Reviews

haven't been able to watch dramas for years, saw a random edit about litc, i'm hooked

the cinematography, the chemistry between the lead roles, the soundtrack, love in the clouds has got me hooked on watching c-dramas again.

enemies to lovers energy, angst, the intimate moments!?, yearning, he fell first and he fell harder

ever since i started the first episode i could not put it down, each moment leaving me hungry for more, so much so that i was binging it late into the early mornings of the day despite having work the next day. i still haven't moved on from it and i'm struggling with starting another drama. sure there were moments where i wished the plot would pick up or move on to another plot point, or the yearning arc was longer, but everything i loved about this show has made up for it undoubtingly.

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The drama everyone is judging but few truly understand…

First of all, I have to say that if you’re reading reviews instead of forming your own opinion before watching the series, you’re already starting off on the wrong foot—you’re letting yourself be influenced.

As a fan of Yoojung, I obviously wasn’t going to miss this series. It had me hooked from the very beginning. Everything is tightly connected, and contrary to what most comments say (I’m guessing they wanted a romance or for Ahjin to continue down a certain path—even though the drama has nothing to do with any of that), every development in the story has its own justification.

In the final episodes, we see an Ahjin who’s running out of options because she believes she has already achieved everything. But that’s not the case. That’s when we once again see the reflection of teenage Ahjin—the one living with her father in the rooftop house, the girl who didn’t know how to navigate her circumstances without using others just to keep going.

The drama is incredibly well made—so much so that it makes you empathize with a sociopath and root for things to work out for her.

That’s the level of performance Kim Yoojung delivers here.

If you haven’t watched it yet, and you decide not to because of other reviews, you’re missing out on what is possibly the drama of the year.

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Dear X: Fun Start, Wtf Ending

Dear X starts off fun and chaotic, with a strong trio of characters that make the story engaging and enjoyable. For most of the drama, I kept my rating between 8 and 8.5 because the characters were well-written and the interactions kept the energy alive, even when some plot points didn’t fully make sense. However, around episodes 9 and 10, the story began to drift. The pacing felt uneven, and the plot introduced ideas that weren’t fully developed. Then, the final episodes completely change the tone. The deaths of the two male leads were abrupt and lacked narrative weight, while the female lead’s survival left no real closure. The ending feels open, confusing, and disconnected from the buildup, leaving me unsure of the intended message. Despite the messy ending, I still enjoyed much of the drama, especially the character dynamics and early episodes.

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You did what with the ending?

This drama suffered from one and only, but biggest flaw, it sacrificed two main characters to redeem a cannon fodder.
And I must say, this show slapped.
I have no idea who the actress who plays the FL is, but to me she was the shining point of this show. The chemistry between two main leads is great. The story might be cliche, but it's engaging and fun and you won't notice when it's over. Because it's a short-form a lot of bs is cut off, so the pacing will feel like a galloping horse. Ngl I honestly laughed because it felt like FL is framed every second of her life and she can't be left alone or catch her breath.

But when it comes to the ending, I think we should have left it as it was, some character don't need redemption, especially when you had to twist the ending just to make it work.
In the rebirth life, FL married ML and they were together from day one. During the chase FL's sister is shot dead with an arrow. Moments later FL and ML were met with the same fate. Then the three of them are reborn into "original timeline" I'd say, when FL did not switch grooms and was helping her unfaithful husband. So ML is now her brother-in-law. But they love each other, how to get together? This unnecessary final stretch of struggle and also for their reputation it wasn't a good thing. Kinda meh. So her sister who helped them out was to me the final winner of this final rebirth, redeeming arc just for her.

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''it was chaotic.” but I can explain it to you easily

Spoiler alert!

The further you watch, the more chaotic it gets from episode to episode. When the truth came out in episode 9, I thought it didn't make sense, the scenes were arranged randomly, and I admire people who didn't get lost in the story. I decided that I had to put it all together into one logical whole. So if you don't understand, maybe my comment will help you understand the whole thing.

