Reviews

A show that makes you feel warm even in the coldest of winter

I went into this drama with pretty low expectations, if I’m being honest. I just wanted something decent enough to keep me entertained for a few nights and instead I ended up finding one of the warmest little hidden gems I’ve watched in a while. There’s just something about this show that feels comforting.

Even when the story deals with grief, loneliness, anxiety, trauma and all the messy complicated feelings that come with human connection, it never feels heavy in an exhausting way. It feels gentle. Like the drama is quietly holding your hand the whole time.

One thing I appreciated immediately was that the writers didn’t drag out the mystery surrounding Chan’s identity for half the show and told us exactly who he is. I was fully prepared for 8 episodes of dramatic staring and near reveals, but surprisingly they handled it pretty quickly, and I think that was the right choice. It kept the emotional momentum moving instead of making the story feel frustrating. While I was confused at the beginning as to what was going on an who everyone was to the other, that was the exact thing the writers were going for. I'm just glad they resolved it very fast and kept the pace moving all the way until the end. Come get your gold stars, the writer team.

And usually I HATE when dramas rely too much on characters randomly running into each other all the time. You know the type. Suddenly everyone in Seoul shares the same three sidewalks. But weirdly enough… it genuinely didn’t bother me here. The grandmother randomly meeting Ha Dam’s boyfriend, everyone slowly intertwining into each other’s lives, all of it somehow worked. I think that’s honestly a testament to the directing and editing because they managed to make an overused plot device feel natural and cozy instead of forced.

Now let’s talk about Chan because I absolutely adored this man.

Genuinely one of the most lovable male leads I’ve watched in a while. His smile is SO infectious and Chae Jong Hyeop embodied this role perfectly. There’s this softness to him that immediately draws you in, but underneath that warmth there’s also so much pain and loneliness quietly sitting there. And I loved that the drama didn’t dump his trauma on us immediately for shock value. It slowly unfolded his backstory at a really good pace without making us wait too long either. The balance was honestly perfect.

And that therapy scene after the accident??? When he said “I don’t think there’s anyone in my life who would say I love you to me” I genuinely wanted to crawl through my screen and give him a hug. SHUT UP YOU ADORABLE LITTLE CAPYBARA OF A MAN. YOU ARE SO LOVEABLE.

His personality was clearly shaped by everything he’d been through and that made him feel so real to me. His brightness didn’t feel fake. It felt intentional. Like someone who consciously chose warmth despite life repeatedly giving him reasons not to. That made him such a layered character for me. His presence on screen also gave me such warmth.

I also weirdly found his passion for animation and storytelling really moving. As someone who’s personally struggling a bit with figuring out my own path in life, there was something genuinely inspiring about watching someone so deeply connected to what they love doing.

Also his styling team deserves a raise because his wardrobe and hair were EXCELLENT. More of that immediately please.

As for Ha Ran, I thought Lee Sung Kyung was such a good casting choice. I’ve always preferred her in quieter, darker, more emotionally restrained roles compared to brighter characters and she really fits the atmosphere of this drama perfectly. Her makeup, hair, styling, the color grading around her scenes… everything complemented her so beautifully. I genuinely think this might be my favorite she’s ever looked in a drama.

I also really liked Haran as a person, and as someone who also struggles with anxiety over my loved ones, I can fully relate to her struggles, even though hers are at an extreme spectrum. I can clearly see where she is coming from, and I loved that she herself could identify what a problem is in her behaviour and was actually quite communicative about it to her family and later on to Chan. I found these to be great elements in creating a layered person that actually feels real. She felt flawed in a very human way.

I also really liked Ha Ran and Chan's dynamic. I thought they complemented each other so well. Although I wish we didn't have this past connection, I can also recognise that without it, we can't really have a 12 episode drama.

