Reviews

Enjoyable drama about wolves, love and family legacy

I was in the mood for supernatural / fantasy dramas leading up to Halloween. I saw this drama poster on reelxia so I clicked play. I enjoyed this drama a lot. This is my first time watching Cao Jing Hao and An Xiao Jie.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Damn spicy opening with lust & desire blatantly expressed by ML & FL. Their romance had a slow build-up when they reunited but overall they were sweet to each other. They were baby-faced couple.
2. FL characterisation - I liked her tenacity. She was smart to protect her mother's legacy from her horrible father and his new family.
3. ML characterisation - He was kind & compassionate. I liked that he tried to make sense of FL situation even though there were some assumptions made.
4. Wolf arc - I liked the wolf community especially ML's close relatives. They were happy to accept FL & her kids into the community. The wolf training for cubs was adorable.
5. Supporting characters - The twins were adorable. I also liked ML's assistant and ML's close relatives.
6. Plot twist - Oh, I didn't expect that plot twist. I liked it a lot because then this drama has separate storyline from the other wolf dramas.
7. Styling - I appreciated the wolf styling for this drama.

What I disliked:
1. Child abuse - Shame on FL's father for abusing his grandchildren. I was also shocked that no one at the banquet said anything when the children were openly abused.
2. Antagonists - FL's relatives were atrocious - her father was a freeloader. There was also jealous she-wolf in the community who always took opportunities to bring down FL. The three stooges at the Jones Group were stupid. It was silly that HR Head of Department did not recognise FL.
3. FL's action - She wasn't honest with ML when he asked about her kids the first time. I was also frustrated with FL when she jumped into conclusion based on hearsay / a few observations.

Favourite scene
FL & ML's first intimate encounter

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Chinese vertical drama with the best VFX, action sequences & the most Kdrama vibe

I am a fan of fantasy / supernatural tv series. When a reddit friend told me that this drama is similar to Korean drama My Demon, my interest was piqued. To be honest, I dropped My Demon because the poor writing did not meet my expectation. However for Along with the Gods / Bound to the God, I had little expectations. I was extremely impressed by the quality of this drama and enjoyed it immensely.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - I instantly liked FL Shen Yu Zhen right from the beginning because she acted like a shrewd businesswoman and negotiated terms & conditions of the partnership with ML, unlike the FL in My Demon (she just accepted ML’s terms & conditions blindly).
2. ML characterisation - I liked ML a lot! He enjoyed his role as god but wasn’t cocky (unlike the ML in My Demon - he seemed to loathe his work). He was nice and honest with FL.
3. Writing - Along with the Gods is a Chinese vertical drama with the most Kdrama vibe. Kudos to the writer of Along with the Gods for making this drama an improved version of My Demon. Along with the Gods has depth and maturity that My Demon lacks.
4. VFX - I was impressed by the visual effects - I must say it has one of the best VFX and action sequences in the world of vertical dramas.
5. Romance - I liked the romance arc - slow burn with good push-and-pull dynamics. There was even a little twist in the third act - past lives & reincarnation, which pays homage to My Demon but wasn’t draggy.
6. Acting - Great performances by both Sun Qian Xun & Li Bo Yan. SQX is known more for her comedic roles - Shen Yu Zhen is one of the few serious characters that SQX has portrayed and she nailed the role. Along with the Gods really showcased Li Bo Yan’s acting prowess - his character has a big role in this drama. It was cool to see Li Bo Yan fight baddies! We already know that there is great chemistry between SQX and LBY so I was convinced by the romance arc.
7. Family - It is the core theme of this drama. FL is adopted granddaughter of a rich lady and I liked that the grandmother did not chose her biological granddaughter as the heir - she chose based on merit.
8. Styling - Wonderful wardrobe for FL & ML. I wrote a reddit post about this combo of black pleather jacket - white shirt - black tie - black trousers before watching this drama. So I chuckled when I saw Li Bo Yan wearing this ensemble. He looked very handsome of course!

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - FL's sister was greedy and evil with her husband being her Mr Yes Man / follower. Fang Hang Xing was alos evil and manipulative. Good thing all three got their retribution.

Favourite scene
When ML asked for a kiss from FL

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A Sweet Fantasy That Knows Exactly What It Is

I waited for this to be fully released, then waited again before finally watching it and honestly it was worth the delay. It delivered exactly what I hoped for: something fun, light, and charming enough to reset my brain after heavier dramas.

One big motivation for me was Kevin from Omega X. With half the group already having acted, I was curious and a bit nervous to see how he’d do. I didn’t expect him to act, but he ended up doing a solid job and gave Ae Jun a believable mix of softness and sincerity. Given everything Omega X has been through and their lack of a group comeback, I’ll take any content they give us, and seeing Kevin shine made me genuinely happy.