1. There are two worlds, but they are connected by one point:
- the present (2020s - the main character and his team)
- the past (~100 years earlier - Mas)
This house is the intersection where time is “broken.”

2. The main character died (Khen)... before the viewer saw it on screen.
His death is not shown explicitly in the series because:
– he himself does not know that he has died,
– the viewer is to discover the truth at the same time as him.
What REALLY happened:
He dies ON THE WAY to this house, during a storm.
Even before the crew starts having this “loop” and problem with leaving.

3. How did the death occur?
As they are driving towards the house:
– there is very heavy rain
– the car skids
– they hit a tree/barrier (fragments of this later flash as “glitchy visuals”)
– everyone dies

4. Was Mas a ghost?
No.
That was the biggest twist.
Mas lived 100 years earlier.
We saw his past... but a ghost sees the past differently than a living person.
That's why it looked like they were both in the same
time. Mas generally saw ghosts throughout his life, including Khen. Khen, being a ghost, was not visible to other people around Mas.

5. Why does the truth only come out in episode 9?
Because only then:
– the viewer gets the ENTIRE flashback from the car,
– his body is visible,
– Mas tells him that he knew from the beginning that Khen was a ghost,
– his own memories begin to come together.
He was NOT aware of his death.

6. Why were his friends “going around in circles”?
Because, as a ghost, he was pulling them into this zone, unable to understand what was happening. He was not aware of his death.
It was his lost soul that caused:
– the scenes to repeat themselves,
– the returns to the house.
When Khen realized and accepted reality, he joined his friends, saying he had something to do . Their souls departed together.

7. Sad ending or happy ending?
It's a sad ending, but wrapped up in a “poetic” finale.
– They are not together.
– They are in two different times, two different karmic dimensions.
– Mas is left alone, with only the hope that maybe someday, in some other life, he will meet someone again who has the "soul of Khen"

The series is very mysterious, but also interesting because the plot is rather original. It's just that you can really get lost in it all!. for me the ending was disappointing, I didn't even think there could be an ending that wouldn't bring the characters together.I think the ending wasn't satisfying.

btw I hope I helped someone understand all this, although I'm not sure if I understand it well myself.

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Missed Potential but fixable!

This drama has great potential starting out strong with ep 1 but then fizzling out a bit through ep 8, so far. The preview for ep 9 looks promising. I hope the writers snap out of their tiring love triangle trope which was completely unnecessary here and fix the dragging they’ve created. The FL needs better character development they’ve written her too clumsy and too victim minded. She needs to show her feelings for the ML more and not seem so disinterested. The ML is showing way more interest and angst than the FL which makes the “romance” lopsided. Please fix this drama’s direction before it’s too late!

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The Worst Drama Ever – Even a Great Cast Couldn’t Save It

Genie: Make a Wish had all the ingredients for success: a talented cast, fantasy elements, and a romantic premise that could have been engaging. Yet somehow, it managed to fail on almost every level. The drama’s biggest problem isn’t the acting — the cast did their best — it’s the concept itself. It trivializes sacred Islamic beliefs, turning jinn and Iblis into playful, romanticized characters. These are serious theological entities, not props for love stories or whimsical plots, and the carelessness of the writing makes the story feel disrespectful rather than imaginative.

Even with strong performances, the narrative feels hollow. Romantic arcs clash awkwardly with supernatural elements, creating a tone that is confusing, insensitive, and ultimately frustrating. What makes it worse is seeing people rate this drama 10s and 9s, praising it as if everything is fine. The problem isn’t just the drama — it’s that standards and taste have sunk so low that careless, disrespectful storytelling is being celebrated. Talent can’t save a story that is built on a foundation of ignorance and insensitivity.

Conclusion:
Genie: Make a Wish proves that even a skilled cast cannot save a story that disregards its subject matter. A good cast can perform, but writing and concept define whether a drama resonates or offends — and here, it missed the mark entirely, despite what inflated ratings might suggest.

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If you see a man being manipulated, don't do anything…sometimes he's exactly where he wants to be.

I think everyone can agree that this is a type of a drama that catches you right away. All characters are interesting and the plot is intriguing since the beginning.

