Reviews

Great production

I watched this show because one of my favorite actors Liu Xue Yi. He is a gorgeous, very talented versatile actor and I wasn't disappointed with how he portrayed his character in this drama. The female lead Ju Jing Yi is also a very beautiful talented actress although I found her character portrayal a bit bland and the chemistry between ML/FL lukewarm at best. I actually found the original Yang CaWe character more interesting and more of a natural beauty. Too bad she didn't get much screen time. I also really loved Li Ge Yang, an upcoming young talent. Overall, the storyline was very interesting and entertaining if you can overlook a few inconsistencies here and there. Beautiful music, great customes and fantastic photography, scenery. Loved it and highly recommend it. Thanks for the great entertainment

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It's not THAT great

Why The Prisoner of Beauty Isn’t as Great as It’s Hyped to Be

Uneven pacing. The show drags in the middle with too many filler scenes, especially those involving the generals and unnecessary political talk. It slows down the story’s momentum.

Wasted potential. The premise is interesting: beauty, power, and deception but it never fully commits to exploring those themes deeply or cleverly.

Predictable script. You can almost guess what’s going to happen next. Twists feel forced rather than earned, and some character decisions don’t make sense.

Unbalanced screen time. The supporting characters, especially the villains, could’ve been more developed. Instead, too much focus goes to less important subplots.

Weak romantic chemistry. The main couple’s connection feels surface-level. There’s no real spark or tension that keeps viewers rooting for them.

Inconsistent tone. It can’t seem to decide if it wants to be a political thriller, a romance, or a melodrama. The constant shifting weakens the emotional impact.

Lack of emotional payoff. Major scenes that should hit hard just… don’t. They’re either rushed or underwhelmingly executed.

Flat dialogue. The lines often sound generic or repetitive, without the depth or sharpness to make moments memorable.

Too polished, not enough grit. The cinematography is nice, but everything feels too staged and “clean,” making the story feel less real or immersive.

Low rewatch value. Once you know how it ends, there’s little reason to revisit it: no hidden layers, foreshadowing, or emotional depth to discover the second time around.

Underutilized cast. Some strong actors don’t get enough to do, while weaker performances get more screen time than they should.

Unclear motivations. Especially among the antagonists you’re left wondering why they’re doing what they’re doing. The lack of depth makes them forgettable.

Missed dramatic tension. Key conflicts resolve too easily or are skipped over entirely, leaving viewers unsatisfied.

Overuse of flashbacks. Instead of deepening the story, they start to feel like lazy storytelling tools.

Emotionally distant storytelling. It’s hard to truly care about the characters because the writing keeps viewers at arm’s length.

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Apparently I'm a Tutor girly now?

In all honesty? The first episode was a doozy. What was meant to be an introduction turned into an awkward mental exercise, as it wasn’t fast-paced enough to be thrilling, but neither was it slow enough to feel intentional. Additionally, this episode’s editing was all over the place. The jumps within the timeline, even with just different characters, made it harder to understand what was going on. I understand that the cast is large and that there were a lot of relationships that needed to be established quickly, but I think that’s where they fumbled the bag. Usually, the main group is small, which grows and shrinks over the storyline - this one dropped 3 of those from the get-go. There were too many segments in the first episode that had motion to really world-build properly, which pulled away from the opening. For a cast this big, too, I think a lot of people assumed there’d be some major deaths at some point; however, there wasn’t enough content for them to have significance (apart from Pao). After watching the last episode and seeing the setup for season 2, I can understand why, but before that? Confusing.

Once it found its groove, it actually worked pretty well. The pacing was enjoyable, the direction had been honed, and the acting actually surprised me. It may be backhanded to say that I expected the acting not to be up to par with my expectations, especially after that first episode, but I ate my doubts. There were a lot of scenes that had me glued to their expressions. Jimmy especially stood out to me with his acting quality, so I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten that many lead roles recently.

One thing I’d like to comment on was the discussions about character archetypes within the story and how I both agree and disagree with them. This show has a lot of different archetypes within the characters, but if we’re focusing on the small female cast, I agree there could be more done. A lot of the female characters seemed to be making the ‘stupid’ decisions, but I think there were also a lot of types within those characters that outweighed that. I’m not going to list them out, but it’s clear which female characters had a developed archetype compared to those that were just there to die. With a male-dominant cast, I do wish they could have given more respect to the female characters!

