Neat and Simple
Just finished a rewatch of this series as i'm hearing good things about the new one and this was one of the first Thai drama's i watched so i wanted to remind myself what happened.If you like slow, no drama, and simplistic stories then this is definitely a must watch for you! There's nothing bad about the story it's just very slow, predictable, and honestly, nothing really happens. I love Earth and Bas and i've seen all these actors in other shows and know they are brilliant, but i found the friendship chemistry stronger then the relationship chemistry. Relationships seem to go from hate/indifference, to 'can't live without you' in a single scene, it doesn't feel realistic, which is great for anyone wanting to just escape realism!
Although all relationships are pretty much green flags, i'm sorry but if my partner had some of these reactions, or had done some of these things, i'd be pretty uncomfortable, as one's slightly stalkerish and controlling, and the other is awful at communicating, and also treats his partner like a child.
It's definitely a 'I watch for the cast not the plot' series for me. My favourite episode is probably 16 where there are some good interactions, and without spoilers i love the fainting scene, felt like the reaction is on point, just wish the aftermath were more fleshed out and at least dragged out for rest of episode.
Not a series i'm desperate to re-watch, like i said, only done this time for new season, but it is well acted, some fun moments, and very much an easy watch when you just can't stomach tension. Although there are a few scenes i will replay as they are cute and funny. Also i want North's duck! That duck is actor number 1!
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Cozy and fun watch!
This was a really great show and honestly so funny. I mean you definitely are getting exactly what is advertised with this show. I will be honest and say that besides Thee trying to get Peach to fall for him I did not feel like there was a whole lot of plot, but it was not a bad thing. This alowed the show to be cute and cozy for the most part. I was happy with Pond’s and Phuwin’s acting I felt like they really embodied these characters and had fun making this show. I was also impressed by Pond playing Thee, Thee is a unique character and I feel like most actors would have leaned to much into the overexagerated parts of him, but Pond managed to balance the goofiness and didnt make the character feel out of place. Also Est was a joy to watch as Mok, I loved everytime he was on screen and his reaction to what was going on was great. Plus the interactions between Mok and Rome were great, I can’t wait to see more of them in “Peach and Me”. I only have two complaints about the show. First I thought that Thee’s mom and dad were a bit wierd, I dont know if they chose to act their characters the way they did or if they were directed to but they really stuck out as odd, plus it was weird to imagin them as the heads of a mob family. My last complaint is a bit of a spoiler so all I will say is that the way that Perth’s and Santa’s storyline went was so annoying and as much as I thought they were good in the show I would have liked a better story line for them or even more screen time to make their story make sense.Was this review helpful to you?
realistic drama and chilling cases
at first, i thought this kdrama was gonna be boring since the serial killer stories were very basic, but then I realised its based on a true story and it's inspired by the first Korean profiler and the cases he helped solving and I think that's really cool. I like the way they acted about the serial killers and the way they studied them. it does get boring in some parts but nonetheless I enjoyed it. Loved the ml and I also loved the cinematography. it gave off memories of murder. also loved the music too.Was this review helpful to you?
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Touching. Meaningful. Realistic. Worth watching and be inspired
Story is super touching with many small plots here and there to bring a deep meaning to the show, cried alot . Talked about really sad and triggering things but very realistic. Same time also very inspiring and worth watching. Its centres around a football team who all have their own struggles and how each of them are supportive and healing for each other. There is also light romance but more for cute touch.Their expressions really match their characters
But certain hug scenes can be better and certain scenes do feel extra like why ?? But okay.
Overall still very worthwhile to watch
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Good slow burn series
This was a good series, i enjoyed watching it. It had a good story, it was well produced. The visuals and music were very good.It was a slow burn, had a bit of ex and rival drama, but not too much. And we even got some suspense moments.
The acting was very good.
Both couples had good chemistry and kisses.
I recommend watching.
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The pig has to fall down on its back to see the world differently.
Well some of the reviews say that the mother was abusive and it was not right to show her like that somehow. First of all guys this series some how is an empathetic approach to these mothers. Mothers that carry their own complex and trauma when they are raising their child. Being a child raised by these mothers really puts weighs on the children lives. It is hard for the children to feel satisfied in life because they are always seeking parents approval. But the think this series pointed out is because this mother takes care of you you can't not love this person. Even though you go through very hard times in life because of the way they treated you at the end of the day you can't not forgive them. Because there is this love that you don't understand why it's there even when you are hurting because of it.Last but not least the writer definitely showed that the mother had problem and showed through the letter that the mother finally understood and recognized how he hurt his son.
