Reviews

Romance, crime, mystery and political intrigue come together

This show was a really pleasant watching experience. I thought the pacing of the show was really good up until about episode 30 the female main character I believe was very well portrayed send was a very believable and realistic picture of a woman out for revenge yet not consumed by hate and instead seeking justice . She had moments where she was almost consumed by her grief and thirst for revenge that she almost broke the principles that she lived by, but she was able with the help of the main male character to reel herself back in. The main male character was such a good depiction of a man that stands by his values and by his choices the way he loved on the main female character was so lovely to see. He was always putting her safety in her knees ahead of his like even before he was entirely sure of you know his feelings, whether he was in love or not, he was so committed to her.

This show was a really pleasant watching experience. I thought the pacing of the show was really good up until about episode 30 the female main character I believe was very well portrayed send was a very believable and realistic picture of a woman out for revenge yet not consumed by hate and instead seeking justice . She had moments where she was almost consumed by her grief and thirst for revenge that she almost broke the principles that she lived by, but she was able with the help of the main male character to reel herself back in. The main male character was such a good depiction of a man that stands by his values and by his choices the way he loved on the main female character was so lovely to see. He was always putting her safety in her knees ahead of his like even before he was entirely sure of you know his feelings, whether he was in love or not, he was so committed to her.

The side characters were so well done. I kept having anxiety that one of the main characters causes friends with try not to be a traitor, but that didn’t happen so I’m a see I really love the interaction of the main character with Yan Li, Bai Feng, Ning er and Fuling.

this crime mystery show had some of the best cases I’ve seen in the show of this genre. All the cases were interesting. Had you peeking your mind on who the culprit would be with the cause of death was and the reason for the murder was I think some of the latter cases were a bit rushed. But all in all, I think the cases were pretty solid in terms of a crime mystery.

even the final plot twist in the show was done so well and in such a believable manner like when the prospect of the part was first introduced, I was like huh this makes no sense, especially because the FMC had said something about some sort of face changing technique, which this is not the genre for that type of plot line typically he would see something like that in a xian xia or fantasy So I really was gearing up to be disappointed by how it was going to play out, but then the writers got me. They were able to take it and give that plot was a more logical foundation that all in all kind of makes sense.

Now, here is my problem with the show and why it’s not a 10 star. As the show progresses, you sort of get sucked into the cases Forget the overarching plotline and that it’s supposed to take place in the capital in which most of the show focuses on the characters journey to the capital. So here you have a story that is concerned about two main characters getting justice for two important family members in their lives which needs to take place in the capital and the characters don’t make it to the capital about 20. Then even when they arrive at the capital, the main plot line is still not the focus at that point in the story. The main characters are still solving other crimes in mysteries that have come up, which is great until you realize you’re about 70% into the show and the real plot line hasn’t started yet. I believe let sharp drop in the quality of the storytelling because from episode 30 things started to feel very rushed, which makes sense because now there is only eight episodes left to tell the story and uncover all the mysteries that started the show in the first place.

The empress’s daughter dropped off the face if the earth, so much fuss was made about Prince Rui and the we only see him for 2 minutes (clear some scenes were cut down), all of a sudden the empress had been working with that one person the whole time ?? (Makes no logical sense), what happened to the Qin Family ? Lots of filler stuff like honestly no one cares about the crown prince’s marriage or Prince Cheng!


All in all a good story with a rushed last few episodes

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Starts off intriguingly, but...

Wasted potential. Good production quality, strong visuals, and a solid musical score (although the main theme is overused). The series explores a rather unique topic - starts off intriguingly, but after that it only gets worse.
The acting is, for the most part, genuinely good (above the average for many cdramas), but when it comes to the main leads, I’m not sure whether the problem lies with the script, the performances, the director’s guidance, or a mix of all three. Either way, I find the characters unlikable: they don’t inspire empathy or make me care about their fate, and instead most of the time simply get on my nerves. This is, in my opinion, the show’s one of biggest flaws.
The other is that the script is full of plot holes and absurdities, and toward the end it tries to tie up its storylines in a very far-fetched way. Moreover, from almost the very beginning, it was easy for me to be able to guess who the main villain is, as well as the secret of the main leads’ origins, which, in my view, makes this a rather weak recommendation for a suspense drama.
The most touching was the story of Qu Meng and Hong Yue – their characters were well-written and actresses gave great performances – it was very easy to care for and empathize with their characters. That is why I gave such a score despite the series’ flaws.