Listen. I’ve never considered myself a Tutor fan. I’ve seen him in ONE main role. I was here to be serious, focus on the zombies, but how could I concentrate WHEN TUTOR IS LOOKING TOO FUCKING GOOD? OH MY GOD! OH, they did his hair so well I couldn’t handle it. EVERY EPISODE, MY OBSCENE MOUTH HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT HIM. When he took off his shirt and he was in just a tank top? I just want you to know I appreciated that...deeply. I had to pause and calm myself over what? A MAN? The lion doesn’t concern herself with men- WHO AM I KIDDING? He was rocking my shit the whole time. Whenever he was on my screen, my eyes were PEELED like bananas. I missed him when he wasn’t around. HE LOOKED SO FINE. Something awoke inside of me today.

I also wanted to note the SFX/ prosthesis makeup was rather impressive. There was this one zombie they did a really good job on that I wanted to compliment. Like, yeah, it was 100% gross, but also the craftsmanship was so beautiful. Like this one scene where she's just on the screen and the blood is dripping off of her. Applause. I felt like I was watching a gory shampoo advert.

Honourable mention to the zombie mopping the floor because THAT TOOK ME OUT. Again, I wanted to take this seriously, but if you hit me with a zombie nonchalantly mopping, it’s going to tickle me.

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Almost liked it

First few episodes were not stellar but because of the female lead's unique character and my fetish for strong female leads, I proceeded to watch and found it entertaining in the first half. Inconsistencies started piling up halfway through. I mean, how could an amazing couple like the Princess Royal and General Ban have produced such a stupid son like Marquis Jingting? Also, how did the female lead become a more responsible, smart and sensible person under a father like that? Same parents but her brother is just as useless and stupid like their father. And the most laughable part is that the emperor wanted to promote someone as stupid as Marquis Jingting as the Deputy Prime Minister! Futhermore, I hate dramas where there's a clingy obsessive second female lead/villain. As typical as it gets, of course the villains always get away with evil things they do just to make the show longer. And so I decided to drop it.

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Love it

I always like watching her character since The Story Of Yanxi Palace. She knows how to bring intelligence to a screen! Her strength in this show is amazing I also like the ML too! They both brought a sexy appeal to the show without over doing . Although I was very saddened about the beginning but it set the stage for the genus FL to bring her powerful personality acting skills to the table to show them who to pick on. The ML was amazing they both brought flair and charm to the table.. i love a good Chinese drama when the FL will win with her wit, intelligence and wisdom to run the show and take power lol

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Blood River — A Gorgeous Mess in the Jianghu

🌟 Recommendation 🎬

If you haven’t watched the earlier two dramas in the “Youth in Jianghu” series — Dashing Youth and The Blood of Youth — this one might actually feel easier to follow and more enjoyable for you. According to online threads, some viewers without the prior context are enjoying it more! 💬✨

But… if you’ve already seen the first two, like me 😩, your expectations will naturally be high — and that’s where the disappointment kicks in. The emotional layers and storytelling depth just don’t reach the same level.

My verdict: If you want it as a standalone wuxia action piece — sure, you could enjoy it. But if you were expecting it to live up to its predecessors in terms of story depth, emotional arc or character evolution… it falls short. 😕

🩸 Synopsis / Setting 🔍

The story takes us deep into the shadowy world of the Blood River, a secret assassin organization ruled by three powerful families — Su, Mu, and Xie. When the current patriarch is mysteriously poisoned ☠️, chaos erupts inside the clan as each family schemes to seize control.

Our main lead, Su Mu Yu (portrayed by Gong Jun), the sharp yet stoic leader of the Spider-Shadow Guard, finds himself trapped between loyalty, betrayal, and a deadly power struggle ⚔️💔.

📖 Story / Plot & Structure 🧩

Honestly, this is where the drama started to crumble for me 😩.

The early episodes feel scattered — you can tell something big is supposed to happen, but the path there is messy.😕. For the first five episodes, I was half-watching and half-skipping, hoping the story would finally settle.