If the accident didn't happen not only kangho wouldn't be able to see the new world in fact the mother also wouldn't recognize how harmful her behaviors were.
The pig has to fall down on its back to see the world differently.
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The definition of a modern masterpiece
"Payback," which I have had the privilege of viewing in full, I pronounce a masterpiece of the highest order. It is a work of surpassing genius, and a jewel in the crown of modern storytelling. Not a single moment passed that did not contribute to the whole with purpose or delight. My eyes were fixed upon the screen, so thoroughly was I entranced by itThe narrative, in its unflinching and refreshing candour, made no pretence to conceal the carnal expressions of love shared among men, whether the soft press of lips or the deeper covenant of the flesh, nor did it withhold from them the grace of a joyful ending. Indeed, the erotic reveries in the 8th and 9th episodes were framed with such exquisite artistry and delicate sensibility as to command admiration. The gentlemen (ToptapMinlee) who assumed these vulnerable roles are to be lauded for their courage. They consummated their bond, undaunted by the regime of thought that stigmatizes the public espousal of non-straight/non-procreative desire
I will revisit "Payback" time and again to honor its brilliance anew
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Mixed bag. Some good, some bad. Overall forgettable.
First, the positives. The cinematography, framing and camera work almost feel like an MV at some points, which is actually quite refreshing, so I want to applaud the PDnim and DPnim and the entire production team for their hard work and unique style and for actually trying something different for once.As for the plot, this series is a real mixed bag. It has a lot of dramatic elements clumped together. It seems as if every sad backstory trope you can think of, the ML and FL have experienced, yet they honestly just don't seem like people with pretty tragic pasts. Some of the performances don't land, and the drama is starting to drag towards the end. I am also just getting tired of all these reunions and second-chance romance plots. Seems like every other modern drama is following this template.
As many pointed out, SML and SFL have an interesting dynamic, but their screentime is literally like 5 mins per episode (it does increase later on, but at this point I'm checked out), yet it suffers a similar fate of becoming somewhat stagnant.
Overall, just struggling to empathize with any of the characters in this series, so this is just not for me.
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The Korean title "3rd-Person Revenge" is so much better than the English one. They should have just translated it directly.
What puzzles me the most here is, considering the fact that lead actress Shin Ye Eun is by far the best actor on the show (shouldn't really be surprising to anyone who's watched The Glory), why have her basically take a backseat in her own story? Because that's what the writers did. That made no sense to me, and is the show's biggest sin. They also failed to give her character any kind of depth beyond the initial shock of her brother getting murdered. Sadly, it's a recurring phenomenon in kdrama where the female lead takes a backseat in her own story. It keeps happening over and over and over and I tire of it.
There's a word for that… it ends in -ism.
I like pretty lead actresses as much as the next guy but I also want them to have a personality. Depth. Character. Personal growth/development. Agency…
Anyway, I was a bit bored by the end.
However I would still give it a passing grade because it was decent and interesting enough. Music was quite good too. I just wish it was a lot better. I'm aching for a new show that's as good as The Glory, but… this ain't it.
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Simple but Fulfilling.
This is probably first time i watched a school drama that is not chaotic but smooth sailing.I like the development of their relationship and understanding & care for each other. Didnt have any major misunderstandings and even small ones are clearly communicated early. Although there is separation but that doesn't seem long because it lasted only 1 ep for us, the reunion also pretty smooth. There is love rival - SML, but he is also their friend and cared & loved the FL. There are some moments of ML ans SML for grabbing FL attention but never gave negative impact on their friendship. I also like that he gave space for them when he fully understood that FL loves ML.
There are other two couples, one is typical childhood chaotic friends to couple which is quite good. But the 3rd couple are my favorite, although their screentime is less comparatively, what i liked most is their chemistry and subtle changes of relationship between them.
Just that after couples got together, they never shown the reaction of their parents.I really wanted to see their expressions and scenes between them especially about FL brother's relationship. But thay put aside, I don't if i can rewatch and remembered but it's a satisfying watch.