Our main characters Ah Jin, Junseo and Jae Oh, are broken characters. Ah Jin is the only one with true plans for the future while Junseo’s and Jae Oh’s motivations is helping Ah Jin to get what she wants. Ah Jin takes advantage of their loyalty and feelings towards her by manipulating them directly and indirectly but the interesting thing here is that they are not fool, they know they're being manipulated, and that's where the toxicity of their relationship comes from.

Baek Ah Jin is a complex character. In the beginning it’s easy to be on her side when we get to know her story and what she went through. Also the people she's taking revenge on “deserved” the bad things they suffered. But when she shows herself to be extremely cold and manipulative with people who did nothing wrong, our moral compass is put on test and we're left torn between continuing to support all her actions or question them. I think the script is also very good in making her character seems pitiful everytime she makes or say something bad lol It’s like they’re also trying to manipulate us. In general she’s a character that we will like and sometimes not so much.

Junseo is a character I felt sorry for a lot. Yes, he was on her side because he wanted to be, he knew her deeply, but she also manipulated and used his feelings. Sometimes she even made him believe he was the one to be blame. I can understand why later he thought he should be the one to stop her. Although, I question myself if he acted that way because he truly thought she should be stopped or because he knew she would never be with him romantically and never “change”. I wonder…would he still expose her if she was related to him romantically? I also don’t know how to feel about the expose. I felt like Ah Jin was put 100% on blame when things weren’t exactly black and white and Junseo knew that.

Jae Oh was a sweetheart in the entire drama. Friendly, cute, courageous and loyal. I hated his ending but I think it made sense to his character, to sacrifice himself. And although Junseo knew Ah Jin deeply, to me, Jae Oh was the one who understood her deeply. He deserved better in the end. Not for Ah Jin, but for himself. He was the best character.

Talking about the acting now, all actors really surprised me! I already knew Yoojung was good but she was INSANE here. She gave everything to this character and I really hope she gets a nomination for best actress! Yougdae also proved himself by showing that he can act really well, as some people were doubting before. Kim Do Hoon was also good. Hwang Inyeop also nailed the emotional’s scenes of his character. Jonghyun too! Although I think he could have been more shown as the character was really interesting…I expected more of his relationship with Ah Jin as her husband. The chemistry between the characters were also amazing! Yoojung had chemistry with everyone and it reached to a point that we almost wished for a poly romance lol

Now talking about the ending: What was the point of killing both Junseo and Jae Oh and leaving her alive? And in a such open scenario where we don't even know what will actually happen to her character. I felt that the screenwriter wanted to end the drama with a grandiose scene of her character escaping death but I think her dying with Junseo would be more symbolic. Junseo also had the most ridiculous death in the drama omg. He planned everything to end up being the only one to die in the car accident and then be abandoned again by her. I enjoyed the drama overall but I thought the ending was rushed and didn't need to be that open towards her character. Technically we know her life is over as she lost everything but I don’t get why make her alive if she lost everything she fighted for? Maybe this was her divine punishment right…

In general it’s a good drama with interesting characters and plot. The last episodes were rushed and the ending was unnecessary open but still is a good drama! I think it was one of the most interesting k-dramas I saw this year. Really wishing for nominations on Baeksang for the actors!

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When Power Becomes the Prisoner

Big Mouth is not a story about winning or losing — it’s about the invisible chains that power, greed, and fear wrap around every human being. From the very first episode, Park Chang Ho draws you in, appearing weak and unremarkable, a simple lawyer trapped in a world that rewards cunning and punishes honesty. But the genius of the narrative is how it slowly transforms him before your eyes. He is underestimated, dismissed, and almost swallowed by the system — and yet, every calculated move, every moral compromise, every tiny act of resistance pulls the audience deeper into his dangerous journey.