The character motivations aren’t always clear 🌀. Some plot twists arrive suddenly, without proper buildup or emotional weight — like puzzle pieces forced to fit together.

If you love a drama with a solid structure — a clear hero’s journey, strong villains, and satisfying redemption arcs — this one might feel unfinished and confusing.

⚔️ On the brighter side, the action scenes and visuals do help to keep things alive! The fight choreography is fast-paced, stylish, and cinematic 🎥🔥.

💬 The drama is Fast-paced and lots of action scenes.
So if you watch it mainly for the visual spectacle and martial arts, you’ll enjoy it much more than if you’re chasing a tightly written story. 🎭✨

🎭 Acting & Characters 🌙

When it comes to acting, this drama honestly left me conflicted 😕.

🩶 Gong Jun as Su MuYu — I really wanted to see the same spark he had in Word of Honor, but here… he felt like a shadow of that. His expressions were too still, his emotions too restrained, and sometimes it was like he wasn’t fully “there.” 😔 For a character who’s supposed to be a sharp, dangerous assassin, he appeared surprisingly flat — almost like a walking statue. I truly believe this role didn’t let him show what he’s capable of.

💥 Chang Huasen as Su Changhe, though — what a pleasant surprise! His performance had energy, emotion, and depth. I could actually feel the fire in his character 🔥. He really brought life to the story, and compared to Mu Yu, he stood out much more. Fans online seem to agree that he’s the real standout of the drama 👏.

✨ As for the supporting cast, they were decent — some strong, some forgettable. But most of the praise goes to the visual side: the costumes, the makeup, the choreographed fights — all top-notch 🎬💫.

🎭 Overall: The acting quality feels uneven. The world looks beautiful, but the emotional weight doesn’t always land. If the performances had matched the visuals, Blood River could’ve been so much more impactful 💔.

🎬✨ Production / Visuals / Action ⚔️

Now here’s where Blood River truly shines — the production quality! 💥

From the very first episode, you can tell the team poured effort into the fight choreography. Every battle scene feels fluid, stylish, and dynamic — blades flashing, robes swirling, and camera angles making it all look larger than life ⚔️🔥. The action pacing is tight and intense, keeping you glued to the screen even when the story wavers.

💫 The costumes and makeup are another highlight. Each clan has its own distinct look — from the cold elegance of the Su family to the darker, more intimidating aura of the Mu family. The designs stay true to the classic wuxia aesthetic: layered robes, flowing sleeves, detailed embroidery, and subtle symbolism that fits the Jianghu world beautifully 👘✨.

🎥 The cinematography also deserves praise. Whether it’s misty mountains, candlelit halls, or moonlit duels — every frame feels atmospheric and cinematic 🌙. You can feel the effort that went into world-building, even if the plot doesn’t always hold up.

So if you’re watching this drama for the vibe — the look, the fighting, the music, the style — you’ll definitely enjoy it. It’s visually immersive and emotionally charged, even if the storytelling doesn’t quite reach that same level. 🌌

💔 My Emotional Take 💭

When Blood River was announced, I was genuinely thrilled 😍. I had waited for it for so long, expecting the same intensity and emotional richness as The Blood of Youth. But after finishing it… the excitement slowly turned into frustration.

At first, I was full of hype and hope 😀 — then, as the story stumbled, that excitement faded 😐 — I felt a bit empty and disappointed 😕. It’s like watching a beautiful painting that’s missing its soul.

Still, I wouldn’t call it a complete failure. The visuals, the atmosphere, and the second male lead’s performance give it moments of brilliance 🌟.

So yes — Blood River is good in pieces, but not great as a whole. It’s a visually polished wuxia drama that dazzles the eyes 👁️‍🗨️, yet leaves the heart wanting more 💔.

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Lots of promise, but slightly unfulfilling

I waited THREE YEARS for this and will say, I enjoyed every minute of it. That being said, I really wished they just made this a longer series and actually finished it! The idea of a season 2 is great, as long as I don't need to wait ANOTHER 3 years. I really enjoy the route they took with the cause of the zombie, but I'm wary of a season 2 because zombie shows only have a few ways they can end. Normally I'd give a summary, but really it's your typical zombie apocalypse breakout - we're following students at a university that are trapped at the epicenter of a zombie apocalypse, and the remaining survivors better find a way to fight the zombies (and not each other) if they want to survive.

