Reviews

The “Diamond” Michiko is back!

Daimon Michiko, the greatest surgeon of all time is back and working at Totei University Hospital- it sounds all fancy with bloated titles and rankings, but there is so much corruption and dirt under the surface. Leading the corrupted organization at this time is none other than Director Hiruma who remember had surgery done by Michiko in the last season and she saved his life, but his memory is short and his corrupted heart is stronger than his gratitude towards her so he continues to treat her like a pest that needs to be exterminated or exiled rather than the top surgeon that saves their entire reputation and does all the actual work. Everyone else is practically useless except for her. It’s like she’s the main character and all the others are NPCs with no real skills of their own, just self centered scripts to blow up their reputation.

This time the season starts with Michiko in NYC as she waltzes into a random hospital and starts doing surgery on some patient that falls down in the middle of a restaurant- I don’t get how there are all these stage 4 cancer patients just writhing in pain randomly like that, but hey it makes for good drama when they collapse and “need to have emergency surgery right now or they will die!” So Michiko saves this lady and catches the attention of this lady who stole her Gyoza dumplings- like seriously who steals food from Michiko when she’s hungry? Good food is one of the only real rewards she gets for all her genius work! Anyway this lady is the head of that hospital or something and she ends up going to Japan to Totei Hospital and bringing along with her this “Americanized” Japanese doctor Kitano who speaks both English and Japanese with a weird show off kind of accent, and hiring Michiko into her team. Turns out she’s the sister of the previous director of the hospital who has now conceded the position to Hiruma. So Akira San calls Michiko and tells her to come back home or “she’ll be fired,” so she starts/resumes her position at this hospital under Hiruma.

Michiko deals with new scandals and patients- famous patients, celebrities that are so famous that the whole country is dying to know about his surgery, etc. and of course most of them collapse in pain of course and need emergency surgery or else they will die lol. The most touching story was of the anesthesiologist Jonouchi who has life threatening cancer like everyone else and Michiko for the first time seems like she might fail and she even thinks that she has failed in the first round of surgery. But turns out it was a necessary failure to shrink the tumor and turn it back a stage to be able to be removed completely with another surgery. The scenes where her surgery was finished and her daughter Mai and Akira San go to the church to pray for her life was very touching and beautiful. It made me cry.

So another great season, and I’m here for Michiko. When I saw her tearing up at her bond and determination to save her friend and anesthesiologist colleague Jonouchi, it was very sweet. She has come a lot way since the first season - back then she didn’t give a crap about anyone and only handled the patient. But now it’s like her heart is softening and her colleagues Kaji, Haru, and even Kitano are there to help, all on Christmas Day. It’s very touching to see the collaboration and energy she brings around her. Even though at first she might seem hard to get along with, any genuine person knows that Daimon Michiko is full of compassion and love for those around her that she has dedicated her life to serving people all the time.

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Queen Mantis: The Sins That Bind

🔹 When I pressed play on Queen Mantis, I expected a classic mystery, but the mother-son dynamic struck a deeper chord.

🔹 Would I rewatch? No, but I leaned in for every clue.

✨If your mother were a serial killer, could you forgive her after twenty years, or would those memories haunt you?

📕 Overview
🔹 The series consists of 12 episodes and falls under the genres of crime and psychological thriller.
🔹Remake of French series La Mante
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin gave me chills with her restrained and icy demeanor, even in silence.
🔹Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: the pain is visible before he even opens his mouth, and every scene with him is somber
🔹The drama begins when a copycat killing forces Su Yeol to confront the mother he has been avoiding his entire life.
🔹 6 episodes have aired at the time of this review

🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 Secrets from twenty years ago resurface with each new killing, trapping you in a suspenseful tension.
🔹 I found myself holding my breath during certain tense moments.
🔹Themes of family, guilt, justice, and forgiveness are present in every scene.
🔹 If you’ve seen mother-son dramas with a twist, this feels familiar, but the emotional turmoil is raw and real.

✨ Cast & Performances
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin: I couldn’t look away. She’s terrifying yet layered with a maternal edge that makes her presence unforgettable
🔹 Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: his eyes carry the pain even before he speaks. He isn’t the hero type, just a weary son weighed down by history
🔹 The supporting cast added tension but felt underutilized; I wanted more insight into their motives and backstories.