Lee Jong Suk’s performance is subtle, quietly magnetic. It’s not about explosive heroics; it’s about watching a man’s psyche bend, fracture, and evolve under immense pressure. Im Yoo Na’s character becomes a haunting mirror of the cost of survival — the emotional sacrifices, the betrayals endured, and the moral ambiguities that emerge when fear and love collide. The villains are terrifyingly human. Kim Joo Heon, Yang Kyung Won, and the NR Forum are not caricatures — they are polished, intelligent, and frighteningly plausible. This is a world where the most dangerous battles are fought in boardrooms and courtrooms, not dark alleys.

The suspense builds because the audience never knows who truly has the upper hand. Every episode twists expectations, and even moments of apparent victory feel precarious. The ending, however, is undeniably heartbreaking and unsatisfying — Park Chang Ho survives, but at the cost of his wife’s life. The personal victory is hollow, leaving a lingering sense of grief and injustice. Evil adapts, power survives, but even the protagonist’s victories are tinged with unbearable loss. Big Mouth doesn’t offer comfort or closure; it leaves you unsettled, questioning what justice really means in a world designed to manipulate and destroy.

Conclusion:
Big Mouth is a masterclass in suspense, psychology, and moral complexity. It isn’t about triumph over evil — it’s about survival, transformation, and the painful truth that some victories come at a cost too high to celebrate.

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Great Show But A Not So Great Ending?

Dear X would have been a masterpiece if it had had a better ending. But if there is a sequel, it would be a great cliffhanger and a misleading ending. Watching this show, I felt a sense of excitement and intrigue that I hadn't experienced in Korean dramas in years. This show felt refreshing and engaging. The narrative structure sets it apart from typical storylines, making it stand out. The show's ability to blend suspense with emotional depth showcased captivating and memorable storytelling. With such complex characters, the storyline is a pleasure to watch. The show blends thriller, violence, crime, melodrama, manipulation, and suspense. It was masterfully executed, offering a fresh take on traditional drama tropes. It weaves them into a panoramic narrative that follows its cunning and morally ambiguous characters. The themes of love and destruction are intricately woven into the narrative, highlighting how deep affection can become destructive. Joon Seo's love for An Ji is all-consuming, driving him to make irrational decisions that ultimately lead to his downfall. The same applies to Jae O. This toxic relationship underscores the idea that love, when tainted by manipulation and deceit, can lead to chaos and devastation rather than healing and happiness.

A satisfying ending is crucial as it leaves the audience with a sense of closure and fulfillment. Without a firm conclusion, even the most engaging narratives can feel incomplete or unsatisfying. In this case, Dear X is an excellent drama until its ending leaves audiences unsatisfied. This is where a second season would help. Season two could delve deeper into unresolved storylines and character arcs left hanging. These include Ah Ji and her husband, him and his ex-wife, Ah Jin's survival, and Jae O's murderers getting caught. Additionally, new plot twists and developments could be introduced to keep the audience engaged and invested, such as Joon Seo potentially faking his death after his murder-suicide attempt with Ah Jin (I still think he is alive because his death was announced by that doc-series guy, not the police, so he and that guy could be working together to stop Ah Jin again).

Characters:
An Ji is not a good person; she embodies manipulation and selfishness. The only person she can love is herself. It is only when she causes pain to others that she is happy, and so many characters' lives would have been better had they never met her. Her presence creates chaos and destruction, leaving a trail of death and damage to people. Characters like Joon Seo, Jae O, Mr. Choi, and In Gang find themselves entangled in her web of deceit, leading to irreversible consequences. Her manipulative actions alter their paths. Throughout the narrative, manipulation serves as a central theme, influencing the characters' decisions and relationships. An Ji's ability to control those around her demonstrates how manipulation can be wielded as a powerful tool, leading others to act against their own interests, for example, Mr. Choi murdering for her and Jae O getting himself killed. This theme is further explored as each character grapples with the consequences of being ensnared in her web, highlighting the destructive nature of deceit and manipulation.