This was a super fun, relatively short spooky Halloween watch. It had SO many good actors, and the plot was super interesting. Yes, there were a few too many characters and no way to know them all, especially with some of them feeling unimportant. I think they could've cut down on some of the characters to make the deaths more meaningful (why would I care about a character dying when I don't even know them?) I'm super excited about the idea of a season 2, but really just wished they dropped all of it at once instead...especially after letting all of us wait so long for season 1. Still, I thought the zombies were super creepy (running zombies are SCARY) and fun to watch, and that the actors did a great job. I loved the back and forth between present day zombie apocalypse and the past on how they got to that point. The twists in their personal lives were SUPER fun to watch, and I really enjoyed it. I know people assumed that this would have more romance, especially since ZeeNunew, MaxNat, TutorYim, and KengNamping are all in it, but don't get your hopes up - this is a horror zombie show, not a romance. Still definitely worth a watch for the creepy spooky vibes! But be warned: you will be ending on a cliffhanger, and who knows when/if there will be a season 2.

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One of the best series I ever watched in this lifetime

I want to give an outstanding review to the actors, the directors and most importantly the Writers ✍️. I loved this series from start to finish what made this so amazing is that the writers kept the attention of the audience throughout the whole storyline, it was never a boring moment, even when a main character you got to know died, this series still captures your attention, This was the 1st introduction to me craving to watch more, and more historical Chinese dramas, I am from a different country and I fell in love with Chinese historical drama 🎭 just by watching this full series.. unfortunately as much as I craved the same high I received from this show, no other show can top this one from start to finish, they neither have a weak start or a very poor ending after engaging all your time in watching it, most of them left me very upset because the ending was very pitiful, after so much sadness the world would like to believe in happy satisfaction endings to a great story and many writers need to learn from this show and give us a great ending like this one.. I love the FL she held her own strength, she was clever, quick wit and highly intelligent.. some shows have the FL overly stupid, too playful to the point of being annoying, or childish talking like a retard and needing someone else to always save them, but this drama she carry her own weight, I love most of the shows she is in because she is quick wit and highly intelligent.

I give a standing ovation 👏🏾 and round applause 👏🏾 to the actors, directors, dressers, and a double applause to the writers ✍️ you guys set the tone on what a Chinese drama series should be like… every choice was well thought out and imperfect but perfectly balanced. 😍🥰🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

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Solid tale of underdog friendship/supports, personal growth & healing w/a side of slow burn romance

First, I’ll give an overall impression/recommendation then warn you clearly when spoilers will be scattered about.

I think this is another case where some see Kim Young Dae and “romance” after comedy on here and get very mislead given how very slow burn the romances in this are and how they kept it on the side, most everything viewed through the three females’ perspectives (including monologues that I would have liked quite a few less of but am not bothered by long-term, just that they aren’t my preference with a story that is this dynamic visually only to suddenly get reflective and quiet, often solemn-ish in tone. If romance is your primary wish, this might not be for you. If you want character growth and friendship that spans from young 20s-mid-40s, that is really lovely here. People who are all the “weak links” in terms of job stability becoming the support for each other and growing immensely, healing in the case of the older female lead and the male lead… it was really lovely to watch unfold (but the people all felt quite relatable or familiar, good and bad, so I could get immersed in the dynamics that I thought were really strong, the acting solid across the board.

It was always about personal growth, ambition, finding happiness and stability, friendship, and healing. The ML’s story is one of healing just as Eun Sang’s is. The other two main female characters were primarily growing into who they wanted to become through financial security that afforded them the ability to dream of bigger or at least better things for themselves after years of hopeless off-season contract hire BS where they were desperate to stay afloat. In any case, this is essentially a business comedy with romance as a sub-genre. It centers around the underdogs in this company, the three female leads off-season contract hires who are desperate to survive, the male lead verrrry successful and well-off but dissatisfied with the work he does even though he is the ace and paid as such. The friendship feels organic—all the relationships are painfully and gleefully either relatable or familiar or both for me in my advanced age, so I appreciated them blending in believable humor with quite a quirky cast of characters. One of the suitors had me totally confused early on at who I was even watching because they glowed him down into gopher town then showed him making some … choices… to improve how he is seen by the woman he just cannot help but be smitten with. I’ll leave it there. He is charming, really, in the most awkward little ducky kind of way 🐣.