🎶 OST
🔹 "Shadow" by Younha
🔹 "The Past Haunts" by Crush

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 It's all cold and cutting, designed to unsettle you.
🔹Dimly lit sets and shadows enhance even the most subtle details, making them more impactful.
🔹The uniforms and police rooms looked so realistic that I wouldn’t want to be in them.

☕ Tea Notes (Refined)
🔹 What worked: Go Hyun Jung's performance left a strong impression, and the mother-son tension added depth to the drama. The silences and dark visuals effectively maintained the suspense.
🔹 What didn’t work: The pacing felt slow at times, and I wished the supporting cast were more developed.
🔹 Would I rewatch? No
☕ SpillTheDramaTea’s Rating: 8/10 — a nice brew, I enjoyed it

✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, Queen Mantis felt gloomy but addictive.

✨ Which scene sent shivers down your spine, and did the family secrets ever feel too unbearable to handle?

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10 things I wish the drama did

I wish this drama:
- had less episodes
- wrote better filler or just not have any if you can’t write interesting ones
- follow the manga properly
- didn’t try to erase the BL part of the manga just to make the drama ‘pure’ human drama
- had romantic chemistry between the main characters
- didn’t cut off most of intimacy from the manga bc it was important to the plot and the character development not just for eye candy (I’m talking about just kiss that wasn’t pushed to the end, not the NC scenes)
- didn’t drag unnecessary episodes that wasn’t about the main
- wasn’t made by TV Tokyo which is famously known for making high budget BL but lowkey does not want the gay part on screen
- wasn’t a waste of huge budget
- was good so i could finish it properly since I’m a huge fan of manga

In conclusion, I like Kohei and the manga so i was so excited for this only to be slapped with such disappointment and waste of high budget that not many BL could have.

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Great to bad ...

I started watching this series and was instantly hooked on it. I'm not sure why, but it was just so intriguing, wondering how this relationship of an ordinary man would get involved and attached to a well known singing star idol. If you would have asked me to rate this series after the first six episodes, I would have given 10's across the board. It was just that great ...
But seriously, I have no idea what happened. The last three episodes were just horrible. I hate to use that word, horrible, and I've never used that word before in a review, but that's the only word I can think of.
Nothing against the acting or the actors, in fact, they were fantastic. Se Jong and Suzy did a great job at giving us two great performances, Ha Young, too ... but the story just fell apart in episodes 8 & 9.
By the time the last episode played out, I was just counting the minutes until it was over, hoping for a great finish. I wanted to see some conclusion that would leave me feeling like I did after the first six episodes ... but it didn't happen.
..... And the ending? I didn't get the ending at all. I watched the last 10 minutes twice, thinking I missed something, but I still didn't get it. Complete confusion as the credits rolled, along with total disappointment.

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Messy story, good everything else

I can't believe I slept on this hidden gem lol
I love the cast, TutorYim are cute but acting-wise not the best, Merk is fantastic, still never seen him as a main and I've been a fan of Willi since TTWE.
So I reluctantly started the show, didn't know that it would be one of my favourite guilty pleasures.

I have to say first, I expected messy story and I got exactly that, the whole "let's write a BL" thing and the xianxia novel inside the drama were extremely confusing, I mean, I don't know what happened there but why am I seeing repeated scenes of the xianxia novel 😂 what's going on! Is the editor high, or is it just as random as it appears to be.
But, on the other hands, I giggled a few times, the drama was so smooth, I wasn't bored while watching, the cast is easy on the eye and when it started to be boring they bombed up with NC scenes that got us on the edge of our seats.

