Reviews

Ah.. I'll just note the missing elements first. But probably the first few episodes was because it was told by a story teller that they embellished it with some elements that are not there i. e. The white tiger. In the first few episodes, we see it fighting with Mu QingGe but in reality, it didn't even appear based on Su YuShui's recollection.

Mu QingGe's sister is really selfish. Her elder sister already gave everything for her and yet she still wanted more... She wanted to become the crown princess to get the love of SuYu (the crown prince), and wanted to be powerful like her sister and gain everything, so she wanted her sister dead. What an evil sister! She's hopeless! And in the end, she just lost her mind for missing the one who truly love her - Wang Shui Zhi - a previous disciple of Mu QingGe.

I really wonder why these Cdramas chooses FL's who aren't that pretty. Cute yeah. I guess it's her bubbly personality and her seriousness to act like she seems mature and innocent at the same time. But in terms of beauty, others surpass her sadly. Other women here are prettier than her.

Tiu JiuYuan - the female partner of Wei Jiu of Scarlet Sect is beautiful (even her younger self). Even Yu Tong, the female guard of Su YuShui, is pretty. Xue RanRan's friend is also cute.

Good that the FL is smart as well as the other characters. I'd love to have her pouch which can hold even a human. 😅

The crown prince Su Yu has his own charm. Liang WuMeng looks handsome too.

I wonder why these Immortal Cultivators are very easy to deceived. They still believe this vicious and treacherous woman whom they believed to be Mu QingGe. They were already given a lot of circumstances to doubt her. First when she took one of the elder's power core and during one of the trials. Now she is deceiving them again and they still believed her wholeheartedly?

When Su Yu Shui lost his memory after he sealed the Spiritual Spring, his voice changed and I hate it. Why is his voice altering? Was he sick or was that from a different voice actor?

Well for all that it's worth, what are the damn immortals doing when they know that a fallen immortal is wrecking havoc in the mortal world? Are they all sleeping??? Well that answers my question. But aren't they even more powerful than the mortal cultivators???

Well somehow a good story. All the elements fit into one big conspiracy made by Dun Tian - a powerful immortal who fell just because he regret not saving his family (wife and 2 daughters) by defeating the Mortal-Demon Lord. He planned everything from the start.

He adopted and trained the 2 sisters Mu QingGe and Mu RanWu to cultivate. He even made Su YuShui into his pawn as the Demon's Child. He also used Su Yu and was pulling strings from the background. All to fulfill his great ambition of crossing the 3 thousand realms and finding his family again. But what he didn't count on was Mu QingGe's good values in helping people, including her own disciple Su Yu Shui, even sacrificing her own life so he wouldn't fall into being a demon and them also falling in love; thus defying him in every turn. Su Yu Shui just realized her sacrifice for her on Ep. 38 during the last few episodes.

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Something good after a long time

I don't understand why people called this one bad. I think it was pretty good. Thank god i didn't skip it cz of the reviews and comments. There were minor flaws but nothing major. I liked the story, pacing, acting, couples everything. Not every story gotta be deep uk. I did cry a little after ep 6 it was kinda angsty but yep we got some happy moments and a happy ending🤭🤭 and also an unexpected 3rd couple.

The only thing I'm sad about would be both the brother's death. I was expecting atleast one of them to survive 😭 but none did. I really liked Tang's brother he was soo adorable.

It's a really nice, kinda cliché, good watch give it a go.

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a makjang trying to masquerade as a prestige piece

what a silly drama. the politics are un-serious to begin with; the USA would never gaf about what a south korean ambassador is doing with her personal life. like, i'm sorry, but they'd have attacked everyone in episode 1 if this was a serious thing.

the romance, while pretty, makes zero narrative sense. in fact, munju and her husband have a more intriguing story and the romance with sanho cuts through that emotional arc between them. the rest of the plots - family secrets, hidden lovers, hidden kids, annoying in-laws, is KBS weekend drama content! not something you expect from such a high budget and cast. and every bit of footage of that submarine made me want to crack up it was so ridiculous.

jun ji hyun carries the drama however. kang dong won is the second lead here to her story. she shines and is breathtaking. in a different drama, i'd have loved their relationship, but here......it all felt random.

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Short Drama, Not at all Expecting

I started watching this drama cause of the actors. MAN, I was hooked from the bat. So much going on but done so well, this is one of the better short dramas I have watched. I felt the acting was spot on & I could actually see this show as a parallel to werewolf romance stories, where they have mates, etc.

