Reviews

A Refreshingly Chaotic and Utterly "High School" Vertical Drama

*MILD spoilers for the ending*

I was actually surprised when I saw how low it was rated on MDL, because I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST with this one haha.

— snappy & quick editing -- felt very fresh + upbeat and kept me engaged, NOT impatient
— pretty solid acting -- the actors did a fantastic job with the comedy and were able to still switch over to more raw performances in the more emotionally-weighted scenes
— HILARIOUS -- the chaos and crazy antics had me actually laughing - classic high school boys
— one of the only times inner dialogues enhanced a vertical drama -- the back and forth between all the characters' thoughts while they each spiral into inner chaos made it 10x funnier hahaha PLUS the actor's facial expressions? PURE GOLD.
— I don't know how to explain it, but most high school verticals lean too heavy into "drama" and make the characters feel WAY too mature and serious for actual high school students. These characters, however, felt like actual teenage boys with hilarious misunderstanding, obvious relationship inexperience, and unhinged inner dialogues only boys going through puberty would have. -- it just felt utterly "high school"
— it may be a little thing to some, but the fighting felt fairly realistic -- punches held weight and characters actually had injuries (with decent make-up) afterwards
— sure, the plot was simple, left "unfinished," and a love confession would've been nice, but that honestly didn't bother me much because of the script's quick wit and chaotic playfulness -- I was just in it for a good time and it really paid off
(I would love to see a sequel though!! Turns out I have a soft spot for these flawed yet endearing boys <3 )

Lots of the reviews I saw were criticizing the ending or taking some of the script's satirical choices on comedy. HOWEVER, if you go into it without any expectations and just to have fun, you'll really enjoy it. These characters are hilariously unserious, and this one may be one of the few vertical drama's I could see myself rewatching start-to-finish.

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violence against the violent

Bullied students, terrified teachers, gangs, drug dealing, tough guys...
Once I learned the series was based on actual events, I got goosebumps and viewed it in a whole new light.
Faced with teachers who are powerless and lack the tools to combat this deterioration, alongside students who feel untouchable, an organization that defends victims rather than protecting the guilty would certainly be welcome.
True, the methods used here are questionable, but the results are immensely satisfying.
The series has sparked debate over its violent methods, yet there is now serious consideration of establishing a service like this to tackle violence and bullying against students and teachers.
In my opinion, the series deserves great credit for revisiting real-life cases, highlighting similar situations in the present, and advocating for future change. I hope to see improvements within the school system.
The cast was absolutely spot-on.

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Absolutely loved it

I went into Our Sticky Love with basically no expectations and honestly… I have been completely blown away since episode 1. 🥹❤️

I laughed, I cried, I suffered, I got angry.. I felt EVERYTHING. This drama was such an emotional rollercoaster and I genuinely loved every second of it. The two main leads were absolutely amazing and I fell so hard for both of them and their chemistry.🥹😮‍💨

It had everything I could have asked for: romance, action, humor, emotional moments, and most importantly, a found family that was just PERFECT. 🥹 I genuinely loved every single character and found myself caring so much about all of them.

And the villain storyline?! At some point I was SO angry and frustrated, and by the end I was just sitting there thinking, “Maybe in another life, things could have been different…” 😭 It broke my heart in the best and worst way.

I cried multiple times while watching this. This drama touched me so deeply and the ending was honestly beautiful. ❤️

I really didn’t expect Our Sticky Love to become such a highlight for me, but here we are. Absolutely loved it. One of those dramas that stays with you even after you’ve finished it. 🥹✨

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Overall, I really liked this drama. I honestly didn't expect to get THIS attached to it ?

The acting was amazing. Min Thanakorn and Toptap Jarukit were both incredible, and their chemistry was one of my favorite things about the entire series. Their relationship felt intense, complicated and believable, and I could genuinely feel the tension between Sun and Jay in so many scenes.

I also really enjoyed the revenge storyline. I liked that the drama wasn't just focused on the romance, but actually gave us a whole story involving revenge, betrayal, the entertainment industry and characters with their own motivations. There were so many moments where I was completely invested and just needed to know what would happen next.