They’re both characters carrying around old wounds and there’s something really beautiful about watching two people slowly become a safe place for each other. I especially loved how naturally their relationship progressed. I’m a total sucker for friends to lovers and while this isn’t exactly a traditional version of that trope, the emotional progression felt very similar to friendships that slowly and naturally deepen into love. I loved that neither of them really tried to aggressively hide their feelings once they started developing either. You could SEE it in their behavior long before anything was verbalized. The small moments between them ended up meaning the most to me. I'm simply enjoying them enjoy things together.

I also loved watching Ha Ran slowly realize that while Chan appears very open and cheerful, he actually reveals very little about himself emotionally. There’s this quiet distance in him despite how warm he appears, and watching her gently notice that made me even more invested in their relationship.

The side characters were also genuinely lovely. The coffee shop owner was such a comforting presence, Ha Ran’s grandmother was an absolute icon, her sisters were great, and even Genius the dog managed to become one of my favorite parts of the show because LOOK AT HIM. ADORABLE.

Everyone fit the tone of the drama so well and the family dynamics especially added a lot of warmth to the overall atmosphere.

I also really enjoyed that so many of the characters worked in artistic fields because stories centered around art, animation, writing and creative spaces will always immediately pull me in.

NOW. I do have one complaint.

Chan’s animation project “Won” genuinely looked AI generated at times and I’m sorry but it kept taking me out. If I were Kim Nana I would not have hired their team lols. HOWEVER, his other sketches and drawings later on actually looked much more human and expressive, so eventually I let the “Won” animation crimes against art go.

The ending itself was also very lovely. They wrapped things up in the best way possible while still keeping just enough mystery alive until the very end for us, the viewers. I had my suspicions about what truly happened, but this is dramaland and writers sometimes suddenly lose all common sense during finales and sabotage their own work for fun. Happy to report that thankfully wasn’t the case here.

Overall, I just thought this was such a lovely drama about surviving the cold periods of life and slowly finding warmth again through other people.

And somehow, despite taking place during winter, this show made me feel incredibly warm the entire time.

Definitely one of those quiet little hidden gems that deserves so much more love.

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A light and fluffy BL comedy that was easy to watch.

Cute, simple, and perfect when you just want something fun and soft. 😊

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Too short to get anywhere ...

so this basically was another example of a great potential wasted .
it started strong yet the plot fell flat and didn't make any sense so many times , everything in this drama was rushed maybe because it was only 12 episodes " the only explanation I could think of " .
you may lose interest before you reach half of the show , I don't get why this was so hyped to begin with , they showed us a lot of stories yi an story with his father and his mother death in an accident and showed us the rumors about them being killed yrt all of that went to trash and was never spoken of again , hui ju and her father at first they showed us he didn't care about her and that he hated and in the end he begin to show care and kindness towards his daughter that was very sudden for me as the actor who played her father didn't show that much which made me feel that the transition was quite fast and rushed .

the worst thing for me was the prime minister character development , I mean what happened ? all of a sudden he became the main villain what made his character reach that point was it hui ju's poisoning or that she loved yi an or was it all for power ? the explanation he gave yi an inthe end for trying to kill him didn't make sense .

on the other hand , yun I rang's character development was great he understood that there will be no turning back if she stayed silent and reported both her father and prime minister which was great .

ML's character was giving me mixed signals at first he wanted the throne then when he had it he didn't want it , why exactly ? was it all about freedom as prime minister said ?

overall I felt this was quite rushed , confusing and anti - climactic at many points .

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I was here for the mess!!

This show was MESSY and I ate it up!! Loved it!! There was so much drama! I haven't seen the first Only Friends series, so I really didn't know what to expect going into this, but I loved it! I plan on watching the first one soon. I loved how it was all while putting on a play and getting to see that while everything else was happening. Some of the drama was a little stupid in my opinion, especially the fight that broke Jack and Dean as well as Arnold and Tua up. I thought it was a little ridiculous to cause a fight to begin with let alone breaking up. Other than that, I loved how dramatic and messy this show was.