Loved how much intensity that the ML put into his part, he really sold it. I believe this is one of the few dramas of his I have watched & let me tell you, he definitely has a new fan. The FL did as much work as the ML, I felt like her character was more grounding for him & his anchor to reality. Supporting cast was amazing as well.

I was a little confused at the beginning of one of the episodes because somehow it started on earth & then all of a sudden went back to the story. That got cleared up in the last episode because she was asking for help from different planets that held life & hopefully could send them the "cure".
Also confused why certain Red were bonded with animals. I felt that it could have gone in more depth or they could have explained that better.

I definitely can't tell you how much this is on my rewatch list, but it definitely has made it. I never say anything is perfect because there is always something trying to overachieve perfection. This show was definitely close in my opinion, hence the rating.

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Exceeded my expectations

From the first episode I could tell the story wasn't something unique. I believe there are many series with this kind of plot BUT I wasn't expecting it to enjoy it that much. The way the story is presented it's very detailed. The cinematography and editing gave a genuine feeling to it. Although the second lead couple didn't seem that interesting at first, later on I really enjoyed their development. I was a bit scared it would be a basic love triangle, but I was pleasantly surprised of how the relationship between FL and SML developed and their dynamic. Although I could understand how it might be hard to relate to it, I think there are some relatable points to it. Like the fact that everyone hides something about themselves but those things don't have to stop us from thriving and enjoying life. The ML story was so heartbreaking and I'm sure there could've been some more storyline to it, like about his relationship with his father, but I'm actually glad there wasn't because it allowed it to be lighthearted enough to binge it and not get cought up in the drama. Overall it was quite predictable (except the shareholder plot which literally had me gasp), but it was framed in such a way that it didn't bother me. Last episode was perfectly made. DEFINITELY recommend it.

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I really wanted to like this more.

When I first saw the trailer, I was so excited to watch this drama. Not Me was an awesome drama and one of my favorites, and I love OffGun and their chemistry when they star together. That being said, I was initially ready to give this series a much higher rating. The adult story line, acting, and drama felt refreshing, especially after Cooking Crush and The Intern. I was thinking this would finally put the Not Me curse for OffGun to rest.

Unfortunately, I felt like it was close but no cigar. Dew, Off, and Gun are all very good, but I felt the character of Jira was a little toxic for me and strung both guys along. Koh is cold and a major a**h*le at numerous times and I found that hard to look past. Pheem is the only character that I felt had some redeeming qualities and deserved a lot of sympathy. The scene in the rage room was very heartbreaking and Jira just kind of disgusted me because he didn't seem to grasp both what he had done to Pheem or even care to grasp it, he just wanted to paint and cared about his art.

Overall, the series was pretty good, but just didn't finish in a way that made sense. The writers set up the perfect path for the drama to break the BL drama mold and have Jira realize he was the issue and was burnt out and dealing with complex emotions and a life that was chaotic and needed two failed romances to see that he needed to focus on himself, his art, and his life. However, the series stopped just short of that and leaned back into the typical BL trope of a clean reconciliation between the leads and having the relationship rekindle. This was much, much, MUCH better than many of the other GMMTV BLs that are getting released lately, plot wise, I just wish it had gone the full way and broke the mold of a stereotypical BL pattern.

Side bar, the themes about expression, art, emotion, creativity, and passion were AMAZING, as well as how the scene tied that part of Jira's life together with him and his relationship with each man, and his interpretation of them differently in his work. I loved the idea of expressing the emotions of the artists and the subject of the art so differently. The rage room scene and finished work was AMAZING. I just wish GMMTV had been a little less....GMMTV.....and this would have been a solid 8.5 or higher. Still, the drama is worth a watch and the actors are great.

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Honest thoughts of an avid anti–reality dating show aficionado

I’ll preface this by saying: after years surfing MAL, I finally made an account because I *had* to point out how **HAWT** I-geon is. Like hello, I don’t think there’s enough ink about it. The moment he showed up on screen, we got that side profile first, and I literally paused and took a deep breath because I just knew he would be H.O.T.

He has such an actor face, and I really hoped he would pursue it…well.

I was worried they’d give him a playboy persona, but from the get-go he seemed to be into mature relationships. I expected the Ye-jin pickup, and it seemed like he chose Go-eun because he could fill the spot with a familiar face. But since their first date… damn. If flirting is a symphony, that man plays every instrument.

I don’t care if it’s scripted, if it’s acting, or if it’s to launch his career. He sold the role, and I am signed the f up for whatever he does next.

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I’ll try to organize this now.

