Reviews

watched it for phuwin but yaya carried it truly

here's what i wrote on my ig right after i finished watching it 2 months ago:

negl i watched it purely for phuwin even if he's just a supporting character, but he turned out to be way more important to the story than i thought he'd be so it was a win for me.
he didn't have many scenes or lines but every one he had was a bomb dropping time stopping line. and every single time i saw him i rewinded the scene to see him again and say omfg you're so pretty.
one thing I'll say is that i noticed a couple times that he could've been on screen but he wasn't and his character was handled through a phone call we didn't hear his side of and that was probably due to scheduling conflicts. which i did confirm was in fact that way by looking it up on twt. apparently he was filming we are, summer nights AND dalah all simultaneously so yeah that answers my question.

anyway, the show itself was pretty good. i liked the plot, the mystery and the character dynamics. it didn't drag unnecessarily and the cinematography was honestly beautiful. the director knew what she was doing and i can tell she had a clear vision for the show.
only thing I'll say is that the final reveal was maybe a little too much dialogue but the dialogue itself was well written and didn't feel clunky so i don't mind it too much

so conclusion: i love phuwin and he's gorgeous

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Annoying FL but its bearable

I’m rating this show an 8 stars because it genuinely is a good show. Initially it was everywhere and highly praised but then at the same time it was scrutinised and compared to real life idols who passed away due to suicide and the fact that the show was ‘inspired’ by Jonghyun from Shinee to make a story like it which made me steer away from the show initially.

But somehow recently I felt a pull to start it and I’m glad it did. I want to start off by saying this show has nothing to do with Jonghyun and the only similarity is unfortunately the suicide part. But you cannot claim that a show depicting an idol committing suicide is a direct link to someone in real life. This show covers the difficulties of idols’ lives in general and doesn’t target anyone specific and I’m really surprised people made up a rumor like that…

Although Sunjae’s depression partly stemmed from not meeting Sol, which is the main premise and set up for the drama. Which once again, I do not see how people connected this to the late Jonghyun. Please just let him rest in peace, not everything is a direct hit on him.

With that out of the way, I wanted to say that the thing that made this show so irritatingly unwatchable at times, is how stupid the FL is. She is beyond frustrating, acts like a toddler at her big ass age and freezes everytime the ML does anything remotely affectionate. It is not cute nor enjoyable to watch. I hate to be harsh about this but this is one thing I can’t tolerate in K-dramas in general.

Kim Hyeyoon is about to turn 30 and her acting has not changed since Extraordinary You. It seriously felt like I was watching her character from that show rather than Im Sol.
And although her character in Extraordinary You was cute and I liked her, it was because it fit and she was funny! This character was just a baby. A constant baby.

She also seemed like one of those stiff kissers who barely move their lips which wasn’t the case in Extraordinary You before…I don’t know, I just couldn’t get myself to like her character in this show at all.

Not only was she stupid but she is constantly freezing up, in every instance. The scene where Sunjae falls off the cliff, he stood there for solid good 30 seconds and while she stood there just watching, she could’ve grabbed him like 10 times. She was also extremely stubborn about the serial killer and could’ve easily solved that case in much less stupid ways. I don’t understand how she couldn’t comprehend that all of her actions where she would isolate herself to save Sunjae didn’t work and no matter what she did it was going to backfire, it was proven multiple times since she time traveled back and forth and she still did the same goddamn things.😭

All in all, Sunjae’s character isn’t much for me to comment on. His whole personality is just loving Im Sol which is cute I guess but he didn’t have much of a personality outside of that. Literally all he ever did is talk about her, make everything about her, he didn’t even pursue music in the end which he said he enjoyed but instead became an actor. The song that was erased but he sang again was left ambigously erased in the end I guess sincd it was never brought up again if it was turned into an actual song or not. Guess it doesn’t matter its one of the smaller nitpicks I have.

Another thing that bothered me is how in ep15 after she had a serious flu to the point where she passed out and even had to have an IV for, she woke up with full face of makeup on the next day with a freshly put on lipgloss lol..so many things in this show felt like they were put in there just for the main couple to have a moment, a lot of the small details didn’t matter.