The story itself uses an idol fan fantasy concept that we’ve seen in BLs many times. My Bias Is Showing?! doesn’t try to reinvent anything but instead embraces a simple plot and executes it cleanly. It’s fun, straightforward, light, and surprisingly balanced. The drama doesn’t collapse under its own tropes because it never tries too hard. And honestly, that worked.

My one gripe is something I will never understand about Korean BL pacing. Why do they always reveal the entire climax around episode seven when there are still a few episodes left? With a bit more breathing room, Siyeol and Gyu Seong’s confrontation could have been more emotional, and Ae Jun’s grief deserved a deeper, more gradual payoff. The story had space for more impact but chose to keep things fast and tidy.

Still, it stayed satisfying. The hints about the main conflict were repeated early, so I already had a feeling about where things were going, and surprisingly that didn’t ruin anything. It just made the reveal feel earned. Plus, the ending tied everything up without weird cliffhangers. If they want a season two, they left the door open. If not, the story still feels complete.

Now, the actors. Kangmin is a standout. He’s handsome, expressive, and knows how to switch between cute, emotional, and charismatic without looking forced. He’ll go far with the right scripts. Kevin held his own, which made their pairing easy to believe. And the proper kissing scene? Thank you. If you’re going to do it, do it right.

Their height difference also added a cute layer and the comedic scenes sprinkled throughout kept the drama bright. The cinematography was decent and the OST was good even if it didn’t hit as hard as classics from A Shoulder to Cry On or Jazz for Two. Still, having Omega X members in the soundtrack will always be a win for me.

Overall, My Bias Is Showing?! is a simple and effective KBL that’s perfect when you want something fun without emotional overload. It doesn’t demand much, but it gives enough charm, humor, and heart to keep you watching. I’d definitely rewatch it and I hope to see more projects from the actors. And maybe, just maybe, more Omega X members trying acting too.

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Just wait, your chance will come

It’s such a cute and super funny show! I’ve rewatched it so many times. My absolute favorite couple is Faifa and Wine — their story is just so beautiful. I love Faifa’s character and the way he always takes care of everyone, even though deep down he’s scared of being abandoned again after everything his mother put him through. And then Wine comes into his life, sees the real Faifa, and helps him learn to love himself, set boundaries, and realize it’s okay to say no and just be who he is. Their growth is amazing. It’s honestly such a good show, and I totally recommend it!

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Highly recommended drama

“Sword and Beloved” is such a beautiful drama.
The chemistry between the leads is wonderful — sincere, gentle, and beautifully unspoken.
Cheng Yi is phenomenal. His acting, presence, and emotional depth are simply unmatched. I especially loved the fighting scenes — Wang Quan Fu Gui is so powerful, yet carries a calm, peaceful aura that makes every moment memorable.
The cinematography is pure art from the first episode to the last. Although the Western Region arc felt a bit stretched, the overall journey remains emotional, immersive, and visually stunning.
Every actor delivered their role beautifully, and the ending left me with a sense of peace.

Highly recommend.

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Both looks better and is acted better than a huge chunk of other similar short-form BL's

I mean, yes, this is not exactly deep (although it was nice how the breaking of trust was actually treated seriously and properly by both the narrative and the characters), and you do need to use your own imagination/context to fill in some of the assumed backstory. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it looks despite being a budget production, and it is quite decently acted, too. (I also very much appreciated that the third character was just a very supportive friend, and there was NOT any sort of annoying rival or triangle nonsense anywhere in here. AND it's NOT a vertical series, for once! 👏)

So, in all, this is easily one of the better short-form BL's I've seen, and worth the watch (to me, at least 😊). 👍

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slow burn turns into a freezer burn

slow burn turns into a freezer burn around ep 10 as it started getting boring. The story seemd to just stall. "a slice of life" and " first crush" are accurate themes but "bland" should be added to the description. "sweet" is nice, but every character seems overly sensitive. I've seen a few anime series, [which also had slow paces] & enjoyed them, but in general, anime is not all that interesting to me . when I started drifting off at the beginning of ep. 10, I knew it was probably time to find something else. To finish or not to finish ? I probably will next time I need something soporific before bedtime.

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10/10

Acting, Writing, Directing, Pacing, Casting, Soundtrack: Perfect. No notes.