Joon Seo (Simp-boy 1) was manipulated by An Ji early on in his childhood. They both have a hold on each other; she has a firmer grip on him than he has on her. Throughout the show, he finds his life spiraling out of control due to Ah Ji's manipulative influence and the trouble she gets into. Although she doesn't want to be saved, his desire to save her is evident even when he opposes her. He became gloomy as a result of her relentless schemes and emotional manipulation. In the end, his only choice to stop her was murder-suicide. This decision reflects his inner turmoil and his belief that only through such an extreme act can he find freedom and release them both from the destructive bond that binds them. Dark, twisted, and toxic, but enjoyable, is the relationship between these two. Then we have Jae O (Simp-Boy 2). Unlike Joon Seo, who can face Ah Ji head-on and question her actions and motives, Jae O is loyal to a fault. He is selfless, the opposite of Ah Ji's selfishness. He never questions her and does whatever she asks, leading to his death. Joon Seo and Jae O's responses to An Ji's manipulation highlight the contrasting ways individuals react when ensnared by deceit. Joon Seo, despite knowing he is being manipulated, struggles to free himself from An Ji. He grapples with a mix of defiance and a desire to save her, ultimately choosing a drastic end. In contrast, Jae O's unwavering loyalty blinds him to An Ji's true nature, preventing him from questioning her motives and leading him to his death, leaving Joon Seo no other choice but to take action against Ah Ji in the aftermath.

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a fun comfort show

I'm really not sure why people are so ruthless in their reviews, if it's not your cup of tea sure but damn. Not every story needs to have a stellar deep intriguing plot line or explanation, shows are a means of escape for many and this delivers it. If we're going off logic, then Mr. Queen doesn't make sense either. (I love that show along with scarlet heart). There was no explanation to why they time traveled or returned to their world after death. It is purely fantasy, so I'm not sure why people are upset over a good happy ending. There's a reason why it became so popular.

This show was very comforting and fun to watch, I loved the cinematography and king's acting 🤌. I thought the food competition was very engaging too, very unique. This is def a show that I can just come back to and rewatch just for fun moments!

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This Drama Wasn’t Entertainment - It Was a Warning

I started The Manipulated because of a random reel, only expecting something “interesting,” but what I got was far more disturbing, brutal, and unforgettable than I imagined. After so many years, this is the first Ji Chang Wook drama that truly made me feel something intense again. His character isn’t just a victim or a hero — he is a man slowly breaking, being pushed, watched, controlled, and reshaped like a lab experiment. The most impressive part of the drama is how it doesn’t romanticize his suffering. It shows it. It forces the audience to sit inside his fear, confusion, rage, and helplessness. And the way the psychopathic character was portrayed was genuinely chilling. This was not the usual “dramatic villain” this was calculated, calm, intelligent, and terrifying because of how realistic he felt. D.O’s performance, especially, carried a quiet madness that didn’t need shouting or violence to be felt. It lived in his eyes, his pauses, his voice. That’s what made it so uncomfortable and so powerful.

I hated how the woman who loved JCW’s character left him, even though she wasn’t his wife it still felt like abandonment at his lowest point, and that betrayal added another layer to the manipulation. It proved that even love can be unstable when fear is involved. Before watching this drama, I never really believed that a human life could be controlled, destroyed, and rewritten so perfectly without chains but this story exposed the dirty psychological games of the underworld: how power isn’t always loud, how the real criminals don’t get their hands dirty, how minds are broken silently. And the ending… it didn’t feel like an ending. It felt like reality. As if the drama was reminding us that this story isn’t finished because people like Ah Yohan don’t disappear they walk among us, untouched, unfaced, and still playing their games somewhere else. That lingering discomfort is what makes this drama a masterpiece. It doesn’t close the door. It leaves it slightly open, and that is the most terrifying part.

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Exceptional piece of art, in its own right.

Both exquisite actors show the depth of their souls, and the depths of their humanity.
That Korean society can cast aside a incredibly talented actor such as Joo Jin Mo, to punish him for not paying an illegal bribe, but instead, courageously taking the hit to his career for his principles also speaks to *his* character, not that of the society as a whole. It's so easy to sit in the back seat, and do nothing of value, while criticizing the driver, isn't it?