Basically, I always avoided dating shows like the plague. Something very twisted about the underlying promise of authentically falling in love when it’s still a production — a scripted setup with performers using their real names. And there’s also how thick your skin needs to be to participate, because you’ll be scrutinized for things you didn’t get the most say in, but you still have to sell the illusion that you did.

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Go-eun and … Sung-min

I’ll circle back to Go-eun first. At the beginning, it did seem like she’d be the “foxy type”, but she turned out calmer.

My turning point with her was the photoshoot. Damn, I love seeing pros go at it. Jaejin’s approach was chef’s kiss, and I knew if they had any taste, they’d vote them for the win.

It’s interesting how what she said in her intro became true. She was interested in Hyeon-woo first, but the timing didn’t overlap. I don’t like speculating, but I do feel like she dated toxic guys and maybe she’s still in that mind frame.

I knew Sung-min would be popular on day one. He gives off calm, reliable energy, very pensive and grounded in his early conversations. But as the show went on, and contrary to how some people read it as confidence, I saw more insecurity and cornering tactics. And I don’t know how to feel about it seeming to work.

Like the panelists said: compared to how fun, dynamic, and substantial her time with I-geon is… we just don’t see what makes Sung-min the top pick. It’s a little unfair, editing-wise. With him we mostly get controlling energy and yapping, while with I-geon we get the full pool mating-call experience.

So I can’t help but speculate. It’s obvious Sung-min is rich. Maybe I-geon and Go-eun know each other better than they claim, or she heard something off-camera. It really feels like an important piece is missing.

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Jaejin & Joo-young

On to less complicated plotlines.

Jaejin is such a breath of fresh air. He truly seems like an old soul isekai’d into this show. And it ALL made sense when he was revealed to be an artist.

I wish they showed more of his humorous bits. I knew he and Joo-young were endgame the moment she got his sense of humor and said she was into arts and crafts too.

Every time they’re together, I just take a deep breath and nod.

Grounded, clean, reassuring, whimsical. That’s their energy.

Ideally, they should be the main event given the show’s pitch. But what we all know - and might not want to admit - is that what people watch these shows for is the mess.

So let’s address it.

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Mi-na

I don’t think “Mary Sue” is really into any guy. Choi Mi-na is Choi Minasexual.

At best, she’s into gals. Because the moment she senses one of them has something going on with a guy, she tries to cockblock. She talks about girls more than guys, if you pay attention.

At some point I found myself calling her insane, and then I had to slap some sense into myself. People should cut her some slack. She made the show dynamic. And it’s low-key hypocritical when the whole premise is being single and ready to mingle, but everyone acts shocked when she’s just more upfront about it.

The girl must have serious mental fortitude, because it’s obvious they assigned her the villain role.

I do think she’ll end up with Seunghun. She did her math early and made sure she had a Plan D ready. I’m not even playing devil’s advocate - she reminds me of a very specific type of messy girl.

Her expressions are exaggerated, she’s always looking for the camera, and the mental gymnastics she ping-pongs through while talking to different people is kind of impressive. The way she always frames things as “I didn’t want to, but I did it for you,” so it’s "okay if she eventually does what she wants".

One thing’s for sure: girl went all in for the performance.

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I’ll talk now about the challenges, the contestants made all of them quite enjoyable, as simple as the premise might’ve seemed, but my favorites are still the 1st two: photoshoot and 1st couple game because they set everything in motion. For example, it made Mina interested in Su-been( although I think he caught her attention before) and Su-been in Hee-sun, yes , in that order, in this essay I will… Okay,lol,
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Hee-sun & Su-been

Hee-sun is probably the one who flipped my initial reading of her the most. At first she seemed like the type to follow her crush around and do whatever to feel accepted, laugh instead of processing her feelings, just to not upset anyone.

I felt bad for her. Even rooted for her.

Then she flipped the table. Smart girl.

As for Su-been, he’s so drama-male-lead coded. His age made my jaw drop, but something about those World Cup babies, I’m telling you. (And the way he didn’t even ask what bag to carry — he just did it. That tells you everything)

I think he’s a direct upfront person with a strong sense of self, making him not susceptible to settle for bs , I think he stayed honest all throughout.

Looking back, when it seemed like he was ignoring Hee-sun, it was probably because he liked someone else and didn’t want to lead her on. But that changed after the photoshoot.

I knew if they ever got paired, I knew he’d fall. For one — or rather two — simple reasons: her boobs. I will not elaborate.

