Reviews

More individualistic than I thought it would be.

If it was up to me, I would probably remove the romance from the genre, since it never felt like the center or core of the drama. It was more of the background and set up for the personal internal and external struggles the leads had.

Far more slice of life with theatrical touch. It dives into themes of self doubt, insecurities, expectations we place on ourselves, hard choices between practically and what we desire, fear of disappointment. That said, I wish they dived deeper into all these internal conflicts. Somehow I was not quite satisfied with the complexity of the presentation.

Weirdly, I got really interested in the production of that fictional play, and I was mentally arguing with the director about his preferred interpretation of the main character.

Acting wise, we already knew the cast was great after season 1. There were moments I was not quite… vibing with Niihara Taisuke’s performance, not because of his skill, but rather the style that was chosen for this production - I am honestly not a theatre girlie.The performance was great, just not my preferred type.

Overall, it was for sure at least on the same level as season one, if not better. I guess it would depend on what you expect to get from it.

Read More

Ah Jin is a Sociopath

Ah Jin is a sociopath.

The one thing that kept me fascinated with this drama was the idea of perpetual victimhood. In trying to escape poverty, she became an eternal victim. By never moving forward, she was forever stuck in the past.

The downfall caused by Jun Seo can be said to be his final way of helping her heal, teaching her that manipulation is not the key to success. But alas, she never learns.

Jae Oh has taken off his victimhood, but he is reeled into Ah Jin’s net. He can’t help it, she made him feel useful.

One thing I want to mention, is that without the background of domestic abuse, I would not have been able to feel empathy for Ah Jin. I believe that this background is an intentional insertion by the original author, to ensure that readers and viewers understand Ah Jin’s actions.


All in all, a great story, and a cautionary tale against revenge.

Might I add that I have added multiple soundtracks to my playlist.

Read More

drama of the year! not for the faint of heart

For me, this drama is an absolute masterpiece and
definitely the drama of the year! They’ve set the bar incredibly high! The expectations were too high, because the trailers looked too inviting, there was a frenzied interest! After all, it's a task with an asterisk to assemble such a cast, choose such charming images for them, and most importantly, take on the implementation of such a crazy plot! Yoo Jung is just a queen! Her acting is impossible to describe, it's so godlike! 20 years in the industry speak for themselves! We all understand that everything that happens in the drama is just an acting, all the actors, without exception, showed a masterful level of acting! You just believe them, and it's like you're living through all this horror with them! I really don't have enough words to describe how much of a masterpiece this drama is! Although I’m disappointed with the ending and it is unclear what this ending means, but I’m happy with the overall picture of what is happening!
Even though A Jin’s crazy, she’s divinely beautiful, the stylists did a great job! It was impossible to take my eyes off her! A Jin had been through a lot, it didn't excuse her at all, but I felt sorry for her. Huge admiration to Kim Yoo Jung for such a bold role and such a tremendous character development!
I feel so bad for Ingan, despite everything I really loved their couple with Ajin! there was so much chemistry between them. And how much he loved her 💔 Episode 6 completely broke me.
My fave character is Jae O, played by an amazing Kim Do-hoon! He opened up to me in a completely new way in this drama. I've always felt terribly sorry for his character, he's such a bright person with such a difficult fate.
Kim Young Dae as Jun Seo also played a cool role. Usually, his acting seemed stony to me, but here the progress showed. I noticed big changes in his acting , and he began to cope better. His character also seemed to have problems in his head, i mean his gaze said so.
Moon Do Hyeok's character is the height of craziness! A mad man who completely binds a woman's life. Jong Hyun gets a standing ovation for such great acting !
The musical accompaniment always gave more intensity and craziness to situations, which undoubtedly made the drama more multifaceted and lively! The drama is perfectly produced!
this drama is certainly appreciated by those who loves such genres and plots.
Imo, this is a must-watch! A breath of fresh air in the world of kdrama
However, if you are a sensitive person, afraid of blood and cruelty, this is not your drama for sure!