The depiction of romance here is far healthier than most kdramas. More on that below. Last thing before plot stuff: the OST is great. I LOVE when cast members sing for their own dramas, and this lot is great at it. It made the warm cozy healing shine more through harmonies and storytelling sung through the characters that wasn’t just shallow random songs but lyrically solid/relevant. The last episode especially got us a heaping dose of music, fitting as the ML’s dream was in fact to be a musician.

(Spoiler warnings here on out!)

Even though Ji Song was initially all about the flutters from her beautiful, sweet-cute Chinese BF, as she grew, so did her ability to be part of a mature romance, not just a puppy love swooning type that was sure to make her miserable because she couldn’t afford that kind of luxury fixation on the shiny shiny things like both she and her young BF wanted at the start. Once she actually could afford the bling, she had grown up enough courtesy of the earworms that were Eun Sang’s motherly nagging!

I like the romance because it doesn’t take over the central friendship theme and even gets sidelined intentionally which is a comedic way of showing the reality many face, that romance, at least adult romance with ideas of being a long-lasting partnership, is a luxury you can only *healthily* approach after you yourself are in “good working order” and self-sufficient enough to not have your financial unease destroy both people. No need for equal pay mess, but equality does demand equitable distribution, something that requires both to be happy enough and not having to give up so much of what they value that they end up miserable (like soooo many who follow a spouse with a better paying job only to go from a career to being a part timer as if it’s cool to drop a career you steadily built and want to thrive in to instead have teen-appropriate jobs to go home to the one who is living their dream out, work and love alike. I appreciated a grounded romance on that front AND with the baby growing up and developing flutters for the steady presence of the one devoted to her because of who she is, not just because she’s pretty.

(Doesn’t hurt that they ARE really pretty people. I felt like hiding early on with how much they nerdified and literally alienated, green contacts and nose alterations and all, the guy who was always pretty attractive under all the layers of pretty convincing deformities, especially his poor mouth lol. At the beginning, I was genuinely like, “Wait, but Eum Moon Suk is the annoying manager here, right? So who let them do this to his face?” It is totally something EMS would do and has done. He is a comedic blast when his character is a goofball or weirdo (ok, most characters we ever get more than brief blips of here are kind of eccentric, but he is extra capable of bringing wild characterizations thanks to theatre experience, hence me second guessing who they dorkified!)

The one thing I was never sure about was them diving into cryptocurrency. It DOES tell you every episode that this is set in 2020 before any regulatory actions were talked about, but I just trust that viewers can separate this from the vast majority of investments that lose money, lots of it. It both has naysayers and the evangelist for it, this time the evangelist barely proving right. It is realistic in showing how many lost lots of money, but in this case it is showing a rags to stability story of hope that was facilitated by putting their spare money into a cryptocurrency we have to trust the sharp, savvy evangelist did actually research thoroughly and had insight into (it is definitely not actually rags to riches here—paying off student loan and similar debts isn’t riches, just not drowning with no ability to do leave the miserable job they put up with crappy treatment at for potentially brighter options).

This show is quite similar in aim and end result to Brewing Love… if you watched and enjoyed that, this might work for you, especially if sismance is something you love!

——-Rant warning on why this got blasted early on——-

I need to rant somewhere (here-why not?) about the rating (not because I think 7.5 or whatever it is now equals terrible but solely because it was in a pit of doom for ages and turned all kinds of people away who saw none of it, ratings blasting it before the episode actually aired the day the pilot dropped… It is a pity this got blasted with 1* reviews by people who came, reacted negatively, and disappeared, rating a show based on something that has nothing to do with the story or characters of the show at all… it was all because of a dorky commercial the three actresses threw out (which was just an homage to an advertisement from decades ago that mostly became popular because of the catchy song and goofy cartoon with a twisty popsicle rising up from the head of a chubby little middle aged man’s minimally detailed outline… for context, people got up in arms about the CLOTHING worn that people swear is “supposed to be” one thing but is showing as another. Those people swear it must be Aladdin but omono are they wearing Indian clothes? Nevermind that Aladdin was NOT part of the original Arabian Nights story collection but was added later by a European who heard a traveling storyteller talk about it… and THAT Aladdin was supposedly Chinese according to many sources, so…