Jack and Dean:
Loved their chemistry! Earthmix just has such good chemistry with each other and I loved seeing them. Their spicey scenes were pretty good too. They are quite toxic but you kind of expect that with a show like this. I loved seeing how their relationship kept changing over and over. I'm glad in the finale they took a year away from each other so they could grow as people and be without each other for a while. I do think they will break up again tbh lol but they are cute together and truly mean a lot to each other.
Jack-I was so back and forth on how I felt about Jack. One minute I really liked him, the next I hated him. He's very toxic with how he treats Dean and how he treated Raffy as well. He stayed pissing me off.
Dean-My number two favorite character. Loved him so much! He was chaotic and a bit messy but was so fun to watch. I really felt bad for him too with his past and how people treat him. A lot of people were out to see his downfall, and he really didn't deserve that at all. My poor baby

Rome and Raffy:
I think they had some of the most iconic moments of the season for sure. They were my favorite pair and not just because I was happy to finally see AouBoom get a main role in something. Their chemistry is off the charts. I loved seeing their relationship develop and change over time too. I really think they are good for each other in a lot of ways.
Rome-MY FAVE CHARACTER! Loved him so much! He wasn't messy, he never pissed me off like a lot of the other characters and seemed to just be the most reasonable out of everyone. I liked when he stood his ground with Raffy about not just wanting to be a rebound for him. I LOVED when he punched Jack, that was the best. I could go on and on about him I loved I'm so much.
Raffy-He was messy. I'm glad he grew over the series because there were many times in the beginning that he was pissing me off. I loved him but hated him in moments too. I loved who he was by the end of the series. I was so happy when he told off Jack and started fighting for Rome.

Arnold and Tua:
This couple was the least exciting for me. I think because of the drama and crazy spicey scenes from the other two pairs, these two seemed a little boring. If this were a regular series, I think I would've enjoyed them more. They were so cute and wholesome and felt like a real relationship growing from friends to boyfriends. I just think it felt a little underwhelming compared to the chaos of everything else.
Arnold-He was a little dumb but had a big heart and good vibes lol. I liked him, wasn't my favorite but didn't have a problem with him either.
Tua-He was really nice and I liked watching grow more confident in himself over the show.

One thing I will say is I wish we got to see more of the friendships in the show. Dean and Tua are supposed to be best friends, but we saw them together so little that I would forget that all the time. So, their fight and even them forgiving each other didn't have as big of an impact as it could've. Same with the group of four (Jack, Dean, Tua, and Timmy). They mentioned a few times that they were all close, but we never saw all four of them together and we only really ever saw Timmy with Jack.

Boston also just seemed like such a useless character to me. They seemed to forget about him in the second half of the show too. Same with Gameplay he was just the most pointless character to me. Pete...this mf. He got no real punishment for all that he did and I hated that. He was stealing money and recorded that video and lied so many times but faced no consequences. So stupid.

I just loved this show so much and really enjoyed watching it! I'm going to miss it!!

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To be human vs an immortal

Simple story about immortal beings and the main male lead wanting to be human.

The execution is well enough for a C-drama that I'm not fussed with the story. It did kind of rush the ending a bit and well no spoilers but it kind of felt like cheating at the end but you'll see what I mean when you watch it. There is flashbacks near the end and I mean too much flashbacks so I had to skip those. There's also a lot of irrelevant closure like some characters they're so useless that's it better to not even bother talking about them later.

The antagonist, easy to tell so there was no shocking revelations.

In my opinion "The Boys" makes a better series because it goes into a gritty world and straight through the jugular. I kind of imagine if the script writer was inspired by "The Boys" this series could have been a 10/10 for me because I can only imagine how much more gritty I would make this series and explore the core concept of this series in that nature.

Overall though the story is decent enough that it doesn't sway away from the theme but a bit too light for me to fully say it's a great story. It's a predictable Chinese script.

Fighting like I'm more into Jackie Chan style which means good fight scenes. This is about immortal beings so expect sky fairy style of fighting so lots of CGI is involved sometimes it clearly is bad CGI. There's not much choreography like it's weak but the focus of this series was never about the fighting and I'm a big time action fella so I love series and movies with lots of fight scenes and how much effort the actors put in which is very tiring like Ever Night season 1 has really good fight scenes while having like powers involved.

