Reviews

Supporting cast!

Overall great show!

Story had a flow going with it, character building was also good, with each episode building their background, starting is slightly slow but builds up nicely, humor was smooth and fitted in nicely to the show, without it I think the show will be dull to be honest. Supporting cast really push and carry the show in my opinion, allowing viewers to think and keeping it mysterious really have an effect!

Overall,

Supporting cast were super charming and great giving more life to the show than I initially thought, give it a chance and don't drop it early!

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Nice story , great actors

So , I had this one for a time on my watchlist , but today I saw a short and so I searched a link to the full and was nicely suprised. It is a nice story with all the elements of a VCdrama but little bit better done. I don't want to spoil anything for you guys so my review is going to have a lack of explanation of the plot but more about the Characters .

ML - I'm a fan of LSW, love his smile and his shameless way wich only he can carry to feel natural and not greasy . In this Drama he is a bit more mature, he likes the FL and he protects her in his own way , even if it does not seem like it until later. He has some problems but by the time they are solved ,missunderstandings happen.

FL- I also like MLJ , she plays a heiress hardworking in a company, she is not weak or a pushover , she is strong and independent but she is also in love with the ML .She thinks that he was pressured to marry her and doesn't love her. As she encounters Problems , she keeps them for her self and so the Drama starts .

The biggest Problem is the lack of communication (what else 😅)

Other Characters - FL's BF I loved her , she is a good Friend and she is funny, so is ML's Friend , I loved their presence . FL's "Elder brother " -even if he is protective and he loves her , he does not seem to be a bad person .
ML's wannabe fiance -bad as always in any other drama .. the "3rd guy" a interessting development.

Best scene : when all 3 guy appear at her home 😅

It is a nice drama and it is highly possible for me to rewatch it.

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I'm The Superhero I needed.

They say family is your foundation. The first step on a long journey. But what happens when that foundation turns to water--scalding and suffocating? Your gaze shifts from kinship to escape.

The airplane you stare at, day after day, isn't just a plane. It's the last thread of your sanity, clutched in trembling hands. Its crash isn't a spectacle in the sky; it's a cataclysm in your mind. And that is where you fall.

But some crashes don't break you. They break the cage. They shatter the mirror of who you were supposed to be, so you can finally step through, free.

"Who decides who's good or bad? And what about you?"

Right. Who does?
It forces a confrontation with the self. Do you know the person staring back from the glass? Or just the reflection the world demanded you create?

The only person you can truly afford to know is yourself. The only fight you are guaranteed is your own. Because to champion anyone else, you must first be the warrior of your own soul.

And while solitude is strength, there is a different power in finding a comrade. A shadow who moves as you do. A partner who shares a wink, a laugh over fan service, and a loyalty that feels like a second soul--just as our protagonist discovers.

The conclusion is: Everyone has the capacity to be a superhero the moment they accept that no one else is coming to save them. You are the only one who can save your world. You’re the only one who can shatter the chains that refuse to let you rise and break free.

So, you must:

Fight until the world cracks and kneels.
Fight until your pulse thrums with defiant zeal.
Fight because the silence of surrender is not an option.
Fight because the ember in your chest was born to become a blaze.

Be the hero. Even if, for a while, you have to fight with the villain's grit.

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Money. Family. Despair. Desperation. A tangled web--it's a war.
Stray too far... and there's no going back to the person you once were.

Family? You're probably better off with them... but then again, maybe you're not.
Trust? Who will you trust... and who will trust you?
What do you follow-- your instincts, or the instructions hell handed you?

I loved the twists, the turns, the unexpected rollercoasters of trust and betrayal.

"People like us don't get happy endings."
Yeah, once you get your hands dirty, there's no return. No redemption slip.
A Happy Ending? Forget the ending--you'll be struck craving just a moment of peace, and die without ever knowing why...
And that's the cruelest kind of mess.

Still, hell of a ride. The music, the camera work, the scenes, the performances, the plot; everything was stunning.
Yeah, there were a few loopholes here and there, but oh, negligible--if you just dive in and let it pull you under.

And just like most Netflix shows... that one nude scene was painfully unnecessary.

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One Episode Was Enough: The Most Ridiculous, and Poorly Conceived Opening That Deserved a Quick Drop

Episode 1 might be the most ridiculous episode I’ve ever seen — at least the most nonsensical one I can remember. This is the first time I’ve ever written a review after watching just the first episode.