Read More

They really lived for each other

I dont usually watch serious dramas but i couldn't stop myself after reading all the reviews on how good it was. Well it did live up to my expectations. I cried and laughed ugly watching this one. Usually you see the uke having a very shitty life but here it was the seme. Damn it was horrible. I do have 1 question. Why didn't he go to the orphanage like his mother asked him to? But overall the drama was good.
I like how all of their problems were not solved by the end of the show but instead they both just found happiness and will to live. Courage to fight for freedom and get the normal life they always desired. There was not 1 character who was like completely good or completely bad. Everyone were victims of something and perpetrators of something.
Would i watch it again? No. Not cz it was not good but cz it was too good and too intense for me. Especially ep 4 was horrible. You could see characters feeling bad for other characters but still doing hurting them or not helping them... and that's exactly how real life is.. no one helps you should help yourself.. the actors really did a good job❤️

Read More

might contain spoilers?
okay, so everyone applaud kim yoo jung for basically carrying the show, I'll be fr, i lowkey fell out of it around episode 10 but I solely watched it cuz I love her portrayal of baek ah jin sm. If you ever plan on skipping on the drama please watch till episode 4 atleast and skip. I have read a little of the webtoon, I will say, young daes acting wasn't it, yes it was more promising than his previous roles, but the whole time junseo had one tone of voice. However his acting was bareable but flat. Jae oh is such a good character and at first I was confused as to why he was essential to the plot, and oh he was. In gang's character was tbh perfect, hwang in youp has the eyes to play this role, i could tell through them how geniune he was about ah jin, and it was all the more heartbreaking to see his end. My major criticism on the plot however is it's quite incoherent, like how easily everyone forgot Lena was meant to be a bully character, i will give it to this drama tho, they never make a bully have a redemption or something in any other drama. Seung hee's character felt irrelevant after the first episode, like why was she suddenly living with ah jin, how did she find a way to work at moon do hyuks mansion, it's very random and confusing tbh.
The ending *sigh* i kinda liked it, i was expecting a light yagami but ah jin lowkey has plot armour, it's not bad, just very badly executed. However the drama is worth a shot, also, honorable mention; in ep 11, when ah jin has to reenact the rooftop murder case, i forgot that this is an actress playing an actress, it felt so phenomenal.

Read More

Watch to meet a group of Psychopaths

This series is a frustrating mess of unnecessary drama and disturbing, poorly-written characters. The plot suffers from relentless dragging, simply placing the Female Lead (FL) into one escalating predicament after another, only for her to predictably "overcome" and "destroy" her enemies.

The most egregious flaw is the alarming number of characters who are arguably psychopathic or severely disturbed. Characters Who Are Utterly Reprehensible:

1. The Mother: An abusive figure who physically assaults her own 5-year-old daughter.
2. The Father: A man without a backbone who not only fails to stop his abusive wife but later marries a new woman and actively plots to sell his own daughter.
3. The Coworkers & Classmates: The series is saturated with relentless, one-dimensional bullies, both during her school years and in the workplace.
4. The Husband: Perhaps the most terrifying of all—a genuine psycho who resorts to drugging the FL.
5. The Male Lead (ML)'s Mother: An utterly insane and deplorable character. Her presence adds nothing but unhinged toxicity.
6. The ML's behavior is frustratingly inconsistent: he acts like a confused jerk who clearly knows the FL's father intends to sell or kill her, yet he is too much of a coward to take action, making Jaeho's death meaningless by not destroying Do Hyeok and instead assuming the FL is the manipulator. Unbelievably, he has learned nothing from the video of his Grandmother's death, culminating in the psycho move of trying to kill the FL himself.
7. The Female Lead's motivation is unclear. While she claims she wants a normal life, she had the perfect opportunity to achieve it with Ingang. Her decision to dump him seems inconsistent with her stated goals, leading to a portrayal where she always defaults to playing the victim.
8. Police Officer
9. Ingang and his band friend stupid story.
10. Teacher affair

Plot Points That Fail to Land:
Ingang's Suicide: The portrayal and justification for this suicide felt completely hollow and unjustified by the narrative.
The Supposed Supporter: The person who is ostensibly meant to be the FL's ally ends up destroying her for an unclear reason. His question about asking her to "stop" makes no sense in context, and his character arc is reduced to that of a perpetual crybaby. (And his plan to commit suicide and murder FL is absurd nonsensical)

Conclusion: The series is built on a foundation of cruel and nonsensical character actions, making it an emotionally exhausting and ultimately pointless watch. Do not waste your time.

PS: Not expecting a happy ending , however its need not to be pathetic.

Read More

Aylin and Luna Standout

The best way I can describe 23.5 is as sweet. It captures the joys and awkwardness of young love. I really loved the concept of the Sun and the Earth. It was a creative way to illustrate destiny. The series made me laugh, cry and even left me stunned at times. I think it was a good start to the MilkLove journey.