I also don’t understand how Sol and Taesang became friends when they weren’t connected before either, except for the fact that Sol had a crush on him but that’s the only connection they have. And how did Sol not meeting Sunjae change Taesang’s future that much when the only reason he changed in the future (in the other timelines) is because Im Sol comforted him and told him to do better. All of these are erased so what changed for him to do that? And how the hell did they get close to the point where he calls her ‘My Sol’. They literally had zero connection before lol…

I’ll end my rant there. It feels like the more I nitpick the more I want to lower my scoring for this show but these are all small things that are easily forgotten so I didn’t want to be too strict. The only thing that bothered me to the point where it made me want to stop watching is Im Sol’s character and how she acted, and my gosh I absolutely couldn’t stand her constant baby voice…other than that Kim Hyeyoon is a talented actress but she needs to stop being casted in shows where she acts like a grown toddler…I guess it’s Koreas ‘aegyo’ but it gets to a point. I genuinely couldn’t tell if that was just how the actress acts in general or if they wrote her character like that, either way, just don’t do that shit again. My god.

Overall though, the show wasn’t bad at all. It was super entertaining and I actually rooted for the main couple (despite my frustrations). It was silly and stupid at the same time, a lot of things were just straight up outrageous but it was good and I liked the side characters and how their futures were also impacted and changed, loved looking at that too.

Other than the FL’s acting, show was pretty solid. So for that, I give it an 8, which is very generous with how many complaints I came with lol!!

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Really Surprised at Low Ratings - I enjoyed it Very Much

My rating is 10/10

I am really surprised at so many lower ratings because I have watched over 400 dramas and consider myself quite picky at this point. If you are looking for something that is really more of a traditional drama trope this fits that criteria. If you want a darker theme to the romance this might not be it for you. But if you like comfortable predictability with just enough intrigue to carry you through then this could be a good one. I wasn't expecting some epic love story just a fairly simple and straight forward romance that fit the male being cold but warming up trope well.

There are even some Easter Eggs if you catch them.

This series was exactly what I needed after a couple of disappointing slow-burn Chinese romances. Those often drag for me, but this one delivered a faster pace, lighter tone, and perfect balance of romance and charm that kept me hooked. I loved the premise right away—both leads have genuinely interesting jobs that feel fresh and integral to the story rather than just background.

The character development is strong, their chemistry sparkles naturally, and the romance progresses at a satisfying speed without feeling rushed or stagnant. Matthew Lee and Dam Ye-jin make a wonderful pair, and the rural village setting adds warmth and humor throughout. It's a breezy, feel-good watch with solid production and performances that make it highly rewatchable. I can forgive the 12-episode format here because nothing major felt missing, unlike some other recent shows. If you enjoy fast-paced, light-hearted romances with good workplace elements and heart, I highly recommend Sold Out on You. 10/10—I'll definitely watch it again.

Spoilers

From an American cultural perspective, a couple of minor family dynamics annoyed me. Dam Ye-jin (main girl) came across as pretty mean to her dad for virtually no reason and forgave her mom way too easily. I thought her mom was cruel to her growing up and never believed in her. Such a short simple apology did not feel like an adequate gesture to make up for years of emotional abuse. Same with her "apology" to her dad. First, she waited until after she reconciled with her mom before considering she had treated her dad badly.

I was a bit worried they would not resolve the past harmful cosmetic issue. So, I was relieved that in both key instances, Matthew Lee wasn't responsible for the poor cosmetic outcomes. I wish Dam Ye-jin had received a stronger apology from her Director and better payout since she was right both times.

Some side elements felt unnecessary or underdeveloped. I didn't understand why the sister of the girl with the rash had to become a home shopping presenter—she wasn't a very likable character to me. I know rivalry often makes people act unlike themselves but I did not think she was very nice even when she determined she was not going to be with him. Even after telling him her feelings and getting a soft rejection, she still attempted to sabotage their relationship by essentially telling main girl to go home.

Eric Seo (second guy) was great, though. He pursued Dam Ye-jin in a respectful, low-key way without being pushy, and when he realized he didn't have a chance, he handled it maturely without any vindictiveness. That was refreshing. He would be a good friend in the future, someone you would greet with a smile son your face. I liked that his character was not destroyed. I also liked that his sister, that was so awful to him but also to others, got in trouble for her criminal activity.