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Your Past, My Future

Shen Buyan was a history researcher who had written a book on Sheng Dynasty, one of a kingdom in the nine kingdoms era. His publisher was pushing him to write a sequel because a tv station was ready to produce tv series based on his book, so he was pressured into making up stories as there was little documented material of the era. As he was looking for inspiration, he came upon a jade broken into 5 pieces at a wishing tree sold by an old woman. He decided to buy the broken jade, and as his nose bled onto the jade piece that night, he found himself transported into the past, looking at a woman playing konghao as the people cursed her Demon Empress. Thus starts his journey to uncover the real history of the Demon Empress and Sheng Dynasty.

This is truly a hidden gem! I have never seen a miniseries written and shot as perfect as this! I couldnt find any loophole to the story. There was no sketchy plot even each episode only had about 25-30min of runtime.

Although the ML and FL had only a brief moment of several days in each encounter as ML travels back in time, i could really feel the deep connection they both had each time they look into each other’s eyes. The longing in FL’s expression was truly genuine at the beginning of the show as ML acted prejudiced towards her, and the regret and pained look of ML as he travelled further back in time to meet the FL younger in each encounter was also able to strike deep into my heart. This is the first time that I saw both actors, but i am truly impressed at their striking performances.

The cinematography doesnt look like most miniseries on a budget. They were stunningly shot with amazing scenery and colour gradient. It really didnt feel like i was watching a miniseries, the quality was superb. Action choreograph is also impressive, FL being the badass warrior compared to the scholarly ML. And lets not even mention the makeup. Theyre excellent! FL looked mature and domineering at the beginning of the show as the Demon Empress, but they really nailed it to make her look more youthful with each encounter (as the ML was moving back in time) and finally that teenage look at the final encounter took my breath away. They were so dang good!

Gosh I wished it could be made longer. And to think that it was based off a fanvideo was even more mindblowing. It’s truly a fresh idea of a love that seemed fleeting and separated by thousands of years, compared to the usual love in multiple lifetimes that usually has a more fulfilling happy ending.

Honestly it was an interesting ride. I am truly and extremely satisfied and impressed with this show. I think the mainleads had an off-the-chart chemistry and i really hope to see more of them in the future.

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SOMEONE PLEASEEEEE GIVE JJ A PARTNER IN A SERIES

555555555

Overall, this drama is adorable! I am officially in love with Keen and his acting—especially when he was “possessed” and screamed at his dad. SeaKeen’s chemistry was beyond my expectations from nongs jaa~

As for JavaSurf (or SurfJava), I skipped their story most of the time because I don’t like the character Van. He always makes me feel like punching him in the face.

The story itself is actually quite good, filled with hilarious moments, heartbreaking parts, and of course, we have the great lonesome king of being single who represents us fans/watchers—JJ! He made everything even more fun to watch.

However… I feel like this drama has several similarities to other series, such as Bad Buddy, followed by Final Destination, where death doesn’t like being cheated and follows you wherever you go. And in the finale, one scene even felt like The Boy Next World.

Maybe I’ve watched way too many series to notice these resemblances? (I feel like I really need to get a life, 555.)

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Mature, developed, layered, interesting, and beautiful drama

So far, this drama has been extremely enjoyable to watch.

The acting is fantastic. We have deeper, more complex and interesting characters. The drama does a great job pacing the action, moving the plot along, developing the relationship and interactions between our leads as well as dropping clues of other relationships. Keeps the viewers curious and interested in seeing the story unfolds.

Additionally, it intersperses humor in the situation as well and conversations. I wish I were a native speaker and could catch on to the full breadth of it. While I can only get a hint of it, it’s still pretty funny. We also enjoy the varying dynamics of different environments and peoples, from the old neighborhood where she resides to the corporate workplace to the startup company vibe.

The costuming & background team are great. The characters are dressed impeccably for their roles and elevate the visuals for the audience. Love how they put in the effort to differentiate the two worlds. the VR characters & setting look almost unreal and amazing vs the real life characters (still gorgeous but more grounded on earth). Since this is a drama centered around architecture, we get to feast our eyes on some pretty amazing structures. So far, we’ve seen the elegant and gorgeous hotel on the island, Dynaism’s spartan yet modern building, and the rival’s cool and cold courtyard.

Enjoy this drama - it’s not a cookie cutter not shallow.

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"Dispatch 5283, Watching Complete" (iykyk) - A Masterclass that just keeps getting Better

The way this drama unfolds is absolutely superb.
With every season and honestly, every single episode Taxi Driver just keeps leveling up. The storytelling, the pacing, the emotions, the justice-driven narrative… everything feels sharper and more satisfying than before.