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Worth a watch?
If the writers wanted the viewer to feel frustrated, they succeeded. I was so disappointed with Han Ye Seul because she was too often too shy and did not speak her mind when the issue/confusion could have been resolved with speaking her mind. Go Soo was frustrating because he also did not say what was on his mind. If he would have spoken up, he could have avoided any misconception and he acted too naïve and at times just stupid. The ending was not completed as well as I would have liked but I will take the ending as a positive. I was very tempted to skip ahead with the episodes but I watched every episode. Both main actors did an excellent job portraying the character the writers wanted to show.Was this review helpful to you?
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A Vengeful Princess' Guide to a Happily Ever After
A troubled vengeful princess defying fate, achieving her goals, and taking her happy ending one way or another.TL;DR: Overall, a very, very solid vertical with some interesting and refreshing takes (and lots of role reversal), but also a bit more melodrama than was probably needed.
The Good:
• The FL - Absolutely phenomenally sadistic, cruel, obsessive, and possessive yet sympathetic, pitiful, and troubled. She was a thorough red flag and some might even debate she was a black flag with how intense and unhinged she was, but I simply loved her complexity and how her backstory played into her present character and how she was cunning as a devil, always one step ahead, and unafraid to get her hands filthy. She was a great combination of ruthless and cruel, yet playful, spoiled, and flirty. The duality she showed while scheming against her family vs when handling ML was a TREAT for my role reversal eyes. Such an interesting FL!
• Romantic Dynamic and Role Reversal - I was shocked to see such unusual but committed RR. I loved how ML was almost like this religious figure that FL admired like a god yet was extremely possessive of him. He both outranked her and somehow ranked below her, and it was glorious. Her obsessive possessiveness of him was INSANELY good, and his reluctance but also obedience towards her, letting her have her way with him when he could easily stop her, and how he had this gentleness towards her that he had for no one else? Mhmmmm. And the heavy douse of enemies-to-lovers who fight all the time only to end up kissing and then crying about it? Amazing! So angsty and emotional and fun!
• Feminism - Now, maybe it's a bit generous to call this drama feminist, but at its core... it is. The story is about a mistreated, damaged princess fighting against her brothers, father, and even heaven itself to inherit the throne and have her claim in a patriarchal world hellbent on ruining her life and making her as miserable as possible. Though there aren't really any prominent female characters other than FL, there is one supporting female character near the end who was actually her ally and was also bloodthirsty for revenge, so double points for no female antagonism and for both getting to pursue their ambitions over anything else! It's so rare to see a FL get to not only vie for the throne, but actually successfully get it, get her man, AND get her happy ending (even after all the horrors she committed. Talk about women's rights and women's wrongs!)
• Tone - Consistently dark and moody, which makes sense for the angst-filled melodrama that it was. The bits of comedy added in were few and tasteful, making it a consistent and coherent watch in this regard.
• Plot - Surprisingly better than I expected. Was it well written? Eh, here and there, but it was far more coherent, interesting, and thought-out than a lot of verticals I've seen. I also liked the unusual approach to the "princess vying for the throne" plot and the atypical positions of the leads.
• Commitment - The drama really commits to everything it sets up. Unhinged batshit crazy red-flag FL? Check! Battle against fate and oppression? Check! Multi-layered fence-sitter ML? Check! Enemies with benefits? Check! Feminism? Check! Like, it really commits, and in this world of bait and switch and wishy washy plots, this is refreshing. There is literally never a moment where FL becomes weak and pathetic and ML gets to "man up and save her". The dynamic they establish in the beginning is the one that remains all throughout until the *very* end!
The Okay:
• The ML - Okay, so I liked him for the most part and thought he was compelling as a higher being (an immortal advisor that's considered like a deity, tbh) who has an unusual soft spot for the princess and her only, yet at the same time must put his personal feelings aside because his divination tells him she's evil. It was interesting; I just don't think it was executed in the *best* way. Very often he seemed more fickle than uncertain, and his actions were consistently contradictory without enough focus on him to really get to understand his why. His switch up by the end also feels... unusually shallow. It's like they needed the drama to end, so he suddenly lets go of all antagonism towards FL- like, idk... he was okay, but he could've been better. Maybe if the drama were more 50/50 as opposed to mostly focused on the FL?