This time, he didn’t murder her grandfather like in Goodbye My Princess; instead, he killed her master (for a reason that hasn’t been explained yet in Episode 1). A different victim, but the same recycled dynamic.

The heroine, played by the same actress from Goodbye My Princess, feels like she’s portraying the exact same character all over again. She’s headstrong and disobedient, ignoring an imperial decree as if it were nothing, completely disregarding her father’s warnings — just like in Goodbye My Princess. It’s as if defying the emperor wouldn’t put her entire clan at risk of execution. But she doesn’t care; she just runs away, exactly the same way she did in her previous drama, to avoid marrying the emperor who killed her master.

To make things even more absurd, her adoptive brother helps her escape and even points a sword at the emperor without facing any consequences. It’s predictable that he will later become the love rival.

Then the emperor actually loses his temper and decides he wants to execute her brother right in front of her. He forces her to beg for his life and, in the end, pressures her into agreeing to marry him. She does so very unwillingly. To make her obedient, the emperor presents her with her brother’s finger — which he had cut off as a warning.

It’s completely ridiculous. This is my personal form of boycott: after just one episode, I’m done. I’ve written my review of Episode 1, and honestly, I think it’s time we start demanding stories that go beyond these stupid, repetitive, and recycled tropes. Without exaggeration, this episode is one of the most nonsensical and poorly conceived openings I have ever seen.

I have no intention of continuing — not because of anything personal against the actors or fans (everyone is free to enjoy what they enjoy), but because, for me, this kind of writing is truly insulting.

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Last Samurai Standing is set during the final days of the samurai during a cholera epidemic. Stripped of their wealth and their reason for living, warriors with nothing left to lose sign up for a no holds barred race from Kyoto to Tokyo. The prize is 100,000 yen, enough money to sustain a family for a century. The only catch? The contestants have to capture wooden tokens from the other contestants to pass each check point and to finally enter Tokyo.

Shujiro Saga is a skilled samurai who has been retired after a devastating battle that obliterated everyone on the battlefield with new weaponry. Swords have been outlawed in the new government and the samurai have been shuttled aside. Suffering from debilitating PTSD, he couldn’t use his sword if he had to. To top things off, his family is suffering from cholera and he has no money for medicine. When he hears about a gathering of samurai for a contest with a 100,000 yen prize, he has no choice but to join. At the gathering he finds other desperate people and also samurai desperate to fight, a deadly combination made worse by the conditions of the contest and the ever watchful, heavily armed guards. Along the way from Kyoto to Tokyo, Saga becomes allied with, or rather babysitter for an eclectic group. Aside from the rank-and-file contestants after them for their tokens, is also a shadow from his past intent on taking more than his token.

The comparison to Squid Game was inevitable despite the fact that these kinds of gruesome games have been played out in the movies and television shows for decades. The main thing the two have in common aside from pitting players against each other is that both focus on people who have been pushed to the edge economically and emotionally. I suppose the other is that whenever the camera diverted to the wealthy elite betting on the contestants, the emotional momentum came to a standstill. None of the people behind the game was particularly compelling, in fact, the Big Bad was downright disappointing. The drama was at its best when it focused on the contestants.

Okada Junichi made for an excellent conflicted lead. A loving father and husband, he was also believably Kokushu the Manslayer. I won’t go into his entourage so as not to spoil too much. The acting there was hit or miss. One of the villainous contestants was simply drawn as a mindless killing machine, though the actor chewed through the scenery in the bloody performance. In this contest, aside from Saga, mercy or complexity was rarely a strength.

The Last Samurai Standing was on its way to an 8.5 from me as I was quite enjoying it. For the genre, it delivered on what you’d expect, though no real surprises. The fights were well choreographed and not for the squeamish. The last episode veered into unrealistic territory which was jarring. Yet it also set up huge stakes beyond the contest for our intrepid little band of contestants. Surrounded by powerful enemies, it will be interesting to see how or if the writers can bring this to a satisfying conclusion when the second season rolls around.

14 November 2025
Trigger warnings: The heads rolled in this drama like a macabre bowling match. If you ever wondered what the Yojimbo blood spewing fight would look like in color, well, here’s your opportunity.