Cast was great, I feel a little sorry for Conan, my boy had to sit still and look pretty most of the scenes, and the language barrier didn't help either, I don't know why they had to cast Chinese actors in this , is this because it's originally a Chinese novel?? Well, it doesn't matter, he was still adorable 🥰. The other guy did speak Thai I believe but it wasn't much better ~
Tutor and Tim have improved since middleman, so it wasn't as painful to watch as I expected, maybe just a little bit but it still was more enjoyable than I expected.
The thing that I didn't like but I could tolerate is the slow motion, I mean the cast are moving in X0.25 speed ,I mean putting one hand in pocket or raising a glass of water to your mouth would take 2 minutes, I watched the whole thing in X2 speed and I didn't miss a word, that sums it up ~

I have to dedicate a full section in my review for ep 10, I see everyone talking about ep9 ... But helloooo!! Ep 10!!! Mark?? Anyone?? How the F**K did everyone just ignore the 10th episode!! Holy butt!!! I was.. speechless!!.... F**KING MARK SORNTAST BUANGAM!!!!!! Boy!! why aren't you getting any main roles yet FFS!!!!??? Holy mother of squishy asses!! I mean, it was impressive .... The ep I mean *wink*wink* ...
I admit I had to check Gems's age a few times because I panic when I see young actors playing daring roles, and I thought he was too young for NC scenes, fortunately he's old enough, also what made me more nervous is my baby was all smiles for the whole series and he had to CRY RIVERS when he started to make out with Pie, then the great reveal!!! No Sh*t ! I thought i'd be traumatised!!!!!! Then ep 12 came, and I'm definitely traumatised!!! But not for the same reason 😂😂

Now moving on, (yes, please) I think this deserves more recognition because I found it purely by chance, I mean, I thought I would rate it a 5-ish 6 ... Now it's almost 8 ... I call that The Mark effect😂
All in all, it's a fluffy, completely ridiculous, very random, with asses drama that definitely worth watching, if you're ok with that, give it a go ~

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This show is "water"... crashing, powerful, adapting but also gentle

One of the best series I've ever watched and definitely my highlight of 2025. It's absolutely brilliant written from start to end. Love all the characters and their chemistry. Finally a strong and smart FL. ML went from red to green flag in a very adorable way. I love Liu Yu Ning's improvement. Didn't know Song Zu Er before, but these two we're so perfect together (even the bts are so cute). Their process from enemy to lovers - slow burn romance burned hard. It has everything - an emotional rollercoaster, it made you smile, laugh hard, made you angry, made you cry, proud, gave you butterflies...
I like the way they handle misunderstandings, no unnecessary drawnouts that made those dramas annoying. They handled it with more sensitivity, vulnerability, honesty and just right communication. And sometimes a smart move how to open a box badass-like - I loved that scene and the reactions of the generals ;)

Aaaand the support cast was awesome. I think Wei Yan was so lovable. The generals and especially Wei Liang - made me laugh and cry!!!

Normally I have trouble finishing cdramas without fast-forwarding scenes because of the maaaany episodes, to drawn out stories, the really mean villains who you just can't stand, stories are often too much... but this one felt more human. Even the villains felt human, their actions and decisions made sense because of their past and circumstances that made them to act that way.

I can really recommend this one.

GREAT JOB!!!

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Mulan would be disappointed!!!

I don't understand what all the fuss is about!

Bad dialogue, boring/bad acting, stupid logic... FL was badass in the first 2 episodes (that's why I watched it) and then get more and more into girly-teenie mode in every episode. She should disguise as a man but looks, talks (doesn't even try to change her voice) and acts extremely feminine. Every normal person would recognize her as a woman. And then she's super strong and way too perfect. How can a soldier just do whatever he wants, comes and goes to your commander, talks like he's on the same level, makes fun of him, walks into his room (even drunk!) and talks about random topics... come on, no discipline, no military decorum, no consequences... nothing???

Don't judge a book by its cover... well this one only has a beautiful cover and a shallow content.
So sorry for the leads. I like Zhou Ye but her role in LOTFG is absurd.

Skipped some scenes and finally dropped at episode 14.

Now I have to rewatch "The Prisoner of Beauty"... I need a good writing after this.

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An incurable case of immaturity

This one is on my top 5 WORST drama ever and I've seen a lot - well probably the worst...
I can't stand the FL. She has no self-respect and dignity. She only exists for him. She became a nurse for the wrong reasons and unfortunately remained for the wrong reasons. I thought she had an epiphany after she got hurt, but no, it only got more and more stupid. An immature lovesick puppy with no pride. The only good thing is how she treats the patients.