The second romance between Dam Ye-jin's friend and the village guy was cute. His arc—being convinced he could never love anyone else after pursuing one girl forever, only to open up—was sweet. His heart told him he liked her before his brain caught up.

I could have done without the third couple (his friend/business counterpart and the coffee shop girl). She felt very cold with zero chemistry, like it was added just to pair everyone off. The same goes for the rushed, unnecessary pairing of the woman who had been so hung up on Matthew with Dam Ye-jin's production assistant (or whatever his role was). That was a weird pair up and I found her pretty unlikable.

There were a lot of fun little details too. Like the cosmetic product Matthew Lee developed looked convincingly genuine, and those white-flowered nuri mushrooms were adorable—I genuinely wished they were real. The rooster scene had me laughing out loud (not sure about the egg mixing confusion, but it worked). Dam Ye-jin's adopted grandma, Song Hak-daek, was an absolute bright spot—warm, funny, and one of the best supporting characters in the show.

So, what were the Easter Eggs? Male Lead was in Business Proposal and K-Pop Demon Hunter and they drop reference to both. Did you or will you catch it? Maybe there were others?

Overall, this was a delightful, comforting watch that hit all the right notes for me. Highly recommended!

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Blossoms of Power: Down the Blossom Rabbit Hole

🎬 Quick Take
🔹 My standard for rating a drama is simple: writing, directing, and acting are the foundation.
🔹 At the time of this review, 7 episodes had aired out of 36, and I was already hooked. My first impression: 10/10.
🔹 Sometimes a drama sends me down a rabbit hole, and this one definitely did.

🌸 Down the Blossom Rabbit Hole
🔹 If Blossoms of Power reminds you of Blossom, you're definitely not imagining it.
🔹 At first, I thought it was simply because Meng Ziyi stars in both dramas, but the more I watched, the more curious I became.
🔹 Then I recognized the voices almost immediately, so I went down the Blossom rabbit hole to figure out what was behind that familiar feeling.
🔹 Sure enough, I discovered that Sun Ya Chen once again provides Meng Ziyi's dubbing voice, while Wu Tao, who voiced Song Mo in Blossom, now voices Xiao Huayong in Blossoms of Power.
🔹 The deeper I dug, the more connections I found. Both dramas are Tencent productions and share director Guo Feng. I also noticed a similar elegance in their visual presentation and production style.
🔹 Add in several familiar faces from Blossom, and it's easy to see why longtime fans immediately feel right at home.
🔹 Even with all those connections, Blossoms of Power never feels like it's trying to recreate Blossom. Instead, it quickly carves out its own identity by putting palace politics, strategy, and power struggles at the center of the story.
🔹 I still think you should watch and decide for yourself if this is your cup of drama tea.

🧮 Drama Math
🔹 Familiar faces + familiar voices + fresh palace politics + a heroine with an extraordinary sense of smell = a drama that feels both comforting and fresh.

💚 Why You Might Like It
🔹 You'll probably enjoy this if you like historical dramas where strategy matters just as much as romance.
🔹 It also works especially well if you enjoy intelligent heroines who rely on observation, planning, and inner strength.
🔹 The mix of revenge, shifting alliances, and palace politics makes the story engaging from the very beginning.
🔹 If you liked Blossom but wanted something with a stronger political focus, this is definitely worth trying.

📕 Overview
🔹 Episodes: 36
🔹 Genre: Historical, Romance, Political
🔹 Adapted from: Wo Hua Kai Hou Bai Hua Sha by Jin Huang.
🔹 Meng Ziyi plays Shen Xihe, a commandery princess with an extraordinary sense of smell who returns under a new identity and finds herself navigating a dangerous world of court politics and power.
🔹 He Yu plays Xiao Huayong, the Crown Prince, whose frail appearance hides a brilliant mind that sees through the schemes unfolding around him.
🔹 As their paths cross, they gradually learn to trust one another while navigating shifting alliances and the power struggle.

🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 The first episode pulled me in very quickly without making the setup feel heavy.
🔹 Each episode revealed another piece of the political puzzle while still leaving enough mystery to keep me curious.
🔹 Even though revenge is part of the story, it never overwhelms the politics, strategy, and character dynamics.
🔹 One of my favorite details is Shen Xihe's extraordinary sense of smell.
🔹 I love that this ability isn't there to make her different. It becomes an important part of her strategy.
🔹 In this world, scents and incense can carry meaning, hide intentions, and even become dangerous, which made that detail especially interesting to me.
🔹 The pacing has been one of the drama's biggest strengths so far.
🔹 7 episodes flew by because every episode kept the story moving while building the larger political picture.
🔹 The real struggle now is waiting for the next episodes to release.
🔹 Themes: Politics, revenge, strategy, loyalty, power, destiny, and second chances.

✨ Cast & Acting
🔹 Meng Ziyi gives Shen Xihe a composed, intelligent, and emotionally layered presence.
🔹 I liked how she made the character feel strong, thoughtful, and determined without losing her humanity.
🔹 He Yu also made a really good first impression as Xiao Huayong.
🔹 I also have to say that He Yu was made for historical dramas. He wears the robes effortlessly and completely sells the regal Crown Prince vibe.
🔹 Their early chemistry feels natural, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops as the political stakes continue to rise.
🔹 The supporting cast helps the court feel full of ambition, tension, and private motives.

🎵 OST 🎵
🔹 "Bustling and Chaotic World (红尘慌慌)" by Zhou Shen
🔹 "Wind Hidden in the Sleeves (袖里长风)" by Zhang Yuan
🔹 "Flower Shadow (花影)" by Curley Gao

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 I appreciated the familiar visual style because it reminded me of what I enjoyed about Blossom.
🔹 The cinematography and costumes create a polished historical world without distracting from the story.
🔹 The editing keeps the political storyline moving while still giving important scenes time to land.
🔹 Even with the familiar visual style, Blossoms of Power still feels like its own drama rather than a copy.

☕ Tea Notes
🌟 What Worked
🔹 Going down the Blossom rabbit hole ended up being one of the most enjoyable parts of watching this drama. Once I started connecting the voices, familiar faces, and production details, everything suddenly clicked.
🔹 Shen Xihe's extraordinary sense of smell is one of the most interesting abilities I've seen in a historical drama in quite a while because it actually becomes part of the political strategy.
🔹 Every episode answered a few questions while opening up several more, making it incredibly easy to keep watching.

🌟 What Didn't
🔹 The one thing that may challenge some viewers is keeping track of the political relationships early on.
🔹 If you've watched a lot of historical revenge dramas, you'll probably recognize a few familiar genre elements during the opening episodes.
🔹 The real struggle right now is simply waiting for new episodes to release.
☕ SpillTheDramaTea's Rating
🔹 10/10
🌿 Tea Scale: Worth Every Sip.

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Simply the BEST BL OF THE YEAR.

Basically I don't have anything to write whoever is watching this review or searching for TTH already know about it ig, even not I would suggest Go on watching it with blind eyes. I mean it has everything a person like me who's fan of mature plots and dilemmas. On the basic theme of religion I won't find myself the appropriate person to comment bec I don't come from the religion and have no knowledge of it or related to it. But I've a close friend who has been through this dilema along with her gf, and I remember while series was ongoing I used to comfort her bec she remembered her struggling days and past so as her gf, and I guess that's how I find close to me.
ACTING/PLOT : GeminiFourth killed it in this one, I mean they themself were praising the roles alot and amused by their work and acting so what else to say. Plot is really nice I've read the novel too, the improvisations all are just great.
ENDING: Maybe it's because I've read the novel before so I was stern for happy ending but TTH having a happy ending just make sense or what else will be the motive of making a doomed religious series? If it can't help people to come out of the guilt.
MY FAV CHARACTER?
I was struggling to choose btw Barth or Tanrak initially BUT eventually Kongdeach took away my mind specifically when he felt ignored in friendship or whatever u wanna say (I don't ont wanna argue respectfully). Actually it just overwhelmed me to see someone on screen in the exact same situation that I've been too also his ending seems close to me and my mindset that's why too.
Though I loved literally every character in this series.