So I give the fighting a 3/10 and this is because when you see the most powerful immortals fight it doesn't feel GRAND. I'll say anime is possibly the best to see how grand you can make fights like even Hero Academia the fight was just like making me tear up because of how well they did it even against all odds just that struggle and the grand nature of fighting a more insanely powerful individual.

In this and most c-drama it's just weak like you can't be serious and say the end fights were any good. I would even say one fight they cheap out so hard they made the same things between both of the greats that I was like wow this was so underwhelming so that's it?

Once again fighting is not the focus of this series so I gave it a big pass but if it was about like Hero Academia style of story this would have ended up a 4/10 series for me.

The acting and cast like both main leads loved them and it's not really a lovey dovey series so I like the vibe of the tease I guess. The ending is also nice too and I really enjoyed a potential setup for further season 2 if they dive in.

One thing I will say there wasn't much supporting characters I really felt attached to so I think the script didn't do much of them justice and fact is when you fail at that the whole "here's their backstory" it kind of all falls apart. There's some shows that introduce supporting characters that I feel sad when they kill them off or I'm interested in their backstory and I just didn't get that vibe here so most of the time I wanted to just see the progression of the main leads rather than all these other support cast.

I did really enjoy the story about human kind preserving knowledge like that ain't no spoiler but it reminds me of historically like countries like South Korea vs Japan and what the Japanese did back then.

Good watch, had a good time. Would have been excellent if it was similar vibes to The Boys and just more gritty and heart wrenching. Ended on a good theme and if there's a season 2 I would love to see more from the main leads.

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Fun but a little long

There was nothing particularly wrong with this show, it was just a little long in my opinion for what it was. It was cute and fun and loved the characters, just a little repetitive. I loved the cast and was happy to see PerthSanta in something.

Pobmek deserved more credit than he got for taking care of Sun/Solar the entire time. That is so much on someone. I know he had help but it was mainly on him and I think he deserves major props for sticking with it all that time. I loved seeing his growth over the season with the kids and learning that he loved being a teacher.

Sun was so adorable even if he was a bit of a troublemaker sometimes. He really brought so many of the funny moments in the series. Solar was really fun too. I loved how caring and loving he was. I'm glad he got to figure things in his past as well.

Jee annoyed me I'm not going to lie. He was just a little too weird for me in moments, but he was really helpful with everything.

Sodhuen might be my favorite character, either her or Pobmeck. I just loved her. She is so fun and caring, and I was so happy she got to the permanent principal at the end. She loved the school and the kids so much so I'm glad she gets to keep that role. She was a lot of help as well with the Sun situation.

The kids all made the show more enjoyable. I think they really helped carry the show to be honest. They were so fun and loveable. I loved the two boy friends and the three girl friends so much! The kids all did a great job with the acting as well!

The idea of the show is fun, and I do think they executed it well. I liked how it ended and loved that Sun wasn't there for the finale and just focused on how Pobmeck and Solar are doing after the fact. I do think they brushed over the fact Sun was abused pretty quickly. They kind of just blamed it on depression and moved on, but that kind of happens a lot so I wasn't shocked by that. Overall, it was fun and I enjoyed it.

Loved all the outfits in this too!

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Underwhelming (but not as disappointing as KPOP Demon Hunters)

Wonderfools aspires to a kind of narrative grandeur it never quite earns, settling instead for being intermittently entertaining when it isn’t busy circling its own indecision. The reliably lauded veteran cast deliver precisely what one expects of them (competence bordering on autopilot), though one suspects they’ve been given far more credit than the material warrants. For a series so eager to flirt with superpowered ambition, its central conflict feels almost embarrassingly underdeveloped, reducing potentially harrowing themes (fractured childhoods, moral divergence) into little more than decorative angst. Most disappointing of all is its villain, whose supposed grand vision lacks both scale and cunning, rendering the entire enterprise curiously small despite its inflated self-image.