Season 3 proves that this series hasn’t lost its spark in fact, it’s only getting stronger. Each case hits harder, the moral weight feels heavier, and the execution is near flawless. This is one of those rare shows where you genuinely feel the creators know exactly what they’re doing.

I could easily watch 100 more seasons of this show without getting bored. That’s how gripping it is.

And Lee Je Hoon, what a performance. His screen presence, intensity, and emotional control are on another level. I can confidently say I’ve become a true die-hard fan. He doesn’t just play the role, he owns it.

Taxi Driver isn’t just a drama anymore; it’s an experience.
One of the finest K-drama franchises ever made.

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Es una serie estilo historia de amor cliché

Se que a muchos se les hace algo insípida la historia, pero en realidad lo toman así porque es una serie cliché y este tipo de series suelen ser así, básicas, pero si te pones analizar un poquito más la historia detrás, es literalmente la historia de el primer amor de alguien que casualmente tuvo un camino algo diferente al que él imaginó, el hecho de que la historia sea torpe así como sus personajes es lo que la hace ÚNICA y divertida, es de mis series favoritas y aunque está relativamente quemada, creo que todos deberían de darle una oportunidad (y más si te gusta lo SÚPER cliché)

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SeaKeen portrays a love that overcomes time, death, fate, and a middling script

I loved Jerome and Jinn as characters, and I was fully invested in their love, which is why I stayed with this show until the end. Believing in forever is hard, but with these two, I can see it.

It's frustrating that for a series built around alternate realities, death visions, and waking dreams, the script loses focus due to a generic playboy subplot, even though the actors do their best to portray it. As a result, many of the most compelling plot points are resolved too quickly, and only in the final two episodes.

That said, Sea and Keen once again deliver strong character work, shaping Jerome and Jinn into fully realized, imperfect people. Keen plays Jinn as an emotionally perceptive hot-tempered softie, and Sea plays J as playful and mischievous but also fiercely loving. Together, their love transcends universes, literally.

The sheer amount of hugs, kisses, cuddles, and verbal affirmations goes a long way in making J and Jinn’s relationship feel real and grounded, even with all the supernatural elements present. More of this, please. Also, anytime Jinn uses his boyfriend's full name, it's intense.

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A "10/10" for the cast, hindered slightly by the writing

After being blown away by Yoon Kye-sang in The Kidnapping Day, I went into this with high expectations—and he absolutely delivered. It’s a crying shame this isn't on every major streaming platform yet, because it is exactly the kind of show we need right now.

There is something so special about the "Village Hero" trope. These aren't polished superheroes; they are your neighbors. They are the guys running the hardware store or the insurance office who just happens to have a "very particular set of skills." Watching them protect their community—not as soldiers, but as a family—is genuinely heartwarming. You’ll find yourself cheering for the entire neighborhood by episode three.

Yoon Kye-sang is in top form here. He has this incredible ability to be hilarious and relatable one second, and then completely terrifyingly skilled the next. The chemistry he has with the rest of the cast is the show's greatest strength. When they work together, the "family" vibe is so real you’ll wish you lived in Changri-dong yourself.

The show strikes a perfect balance. It gets serious when it needs to—the stakes feel real—but it never loses its sense of humor. Plus, the OST is a total earworm. It captures that "underdog energy" perfectly and kicks in at just the right moments to get your heart racing.

Is it perfect? Almost. If I’m being honest, the writing could have been a bit tighter. There were moments where the story felt like it needed a little more depth to match the high quality of the acting. If the script had just a bit more "meat" on the bones, this would be an easy 10/10.

If you can find it, binge it. It’s a superb weekend watch that will leave you feeling warm, hyped, and ready to move to a neighborhood where the neighbors have your back.

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Surely Break Up

Surely Tomorrow is unfortunately one of those dramas that start off really strong but end up ruining everything in the final episodes. It feels like the script leaned way too heavily into constant breakups instead of letting the characters simply be together and grow as a couple.

Honestly, the title Surely Break Up would fit this drama perfectly. The main couple might have set a new record — three breakups and eighteen years of separation is really hard to top.

Very quickly, the story falls into a clear pattern: a problem appears, the characters give up, cry, break up, fall into emotional pain, and then find their way back into each other’s arms… only for the same cycle to repeat again.

I also struggled to buy into the so-called “realism” of the story. The idea of a man who stays completely alone and celibate for nearly two decades, until almost forty, just doesn’t feel very believable to me.