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Survival in the Harem. and the Cold Pleasure of Watching Ugly Patriarchy Pay

If a friend who had never heard of this drama asked me what it is, my honest one-line answer would be: survival in the harem, and the deep, cold pleasure of revenge against an ugly patriarchy.
But don't let that line fool you into expecting a girl-power fantasy. What this drama actually shows is the price. The palace ruined Zhen Huan, and it ruined the Emperor too. She enters in her teens, and by her mid-twenties the palace has already aged her in ways the camera quietly makes sure you notice. I won't tell you what she becomes; I'll only say that watching the transformation, I couldn't decide whether I was celebrating her or mourning her. That unresolved feeling is the drama.
What Empresses taught me, and I mean genuinely taught me, as in lessons I carry outside the screen, is that danger comes from your blind spots. That is what breaks a woman in this palace, until she becomes a walking corpse.

And the drama is merciless about the choice it leaves its women: either accept being that corpse, thrown away like unrecyclable garbage into the Cold Palace, or put on the wooden face; the one that frightens everyone just enough that no one dares step on you the way they stepped on the innocent women before you. The ones who managed neither went mad, or ended themselves, or were discarded and forgotten. There were episodes where I genuinely ached and found myself asking: do these men truly see women as flowers, things without a will of their own, existing to be picked? Even the women "kept on the shelf," who never won favor and never fell, the drama gives their quiet misery real weight too.

Is it too long at 76 episodes? No- and I say this as someone who usually resents filler. Every single episode teaches you one or two new things. Nothing here is decoration: there is not one poem, one story, one metaphor recited in this drama that isn't secretly about something - a coded message between characters, a threat wrapped in elegance, a confession disguised as literature. I often replayed scenes more than once, and the second viewing always paid.
My only honest reservation is with how the final two episodes chose to play things out, I won't say more, but I didn't love it.

Who is this for? Viewers who love deep Chinese harem politics and have the patience to read between the lines, the layered relationships, the politics, the meanings passing between characters underneath the polite words. If you need fast plot and open confrontation, this will feel heavy. And one practical note: if you are planning to watch Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, you must watch this first. Must.

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A School of War Disguised as a Family Drama

Most people will tell you The Story of Ming Lan is a slow family drama. What I found instead was a school of war.
What stayed with me most from this drama is loyalty and faithfulness and the fact that even its lessons are earned, not preached. Ming Lan doesn't learn strategy from a battlefield; she learns it from growing up inside the inner household of her father's residence, surrounded by his wife, his concubines, and their quiet schemes. Under the guidance of the grandmother who raised her, she even studies classical strategy texts like Strategies of the Warring States and at one point she says something I'll never forget: that the struggles of the inner quarters are no smaller than the battlefield. This drama proves her right, episode by episode.
Her method is what makes her different from other heroines in this genre. Ming Lan's survival rule is the first rule of any dangerous environment: if you can see the threat all around you, mislead everyone never let them decide what position you occupy. She plays dumb, hides her sharpness, and lets her enemies underestimate her.
Viewers of Empresses in the Palace will recognize this opening move immediately, but Ming Lan's stage is a family household rather than an imperial palace, which makes it both smaller and, in some ways, more intimate to watch.
To be fair about the flaws: the OST didn't work for me, and the prolonged romantic scenes tested my patience though I fully admit this is personal preference. If you're here mainly for romance, you may feel the opposite.

Who is this drama for? Honestly, I'd say it should be your first stop. If you know nothing about the old Chinese household system, the ranking of wives and concubines, the Confucian order, the meaning hidden underneath polite words, watch Ming Lan before you attempt any palace harem drama, because imperial harems are far more complicated, and this drama is the clearest, most digestible introduction to how that whole world works. You'll still want to do a little light research along the way: the drama is full of historical and literary allusions (in the later episodes Ming Lan invokes the story of Cao Cao, and there's a scene where the grandmother gifts a book connected to Mencius, once you look up the famous story of Mencius's mother, who moved house three times because she understood that a child's environment shapes who they become, the scene turns from a polite gesture into something quietly hilarious. In this drama, even a book gift can be a message).

That small effort is part of the pleasure, every time I researched a reference, the scene underneath it got richer.

