Reviews

A fresh and nostalgic family journey through time.

This series surprised me from the start with a premise that I found truly novel: not only does the protagonist travel through time, but her entire family does too. This twist gave it a fresh and original dynamic, exploring how each member deals with this absurd situation.

One of the most notable and charming aspects for me was the concept of food and how the restaurant and its dynamics were adapted to the olden days. It wasn't just food, it was a vehicle for emotions, memories, and family connection. The way it was presented visually was as original as it was endearing and appetizing (I really want to try some of the dishes, ha ha ha).

Although I must point out that in the middle part, the plot lost some of its strength, with some episodes that felt stagnant and character attitudes that I found a little heavy, the last episodes come back with incredible force. The ending left me with a deep nostalgia and a lot of affection for the characters.

As for the outcome, although I admit that the fact that they got together was an emotional "band-aid," I felt sad that they were the only ones who remembered each other (at least she had her family, he had no one).

Finally, I must praise the cast's performance, each actor brought their character to life and made them authentic, making us truly care about them.

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Amor & Perigo

A premissa é um ponto de partida muito forte: Mhok, um ex-presidiário que busca se ressocializar ao se tornar cuidador de Day, um atleta em processo de perda total da visão. Um drama emocionalmente ressonante. Indo além do romance, foi uma química de cuidado e compreensão mútua da dor. A reta final recorreu ao clichê "precisamos nos separar para que eu possa me encontrar", que, para mim, foi desnecessário, visto que os personagens já viviam um tema tão intenso. Foi uma série que me fez chorar, mas também me deu esperança, mostrando como duas pessoas quebradas podem, literalmente, aprender a ser os olhos uma da outra.

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Além da Visão

A premissa é um ponto de partida muito forte: Mhok, um ex-presidiário que busca se ressocializar ao se tornar cuidador de Day, um atleta em processo de perda total da visão. Um drama emocionalmente ressonante. Indo além do romance, foi uma química de cuidado e compreensão mútua da dor. A reta final recorreu ao clichê "precisamos nos separar para que eu possa me encontrar", que, para mim, foi desnecessário, visto que os personagens já viviam um tema tão intenso. Foi uma série que me fez chorar, mas também me deu esperança, mostrando como duas pessoas quebradas podem, literalmente, aprender a ser os olhos uma da outra.

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Aconchegante, Fofo e Simples Demais

Uma busca pelos sonhos, é uma obra cheia de energia juvenil contagiante. Ela não tentou criar dramas complexos; ela se concentrou na determinação de Khao e Moo em alcançar seus objetivos e no apoio mútuo que eles desenvolvem. Foi muito agradável, mas também foi muito simples. Com conflitos quase inexistentes ou resolvidos muito facilmente, entregou conforto, mas tirou a complexidade que existe em alcançar esses objetivos. Aqui, a dinâmica "sol" e "lua" funcionou bem. Um garoto da cidade que sonha em ser ídolo de K-pop e o outro, um garoto do interior determinado a ser um grande cozinheiro, foi uma receita inusitada, mas suficiente para um romance fofo.

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LONG JOURNEY FOR TRUTH

A third vertical drama series I'm reviewing here. Lately I'm drawn to these short form dramas, despite their many flaws. Admittedly, they're engaging and addicting of late, and had evolved and improved a lot since. I've watched this from a vertical drama app, entitled SWEET DESTINY WITH YOU.

I like this one. First time to have watched Wang Xuan, the ML. He kind of resembles the character Ji-hoo here, played long ago by actor/singer Kim Hyun-Joong from the Korean "Boys over Flowers" series of 2009. He's so good looking and first time to see from the lot that I've seen so far, where you can feel the passion when an actor kisses. He's a fine actor, given the right roles to fully explore his talent. Vertical drama roles depicting stoic and cold billionaire CEOs, don't do much justice for these emerging talented vertical drama actors.