The characters were another strong point for me. Sun's journey was especially interesting to watch, and I loved seeing how much he changed throughout the story. Jay was also such an interesting character because of how calm and calculating he could be, while still having so much going on underneath.

And THE CHEMISTRY. 😭 Seriously. The tension between Sun and Jay was insane. Their scenes together were easily some of my favorite parts of the drama.

The pacing wasn't perfect and there were definitely some things I wish had been explored a little more, but honestly, those things didn't take away from how much I enjoyed watching it.

The production, cinematography and overall atmosphere were also really good. Everything fit the darker revenge storyline really well.

Overall, Payback was one of my favorite Thai BLs I've watched this year. It had a great revenge plot, amazing acting, insane chemistry and characters I actually cared about. I definitely recommend it if you like darker BLs with revenge, drama, complicated relationships and a lot of tension.

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The scheming!!

I just completed this drama and I'm happy I give it a fair chance because I enjoyed the politics, the scheming and acting a lot. The way how it was all schemes and it felt like a game they were playing and only one person will be the victor.

I also realised after finishing this that this felt like the FL was a graduate who had no work experience and landed her first job not as an entry level but much higher, and though she had the qualification she did not have any actual experience, thats how the first 5-7 episodes felt to me and that's probably why I felt like so much was happening, because she joined a game with veterans, but after she went and got experience, she came back formidable, all that hidden talent without the experience to back it up started fshowing, and she was on top of the scheming game.

The lead FL acting was well done especially in the first few episodes when she was reborn, anyone in their right mind would act like that, and I think it made this a bit different. The ML he did his part well, but I honestly wanted to see more of his fighting, when they first introduced him his fighting scenes were great, but they did not give us a lot of it. Now lets go to our Prime minister, gosh I am impresssed with Daddi Tang, who knew he had it in him, I've only scene him in comedy but he stood out the most to me. The young emperor actor he is going to do big things, he's already so imposing, I look forward to see him even more.

The romance had a lot of yearning and staring into eachother eyes, some kiss scenes but based on this type of drama and the story, it was enough. I feel like they had the first half to hash out everything and formed this unbreakble bond, and then the second half was to focus on whats at hand... I definitely enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first half though.

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Steamy but no chemistry between Wang Xuan & He Shi. Letdown!

I added this drama to my watchlist after finding out that this is another version of Ximen Lichen drama. I love love love Zhao Zhen Dong & Han Jia Hui's version. I also watched Huang Bo and Xue Zi Qi's version. Those who watched Deadly Night Flame have mentioned about the high amount of passionate kissing. Unfortunately this drama did not meet my expectations.

What I liked:
1. Kisses - There were plenty kissing scenes.
2. Styling - Wang Xuan looked handsome. He Shi was pretty although I hated the white gown she wore at the start. That actor who played supporting character was handsome - that hairstyle reminded me of Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner during AM era.
3. FL's fiance - In this version, his character was given more screentime. He got interesting arc.

What I disliked:
1. Acting - I considered chemistry as subset of acting and sadly I didn't sense any chemistry despite the intense kissing. I also felt He Shi gave a bland performance as FL.
2. Romance - I felt the romance was one-sided with FL playing hard to get too many times. There was no warmth nor spark. I also felt like they were playing games.
3. FL characterisation - I couldn't relate to her. She didn't respect ML at the start of his pursuit so I lost interest in the story.
4. Yan Ruo Ruo - Annoying.

Favourite scene
When FL confronted Miss Yan

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An amazing "meet your idol" performance!!

I loved this so much.

Usually in these stories the MC is all the things we wish we were - pure wish fulfillment.

But Chiaki is the total opposite. He's a complete poser and he always looks out of place in AE's world. His facial expressions are so honest, it's difficult to watch sometimes - you wish he could just be a bit cooler. But I love that the show doesn't tone him down. It's a very realistic portrait of what it would be like to meet your idol: just a shaky, blubbering mess lol.