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A serie not for everyone

This series is definitely not for everyone. It can leave you feeling uneasy, wondering "What did I just watch?" For me, the question quickly became "Why did I love it ?" and in my opinion, that's exactly why it's so good. And also why so many people can hate it.

I've watched it twice. The first time left me completely unsettled (What did I just Watch ? ). The second time, I tried to understand the characters a little better. My advice? Don't try to understand everything. Instead, look at the cracks in each character. That's where the series became truly fascinating for me.

The pacing is very slow—REALLY slow. But it's not a flaw; it's intentional. The story takes its time to build an oppressive, unhealthy atmosphere that gradually gets under your skin. The discomfort isn't something that happens only during the violent (or intimate) scenes—it's present almost all the time.

Yes, there is a lot of explicit sexual content, especially for a K-drama. They are part of the disturbing atmosphere and reveal the characters' relationships with intimacy, control, and loneliness.

The soundtrack deserves a special mention. It doesn't simply accompany the story—it reinforces the oppressive atmosphere and traps you inside it.

The cast is excellent, especially Kim Young Kwang as Yun Oh. He delivers a chilling performance without constantly relying on exaggerated expressions or violence. What makes Yun Oh so unsettling is how unpredictable he is. At times, he almost seems detached from the world around him, yet tiny glimpses of humanity appear and disappear before you can fully grasp them. That contrast made the character unforgettable to me.
Kang Hae Lim (playing Sum) is really good and also as disturbing, because she's disconnected from the world in her own way.
Kim Yong Ji (Mok Won) and Kim Su Yeon (Gi-Eun) orbit around this strange duo, much like we do as viewers, slowlly getting pulled into their unsettling dance.
Despite sharing the screen with an established actor like Kim Young Kwang—whose presence is impossible to ignore—the three younger actors delivers equally convincing performances.

The more I stopped trying to judge the characters and simply observed them, the more fascinating the series became.

So if you're looking for a fast-paced thriller full of twists every five minutes, this probably isn't for you. But if you enjoy psychological stories that prioritize atmosphere, ambiguity, and deeply unsettling characters, Somebody is absolutely worth watching.

Somebody doesn't ask you to solve its mystery. It asks you to observe its characters.

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Cute and fun drama, don't get too invested in the plot

Overall: I thought this was a very fun, romantic, magical drama. The costumes and the Demon City setting were such a delight, and I personally was a big fan of all the characters and their relationships with each other. Our main leads do a fantastic job and I loved the tension with their secret identities.

What I liked:
FL - Tian Xi Wei is sooo good, so gorgeous, such a cute boisterous princess but also a badass Cat Lord (and the cat ears!!) I watched this for her and she did not disappoint.

Relationships - I thought the main couple was great, but the side couples were just as endearing to me, if not more. Hu Zhu and Shuang Jiang were so cute and funny and I love the little friendship they formed. I LOVE the Snake Lord and I hope she can be happy with Mei Si frrrrr someone get him a demon core....

What I didn't like:
As many other people have pointed out, the pacing gets really weird near the end and they completely rush through the final stretch of the plot. I personally wasn't super invested in the actual plot lol so I wasn't heartbroken at this but it was definitely a little bit jarring, and I think if I was really invested in the plot (like w the Phantom), the way it was rushed would have really ruined my enjoyment and bumped the rating down a lot. I didn't love the ending but I enjoyed the first 35 episodes enough to come out of it feeling mostly fondly.

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It had potential

This story had a lot of potential, but they wasted it. I think they just didn't have enough time to bring it to full potential.
The visuals were great, there was no music, only a bit of background sounds.
They made one big mistake with filming. When they are eating noodles in episode 2, the noodle cup from the grim reaper opens and closes when the filming angle changes..

Kwak Geon Hee is a good actors, he is very good with showing emotions. Kan Hyeon Bae was ok, but not great. And the other two were just too flat in their acting. Lee Hyeon Jun showed no emotions at all, but that's no different from him IRL, in Hisman he also never showed emotions. If he can't show emotions, he shouldn't act.
At least the kisses were good.

It's not a bad watch, so if you have an hour to spare just go and watch it.

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