I believe the leads had good chemistry for the characters they were meant to play. The acting could have been better, but it was good enough for how the show was written. For me View (Aylin) and June (Luna) had far better chemistry than Milk (Ongsa) and Love (Sun), but I must admit I am a little biased because their storyline in the series was my favorite part. Their love seemed genuine, not to mention View did and excellent job playing Aylin and June did a good job playing a very understanding and caring character.

23.5 is a cute-feel-good watch. It is very low threat if you want to just have a good time.

Read More

A twisted fantasy - One we rarely get

Before starting any review, I do like to thank the writers, producers, actors and the rest of the cast as well as people involved with this drama in any capacity, for their hard work. Thank you.

As I have finished this drama mere minutes ago, my thoughts might seem jumbled and out of place in some parts, but please bear with me as I do have a lot to say.

Let us start off with the good. I have been one of the most fervent advocates for more morally grey/villanous FEMALE leads in dramas for years now. Some of my favorite dramas and movies("Hyena", "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance") sport this exact type of lead and I am always glad to see a representation of this type of character, when done well. And in "Dear X", it was done exceptionally well. I do genuinely find the character of Baek Ahjin intriguing, beguiling, eerie and frustrating at times. And I want MORE. Kim Yoo Jung, an actress I, admittedly, dismissed for most of my KDrama watcher timeline, proved me wrong and came back swinging. Whether that was a pun or not, you decide. Her abilities shine here in ways most other of her projects don`t warrant. She should really consider building a core audience in this genre, for it does test her limitations and plays around with her talent. And what we get as a result is a brilliant depiction of a broken person, a survivor and a sociopath. Almost everyone`s acting across the board is great, they do really bring their A game to this project and the direction, especially in the first four episodes, is tight, fast paced and exceptional.

Kim Young Dae has been getting flack for his lackluster acting for years now and, in a general sense, I would agree with the sentiment. He is also often typecast. In some ways, his character of Jun Seo follows his well practiced lines of stoic behavior, often dry delivery and all that. And yet...his interpretation of a deeply flawed person with a savior complex, twisted enough to follow Ahjin, no matter the level of toxicity their relationship entails...is absolutely awesome to watch. With very small tweaks to his formula, the male lead of this drama becomes someone emotionally stunted with good intentions and a flawed way of implementing them.

As for Kim Do, he has his usual shtick of charisma and it is always a joy to see him on my screen. His character, Jae Oh, a good guy coming from a broken family, yearning to protect his younger brother, and thus ending up a convict, is a tragic one. But a lovely addition all the same.

Technically, this whole drama feels like a character study of its lead character Baek Ahjin, a commentary on the state of the entertainment industry as a whole, and a SOMEWHAT soapy intepretation of a problematic lead. Baek Ahjin is the Sun. And depending on who you are in this story, you either breathe for her or get burned beyond recognition. Honestly, I could write a dissertation about damn near every relationship Ahjin has with one character or the other, and how at times, it reminded me of Junji Ito`s Tomio in the way people revered or hated her. Ahjin can become an obsession, your own personal monster or a goddess you serve. And that`s the tumultuous beauty of this project. The directing, as I`ve mentioned before, is on point for about 80% of this drama and this is something I don`t often comment on. But here it should be commended. As for the OST, it is aptly dark, dripping with a sense of unease and ferocity, thus setting itself apart from the other contenders in its genre. I will be listening to several songs long after I forget about this drama. Some of the visuals present are absolutely haunting in the best way. First few minutes of Episode 1 prove that beyond doubt. This is one of those dramas I`m confident about being one of my favorites of 2025. This doesn`t free it from some of my criticism, so let`s get into it:

For one, I do absolutely dislike the presence, and the lackluster exploration of Baek Ahjin`s husband, CEO Moon Doo Hyuk. I find his addition waning and flat and the arc surrounding him beyond forgettable. Which is strange, once you take into account how much time we actually spend on him and his relationship with Ahjin. He needed backstory, as he lacked charisma to rely on mystery and enigma alone. I understand what they were going for with him. It just didn`t pan out.
Secondly, the last few episodes do lose the magic first...eight hold? Some plotlines feel rushed, some feel unnecessary and drawn out(Jun Seo`s mom) and some are downright left hanging. That is to say, this drama should have had 16 episodes. And this is my first time saying this. There are some moments of overacting I didn`t find believable, mostly coming from Kim Ji Kyung, who plays Seong Hee, one of Ahjin`s high school frenemies?bullies? Who`s to know. There are also some instances of overly convenient timing and convenience, but all that falls into shadow if you buy into the premise of the Baek Ahjin`s world. And I did.