What disappointed me even more was how shallow the male lead’s character became. Every time the female lead re-entered his life, his entire world seemed to stop existing. Everything revolved around her, her family, and her ex-husband. We learned very little about his own life after their breakup — his college years, or how he went from a theater club to becoming a reporter. Aside from the alcoholism storyline, he was mostly reduced to “the man who loves her.”

The ending itself didn’t satisfy me either. After all that pain and longing, a two-minute reunion at the very end just wasn’t enough. It felt rushed and emotionally underwhelming.

What truly holds this drama together is the acting. The chemistry between the leads was very strong, and I could clearly understand their emotions. The actors conveyed pain and longing beautifully. PSJ especially stood out — it’s obvious he poured his heart into this role. His crying scenes were absolutely top-tier and genuinely moved me at times.

In the end, it’s a real shame. The potential was huge, but it was wasted by repeating the same overused breakup-and-reunion tropes.

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Ignore any review posted by someone who did not watch the whole drama.

Ignore every single review from anyone who did not watch all 12 episodes--especially those that only watched the first 4 before bailing out. Their reviews are disingenuous at best. (Two pet peeves of mine: Posting reviews before a drama has even ended, and reviews from people that dropped it after only a few episodes.)

It starts out very harsh, an alcoholic reporter wavering over the oversized glass of soju in front of him after just publishing an exposé on the drug-fueled affair of the husband of the woman that had broken his heart not once, but twice. The second time had sent him spiraling down into the bottle, and it had taken him years to put his life back together. The exposé, based on an anonymous tip, was threatening to dredge it all back up again.

The two star-crossed lovers at the center of this story are not well-matched. They come from different worlds--he from working class, she a chaebol heiress, who in her naïveté is oblivious to their class differences. Those differences become the source of much heartache, but it slowly becomes clear that all the two ever wanted was each other and the freedom to be together.

The cast is absolutely terrific, and the chemistry between the two leads is amazing. You feel the two lead character's love, longing, and pain. There are several other relationships peripheral to the romance that are very engaging too: The ML's relationship with his boss, the FL's relationship with her sister and the ML's parents, the Chaos family. All of these grow richer as they propel the story along. I also enjoyed the two guest roles: In something completely different, Go Bo Gyeol was almost unrecognizable as the fallen idol, and Uhm Jung Hwa was delightfully over the top as editor in chief. Finally, at 12 episodes, I thought the length was perfect. Very good drama, well done.

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A perfect match

SeaKeen dominate their latest show, with fantastic chemistry and very solid performances from both of them. The bar was set high by "MuTeLuv: 'Hi' by My Luck" and risen even higher with "Head 2 Head". While the show is not free from problems, I enjoyed it immensely and consider the best of SeaKeen project so far.

Plot and writing
I applaud the use of the "enemies to lovers" premise, which doesn’t get old and – properly developed and scripted – allows actors to show more of their range than it is the case with more traditional love stories. In H2H this premise is used in a smart way and effectively combined with elements of the supernatural.
The writing is a bit uneven. It’s generally good when it comes to the main couple, allowing for nice pacing and buildup of Jinn’s and Jerome’s romantic relationship; the show took just the right amount of time to make that believable and enjoyable at the same time. Jerome’s and Beam’s last scene in ep. 3 is a testament to the quality of writing – it’s short, but neatly concludes business between those two characters (which in itself was necessary for the Jerome-Jinn storyline to progress), showing Beam as more than a trophy boyfriend (he’s properly roasting Jerome for what he did). More importantly, it shows Jerome as both a relatable character and decent person: he’s embarrassed by how he treated Beam, clearly wanted to avoid a confrontation with him and defends Jinn – taking all the blame. A lesser script would omit a scene like that or turn it into pure cringe – here it was done very skillfully. That being said, the script seems to dwell too long on certain issues (like Jerome’s struggle with his visions), hence the series felt like it lost some steam mid-season, with the main plot almost stalled for 1-2 episodes. Shortening the series to 10 episodes was both possible and advisable; either that or the main plot should have been expanded to properly fill all 12 episodes with non-repetitive content.
Writing for the secondary/support couple isn’t as good: one almost wishes Van and Farm break up for good, with Van’s character arc feeling contrived, forced and unrealistic; the show sold me on this only due to Java’s convincing performance. The second couple is also clearly less developed, with Farm’s character almost nonexistent – fortunately Van has a little more depth.
I have heavily criticized previous work of Inthira Thanasarnsumrit, indicated as the sole screenwriter for H2H, for the shows she wrote or co-wrote suffered from what I called "multiple couples syndrome" and the resulting underdevelopment and lack of proper characterization; this affliction plagued "Between Us", "We Are" and "Perfect 10 Liners". This time I have to give her praise for generally good work. Also: Jerome’s "but I do love you!" from episode 11 reminded me of a similar line by Win (portrayed by Boun Noppanut Guntachai) from episode 11 of "Between Us".
On another note: no breakup and no time jump – in a GMMTV-made BL! More than that: writing for ep. 11 seemed to be making fun of BL breakups – which felt really good.