That said, one could do far worse. In an entertainment landscape that occasionally mistakes incoherence for ambition (KPOP Demon Hunters being a particularly egregious not so recent example), Wonderfools, at least, understands the basic virtue of watchability. It may never transcend its own limitations, but it remains consistently engaging and, at times, genuinely funny in ways that feel earned rather than accidental. Faint praise, perhaps, but praise nonetheless.

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Story of the Ages

Insane palace politics with high stakes and a slow burn that absolutely slow burned but when it started to burn, it was like a raging inferno. Majestic OSTs paired with masterful storytelling of reincarnation, this is fight to take back one's own destiny.

Ning is just trying to redeem herself and get away from the morbid drama that caused the downfall of her last life, yet she is too smart and headstrong to stay out of it. She's an imperfect FL who's resentful, selfish, and ambitious but you can't help but root for her. It makes sense why everyone keeps falling for her because she's being her authentic self.

Here comes the star of the show, the batshit insane son of a bitch, Xi Wei. Never have I met such an unhinged and cunning character AND he's the ML. I love it. To me, it was so obvious that he had feelings for her from the beginning. He is definitely the fall first and harder, and never let go type. He just makes sense with Ning. Their insanity matches.

A breathtaking tale of revenge and redemption, not one episode was boring. While the romance was slow to develop, it made sense since both characters are too crafty to fall head in first. But believe me, once they (more so Xi Wei) took that first step, they dove off that cliff. Just craziness all around, one of my favorite dramas of all time.

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Hilarious and fun!

I thought this series was going to be bad, maybe because Cashero which had a somewhat similar regular people suddenly get super powers plot didn't click with me at all or just the vibes the poster gave me, a little bit of both, maybe.

To be 100% honest, the main reason I watched the first episode was to see Cha Eunwoo, I thought I'd watch 1 episode to see him and then drop it, probably because of this train of thought I was a bit bored at first, but about 3/4 into the the episode it clicked, it's not only good but it is hilarious!!I laughed out loud a lot, and spent the whole 8 episodes giggling, it's just so good, not per, not excellent but still a pretty fun drama, with some great twists.

The super powers are so cool! Especially on the villains side, and the actors were so good, really the entire cast is fantastic, although I don't agree with people that say that Cha Eunwoo can't act, I do admit that he's not good, he's just OK, mostly looks I know, unfortunately that fact is highlighted by the fact that the other 3 are so damn good, but it still works somehow, where he might be lacking the others shine, and it's so funny to watch them act together.

To keep this short, Park Eunbin is a goddess, Robin on the heroes side and Huran on the Villains side were my favorites and although I am perfectly happy with this being a one season miniseries, I would gladly watch a second season if it happens.

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A true masterpiece and absolutely worth watching

Perfect Crown truly became one of those dramas I know I’ll carry with me for a very long time.

Waiting every Friday and Saturday for new episodes turned into such a comforting routine for me, which honestly made watching the finale even more bittersweet. As excited as I was for the last two episodes, there was also this quiet sadness knowing I had to say goodbye to these characters and this story.

Tv shows have always been a huge form of escapism for me. Since I was younger, they’ve been my way of fully diving into another world for a while.. feeling every emotion alongside the characters, forgetting reality for a moment and just letting myself get completely immersed in a story. And Perfect Crown did exactly that.

From the acting to the chemistry, the emotions, the storytelling, the soundtrack… every single episode felt magical. Having some of my favorite actors in one drama already raised my expectations, but somehow this series still exceeded them. I laughed, cried, stressed, smiled and genuinely felt so connected to every moment.

What I loved most is that the drama never felt empty or forced. Every scene carried emotion, warmth and meaning. And the ending? Honestly perfect. It gave closure while still leaving behind that emotional ache that only truly special dramas can create.

For me, this is easily one of the best K-Dramas of the year, maybe even one of my all-time favorites. It feels like one of those stories you revisit years later just to feel something again.