I'm watching this in 2025, I am appalled and outraged that a few stupid words among idiot friends has cost him (and us) his career. Everyone woman knows that in a group of men, especially if alcohol is present, the Group IQ drops to that of the dumbest member. Talk about thought police. What's really shameful is how little compassion goes into condemning a person forever, over a minor incident.

Bring Joo Jin-mo BACK!!!

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Ah Jin was truly a Sociopath (and I LOVED it)

Throughout majority of this drama I felt that Ah Jin could have redeemed herself (I know that's not how it works with a true sociopath but I thought that was where the writing was going (I didn't read the source material)). There were several points were I thought she genuinely cared about some of the people around her especially after the appearance of the grandmother of her boyfriend. She seemed to genuinely care for her and I still think that had the grandmother lived Ah Jin could have grown some humanity. I also realised very early on that romantic relationships mean nothing to Ah Jin and only familial relationships could have any emotional impact on her since her parents were the reasons she became like this.

As much as I wanted Ah Jin to grow emotional attachments to people, I LOVE that by the end she was truly a sociopath with no empathy or emotional attachment to others. Her ending surprised me because I thought that we would see her breakdown from losing everyone I thought she cared about, but at the very end, seeing her not care at all gave me the chills (despite knowing what a sociopath is). I really thought they would tone down her sociopathic tendancies as the drama went on because I feel like majority of the time when there is a female lead like Ah Jin, a female lead who has no empathy, writers decide to make the female character more emotional vulnerable out of nowhere. But that was not the case here, if anything she gets worse but you don't see just how horrible of a person Ah Jin is until the very end.

The only thing I didn't like about the end was Jae O's death being pointless. He sacrificed himself so that Ah Jin could live the life she wanted, the least Jun Seo could have done was expose Do Hyeok for killing Jae O if he wasn't going to help Ah Jin. Jae O was honestly the best character in this entire drama, and way better than Jun Seo with his annoying saviour complex. When Do Hyeok was introduced I thought he was too psychotic for Ah Jin (despite one of my reasons for starting this drama being the fact that I wanted to see them as a sociopath + psychopath couple). But after episode 12, I thought they were perfect together, a match made in hell. He also seemed surprised by Ah Jin being a sociopath (I don't think he could break her as he did his ex) and I'm really curious what would have happened to them had Jun Seo not exposed Ah Jin. I really wanted to see more of Ah Jin and Do Hyeok's relationship, they would have worked so well together if he wasn't trying to drive her insane. I wonder what he would do if he ever sees her again, he still seemed really interested in her at the very end and I feel like their dynamic would change in a more positive way (in favour if Ah Jin) because he knows she's as crazy, if not worse than him.

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PURE MADNESS!!!

I understand why many viewers felt disappointed with the ending. At this point, the drama could have followed the webtoon more closely, especially since its ending, though still sad, felt more complete.

That said, I genuinely enjoyed this drama. It’s one of the rare shows where I didn’t skip a single scene. From start to finish, it held my attention.

The early high school episodes were a highlight for me. I actually wish they had lasted longer. Without them, if the story had begun only when Baek Ah Jin became a celebrity, her character would have seemed like just another fame-obsessed star willing to do anything to rise to the top. But that’s not who she is. Those early episodes showed the roots of her trauma, and because of that, I could empathize with her, and I pitied her, even if I didn’t agree with her choices at all.

And it wasn’t just her. Every character in this drama had their own brand of madness. Let’s be honest: the world Baek Ah Jin lived in was far from sane, and the people around her were just as chaotic in their own ways! Everyone was mad in their own way!

Despite all this, I admired the two male leads. Their devotion to the female lead was unwavering, and they were willing to do anything to support her. Still, I can’t say I condone all their actions, especially Jun Seo’s behavior toward the end, which was absolutely wild (although that's not what happened in the webtoon).

Overall, I’m really satisfied with this drama. I usually gravitate toward lighthearted romantic comedies filled with cute fluffy moments between the leads, and this show was the complete opposite. Yet I found myself appreciating it deeply, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something different.

I’m just giving it fewer points for rewatch value. Because of its dark themes and how emotionally heavy it is, I feel that watching it once is more than enough.

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