The female lead aside from being beautiful, acts great too. Storyline not original as expected from these short dramas, but well executed. The ridiculousness and OTT scenes are present as always, but I'm used after a while of watching these mini dramas for a couple of months. Enjoyable and entertaining nonetheless.

Another heartwarming, cute story of fate, allowing people once again to find each other and face adversities along the way.

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This wasn't just a drama I watched, it was an experience I lived.

From the very first episode, it captivated me with its impeccable production, but what really hooked me was the emotional depth of its story.

The reason for my obsession with this series has a name: Zhao Lusi. Her portrayal of the protagonist is simply masterful. Not only does she wear incredible outfits that reflect her character's evolution, but she also manages to convey a vulnerability and strength that touches your soul. Her character is that girl who only wanted one thing: to be loved. Throughout her life, she shaped her personality, her actions, and her dreams to fit in and please others, believing that this would help her find her place in the world.

The moment she discovers that her entire love life has been built on a lie is a heartbreaking turning point. Seeing her suffer and fall apart was so real that I couldn't help but suffer with her. But it is precisely in this low point that she finds the strength for the most important thing: to reinvent herself. Her journey is not only about healing, but about building an authentic identity from scratch, for herself and not for others.

There is no teenage love filled with unnecessary drama here. What blossoms between the two characters is a love that, despite the lies, becomes mature, conscious, and healing. In the end, he doesn't come to "save" her, but to support her, understand her, and walk beside her as an equal. It's a relationship built on wounds, second chances, human errors, selfishness, patience, and a deep emotional connection.

The cast's performance is outstanding overall, with each character contributing to and enriching the plot. The locations are like another character, beautiful and full of meaning, perfectly complementing the protagonist's emotional journey.

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A story with potential BUT

I really like fantasy kdramas and this one had a very interesting plot which could have really captivated me IF the pace would have been faster. Guess bad cut decision and mediocre directing choices or simply a sloppy script ruined a potentially very entertaining tv series. The acting was mid as well but I blame it on the mediocre direction. The main lead is sweet and possibly talented but I have issues with Korean actors that look so unnatural (botox etc), I find it distracting (difficult to forget they are actors and get into the story). The female lead is mid as to acting skills, didn’t give me much, but maybe with a better script/director…

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Fated Hearts: a drama that will make you feel everything. Your next obsession!

Without a doubt, it ranks as one of the best Chinese dramas of the year, a gem that leaves a deep impression on the viewer.

Impeccable Acting (10/10): The cast is simply sublime. Each actor not only embodies their character, but also gives them a depth and layers that are essential to the story. They deserve every point of that 10. The "enemies to lovers" plot is executed to perfection. The transition from visceral hatred to passionate love is believable, painful, and extremely satisfying. Every glance, every touch, and every tension-filled word is pure gold. The OST is not just an accompaniment; it is another character. The songs accentuate each scene, heightening the emotions to the limit. It adds a magical and memorable touch to the whole drama.

Complex and Human Characters: This is, perhaps, its greatest success. The characters in "Fated Hearts" are incredibly human, full of light and shade. One moment you love them for their vulnerability, the next you hate them for their selfish decisions or terrible mistakes, and then, almost without realizing it, you come to understand why they act the way they do. This moral ambiguity makes them fascinating and real.

The costumes and setting are a visual delight, adding another layer of immersion to the story.

Despite its greatness, there is one aspect that prevents it from receiving a perfect score: the ending. After such an intense and twist-filled journey, the dénouement feels a little weak and rushed. It doesn't ruin the overall experience, but it does leave you feeling that such a powerful story deserved a conclusion to match.

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Started Sweet, Ended Dull

I went into this drama really wanting to love it — the concept seemed fresh and full of potential. A whole family time-traveling together? That was something new and interesting. I’d watched When Destiny Meets the Demon, which also plays with time travel, so I was curious to see how Ying Lu would handle a similar idea — and it actually started off well. The humor was on point, the sarcasm landed nicely, and the family dynamics felt warm and genuine. Even the romance had that slow-burn charm that made me root for the characters at first.