The ML acts like he's a living god. He is a jerk, cold and constantly calling her dumb.

CHEMISTRY = 0!!!

I like Takeru Sato, but not in this drama. Tried to watch this after "Marry My Husband", but ewwwww.

Dropped it at episode 5. What a waste of time.

Can't understand the high rating.

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"I rebel; therefore we exist"

So glad I finally got around to seeing this. It was sooooo good.

Acting:

Holy shit that was filled with some great performances. Just so good all around. Everyone was cast perfectly for their role. No notes, just so damn good. BRAVO

Writing:

This was such a damn good story. I think there was more potential with the soul/body-connection thing, but regardless this was still so well written. I loved it through and through. I only wish there was more. I want to know where they end up and if White’s parents pull strings for him and if that would cause a rift between the group and supporters. I’m just so curious and hungry for mooooreee. I like that every decision felt necessary and made sense. I also really liked that it didn’t feel like the truth was dragged out too long; it made sense that it was revealed when it was.

Chemistry/Romance/Kissing:

The chemistry was so solid. I loved how Gun and Off flawlessly portrayed the chemistry between White and Sean while also being able to show the animosity between Black and Sean. SO GOOD. This was a fantastic romance. I loved their growth and journey. The kissing was superb, good job out there boys.

Side Couple:

I really loved them. The connection they had with art and rebellion was lovely. I also adored how they acted out the nude drawing scene, it was so well done and intimate and vulnerable and it really said everything about them in such a short amount of time.

Production/Cinematography:

The production was fantastic. They did such a good job with everything from the fights to the shooting locations. I enjoyed the cinematography as well. They did everything right for an action drama.

Music/SFX:

I enjoyed most of the music except for a couple of your typical drama corny songs in there. But overall, it was good. SFX were great.

THIS WAS SO FUN I LOVED IT SO MUCH

Now, for some highlights from my notes:

- These parents suck big time
- Well that was a quick decision there, buddy
- Wait, so this gang is made up of law, art, and poli sci students who take learning seriously LMAO
- *Three hundred sixty-five degrees. Burning down the house*
- Why tf does graffiti have a gun???
- *Presses play on Nude by Radiohead*
- Bros are getting vulnerable
- So bro definitely shot pops
- That shit was intimate
- A KISSSS AHHHHH
- Sex brought bro back to life LMAO
- SPEAK THE TRUTH HE DESERVES IT
- Lieutenant Dan lmao
- *Back to Black*
- I knew Todd was slimy
- Gram such a good guy
- Black is a wild dog fr
- YAY the truth is out in the air
- Bro is so angsty
- Noooo my poor Yok doesn’t deserve all this
- Awe the people help the people
- I like how pops hasn’t shown himself at all

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Leads truly feel like a couple & solved misunderstandings w/20min to spare

(I rate vertical dramas on their own sliding scale. General spoilers only.) Green flag ML, no abuse, no kidnappings. The chemistry between the leads was awesome. The flirting was both adorable and exciting. The leads seemed fully comfortable with each other and really felt like a true couple. Great skinship, multiple moments of romantic or sexual tension, a couple of suggestive lines and even a scene where they exit the shower together in towels, and a couple of good make-out scenes.

The ML was great! (Lan Lan was fabulous, as usual. I didn’t always like her character's choices, but I always liked her.) First time I've seen the ML and definitely curious to see more. His confession scene closer to the end was beautifully layered. The long-standing pain of unrequited love (as he was recounting the past) was palpable alongside his open devotion. Moments of self-deprication and old helplessness blended with relief and hope. All very natural and touching. My only wish was that the screenplay had given the FL more to say in reply, but the way the actor's embraced held a world of words anyway.

ML is Hu Jiacheng 胡嘉程, not yet on MDL as of 9/12/25.

There are long-standing, and repeating, misunderstandings/misconceptions between the leads, but they do all get sorted out 20min before the end so there's a good chunk of time with the leads just being happy together.

There are some of the typical antagonist scenes (like a green tea that won't give up) but at least they felt like secondary plot. Things regarding the ML's family were rushed near the end and didn't feel fully finished, but the ending for the leads themselves was solid.