Something shifted after that, and it eventually bloomed into something really nice. Their date felt so natural, like they were already two years into their relationship. I laughed so hard when the panelists started acting like schoolgirls, hoping they’d kiss. Their paradise and post paradise time is quite memorable.

I did enjoy his date with Minjee as well, but not in the same way, I did wonder why she didn’t show interest in him and Hyeonwoo before it was too late, as they both have this cute boyish but also manly athletic charm, it’s so obvious they are sportsmen.

I think he felt genuine relief realizing this sweet, beautiful Hee-sun who liked him was also smart and secure. Absolute jackpot.

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Min-jee & Seung-il

I liked Min-jee from the get-go. Actually, it was that clip of her grabbing Seung-il by the hood that made me want to watch the show. And it seemed fresh that a non player type would be the popular one among the guys.

As for Seung-il, at first, he gave off hustler energy, maybe someone constantly around older women, could be snobbish. But the more he talked, the more proactive and endearing he seemed. He asked everyone’s names, quickly understood the dynamics as to who the main girl and main upsetter could be, and even said them out loud.

But that blunt honesty later backfired.

Their relationship started strong, but it fumbled. At first I blamed him, then I remembered the hypocrisy. They’re told to explore, but get criticized for it.

He stayed true to his words: only interested in two people. And that second paradise date went badly for both him and his Mary Sue. I even caught myself thinking “deserved,” I felt Min jee would pick Su-been for the 2nd date and was like atta girl, as if her and Seung Il were already an IRL item,which made me realize how toxic that mindset is.

The real issue was the lack of communication and I feel this rough back and forth would follow them if they were to actually date, they would be the couple that breaks up and come back together more than the number of weekends in a year.

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Time to start wrapping up

Special shoutout to my homeboy Seunghun. He’s so real. He feels like the rich moral-support friend, the third lead in a 2006–2009 reverse harem. Unexpectedly funny, supportive, I saw how he tried to help Hyun-jae get the girl.

He did stick to his first pick for the longest time, probably because the quick logistical calculation pointed him toward Mina Sue, and I do think it will pay off. But it was bittersweetly satisfying to see him and Heesun rise as the underdogs.

I loved their time in paradise; they both became more charming, and it was refreshing to see how he creatively addressed the two questions about age and job. So many of them jump straight to those topics as if they’re speed dating. I get the curiosity, but it honestly gives me the ick. I feel like those things should come out gradually, after you’ve both had the chance to get to know each other, and that habit seems to have shut down a lot of potential developments.

Ha-eun is sweet and bubbly, but they quickly labeled her the “younger sister,” so she ended up like Ye-jin: there for vibes and support. But I do appreciate the fact that the number of non toxic contestants is higher.

Ye-jin and Hyeon-woo honestly feel like they’re in the wrong show. They’re both ready to get wifed-up. And let’s be real, 30 is still very young. But she clearly came looking for an older, serious guy.

That’s why she basically ruled all of them out until I-geon showed up and even when she wanted to settle for him it was too late, but I totally get her chill laid-back energy and I know she will have many suitors .

I thought Hyeonwoo would pursue Jooyoung or Min Jee but welp Go eun acted first, it’s always interesting to see the subtle differences in cultures, because the way he acted in paradise might have been better received elsewhere.

Hyun-jae (Moon Sang Min is that you?) is another unproblematic sweet guy. Clearly grew up comfortably. Wishing him the best.

He could pair up with Haeun or Yejin but it would out of character, and I don’t think there’s a prize to win other than “finding love”? (and clout let’s be real).

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Final thoughts

My top three: I-geon, Jaejin, and Su-been. Different charms, but they all carry themselves with grace and assertiveness.

Will I watch another dating show?

Still no.

Maybe season two, solely for Dex, as I’ve known him for a while. But it was interesting analyzing my own experience with the ultimate “spectacle society” genre.

This is a production, after all. It shouldn’t negatively affect people’s real lives. I did notice discussions get heated, but the promise should remain entertainment. As long as producers and viewers agree on that, all is good.

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Captivating Story, Subjects, and Acting

I started watching this at the recommendation of a friend and it was fantastic. I was blown away at the storyline, and how the writers tackled and incorporated themes of mental health and illness throughout the drama. The leads are both amazing actors and deliver their roles well (character of one of them outside of acting excluded from analysis) and each episode delivers a more nuanced and complicated layer and development to each character. The series is long but never feels slow and every episode feels important in the overall plot and story development.