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"His presence alone will make you feel safe" - Predictability has never been so comforting

Have you ever wanted to see an NIS agent become a babysitter? I never thought I did until I saw a clip and wanted more.
If you expect a neatly knitted masterpiece RomCom with some solid action plot, you will be disappointed. However, if you want some solid light entertainment with a sprinkle of excitement, this might be just your cup of tea.

Things similar dramas fail at that I loved here:
+ steady pacing
+ almost no filler scenes
+ no character is perfect
+ proper side characters and useful side quests
+ attention to detail
+ low on misunderstandings
+ satisfying ending

Things that might make you hate the drama:
- the plot (more below)
- lack of realism, depth and meaning
- almost no romance

I actually loved the lack of romance as it didn't feel fitting to have it with the given setting, but I know many people who do.

While none of the characters is very deep or developed, they are clearly characterised.
Kim Bon as the ML isn't portrayed as the perfect NIS agent but simply as a human being skilled at what he was trained to do. He's hard-working, reliable, concerned for the safety and wellbeing of those around him - and good with kids.
FL is a married mother with twins trying to make it through life, giving everything for her family and getting herself into trouble a couple times too often. What at first seems to be mere comedy or a plot device soon turns out to be one of her biggest strenghts. Her change from weakness to strength is best proof for the character development that was slight, but steady, which made it more believable.
It took me more than five full episodes to develop a liking for FL, but she did manage to gain my respect after all. In that regard, her character is the weakest point of the whole drama.

Side characters are more than plot devices and clearly distinguishable. Even guest and support roles don't get forgotten until the very last episode. Considering how many top tier-class dramas can't do solid side characters or will go out of character for the plot, I was highly impressed. Obviously, the kids were hella cute, too.
That being said, I didn't like many of the side characters' personalities, especially when they overacted for comedic purposes. It is a comedy drama after all, though, and their scenes often were meant to provide relief after tension, so I didn't expect any less.
The music, although not special, was used well and ended up in my playlist for good mood.

Now here's the one thing you HAVE to overlook to enjoy the drama: The plot
The entire plot is 100% predictable, but I didn't care, because it was solid. Side quests made sense and were tightly connected to the red string that knitted the whole drama together. Every plot point was dealt with quickly so you could feel progress with every watched episode. In that regard, the original 32-episode airing format might have helped set the pace. Tiny details that seemed meaningless and included only for comedy or tension were picked up many episodes later.
Forget the unneccessary drama, the endlessly accumulating troubles all leading to a grand finale where everything is blown up just for characters to hastily mend together what's left of their plot to quickly improvise a forced happy ending. Things happened because the characters followed their goals and saw the consequences of it. The ending wasn't a matter of luck, the authors' sheer will or the characters' stellar competence, but the accumulated result of work put into previous episodes.

Where the plot fell flat was at...almost everything else. You will have to wave off characters acting the most stupid (not for comedic purposes) and the most convenient coincidences to make up large parts of what drives the story. You also have to stop thinking about the entire galaxy of plotholes presented in neon colours on a silver plate. At least in that, the plot was very consistent, too.
Nobody tried to give characters deep meaning and back story, develop a unique and tightly fitted crime plot or take it all seriously. So if you do, you lose.

But listen, this was a drama I watched for entertainment purposes only. I wanted nothing but something to keep me glued to my desk while I have to work and it exceeded my expectations in that regard. It did so many things right that I've been missing in K-Dramas for so long it probably cured my K-Drama slump.

If you're looking for easy entertainment, watch it! If you're looking for your next thrilling masterpiece with twists and turns and deep meaning...why are you still reading?

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For a jiejie romance released in 2023, this was OK

I found out about this drama from subreddit CShortDramas. Even though the actor who played ML in this drama does not have MDL profile, I have seen him in another drama "Haunted Dreams". I enjoyed this drama.

What I liked:
1. Romance - I liked how their relationship developed. They were strangers who were compatible & comfortable with each other. The shopping trip was sweet.
2. FL characterisation - She was kind & endearing.
3. ML characterisation - I liked that he was kind & likeable. He genuinely cared for his jiejie.
4. Supporting characters - ML's assistant was the MVP. I also liked Qian Li.
5. Acting - I liked their performances and I think their chemistry was good.