Yeah, Aladdin… not a real person, not part of the original folklore, and never even given, in the MANY versions of it that basically spread and adapted everywhere along the Silk Road (India included, Disney’s problematic versions having a whole lot of India mixed in, the point being they are along a route often traveled, no real strong identity except a princess that also has no precise identity but is in many accounts South Asian, not Middle Eastern, so… yeah, the story moved as far and wide as the camels that traversed their ways all the way from the Old World to the “newest” New World. Last note on all that rage: I looked at sources hard-embedding screenshots of rage posts, and NONE OF THE POSTS ARE STILL UP. Loads of the accounts “enraged” seem to have been made JUST for quick rage followed by deletion so they can later craft another online identity and rage out again. It’s just so weird. They aren’t even using traditional red or black bindi that have immense symbolism. They were shiny little glued on sparkly bits, mostly gold like their head decorations. It isn’t just Indians, anyway, who decorate their heads and faces, and it never has been. No matter how long it was done here or there, Africa did it first, so why are Asians freaking about other Asians showcasing a bit of their beautiful attire anyway? I don’t think they have cultural/spiritual opposition to (vegan) fruit popsicles. I may be the only person outside SK who actually saw the originals, though. I know the trolls didn’t go digging up the VHS rips of those commercials! 😂

Why is SK the place suddenly attacked for featuring something from another part of the world? Shakespeare’s dust would form back into a leg and foot just to go kick the grave of Gandhi for waging such a senseless war over one place daring to wear clothes or perform art from somewhere else in the world. Don’t tell me every bit of Bollywood is 100% original content, none inspired by or remakes of works from elsewhere… it’d be one thing if they depicted Jainism with glaring errors, but Aladdin is a fictional character from “everywhere and nowhere” representing a rags to riches fantasy of sorts. I wish they’d leave it as such and let the drama stand on its own regardless of a popsicle commercial. 🤦🏻‍♀️🫤

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What incredible chemistry and a brilliant plot line

I put off watching this drama as I didn’t like the photos of Mark Chao’s character (yes I know, super shallow) but eventually, due to the amazing reviews it’s had I thought I’d have a go.
I was a fool to not watch this sooner.
The characters, the acting, the costumes, the production values, etc… utterly brilliant. The baddies were so well played that I wanted to boo them off my screen as I ranted in frustration. The main couple had so much chemistry they were so believable. The child who played Ah Li was mesmerising. I could go on but you get my drift.
I loved Ye Hun, even when he was being pathetic in the Celestial Palace. He has such an adorable, dorky smile and telegraphed each and every emotion perfectly from frustration and authoritative commandant barking out orders to love struck puppy.
Yang Mi acted her little cotton socks off and I felt every bit of her despair, heartbreak, love and devotion both as Su Su and Bai Qian. I really enjoyed every aspect of her journey except for the last few episodes when I wept and wailed like a heartbroken teenager.
The rest of the cast were excellent even if I didn’t always agree with the plot lines they’d been given. The two main baddies played their parts so well that I wanted nothing more to stab them with a hairpin- both thwarted in love but the outcome of their situations was so different.
Would I watch it again? Very likely.

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Even Better than the Original

Hmm...

Both versions have their own charm I guess... If I had to choose between both, I'd say go for the Japanese version because they got rid of the last arc in the Korean version which sucked in my opinion.

I have to say that I personally really loved how we saw more of the FL and ML bonding over their common history and interests as well as the fact that they also showed more interactions with the father. That gave way more heart to the story than the Korean ver.