I love how Ko Mun Yeong is misunderstood and portrayed, as well as overcomes obstacles and inclinations about the way she was raised and the sociological and environmental influences she faced from her mother. Despite the seriousness of the series overall, the humor and dark fairytale like story are captivating. Visually, the drama is wonderfully done and even the support case in the drama is outstanding.

As one of my first non BL dramas, this set a high bar for other dramas to live up to! Definitely watch this if you want character depth, a different style love story, and characters that sometimes break the traditional K-Drama molds of leads.

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Cliché Served as a Snack: An Old Drama Experience

Not stellar acting or plot but by the standards of an old drama and the then trend, its okay. Considering the usual filming style of Taiwanese dramas.. This was fairly nice. Ik the pacing is too slow, and characters can be utterly cringe at times. However its still interesting to watch this cliche plot of heart donation, and identity exchange; like a snack. Its not totally unbearable. In this world, There seems to be no law here, no police here, no brain here, no logic or consistency of script, no identity card. But well whoever is watching this or planning to watch wouldn’t probably care much? Because thats obv wouldnt be why they are watching..
For me it was because i was hella curious, how this is gonna turn out~~ i was so curious about all reactions..however i dropped when the reveal happened..

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The perfect balance of angst, comedy, fluff, and plot

I stumbled upon Revenged Love during the summer via a podcast recommendation, watched two episodes, and never looked back!! Despite being so many episodes (and rushing to finish it out of fear of it being censored or cancelled), this drama is an easy watch and each episode is refreshing to see the leads continue to develop chemistry. The four main characters each have good character development, and the back stories of each are very good. The series does a great job of delivering both comedy and cute fluff, but being able to deliver on the serious moments and scenes (ex: Wu Suo Wei's mother and reckoning with himself, his love, and his feelings for Chi Cheng) as well as delivering funny moments. The chemistry was not lacking in the main couple, nor was it lacking for the side couple! Some BL series offer filler couples and characters on the side, but this was not the case with Xiaoshuai and Guo Chengyu. I found myself wanting to watch as much of their development as the main couple.

This was my first Chinese BL (and only my 3rd or 4th Chinese drama and it exceeded expectations. This is a great series to watch if you want something lighthearted with good writing, plot, acting, directing, and chemistry between main leads. Just hearing the theme song gives me good vibes and a feeling of summer. Check it out, you will not be disappointed!

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Must Watch One and Only First

To fully appreciate Forever and Ever, it's recommended to watch One and Only first: https://kisskh.at/63781-love-your-bones-forever-2. The prequel drama contained the tragic love affair of Zhou Shen Chen and Shi Yi; their story was continued as a possible reincarnation of the lovers (or a dream, according to Chinese censors) in Forever and Ever. There are numerous references to the prequel: original Shi Yi lost her voice, present Shi Yi was a voice actress; present Shi Yi is afraid of heights and has an aversion to red (which viewers of OaO will understand!); both wore red sequins for a wedding; and both liked light blue clothing.

One and Only was filled with angst, but Forever and Ever started so sweetly that I thought I'd get to add it to my Fluffy or Low Angst list. Later episodes got darker and became more melodramatic, so it lost its standing as lighter fare.

I find it regrettable when a drama changes its tone midway. The beginning of Forever and Ever was perfect for romance lovers and those who don't like sadness or angst. The latter part changed significantly, and the viewer was forced to sit through numerous sad songs with tears running down people's faces. About the only tragedy that the drama avoided, although I'm sure the writers seriously contemplated it, was the affliction of amnesia. My pleas of, "please, please, please, no amnesia!" were answered. Those who love a sweet slow-burn romance may not like the latter part, and those who enjoy melodrama may find the beginning boring.

In the prequel, Zhou Sheng Chen was noble general, with regal bearing and a quiet, commanding presence. In FaE, Zou Sheng Chen was a nerdy dweeb (or dweeby nerd) as a chemistry professor. Shi Yi's character stayed more true to the original as an elegant, sweet low-key woman with all the talents and attributes of her former self (art, literature, and music).

The relationship of the ML and FL was tender and sweet, although initially extremely awkward. Actually, the awkwardness was cute and endearing. Their daily interactions were some of the most mature and realistic I've seen in a drama. I'd love to see a similar romance that doesn't turn melodramatic, if anyone has suggestions. Give me two people who believe in one another, don't allow outsiders to wedge between them, and work out their issues together like Zhou Sheng Chen and Shi Yi.

I generally don't rate a rewatch high, but there was depth and purpose in much of what happened in FaE. There were so many Easter eggs connected to the prequel, that I'm sure I missed many. A rewatch would help solidify which characters related to the past, too.

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