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A Must-Watch

After such a long time, I finally watched Alchemy of Souls!! I honestly feel like I should’ve seen it earlier, but better late than never. I’d been watching rom-coms on streak and this drama completely shifted my taste. It’s the perfect mix of romance, fantasy, mystery, and history, and I was completely hooked.

Storyline:-

The drama was kinda slow at first, but never boring, and actually really fun to watch. Most of the story built up slowly, which was enjoyable, but the real major events happened in episodes 17–19, which felt a bit rushed after the slow pacing. I was really excited to see the real Naksu fight, but… I wasn’t fully satisfied.

I didn’t like how she gave up her power so easily. I feel there could have been more drama or a bigger showdown—she could have kept the power longer or faced a proper fight that made my heart race. The fight with the soul shifter just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted; it wasn’t as thrilling as I imagined.

Characters:-

The characters were still great—every lead and side character had depth, and their interactions kept me engaged. The romance, friendships, and rivalries were all well done, which made the slow parts enjoyable.

Episodes:-

20 episodes, about 80 minutes each. Slow build, fun moments, but then a rushed climax. Even with that, I binged it because I wanted to see it all, and the world-building and relationships were satisfying enough to stay hooked.

Music:-

The OST is beautiful—“Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” is so good, and every lyric felt like it perfectly portrayed the characters’ emotions. I’m in love with it.

Final Thoughts:-

Alchemy of Souls is an experience. Intense, emotional, magical, and mostly unforgettable. After the finale and seeing the hints for Season 2, I had to give it a full 10/10. Even if some parts left me wishing for a bigger showdown, the drama still left a huge impact, and I’m beyond excited for what’s next. Though it wasn’t fully the way i wanted it to be, still i wanna say that, this is a must watch. It was worth watching.

Rating:- 10/10 — a must watch

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the self righteousness wore me out

I liked he yan and her saga, even though I do not think her plight was treated with the gravity it deserved. For someone that suffered so much, there should have been just... more there. but at least the story was almost fully centered on her legend. I liked her cheerfulness, she was just so happy to finally be herself poor girl🥹. and the small smile playing at the corner of her mouth the entire time? I had mixed feelings about it but she's worn a mask her entire life and she said she couldn't help it, so i stopped minding it.
i also liked cheng lei, even though I think his character was underutilized compared to the 2ml who had a more developed character arc and was more fleshed out, I didn't care though I was just so happy to see him. and he ended up being adequate.
another call out were the fight scenes, esp he yan's, they were forceful and violent, really befitting a general. I like that they took it as seriously as the men's fight scenes, it really added to the character's prestige.
there were few romantic moments between the leads, so its hard to judge their romantic chemistry overall, but in the bits they gave us, they were sweet. and I kinda liked that they eschewed romance to focus on the story, even though all that focus still didn't produce an interesting story lol

let me ignore the main villain and all the loopholes/lol/wtf/deus ex machina moments around the mask, her identity, the switch, her multiple brushes with death and her brother bc i'm just too bored to go there and focus on my main problem, the self righteousness.
cdrama writers, esp when writing fmc often confuse being inspirational for self righteousness. you can distinctly see that he yan was supposed to be the former but oh boy! they missed that mark by at least a mile. I really cannot get with self righteous/morally perfect characters who run around spieling vaguely self involved self righteous rhetoric. after the half way mark in the drama, its like they handed her a mic and a soapbox which she never quite managed to get off, her inspirational speeches to random groups of people just went on and on in every other ep and made what was already an underwhelming story even duller. I'd rather a character someone can empathize with than one who can 'do no wrong' and is just the best of the best in all the rooms at all times.
they tried to make it a 'risen from the ashes' story too but you don't see any ash, maybe some dirt on her face is all.
and because they made such light work of her plight in favour of her being this upright figure constantly spouting bluntly crafted motivational messages while perched on her dubious soapbox, her tale wasn't that engaging, like do I really care if she gets her revenge? heh. but she also seems to be more pre-occupied with more 'honorable' goals so.
this is the second story of a fml general drama i've seen, and I dislike them equally lol but for separate reasons, I hope to never watch another one.
will I finish this? idc

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