About the ending, there are some things which the Korean version did better imho especially regarding how in this version the FL sort of "forgave" her "best friend" and apologized 🤦... but I still prefer the Japanese one. I like that the FL and the ML ended back doing the things they truly loved on a professional level. Koreans have this obsession of success being linked to working for a huge company and whatnot and not necessarily on the joy and warmth that comes from doing something you're passionate about but which doesn't necessarily give you that "social status" that they seem to always crave.
This is something that I always loved about Japan: They truly value their traditions and being a master artisan at your own craft in your tiny shop is not looked down on but something people really respect even if that doesn't make you filthy rich.

The Japanese version incorporated more elements about traditional Japanese culture and honestly this added some warmth that just wasn't there in the original version.

I'd say the Korean version is more thriller-like whereas the Japanese version has more warmth and heart ( albeit maybe for the last 2 episodes where the villain goes even more unhinged than in the Korean ver).

All in all it really depends on what you're looking for. Both versions contain similar elements but the Korean version is more focused on the revenge part whereas the Japanese version focuses more on the warmheartedness between the leads.

Since I gave 8.5 to the Korean ver but I still prefer the Japanese one, that's a 9 for me.

EDIT: Rated down to 8.5 in the end due to the last two episodes... But I still prefer the Japanese version compared to the Korean ones.

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A beautiful Slow Burn

I went into this with zero expectations. Honestly, I don't even know how I ended up seeing this show. I didn't know who William or Est were; I just decided to give the show a chance because of a TikTok recommendation, and I am happy that I did. I have seen many people saying they dropped the show because it was "too slow" for them, but being a KDrama girlie, that was not a problem for me at all. I actually loved the pace, seeing Po helping Thame get the group back and falling in love, despite what he went through with his ex. Watching Thame fall in love and allowing himself to want something just for him. Seeing the character development. I also loved how there was no miscommunication; everything was resolved within the same episode.. I also loved the topics the series covered: the conversation of fans' expectations from Idols and how much pressure the Idols are put under to maintain a perfect persona, as well as the business side of being an Idol and the treatment of Idol groups by their management companies. This series was very well-written; at no point did I feel like the series was dragging or that there were unnecessary filler scenes. The plot, storyline, dialogue, and cinematography were just perfect. And I have to say, the acting was very good, given that this was William's first acting role and Est's first Lead role. I truly enjoyed this series.

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5+ years later... does it hold up?

After 2gether's 5th year anniversary, I felt the urge to not only rewatch the immensely popular BL series for the first time in a while, but I also wanted to give a review.... as objectively as I can. Throughout 2021 and 2022, 2gether was a comfort series for me. The easy, light-hearted nature of the series was the biggest draw for me when I initially watched in the beginning of 2021. It was the first BL series that I watched, and I was blown away to see something so contrived with nearly every romantic trope in existence, but between two guys. For me, it was as if almost every m/m fanfiction that I've read in my adolescence was written into the script. It was something that truly felt revolutionary to me.

The BL genre has progressed so much since the year that this series dropped; from production value to less sanitized storytelling. Despite how much I enjoy this series, I can't help but feel the censorship. The only two BrightWin kisses here are mid-sentence surprises and mainly non-consensual. And while I'm on the topic, consent is a lingering theme in the background of this series that could've been handled more gracefully. I won't dwell because anything done here without consent isn't nearly as egregious as some non-consensual acts from many other series produced around the same time (TharnType, I'm looking at you).

2gether falls victim to lazy contrivances for the convenience of drama. Simple communication, peripheral vision, and the ability to read body language would have saved our romantic leads from most of the trouble coming their way. It's nothing that you aren't already used to from Asian television but always so much more noticeable after the first viewing. However, none of the drama or third-party obstacles that our leads endure last longer than a single episode, until the final two episodes. As I've previously mentioned, this series is very light-hearted and I am very appreciative of a show where two previously straight-identifying young adult men find love with each other without the existential dread of queer realization. The first 10-ish minutes of episode 10 if a great example of that. Shortly after Tine and Sarawat decide to officially give their relationship a try, Tine is faced with the struggle of coming out to his friends. For a while, I thought the episode was going to be about how they navigate their relationship in secret; but that didn't even last for the entirety of the first 10 minutes of the episode before Sarawat exposed their relationship publicly. To no objection.