Performances
Sharp as always, Keen remains among my favorite BL actors and singers. H2H solidifies his status with a very good performance – funny, emotional and touching. Visibly comfortable with the material he had to work with, Keen made Jinn a complex and strong character.
Back in "Only Boo!" Sea was clearly several steps behind Keen – now the distance is far smaller. Already in "MuTeLuv: 'Hi' by My Luck" we could see how much Sea’s acting has improved – H2H is his best and strongest performance to date. Sea has a firm grip on the complicated role of Jerome, convincingly displaying all facets of the character – from being annoying and obnoxious through being confused and feeling the weight of the future on his shoulders to being caring and loving. With just 3 roles in 2 years Sea went from inspired amateur to gifted actor; he’s also able to competently deliver a song. Amazing progress.
Performances of Keen and Sea, their chemistry and interactions (bickering, banter and love) are what makes the story work, combining comedy and romance with more serious and even somber elements. In less skilled hands this volatile mix would result in a disaster – Sea and Keen handled it properly, giving us a very good show.
Java deserves praise for making Van – basically an unlikeable douchebag – someone to root for. Unlike Farm, Van got a proper background – and Java used it fully. Van talking about his house and why he doesn't want to be there in episode 11 was Java's best delivery so far in any show. It was believable and restrained – I call it actual acting.

Music
In a classic GMMTV fashion H2H has a soundtrack consisting exclusively of songs performed by the main cast. "คิดว่าไม่ แต่ดันใช่ (Turns Out It's You)", the opening credits song, was performed by Keen and Sea – it’s energetic and fun, very fitting for the show. Two songs were performed individually by Sea – "จริงๆ ชอบเธอ (Secret Crush)" – and Keen – "ไหนว่าไม่ชอบ (Not a Crush?)". Keen is a good singer and his share of the H2H OST is no surprise; Sea’s contribution, on the other hand, I was not expecting – and he proved more than capable in this regard (though I wouldn’t call him a singer). The fourth and last part of the OST is "เพื่อนข้างๆ (Friend Next Door)" by Java and Surf. While thematically it fits the show, I’m not convinced the song had to be performed by this duo.

Final thoughts
SeaKeen is one of only 4 BL ships in which I like and respect both members, as well as their work together (the others being YinWar, BounPrem and MarkOhm); this is mainly due to how well ship members are matched. In this particular case it is a nearly perfect match. "Head 2 Head" – which rests mostly on Sea and Keen – convinced me that my assessment of this ship was correct: it was and stays strong, sailing towards more BL adventures that will delight me.

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I enjoyed it but expected more

Ill start by saying The cast was perfect, they did so well in their respective roles, they had so much chemistry together which also made this serie special to me. And basically saved it for me
Now to storyline, we start off so well, first half of serie was good, we had intersting plotline kept me hooked than 2nd half come and editing become so bad, plotline lost and storyline dipped, focus went from jerome trying to save jinn to somehow making up with jinn's dad, i don't understand why they even tried to make jinn forgive him, he left him, this doesn't change, that forgiveness was some bs.
Now another big plot point we lost is how jinn actually die and how jerome save him, bcz it didn't matter if jinn survived accident with his mom h, he still died at age of 30 due sicknesses, so i dont get how we never got that explaned.

FarmVan needed better storyline too, van went from having no romantic feeling towards farm to loving him next ep, it didn't make sense.

Such potential of story got lost into details a'd i only blame people behind the scene from writers to editors and directors and i worry that one of series i look forward the most under same director which could end up with same team and ruin such great idea

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Fantasy trying to be reality

what can I say about another school fight action drama
this pushes the limits in being so full of tragedy but if they want show the reality of fighting to the death
to do this believably they must answer not skip certain basic questions:
where are the parents
police would have to be more active not just a cameo showing how useless they are
school authorities could not cover up as brief scenes showing how useless they are
as it is we can only see it as pure fantasy beneath which a pretty routine delinquent youth fight action is unrealistically spiced up with shock value
old men in uniform supposedly as school students doesn't help its credibility

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