What I disliked:
1. Bullying - This drama was released in 2023 so I wasn't surprised that bullying scene was included in this drama. FL's department team members were nasty.
2. Antagonists - Wei Wei & Mr Shen FL's ex were horrible. I also disliked ML's mother for being gullible & self-absorbed - caring too much about status.
3. Age difference - Sometimes I wonder how does a writer determine the ages of ML & FL when writing an age gap romance. If I am not mistaken the age gap for this drama is 10 years. It would have been better if the age age was reduced to say 5 years since ML was a president of a big company.

Favourite scene
Date at the night market

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Black or White? A heart-wrenching suffering of Principles and Pain.

"I hope you won't abandon me."
"As a servant, I would've stayed by your side.... but as your friend, I chose not to abandon you."

*A fight till the end... where the end became their parting, only to be lost on different
shores.*
Haah~ Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. What more could I say...

It aches so much to see them hold their ground, even as their hearts long to comply with one another.
Both with their own visions, their own beliefs; clashing, even when they quietly wish they could relent, meet halfway.

Nam Yeo Kang was right; because truth must outlive pain.
To erase history is to deny future generations the chance to learn from it.
To not let the past vanish-like a shattered mirror, its pieces remain, certain and unyielding.
To keep his to-be king's hands clean. To prevent history from branding him an infamous king. To let history not remember the era's king as someone driven by his own grief.
A righteous pursuit- for his own principles; but even more for his majesty, Yi San.

It was unbearable for him to see the king, burdened by sorrow, straying into ruin.
Even if it meant standing against him, he fought to protect him from the path he could
not take back-... by standing right next to him, where dare stood nobody.

Yet, Yi San wasn't wrong either.
He was compelled by sorrow, not cruelty.
Carrying the stigma of his father's brutal fate, he longed to wipe it away.
Burdened inside and out.
Marked by a pain so deeply personal...
A lingering wound, exploited by political ploy.. and more than that, the anguish of his own.
To protect his reign, his lineage, and the bloodstained memory of his father.
And above all, a past that hauntingly loomed over his present.

Their battle was as agonizing as it was tragically beautiful.
Neither right. Neither wrong. Both destined to bleed for it.
Knowing well in their hearts that their opposing stances lose meaning in the face of their shared suffering.
Whether anything is right or wrong, they ultimately bear the same burden.

Wrong or right comparison becomes meaningless once both paties are bound to share similar outcomes.
Until everything wrong becomes nothing right.
All the principles they fought for crumble into futility once everything fades into darkness.
Only lament fills the void.

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“BE SO SERIOUS RIGHT NOW—WHO SIGNED OFF ON THIS PLOT???”

The storyline? BABE. It was giving car crash in slow motion, vampire in Crocs, Twilight if it were written during a sugar crash — and yet here I am, invested like a clown with premium seating.

And that MAIN LEAD???
A radioactive red flag dipped in immortal thirst-trap sauce.
I swear he walked on screen and my brain went:
“I HATE YOU.”
“I LOVE YOU.”
“I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU.”
“I NEED A RESTRAINING ORDER AND ALSO A HUG.”
The emotional whiplash is insane. I need therapy, financial compensation, and possibly an intervention.

The pacing??? LMAO PLEASE.
Half the time it was doing parkour like it was running from debt collectors, and the other half it lagged like my WiFi during a monsoon. CHOOSE A SPEED, YOUR HONOR.

World-building? Don’t get me started.
They served crumbs. CRUMBS. Not even the good soft crumbs — the dry, corner-of-the-cookie crumbs you give to pigeons.
HELLO?? I am a lore-goblin. I need FEASTS. I need MYTHOLOGY. I need WHY IS HE IMMORTAL AND ONE'S ALSO SAD ALL THE TIME???

And yet…
And yet…

6.5/10.
Because it irritated me, entertained me, and emotionally violated me in a way I cannot explain.

Would I watch it again?
Absolutely not.
I value my mental health.
But also… I might hate-rewatch a few scenes because I’m weak and stupid and Boun looked hot TT TT.

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There needs to be more shows as simplistic and straightforward as this!

If you're deciding whether to watch this show, here's the breakdown:

Ep 1 - 6
Girl chases after Boy

Ep 6 - 18ish
Boy chases after Girl, Boy tries to make amendments for his wrongs seen in the first few episodes. Girl struggles and through different obstacles relents slowly.

Ep 18-Ending
They become a couple and forgive each other once they both come into an equal understanding.