For my closing thoughts, I find this drama utterly entertaining throughout. Carnal and fastidious, yet electric. Despite its flaws, it`s one of the few that kept my attention and repaid the time I invested. I would recommend it to everyone looking for something different, especially if you like your leads just a tad...twisted.

Read More

"It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero..."

—What did she do for them?
*Nothing.
—What did they do for her?
*Everything.
—Why?
... 

What. A. Brilliant Drama!

She was flying up so high, that when she fell, she kept falling until she crossed the path of the bottomless pit of hell. Then she rose from the ashes of misery! This was an unusual story of an anti-heroine who fought and crawled her way out of hell to make you believe that when darkness persists, daylight will not come until you let it in. So it remained dark, without any hope of light.

It's been a while since I enjoyed a thriller/ suspense drama after Strangers From Hell. Witnessing the rise of Baek Ah Jin from one traumatic past to another, they kept me on the edge of the seat in every single episode. I couldn't fathom how far she would go for her success, even if it endangered people's lives.

Ajin, single-handedly, carried the show on her shoulders. She made me despise her every action because she never wanted to play safe. Her creepy smile made my skin crawl! If she doesn't get the best actress award for this, I don't know who will.
Other characters, Jun Seo and Jae Oh, were her constant partners through thick and thin as her life proceeded, even though they knew how little they meant to her. Kim Ji Hoon as Jeong Ho was outstanding.

Honestly, I kept this review as vague as possible because I want people to enjoy what I enjoyed. It's better if you know very little about it. I loved it but it wasn't without flaws. There were several plot holes which weren't solved, even addressed. But I cannot let go of that eerie, restless feeling that I got from this drama. Often I found myself deeply moved by this storyline, definitely not in a positive way. Regardless of all the negative points, I liked it more than I expected because it's a drama I didn't expect anything to be "good" because I shamelessly expected it to get worse for a character who's beyond the fixing. Let's say when she hit the rock bottom, you can't expect fighting, surviving and crawling the way up can't be anything fairytale like. She must trample to achieve the throne, that was all she knew.

Overall, it's a must-watch if you want to be entertained throughout the series. I ensure that your sudden dopamine rush will keep you thinking about it for a long time.

Read More

Close to perfect in the romance genre of fantasy KDramas

DELIGHTFUL!! No disappointments from this drama as far as I'm concerned. A true fantasy tale that delivers on romantic comedy needs. It was extremely satisfying to watch and funny in so many different ways. While additional time (by way of 2 more episodes) spent explaining foundational points of the first 3 episodes and tying up loose ends on the last 2 episodes, I still give this 10🌟‼️ as it was a close to perfect romance drama,

Ok Taec-Yeon and Seohyun had a chemistry so real, thrilling and tender it covered up any gaps in telling such a unique and fun story. Some inconsistency around supporting characters caused a bit of plot anxiety. Heros become villains, villains become heroes for no other reason than to direct the story to a satisfactory end. Yes it worked! Some months ago in writing another K-drama review I mused that some viewers want a happy ending that takes you with the characters into their everyday future. Just to see what it looks like. IMO it would make a drama so much more memorable and enjoyable to see the outcome some time in the future. What was the family life like? How many children did they have? Are they happy? And so forth. Instead of the old "and they lived happily ever after" with a 30 second wrap up. Let's just say, I found the ending to my personal taste.

Below are my spot check ratings:

Actors Chosen. 10/10 (100% 👍🏾)
Characters as written 9/10
Story/Plot 10/10
Story as told 9/10
Art Direction/Cimematography 10/10
Music OST 10/10
Costume 10/10
Entertainment Value 10/10
Fantasy Story Resolution 10/10
Length of drama 10/10 (even though it could have had an extra 2 episodes to refine the tale telling.

Read More

One of the best phycological drama

It has been a long time since I haven't a drama like this. After watching every episode of dear x, I questioned my self and put my self in their position. I can't stop to thinking about this drama. This drama is more reality than fictional. How far a person can go for their own desires, love or obsession?? The dark side of human. There are many evil people who destroy other people but living happily like moon do hyunk.
The OST of this drama is chief kiss. I am obsessed with those OST.
The casting was on point. Every actors portrayed their character so well. Specially Kim yoo jung 🫡
The ending was so dark and I love it

Read More