And dear god, AE is portrayed perfectly. His gaze is INTENSE - no way anyone is keeping their composure when he looks at you like that.

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That was an intense watch

This is one of the few times I liked the side characters as much as the main characters.

Porsche actually followed the rules and actually did his job as a guard properly.Maybe he will get to meet his younger half-brother. I did feel like he caught feelings for DeeDee.

DeeDee showed she was just as insecure as everyone else and felt she had few people in her corner. I truly did love her friendship with Porsche.

Kae was truly a villain, the type that says that "If I can't have you, no one can." She was truly lonely and had no one to talk to, so when Bell stopped interacting with her, she was vulnerable and craved power to prevent the feelings only for them to get worse. The power did get to head head, though, and really did make her corrupt. I feel like she didn't fall in love with Bell, though, and latched on to the only person who gave her attention.

Daon is one of the most complicated people in the drama. She and Wichan I do believe that they were using each other for power in different ways. Wichan was using her sex release and a stress releaser, and she used him to be in charge of all the inmates so no one messed with her or her siblings. I have no knowledge of this, but wouldn't her son be placed with family while she was an inmate, and if they never took him in, he would've been placed in foster care until her release.

Bell the one where she was innocent and at first thought her boyfriend was caring at the fact he wanted her to get out of prison only for him to feel guilty as it was his drugs and his friend was only trying to protect him. I'm glad he got what was coming for him.

Claire, the one who wanted to protect her sister, even if it meant taking the fall for her and giving up her freedom. She built the persona 'rabid dog' and built her walls so no one would see her vulnerable leaving her alone.

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A young man whose father was convicted of killing a colonel becomes a lawyer and seeks the truth to clear his name. Seemingly by chance, he finds himself defending a murderer who turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg regarding other killings linked to his father's case. Driven to expose the true culprits, he confronts military corruption and backroom deals—inevitably involving political figures—while also uncovering the motive behind his father’s decision to take the blame.
His investigative team consists of a mysterious woman who shows up at the office to work as his assistant, a detective, and a journalist.
I really like the actor Lee Jun Ho, but here his performance struck me as somewhat static and expressionless. He wasn't the only one, though; Shin Hyun Been, the journalist friend also seemed a bit "flat." I’d like to think that since the series was made in 2019, some time has passed and acting standards—as well as filming techniques—have evolved.

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From Cliché Trope to Pure Charm: The J-Drama That Sparked My Obsession

This is a series that was also broadcast on Thai television. When I saw the promos, it felt so dated, and I assumed the plot would be cliché as well. And it really was a classic trope. A story about an arranged marriage set in the 11th year of the Showa era, right before World War II. Surprisingly, though, the editing and performances hooked me right from the very first episode, and I eagerly looked forward to watching it all the way to the end. It was also the show that sparked my interest in exploring other Japanese dramas.

I loved every single element of it—from the narration sprinkled with funny jokes, like during the moments when Takimasa (ml) did something goofy, to the warm gatherings of Natsuki's family. I really liked Mrs. Shibahara, who took care of the fl, taught her, and shared stories of her own married life. I adored all the cute and humorous romantic scenes between the main couple. The actors executed them brilliantly, because if those moments hadn't been balanced just right, they could have easily fallen flat.

Credit must also go to the director for making the show so charming, as well as to the great casting. The male lead is very handsome and captured attention right away, while the female lead is cute, petite, and delivered affectionate, adorable moments naturally without any awkwardness. The second lead couple was just as impressive—they almost stole the spotlight from the main leads, displaying incredible visual and acting chemistry together.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a swoon-worthy watch—give this delightful Japanese-style romance a try!