I put off watching this for so long because the whole "disguising yourself as your twin in a coma" plot description sounded a little too telenovela for me. I'm so glad I gave it a try, though. That is absolutely not what this show is about. Rather, it is about a group of young men exploring leftist politics and direct action. It's also not just a BL- the show would honestly work without any romance. However, queer relationship stories are woven into the themes of collective liberation, intimacy, vulnerability, and honesty, so the love stories don't feel randomly tacked on, either. Femme and kathoey characters are actually a part of the community and not played for laughs. The entanglement of oligarchy/capitalism/patriarchy/sexism/homophobia/ableism is explored thoughtfully. Characters with leftist politics aren't demonized for exploring direct action, including (non-lethal) violence and property destruction. They argue with each other over the effectiveness and ethics of their strategies, but without the black/white moralizing of a capitalist lens. It was really cool to see how the characters explore questions of justice and activism through their own lenses of diplomacy, law, and art.

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A Good One But First Throw Away Your Moral Compass

I want to say CBLs are notorious for making shows with morally grey characters, but you probably already know that too…

Now, about this show? It’s not in any way a bad watch but I won’t call it a show for everyone.

If you love fluffy, cute, sweet, morally right…type of BLs, then please don’t bother with this one. The story is complex, dark, and not fluffy.

HOWEVER, if you want something that will keep you watching and characters that (will) know how to sway each other; this is the one!

The characters in this story are what I’ll call - good for each other.

It’s just two episodes in (I’ll edit this review as I watch) but so far the story is suspenseful and I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds.

If you want to watch it, then don’t hesitate, just do and see for yourself!

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Hilarious, Great Acting, Good Chemistry & Promising Storyline

It’s 3:17 am, I’ve just finished watching the first episode of this show and OH MY GOD!

I had been patiently waiting for this one and the first episode did not disappoint. It’s such a solid start and can I just talk about how funny this show is?? I had a good laugh.

The characters are well-portrayed by the actors, and I look forward to watching more episodes.

I won’t get into what the show is about to avoid spoilers, but this isn’t your typical rich-mafia-falls-for-ordinary-photographer story; this is something more!!!

Contemplating watching? Waste no time and start this good show!!!!

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Could've been better...much better.

I really wanted to rate this series with 8 or 9. Because I've been waiting for it since the first trailer. It reminded me the movie Ride or Die( a bit similar story, but with not very good screenplay, bad characters(not acting) and rather explicit scenes). Then I find out, thay this series is based on japanese novel and there is also a j-drama, based on the original novel, as far as I heard without big changes in the story and this is important, you'll understand later why.

"As you stood by" took the original novel and created its own story, with powerful message, great acting and cinematography...and ruined storyline.

First 5 episodes were good. Not great, because of some stupid moments, but still good. But then... last three episodes changed the whole story. From thriller-drama about DV, murder and how main heroines tried to get away with this, and how they changed as characters, this k-drama turned into some random thriller about crazy maniacs, more killings, more blood, etc. WHY?? It wasn't needed! Original story didn't have any of this. And screenwriters created this mess by turning one character into bloody psycho, with maniac laughter. What the hell? What was that? It was illogical, stupid, unexplained( they tried to explain it but that explanation didn't really work with the first half of the series)

I also didn't really like the ending...because it felt like it was needed mostly to put important words in the heroine's mouths. And there were also some detailes about the ending, which remained unclear. But all of that is nothing compare to the nonsense I mentioned before. And I enjoyed...let's say the final point,destination where heroines are in the end, but I still think, that it's very naive.

It could've been great 5-6 episode's series. But instead we got not a bad series( pretty good in fact) with weak second half, which ruined otherwise great story. Not completely ruined, thanks to the overall high quality of the k-drama...but it could've been much better.

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baila con bias?!

it is i, the niel.

i didn't have many expectations for this show. i thought it was going to be very cringey based on the synopsis, but i actually enjoyed how absurd it was. i love my "5'6" king. the length of the episodes was well-paced. niel has to acknowledge the presence of L.Joe. shoutout?! the essence of teen top improved the viewing experience.

anyway, the actual story was very simple and a bit parasocial, but i didn't really care. most of the goofy moments hit the mark, which is rare (especially with the amount of sound effects they used). i was down for how ridiculous it was, and Aejun wasn't useless. he was a likable, capable character. i really liked that Siyeol was the one simping for him. if you like simple and silly shows, go for it. i'm going crazy!

best,

the niel.

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For Youth series Fans..

I loved this.. as much as the previous two stories from the series. I love the friendships and bonds the characters had.. no backstabbing or schemes.. just you got my back i got yours no matter what.. ride or die.. It made me want to give my bestie a hug lol But seriously this was a great show to watch.. kept me on my toes and excited for the next episode. Couldn't really find a character that annoyed me or wondered their existence. Each character.. mains and support were wonderful in their own unique ways and personalities. Dont expect too much romance or kissing or any of that kind of thing since this is a martial arts story and not a love story.. Highly recommended if you are into these types of shows which i am so i loved it 💜

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