But somewhere along the way, I completely lost interest. By the time I reached around episodes 10 to 30, everything just felt empty and repetitive. I wasn’t emotionally invested anymore — I was just finishing it for the sake of finishing it. I was bored. The romance dragged on way too long, especially with the ancestor plot, which was just dull. The revenge storyline also felt hollow; it didn’t really define the character, and even the acting didn’t sell the emotional depth it needed.

As for the ending, it was bittersweet — at least they met again. The final scene, with him sitting on the chair as it snowed, reminded me of Kill Me, Love Me. It was beautiful visually, but it didn’t hit as hard emotionally, probably because I already expected the reunion from earlier scenes.

Overall, I’m disappointed. I truly wanted to enjoy it, but it just fell short. The humor turned silly instead of witty, the romance lost its spark, and the final twist — where the whole family resets back to zero — made everything feel pointless since none of the characters remembered their growth or experiences.

Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you’re looking for something light and don’t want to think too much between heavier dramas. It’s not terrible — the concept is good in essence — but the execution and writing were weak. It’s a drama with a fun idea that unfortunately never lived up to its potential.

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Fully engaging!!

I was fully engaged with this drama because the believable, excellent acting (made possible by excellent directing), cinematogrophy, topped off by top notch editing (editing can make or break a story) brought a great well writren, intriguing story to life. The cast was excellent (first time for most of them and becoming a real fan of ABH) but I must mention the story arch of Nah Tae Nam throughout the drama was so very well portrayed by KWS. Congrats to you all!!!

Knowing this is fiction and was viewed as such, it’s a reminder of 2 very important things: 1) the mind is very fragile. people are capable of almost anything if pushed far enough; and 2) absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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Zhao Lusi was 100% great but ML and story…..

Zhao Lusi was great!!! Totally great!! 💯💯💯 But the male lead was a flop😩👎🏻 The storyline went from great to pathetic since everybody tried to help the male lead too much. And when it came to Ep.26 that they woke up on the same bed by the plan of her sister and her bf, I just easily dropped the whole series right away. Won’t be trying to finish it again after many attempts.

Feel bad for Zhao Lusi’s blood, sweat, and tears. She was so really great!! It shouldn't have been wasted because of the male lead and storyline.

I watched the first 19 episodes in just one sitting then it took me the whole week to watch Ep.20 to Ep.26!!! That tells you how bad it was.

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Disclaimer: Not for soft hearted people!!!

This drama is setting a mark for extremely dark dramas. If you are looking for morale in characters, or perhaps have ignited a hope that things will turn better and everything will be all sundry then extinguish that hope. Here are only characters with no morale or sense of justice and the rest of the good souls will only be manipulated to meet a very deadly end. So if you are more into that sort of things then this might not be your cup of tea because its characters are outright EVIL.
I have watched FL in many dramas where she had played badas*s characters, bubbly characters or the ones where she is extremely kind hearted one. This one is something else altogether. I am sure it is gonna be one of the best dramas of her life.
I am not saying such dramas haven't been made before or such characters have not been conceptualised before ( The Glory, Penthouse, The Mouse are few such examples) but it is extremely different in a sense that all the other characters are as hopeless as the FL. In simple words- with no morale or principles. How unhinged a human being could be? This drama's FL will surely set a mark for that one for sure.
The intro was more than enough to set the tone and few minutes in and I was taken aback by pure chaos that happened in the first four episodes. The music adds to the whole chaotic plot but the acting of every side character including the main characters are worth your time. This could have been a great drama if they hadn't deviated so much from the original webtoon storyline. Plus the ending which ultimately plummeted its ratings. They could have done so much better if they really wanted to go with different ending than the original. Unnecessary death in the name of sacrifice, looked nothing but stupid which brought nothing to the FL's arc.
It is definitely not the ending I was expecting especially the way they started the show. It was one chaotic drama that fizzled out due to weak writing towards the end. To conclude -You will be left unsatisfied with only bitter taste.