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Time I´ll Never Get Back

I honestly wish I had dropped this earlier.
I had pretty high hopes based on the description but was severely disapointed. The entire show is repetitive and SO frustrating and not in a entertaining way that makes sense for the story. It is just frustrating.
There is this constant back and forth going on between the characters. FML and ML will fight and then they´ll "make up" again and then fight and then "make up" over and over. There is never a proper resolution to the arguments, never an apology or explenation. FML just forgives ML beacuse ML says "don´t be mad at me" ,sometimes he doesn´t even say that, and she just forgives him anyway. The back and forth also involes the fact that FML dies and is reborn like five times. And there are no real reprecussions of that! She doesn´t have some realisation, learn anything from it or get any information on it. He leaps in logic are mind boggling. How she reaches some of these conclusions we will never know.

There is absolutely ZERO communication anywhere to be found in the entire show. Like seriously, all of this just beacuse ML couldn´t tell FML what his father had done. FML father also never tells her anything either. That is your daughter sir and you are just fine with her thinking that you blame your wife and sons death on her?! What kind of father does that?!

The Characters are not much better honestly.

The FML always says she wants to divorce the ML emperor but she doesn´t really try to achive that, at most she will do a face and stomp of. The like one time she does runaway and is brought back, she doesn´t fight it, She just glares but never tries to prevent it. She is just so wishy washy on what she wants. One moment she hates the emperor and belived he killed her the first time than the first slight non hostile interaction she has with him after that, she immediently decides that he could not have killed her. Every interaction between them for the two years before that first death has not been positive but she decides that he must be completely innocent based on essentially nothing. But then keeps fighting with him every opportunity she gets. Like pic a side! Either hate him and actually try to get out of there or don´t and actually try to figure out what´s going on. All the while he does absolutely nothing to redeem himself. Also for someone who is supposedly a former member of the army she is really easy to kill.

The ML Emperor is an egotistical p***y ass b*tch. He constantly claims to love FML but does seemingly everything possible, other than actually chain her to the floor, to keep her from being happy or going anywhere. Like OK the Concubine is blackmailing him but if he just f*cking talked to FML Concubine would not have anything to blackmail him with! And even if he is being blackmailed he´s still treating FML like shit for no reason. If you really love someone you should want them to be happy and free even if that is not with you. But ML just goes "no I have to have her, I will never let her go". Even if that means keepinig her in the palace ad married to him against her will. Like sir, she has repeatedly told you she regrets marrying you and that she wants a divorce if you truly cared for her as an actual person, you would let her go.

The Concubine is dumb as hell. FML wants to, and tries to, leave but you just have to kill her beacuse the emperor "loves her" and not you. She also does not actually do anything to try and win ML over by doing things or acting in a way that he would possibly like, just that annoying fake sweet whining baby voice that clearly just pisses him of. Also, protip, If you want someone to love you maybe don´t blackmail them! LIke stop obsessing over a man who clearly does not want you! Also also, she claims to love the emperor ML but then goes and gets pregnant by some random man?!

Based on all of this I simply can not recommend this show to anyone.

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Nice balance between comical and serious

I already knew the ML and I really like his way of acting, it's comical and serious at the same time and since the drama is very much like that too it makes it perfect. I also really like the FL, I've never seen her before but I loved her character and her acting, I'll be looking out for more of her works ! The second ML was well written too cuz I was seriously feeling bad for him and hoping the FL would like him back, knowing it wouldn't be the case. I understand some of the comments on the music, I was also weirded out by some choice as well at first but in the end I found it quite original.

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story of the ghost queen and her beloved mortal general

it's started as deal but ended as true love. He is mortal and she is a powerful lord who lived over 400 years yet she fell in love with mortal who will eventually fad away.

The story was well developed around characters every one played well. With full of joy and sorrow like a rollercoaster ride with the hint of comidy at the Start.

Being powerful comes with some comprises for example doesn't doesn't possess 5 senses and turned herself into cold and ruthless but when he appeared in her life she slowly melts down and let out her true self. And same for him to share his secrets and dark past. eventually healing together and uncovering the answers for unsolved questions.

when she first time experiences the tast of food feel touch able to see colours and hear the melody was truly priceless Dilraba nailed it perfectly.

after exchanging senses she even forgts she is the strongest of the sprites and acts small and innocent child 🤣

ok no more spoilers that's enough

bye 👋

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