• Villains - Now, I didn't really think any villain was bad. They were quite alright for a vertical cdrama baddie. Some might even consider them interesting and complex for these standards, unfortunately... they were a bit repetitive for me. All three of her brothers were evil and hated her, and it got a bit tiring. Also, her father was a piece of crap, and she also had to often fight against ML, and it was a bit much. Too many men, too many bad guys, too repetitive.
• Supporting Characters - Extension of the previous point: Aside from the bad guys, FL has a guard; ML has a servant that barely shows up; and near the end FL has her almost-sister-in-law. Neither show up enough to be considered real supporting characters, and only the last one has any semblance of a character arc. A shame, because the drama is also not as romance-focused as one would think, which means it's more plot-focused, which... for a vertical... is a bummer.
• Acting - Not Zhang Chi's best acting, tbh, but he still did the aloof, uptight scholarly type very well. Wu Jialu absolutely DEVOURED the unhinged, complex princess role! Her eyes were so intense yet soft when need-be. All supporting roles did pretty good given their characters.
• Ending - I liked the ending for the most part, but I did feel it was a bit sudden and rushed. I feel like they could've added another 10-15 minutes and fully fleshed out the leads' relationship and twist so that it made more sense... But FL inherits the throne and makes ML her consort, so like, I'm not mad either. xD
Notable scenes:
- Red bondage scene (Steamy scene after a ceremony gone wrong)
- Blue bondage scene (Scene of ML and FL together while FL's scheme unravels in the meantime~)
- Ending scene.
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My experience while watching this
First of all i liked it and i would give it a 8.5 or 9 i really liked the chemistry of everyone and i really really liked shui and i was heartbroken that she dies and i think that she was my favourite character and i liked that yubai got back on track and i really really liked the tension and also chemistry of zeqiu and baihui and hopefully in another universe shui und fuxuan will be togetherWas this review helpful to you?
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An exceptionally heartwarming teen drama!
Plot mostly focuses on the characters’ school years, so viewers should not expect major developments in their relationships. Instead, simply enjoy their friendship, meaningful glances and charming conversations. After ep 20, the story shifts to their adult lives, although the most intriguing developments are naturally reserved for the finale epsI found the storyline highly engaging. Although it may seem that nothing particularly significant was happening, the characters’ friendly gatherings felt so warm, comforting, and peaceful that it was impossible to stop watching.
Lin Zhi Xia impressed me greatly. Although she didn’t always understand the social norms established by society, she continued to remain true to herself, supported by her friends - especially Jiang Yu Bai. He believed in her from the very beginning and recognized her exceptional brilliance, while never making her feel like an outsider. Tian Xi Wei and Hu Yi Tian had remarkably natural chemistry and looked wonderfully harmonious together.
Yu Bai’s proposal to Zhi Xia was truly beautiful!
The soundtrack beautifully enhances the drama’s most important moments. During the scenes involving Zhi Xia and Yu Bai, it genuinely felt as though butterflies were fluttering in my stomach.
I highly recommend this drama. The storyline is light and easy to follow, while still addressing important issues relevant to teenagers lives and worries. Overall, the drama progresses so smoothly that it seems to fly by!
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First off, I would like to clear some misconceptions I read here about this drama. Hopefully this might help some future watchers contemplating on whether to watch this. This drama isn't low budget at all. Its budget is similar to "Moonlight Mystique". The cinematography, cgi and sets are beautiful. Especially the whale boat island. There are no whiny characters either. Now coming to the storyline, it's really good in the first half, the episodes were engaging and no-nonsense, keeping me hooked. Even up to ep28 or something it was still good. For the last 10 episodes, the editing became choppy and many main scenes were cut out. The storyline started going downhill, still the twists kept me going. But the FL does turn stubborn and annoying for a while. About the ending, I am not happy, neither did I like the way it was presented. Again, heavy editing and removal of some important scenes was frustrating.
All in all, you can watch it once and enjoy the first 2/3rds of the drama. I personally didn't like the ending, but that's just a personal opinion. I am not a fan of one lead killing the other for "the greater good". The only drama which managed to pull off that trope well was possibly "Love between fairy and devil". Here they could've found a way to prevent that from happening, but I feel it was lazy writing in the end.
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