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A Good Legal Drama but characters’ development is flawed

Overall, I enjoyed this drama and appreciate the acting from most casts. The legal cases presented were realistic and they were solved with decent depth and explanation. It’s good to see that everyone has conflicts and weaknesses. That’s real life. No such thing as a perfect person. However I feel let down with the over dramatised characterisation of the FL and the young lawyer Xia Shu.

What’s good?
1) Acting of key characters including the supporting casts are decent to good. No one is too awkward in portraying their roles. The FL lead can act. I may not like her character (see below) but the actress is good. She is natural and has small talks and movement that make her acting stand out. ML is a good looking mature guy. Acting is good too. Good pairing.

2) Cases are good and realistic in terms of their resolution. Most characters including Mentor Mei is imperfect. That makes the drama interesting as it’s not predictable.

What’s not so good.
1) Character development for FL is not so good. She went through a lot as a betrayed spouse in deep debt. It’s understandable that she hesitated for a long time before accepting ML’s pursuit. However what I dislike is, she verbally abuses him all the time. Initially yes, they didn’t understand each other and he did come across as unscrupulous. But cmon after so long and so many episodes where he helped her and many others, she continued to abuse him verbally, never took him seriously when he gets serious and try to be nice, disrespectful and insensitive towards him eg asked him to accompany her to wait for Xia Shu in middle of the night as she was scared of the stalker then immediately dismissed him like a rag when her friend is back. That’s plain rude and disrespectful. He on other hand has developed into a better person. Hence overall I don’t like the FL . I agree with the ending where ML sort of gave up on their relationship even though he loves her so much because she doesn’t gave him confidence that she will have his back when he is down and invalid. It’s a genuine concern and I feel sorry for him. The love of his life is not reciprocal in terms of emotional attachment. I think FL loved her first husband more. In Season 1 she took almost the entire season to decide to report his blatant fraud and abandonment to the police. It even caused her mother’s live and yet she hesitated .

Second bad character was Xia Shu but it improved a lot in mid season 2. How can a smart person who graduated in Law from USA behaves like a total idiot at work? You get privilege but you also need to show some professionalism. Playing video game in office. Wearing shorts to work, making blatant mistakes during cases. I didn’t believe she even went to high school. And it continued even after she was supposed to fall from grace and became poor. Her car, taken by her ex BF and she had to make such a huge effort to take it back??? Just make a policereport that someone stole your car is probably easier no? Unrealistic.

Since I am here I like Qiu Hua the SFL best. She has grown and is mature and logical. Even marrying the person she didn’t love due to gratitude and yet she did her best to stay in the marriage. It’s realistic to show her marriage dilemma as she deserved better. The husband simply doesn’t align with her in any way. The scriptwriters should have given her a better man who loved her and she could love him back just as much.

Overall a good drama except for some flaws above,

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As You Stood By Shines with Heart and Realism

As You Stood By stands out as a gripping, emotionally resonant drama that dives into the dark realities of abuse and power within Korea’s patriarchal system. Its strength lies in raw, fearless storytelling and exceptional performances—Lee Moo Saeng’s intimidating realism and Jeon So Nee’s quiet resilience are unforgettable. Yet, like many K-dramas, it ultimately conforms to the “moral rule,” resolving injustice neatly through predictable punishment and redemption. While the conclusion may comfort viewers with moral closure, it softens the harsh truth that, in reality, both the innocent and the guilty endure lifelong struggles beyond any scripted justice.

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Lacked spice

The plot,acting, chemistry was there but it lacked spice to make it flavorful. It's a pretty okay BL but by today's standards it's kinda meh. Needed more angst and real things put on the line. The plot was unique but it didn't really have anything else other than that. The execution was meh. The chemistry between the characters was also okay but still not enough. This series tried to play it too safe imo and I am disappointed because it had a fairly good runtime and episodes but still it failed to make more intresting. Welp I'll still be nice and give it a 7/10 I guess.

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