A true masterpiece and absolutely worth watching. 🤍

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Seriously underrated

Honestly one of the best mafia / underworld BL drama I've watched so far. The storyline isn't perfect but still holds better than most shows that aren't essentially focused on romance (e.i. goddess bless you from death - which I really liked - but the plot construction and investigation make no sense at all).

It is more brutal and action based than most dramas as well - I liked it for this, and it also, for once, was quite well done. for those who worry about how violent it can be, there are some tough moments but I still remains quite watchable of you compare it to US series.

The romance is well acted and the chemistry is there. As opposed to many other shows the pacing is that strange - but it's true that there aren't that many intimate moments. Of course I wished we had a little more happy moments to witness between them !

Overall, would really recommend watching!

SPOILER PARTS

Now what I thought about the story and characters.

About the general plot - it holds quote well together but there are some inconsistencies, and moments where things make no sense. One of the first moment like that for me was when he was in prison, and when they saved Mei. For the latter, when the cops came, they could have 100% tried to take her back but just stood there shouting at each other whereas they totally had the manpower.

Another thing I didn't really understand is how the elder brother completely disappears out of the story once he's hospitalize.

Finally, Mei is quite annoying - she doesn't hold a grudge to Peace at all in the last episode, but is mad at her brother and quite unbearable throughout the whole thing. It could be explained by trauma but she's quite normal with everyone else, so it just doesn't hold up and overall renders her quite frustrating.

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Perfect CHEMISTRY for the not so PERFECT Storyline

This was one of my most highly anticipated dramas ever since the casting choices were first announced. Having thoroughly enjoyed the previous projects of both IU and Byeon Woo-seok, to say I was thrilled for this series would be a massive understatement. Furthermore, a romantic comedy set in a modern-day monarchy featuring a contract marriage trope sounded like an absolute jackpot. However, whether the show actually delivered remains highly questionable.I genuinely appreciated numerous aspects of the production, most notably the stunning cast, their palpable chemistry, and their stellar performances. That being said, the narrative completely fell flat during the second half of the series. The political subplots were not only poorly executed, but they also left a multitude of loose ends untied by the finale. Cramming in too many plot twists solely for dramatic effect ultimately stripped away the emotional depth of the story's progression. Before viewers were granted enough time to fully process a subplot, it was abruptly swept under the rug as the narrative rushed to the next conflict.

I strongly believe the creators should have extended this into a standard 16-episode series. The world-building felt incredibly underwhelming, as did the motivations of most characters,particularly the antagonists. Even after being repeatedly targeted, the protagonists never proactively attempted to unmask the masterminds, instead going about their daily lives as if nothing had occurred. In all honesty, I occasionally felt as though I were watching a high budget vertical drama where the plot progresses at breakneck speed but lacks any real substance.Ironically, the only widespread complaints I encountered online regarded the lead actors chemistry, yet I personally found their onscreen chemistry to be one of the finest I have ever witnessed in Kdramaland. Their compelling dynamic and powerful acting were the primary reasons I persevered through to the end. I sincerely hope a director casts them together again in a future, heavily plot driven project.

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Hybrid Chaebol-Historical-Fiction Kitsch

Who wants nowadays another standard chaebol story? Well, the combination with fictional historical style is not standard, but everything else has been shown 1000 times and more already. However it is fair: the kitschy title says all, so if you do not like this kind of kitsch, then you should not watch. Myself I had to fight to keep watching, Because of the story I was almost throwing every five minutes. I endured it in order to enjoy the acting of IU and some other actors; all of them are very good matches (yes a prince is supposed to be expressionless and dumb, what else?), as expected, the whole team is highly professional, they are not joking around. The music is excellent and worth listening to outside the drama, too. The only part of the writing that I liked were the two episodes where the writer seemed to embrace the irony towards the historical type of drama. Unfortunately that part ended fast and the banality filled everything else. After seeing it all, I think that I wasted my time. IU played in dramas that are more worth watching than this one. Go for them, if you have time!

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