Many may look at that as a narrative flaw but after having nearly all of queer representation on TV from the west be founded on queer existential dread, it was refreshing to see a story where a gay relationship was outed, and everyone was supportive. And by episode 10, it's no surprise that Tine's friends were supportive, so it doesn't feel forced or rushed. With only 4 episodes left, I appreciate not wasting time on the drama of coming out.

Another thing that has bugged me about the public discourse of this series is that no one ever mentions how comical it actually is. There are many BL "romcoms" that I can name but can't think of any jokes or funny scenarios from the show on the top of my head. That's not the case here. For all its flaws, from the subpar production value, the censoring, the acting (which I personally think is fine, apart from Bright's crying scenes), etc, no one could ever say that 2gether isn't funny. I genuinely think it's one of the objectively funniest romcom BLs in existence, and that's even in comparison to many of them made today.

And maybe I'm leaning completely into subjectivity here, but I also think that BrightWin have great chemistry. Over the years, one of the most common criticisms of this show is that the romance feels more like a "straight bromance". Personally, I think they have good romantic chemistry and I'm certain that if the narrative didn't intentionally romanticize their interactions, less people would feel the opposite. To that critique, I say be your own judge. For me, the longing glances and reddening cheeks do it for me.

With 5 years of separation, I'm happy to finally view this series with a somewhat more objective lens. It's hard to watch 2gether now and think that I'd ever recommend it without a disclaimer. Yes, it's censored. It's very much of its time. But it's not bad at all. And I'd still argue that it's a good choice for your first BL.

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Awesome show

I got into this show with zero expectations. I had never seen the actresses before and was honestly expecting not much, but I could not have been more wrong. The acting is outstanding, with both Aok and Rin conveying emotions in a realistic, natural manner, and the slow burn builds as Aok slowly accepts Rin. The one thing I absolutely did not expect from this show that truly made it exceptional was the soundtrack; it was masterfully crafted to convey and exemplify the scenes, and it is so beautiful, honestly. Gold medal to whoever made the soundtrack for this show. I am enjoying this show and am happily awaiting every Thursday so I can watch the upcoming episodes.

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Short and enjoyable youth rom-com, don't expect anything more :)

PLOT: At university, the first FL/ML encounters are unlucky/catastrophic. However, fate brings them together (shared love of math, swimming and climbing clubs, etc.), although romantic rivals create numerous misunderstandings.

+++ I don't really like Ireine Song. Her previous roles, with her childlike appearance and characters with childish behavior, annoyed me. But here, she plays a convincing student. I really like the ML, Guo Zi Fan.
+++ Fast-paced direction, with no dull moments.
+++ The story is fairly coherent (no great villain, but -as usual- a childhood friend / one-side lover obsessed ) and the OST is appropriate.

### In dramas, the PTSD therapies implemented (here, by student friends and a psychology intern—what's the point of psychiatric clinics in China??) are appallingly amateurish!
### Quite a few plot holes in the storyline: the breakup is resolved with a mathematical symbol? No really schooling or exams? Virtually no parents? Etc.
### Limited budget, but used fairly well.

=> Short and enjoyable (don't expect anything more) youth rom-com.

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PLOT: A l'université, les 1eres rencontres FL/ML sont malchanceuses / catastrophiques. Cpdt, le destin les rapproche (amour commun des maths, club de natat° & escalade, ...) bien que des rivales amoureuses créent de multiples malentendus.

+++ Je n'aime pas bcp Ireine Song. Ses précédents rôles avec son physique de petite fille et des personnages au comportement puéril, m'avaient agacée. Mais ici, elle interprète une étudiante convaincante. J'aime bcp le ML, Guo Zi Fan.
+++ Réalis° rythmée, sans temps mort.
+++ Story à peu près cohérente (sans great villain, mais avec une peste) et OSTs adaptées.

### Ds les dramas, les thérapies de PTSD mises en œuvre (ici, par des amis étudiants et une apprentie psychologue à quoi servent les cliniques psy en Chine ??) sont d'un amateurisme affligeant !
### Pas mal de plotholes dans la storyline : résolution du break-up avec un symbole mathématique ? Peu d'études et d'examen ? Quasiment pas de parents ? Etc.
### Budget limité mais assez bien utilisé.

=> Série Rom-Youth courte et agréable (sans plus).

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