This is a slow-burn romance. Though the story is pretty fast moving per episode. Some may be put off by how the Boy treats the girl in the first 6+ episodes, and yes I agree he was really mean in at least one occasion which was unfortunate to the girl, but stick with this story for at least 13 episodes, and the rest of the episodes gets better as we see the Boy desperately and genuinely express remorse and seek forgiveness from the girl. And yes, what he did wasn't something against the law and the girl was not hurt physically in anyway. So, in this regard, it was really up to the girl if she wanted to forgive him or not.

BUT DO KEEP IN MIND, I don't mean to say the first 6 episodes are poor, in fact, the later episodes BUILDS and RELIES on the first 6 episodes. The first 6 episodes serves as a "marination" for what's to come in the future episodes, so I wouldn't be skipping or sleeping through them, additionally they are not boring, and the show has a decent fast-moving pace from start to end. YES, it will HURT to see the girl being treated in an unpleasant way, but that gives the reasonings behind the Boy's desperate attempts to set things right and make amendments to the girl in the future episodes. If you sleep through the first 6 episodes you wouldn't feel that intense regret the Boy's feeling in the later episodes.

There are quite a number of subplots related to Game Development as the boy is a Game Developer and runs a business in a parent company. These sub plots could have been shorter especially in the final 4-5 episodes, though we still get to enjoy the main couple's chemistry during these episodes.

The script aside from some over the top misunderstandings, is above average and enjoyable. Though slightly cringe at times, it manages to display a good amount of fluffy, vibrant and bright romance, something rare to find these days!

The OST (Soundtracks / Music) of this show is surprisingly addictive, especially the main one by Huang Xiaoyun! It's catchy and her voice is a gem to listen to. (This is something difficult to say with most dramas these days having boring uninspiring songs)

To summarize, this show was a delightful treat to watch despite some of the shortcomings (fact is, no show is perfect). It has a slow-burn romance, decently paced script from start to finish with only some draggy but short subplots (those business-related side-story). About nearly every episode has strong romantic scenes between the main couple (especially before they got together). Both Main Actor (Lin Yi) and Main Actress (Zhou Ye) were brilliant in their roles! This is currently my favorite Zhou Ye show! If you're looking for a show with a huge dose of slow-burn romance and a satisfactory ending, this is one of the few shows out there to not miss out on!

I've watched Zhou Ye's Legend of the Female General but not a fan of the slow-paced script in that one.

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Forgettable drama but I liked the styling & a particular scene

I was in the mood for physically strong FL so searched youtube for spy dramas and found this. This is my first drama of Yang Peng Cheng even though I had seen his name & face many times. This drama left me with mixed feelings.

What I liked:
1. Styling - I liked ML and FL's outfits. Very cool, spy wear.
2. Yang Peng Cheng - My first drama of his. I liked his visuals & voice.
3. Duration - Only 71 minutes! I like short short dramas.
4. Blind date - That was entertaining.
5. Supporting characters - Grandparents.

What I disliked:
1. Romance - Lacklustre with no chemistry between the leads. There wasn't even sexual tension / pull dynamics between the characters. No real kiss.
2. Story - So much potential but the end product was boring.
3. Acting - The actress who played FL was forgettable. No stage presence. She needs acting lesson if she wants to continue in this competitive industry.

Favourite scene
When FL & ML met grandparents from both sides

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Drama felt disjointed and overall forgettable

I was in the mood for Wang Zi Yi dramas so I picked this one randomly. Wang Yan Fei was new to me at that time so I was curious. After completing this drama, I had mixed feelings.

What I liked:
1. Romance - It started off as transactional relationship but soon real feelings developed. I enjoyed ML's flirty moments. I really liked that FL expressed her feelings later on.
2. Supporting characters - I liked FL's boss / bro.
3. Threat - I liked that ML was threatened by Jiang because it showed that ML had a vulnerable side. In other vertical dramas, MLs are always untouchable.
4. Styling - I featured the maid uniform in a reddit post about maid uniforms in Chinese vertical dramas.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Dr Mu was despicable. He is the type who couldn't let go. The type who believes "If I can't have her, no one else can". Jiang was the same too, treating ML as a possession.
2. Writing - The story seemed imperfect with a few scenes that felt disjointed.

Favourite scene
When ML was slapped

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