcasts, constantly being looked down upon as they existed as a spare team. The captain, Bong keeps getting sidelined from promotion, Na Gwangyung has anger management issues and renowned throughout the force with the nickname Mad Dog who never lets go once he (literally) bites, Oh Sotae with bladder issues who keeps taking a leak whenever he could, Park Gwinam with his hand tremor, and lastly Han Moogang who keeps throwing up whenever they got a corpse as a case. Their interactions always cracks me up. The same goes with 444’s Grim Reaper friends 007 with his stoic Joseon era straightface with an obsession for kdramas, and 416 who raps all through his conversations. Dang I love those two. It’s funny the ones that was keeping me on this show had been the supporting roles cuz I couldnt seem to like the main roles, especially when they started to hook up. I honestly ship Kang Ha Ran with Oh Mansoo more than 444. Gosh I FF everytime theyre together doing what couples do. Thank god there were not many of such scenes.
The ending is botched up real bad it created a crater in the plot. Just as I was happy that the ending didnt seem as bad as I thought, they just had to add up that 5 min useless clip of a crater that made quite a black hole to an already acceptable ending. The screenwriter must be seething when the director made that veto decision and filled in his stupid ending.
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SkyNani!!
Just watched 3 episode and already obsessed. This is an interesting series, that's keep making us wonder "What's going to happen next?!" And honesty we love this kind of sensation. As for SkyNani, their chemistry making this even 10x better. If it’s a bl or a bromace i don’t care as long as it’s SkyNani. Because they never let us down.Honestly i can feel those intense gaze, those burning sensation, those yarning, that slow burn, through my screen and That's the whole point. Hope you guys will enjoy and support them.
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thoughts on my 2nd bl and how it shows important plot
my duang ang qin! probably the best bl ive watched. its funny and i like the characters. qin's story is sad, i cried. i love that they don't cut off scenes and strip off the important ones because im used to kdrama opening up a plot and not going deeper and resolving it or the format is too common that its predictable whereas in this drama, it respected the book and adapted those scenes perfectly. its fresh for my kdrama programmed brain plot lol. the acting can be worked out. its a hit or miss. some of you hate fun. its not like this will be submitted to cannes or the academy lol. storywise, its so cute and too good to be true but i like to watch feel good series duuuhh. my friend recommended it to me and were watching together. i like that sex scenes are longer and a lot. topics and dialogues about being the top and bottom was refreshing as well because not all opens that up on movies or series. glad they adapted it from the book. MY DUANG AND QIN I WILL MISS THEM. i wish i can refresh my brain and watch it for the first time.Was this review helpful to you?
Best BL of 2026 so far
Thank you to that one manhwa artist fangirling over He Yanzhao for finally convincing me to check out this series. Holy hell, he's stunning.Not gonna lie, if Xia Liu Yi had been played by a different actor, I probably wouldn't have been interested in watching it at all, especially with a weird title like that.
The chemistry between the leads was off the charts. The OST was amazing and perfectly suited the series' 1980s Hong Kong setting. The cinematography was beautifully shot, with so many scenes that felt like they belonged in a movie.
Unpopular opinion: I had no issue with the dubbing. Then again, I understand Cantonese, so that probably helped a lot.
Definitely one of my favorite BLs, that's for sure.
Now all that's left is to patiently (or not so patiently) wait for Season 2. Hopefully it won't take too long. (guess i'll read the novel in the meantime....)
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heartwarming/realistic
too good really cute couple, I avoided this drama because I'm adult and dislike highschool genre, but it was really good it's good to watch innocent love between highschool students sometimes than watching adult romance always which has too many kiss scenes.their relationship looks more realistic , nowadays the hesitation, shyness, holding hands,hugs etc these small things are disappearing in drama and they go for kiss first?
what I like
comedy
side characters, all
romance, not overly romantic like adult people drama but innocent type of love
their relationship looks more realistic than most stories that feel fiction
not entirely focused on romance but friendship more less romance, I don't mind it
FML is really is bit bad towards ml in the start because he follows her alot and all the time ,and being an introvert myself I can understand how much we dislike, people try to get close and friendly when you just met, so she always rejects him,and draws a line has boundaries I should say ,I felt weird at first because it was too much because ml clearly was good to her but followed her too much, later I found out she rejected (only communication, interaction I mean not confession) him because she met a trash who gave her trauma, so that's why she didn't let ml get close to her in the start, but this is how highly introverted girl actually is , which is not shown in any drama , I was shocked why she accepted him and they started dating soon , but it was really cute only kdrama can write proper romance start till end. ml goes extra level to please her. about confession part ml liked her instead of being friends first he confessed her already? and she accepted? i didn't expected that because she clearly didn't like him but she probably like - I'll try dating him ? and their relationship get's better later
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Would without a doubt reccomend
SO good, the fight scenes are immaculate, the plot is compelling, the pacing the casting etc everything about this show is a 10/10 for me except, however, hyeonju's sudden departure felt extremely ooc and random. Although, its easy to look over considering what was happening backscenes and the actresses situation at the timeWas this review helpful to you?
